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asked if the Capital Expenditures Committee had any opinions on the matter; Mr. Kanter stated <br /> that the Committee had concerns about pricing and phasing but that they would be discussing <br /> the phasing at a later date. Mr. Sandeen then asked about their position on the near term, and <br /> Mike Cronin stated that the cost of design for the Stone Building was originally $1,000,000 in a <br /> worst-case scenario. Ms. Kosnoff stated that the next phase has$200,000 for design work and <br /> $4,900,000 for construction, and again stated that shorter term projects are better for debt <br /> financing as it would keep interest payments to a minimum. Ms. O'Brien asked if this design <br /> was for the entire project. Mr. Cronin stated that since the decision was made to phase the <br /> project there will need to be new bids for each phase, including design work. <br /> After a motion was duly made and seconded the Committee conducted a roll call vote (9-0) to <br /> support utilizing debt financing to fund the projects selected by the Committee. <br /> Willard's Woods Site Improvement: Karen Mullins and Amber Carr returned to give a final <br /> update on the Willard's Woods proposal. The new request will come in at $1,211,675 and <br /> includes designating trails as Universally Accessible (UA). The wet meadow boardwalk has been <br /> removed from the proposal, and the Department will attempt to finance that portion of the <br /> project with grant funding. Mr. Sandeen asked if the trails would be designated with UA <br /> signage; Ms. Mullins said that they would. Mr. Sandeen then asked if the Department had <br /> settled on the width of the trail at 10 feet. Ms. Mullins answered that there are different <br /> widths at different sections of the trail; Ms. Mullins also explained that the width of the trails <br /> near the entrance to the fire pits is 8 feet but reiterated that the main section of the trail would <br /> be 10 feet wide, which is a decrease from its original 12-foot-wide configuration. Mr. Creech <br /> asked about which trail was the most heavily used and if Ms. Mullins had an estimate of people <br /> who visit the site annually. Ms. Mullins stated that she didn't have that information on hand. <br /> LexHAB Property Acquisition: Sarah Morrison returned to discuss a change in scope for the <br /> $400,000 request for property acquisition. The original property that was to be purchased with <br /> CPA funds will be purchased using ARPA funding, and as a result LexHAB was asking to use the <br /> CPA money as a pre-funding to acquire other properties when the opportunity arises. This pre- <br /> funding is similar to the proposed Affordable Housing Trust and would allow LexHAB to <br /> compete with developers. Ms. Morrison also stated that LexHAB is in the process of <br /> transitioning into a 501(c)(3) from a quasi-municipal entity but also mentioned that the <br /> transition process would take anywhere from 1 to 2 years and that the only way to increase the <br /> stock of affordable housing at this time would be by purchasing existing properties. Ms. <br /> Fenollosa mentioned to Ms. Morrison the opinion from Town Counsel about LexHAB entering <br /> into a grant agreement with the Town. Ms. Morrison acknowledged this point and mentioned <br /> that LexHAB would provide documentation about what these funds will be used for --future <br /> purchases of real property only. Mr. Horton asked if LexHAB had ever considered developing <br /> the Leary property and where that project would fit into their plans. Ms. Morrison stated that <br /> LexHAB would request CPA funding for the development of the Vine St. (Leary) property and <br /> that design work for this development had already been completed. Mr. Creech mentioned <br /> that the $400,000 will be used for a down payment but asked where the rest of the purchase <br /> 2 <br />