Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013-05-29-AC-min May 29,2013 Minutes Minutes Town of Lexington Appropriation Committee May 29, 2013 Place and time Ellen Stone Room, Cary Memorial Building at 7 30pm Members present Glenn Parker, Chair, John Bartenstem, Vice Chair and Secretary, Rob Addelson, Asst Town Mgr for Finance, Mollie Garberg, Alan Levine, Eric Michelson, Susan McLeish, Richard Neumeier, Jomna Schonfeld Members Absent Robert Cohen Other Attendees Carl Valente, Town Manager The meeting was called to order at 7 40pm 1 Announcements: Mr Levine stated that he had attended a meeting of the Ad Hoc Town- Wide Facilities Master Planning (MP) Committee and would summarize the meeting during Liaison Reports Mr Parker stated that he and Mr Michelson had attended a meeting with Carl Valente regarding proposed changes to the Regional Agreement governing the Minuteman Regional High School 2 Liaison Reports: Mr Levine stated that the MP Committee was preparing an "executive summary" of its recommendations to present to the Board of Selectmen on June 3 In brief, the document will rank the construction of a new Fire Station as the first priority for the Town, followed by a new or renovated Police Station The MP Committee generally favors a new combined Fire and Police facility Some alternative scenarios will also be addressed in the report, such as building a new Fire Station, then building a new Police Station at the former location of the Fire Station Mr Levine noted that the Fire and Police Stations are duly recognized as urgent projects for the Town, but emphasized that they are only part of a much larger and more complicated set of questions that the Town had hoped to resolve Mr Levine expressed his concern that the MP Committee will be unable to completely satisfy its charter given the timing and resource constraints 3 Mr Michelson and Mr Parker summarized their meeting with Carl Valente regarding Minuteman Regional High School (MRHS) Mr Valente sits on the Regional Agreement Amendment Subcommittee for the MRHS School Committee The buildings at MRHS are in need of major renovations, expected to cost around $80 million State regulations do not permit MRHS to pass on capital expenses to non-member towns The Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) may reimburse up to 40% of the capital expenses, but the remaining 60% (approximately $48 million) would fall entirely on the 16 member communities, which account for only about half of the total student enrollment at MRHS Mr Valente's subcommittee is considering changes to the Regional Agreement that would alter the Capital Apportionment Formula, which determines the amount each member community is assessed for capital improvements The subcommittee is also discussing changes to voting thresholds for the MRHS School Committee, but until the issue of non-member capital assessments is resolved, there will be no progress on voting issues 1 May 29,2013 Minutes 4 Minutes: The Committee was not prepared to approve any minutes 5 Next Meeting: The Committee agreed to schedule the next meeting for Thursday, June 6, 2013, and another meeting on Wednesday, June 12, 2013 6 Special Town Meeting Warrant: Article 3 "Technical Correction to Article 2 of the March 18, 2013 Special Town Meeting — Land Purchase Off Marrett Road" — Rob Addelson described the article as a technical fix to the onginal appropriation The wording of the motion approved in March stated that $3,560,000 was to be raised from the tax levy, which when combined with other appropriations would exceed the currently estimated amount of the tax levy that will be available in FY2014 This Article would adjust the funding so that $1,085,778 is raised from the tax levy, and the remaining $2,474,222 is raised from the unreserved fund balance of the General Fund (aka"Free Cash") There was a motion to recommend approval of Article 3 The motion passed VOTE 8-0 Article 2 "Approve TIF Agreement(s)" — Ms McLeish suggested that it would be helpful if the staff prepared, as background for evaluation of a possible TIF arrangement with umQure, a review of the Shire TIF, including a comparison of the onginal projections presented to Town Meeting versus the current status in terms of jobs created and tax revenues Mr Valente agreed that this would be a useful addition to his report on Article 2 7 Executive Session: A roll call vote of the Committee was taken on a motion by the Chair to go into executive session to discuss the umQure TIF matter under exemption 6 (to consider the purchase, exchange, lease or value of real property) and exemption 7 (to comply with, or act under the authority of, any general or special law or federal grant-in-aid requirements) following a declaration that an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the negotiating position of the Town The motion was unanimously adopted, each member present having voted in the affirmative 8 Adjournment: The meeting exited from executive session and was adjourned at 9 45pm A list of documents and other exhibits used at the meeting is set forth below Respectfully submitted, Glenn Parker Chair, Appropriation Committee Approved June 6, 2013 Exhibits 1 Meeting Agenda posted by John Bartenstem, Vice Chair and Secretary 2