Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-11-30 SB-min Select Board Meeting November 30, 2023 A meeting of the Lexington Select Board was called to order at 1:08 p.m. on Thursday, November 30, 2023, via a hybrid meeting platform. Mr. Pato, Chair; Ms. Barry, Mr. Lucente, Mr. Sandeen, and Ms. Hai were present, as well as Mr. Malloy, Town Manager; Ms. Katzenback, Executive Clerk; and Ms. Kosnoff, Assistant Town Manager for Finance. ITEMS FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION 1. FY2025 Proposed Budget - Department of Public Works; Water/Sewer Presentations Dave Pinsonneault, Director of Public Works, reviewed the Public Works Department budget. The Administration budget is proposed to increase by a bit less than 2% due to the overall operation of the Department. There is also a slight increase to the Engineering budget, partially due to stormwater requirements. Regarding highway maintenance, there are increases proposed due to catch basin and stormwater basin cleanings and maintenance in Town. There is a slight increase in equipment maintenance and snow removal. Regarding refuse collection, this is the Town’s second year of the capital waste contract for both refuse and recycling collection. The proposed increase reflects contractual obligations. In response to a question from Mr. Sandeen, Mr. Pinsonneault noted that the snow and ice chemicals used are organic. In response to a question from Ms. Barry, Mr. Pinsonneault stated that the flatter portion on Westview will be turned into plots after the building’s demolition. The columbarium is proposed in the existing hill area. In response to a question from Mr. Sandeen regarding the projected 9% increase for the trash pickup and recycling budget, Robert Beaudoin, Environmental Services Superintendent, explained that the 9% was for the first year, the second year will be 11%, but remaining years of the contract should be less, closer to 3.5%. Mr. Pinsonneault presented the Program Improvement Requests (PIRs). Mr. Pinsonneault reviewed the Water & Sewer Enterprise budget. He explained that some of the i ncreases in expenses are due to mandates from EPA, and software maintenance requirements. He also reviewed the PIRs for this Department. In response to a question from Ms. Barry regarding the billing frequency for automated metering, Ms. Kosnoff explained that the Finance Department submitted a PIR for FY25 to do a rate study. This would hopefully allow Staff to create a new structure and move toward quarterly billing. Mr. Pinsonneault reviewed the capital requests. There was discussion regarding the Westview cemetery item. John Livsey, Town Engineer, explained that the Department is looking to merge three previous stormwater capital requests into one. Ms. Kosnoff explained that the intention is to complete as many items with cash capital as possible, in order to reserve debt issuance for one-time projects. Departmental Initiatives: 1. Coordinate Administrative and Operations functions to maintain a functionally efficient organization. 2. Continue to research, test, and implement new technologies to improve efficiencies. 3. Ensure staff accessibility and participation for training and advancement opportunities. Program Improvement Requests:  Expended Food Waste Collection Program  Assistant Superintendent for Public Grounds  Assistant Superintendent for Water/Sewer  Leadman Upgrade FY2025 Capital Requests:  Town-wide Culvert Replacement  Equipment Replacement  Sidewalk Improvements  Town wide Signalization Improvements  Storm Drainage Improvements and NPDES Compliance  Comprehensive Watershed Stormwater Management  Street Improvements  Hydrant Replacement Program  Hartwell Ave. Compost Site Improvements  Cemetery Columbarium  Public Parking Lot Improvement Program  New Sidewalk Installations  Bedford St. and Hartwell Ave. Long-range Transportation Improvements  Street Acceptance  Pump Station Upgrades  Sanitary Sewer System Investigation  Water Distribution System Improvements  Water Tank Rehabilitation DOCUMENTS: Presentation - Department of Public Works FY2025 Proposed Budget, Presentation - Water/Sewer Enterprise FY2025 Proposed Budgets The Board took a brief recess. 