Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014-11-10-CEC-min-AM Corrected Minutes of the Lexington Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) Meeting November 10, 2014 (Morning) Location and Time: Town Office Building, Reed Room (111); 8:00 .. AM Members Present: Jill Hai, Chair; David Kanter, Vice-Chair & Clerk; Elizabeth Barnett; Wendy Manz Member Absent: Rod Cole Others Present: Joe Pato, Chair, Board of Selectmen (BoS); Bob Pressman, Community Preservation Committee Documents Presented: Notice of Public Meeting/Agenda for November 10, 2014 CEC Report to the 2014 Annual Town Meeting (ATM) & 2014 Special Town Meeting, March 24, 2014 (STM), Released March 17, 2014 Draft #2 Minutes of the CEC Meeting, October 28, 2014 (distributed by Mr. KanterÈs e-mail to all CEC members, November 1, 2014 11:45 ..) PM Call to Order: Ms. Hai called the meeting to order at 8:04 .. AM Welcome of New Committee Member: Ms. Hai welcomed Ms. Barnett to her first meeting of the Committee since she was sworn as a member on November 7, 2014. She fills the vacancy created by the resignation of Bill Hadley after the August 26, 2014, meeting of this Committee when he took out papers to start his ultimately successful campaign for election to the TownÈs School Committee. Discussion of CEC Matters Relevant to the Budget Collaboration/Summit Meeting II This Evening: Mr. Pato provided information on the results of the re-valuation of the property values in Lexington that had been accomplished by the Board of Assessors in response to direction from the StateÈs Department of Revenue. This process required, in addition to the usual valuation efforts, that all single-family residential properties had to have at least a desk audit (i.e., a review of all the information on the AssessorsÈ records) and with 50% also having at least a drive-by review of the property. The findings reflect a 9.19% overall, average, increase in the residential values without considering increases due to enhancements made. \[A review of the permits pulled for enhancements in the last 10 years was done to ensure none had been missed in the prior assessments.\] But the increases are not uniform across all values; they are skewed with, in general, the lower-end property values increasing more than at the upper-end values. While the change in values doesnÈt affect the total, allowable, FY2015 tax levyÄwhich will be set by the Board of Selectmen next monthÄit does affect how that total tax burden will be distributed across the properties. Mr. Pato then discussed with the Committee that the School Committee, after evaluating the latest information on projected enrollment it has received from the School Enrollment Working Group and on the schools capacities from its consultantÈs Phase 1 report, is expected to request that the BoS schedule a January 2015 Special Town Meeting (STM) for the purpose of requesting appropriations for modular classrooms at the Bridge, Page 1 of 3 Corrected Minutes of the Lexington Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) Meeting November 10, 2014 (Morning) Bowman, and Fiske Elementary Schools by this September so as to be available for the next school year. There is also a companion need to address the at-capacity situation of the pre-Kindergarten program at the new Harrington School. The matter will be discussed at the Budget Collaboration/Summit Meeting II this evening. The BoS expects to have a request for that STM on the Agenda for its November 17, 2014, meeting. While this Committee took no formal vote as to its position on either the holding of that STM or what projects might be presented to it (e.g., the School-Committee-recommended modular classrooms) because the matter had never been discussed by the Committee, there was general concern that any such project was being proposed on such extremely short notice, without the benefit of a still-pending all-schools Master Plan, and without the opportunity for the review otherwise routinely afforded by the finance committees, and others, so Town Meeting would receive sufficient and well-based advice. Mr. Pato left the meeting at 8:33 .. AM Review of the Assigned Committee Member Town Department and Committee-Liaison Responsibilities: With the addition of Ms. Barnett to the Committee, the Committee discussed reassignment of the previous assignments made when there were only 4 assigned members. As Ms. Barnett expressed an interest in accepting responsibility for being the liaison with the Department of Public Works (DPW)Äpreviously assigned to Ms. HaiÄit was moved and seconded that assignment be transferred to Ms. Barnett. Vote: 3Ã0Ã1 (Ms. Barnett abstained as the matter related to her responsibilities.) The Committee deferred any further reassignments until Mr. Cole was present at the CommitteeÈs meeting. Discuss Scope & Format for the CommitteeÈs Report to the Annual Town Meetings: Using the CommitteeÈs Report to the 2014 ATM as the example, Mr. Kanter explained his understanding of the intentÄboth scope & formatÄfor each element of that report. With that information, all the members present agreed to continue to use that scope & format. The Committee then discussed all of the elements of the report to ensure there was a common understanding regarding them. Mr. Kanter then discussed how he approached his role as the editor of the CommitteeÈs reports. While the Committee acknowledge the enormity of the editorÈs role, the quality of the resulting reports, and their value to Town Meeting members, Town Staff, other committees and board, and the Committee itself, Mr. Kanter was asked to make as much use as he could accept of the original inputs to him by the other Committee members. Discuss How the Committee Members Should Approach Their Review of the FY2016ÃFY2020 Capital Improvement Projects (CIPs) from Town Departments and the Applications by Non-Town Entities to the Community Preservation Committee: Mr. Kanter explained his own approach which included, among other matters, how this yearÈs CIP correlated with any prior-year input for the same project/program and, most significantly, with any entry on this CommitteeÈs most-recent Five-Year Capital Plan submitted to Town Meeting; whether there was adequate description of the scope of work contemplated throughout the 5-year span; and whether the proposed timing and general levels of funding throughout the 5-year span appeared reasonable. The Committee Page 2 of 3 Corrected Minutes of the Lexington Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) Meeting November 10, 2014 (Morning) discussed how the purpose of the presentations to it and the questions the members would have of the presenting Department or entity are to ensure the Committee fulfills its responsibility to vet the proposals before making its report to the Town Meeting. Approval of Minutes: Consideration of the Minutes for the October 28, 2014, meeting was deferred until a future meeting. Member Concerns and Liaison Reports: Mr. Kanter reported that he had advised the Community Preservation Committee (CPC) at its November 6, 2014, meeting of this CommitteeÈs position (taken at its November 4, 2014, meeting) that the Lower Vine Brook Paved Recreation Trail (CIP #931) should be fully funded for FY2016, rather than the current proposal that the total amount needed would be split between FY2016 & FY2017. The CPC, after having heard the presentation of that CIP and discussed it, took a straw vote also to endorse, if the funds were available, fully funding that project in FY2016. Ms. Hai asked that each memberÈs pre-presentation questions and comments regarding the DPW CIPs that will be presented at this CommitteeÈs next meeting on November 18, 2014, be sent to her by noon, November 14, 2014. She will them assemble them for distribution to that Department and to Mr. Rob Addelson, Assistant Town Manager for Finance, so they th have them early on the 17. Adjourn:A Motion was made and seconded at 9:53 .. to adjourn.Vote: 4Ã0 AM These Minutes were approved by the CEC at its meeting on December 9, 2014. (Clerical error corrected on December 12, 2014) Page 3 of 3