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RECEIVED kdkk kd Jain, 9A4 ain't 01/19/2022 AC Minutes TOWN CLERK LEXINGTON MA • Debt expenses are currently decreasing, which helps increase the amount that can go into capital projects, but this will change with the Lexington High School project. • Project costs are currently high; it isn't known how long this will be a factor. • The Town, at least on the municipal side, has not seen a large wave of staff resignations. Union contracts help keep union salaries stable, and non-union positions fall into tiers that are assigned a salary range, which controls salary negotiations with new non-union employees. The Town has been able to fill most openings, but the number of candidates has been minimal, creating a challenge. • The Police Department no longer uses the civil service to screen employees, which has eased the difficulty in filling positions. • Although new electronic devices for tracking the voting process are being requested to improve efficiency and accuracy, poll workers will still be needed. • Most of the Town's debt service is currently at very low interest rates. The Town will not refinance unless it is to the Town's advantage. Investment advisors assist in making these determinations. There was discussion about the siting of a new Lexington High School, which the Town is pursuing. Some of the land around the current facility is dedicated recreation land and cannot be repurposed without a comparable land swap. Such a swap would require both State legislative action per Article 97 in the Massachusetts constitution and Town Meeting approval. Additionally, there are areas that are likely wetlands, although they have not yet been delineated. Town Manager Jim Malloy has created a working group of stakeholders to look at the issues. Ms. Kosnoff agreed to ask Mr. Malloy about inviting finance committee liaisons to attend those meetings. Mr. Levine volunteered to serve as an AC liaison. In addition to Mr. Malloy's working group, Jon Himmel, Permanent Building Committee chair, has submitted a citizen's article to the warrant requesting funds for a study of the Worthen Road area and, presumably, how it could be affected by high school location options. The complexities are exacerbated by the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA)process. To avoid unintended perceptions, it has been suggested that the Town meet with the MSBA to explain the complexities and the need to explore location options sooner than later. While sharing his spreadsheet listing the currently identified articles to be included in the STM 2022-1 and the 2022 ATM Warrant, Mr. Parker reviewed the process for preparing the report. The author and reviewer assignments for the warrant articles, the report's appendices, and the comments at the end of the report were identified and, in some cases, edited. In response to questions and comments, Ms. Kosnoff added the following: • The Town of Bedford does not use Lexington's wastewater system and therefore does not make contributions toward those expenses, which include those for replacement of two of the pump stations, for which the bid price was approximately twice the estimate. • There may be more Community Preservation Act funds available from the State than are currently in the budget. • FY2023 is the last year for using the Debt Service Stabilization Fund because the debt will be fully paid down in FY2023. The fund will be dissolved, probably in calendar year 2023. • Funds requested in two citizen articles are not included in the budget and in both cases the proponents have identified free cash as a possible funding source. The budget has set aside $500,000 in free cash that is currently unallocated. This could be used for these articles. 2