2. FY2025 Proposed Budget - Fire Department Presentation Derek Sencabaugh, Fire Chief, explained that there is a 15.6% increase proposed to the budget. He also reviewed the PIRs. In response to a question from Mr. Sandeen regarding the increased personnel costs, Mr. Malloy explained that the last time adjustments were made to the salary levels in the contract was in FY22. Mr. Lucente asked if the fee for inspections needs to be increased. Chief Sencabaugh explained that the fees are set by the Board. There is some adjustment that can be made going forward. Some inspection fees are specific to Fire, but some are done in conjunction with other departments. In response to a question from Ms. Hai, Chief Sencabaugh explained that heavy rescue equipment comes to an end of life and would likely only have a slight trade in value. Ambulance trade in value usually runs from approximately $6,000-$10,000. The trade in value of Engine 2 is likely approximately $11,000. It is believed that there will be a better chance to sustain Engine 3 than Engine 2 at this time. Departmental Initiatives: 1. Continue to develop and implement online inventory tracking 2. Continue to refine and expand the fire permitting process 3. Develop an improved employee recruitment process to address diversity and retention. Program Improvement Requests:  Lieutenant Fire Inspector FY2025 Capital Requests:  Replace Pumper Truck  Heavy Vehicle Extrication Equipment  Off Road Fire Engine  Ambulance Replacement DOCUMENTS: Presentation - Fire Department FY2025 Proposed Budget The Board took a brief recess. 3. FY2025 Proposed Budget - Police Department Presentation Mike McLean, Chief of Police, explained that the FY25 budget is a level service request, totaling $9,552,758 and reflecting a 5.64% increase from the FY24 budget. The budget is driven by two things: salary and expenses. All of the collective bargaining units have settled with the Town through June 30, 2025 with the exception of the patrol and detective units, which are settled through June 30, 2026. He reviewed the Departmental initiatives and the Department’s PIRs. The Department currently has 66 full- time Staff and 25 part-time Staff. Mr. Lucente noted that he believes more Staff should be put in place so that overtime can be reduced. Ms. Kosnoff noted that she believes there were extraordinary circumstances that occurred in FY23 and FY24 which led to an increased need for overtime. Staff may need to take a deeper look at this item for the Department. Mr. Sandeen asked if the senior parking pass has had an impact on revenue. Ms. Kosnoff stated that Staff has not completed an analysis on this item yet. However, it is anticipated that parking revenues will move toward pre-pandemic levels now that enforcement is occurring. Mr. Sandeen thanked the Department for embracing the transition to electric vehicles. Chief McLean reviewed the Department’s PIRs. Mr. Lucente asked if the requested Code Enforcement Officer should be consdiered under the Zoning Department instead of the Police Department. Chief McLean explained that he would like this officer to be able to handle additional things for the Department, such as noise complaints potentially. Mr. Lucente suggested that this officer could be a more multi-purpose officer for the Department. Mr. Malloy explained that the proposal is for this officer to likely be seasonal and temporary, as eventually gas- powered leaf blowers will be entirely banned and the enforcement for this will no longer be needed. Mr. Pato stated that he does not mind which department this officer reports to, but he believes there are additional types of enforcement that could be handled by this position. Departmental Initiatives: 1. The staffing of the Lexington Police Department has not significantly changed in over 50 years. It is imperative to continue to review and evaluate current programs and positions within the department. This process most likely will result in a request for staffing increases to ensure the department is meeting the demands of the Massachusetts POST and Accreditation Commissions and high expectations of the community. 2. The completion of the new Police Headquarters is scheduled for late spring/early summer of 2024. It will require a comprehensive plan to move all of the files and equipment from the temporary station. This will require a tremendous amount of teamwork among all of the staff in the department. It is also imperative to continue to collaborate with the CTA Construction Managers and members of the Facilities Department to ensure a successful completion to the project. We plan to engage the community to organize events that will bring members of the community in to tour their new station as well. 3. The Lexington Police Department is currently a member of the Jail Diversion Program who provide two full time Mental Health Clinicians. These clinicians specialize in responding with police to calls involving members of the community in mental health crisis or substance abuse. Lexington has experienced an increase in the number of these calls much like other communities in Massachusetts and across the nation. The Lexington Police Department will be exploring a grant that will bring a full-time clinician embedded in the new station alongside the members of the department. This service will allow the department to offer immediate services to those in need and provide consistent follow up to individuals with multiple involvements with public safety and other town departments. Program Improvement Requests:  Deputy Chief Position  School Resource Officer  Code Enforcement Officer DOCUMENTS: Presentation - Police Department FY2025 