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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014-05-29-CEC-min Minutes of the Lexington Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) Meeting May 29, 2014 Town Office Building, Reed Room; 3:30 .. Location and Time: PM Jill Hai, Chair; David Kanter, Vice-Chair; Bill Hurley; Wendy Manz; Members Present: Beth Masterman None Members Absent: Rob Addelson, Assistant Town Manager for Finance; Pat Goddard, Others Present: Director, Department of Public Facilities; Joe Pato, Board of Selectmen (BoS); Sara Arnold, Recording Secretary Documents Presented: Notice of Meeting/Agenda for CEC Meeting, May 29, 2014 June 16, 2014, Special Town Meeting \[STM\] Town Warrant, signed May 19, 2014 Draft #2 of CEC Report to the 2014 STM (June 16) (sent electronically earlier this date; printed copies presented if requested) Lexington Community Center (LCC) Total Project, May 28 \[2014\] draft; spreadsheet listing budget estimates created in November 2013, March 2014, and May 26, 2014, and for June 16, 2014 Draft Minutes for the Joint Appropriation & Capital Expenditures Committees Meeting, May 7, 2014, as annotated by Mr. Kanter (sent electronically, May 28, 2014) Mr. KanterÈs Input, May 29, 2014, to the CEC Input to the BoSÈ Goal Setting (June 19, 2014) with CommentÈs, July 17, 2013, from that Board (sent electronically earlier this date; printed copies presented) Ms. Hai called the meeting to order at 3:35 .. Call to Order: PM Mr. Goddard reported that the School Committee recently School Department Project: approved the expenditure of $27,500 from its Fiscal Year 2014 operating budget to pay for the sub-division of a room in the school administration building. This is being done to create an office for an employee whose office is currently located in the high school. The project was triggered by the retirement of the Director of Special Education, which resulted in the reorganization of some staff responsibilities. There was agreement that ordinarily the Town does not use operating funds for what would generally be considered a capital project. (This project is over the $25,000 threshold that normally applies to a capital project.) It was noted that this is a small project and the funds are being spent at the end of the fiscal year and therefore it can be seen that the expenditure is not in danger of jeopardizing the schools operating budget. The only identified concern was that it may be necessary to undo the renovation at a future point in time if the building were to be repurposed. The requisition for this project is currently on Mr. AddelsonÈs desk. It was noted that if these funds were not used for this project, they would likely be returned by the School Department and flow to the general fund at the end of the fiscal year. A motion was made and seconded to endorse the creation of a new office in the School Administration Building using School Department operating funds as discussed above. VOTE: 5Ã0 Page 1 of 4 Minutes of the Lexington Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) Meeting May 29, 2014 Mr. Kanter led a Preparations for the CommitteeÈs Input to the June 16, 2014, STM: discussion of the second draft of this CommitteeÈs report to that STM. The Articles on which this Committee would be reporting were discussed as follows: Article 3: Land AcquisitionÄOff Concord Avenue: The purpose of this Article is to acquire a landlocked parcel off Concord Avenue that has been considered by the Town as conservation land, but whose title is contested by the owner of the front lot (Mr. John H. Sellars) and the Town. The Town expects to take the land by eminent domainÄwhich would establish a clean title to the Town. A settlement agreement between Mr. Sellars and the Town has not yet been finalized. The Committee agreed that it is reasonable to support this Article if all expectations relating to the purchase of this land are met and the cost is reasonable. The Town cannot spend more than the appraised value of the land if Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds areto beused, as expected.The Town is currently waiting for two appraisals, which should be available before the BoSÈ June 2 meeting. Article 4: Authorize Easement on Land at 430 Concord Avenue: The Town currently has a sewer easement on this property, but no other access rights. The Committee agreed that it is appropriate to have an easement that allows access not only for the existence and maintenance of the sewer, but also for the public to the back lot being considered for purchase under Article 3 so if the Conservation Commission supports having public access, the Town would have the right to allow it. This Committee supports asking that Town Meeting address Article 4 before Article 3 so any acquisition under Article 3 only proceeds after knowing the public access to that parcel can also be achieved. Article 5: Schools Master Plan: This request for $250,000 is to fund a 3Ãphased study to update the Schools 2009 KÃ12 Master Plan; additional funds would be requested at subsequent Town Meeting(s) to implement any projects recommend in the study and approved for execution. The School Committee recently formed a new committeeÄthe Ad hoc School Master Planning CommitteeÄwhich will work with the consultant hired under this ArticleÈs funding to study the School DepartmentÈs needs for capital projects. (The BoS has already designed the members of the new committee as Special Municipal Employees.) A Motion was made and seconded that Mr. Hurley, as this CommitteeÈs liaison to the School Department, also be this CommitteeÈs liaison to the new committee. VOTE: 5Ã0 Article 6: Amend General BylawsÄContracts and Deeds: This Article will allow the Town to enter into contracts for solar facilities that run for 22 years rather than 20 years as currently stipulated, so as to cover the likely up-to-two years needed to satisfy the permitting process. As an aside and unrelated to the objective of the Article, there was a discussion of the status of the on-going process to sign a Power Production