HomeMy WebLinkAbout2011-02-15-CEC-minMinutes of the Lexington Capital Expenditures Committee Meeting
Date, Place and Location: 2/15/2011, 8:00 a.m., Town Office Building, Room 111
Members Present: Shirley Stolz, David Kanter, Ted Edson (Vice- Chair), Bill Hurley
Member Absent: Charles Lamb (Chair)
Other Attendees: Ben Cohen (Town Meeting Member)
Document Presented: 2008 Bargmann Hendrie +Archtype (BH +A) Lexington Senior
Center Design
Mr. Edson called the meeting to order at 8:00 a.m.
Discussion of Article 15, Appropriate for Community Center (Citizen Article), with
its principle sponsor, Ben Cohen:
Mr. Cohen presented the case for the construction of a new Community Center on the
site of the current "White House" (1557 Massachusetts Avenue) and said he is joined in
this initiative by the Lexington Senior Advocates (LEXSA), including Jim Goell, Chair.
Mr. Cohen described what he felt were the deficiencies of the current Senior Center in
the Muzzey High Condominium building and referred to the 2008 BH +A Lexington
Senior Center design as an example of a practical fit to the site and he described the
benefits such a new center would provide. The current Farmer's Market would have to
be relocated and he proposed it be moved it to Hastings Park, which would have safer
access from available area parking. A dollar amount or source of funds for this project
has not been determined. Once it has been determined, it would be requested at a
future Town Meeting.
Mr. Kanter advised Mr. Cohen of what Mr. Kanter felt were serious problems. Mr. Kanter
said that the Article, as written to appropriate funds with an unknown amount, is
extremely problematic as Town Meeting normally won't support such an open -ended
request. Further, what hasn't happened —and he considered a crucial step before
asking Town Meeting to do anything with the site —is for the Board of Selectmen to
designated the use of the site, such as for a Community Center. Considering just those
two points, Mr. Kanter suggested that Mr. Cohen's best chance, if he intends to proceed
under that Article, would be if he were only to ask for a resolution of support by Town
Meeting. Mr. Cohen said he also was considering having the Motion be for such a
resolution —that he thought would be binding. Mr. Kanter advised that his understanding
was that a Town - Meeting resolution cannot be binding in that one Town Meeting can't
constrain what a future Town Meeting might vote to do.
Mr. Kanter, along with other members of the Committee, then outlined suggestions for
any future presentation in support of a Community Center and Mr. Cohen expressed his
appreciation for them. There was also a discussion of re- visiting a previous proposal —
which Town Meeting did not support —to investigate whether the old Monroe School—
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which the Town still owns —might meet the Community- Center needs of Town
residents. Mr. Cohen said he had been a proponent of such an investigation.
Mr. Cohen said he is meeting with Selectmen Cohen later this week regarding the
Article. The Committee recommended that if he intends to proceed under the Article, he
also talk with the Town Moderator, Deborah Brown, to confirm she would entertain a
Motion for a non - binding resolution of support under the Article.
As it hadn't yet been reviewed, Mr. Hurley suggested that Mr. Cohen and others of
LEXSA should visit the Center in Sudbury, MA. Mr. Hurley had personally observed that
center fulfilling the intergenerational purpose of a Community Center.
The Committee encouraged Mr. Cohen and LEXSA to promote a new community
discussion regarding a true community center with the goal of developing a concept that
is responsive to the full spectrum of those with interest in a community center while
defining the requirements with respect to the financial challenge faced in achieving such
a center.
Mr. Cohen said he will be presenting to the Board of Selectmen closer to Town Meeting
and expressed his appreciation to the Committee for the feedback we provided to him.
Minutes:
The Committee reviewed the latest draft of the Minutes of the Committee's meeting on
2/8/11. Mr. Kanter moved to approve the 2/8/11 Minutes with the changes that had been
discussed. Mr. Hurley seconded the motion. Vote: Approved, 4 -0. Mr. Kanter will
forward the final minutes to the Town Clerk's Office for the Town's archives.
