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Minutes of the Lexington Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) Meeting <br />March 9, 2023 <br />Page 2 of 2 <br />• Dr. Julie Hackett, Superintendent, Lexington Public Schools, with <br />Mr. Michael Cronin, Director of Public Facilities, outlined the projected timeline for <br />the actions with the MSBA program. That would be now appointing the Owner’s <br />Project Manager (OPM) and the designer selection. Then the official Feasibility <br />Study would be from October 2023 to October 2024. [Note: All the references in <br />this Minutes to that program treats the outcome is for a new High School, but the <br />MSBA program, at this stage, still retains potentially later stipulating an <br />add/renovation solution for its funding support.] <br />• The discussion then went into the location of the Schools Central Office (SCO) if <br />moved from its current building and also what should be the future of the <br />173 Bedford Street facility (173BSF). At the end of much discussion, the <br />consensus was for the SCO to fulfill its swing space in 173 BSF—with the SCO <br />later having space within the new High School—and thereafter for 173BSF to <br />remain available for other Town’s swing-space needs. <br />• When questioned about the additional space needed to accommodate the SCO <br />in the Lexington High School, Mr. Cronin estimated that it would on the order of <br />17,00 sq. ft. <br />Committee’s Report to the 2023 Annual Town Meeting (continued) <br />Mr. Cole made a motion to accept the draft of the Report, as updated today, as our final <br />report, with Mr. Lamb and Mr. Kanter authorized to make non-substantial changes. Roll-Call <br />Vote: 6–0 <br />[At 6:15 p.m. Mr. Cole left the meeting after that vote to attend to a personal obligation.] <br />Member Concerns and Liaison Reports (continued) <br />Mr. Boudett wanted to be on record of his deep concern with the inclusion of the SCO with <br />its additional space requirement being proposed in a project already only estimated at <br />$400 million with potential to be a substantially higher cost. He considers the challenge it will <br />be just to get the Town voters to support in the essential Debt-Exclusion vote that <br />unprecedented, multi-factor increase in further funding—even if earlier major schools funding <br />had been readily supported. He sees Including the SCO in the new High School program as <br />a major threat to success, but looks forward to a discussion of this in a future meeting of this <br />Committee—which this Committee endorsed. <br />Adjourn <br />A Motion was Moved and Seconded at 6:21 P.M. to adjourn. Roll-Call Vote: 5–0 <br />This Minutes was approved by the CEC at its meeting on August 2, 2023.