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Home My WebLink About2016-03-03-AC-min 3/3/2016 AC Minutes Minutes Town of Lexington Appropriation Committee(AC) March3, 2016 : ParkerRoom,Town OfficeBuilding,7:30p.m. : Glenn Parker, Chair; John Bartenstein, Vice Chair and Secretary; MollieGarberg;Alan Levine;Beth Masterman;Eric Michelson; Richard Neumeier; AndreiRadulescu-Banu;Rob Addelson (non-voting, ex officio) Members Absent:Kate Colburn Others Present:David Kanter, Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) The meetingwas calledto order at 7:40pm. 1.Announcements: Mr. Michelson reported thatthe recently approved agreement for the current16 member communities in the Minuteman Technical High School districtwould not go into effect until after positions are taken on the capital project to rebuild the school building. The lack of a position by a member community will be deemed an approval. The Lexington Board of Selectmen has not decided whether to bring the project to Town Meeting for a vote or let the lack of a vote be registered as an affirmative position. The project is expected to be $144.9million withapproximately $45millionprovided by the Massachusetts School Building Authority. Because six communities plan to resign from the district in the near future, responsibility for the balance will be covered by the 10 communities that plan to remain in the district. Lexington’s share is expected to increase its annual contribution to the school by approximately $500,000, i.e., 50% more than is currently being contributed annually. The increase impacts theoperating budget, thus the CEC is not taking a position. There was discussion about taking this issue to Town Meeting for a vote. It was agreed that, at a minimum, a special report should be made available for Town Meeting members to ensure the project and its impact on the budgetare publicized and understood. Mr. Parker plans to discuss this with Joe Pato, Chair, BoS. 2.Report to theAnnual Town Meeting (ATM) and Special Town Meeting (STM) 2016-3: Mr. Parker asked Mr.Kanterto share the CEC’s positions on the Capital Articles. Using a handout showing a list of the Articleson which the CEC is taking a position, Mr. Kanter explained that all were supported unanimously unless identifiedin bold.He stressed that all the votes were rd preliminary, as of March 3. He noted that although the appropriation request for the STM 2016-3, Article2,Appropriatefor Middle Schools—Additions and Remodeling isnot yet available, it is supported unanimouslyby the CEC. He then discussed ATM Articlesidentifiedin bold, as follows: Article 8(c),Lexington Arts and Crafts Society Parsons Gallery Lighting Renovation: The CEC does not support Town funding of the project, which is for indoor lighting ina privately owned building. The building is considered an historic structure, andis eligible for CommunityPreservation Act (CPA) funding, per Town Counsel; however, the CEC believes this isnot a prudent use of CPA funds and would be precedentsetting. Article 8 (d),Visitors Center Renovation: It is expected that this project will be indefinitely postponed (IPed). Current plans involve a complete rebuild of the Center, which would makeit ineligible for CPA funds. 1 3/3/2016 AC Minutes Article 8 (h),Antony Park Construction Fund: The CEC supports theproject 4-1. The funds are needed to complete a project that has received private funding and grant money. Article 8 (i),Minuteman Bikeway Wayfinding signs Implementation: The CEC supports the project 4-1.Thememberin oppositionwants more signage coordination. Article 8 (l),Granite Forest Pocket Park Construction at Lincoln Park: The CEC does not support Town funding of the project; the Lincoln Park Committee has a large endowment that could be used. Article 8 (o),Grain Mill Alley Design Implementation and Easements: The CEC has deferred taking a position until more information is available. The project now includes construction of a transportation node near the bikeway and a Massachusetts Avenue node to draw pedestrians to the Town centerfrom the bikeway and parking area.There is more concern about the latter than the former. Changes to the alley may be explored at a later time. The CEC has asked about coordination of this project with the Center Streetscape project and future plansto repave the parking area near the bikeway. Article 10 (a),Center Streetscape Improvements and Easements—Phase 1 of 3: The CEC has deferred taking a position. There is general support for proceeding with the safety and infrastructure elements of the project and probably a split vote onthe traffic light at Woburn Street. There is considerable concern about the aesthetic elements, replacing all the sidewalks, and how decisions made during Phase 1 will impact Phases 2 and 3.It isn’t expected that the recently created ad hoc Design Review Committee will provide input until October. The request is for $2.7 million,which wouldbe used to cover as much work as possible, as approved by Town Meeting. Article 10 (p),Parking Meter Replacements—Phase 2: TheCEC supports the project 4- 1.Although there werequestions about the resultsof thePhase 1pilot project and whether the program wouldchange behavior, the majority of the CEC support Phase 2because Phase 1 had already beenimplemented. Members of the Appropriation Committee questioned whether data on the effectiveness of Phase 1, which was intended to serve as a pilot,should be assembled and reviewed before proceeding with Phase 2. Article 11,Appropriate for Water System Improvements: Because of the East Lexington water main replacementproject approved at last fall’s special town meeting, it is expected that this articlewill be IPed. Article 15(g),Diamond Middle School Renovations—Construction: It is expected that this project will be IPed because the project is included in STM 2016-3 Article 2. Article 15 (h),Clarke Middle School Renovations—Construction: It is expected that this project will be IPed because the project is included in STM 2016-3 Article 2. Article 15 (k),Munroe School Roof: The CEC has deferred taking a position. The original plan was for the Town to pay for the project and implementrent increases to recover the cost; however, the estimate for the project has recently doubled. It is not yet clear whether the Munroe Center for the Arts, which is leasing the building, is prepared to cover the increase. 2 3/3/2016 AC Minutes Article 16,Appropriate for Advice and Analysis –Getting to Net Zero: The CEC does not support Town funding of the project because of the excessive imposition it could have on building projects. Article 20,Rescind Prior Borrowing Authorizations: The CEC has deferred taking a position until more information is available. Article 22,Appropriate to Stabilization Fund: It is expected that this Article will be IPed. Article 25,Amend FY2016 Operating, enterprise and CPA Budgets: The CEC has deferred taking a position until more information is available. Article 26 Appropriate for Authorized Capital Improvements :It is expected that this Article will be IPed. There was discussion about the preparation of this Committee’s report. Mr. Addelson commented as follows: The Department of Revenue has new guidelines for thePublic, Educational, and Governmental (PEG) Access Revolving Fundaccounting process; rather than continuing as a revolving fund,it maybe converted to a special revenue fundbut that determination has not yet been made. An updated financial model showing theimpact on taxpayers of upcoming capital projects will be presented to the BoS at their Monday night meeting. It was agreed that all draft sections of the report should be completed within the next week. This means the original author submits it to the reviewer before forwarding it Mr. Parker. Preliminary positions will be taken at next week’s meeting. The portion of the report addressing the Special th Town Meeting scheduled for Monday, March 21 should be published on March 14.Publication of the complete report will be targeted for March 21. th 3.Minutes: A motion was made and seconded to approve the Minutes for January 28, 2016. VOTE: 8-0 It was agreed to defer a vote on the Minutes for February 25, 2016. The Committee adjournedat 9:35p.m. The documentsused at the meeting arelistedbelow. Respectfully submitted, Sara Arnold Recording Secretary ApprovedMarch 23, 2016 Exhibits 1.Agenda,posted by Glenn Parker, Chair 2.Table of Contents, Draft #4 Capital Expenditures Committee Report to the 2016 ATM and 2016 STM 2016-3,with CEC preliminary positionsas of March 3, 2016,presented by Mr. Kanter 3