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10/17/2018 AC Minutes Minutes Town of Lexington Appropriation Committee (AC) October 17, 2018 Place and Time: Hudson Room, Cary Memorial Building, 7:30 p.m. Members Present: John Bartenstein, Chair; Glenn Parker, Vice-Chair; Alan Levine, Secretary; Ellen Basch; Eric Michelson; Richard Neumeier; Nick Nichols; Sanjay Padaki; Carolyn Kosnoff, Assistant Town Manager, Finance (non-voting, ex-officio) Members)Absent: Lily Manhua Yan Other Attendees: None The meeting was called to order at 7:36 p.m. 1. Announcements: Mr. Bartenstein reported the following: • Mr. Padaki, Ms. Basch, and Mr. Levine are due for reappointment to this Committee by Deborah Brown, Town Moderator. Mr. Padaki said that he had been notified of his reappointment. Ms. Basch and Mr. Levine reported that they had been in contact with Ms. Brown regarding reappointment. • At their October 15 meeting the Board of Selectmen (BoS): ➢ Adopted a 6.3%water/sewer rate increase. ➢ Expressed guarded enthusiasm for endorsing an Inter-Municipal Agreement with Minuteman Technical High School (Minuteman Tech)for joint use of new athletic facilities being built by Minuteman Tech. Such an agreement would require the Town to contribute financially to the project. ➢ Discussed establishing a Stormwater Enterprise Fund to cover the approximately $2.0 million per year that is being spent on stormwater management. The funding would come from fees charged to property owners based on their contribution to stormwater runoff Fees could be designed to encourage the adoption of best practices that reduce runoff This approach could reduce volatility and demand on tax levy revenue. If implemented, the BoS would decide whether to reduce taxes accordingly or apply the savings to other budget needs. • The first Budget Summit for FY2020 is on October 22. • The TMMA bus tour for the Special Town Meeting (STM) 2018-1 is being planned for October 28 from 1:00-3:00 p.m. Mr. Neumeier reported: • The August 27, 2018 Massachusetts (Mass)Lawyers Weekly listed an opening for a Workers Compensation Attorney in the City of Worcester; salary $69,835-$91,792. • The September 10, 2018 Mass Lawyers Weekly listed an opening for an Assistant City Solicitor/Land Use-Public Construction in the City of Newton; salary $92,000-$99,000. • The September 10, 2018, National Law Journal had an article titled, "Fewer Legal Jobs for Second Consecutive Month as US Economy Continues Growth Streak". Mr. Neumeier stated that the Town could save money if it did not hire outside counsel for all of Lexington's legal needs; he added that the current market for lawyers favors the employer. 1