Agreement (PPA) to put solar panels on Town schools and the Public Services Building (PSB). Analysis by the proposed PPA participant has found that solar panels cannot be installed on some buildings in Town, including the relatively new PSB, because of weight restrictions; the structural code for such installations has become more stringent in recent years. However, the Town hopes to have solar panels approved and installed where Page 2 of 4 Minutes of the Lexington Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) Meeting May 29, 2014 appropriate before September. A group is being established to analyze the proposals and a participant from this Committee has been requested. A Motion was made and seconded for Ms. Masterman to be this CommitteeÈs participant in the solar-panel proposal-evaluation group. VOTE: 5Ã0 Article 8: Establish and Appropriate To and From Specified Stabilization funds: This is a placekeeper; it has not yet been determined whether there will be any such requests. Article 10: Amend Article 5 of November 4, 2013, Special Town Meeting, Renovation to Community Center: A spreadsheet showing the various stages of the budget for the LCC was reviewed. The current appropriation for this project is $6.22 million. The 90% construction-documents-stage cost estimate, when burdened with the soft costs, comes to approximately $1.0 million more than at appropriation. The increase in estimated cost includes only one change in the scope: an accessible lower-level entry as requested by the Lexington Commission on Disability. Other major cost increases result from items such as information about the relocation of sprinklers and associated piping now that the location of the upgrades to the heating, ventilation, and air-condition (HVAC) system is more-precisely known, and the in-depth investigation of the deteriorated condition of the building envelope. The Ad hoc Community Center Advisory Committee (AhCCAC) pursued a Value-Engineering process which identified changes that would reduce the budget gap by approximately $500,000. Some refinements to the estimated savings are being made. The BoS will get a general overview of the additional budget needs for this project at its meeting nd on June 2 and a detailed description of a request for additional funds at its meeting on th June 9. As it is believed the entire estimated cost increase is eligible for funding from the Community Preservation Fund, a request for all of the additional funds will go to the th Community Preservation Committee (CPC) on June 10. Mr. Addelson is adjusting his budget models to reflect a request for the additional funding. The Town plans to include several add-alternates in the request for bids. These are believed to be covered by what the appropriation would be if the funding request is approved by Town Meeting, but provide an incremental reduction in scope so as still to be able to make an award if the lowest responsive and responsible bid for the base scope plus those add-alternates is for more than the available appropriation. (The add-alternates would be included, in sequence to the extent the appropriation would still be sufficient.) Ms. Masterman explained how her other personal commitments have made it impractical for her to attend the majority of the AhCCAC meetings and that would likely be the case in the future. As Mr. Kanter has been attending most of the past AhCCAC meetings she suggested that he be made this CommitteeÈs primary liaison to the AhCCAC. She said she would try to substitute, as necessary, if Mr. Kanter canÈt attend. A Motion was made and seconded for Mr. Kanter to replace Ms. Masterman as liaison to the AhCCAC. VOTE: 5Ã0 Article 11: Amend Article 2 of March 24, 2014, STM, Cary Memorial Building Upgrades: There was only one general-contractor bidder for this project and, subject to completion of qualifications, the total bid (including the filed sub-bids) is within the existing appropriation. Thus, it is expected that this Article will be Indefinitely Postponed. Page 3 of 4 Minutes of the Lexington Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) Meeting May 29, 2014 Article 12: Appropriate for Authorized Capital Improvements: To date, no items have been identified for this article and if that should remain the case, this Article would be Indefinitely Postponed. nd : This Committee has been invited to join the BoS on June 2, at Future Meetings , 5:45 .., for its Executive Session regarding the Fire Stationunder Exemption 6 of the PM Open Meeting Law (Purchase, exchange, lease, or value of real property). This Committee agreed it will meet on June 10, 2014, at 5:30 .. (which is after the CPC meeting),and on PM June 11, 2014, at 9:00 .., with the intent for both to have most, if not all, members AM approve its report to the STM. (Ms. Hai hopes to do so by remote participation as she will be out of Town at the times of both meetings.) A Motion was made and seconded to approve, from this CommitteeÈs Minutes: perspective,the annotated Draft Minutes for the Joint Appropriation & Capital Expenditures Committees Meeting, May 7, 2014. VOTE: 5Ã0 Mr. Kanter presented his input for this The CommitteeÈs Input to the BoS Goal Setting: CommitteeÈs consideration. Ms. Masterman suggested that the BoS establish protocols for pursuing major projects. Ms. Hai asked that, to the extent not already done so, each of the Committee members submit recommendations to the Chair so the Committee could rd discuss at its June 3 meeting what would be its submission for BoS goals. This may include items that were submitted in 2013. Ms. Manz reported on the Board and Member Concerns and Liaison Reports: Committee Chair Training session on May 16, 2014, that she attend in Ms. HaiÈs stead as Ms. Hai had a conflict. The primary emphasis was on the Massachusetts Open Meeting Law. Ms. Manz said she would submit a written summary to the Committee of her notes from that session. A Motion was made and seconded at 5:07 .. to adjourn. Adjourn:VOTE: 5Ã0 PM These Minutes were approved by the CEC at its meeting on June 10, 2014. Page 4 of 4