2009-10-28-AC-min - Laserfiche WebLink

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October 28, 2009 3. Votes on Rezoning Articles. After discussion, the Committee voted 7 -0 to recommend approval of both the Patriot Partners rezoning proposal (Article 2) and the Cubist rezoning proposal (Article 3). 4. Sister City Event Funding. Dawn McKenna, representing the Tourism Committee, provided information to the Committee about funding that will be requested under Article 9 for a planned visit of representatives from Antony, France in the spring of 2010. Antony is one of several "sister cities" of the Town of Lexington but the only one with which an active relationship has been maintained in recent years. A delegation of approximately 40 Town residents and public officials, including the Town Manager, visited Antony in September 2009 and the spring visit is intended to reciprocate. The requested funds, totaling $18,490, would cover meals, transportation and a proposed "stipend" of $5,000 to support the design of a fountain to match one located at the Place de Lexington in Antony that was "rededicated" during the visit in September. After discussion about the advisability of such expenditures during a time of fiscal austerity, the matter was tabled for further discussion and a vote at next week's meeting. 5. Munroe School. Al Levine reported that he and Susan McLeish have, at the request of the Town Manager, participated in the evaluation committee to review the non - price proposal submitted in response to the Town's RFP for the Munroe School by the Munroe Center for the Arts, but that they have been requested not to make public any confidential information before a public forum on the proposed sale is held on Tuesday, November 3. Further discussion of Article 4 was therefore postponed to next week. 6. Restaurant and Hotel/Motel Tax Proposals. The Committee discussed the pending proposals to adopt the "local option" restaurant and hotel/motel add -on taxes recently authorized by the state legislature. The restaurant local option (Article 6) would allow the imposition of a 0.75% surtax on meals, bringing the total meals tax from 6.25% to 7 %. The hotel/motel provision (Article 7) would allow the Town to increase the current local option room occupancy tax from 4% to 6 %, which would bring the total room tax from 9.7% (5.7% state tax plus 4% local option) to 11.7 %. It is estimated that the local option restaurant tax would generate $350,000 in additional annual revenue (approximately $146,000 in FY10) and that the increment to the local room tax would generate $150,000 in additional annual revenue (approximately $60,000 in FY10). The Committee was informed that the Tourism Committee had voted to oppose both proposals and that the Economic Development Advisory Committee has not yet taken a formal vote but views both proposals unfavorably. After discussion, the Committee voted 6 -1 to recommend support of both Articles 6 and 7. 7. Revenue and Expense Adjustments for FY10. As a predicate for the proposed appropriations and adjustments of prior appropriations that will be addressed in Articles 10 -13, Rob Addelson reviewed with the Committee a spreadsheet summarizing the changes in estimated revenues and expenses for FY10 since the Annual Town Meeting in the spring of 2009. Estimated revenue has increased by approximately $670,000, due primarily to increased new growth and the state legislature's authorization last summer of the collection and use of pole and wire taxes beginning in FY10; and -2-