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11/20/14 Minutes
Minutes
Town of Lexington Appropriation Committee
November 20, 2014
: Parker Room, Town Office Building, 7:30 p.m.
: Glenn Parker, Chair; John Bartenstein, Vice Chair and Secretary; Mollie Garberg;
Alan Levine; Beth Masterman; Susan McLeish; Eric Michelson; Richard Neumeier; Andrei
Radulescu-Banu; Rob Addelson (non-voting, ex officio)
Members Absent:None
Other attendees: Kate Colburn, Lexington Parents Advocacy Group (LPAG); Lisa O’Brien, LPAG
The meeting was called to order at 7:34p.m. There were no announcements.
School Enrollment and Overcrowding:
1.Mr. Parker reported having attended the Ad hoc
School Master Planning Committee (AhSMPC) meeting held earlier in the day. Symmes, Maini, and
McKee Associates (SMMA),the consultant for the school master planningproject, expectsto have a
report completed in January that will identify alternative long term solutions for addressing the
anticipated increases in enrollment.
The PowerPoint that was used at the AhSMPC meeting will be distributed to this Committee. It
includes a space analysis that identifies geographic constraintsat the six elementary schools in an
effort to identify where additions to schools might help solve the overcrowding at the elementary
level. Harrington Elementary School has the most available space, followed by Hastings Elementary
School (Hastings). Bowman, Bridge and Fiske Elementary Schools have constraints that create some
significant challenges.
During the AhSMPC meeting, SMMAsolicitedfeedback on variouscomponents of the presentation.
Such input will allow them to provideoptions for the AhSMPC to use in developing recommendations
for the School Committee.It was agreed at the AhSMPC meeting that it will be important to
incorporate flexibility into the plan because enrollment could continue to increase beyond the five
years for whichprojections have been created.
Mr. Parker reported that the Massachusetts School Building Authority, which is reviewing
applications for school building grants, including Lexington’s for replacing Hastings, took no action at
its November meeting. Their next meeting is in mid-January, which is now the earliest Lexington will
learn whether its application for Hastings will be accepted. If the Town’s application is accepted,
there will be a Special Town Meeting in the fall of 2015.
Mr. Parker said that he expects the School Committee to request funding at a spring Special Town
Meeting or at the Annual Town Meeting (ATM), which could include design funds for a long term
solution and/or funds for modular units to be used on a temporary basis. Mr. Levine expressed his
concern that it will take longer than people think to implement a long-term plan. He believes a long-
term plan shouldn’t be rushed, whichmakes it important to pursue modular units on an immediate
basis. There was discussion about the length of time it took other school projects to be implemented.
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There was concern expressed about the impact on the taxpayer if funding for modular units is
requested this spring, followed by requests for additional funding to replace and/or expand schools.
Ms.Garberg commented that this is likely to “chip away at the taxpayer’s patience.”
Ms. Colburn commented that there are currently 29 students in some elementary school classrooms,
which demonstrates the current overcrowding at those schools. Parents accept the need for eventual
redistricting, but to use redistricting at this time to address the current large classes does not make
sense if redistricting is going to be necessary again when a long term solution is implemented. This
would be more than is reasonable if families are impacted twice by redistricting. Leasing modular
units on an immediate basis is a logical approach to addressing the current overcrowding that exists in
some schools.
Residential Tax Exemptions:
2.Mr. Parker and Mr. Radulescu-Banureported that the
Department of Revenuerequires towns to conduct a comprehensive comparison of property values
every three years basedon sales; this data is to beusedin assessing property taxes. The analysis that
was recently completed shows that the values of low-priced housing haveincreased considerably more
than the values of high-priced housing. The result is that owners of low-valued residential real estate
will generally see large increases in their values and their tax bills. Furthermore,all of the Fiscal Year
(FY) 2015 tax increase will be reflected in the last two of the four bills for the fiscal year because the
changes were only recently identified. Thus, the increase will feel even greater than it wouldhaveif it
had beendistributed over four bills.
Nothing can be done to remediate the impact on the FY2015 increase. The Board of Selectmen (BoS)
has an option to mitigate the impactstarting in FY2016by adopting a residential exemption program.
In 2006, the Tax Deferral and Exemption Study Group reported to the BoS what the implications of a
residential exemption would be, andthe conclusions of that report are likely to be applicable today as
well. The program results in charging owners of high-valuedhousing at a higher rate than owners of
low-valuedhousing. Such a program requiresannual approval by the BoS. It is expected that this
option will be discussed at the next BoS meeting.
Mr.Michelson commented that he has two outstanding questions: whether high-valuedhousing is
being assessed at its full maket value and whether renovations of high-valuedandlow-valuedhousing
are being fully captured in the analysis. Mr. Michelson also noted that theassessedvalue of land is
the same, regardless of the type of housingthat is built on it, which means the land value can increase
at a higher rate than the house; this creates an imbalance for theownersof lower valued homes.
Minutes:
3.A motion was made and seconded to approve the September 23, 2014 Minutes
with Mr. Bartenstein's edits, as previously distributed. The motion was approved. VOTE: 9-0
The September 18, 2014 Minutes still need to be approved.
Liaison Reports:
4.Mr. Addelson updated this Committee on the operation of the Visitors'
Center. The Town assumed responsibilty for the facility and its gift shop on September22, 2014.
Staff that had been operating the facility for the Chamber of Commercewas retained and Melisa
Tintocalis, the Town's Economic Development Director, is overseeing its operation. Anecdotally,
business is good. The Town restocked the merchandise because this had not been done for five to six
months prior. The Town's long-term role has not been determined.
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Mr. Michelson noted that the Lexington Retail Association is helping to sponsorthe Town’sholiday
lighting events in early Decemberwhile the Chamber of Commerce reorganizes.The reorganization
of the Chamber is reportedly going smoothly.
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Future Meetings:
5.It was noted that the next budget summit is planned for December 11.
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The next meeting of this Committee ison December 17.
Mr. Addelson reported that staff budget presentations to the BoS will be held the mornings of
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December 1, 2, and 3. Coverage by members of this Committee was discussed.
Mr. Parker asked the new membersto begin thinking about what parts of this Committee's report to
the ATM are of interest to them because each member assumes responsibilty for writing sections and
reviewing sections written by others. He notedthat this Committee’s consideration ofcapital projects
focusesprimarily on theirbudget impacts,whilethe Capital Expenditures Committee addressesin
more detail the viability of theprojects.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:03 p.m.
The documents used at the meeting are listed below.
Respectfully submitted,
Sara Arnold
Recording Secretary
Approved January 29, 2015
Exhibits
1.Agenda,posted by Glenn Parker, Chair
2.
SMMA PowerPoint slides: Lexington Public Schools, Ad hoc Schools Master Plan Committee ,
Elementary Concepts; November 20, 2014
3.
Actual enrollments Oct 1, 2014 per Miriam Sousa
4.Summaryof Parent Comments Regarding School Enrollment, prepared by Mr. Parker
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