Other Business:
Discussion on Article 17 (Reduce Community Preservation Act Surcharge): Mr. Kanter
moved, in light of the Chair being absent today and being assigned to write up that
Article for our report, to table the discussion of Article 17 until the March 1st meeting.
Mr. Hurley seconded the motion. Vote: Approved, 4 -0.
Votes on Warrant Articles: Mr. Hurley stated he reviewed the votes taken by the
Committee during its February 8, 2011, meeting and that he votes with the majority in
each case. Mr. Kanter will so adjusts the votes in the pending draft of the Committee's
Report to the 2011 Annual Town Meeting.
Article 34 (Approve Battle Green Master Plan): To assist with the preparation of the
write -up for the Committee's report, there was a follow -up discussion. It was agreed that
what is to be approved /commented on does not represent the Board of Selectmen's
Plan and, therefore, does not have our support
Article Assignments and Discussion: The Committee discussed administrative details of
Article assignments and the members are working to meet the agreed -to timeline.
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Article 8(h) (Muzzey High Condo Association — Window Replacement Project): The
Committee discussed the information received regarding the outcome of that
Association's meeting last week for the unit owners who would benefit under the
proposed project's request for funding under the Community Preservation Act. The
Association reported that of the 34 unit owners contemplated in the application to the
Community Preservation Committee (CPC), 13 attended the meeting and 12 of them
remain interested in participating with the benefit as a non - interest loan, repayable upon
sale of the unit. Combining those results with those from a later re- contacting of some
owners and from the survey earlier this month, the result is 18 interested, 5 not
interested, and no response from 11. One of the non - responders is now in a nursing
home and another is in Florida for the winter. The others have had several opportunities
to answer, but have not done so. [Source: Ginger McGuire e -mail, February 14, 2011, to
Wendy Manz, Chair, CPC, and provided to this Committee's members by e -mail, same
date.] This Committee's position remains "Pending" as the CPC will be re- visiting it's
prior support of the project at its meeting later this week in the light of that information
from the Condo Association. This Committee discussed its concerns about the project
(e.g., why any support at all; why benefit such a small portion of the unit owners; if
support, why no means test; and why isn't the Town's LexHAB in the project so as to
benefit from the State match —to mention a few.)
Article 7 (Establish and Continue Departmental Revolving Funds —DPW Compost
Operations; Compost Facility Green Waste (Anaerobic Facility) Study: Mr. Edson
reported that out of the $50K being requested, $18K is designated for legal fees to
review the initial Request for Proposal (RFP) as well as responses to the RFP. The
remaining $32K is for analysis of the site to determine feasibility and then to draft an
RFP to build and operate the facility. The Committee discussed the process. Typically
there is no RFP until authority has been granted to fund the project. Legal fees are
usually included with the overall project and, therefore, paid once the project is
approved and underway. It was agreed no funds should be paid to develop the RFP
until it is deemed to be a viable project. Mr. Edson will research further and report back
on the timeline contemplated for each part of the project before the Committee would be
asked to take a position on project, including the dollar amount in this initial request.
The Committee then discussed the 5 -year capital plan that is a required part of its report
to Town Meeting and the significant issue presented by capital projects presented in the
FY2012 program as "deferred ". Mr. Kanter suggested it would be this Committee's
responsibility to address those deferred items by either recommending each be
eliminated entirely from the 5 -year plan (if we didn't see it as happening by FY2016) or
repositioned later within the plan —with the dollar amounts, and possibly the durations,
adjusted where we felt needed (e.g., at least to account for some inflation).
At 9:34 a.m., a Motion was made by Mr. Kanter, and seconded by Mr. Hurley, to
adjourn. Vote: Approved 4 -0.
These Minutes were approved by the CEC at its meeting on March 1, 2011.
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