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Y Minutes of the
Lexington Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) Meeting
February 21, 2021
Location and Time: Remote Meeting; 3:00 P.M.
Members Present (remote participation): Charles Lamb, Chair; David Kanter, Vice-Chair
& Clerk; Sandy Beebee; Rod Cole; Wendy Manz (arrived 3:02 P.M.); and Frank Smith
Members Absent: None
Others Present (remote participation): Members of Other Committees:
Sara Cuthbertson and Scott Bokun, School Committee liaisons; Glenn Parker, Appropriation
Committee liaison; Town Meeting Member: Taylor Singh; Staff: Finance Department:
Sara Arnold, Recording Secretary
Documents Presented:
• Notice of Public Meeting/Agenda, CEC Meeting, February 21, 2021
• James Malloy, Town Manager, E-Mail, February 16, 2021, Subj: Police Station
Discussion
• Draft #3 of CEC Minutes for its February 4, 2021 Meeting
Call to Order
Mr. Lamb called this Remote (Virtual) Meeting, which had been posted as such, to order at
3:00 P.M. As all those present had been previously advised of the special conditions of this
meeting, he passed on repeating them (i.e., The requirement to have a physical presence of
a quorum had been suspended in an Executive Order by Massachusetts
Governor Charles D. Baker, on March 12, 2020, after having proclaimed, on
March 10, 2020, a STATE OF EMERGENCY in the Commonwealth due to the outbreak of
the 2019 novel coronavirus, known as "COVID-19.).
Mr. Lamb further reported that the documents for this meeting, which had been provided
electronically to the Committee and would be available upon request, were those listed as
Documents Presented. Any votes during this meeting would be taken by a roll call. This
meeting is being recorded to assist in preparing Minutes, and the recording would be deleted
once the Minutes were approved. Mr. Lamb took a roll-call vote and confirmed that six
Committee members were remotely participating.
Member Concerns and Liaison Reports
Mr. Lamb reported that the Town Manager had requested that he and Mr. Parker attend the
Select Board's (SB's) February 22nd meeting to provide information and insight from their
committees regarding the timing for bringing the Police Station project back to Town Meeting.
The design phase of this project, which was previously funded, was put on hold by the SB
until it felt there had been sufficient community outreach to, and discussion with, residents
about police policies. That community outreach was in response to national events that
triggered controversy at the 2020 Annual Town Meeting (ATM) over funding for building a
replacement, outdoor, firing range. [Subsequently named a Public Safety Training Facility.]
The outreach is starting with a study that is just getting underway. The SB must now decide
when to re-engage the design process, which must be completed prior to the appropriation
of construction funds. The window for being ready with a final design and cost estimate to
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Minutes of the Lexington Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) Meeting
February 21, 2021
make a request at the fall 2021 Special Town Meeting is narrowing. If the design process
remains suspended, then the construction appropriation would be delayed until the
2022 ATM, or perhaps later.
During discussion, the following issues were identified:
• The longer this project is delayed, the closer it will be to the project to replace the high
school, which will put stress on funding schedules and the debt-exclusion votes that
will be required if, and soon after, those fundings have been approved at a Town
Meeting.
• The building design has already been accepted and includes some flexibility that
should be able to accommodate changes in police policies.
• It seems highly unlikely that changes in police policies or that information garnered
from the study would significantly impact the design.
• Public safety is a high priority. The current Police Station is antiquated; the project
should move forward as expeditiously as makes sense.
• Additional design funds are expected to be needed because of the delay; further
delays would increase the additional funds needed.
A Motion was made and seconded for the SB to remove the freeze on the project now so
that the design phase can be completed in time for a presentation to the fall STM with the
understanding that the manner of the Chair's presentation to the SB would be at his
discretion.
There then was considerable discussion about whether it was necessary to formally vote and
whether there was any possibility the consultant recently hired to pursue community
engagement around policing policies might find a reason for changing the design. There was
also concern about losing time on the project. It was noted that any risk in moving forward
was small and waiting to get feedback from the consultants would be costly both financially
and potentially politically.
Based on that discussion, the original Motion was reworded to express the Committee's
unanimous support to re-start the design process now so that the project moves forward and
could be presented at the fall STM, with the Chair's presentation beyond that to be at his
discretion. Roll-Call Vote: 6-0
Mr. Lamb agreed to share this position at the SB meeting while emphasizing the CEC's
reasoning. Specific comments to share with the SB included that this Committee does not
foresee the community engagement results requiring significant design changes. That said,
this Committee's belief is that the engagement discussion is separate from the design; that
the building is separate from the program; and therefore, the Committee urges moving
forward now.
Approval of Minutes
A Motion was made and seconded to approve the Draft #3 CEC Meeting Minutes for
February 4, 2021, as presented. Roll-Call Vote: 6-0
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Minutes of the Lexington Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) Meeting
February 21, 2021
Continued Discussion of the Status of this Committee's Report to the 2021 ATM
("Report"); and other matters related to that Town Meeting
Mr. Kanter reported that he has updated the previously distributed Draft #1 of that Report to
reflect his reconciliation of it to the SB-approved FY2022 Recommended Budget and
Financing Plan (the "Brown Book")—which update (Draft #2) he will soon distribute. He also
plans to continue to identify areas in the report where additional material is still needed.
Adjourn
A Motion was made and seconded at 3:49 P.M. to adjourn. Roll-Call Vote: 6-0
This Minutes was approved by the CEC at its meeting on March 4, 2021
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