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03/02/2017 AC Minutes Minutes Town of Lexington Appropriation Committee (AC) March 2, 2017 Place and time: Parker Room, Town Office Building, 7:30 p.m. Members present: John Bartenstein, Chair; Alan Levine, Vice -Chair & Secretary; Ellen Basch; Eric Michelson; Richard Neumeier; Andrei Radulescu -Banu; Sanjay Padaki; Lily Manhua Yan; Jian Helen Yang; Carolyn Kosnoff, Assistant Town Manager, Finance (non- voting, ex officio) Members Absent: None Other Attendees: David Kanter, Vice - Chair, Capital Expenditures Committee The meeting was called to order at 7:35 pm. 1. Future Meetings Plans for meetings over the next two weeks were determined, as follows: • Either March 8 and 9 when this Committee should be prepared to vote on its report to the 2017 Special Town Meeting -1 (STM -1), which starts on March 20. • March 16 when this Committee should be prepared to vote on its report to the 2017 Annual Town Meeting (ATM); deliberation of the ATM financial articles is expected to start on March 27. 2. Announcements and Liaison Reports Mr. Neumeier reported that the February 27, 2017 Lawyers' Weekly listed a position for a part-time (21 hours per week) Solicitor in the City of Brockton for $51,144 plus medical and other fringe benefits. Mr. Michelson reported that he is meeting with Carl Valente, Town Manager, and Kevin Mahoney, Minuteman Technical High School's (Minuteman Tech) Financial Director to explore opportunities for minimizing the impact of a "spike" in the per student assessment for Lexington's Minuteman Tech students. Mr. Mahoney may be able to attend this Committee's meeting next week. Mr. Kanter discussed ATM Article 16 (d): Appropriate for Public Facilities Capital Projects; Facility and Site Improvements, which bundles three components that Mr. Kanter does not believe should be included in one line item. He intends to introduce an amendment to the Article if he is re- elected to Town Meeting; alternatively, he will solicit another Town Meeting member to do so. Mr. Kanter discussed ATM Article 21: Appropriate to Post Employment Insurance Liability Fund, which includes transferring $1.1 million in free cash into the fund for future retiree health insurance benefits. He prefers transferring those funds to the Capital Stabilization Fund in an effort to mitigate the burden on taxpayers who are going to be asked to support significant capital projects in the near future. He may sponsor an amendment to this effect at the ATM. There was a review of the Town Moderator's recent practice of presenting a Consent Agenda to ATM for approval. The Agenda lists non - controversial articles that can be expected to pass without discussion. The finance committees are requested to submit recommendations for this agenda. 3. Minutes A motion was made and seconded to accept the Minutes for February 15, 2017 and February 23, 2017. The motion passed. VOTE: 9 -0