2017-04-05-AC-min - Laserfiche WebLink

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04/05/2017 AC Minutes School Traffic Safety improvements. Mr. Kanter stated that the CEC plans to present an amendment to the motion specifying separate amounts for each component so that the funds cannot be used interchangeably. The CEC's view is that Town Meeting should be voting on each component separately to ensure transparency. Ms. Kosnoff explained the reasoning for maintaining fungibility, and said that the Town Manager, may review the issue at Town Meeting. It was generally agreed to defer taking a position on the proposed amendment until it comes up at Town Meeting so that the Town Manager's comments can be considered. Article 28: Amend FY2017 Operating, Enterprise and CPA Budgets: Ms. Kosnoff reviewed two items expected to be included in the motion under Article 28 that involve adjustments to the FY2017 budget: • Department of Public Works line item adjustments to provide funding for a summer intern in lieu of a contract employee. • An appropriation from the retained earnings of the Water Enterprise Fund to pay a supplemental invoice issued by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority for water provided to the Town of Burlington on an emergency basis in 2016, for which Lexington had previously billed, and received payment from, Burlington Article 44: Amend Zoning Bylaw Brookhaven (Owner Article) : It was noted that this article primarily presents zoning issues, but has financial implications because Brookhaven and the Selectmen have entered into an agreement to revise Brookhaven's Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT), as well as to make annual affordable housing mitigation payments over the next 15 years, if the article is approved. This agreement was negotiated by a team from the Town including the Board of Selectmen and the Planning Board. In response to questions, Jeanne Krieger, Chair of the Board of Trustees of Brookhaven, provided the following information: • Brookhaven purchased approximately six acres of land for the proposed expansion; before Brookhaven owned the property, a developer had planned to construct 13 condominiums on the site. • Brookhaven has had one other expansion since it was built; there is no additional land for expanding beyond the current proposal. • Brookhaven has been paying a PILOT since it opened per previous negotiated agreements with the Town. • The Board of Assessors reviewed Brookhaven's tax-exempt status for this fiscal year and found it entitled to continued exemption as a charitable organization for these reasons: ➢ The facility has a charitable mission to house and provide health care for the elderly. ➢ The costs are considered to be the lowest possible and reasonable. ➢ No one is asked to leave the facility if they run out of funds. • Should the Board of Assessors change Brookhaven's tax-exempt status during the period it is making affordable housing payments, Brookhaven would pay taxes and continue to pay the affordable housing mitigation payment, but the PILOT would end. • Brookhaven does not provide affordable housing and is not in a position to provide such; however, the small units do not pay for themselves and are subsidized by the larger units. This Committee decided not to take a position on the article but to provide to Town Meeting a report on the financial aspects of the proposal that has been drafted by Ms. Basch. 2