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Home My WebLink About2022-01-20-CEC-min RECEIVED b g'PAq�S NB Minutes of the Lexington Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) Meeting a�p � �� :a, u:a�� xx roN INR CLERK January 20, 2022 LEXING,rON MA APRIL 19" ,AINGI, Location and Time: Remote Meeting; 8:00 A.M. CEC Members Present (remote participation): Charles Lamb, Chair; David Kanter, Vice-Chair & Clerk; Sandy Beebee; Mike Boudett; Rod Cole; and Frank Smith CEC Members Absent: None Others Present (remote participation): Other Lexington Committees: Glenn Parker, Chair, Appropriation Committee (AC) liaison; Scott Bokun and Sara Cuthbertson, School Committee liaisons; Staff: Finance Department: Sara Arnold, Recording Secretary Documents Presented: • Notice of Public Meeting/Agenda CEC Meeting, January 20, 2022 • CEC Officers, Subject Areas & Liaison Assignments, 7 Oct 2021 • Shell CEC Report to 2022 Annual Town Meeting (ATM) & Special Town Meeting (STM) 2022-1 Call to Order Mr. Lamb called this Remote (Virtual) Meeting, which had been posted as such, to order at 8:02 A.M. As the Committee members present had been previously advised of the special conditions of this meeting, he passed on repeating them (i.e., the authority to not require a physical presence of a quorum and other selected terms under the Open Meeting Law in legislation signed on June 16th of this year by Massachusetts Governor Charles D. Baker). Mr. Lamb advised that materials provided electronically to the Committee or presented at the meeting, would be available upon request and are those listed in the Minutes as Documents Presented. Any votes during this meeting would be taken by a roll call. Further, this meeting would be recorded to assist in preparing Minutes, and the recording would be deleted once the Minutes are approved. Mr. Lamb took a roll-call attendance, determining that all six members were present. Mr. Lamb introduced Mr. Boudett, who was appointed to this Committee two days ago and welcomed him to this Committee. Mr. Boudett stated his appreciation of the appointment and explained his interests and experiences which he brings to the Committee. All the other members identified themselves and extended their welcomes, too. Committee's Report to the 2022 ATM and STM 2022-1 Mr. Lamb reviewed the process for creating this Committee's report to Town Meeting. Members of the Committee prepare material for Warrant Articles that have a Capital component and report this Committee's recommendations. Additionally, members prepare front-matter information on all the Town's Departments and Offices with whom the Committee works on Capital matters. All that information would assist readers in understanding the issues related to Capital expenses. Mr. Kanter noted that the report contains a directed Five-Year Capital Plan (5YCP). It is based on the Town's 5YCP in each Fiscal Year's Recommended Budget & Financing Plan (Brown Book)—and the Committee uses footnotes to document the basis for any changes made in this Committee's Plan from the Town's Plan. Page 1 of 3 Minutes of the Lexington Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) Meeting January 20, 2022 Reviewing previously established subject area and liaison assignments, Mr. Lamb led a discussion that determined what assignment changes should be made for the coming report. As Mr. Smith has announced his plan to leave this Committee at the end of this fiscal year, Mr. Boudett's past experience and interests led him to accept joining Mr. Smith in assignment to the Department of Public Works. Mr. Boudett also requested, and was assigned as liaison to the Lexington Center Committee (replacing Mr. Smith) and the Sustainable Lexington Committee (replacing Mr. Lamb). It was agreed that the rest of the other assignments would not be changed. (Mr. Kanter will prepare an updated Officers; Subject Areas & Liaison Assignments for presentation and formal approval at the Committee's next meeting.) Mr. Kanter used the Shell Committee's Report he had prepared with last-year's front-matter for reference to the Committee members, and the latest information on the Articles for this year's ATM and STM that he suggested the Committee should consider for inclusion in the Committee's Report to those Meetings. During discussion, members were identified for their responsibilities. He urged members to begin preparing the front matter for the Report. Some of the comments made during this review included the following: • The length of the section on Affordable Housing seems questionable from a Capital perspective. Mr. Lamb agreed to review the material and come back to this Committee with a recommendation. • Articles 33 and 34; Authorize and Ratify Remote Town Meetings and Allow for Select Board to Call Remote Town Meeting, respectively: The consensus was these Articles impact this Committee, but they are not primarily Capital related. Thus, this Committee will not include them. • Article 7: Climate Action Plan: The Capital component of some Articles is not always obvious. In this case there are no projects proposed, but it is reasonable to assume that the proposed study would inform the Town about future Capital projects. It was agreed this Article will be presented for inclusion. • Article 23: Debt Service Stabilization Fund: It was noted that FY2023 is the last year for using this fund for the purpose of paying a portion of the debt service on outstanding bonds for multiple school projects. • Given that there are already indications that COVID-19 pandemic and inflation had caused cost increases of some recent projects, this Committee believes it is reasonable to expect that to continue for Capital projects and programs in at least many of the five years in the Town's 5YCP. This Committee is dependent on realistic cost projections in that plan, but it is not clear that will be reflected in the FY2023 Town Manager's Budget & Financing Plan (Brown Book). • Jon Himmel, Permanent Building Committee Chair, has submitted, along with other citizens, a Citizen's Article to the Warrant (Article 25: Appropriate for Worthen Road Recreation and Education District Land Use Concept Plan) requesting funds for a study of the Worthen Road area, including the 41 Worthen Road area with the High School, and how that and other adjacent areas could accommodate a new High School. There are areas that are likely wetlands, although all have not yet been delineated. Additionally, much of the land is dedicated recreation land and cannot be Page 2 of 3 Minutes of the Lexington Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) Meeting January 20, 2022 repurposed without a comparable land swap. Such a swap would first require a Town Meeting's approval of a submission to the State Legislature requesting the swap approval per Article 97 in the Massachusetts Constitution. When Article 25 was presented to the SB it was raised that matter overlaps an effort by Town Manager Jim Malloy, who has created a working group of stakeholders to look at those issues, but focused solely with regard to the land for placement of the projected new Lexington High School. Those complexities may have bearing on acceptance by the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA)—which is currently considering the third, annual, Statement of Interest submitted by the Town Schools asking for acceptance into the MSBA process. To avoid unintended perceptions, Mr. Malloy has suggested that the Town meet with the MSBA to explain the complexities and the need to explore location options sooner than later. Mr. Kanter plans to distribute a copy of the Report's Table of Contents with initials identifying the members, based on the earlier discussion, responsible for writing each aspect of the Committee's Report. Mr. Lamb reviewed the issues this Committee has with the latest cost estimates for oil versus electric source for a replacement hot-water heater at the Center Pool Complex, as discussed at this Committee's January 11th meeting. Those estimates are being reviewed, again, in the Town's Department of Public Facilities. Additional information has not yet been made available to this Committee. It was agreed that there is no substantial matter for this Committee to consider at a meeting next Thursday (the 27th); therefore, the next meeting to post would be on February 3rd Adjourn A Motion was made and seconded at 9:10 A.M. to adjourn. Roll-Call Vote: 6-0 This Minutes was approved by the CEC at its meeting on February 10, 2022 Page 3 of 3