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CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO NOVEMBER 13, 2018, STM(2018-1) At the 2018 ATM, a request for $450,000 to finish the design and create a 100%-design construction-cost estimate was postponed because of the on-going debate about how to address the Woburn Street intersection upgrade. A $7,500,000 "rough" cost estimate, based on a not quite-complete 25% design, was put forward at that time. The BoS subsequently decided to remove much of the work at that intersection from the project scope and leave it to be a separate, future,project. The current $650,000 request for this STM is to complete a 100% design of the now reduced scope. The $200,000 increase in requested design funds is largely due to: 1) the need to integrate the findings of a recent historic-resources assessment, as well as a detailed tree inventory and management plan; 2) the added costs of additional meetings with the design contractor and the Town Manager's working group—made up of members of the original Ad Hoc Committee that was formed to help guide the project; and 3) additional work needed to further refine the sidewalk tree planting and overall lighting plans. The full construction-cost estimate of the Center Streetscape Project now stands at $9,372,350. The Town's Design Team, managed by the Department of Public Works, through its extensive work with the Ad Hoc Committee, direction from the Board of Selectmen, and leadership of the Working Group, believes that it has a thoroughly vetted and well-supported view of the project at this point. This Committee is confident in the quality of the work done by that Team to produce the revised 25%-design construction-cost estimate. This Committee is also supportive of the need for some work to be done on the Center Streetscape, but is troubled by the past growth of the design and construction cost estimates. A single FY2020 construction appropriation is now planned, and while having a single appropriation and contract to ensure continuity throughout the project is a good idea, that timing will mean this request is competing against many other expensive projects next year. The total capital requests being considered for FY2020 are larger than what last year's ATM approved, making it a challenge to compete for the Town's limited funding resources. But there is a "big-picture" concern: This project has not been included in the Town's capital- funding model. (This concern would apply to any other project brought forward under these circumstances.) While this Committee appreciates that only by completing the design to 100% will we get a firm and final cost estimate and keep this project on its current timeline, it sees an overriding problem. The question for this Committee—and this Special Town Meeting—is whether we consider it wise to spend the $650,000 if only later to find that an already more- expensive project than previously expected could be too expensive for the Town's current financial plans. This Committee believes that issue, and the risk entailed, cannot properly be understood, and thus considered, without knowing this project's impact on the Town's long-term capital planning. In turn, that impact can only be properly understood when this project's funding, including debt service, over time can be considered along with all the other major projects now recognized as being in the pipeline. That necessitates an updated capital-funding model as, among other changes that need to be addressed, this project had not been included at all—much less at its current higher cost estimate—along with other capital projects to be approved. Looming over that Capital plan is also the challenge of funding for a new or renovated High School—a multi-hundred-million-dollar project that has not been fully addressed. This Committee joins others who have concerns about the rising burden on our Town's taxpayers. While we appreciate there are improvements, replacements, and enhancements needed to our existing facilities and infrastructure to maintain the services that our citizens and business 2