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03/24/2020 AC Minutes Minutes Town of Lexington Appropriation Committee (AC) March 24, 2020 Place and Time: Remote Participation: in accordance with the Governor's March 12, 2020 Order Suspending Certain Provisions of the Open Meeting Law; communication took place via a Zoom teleconferencing session that was open to the public; 7:30 p.m. Members Present: Glenn Parker, Chair; Sanjay Padaki, Vice-Chair; Alan Levine, Secretary; John Bartenstein; Meg Muckenhoupt; Nick Nichols; Lily Manhua Yan; Carolyn Kosnoff, Assistant Town Manager, Finance (non-voting, ex officio) Members)Absent: Eric Michelson Other Attendees: LexMedia The meeting was called to order at 7:37 p.m. Announcements and Liaison Reports Mr. Parker announced that in addition to this meeting being held remotely, it was being broadcast live by LexMedia. Ms. Kosnoff reported that negotiations with the Town's bargaining units had been finalized, which will put the affected salary line items in the 2020 budget into the red. Funds are available in the Salary Reserve Account and a salary reserve transfer will be requested. This Committee will be asked to approve this transaction, as has been the tradition. 2020 ATM Financial Articles and Report Planning Mr. Parker reported that he had updated this Committee's report to the 2020 Annual Town Meeting (ATM)with the non-substantive edits and material that had been discussed at previous meetings. Mr. Bartenstein reported that he had some minor edits that he will submit. Mr. Parker provided a brief review of two articles for which votes had been taken on March 19, 2020, when Ms. Yan was absent: • Article 25: Purchase of Land/Eminent Domain: The Town has reached an agreement to purchase property that is being used as part of the municipal parking lot along Edison Way and is currently owned by the Lexington Historical Society. Ms. Kosnoff clarified that the funding source for this purchase is the Parking Meter Fund. She added that there is currently a balance of approximately $1.0 million in that fund which means that any loss in parking meter revenue while businesses are closed because of COVID-19 would not impact this purchase. Ms. Yan added her affirmative support of recommending approval of this article, making the vote 8-0 in support of recommending approval of this article. Article 19: Establish, Dissolve and Appropriate To and From Specified Stabilization Funds: Part d) appropriate funds from the Affordable Housing Stabilization Fund: Part d) of this article had generated considerable discussion and a split vote at this committee's March 12, 2020 meeting. On March 19, 2020, Robert Burbidge, Chair, Lexington Housing Authority Board (LexHAB), discussed and answered questions about this article. This Committee subsequently re-voted, by roll call, resulting in a 6-2 vote in support of recommending approval of this article. Ms. Yan re-confirmed her affirmative vote. 1