HomeMy WebLinkAbout2012-11-06-CEC-minMinutes of the Lexington Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) Meeting
Date, Place, and Location: November 6, 2012, 8:00 A.M., Town Office Building,
Selectmen's Meeting Room (moved from the Cary Memorial Building, Legion
Room)
Members Present: Charles Lamb, Chair; David Kanter; Bill Hurley; Jill Hai
Member Absent: Beth Masterman, Vice -Chair
Other Attendees: Rob Addelson, Assistant Town Manager for Finance;
Theodore Kalivas, Budget Officer; William Hadley, Director, Department of Public
Works (DPW); John Livsey, Town Engineer; David Pinsonneault, DPW
Operations Manager; Eric Gitschier, Superintendent Water /Sewer; Christopher
Filadoro, Superintendent Public Grounds; Marc Valenti, Superintendent Highway;
Robert Beaudoin, Superintendent Environmental Services; Romina Comunale,
DPW Administration Management Analyst; Sara Arnold, Recording Secretary
Documents Presented: DPW's FY2014— FY2018 Capital Improvement Projects
(CIPs)
Call to Order: Mr. Lamb called the meeting to order at 8:08 A.M.
DPW Capital Projects: Mr. Hadley and his staff reviewed 22 CIPs with the
Committee. Mr. Kanter questioned the presentation of level funding in the
outyears for many of the projects as the funding requirements need to be in
then -year dollars to be meaningful. DPW staff explained that in recent years
prices have not been increasing and in some cases they have dropped.
Mr. Kanter suggested that some inflationary adjustments could be appropriate,
but minimally the CIPs should include rationale for level funding, if applicable, in
the Basis of Cost Projection. Mr. Kanter also noted that the inclusion of
geographic- information - system (GIS) products as back -up to the CIP forms
would have been of great help in understanding the locations and extents of
many of the proposed projects.
• Hastings Park Gazebo Repairs: Staff explained that this is a new
project. In prior years, the Lexington Lions Club has been conducting
minor repairs on the gazebo, but use of the building has increased and the
needed repairs to stairs and railings are complex. This project has been
submitted as a candidate for CPA funding. Mr. Kanter noted that in the
CIP the allocation by category and the scope of work don't match those in
the estimate; this will be fixed by staff.
• Street Improvements: Mr. Kanter noted that $415,452 appeared to be
missing from the $2,814,238 request. Staff explained that the discrepancy
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will be addressed. Staff also explained that many pavement scenarios
were considered and the best ones came to the approximately
$2.8 million; pavement management analysis was part of this process.
Mr. Kanter asked that the summary table for the scenarios be included in
the CIP.
• Sanitary Sewer System Investigation and Improvements: Staff
explained that much of the cost includes "catch up" work; eventually the
costs will decrease. Mr. Kanter asked that the CIP include an historical
table quantifying the loans and grants that the Town has received. He also
urged that the now - purportedly - preferred term "Wastewater" be used
consistently instead of "Sanitary Sewer " — including in organizational titles.
• Water Distribution System Improvements: Staff reported that there are
seven miles of unlined water mains that need replacing, and there are
dead -end loops in the system. Mr. Kanter asked that DPW advise how
may miles of the unlined mains are expected to be addressed each year
and to quantify the number of dead -end loops.
• Battle Green Master Plan —Phase 3: No funds are requested for
FY2014. An architect is being hired for Phases 1 and 2; those are being
funded by previous appropriations. The delay in spending the previously
appropriated funds resulted primarily because of the time required to get
the approval of the various historical entities on each element of the
project. The Selectmen still need to give their approval of Phase 3.
• Town Wide Culvert Replacement: The first culverts to be addressed will
be on Concord Avenue near Belmont. There was discussion about the
source of funds for this project. Free cash has been used for the design
and engineering of culvert projects; revolving funds have also been used.
Mr. Addelson anticipates the need for major capital funding in the future. It
is expected that the $390,000 request for FY2014 will involve the issuance
of debt. Mr. Kanter asked that the CIP identify the number of Lexington
culverts, how many are damaged, and how many have been repaired.
• Estabrook School Off -site Street and Access Improvements: [Note:
As this project had been presented to this Committee by Mr. Hadley and
Mr. Livsey at the Committee's October 23, 2012, meeting, little time
needed to be spent on it at this meeting.] Staff explained that the
installation of an asphalt berm instead of granite curbing on Robinson
Road would save approximately $100,000. Mr. Kanter questioned whether
the $1.5 million request is adequate.
• Equipment Replacement: Staff explained that some expensive pieces of
equipment are included in FY2015, causing the request for that year to be
more than other years. Staff said that equipment lifespans are meeting
expectations. The new Public Services Building provides inside storage for
most of the DPW equipment —only a few items are in cold storage —thus
the equipment is well protected. The Committee expressed it appreciation
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for the thorough back -up material detailing the 5 -year replacement
program.
• Storm Drainage Improvements and NPDES (National Pollutant
Discharge and Elimination System) Compliance: Staff explained that
this program is expected to be on- going. Costs may change considerably,
depending on the NPDES - permit requirements.
• Hastings Park Irrigation: This is the third year that DPW has tried to get
the funding for an irrigation system at Hastings Park.
• Hydrant Replacement Program: Mr. Kanter asked that the fire
department's real -world experience be quantified with data on how many
times an inoperative fire hydrant has required them to run extra lines to
reach a working hydrant. He also requested that they quantify the number
of hydrants in town and how many have been replaced. Staff explained
that the lifetime of a hydrant is approximately 60 years, and it takes
approximately 40 years to replace all the hydrants. Additionally, some of
the hydrants need to be raised. Committee members generally agreed that
they would support an accelerated fire - hydrant replacement program.
