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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1998-04-13-ATM-min ADJOURNED SESSION — 1998 ANNUAL TOWN MEETING APRIL 13, 1998 The April 13, 1998 Adjourned Session of the 1998 Annual Town Meeting was called to order by Moderator Margery M. Battin, at 8:05 p.m., in Cary Memorial Hall. A quorum of 182 members was present. 8:06 p.m. The Moderator declared a recess. Selectman Daniel P. Busa, Jr. made a presentation to Lexington resident and U.S. Women's 1998 Olympic Ice Hockey Gold Medallist Vicki Movsessian. Mr. Busa presented Ms. Movsessian a flag flown over the battle green, banners, and read the following Selectmen's Proclamation PROCLAMATION The Board of Selectmen of the Town of Lexington hereby recognize and honor Lexington's own Olympic hero: Vicki Movsessian Whereas: Vicki is a life long resident of Lexington and the youngest of three children of Frances Movsessian and the late Lawrence Movsessian, and Whereas: Vicki began her journey towards Olympic glory at the age of 6 playing hockey for the Lexington/Bedford Youth Hockey League, and Whereas: Vicki is a magna cum laude graduate of Providence College while at the same time earning Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference All Star designation in years 1992, 1993, and 1994, and Whereas: Vicki is a five time member of the United States Women's National Hockey Team, and Whereas: Vicki was named an All- American Hockey scholar in 1994 and was named to the New England Hockey Writers All-Star Team, and Whereas: Vicki as a member of Team USA, earned silver medals in the 1994 and 1997 World Championships, and Whereas: Vicki was a key member of the USA Olympic Hockey Team, scoring a goal in the USA/Finland game and playing strong solid hockey throughout the Olympics, and Whereas: Vicki won a Gold Medal for her efforts in the first ever Women's Olympic Hockey competition. Now, therefore, we the Board of Selectmen of Lexington, do hereby congratulate Vicki Movsessian on her accomplishments as student, student - athlete and as a Gold Medal Olympian at Nagano, Japan, and together with all of Lexington's citizens and those of Massachusetts and the United States, we congratulate Vicki for her achievements and thank her for sharing her feats of glory with the citizens of her home town. /s/ Peter D. Enrich /s/ Dan H. Fenn, Jr. /s/ Daniel P. Busa, Jr. /s/ Elizabeth B. Eddison /s/ Jeanne Krieger Selectmen of Lexington Representative Jay Kaufman presented Ms. Movsessian with a Proclamation from The General Court of Massachusetts. 8:17 p.m. The Moderator called the meeting to order and presented a brief update on plans for the evening, expecting to take up Article 4, and explaining procedures for voting on Article 4. 8:18 P.M. The Moderator declared the meeting open under Article 2. Adjourned Session —1998 Annual Town Meeting, cont.... April 13, 1998 ARTICLE 2: REPORTS OF COMMITTEES 8:19 P.M. Town Manager Richard White reported on the Operating Budget for FY99. 8:35 p.m. William Kennedy, Chairman of Capital Expenditures Committee, moved that the report of the Capital Expenditures Committee be accepted and placed on file. Following a unanimous voice vote, the Moderator declared the report to have been accepted and placed on file. Mr. Kennedy summarized the report of the Committee. 8:39 p.m. Paul Lapointe, Chairman of the Appropriation Committee, announced the Town's receipt of the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award presented by the Government Finance Office for budget document, the Town's second award for distinguished budget presentation award. Mr. Lapointe recognized Town Manager Richard White and staff for production of the document. Paul Lapointe, Chairman of the Appropriation Committee, moved that the report of the Appropriation Committee be accepted and placed on file. Following a unanimous voice vote, the Moderator declared the report to have been accepted and placed on file. Mr. Lapointe presented a brief overview of critical financial issues confronting the Town, including: Capital Budgeting, Financial Reserves, Special Education, and Enterprise Funds. ARTICLE 4: OPERATING BUDGET 8:55 p.m. Presented by Selectman Peter Enrich. ------------------------------ MOTION: That the following amounts be appropriated for the ensuing fiscal year and be raised in the tax levy except where a transfer is indicated they shall be provided by such a transfer. ----------------------------- 8:57 p.m. The Moderator recognized Superintendent of Schools Dr. Jeffrey Young for a school budget overview and presentation on FY99 budget priorities. 9:16 p.m. Perry Pollins, pr.5, spoke on taxation and cost of public education. 