Proposed Budget 4. FY2025 Proposed Budget - Finance Department Presentation Carolyn Kosnoff, Assistant Town Manager for Finance, presented the Department’s budget. She explained that there is a 1.53% increase in wages for contractually obligated items. On the expense side, there is a proposed increase in two line items, the most significant of which is postage. This increase is driven by the upcoming elections in FY25. The Department pays for the metering machine and postage, and this increase will include some additional mailings for the election. The cost of postage, in general, continues to rise. The second increase is in the Professional Services line. Two years ago, this item was budgeted at $40,000 and last year $10,000 was removed to help reduce the budget. The proposal is to add this funding back to the line item. The total overall increase for the Comptroller's budget is proposed at 4.71%. Arnold Lovering, Tax Collector/Treasurer, stated that the Treasurer/Collector budget is proposed to decrease overall slightly, partially due to Staff changes. Robert Lent, Director of Assessing, stated that there is a very modest increase proposed in the budget for FY25, mostly driven by the legal services line. Mr. Sandeen stated that he would like to make sure it is communicated to residents that an increase in assessed value does not necessarily drive an increase in tax rates. In response to a question from Mr. Lucente, it was noted that there has been a steady decline in abatements filed in the last 3-4 years. Ms. Kosnoff reviewed the Department’s PIRs. Departmental Initiatives: Beginning in FY2023 Finance, in partnership with the Innovation and Technology Department, completed a full upgrade from the legacy desktop client version of Munis to Tyler Technologies Munis Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software. This initiative required coordination and testing across the entire municipal and school organization with a successful 'go-live' in August 2023. This modern version of Munis allows for increased electronic processing, electronic storage and archiving and the ability to integrate with many additional Munis modules. Since this upgrade the department has been testing a wider use of ACH processing for vendor payments which will decrease the overall number of printed and mailed checks. This initiative did not require additional funding and is expected to go live in FY2024. Every five years the MA Commissioner of Revenue reviews and recertifies the Town's assessed property values, and the Assessing department will lead this recertification process in fiscal year 2025. The recertification will include a full data quality review, audit of valuation practices, statistical review and analysis, and public disclosure program of the Town's assessed valuation ahead of the annual approval of values by the Massachusetts Department of Local Services. The Comptroller's Office completed multiple rounds of reporting and close-out paperwork for Federal grant funding associated with the COVID-19 pandemic in FY2022-2023. In FY2024 the Finance department continues to manage the accounting and annual reporting for the Federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF). The Town of Lexington has been granted $9.9 million to be used for pandemic relief and economic recovery that will be available for spending until 12/31/2026. Additional Finance department initiatives for Fiscal Year 2025 and future years are outlined below: 1. Finance is recommending implementing a new the Tyler Cashiering module for online payments and electronic cashiering. This initiative will improve the online payment experience and self- service options for residents and will allow for electronic payments at Treasurer's counter. Funding for this initiative is requested as a program improvement in FY2025. 2. Finance is recommending a Water and Sewer rate study during FY2025 to establish a new utility rate structure that will allow for a migration to quarterly utility billing (current billing is semi- annual). Funding for this initiative is requested as a program improvement in FY2025. 3. The department continues to explore additional functionality in Munis ERP including Employee Self Service (ESS), automated benefits enrollment and Employee Action Forms that will help move the department closer to paperless processing. Program Improvement Requests:  Water & Sewer Rate Study  Tyler ERP/Cashiering Module DOCUMENTS: Presentation - Finance Department FY2025 Proposed Budget The Board took a brief recess. 