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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-03-09-CEC-minMinutes of the Lexington Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) Meeting March 9, 2023 Page 1 of 2 Location and Time: Remote Meeting; 6:00 P.M. Members Present (remote participation): Charles Lamb, Chair; David Kanter, Vice−Chair & Clerk; Sandy Beebee, Mike Boudett; Rod Cole (left at 6:15 p.m.); & Lisah Rhodes Members Absent: None Others Present: Carolyn Kosnoff, Assistant Town Manager for Finance Documents Presented: • Notice of Public Meeting/Agenda CEC Meeting, March 9, 2023 • Draft #4 CEC Report to the 2023 Annual Town Meeting, March 9, 2023 (Draft #4 Report Call to Order Mr. Lamb called this Remote (Virtual) Meeting, which had been posted as such, to order at 6:03 P.M. As the Committee members and the others joining this meeting had been previously advised of the special conditions of this meeting, he passed on repeating them (i.e., the authority to not require a physical presence of a quorum and other selected terms under the Open Meeting Law had, by legislation Governor Charles D. Baker signed on July 16, 2022, their expiration extended to March 31, 2023.) Mr. Lamb advised that materials provided electronically to the Committee or presented at the meeting, would be available upon request and are those listed in the Minutes as Documents Presented. Any votes during this meeting would be taken by a roll call. By individual conversations to them, Mr. Lamb had accomplished a roll-call attendance and determined that all 6 members are present. Committee’s Report to the 2023 Annual Town Meeting • Mr. Lamb led the Committee’s review of Draft #4 Report with focus on those Articles that had not been previously voted (Articles 18, 19, 21, and 22). Ms. Kosnoff provided additional explanations on those Articles with the extensive attention to Article 19 and the financial information she had provided and was included in that Draft #4 Report. • Mr. Kanter made a Motion to accept these 6–0 votes on those Articles—and Seconded: Article 18: Approval of IP (Indefinite Postponement) Article 19: Approval (on all 5 elements) Article 21: Approval Article 22: Approval of IP Roll-Call Vote: 6–0 Member Concerns and Liaison Reports Ms. Beebee updated the Committee on this afternoon School Master Planning Advisory Committee meeting she attended as this Committee’s liaison. Key points included: • Confirming that on the first of this month the Lexington High School Project had been accepted into the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) program. Minutes of the Lexington Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) Meeting March 9, 2023 Page 2 of 2 • Dr. Julie Hackett, Superintendent, Lexington Public Schools, with Mr. Michael Cronin, Director of Public Facilities, outlined the projected timeline for the actions with the MSBA program. That would be now appointing the Owner’s Project Manager (OPM) and the designer selection. Then the official Feasibility Study would be from October 2023 to October 2024. [Note: All the references in this Minutes to that program treats the outcome is for a new High School, but the MSBA program, at this stage, still retains potentially later stipulating an add/renovation solution for its funding support.] • The discussion then went into the location of the Schools Central Office (SCO) if moved from its current building and also what should be the future of the 173 Bedford Street facility (173BSF). At the end of much discussion, the consensus was for the SCO to fulfill its swing space in 173 BSF—with the SCO later having space within the new High School—and thereafter for 173BSF to remain available for other Town’s swing-space needs. • When questioned about the additional space needed to accommodate the SCO in the Lexington High School, Mr. Cronin estimated that it would on the order of 17,00 sq. ft. Committee’s Report to the 2023 Annual Town Meeting (continued) Mr. Cole made a motion to accept the draft of the Report, as updated today, as our final report, with Mr. Lamb and Mr. Kanter authorized to make non-substantial changes. Roll-Call Vote: 6–0 [At 6:15 p.m. Mr. Cole left the meeting after that vote to attend to a personal obligation.] Member Concerns and Liaison Reports (continued) Mr. Boudett wanted to be on record of his deep concern with the inclusion of the SCO with its additional space requirement being proposed in a project already only estimated at $400 million with potential to be a substantially higher cost. He considers the challenge it will be just to get the Town voters to support in the essential Debt-Exclusion vote that unprecedented, multi-factor increase in further funding—even if earlier major schools funding had been readily supported. He sees Including the SCO in the new High School program as a major threat to success, but looks forward to a discussion of this in a future meeting of this Committee—which this Committee endorsed. Adjourn A Motion was Moved and Seconded at 6:21 P.M. to adjourn. Roll-Call Vote: 5–0 This Minutes was approved by the CEC at its meeting on August 2, 2023.