9:20 p.m. Sheldon Spector, pr.6, questioned Paul Lapointe, Appropriation Committee, on the estimated shortage in the FY98 Special Education budget and how the estimated shortage amount was derived. Mr. Lapointe explained the Appropriation Committee Report focuses on the cost of Special Education tutors and other indicators. Mr. Spector then questioned Dr. Young on the large increase in anticipated fee revenue. Dr. Young explained the line item now includes multiple fees. 9:24 p.m. David Kanter, pr. 7, explained he remains concerned on the absence of a resolution on Special Education expenses and a commitment to resolve the funding source. Adjourned Session —1998 Annual Town Meeting, cont.... April 13, 1998 9:25 p.m. Paul Lapointe explained that the Superintendent and Appropriation Committee are working on this problem and propose to return to town meeting with a plan on handling the cost of special education. 9:27 p.m. Dr. Young stated his agreement with Mr. Lapointe and that the School Department agrees to monitor the expenses as closely as possible and is doing the best possible based upon what is know. Dr. Young supports a contingency fund for special education expenses. 9:28 p.m. David Kanter, pr.7, stated his concern about proceeding forward at this time with a known $300,000 special education shortfall. 9:28 p.m. Bruce Collier, pr.3, supported the town moving toward a rational basis of projecting special education costs. 9:30 p.m. Albert Zabin, pr. 1, commented on Mr. Pollins' remarks and reviewed the school budget process. 9:33 p.m. Perry Pollins, pr.5, responded to Mr. Zabin's comments and taxpayer considerations. Education 1100 Lexington Public Schools $45,374,378 (And further that the School Department is authorized to enter into equipment lease /purchase agreements from time to time provided that each such agreement is subject to annual appropriations.) 1200 Minuteman Regional School 725,557 9:34 p.m. Jane Pagett, Lexington's representative to the Minuteman Regional School School Committee, reviewed the development of the Minuteman school over time and presented information on district enrollment vs. out of district enrollment. Ms. Pagett, with the assistance of a fellow school committee member Paul Schlichtman from Arlington, recommended approval of the requested budget but also expressed a need to send a message to Minuteman that the proposed budget is not acceptable. 9:47 p.m. Ephraim Weiss, pr.5, questioned who decides the various tuition levels. Ms. Pagett explained that the "choice" tuition is set by the State and others are negotiated between the superintendents for out -of- district tuition. 9:50 p.m. Ephraim Weiss, pr.5, questioned if the Minuteman school committee had any fiscal authority over the tuition decisions made by the Superintendent. Ms. Pagett explained that the school committee did have authority. 9:51 p.m. Nyles Barnert, pr.4, clarified the compromise for the out -of- district agreement made for Watertown. 9:51 p.m. Paul Lapointe, Appropriation Committee, explained that the Committee is challenged with how to send a message to Minuteman and moved the following substitute motion: --------------------------------------------- SUBSTITUTE MOTION: That the following amounts be Appropriated for the ensuing fiscal year and be raised in the tax levy: 1210 Minuteman Regional Enrollment Assessment $672,169 1220 Minuteman Regional Middle School Technology Program 53,387 Total $725,556 Further, that this Town Meeting hereby rejects the FY1998 -99 Minuteman Budget and the enrollment assessment for Lexington adopted by the Minuteman School Committee. ----------------------------------- - - - - -- Adjourned Session —1998 Annual Town Meeting, cont.... April 13, 1998 9:53 p.m. Mr. Lapointe explained that although some progress had been made, fundamental issues remain unchanged. He reiterated the concerns with Minuteman operations, budget policies, inequities in the assessment process, and the need to send a message. 9:57 p.m. Jane Pagett commented that the motion is largely symbolic, that a message needs to be sent to Minuteman and that she would support the motion if the Board of Selectmen is committed to help to work with the other regional towns to look at the objections and how changes may be made. 9:58 p.m. Selectman Chairman Peter Enrich expressed his gratitude to Mrs. Pagett for the work she has done on the Minuteman School Committee and for the close attention of the Appropriation Committee. Mr. Enrich commented that addressing the issue correctly is an extraordinarily complex challenge and that the Board of Selectmen stands prepared to engage in this issue, and that the Board supports the substitute motion and values the judgement of Mrs. Pagett and of the Appropriation Committee. 10:00 P.M. Nyles Barnert, pr.4, questioned Finance Director John Ryan on the fund balance. Mr. Barnert stated his opposition to the amendment. 10:02 p.m. Neal Boyle, pr.7, stated his opposition to the amendment, stating that it is simply a slap on the wrist and that a strong message needs to be sent to Minuteman. 10:04 p.m. Andrew Friedlich, pr.5, explained prior action taken by the Town Meeting Members Association executive committee in sending a letter to the Board of Selectmen requesting they contact area towns to address the issue. The Board made a commitment to do so. Mr. Friedlich spoke in favor of the amendment. 10:04 p.m. Marsha Byrnes, pr.5, spoke in favor. 