HomeMy WebLinkAbout2012-11-09-CEC-min-execMinutes of the Lexington Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) Meeting
Executive Session
Date, Place, and Location: November 9, 2012, 9:00 A.M., Town Office Building, Parker
Room (G15)
Members Present: Charles Lamb, Chair; David Kanter; Bill Hurley; Jill Hai
Member Absent: Beth Masterman, Vice -Chair
Other Attendees: Rob Addelson, Assistant Town Manager for Finance; Sara Arnold,
Recording Secretary
Documents Presented: None
With Mr. Lamb having called to order at 9:03 A.M. the Open Session —which had been
posted also to involve an Executive Session —he then declared that an Executive Session
was warranted under the Open Meeting Law Exemption 6 (To consider the purchase,
exchange, lease or value of real property), with the other attendees being present, as the
discussion in an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the negotiating position of
the Town —and with the intention to reconvene in Open Session. A Motion to do so was
made and seconded. Each member was polled and each voted "yes" The Committee went
into Executive Session at 9:04 A.M.
Study of Potential Land Acquisition
Mr. Addelson reported that what had been contemplated to be a $30,000 request at the
2012 Special Town Meeting (STM), November 19, 2012, under Article 7 (Appropriate for
Authorized Capital Improvements) for evaluating a parcel of land was going to be
withdrawn because an alternative funding source had been identified. He explained that the
Appropriation Committee thought it appropriate and offered to approve use of the
Appropriation Committee Reserve Fund as the funding source.
Mr. Addelson explained that the Selectmen have been keeping their eyes open for an
available parcel that could be used for a new, expanded, primary fire station. He said that in
2011, Selectman Peter Kelley, Selectman George Burnell, and Town Manager Carl Valente
met with an agent of the owner to discuss the Liberty Mutual property on Bedford Street,
but Liberty Mutual was not interested in selling the property at that time.
Mr. Addelson further explained that three weeks ago, the Town had been contacted by an
agent of the owner and there is now interest, although this cannot be discussed publicly
until all the appropriate people within Liberty Mutual are informed and agree with the plan to
vacate. The Town expects to hear back from Liberty Mutual in early December.
Mr. Addelson said that this matter cannot wait until the 2013 Annual Town Meeting because
the current tenant in the building [RCN BecoCom, LLC. —which has its Lexington hub in the
building and provides the Town with the optical -fiber connectivity for its Institutional Net
(iNet) capability] must be given one - year's notice.
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Mr. Addelson said the Town needs to determine whether this is a viable site, and it is
estimated that $30,000 is required to supplement the Townwide Facilities Master Planning
budget to make that determination: $20,000 for architectural services and $10,000 for an
appraisal. Asking the upcoming STM for the $30,000 under Article 7 would have been
awkward because the purpose of the request could not be fully disclosed. The Cecil Group,
which is already contracted to conduct that Master Planning study for the Town, is able to
do the required analysis, but it could not be discussed publicly at this time.
There was discussion about a new facility serving both the Fire and Police Departments. It
was agreed that the dispatch function for both departments might be combined, but there
were challenges with combining other aspects of those public- safety services. Mr. Kanter
noted that if the current Fire Department Headquarters were re -used as part of a bigger
project and its envelope were to be retained, that building's portion of the overall project
could be eligible for funding under the Community Preservation Act.
The Committee agreed that it is important to better understand the different pieces at play.
It was moved and seconded to support the study of the Liberty Mutual location. Vote: 4 -0
Return to Open Session: At 9:30 A.M., it was moved and seconded that the Committee
return to open session. Each member was polled. Vote: 4 -0
These Minutes were approved by the CEC at its Open- Session meeting on
December 11, 2012, but without making the content public as it was still sensitive at that
time.
In response to a query by Mr. Kanter, on November 1, 2013, Carl Valente, Town Manager,
advised that the content of these Minutes could now be made public and the CEC did so by
submitting these Minutes to the Town's public archives on that same date.
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