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March 26, 2008 Minutes Town of Lexington Appropriation Committee March 26, 2008 Place and time: Cary Memorial Building, Legion Room, 6:40 P.M. Members present: Alan Levine (Chair), Deborah Brown (Vice Chair), Richard Eurich, Pam Hoffman, Susan McLeish, Eric Michelson, Rob Addelson (ex officio, non-voting) Also present: Dawn McKenna (Tourism Committee), Fire Chief Bill Middlemiss 1. Article 23 Rescind Prior Borrowing Authorizations The following items will be included: a) Art 30B – 2005 – White House Planning – School Admin. This would rescind $154K of a $240K authorization. b) Art 32C – 2005 – Traffic Signal Improvements – Lowell & Maple. This would rescind $25K of a $75K authorization. 2. Liberty Ride The Town Manager will recommend to the Board of Selectmen that a revolving fund be established at this year’s Town Meeting. The establishment of a revolving fund can only be done at the request of the Selectmen, and they will not take that vote until Monday March 31. A cash flow analysis conducted by Rob Addelson suggests that the revolving fund should be funded with $20K. To reach this amount, $17,500 would come from a reduction in the appropriation to the Reserve Fund, and the rest from an approved $2659 transfer from the Selectmen’s gift fund. The first Town Meeting action will require establishing the revolving fund under Article 8. Then the following changes must be made to Article 4: a) reduce General Fund revenues by $143,129 b) reduce Liberty Ride by $125,629 to $17,500 c) reduce Reserve Fund by $17,500 d) fund the revolving fund with the $17,500. Committee comments included questions on whether it sets a bad precedent to use earmarked Reserve Fund money for such purposes and on what commitment is in place to assure repayment of the seed money. The committee is withholding a recommendation until the Selectmen approve establishment of the revolving fund. 3. Article 21 – Laconia St The request under this article would be funded by transferring the needed funds from the FY08 DPW budget to this article. Once done this expense would not be added to the betterment. This appropriation has been approved by Town Counsel and is supported by the Board of Selectmen. The committee unanimously supports this (7-0). 4. Article 22“Appropriate for Post Employment Benefits” A March DOR bulletin noted that the establishment of OPEB funds is illegal without legislative approval. Lexington received that approval in 2002. - 1 -