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SEPTEMBER 14, 2016 <br />SPECIAL TOWN MEETING 2016 -5 <br />APPROPRIATION COMMITTEE <br />2016 -5.4 Supplemental Appropriation for School Facilities Capital Projects <br />Funds Requested <br />Funding Source <br />Committee Recommendation <br />$910,000 <br />GF Debt <br />Approve (7 -0) <br />The School Committee requests a supplemental appropriation to fund the design, site preparation and ac- <br />quisition of up to six modular classrooms for Bowman, Bridge, and Fiske Elementary Schools in order to <br />help relieve overcrowding at those schools. $3,000,000 from prior appropriations has been allocated to <br />this project — $85,000 from Article 2 of the March 23, 2015 Special Town Meeting #1, and $2,915,000 <br />from Article 2 of the November 2015 Special Town Meeting #1. <br />The lowest bid received by the Town to complete the project is $4,430,000, which exceeds the original <br />appropriations by $1,430,000. There are several reasons the bids were higher than estimated. First, the <br />modular construction cost per square foot was higher than the original estimate. Second, the square foot- <br />age of enclosed connectors needed for the project was more than ten times the estimate, probably due to a <br />typographical error in the original estimate. Finally, the placement of the modular classrooms at Bowman <br />and Bridge was changed from parking lots to locations that would be less disruptive to traffic at Bridge, <br />and to avoid interfering with outdoor student activities at Bowman. This resulted in additional costs for <br />installation and storm water management. <br />A portion of the $1,430,000 shortfall will be funded with $520,000 appropriated as part of Article 2 of the <br />November 2015 Special Town Meeting #1 for design work on a new Hastings Elementary building. Be- <br />cause the MSBA then voted to support the Hastings project, the funds were not used. The same appropria- <br />tion also included design funds for the Clarke and Diamond projects and the $2,915,000 described above <br />for modular classrooms. It is the opinion of Town staff that the wording of the original request allows the <br />unused Hastings portion of the appropriation to be applied to the cost of modular classrooms. <br />Total Cost to Install Six Modular Classrooms <br />$4,430,000 <br />Modular Classrooms Portion of 11/2015 STM #1 Art. 2 <br />- $3,000,000 <br />Unused Hastings Design Portion of 11/2015 STM #1 Art. 2 <br />- $520,000 <br />Net Amount of Supplemental Appropriation <br />$910,000 <br />The Committee notes that an alternative budget procedure would have involved formally rescinding the <br />borrowing authority for $520,000 originally intended for the Hastings project, and then considering a <br />supplemental appropriation for $1,430,000. However, we recognize that this procedure, as recommended <br />by town staff, is a reasonable simplification that still respects the budget authority of Town Meeting. <br />The Committee recommends approval of this request (7 -0). <br />2016 -5.5 Appropriate Funds for Police Station Feasibility Study <br />Funds Requested <br />Funding Source <br />Committee Recommendation <br />$65,000 <br />GF <br />Approve (7 -0) <br />This article requests the appropriation of $65,000 in funds for a feasibility study for a new police station. <br />This study is the next step in a process that would result in a modern facility to replace the current station <br />that was constructed in 1956. It will update the space needs results reported in the Lexington Police Sta- <br />7 <br />