10:06 p.m. Dawn McKenna, pr.9, speaking as Chairman of the Town Meeting Members Association, spoke on the inherent conflict of interest as Town Counsel Norman Cohen also represents Minuteman. Ms. McKenna, as an individual, spoke of her support of the amendment but also addressed issues with Minuteman not posting meetings with the Town Clerk. 10:09 P.M. Bruce Collier, pr.3, commented that the amendment is symbolically helpful and urged support. 10:11 P.M. Sam Silverman, pr.5, spoke in favor of the substitute motion but questioned its exact purpose and if this motion "has teeth to it ". Paul Lapointe, Appropriation Committee, stated that anything less than requested funding is a formal rejection of the budget as proposed and that as one of the earlier town meetings of the district towns that we will be tracking the action of the others. 10:13 p.m. Jane Pagett explained the unlikelihood that we can garner enough support of the 5 other towns. 10:13 p.m. Sam Silverman, pr.5, questioned the representative form Arlington as to how he feels about such a motion. Mr. Schlichtman of Arlington explained his uncertainty as to how Arlington town meeting will act. Adjourned Session —1998 Annual Town Meeting, cont.... April 13, 1998 10:15 p.m. David Kanter, pr.7, questioned the consequences of this vote on the Minuteman budget and the statutory assessment. 10:15 p.m. Paul Lapointe explained his sense on the authority of Minuteman. 10:16 p.m. Robert Rotberg, pr.3, questioned other available options. 10:16 p.m. Jane Pagett explained that one option would be to decline to pay the assessment. 10:17 p.m. Paul Lapointe explained that this is a complex problem needing state legislation to address the choice tuition and Education Reform legislation to address minimum contributions of member towns. Other options include efforts to de- regionalize and re- regionalize from scratch. 10:19 P.M. Alan Lazarus, pr. 6, requested a point of information, questioning what happens if the substitute motion is passed. How is it paid? 10:20 p.m. Town Counsel Norman Cohen explained that passage would indicate the Town of Lexington has rejected the Minuteman budget. If the 5 other towns don't also reject the budget then Lexington will be required to pay its total assessment, requiring $1 additional. 10:21 p.m. Robert Rotberg, pr.3, questioned what the Selectmen will do with the other member towns. 10:22 p.m. Selectman Peter Enrich explained that former Selectman Chairman Leo McSweeney had made inquiries with the other towns and the Board of Selectmen will continue to do so, as well as to address the Minuteman School Committee and to consider state legislation. 10:23 p.m. After a voice vote, the Moderator declared the amendment adopted and that the motion as amended was now before the meeting. 10:24 p.m. Sheldon Spector, pr.6, questioned Town Counsel Norman Cohen on the request of get out of the Minuteman district. Mr. Cohen explained the process and of the need for the 16 member towns to vote at each respective town meeting to approve Lexington's withdrawal. 10:25 p.m. Bruce Collier, pr.3, questioned the Minuteman district enrollment and the one town one vote representation regardless of enrollment. 10:28 p.m. Ira Bernstein, pr.2, suggested a greater impact would be made if more town meeting members were to attend the next Minuteman school committee meeting to make their voices heard. 10:30 p.m. Frank Sandy, pr.6, stated the need to consider the proposed hotel development at Minuteman and of its impact on future budgets. 10:30 p.m. Jane Pagett addressed the proposed development. 10:31 p.m. Selectman Elizabeth Eddison stated that Lexington and Lincoln would be forming committees regarding the proposed expansion and the need to appear before future town meetings. Adjourned Session —1998 Annual Town Meeting, cont.... April 13, 1998 Employee Benefits 2110 Contributory Retirement 3,175,219 (Of which $65,762 is to be transferred from the Water Enterprise Fund and $16,441 is to be transferred from the Sewer Enterprise Fund.) 2120 Non - Contributory Retirement 166,526 2130 Insurance 587,436 (Of which $46,995 is to be transferred from the Water Enterprise Fund, $7,749 is to be transferred from the Sewer Enterprise Fund and $56,355 is to be transferred from the Health Trust.) (and further that amounts appropriated in this article for employee health and life insurance shall be transferred to this account to fund cost items (a) included in collective bargaining agreements reached between the Town and employee organizations and (b) resulting from such agreements as they bear on the Town employee compensation plan.) 2140 Unemployment Benefits 50,000 2150 Police/Fire Medical 53,965 Debt Service 2210 Payment on Funded Debt 2,731,000 2220 Interest on Funded Debt 479,244 2230 Temporary Borrowing 143,250 2240 Exempt Debt 1,033,500 10:33 p.m. Peter Enrich, Chairman of the Board of Selectmen, moved that the meeting be adjourned until Wednesday, April 15, 1998 at 8:00 p.m., at Cary Memorial Hall. Adopted by voice vote. 10:33 p.m. A true copy. Attest: Donna M. Hooper, Town Clerk