2003-01-09-CEC-summit - Laserfiche WebLink

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Town of Lexington Capital Expenditures Committee Draft Summit III Meeting Notes January 9, 2003 Hastings School Gymnasium Note: These summary minutes cover ONLY the sections of the discussion pertinent to capital and Capital Expenditure Committee matters, not the full meeting (which was also attended by the Selectmen, School Committee, and Appropriation Committee) and was duly recorded. Committee members present: Bhatia, Burnell, Hornig, Rosenberg, Stolz Hornig implored the Selectmen and School Committee to adhere to the budget timeline, making decisions so that the rest of the schedule for January could be met, allowing the committee to decide on capital items in parallel to operating budget decisions. Presenting the committee’s view of the operating budget, with its current $5.5-million gap, Hornig made the following points: •Big-ticket capital items. The committee feels that preliminary proposals for a senior center, new DPW facilities, and renovation or replacement of the next round of elementary schools (Bowman and Estabrook)—all tentatively scheduled for presentation to voters for a spring 2005 debt- exclusion override—cannot be readied for thoughtful review for this spring’s Town Meeting. Accordingly, the committee recommends that planning and preliminary design funds for all these projects should be deferred from consideration at this spring’s Town Meeting, and considered jointly at a Special Town Meeting in fall 2003, or within the spring 2004 Town Meeting [perhaps as a Special Town Meeting, to accelerate funding]. Selectman Enrich wondered about the implications for scheduling the spring 2005 debt-exclusion override. Hornig said the matter had not been discussed with all project proponents, some of whom would clearly have different views (the senior center and DPW would like to proceed faster), but the committee felt fall 2003 would surely be timely enough to discuss planning and design