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Minutes of the
Lexington Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) Meeting
October 8, 2014
Public Services Building, Cafeteria; 7:00 ..
Location and Time:
PM
Jill Hai, Chair; David Kanter, Vice-Chair and Clerk; Rod Cole;
Members Present:
Wendy Manz
None
Members Absent:
None
Others Present:
Documents Presented:
Notice of Meeting/Agenda for Budget CollaborationÃFinancial Summit 1,
October 8, 2014
E-mail from Patrick Goddard, Director of Public Facilities, to Ms. Hai,
October 8, 2014, 4:24 p.m., Master Plan Phases (distributed to the CEC by Ms. HaiÈs
e-mail, same date, 5:46 ..)
PM
Information on the June 16, 2014, Special Town Meeting (STM) Article 5 with the
CECÈs report on it to that Meeting under which funding was appropriated for the
School Master Planning effort, and on the 2014 Annual Town Meeting (ATM)
Article 14(g) with the CECÈs report on it to that Meeting under which funding was
appropriated for the Public Facilities Bid Documents (PFBD) (distributed to the CEC
by Mr. KanterÈs e-mail, October 8, 2014, 4:05 ..)
PM
Ms. Hai called the meeting to order at 7:00 ..
Call to Order:
PM
School Master Plan and Enrollment ProjectsÄAdditional Effort
Ms. Hai began to brief the Committee on Mr. GoddardÈs proposal regarding an effort to
augment the evaluations being undertaken for a School Master Plan as funded under
Article 5 of the June 16, 2014, STM (a 3-phase effort funded at $250,000 addressing
elementary, middle, and high-school needs). The effort would be to evaluate how to
accommodate the projected growth in the existing pre-Kindergarten (pre-K) programÄ
which is already at capacity.
At 7:04 .., that briefing was suspended as this Committee then joined the Budget
PM
Collaboration-Financial Summit 1 with the Board of Selectmen, Appropriation Committee,
and School Committee being held in the same place until it ended at 8:11 .. (See the
PM
Minutes of that event for this CommitteeÈs further participation.)
At 8:11 .., this Committee relocated to the hallway adjacent to the Cafeteria and Ms. Hai
PM
continued her briefing.
The new evaluation would address the growing space needs of the pre-K program,
including whether it should be moved from its present location in the Harrington Elementary
School. One option to be considered is relocating the program to the building housing the
Schools Central Office (the old Harrington Elementary School). Mr. Goddard is proposing to
use approximately $23,000 of the $75,000 appropriation made available to his Department
under 2014 ATM Article 14(g) for PFBD to fund that evaluation of the pre-K program. (That
use would not impact any other currently planned use of those $75,000.) Rob Addelson,
Assistant Town Manger for Finance, concurs with the use of that fund source for this effort.
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Minutes of the Lexington Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) Meeting
October 8, 2014
Mr. Kanter discussed with the Committee the information he had assembled and provided
to the Committee regarding the two Town Meeting Articles under which the appropriations
were made for the previous funding of the School Master Plan and for the appropriation
proposed to fund the evaluation of the pre-K program. His concern was whether the
evaluation of the pre-K program was within the scope of the work previously contemplated
for the School Master Plan. If it were, Mr. Kanter would not support using the PFBD funding
for that evaluation as he believes Town Meeting would need, instead, to increase the
funding for the School Master Plan. It was the opinion of the other Committee members that
the evaluation proposed by Mr. Goddard was outside of that scope; it was a new
requirement.
It was moved and seconded that this Committee endorse the use of the PFBD funding for
the evaluation of the pre-K program, including possible relocationfrom the Harrington
Elementary School to the building housing the Schools Central Office and the repurposing
of the vacated space, conditioned on: (1) that evaluation and repurposing indeed being a
new effort outside of the original scope of the School Master Plan, and (2) that the
contracting for it be accomplished in a manner reflecting that that is the nature of the new
work.
VOTE: 4Ã0
FY2016 Budget/Financial Discussion
Ms. Hai advised that she has asked Mr. Addelson whether he can provide this Committee
with the set of FY2016ÃFY2020 Capital Improvement Projects earlier than the previously
announced October 24, 2014. The purpose would for this CommitteeÈs members to be able
to start their reviews and preparation of comments before this CommitteeÈs next currently
scheduled meeting on October 28, 2014, when the first of the departmental presentations
will be made to this Committee. While Mr. Addelson hasnÈt yet said he can make an earlier
release, Ms. Hai asked the members to block the October 21, 2014, 8:00Ã10:00 .. period
AM
on their calendars as an additional meeting and all said that, at this time, they can
accommodate a meeting then. (Mr. Kanter will make a room reservation for that period.)
A Motion was made and seconded at 8:40 .. to adjourn.
Adjourn:VOTE: 4Ã0
PM
These Minutes were approved by the CEC at its meeting on October 28, 2014.
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