2016-03-10-AC-min - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

3/10/2016 AC Minutes Minutes Town of Lexington Appropriation Committee (AC) March 10, 2016 Place and time: Reed Room, Town Office Building, 7:30 p.m. Members present. Glenn Parker, Chair; John Bartenstein, Vice Chair and Secretary; Kate Colburn; Mollie Garberg; Alan Levine; Beth Masterman; Eric Michelson; Richard Neumeier; Andrei Radulescu -Banu; Rob Addelson (non- voting, ex officio) Members Absent: None Others Present: Karen Simmons, Director, Recreation and Community Affairs; Dawn McKenna, Chair, Tourism Committee; Elaine Ashton, Town Meeting member The meeting was called to order at 7:35 pm. 1. Announcements: Mr. Bartenstein reported on the Moderator's meeting held in preparation for the Annual Town Meeting (ATM) and Special Town Meeting (STM) 2016 -3, which will begin on March 21 with deliberation of the annual budget starting on March 28. Financial articles under STM 2016 -3 will be taken up on March 21, therefore an electronic version of this Committee's report to the STM 2016 -3 will be published on March 14. A combined document, containing the Committee's reports for both STM 2016 -3 and the 2016 ATM, will be printed and distributed on March 21. Mr. Bartenstein reported that deliberation of Article 34: Amend General Bylaws — Guns was assigned a date certain of April 6. The Lexington police will implement security measures because of potential controversy regarding the article; non - Lexington residents may attend. In the Police Chiefs opinion, this bylaw is not necessary because state law regarding guns is adequate. Mr. Michelson reported that the Minuteman Regional High School (MRHS) Committee has not yet voted on the proposal to rebuild the school building. This is on its agenda for its next meeting. Mr. Parker has discussed the process that Town Meeting could take regarding its position on this project with Joe Pato, Chair of the Board of Selectmen (BoS). The recommendation is to hold another STM to give Town Meeting an opportunity to debate and vote on this request. If no action is taken by Town Meeting, the new MRHS regional agreement assumes an affirmative vote. 2. Reserve Fund Transfer: Ms. Simmons presented a request to the Committee for a $26,800 Reserve Fund Transfer to supplement a $55,000 FY2016 appropriation for reconstruction of basketball courts and accessible paths at Sutherland and Marvin Parks. Although bid documents for this project were issued twice, the bid prices received exceeded the original budget, primarily because: a landscape architect was needed to address wetland issues; these are small projects that are less attractive; and the market has changed, i.e., there are more projects competing for the available providers than when the original estimate was created. Ms. Simmons believes that comparable projects at Rindge and Kineen Parks, for which a funding request is being submitted to the 2016 ATM, will not need supplemental funding because they are even smaller projects and do not require wetland delineation. Mr. Addelson reported that there is currently a balance of $750,000 in the Reserve Fund. The Fund started FY2016 with $900,000; $150,000 was approved for supplementing appropriations for the Cary Memorial Building renovations. 1