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Home My WebLink About2004-12-01-CEC-min-rev Capital Expenditures Committee Minutes 12-01-04 Town Offices, Room 111, 7:30 p.m. All members present (Burnell, Edson, Lamb, Rosenberg, Stolz) Chief Chris Casey (Police); Charlie Sargent, Police Operations officer; Chief Bill Middlemiss (Fire) Also attending: David Kanter, Appropriation Committee liaison Communications equipment Motorola, on state bids list, looking at technology, needs; police estimate for dispatch center infrastructure, radios, repeaters, antenna approx. $200,000 (double that estimate to cover fire) After 2008, FAA is changing bandwidth, so new system would be compliant with that; would provide police and fire with interoperability (a channel they could use to communicate with each other in emergencies, which lack now); police and fire now on widely different bands, so must relay communications through dispatcher, and Lexington on different bands from other neighbor towns from whom we get mutual aid (Lexington at center of four different fire districts, all on different frequencies!), so need carry multiple radios on trucks to communicate with them Seeking federal grant for whole system, police and fire; would apply this winter; ahead of the money seeking from Town Meeting more or less to plan the system and dispatch facilities/center $40,000); total project cost likely $400,000-500,000; apply for grant of $250,000-400,000, depending on what Motorola study shows; $40,000 from town would be the required 10% local match May have space needs to accommodate equipment in dispatch center (three people maximum now) Question; confer with Dana Ham about school’s plan/request for monitoring and systems? Not now figured into design of what police and fire are working on Public Safety Report Questions raised about condition of police station, fire HQ and MBTE leak; but police can live with building, fire not worried about MBTE (rather, concerned with mold in crawl space, and possible floor failure under weight of heavier trucks carrying more water; DPW supposed to be evaluating floor, maybe solution is to fill the crawl space? On MBTE, negotiating with Shell about solution involving exterior, below-grade pumping, and cash contribution for exercise room [but would have to have those funds appropriated by town!]) Some building envelope work needed on police building windows, no second floor access (no elevator); issue about loss of outdoor shooting range at Hartwell Police concludes 9:00 Fire equipment De facto decommissioning of fire-alarm-box system as units fail; would have to consult Selectmen before taking down system as a whole Engine 2: $345,000 appropriated, getting truck and equipment for about $310,000; have loaner now, our truck due in January Engine 1 just pump tested; suggests problems in bolts securing pump, frame; is used as backup in East Lexington Rescue 2: $160,000; Rescue 1, bought as heavier unit, already has 54,000 miles after 2 years and is proving expensive in brake and front end repairs; therefore looking for a replacement vehicle between existing R1 and R2; vans too light, R1 too heavy, so maybe pick-up truck chassis; paramedics and mechanics evaluating now’ maybe keep R2 as reserve unit (in service is staffed by ladder truck staff) Engine 1 scheduled for 2007, Engine 3 in shop for month now On average, 4,000 ambulance runs per year; 2100 EMS- related, 1900 fire-related Recap: FY ’06, $40,000 for communications strategy and $160,000 for R@ ’07, $350,000 for E1 ’08 $180,000 for R1 ‘09-’10, fire breathing apparatus, E3 ‘12-’13, ladder truck Show scheduled replacement year in future CEC reports! Prevention? On-duty shift inspects homes at point of sale (shift commander), plus 54 quarterly inspections of healthcare, childcare, educational facilities, by E3 and E4 staffs; 2.5 hours per facility = 1 per day; plus assembly places, sprinklers, construction acceptance inspections, oil burners = assistant chief or chief Most towns this size would have 2 fire prevention officers to review plans, etc; we have NONE; and Mass requires more inspections in 2005 of places of assembly, liquor license holders, etc. , after RI fire Chief seeing an administrative assistant; fire prevention officers; and a lieutenant New homes have better systems, but pose other issues with their gables, trusses, etc.; town has good water system, but hard to deploy it Third fire station? Standard is to get to fire in 4 minutes, but parts of town take 8-10 minutes. Should investigate third location, not at Old Res., but down Spring Street, where development is concentrating Five years out or more; HQ renovation sooner, floor issues, windows, ADA work NOT done DPW needs communicate better with fire on painting, ADA work, floor sagging study Fire concludes 10:10 Other committee business Edson: per Hadley, state funds available for traffic-light equipment for Lowell and Maple intersection, town has to pay for wiring; Hadley not yet in contact with Building Finance Advisory Committee on 201 Bedford St. Discussion of filing of minutes with Town Clerk, copying Town Meeting Members Association; Rosenberg to verify filing mechanism with Town Clerk Rosenberg to draft language for committee section of Town annual report December 15 meet 7:30 to go over recommendations; 8:00 at Police Station for view of dispatch center, town meeting annual report photo; continue discussion on Town Meeting recommendations, Jan. 10 summit, our report, warrant items Meeting concluded 10:20 p.m. John S. Rosenberg, Clerk