5. FY2025 Proposed Budget - Town Clerk's Office Presentation Mary de Alderete, Town Clerk, explained that the proposal is for a mostly level funded budget. The presidential election and other elections taking place next year lead to certain increases in the proposed overtime and staffing budget. In 2021, the Department had an additional 1,053 hours from July through November in staff time. This year, there could be the ability to add more volunteers for the process, which was not possible during the pandemic. Ms. Hai asked if there are contract services available that could be utilized, instead of having Staff work a large number of overtime hours. Ms. de Alderete explained that her intention is to have a temporary staff of 6-8 people every day, which would take a huge load off the Staff. This proposal would lead to a reduction in this line item, but she is trying to plan for a worst-case scenario. Ms. de Alderete reviewed the Department’s PIRs and capital requests. In response to a question from Mr. Lucente regarding the potential of moving to Ranked Choice Voting, Ms. de Alderete explained that the machines requested would have to be reprogrammed as to how they count these ballots, but they would already know how to process them. Departmental Initiatives: 1. Administration - Continue to provide important administrative services, including vital records, Public Records Requests, voter registration, outreach to all board and committee members, public meeting postings, Open Meeting Law and Ethics requirements as mandated by law, business licensing, and recording and archiving of decisions from the Board of Appeals, Planning Board and Historic District Commission. 2. Elections Administration - Administer Town/State/Federal elections in compliance with statutory requirements and regulation changes. Automatic Voter Registration continues to be a time- consuming initiative, increasing staff time in processing voter registrations. Mail-in early voting is expected to increase in the 2024 Election cycle as a result of the robust turnout to mail in voting in prior years. The Town Clerk continues to be committed to relocating polling areas from schools to municipal buildings. There is one precinct remaining in an active school location (Bowman Elementary). 3. Vitals - Continue effective use of Commonwealth of Massachusetts Electronic Vital Records System for births and deaths. 4. Records and Archives - Continue migration of historic documents to Town's Laserfiche repository for public access. Continue to expand use of Laserfiche for administrative use and for public access. Program Improvement Requests:  Staffing Improvements  Archivist/Records Officer FY2025 Capital Requests:  Election Equipment Upgrade  Archives & Records Management DOCUMENTS: Presentation - Town Clerk's FY2025 Proposed Budget 5. FY2025 Proposed Budget - Human Services Department Presentation Tracy Boudreau, Human Services Department Office Manager, explained that the Human Services Department is requesting an overall level service budget. The requested FY25 budget is over $2M, which reflects an increase of 13.36% from FY24. Compensation increased by 1.39% and expenses increased by 22.93% primarily due to contractual service increases in the Lexpress contract. The FY25 Administration and Outreach Division budget reflects a 1.73% decrease, due to Staff changes. Karen Tyler, Veterans’ Services District Director, explained that veteran benefits went down from FY22 to FY23, due to less recipients of Chapter 115 benefits. Her intention is to seek out alternative sources of income, while still providing the services veterans need. Penny Tsiounis, Youth and Family Services Manager, explained that the Youth and Family Services FY25 budget reflects an increase of 4.27%, which reflects level funded expenses and a 5.23% increase in compensation due to contractually obligated step increases and cost of living. Michelle Kelleher, Director of Senior Services, explained that the Senior Services budget is proposed to increase by 0.42% or $1,711. The general fund compensation line is proposed to increase by 0.29% or $591, due to contractually obligated increases. Susan Barrett, Transportation Manager, explained that the Department is proposing a level service budget, with some slight increases of 6.9% overall. Through October, Lexpress daily average daily ridership is 39% higher than it was last year. Ms. Kosnoff noted that this Department has no PIRs or capital requests. Departmental Initiatives: 1. Continue to prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion in all internal operations and external programming. 2. Support and promote access to mental health services through direct therapeutic services offered by Eliot Community Human Services and department staff, as well as through the William James INTERFACE Referral Service. 3. Participate in and advocate for housing – related initiatives that create more access to housing resources and promote housing diversity. 4. Increase awareness and utilization of Lexpress and embark on a marketing campaign for the service. DOCUMENTS: Presentation - Human Services FY2025 Proposed Budget ADJOURN Upon a motion duly made and seconded, the Select Board voted 5-0 to adjourn the meeting at 4:17 p.m. A true record; Attest: Kristan Patenaude Recording Secretary