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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-02-24-CEC-min Minutes of the Lexington Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) Meeting February 24, 2015 Town Office Building, Reed Room; 8:00 .. Location and Time: AM Jill Hai, Chair; David Kanter, Vice-Chair & Clerk; Elizabeth Barnett Members Present: \[8:08 ..arrival\]; Rod Cole; Wendy Manz AM None Members Absent: Joe Pato, Chair, Board of Selectmen (BoS)\[9:45 .. arrival\]; Others Present: AM Judy Crocker, School Committee (SC); Jon Himmel, Co-Chair, Permanent Building Committee (PBC); Kate Colburn, Lexington Parents Advocacy Group, Fiske Elementary School Parent Teacher Organization; Sara Arnold, Recording Secretary Documents Presented: Notice of Public Meeting/Agenda for February24,2015 Draft #5 Minutes of the CEC Meeting January 30, 2015 (Distributed by Mr. KanterÈs e-mail to the other CEC Members and Ms. Arnold, February 13, 2015 6:48 .) PM Draft #3 Minutes of the CEC Meeting, February 13, 2015 (Distributed by Mr. KanterÈs e-mail to the other CEC Members and Ms. Arnold, February 23, 2015 5:11 ..) PM School Building Project Consensus Plan, Draft for the 25 February 2015 Lexington Budget Summit; Revised with comments from the SC and Appropriation Committee (2/23/15) Ms. Hai called the meeting to order at 8:03 .. Call to Order: AM The following votes on Minutes were taken: Approval of Minutes: th A Motion was made and seconded to revoke the February 13 approval of the Draft #4 Minutes of the CEC Meeting for January 30, 2015, as amended, and to approve the Draft #5 Minutes of said CEC Meeting. Vote: 4Ã0 A Motion was made and seconded to approve the Draft #3 Minutes of the CEC Meeting for February 13, 2015, with changes, as discussed. Vote: 4Ã0 No action. Capital Projects in the TownÈs FY2016ÃFY2020 Capital Program: Implementation of the School CommitteeÈs School Master Plan for the DistrictÈs There was discussion about a draft document that describes a funding strategy Facilities: associated with the next steps for the School Building Master Plan. The goal is to identify a consensus approach with input from Carl Valente, Town Manager; Rob Addelson, Assistant Town Manager for Finance; Paul Ash, Superintendent of Schools; and representatives from the SC, CEC, BoS, and PBC. In response to ongoing and future school-overcrowding issues, and building replacement or renovation needs, an appropriation request for approximately $4.0 million is being proposed for the March 23, 2015, Special Town Meeting (STM) #1. The STM article would provide funding to develop various school-building projects to differing levels of design and/or development of construction documents. It is anticipated that a plan for addressing the enrollment demand three to five years hence should be available by late summer/early fall. The draft consensus document identifies a process, including a summer 2015 Budget Summit, for releasing funds for projects that are Page 1 of 3 Minutes of the Lexington Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) Meeting February 24, 2015 identified for going beyond the design phase based on information collected during the first phase of the process. It was generally agreed that as the Town moves forward in making decisions about projects, there should be a regular review of updated enrollment projections to determine whether the plans continue to be the best approach for meeting the expected enrollment demands. Mr. Himmel discussed a spreadsheet that he is developing to define and illustrate the sequencing and approval process for each of the potential construction locations and facilities if the funding is approved. He noted that the design process would incorporate input from an OwnerÈs Project Manager and an architect who would assist in identifying where best to locate pre-kindergarten facilities, the optimal size of a Maria Hastings Elementary School replacement based on the siteÈs capacity, and the challenges for incorporating additions at a number of current elementary-school sites. He suggestedthat the most challenging, and therefore likely the most expensive, additions would best be delayed for as long as possible to determine whether they are really needed based on continually updated enrollment data. Ms. Colburn expressed concerns regarding the installation of prefabricated units at Fiske Elementary School because they take longer to install than modular units, and will thus delay relief at the overcrowded school. It was generally agreed that this is an issue for the SC and/or the Budget Summit to address because a delay impacts the educational programs, but modular units generally are less cost effective than the prefabricated units because of their relatively short lifespan. There was discussion about the need to redistrict the schools. Ms. Crocker said that the SC is planning to discuss this issue in more detail; it is recognized that redistricting is an important component of the plans going forward. In response to Ms. CrockerÈs question about additional questions/concerns, items of interest included the following: The pros and cons of using modular units versus prefabricated units and the logic for choosing one over the other for Fiske and for any other schools for which such units are being considered. The steps for providing short- and/or long-term capacity relief at Bowman and Bridge Elementary Schools. The negative impacts (i.e., the ÅpainÆ) on different school districts based on the assumptions moving forward. Timelines with capacity for each school shown now and as projects are completed. Mr. Kanter collected edits and comments on the draft consensus plan. A Motion was made and seconded for Mr. Kanter to forward the edits and clarifications to Mr. Pato. Vote: 5Ã0 No action. CommitteeÈs FY2016FY2020 Capital Program: CommitteeÈs Report to the 2015 Annual and Accompanying Special Town Meetings: There was discussion about the Executive Summary, which is being written by Ms. Hai. Mr. Kanter asked that written material for the front section of the report be submitted to him this week. Ms. Hai reported that there is new information regarding the parking-meter Page 2 of 3 Minutes of the Lexington Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) Meeting February 24, 2015 capital request and the Grain Mill Alley capital request that can be discussed at next weekÈs meeting. Mr. Kanter reported the following: Member Concerns and Liaison Updates: The BoS are supporting a project to lease space at the Solar Panels on Hartwell Avenue: Hartwell Avenue composting site for the installation of solar panels and $500,000 is being added to the Department of Public Works equipment budget for purchasing a windrow-turning machine that will be used to greatly improve the efficiency of composting material at the Hartwell Avenue site. The request for a DPF Truck with an Aerial Lift has been removed FY2016 Capital Budget: as a capital request and will be purchased with operating funds. There is $600,000 in the sidewalk-funding request; FY2016 Funding for Sidewalk Projects: it has not beendetermined whether the sidewalks being requested in citizen petitions will be funded with part of that request. As this Committee wanted, the funding for this Implementation of School Master Planning: project will be in the DPF budget. Last week the Town issued bonds for Issued Bonds and Bond Anticipation Notes (BANs): approximately $20 million and also issued two BANs. The true interest cost (e.g., after considering the premiums that were paid to the Town) on the bonds is about 1.8%. Town will be paying about 0.3% interest for the BANs. The CPC voted to support a Cary Memorial Community Preservation Committee (CPC): Building Sidewalk Enhancement design that includes granite pavers in front of the memorial steps as specified by the Historic Districts Commission. The Commission on Disability has not yet approved the granite, and the issue of who has jurisdiction over these decisions, the HDC or the BoS, has not yet been agreed to by those bodies. A Motion was made and seconded at 10:00 .. to adjourn. Adjourn:Vote: 5Ã0 AM These Minutes were approved by the CEC at its meeting on March 17, 2015. Page 3 of 3