2005-03-02-CEC-min - Laserfiche WebLink

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Capital Expenditures Committee Meeting Minutes DRAFT March 2, 2005, 7:30-10:55 p.m. Selectmen's Meeting Room, Town Office Building Burnell, Edson, Lamb, Rosenberg, Stolz present Kanter for Appropriation present Guests as noted. 1. DPW: Defer replacement of Truck 34 (6-wheel dumper, used for road repair and snowplowing; road repairs mostly by new pothole patcher, so can extend life of truck with winter only seasonal use); instead buy (a) front-end-loader mounted snow blower to clean Center (lifts snow into truck) and (b) two new sidewalk tractors with front-mounted snow blowers (to augment the current equipment and replace less effective V plows). The committee accepted this new and overall equipment schedule, 5-0; $485,000 to be funded by BANs. 2. Sidewalks: $50,000 request, half to redo Eddison Way sidewalk (second block back in the alleyway) and $25,000 for other work to be specified. No overall town priority setting. Selectmen's sidewalk advisory committee not meeting yet. Sidewalks along state roads (Marrett, Bedford) require complex negotiations and approvals; may do more on Marrett when state bids redoing signals at Waltham intersection. Kanter suggests endorsing use of Ch. 90 funds for sidewalks, too (as for storm drain repairs), which the Selectmen have not done. The committee endorsed 4-1; Rosenberg felt not worth proceeding piecemeal pending better townwide study, priority setting. 3. DPW barn and office building: Bill Hadley (not present) to prepare analysis for town meeting, on uses, barn only vs. barn plus office building, colocation, CDM study of Bedford and other sites. 4. Fire HQ floor: current truck weights are 10% over design load, but not in danger of failure. DPW recommends full engineering study to evaluate moving pipes, ducts, wires under floor, addressing moisture and void problems in crawl space, suggesting remedies before new, heavier equipment added to existing equipment. $50,000. Committee endorsed 5-0. Probably the most deferrable item. Sam Silverman, study of traffic lights and safety at Mass. Ave. and Maple, Pleasant and Mass. Ave., Marrett and Mass. Ave. Proposes borrowing $80,000 for study of Mass. Ave. traffic, including design of solution for Mass. and Maple. Town Comprehensive Plan lists as fourth highest accident site, after three on Bedford St. DPW says are fender benders, and worries that lights would cause fewer but higher speed, higher injury accidents; not DPW highest priority. In discussion, committee pointed out that any remedies (DPW estimates cost at $600,000 for the three intersections to get lights, exclusive of land takings, legal