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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-08-12-CEC-min Minutes of the Lexington Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) Meeting August 12, 2015 Town Office Building, Reed Room, 7:30 .. Location and Time: AM Jill Hai, Chair; David Kanter, Vice-Chair & Clerk; Elizabeth Barnett; Members Present: Wendy Manz Rod Cole Member Absent: Judy Crocker, Member, Lexington School Committee; Jon Himmel, Chair, Others Present: Lexington Permanent Building Committee, Elaine Ashton, Town Meeting Member (arrived 7:51 ..); Bob Pressman, Member, Lexington Community Preservation Committee (arrived AM 7:58 ..); Carl Valente, Town Manager (arrived 8:10 ..); Pat Goddard, Director, AMAM Department of Public Facilities (arrived 8:10 ..) AM Documents Presented: Notice of Public Meeting/Agenda for CEC Meeting, August 12, 2015 Background Information Regarding the on-going consideration of the Multiple Schools Construction Projects (MSCP) (Distributed by Mr. KanterÈs e-mails, July 23, 2015 1:37 .., July 29, 2015 11:21 .., & July 30, 2015 9:35 .., to the PMPMPM other CEC Members and Sara Arnold.) Projected Meetings for the Rest of Calendar Year 2015 (Distributed by Mr. KanterÈs e-mail, July 29, 2015 00:39 .., to the other CEC Members and Ms. Arnold) AM StateÈs Community Preservation Trust-Fund Collections (Distributed by Mr. KanterÈs e-mail, August 4, 2015 6:16 .., to the other CEC Members) PM Draft Minutes of the CEC Meetings, July 16, 2015 (Morning & Summit) (Distributed by Mr. KanterÈs e-mail, July 24, 2015 4:12 .., to the other CEC Members and PM Ms. Arnold) Cary Memorial Building Renovation, August 11, 2015 (with additional annotations): Budget/Actual Table & Summary of Construction Costs to Date (Handout by Mr. Goddard) Ms. Hai called the meeting to order at 7:34 .. Call to Order: AM Updates on any new information from the Board of Selectmen (BoS), the School Committee (SC), or other Town bodies regarding the MSCP: Ms. Hai reported that she was not aware of any new information for discussion at this meeting and Ms. Crocker confirmed that for the SC. Mr. Himmel recommended that whatever projects are recommended by the Town bodies address the capacity enhancements to meet the current overcrowding and projected enrollment increases in terms of the student sections, not just the individual student count, as, in practice, the education is accomplished by sections. He was also concerned that further evaluation of increased capacity at the new Harrington Elementary School is not a concurrent priority. Ms. Hai reiterated this CommitteeÈs long-standing concern that the decision on any capacity-enhancement projects should have the benefit of the formal analysis of any non-capital, operational, means that might moderate the need for capital projects. WeÈve been told that completion of that analysis is many months awayÄwhich Ms. Hai said might make it difficult to achieve consensus-support of all of the capital projects likely to be Page 1 of 3 Minutes of the Lexington Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) Meeting August 12, 2015 recommended by the SC and the Board of Selectmen. Ms. Hai hopes that there will be flexibility in the approach in those recommendations. \[7:50 ..: Ms. Crocker & Mr. Himmel left\] AM Ms. Hai reminded members to submit to CommitteeÈs Actions Plan for FY 2016: Mr. Kanter as soon as practical their updated Åfront matterÆ for what will be the CommitteeÈs Report to the 2016 Annual Town Meeting. Other discussion under this Agenda item was deferred to a future meeting. Consider dates and times for future Committee meetings including those at upcoming Summit Meetings and at the Fall 2015 Special Town Meeting (STM): The Committee discussed whether to change the default time for its Tuesday morning meetings from the current 8:00 ..Ã10:00 .. to 7:30 ..Ã9:30 .. so members would AMAMAMAM be able to leave earlier to attend to other matters. (Mr. Cole had advised Mr. Kanter that he had a slight preference for the earlier time and provided his expected availability for meetings through the end of this year.) It was unanimously agreed to switch to the earlier time block, but with recognition that any Town-staff presence would not be expected before the start of the regular workday unless they chose to do so. Ms. Hai said that the Committee would plan to attend to Committee-only matters first, as needed, to minimize the burden on Town staff. \[This was discussed later in this meeting with Mr. Valente, who agreed with, and welcomed, that consideration by this Committee.