2008-01-30-CEC-min - Laserfiche WebLink

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Minutes Town of Lexington Capital Expenditures Committee January 30, 2008 Place and Time: Town Office Building, Room 111, 9:00 AM Members Present: Charles W. Lamb (Chair, Ted Edson (Vice - Chair), Shirley Stolz, David G. Kanter Visitors: Deborah Brown (Liaison from Lexington Appropriation Committee), George Burnell (Lexington Board of Selectmen) CWL called the meeting to order at 9:00 AM The Committee reviewed the current requests expected at the 2008 Annual Town Meeting for Capital Projects. Except as noted below, there were no further comments and the Committee currently supports the requests. Parker Manor Condo Purchases (3 units) (proposed for Community Preservation Act [CPA] funding): Left vote at 3 -0 -2 until we see whether those units are eligible for being counted under Chapter 40(b) of the Massachusetts General Laws. Munroe Center for the Arts Fire - Prevention System (addresses both fire -alarm and fire- suppression elements) (proposed for CPA funding): DGK: Believes we must spend what's needed to satisfy what's been required by the Fire Department, but does not support having the Town, thereby, subsidize any sale or occupant. Before such a subsidy, the matter should be put to the voters as a Debt Exclusion. In the absence of such a formal confirmation by the voters of the use of their taxes for such a subsidy, he does not support constraining who can bid on the purchase of the building if selling it is the Board of Selectmen's decision (subject to approval by Town Meeting) especially if it entails selling the building without recouping the proposed Capital investment. SS: If we own the building, we need to fix it, but doesn't want to spend the $'s for the system. TE: Believes it's part of the "deal" (to sell the building) that we give them the fire - suppression system. GB: There's still the $200K option of replacing the sprinkler heads and some of the pipes. DGK challenged that based on his conversation with the Fire Chief on 23 January. While the Chief said the current estimate is conservative, he did not expect the estimated cost expected from the in- process design effort would be anything close to only $200K. As this is a significant disconnect, DGK suggested it is important to get the outline of such a less - expensive solution in writing. GB said he'd do that. Sentiment (4:0): We will have to support the fire- prevention system whether it is on the CPA or the direct tax levy. Page 1 of 2