DPW will re- evaluate the funding request, possibly to reflect a
more - aggressive program.
• Comprehensive Watershed Storm Water Management Study and
Implementation: Staff explained that the Charles River watershed plan is
complete; the investigation for the Shawsheen River watershed plan is
complete and a plan has been prepared for approval; and investigation for
the Mystic River watershed plan is in progress. The order for
implementation may change and will be based on identified priorities.
• Massachusetts Avenue —Three Intersections Improvement: Staff
explained that this is a single project for three Massachusetts Avenue
intersections —Maple Street, Marrett Road, and Pleasant Street. This area
was chosen because of high- traffic delays coupled with safety concerns.
The design is still being developed, but land acquisitions should not be
significant. In response to questions, staff explained that the funds for
FY2011 only got the project to 25% design. The appropriation request for
FY2014 will get the design work to 100 %. There may be additional design
work needed later, but at this point the effort is to get the project in line for
funding by the State's Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). There
was discussion about requesting different amounts for different years; staff
suggested that there may be changes to the funding requests as the
process moves forward.
• Town -wide Signalization Improvements: Mr. Kanter suggested the
signalization projects be coordinated with road projects rather than
handling one per year, as has been general past practice. He also noted
there was no back -up information and also recommended that the CIP
quantify and describe the results of recently completed signalization
projects.
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• Pump Station Upgrades: Staff explained that this is part of an on -going
program to upgrade the Town's 10 pumping stations. The last two stations
are scheduled to be addressed in FY2015 and FY2016. Additionally, a
new study shows that more work needs to be done on all the stations.
Mr. Kanter suggested that the CIP needs a better segue between the
nearly complete program and the recent study, and to be explicit about the
providing of back -up power to the system —the absence of which is a
major concern of this Committee.
• Automatic Meter Reading System: Staff explained that the two
companies that might have been interested in installing trial meters
determined that a trial program would be too expensive. No funding is
being requested for FY2014; the Town will continue to explore alternatives
for meter reading. Mr. Kanter asked that the CIP quantify the number of
water meters in Town, by billing section.
• Hartwell Avenue Infrastructure Improvements: Staff explained that this
project might be eligible for STIP funding and it doesn't include work on
Bedford Street. The Selectmen and Carl Valente, Town Manager, do not
support this project at this time, but believe it should be discussed publicly.
The Committee expressed no interest in the project at this time.
• Center Business District Sidewalks: No funds are requested for
FY2014. A Request for Proposals has been issued under the approved
FY2013 funds and, as planned, the initial work would be for traffic counts
and traffic modeling for multiple scenarios. The project would then go to
the Board of Selectmen for approval before going past that point.
• Sidewalk Improvements: The Committee challenged that the $600,000
request includes $200,000 for a sidewalk or mixed -use path along Hartwell
Avenue. Staff advised the work on Hartwell Avenue is supported by the
Town Manager and the Town's Economic Development Officer. The
Town's Sidewalk Committee has not commented yet. Committee
members explained that they have been vocal supporters for increased
funding for residential sidewalks and are pleased to see the $400,000
balance in the request represents a further increase for such sidewalks,
but are not prepared, at this point, to support such a substantial effort
along Hartwell Avenue. Mr. Kanter asked that the Committee be provided
with the current prioritized list of the sidewalks for which work is supported
by the Sidewalk Committee.
• Dam Repair: No funds are requested for FY2014. Butterfield Dam repair
is in progress: Phase 1 construction is complete and Phase 2 design is
under way. The Old Res earth dam may also require removal of some
trees in the future.
• Concord Avenue Sidewalks: Staff explained that this project was
requested by residents and is supported by the Sidewalk Committee.
Concord Avenue has steep slopes, trees, and stone walls, creating
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challenges and high estimated costs —which include for full -time, 3 rd - party,
oversight of the project because of its complexity.
• Street Acceptance: This was a place keeper CIP, but at this time, there
have been no formal requests for any such acceptance by the Town.
Fall Special Town Meeting (STM): The Committee took the following actions
regarding the STM articles on which it expects to report:
Article 3 (Establish and Appropriate to Specified Stabilization Funds): A
motion was made and seconded to support establishing a new, capital - related,
stabilization fund and to appropriate $1.6 million to it. Vote: 4-0
Article 5 (Estabrook School Access Improvements): A motion was made and
seconded to support a $1.5 million appropriation. Vote: 4 -0
Article 6 (Appropriate for New Estabrook School): The Committee deferred
its vote because the Permanent Building Committee is meeting on the coming
Thursday night (the 8 to determine how much supplemental funding it will
recommend for the project. Mr. Kanter expressed support for a $2.5 million
request because he believes the value- engineering process brought the costs to
as low a figure as is reasonable in the time available. He expressed concern
about prolonging the process as doing so would break the current, very- tight,
timeline for completing the new school that is being driven by external factors
(e.g., Environmental Protection Agency requirement to be out of the old school
before the end of CY2014). Mr. Hurley expressed reservations about supporting
that large a request and felt, at most —and then only with further information —he
might support up to $2.0 million.
Article 7 (Appropriate for Authorized Capital Projects): The Committee
deferred its vote on this until further information is available as to what, if any,
actions the Town will propose under this Article.
Next Meeting: The CEC will meet on Friday, November 9, 2012, at 9:00 a.m., to
further address its positions on the Articles at the upcoming STM. The meeting
will include going into Executive Session.
Adjourn: A Motion was made and seconded at 10:35 A.M. to adjourn. Vote: 4 -0
These Minutes were approved by the CEC at its meeting on December 4, 2012.
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