\] Mr. Kanter reviewed the previously provided list of projected dates & times for this Committee to meet through the end of this yearÄthe majority being Tuesday mornings. \[8:00 ..: Ms. Ashton left\] AM Except where noted in the following, all the members expected, at this time, to be available at all of the listed dates & times: September 16, 2015, evening, potential Summit 3 on MSCP: Ms. Hai and Ms. Barnett do not expect to be available. th October 23, 2015, morning: Would slip to the 30 if the start of the fall STM were to be thndthth November 9 rather than the 2, or to November 6 if the start were to be November 16. October 27, 2015, morning: Mr. Cole does not expect to be available. November 2, 2015, evening: Ms. Barnett does not expect to be available. November 24, 2015, morning: Eliminate as quorum unlikely with Thanksgiving travel. December 8, 2015, morning: Mr. Cole does not expect to be available. December 15, 2015, morning: Ms. Barnett does not expect to be available. December 22, 2015, morning: Ms. Barnett does not expect to be available. December 29, 2015, morning: Eliminate as quorum unlikely with New YearÈs travel. Ms. Hai will work with Patty Moore, Lexington Budget OfficerÄwho is developing the schedule for the departmental presentations to this Committee later this year of their FY2017ÃFY2021 Capital Improvement ProjectsÄto try to avoid scheduling a presentation when the Committee member who is the liaison to the Department is not present. Ms. Hai suggested, and the members agreed, that the Committee should plan to hold a morning meeting on September 1, 2015, for the purpose of discussing what happened at the BoS meeting the evening beforeÄspecifically with regard to the MSCP. Page 2 of 3 Minutes of the Lexington Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) Meeting August 12, 2015 Member Concerns and Liaison Reports: Ms. Hai asked Mr. Valente and Mr. Goddard to update this Committee on the funding actions that are being pursued to assure completion of the on-going project to restore the Cary Memorial Building. Using his handout, Mr. Goddard explained how the contractor has experienced several significant changes in what were understood to be the structural conditions existing at the contract awardÄthe repair of which would normally have been accomplished, independent of the instant contractÄand the Town decided it was prudent to accomplish a couple of additional enhancements requested by the Fire Department and the Department of Public Works in conjunction with the restoration. The former are being funded as an FY2015 Operating Expense; the latter, as an FY2015 Building-Envelope capital expense. There were sufficient, already appropriated, funds in both cases to cover those expenses without adversely affecting other work needed in FY2015. While there still remain some contingency funding in the projectÈs budget and the project remains on schedule to have a Temporary Occupancy Permit in October 2015, and it is still too soon to identify whether those remaining funds will be sufficient, Mr. Valente said the Town is prepared to take additional actions, if necessary, to ensure a successful, and timely, completion of the project. This Committee discussed both the already planned and the potential funding actions, and concurred that those actions are reasonable and prudent. Mr. Kanter reported on: Community Preservation Trust-Fund Collections and the mechanism whereby that Fund might receive an infusion of up to $10 million if, after the StateÈs Supplemental FY2015 funding actions, there remains at least a $20 million surplus in that yearÈs budget. Public Hearing planned for September 9, 2015, likely at 7:00 .., regarding to which PM finish should the Minuteman Statue be restored. Events regarding the Minuteman Regional High SchoolÈs Capital Program, including the fact that at least 3 member towns in its district (Arlington, Belmont, & Sudbury) have formally advised of their opposition to district-wide referendum to approve the capital plan (vice going for a unanimous vote of all member-TownÈs Town Meetings), that the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) would be voting whether to accept the Statement of Interest (SOI) for a new, 628-student, school project in Lincoln, and that the th Minuteman School Committee plans to meet on September 8 on whether to go to the Town Meetings or pursue a district-wide referendum this December. Ms. Hai said she has the MSBA letter reporting they voted to accept that SOI. Approval of Minutes A Motion was made and seconded to approve the Draft #2 Minutes for the CommitteeÈs morning meeting on July 16, 2015, as presented. Vote: 4Ã0 A Motion was made and seconded to approve the Draft Minutes for the CommitteeÈs evening meeting at the Summit on July 16, 2015, as presented. Vote: 3Ã0Ã1 (Ms. Barnett abstained as she had not attended that meeting.) A Motion was made and seconded at 8:50 .. to adjourn. Adjourn:Vote: 4Ã0 AM These Minutes were approved by the CEC at its meeting on September 1, 2015. Page 3 of 3