HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016-11-08-CEC-min
Minutes of the
Lexington Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) Meeting
November 8, 2016
Location and Time:
Samuel Hadley Public Services Building, Training Room (221);
7:30 ..
AM
Members Present:
Jill Hai, ChairDavid Kanter, Vice-Chair & Clerk; Rod Cole; Charles
;
Lamb; Wendy Manz
Members Absent:
None
Others Present (arriving & departing throughout the meeting):
Rob Addelson,
Assistant Town Manager for Finance; Jennifer Hewitt, Budget Officer; Pat Goddard,
Director, Department of Public Facilities (DPF); Shawn Newell, Assistant Director, DPF;
Ian Dailey, Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations, Lexington Public Schools;
Bill Hurley, Chair, School Committee (SC); Glenn Parker, Chair, Appropriation Committee
(AC); Kate Colburn, Member, AC; Elaine Ashton, Town Meeting Member; Sara Arnold,
Recording Secretary
Documents Presented
:
Notice/Agenda of CEC Public Meeting, November 8, 2016
Draft #2 Minutes of CEC Meeting, October 25, 2016
FY2018ÎFY2022 Capital Improvement Projects (CIPs) for DPF
Updated DPF CIP #1009 Munroe School Window Restoration
Updated DPF CIP #1034 Purchase Parking Lot for Community Center
Tables regarding High School heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC)
HVAC Options/Life Cycle Cost Summary and LEED IEQ Credit Summary
upgrade: ;
DiNisco Design Partnership, 5 January 2016
FY2011ÎFY2015 CIP #656 Lexington High School (LHS) Project, Feasibility and
Design
Summary regarding FY2012ÎFY2026 CIP #712, LHS Green Repair
FY2013ÎFY2017, FY2014ÎFY2018, FY2015ÎFY2019, FY2016ÎFY2020, &
FY2017FY2021 CIPs #564 LHS Heating Systems Upgrade
Lexington ChildrenÓs Place (LCP) Program & Alternative Locations; presented to
Lexington SC on November 7, 2016, prepared by DiNisco Design, Inc.
November 1, 2016
Call to Order:
At 7:31 .., Ms. Hai called the meeting to order.
AM
Review of the FY2018âFY2022 CIPs: DPF
DPF staff reviewed the departmentÓs CIPs unless they had been reviewed the previous
week when DPF discussed its CIPs for the Police and Fire & Rescue Departments.
Discussion and comments included the following:
General Comment: None of the proposed projects being discussed today require a
disruption to the activities normally taking place in the affected facility.
#561 Town-wide Roofing Program: This program has been debt funded in recent
years. The cost estimate is based on an escalated 2013 quote. The Bridge
Elementary School roof was last replaced in the late 1990s.
#562 School Building Envelopes and Systems Program: The recommended
extraordinary repairs and modifications at Harrington Elementary School
(Harrington) are the result of normal aging. No structural work is required.
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Minutes of the Lexington Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) Meeting
November 8, 2016
#564 LHS Heating Systems Upgrade: Mr. Goddard reviewed the history of plans for
replacing the LHS HVAC system. The project has been repeatedly deferred in recent
years. In 2013, the School Committee supported a $12 million project; but an
expanded scope with upgraded environmental standards increased the estimate to
almost $21 million to complete the project. The SC has now decided to forgo the
replacement of the HVAC system and focus on submitting a Statement of Interest to
the Massachusetts School Building Authority as soon as eligible, with a target date
of calendar year 2019, for the rebuild/upgrade of the whole LHSÏwith the goal of
having the project completed by calendar year 2025. To-date, HVAC system repairs
have been handled within the operating budget which is anticipated to continue until
the LHS project is completed. There was discussion about a project to install air
conditioning to relieve staff areas that are particularly impacted by the aging HVAC
system. It is anticipated that such a projectÏpreferably represented in a new CIPÏ
would be less than $1.0 million, and about $300,000 may be available from a
previous appropriation for design work on the whole LHS HVAC system. It was
noted that such an alternate use of those funds would require at least advice to
Town Meeting. The committee requested, and received, assurances that ongoing
maintenance of the HVAC system was feasible until such time as the new building
would be operational. It was also noted that replacing/renovating LHS to provide
400,000 square feet of spaceÏwith no available swing spaceÏis expected to be a
phased project. Future steps to be taken:
A CIP created to address the staff-area air-conditioning project, if it is to be
considered.
Mr. Addelson will determine what action(s) would be needed to apply the balance
in the previously appropriated funds for such an air-conditioning project.
Illustrations showing a conceptual progression of building a new LHS are to be
provided to the Committee.
Additional information regarding the timing and estimated costs for each stage of
the sequential funding for a new LHS is to be provided, so it can be considered
as this Committee develops its five-year capital plan.
#647 Municipal Building Envelopes and Systems: The recommended maintenance
is the result of normal aging. There is nothing to indicate the presence of hazardous
materials.
#653 Building Flooring Program: These are generally summer projects. Work is
done annually in LHS. Library floors are included in this CIP. The only known
asbestos is in the flooring for the central offices in the old Hastings building. Each
building in the project generally requires more than $25,000, the threshold generally
used as one factor to differentiate between capital and operating projects.
#698 School Paving Program: This would be a summer project. No improvements to
traffic pattern are included. Access to fields and buildings would be maintained.
#749 Public Facilities Bid Documents: The $100,000 appropriated by the 2016 ATM
was not used. Consistent with past practice, those funds will revert to the general
fund.
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Minutes of the Lexington Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) Meeting
November 8, 2016
#835 Visitors Center: The Board of Selectmen tabled discussion of this project in the
spring of 2016 when estimated costs reached $3Î4 million. Staff does not anticipate
additional spending on this project during this budget cycle.
It was agreed that Ms. Hai will contact Dawn McKenna, Chair, Tourism
Committee, and a proponent of the project, to determine whether she has done a
value-engineering effort to reduce the costs and, if so, Ms. Hai will decide
whether those should be brought to the attention of this Committee.
#870 Hastings School Renovation/Replacement: This project is moving forward as
expected, with February 2020 as the target occupancy date. The timeline, which
includes a debt exclusion vote in the fall of 2017, does not allow for an earlier
occupancy date. The budget includes $1.5 million for an OwnerÓs Project Manager
(OPM), but it is now expected that only $600,000 will be used. The new facility is
expected to address enrollment-growth trends, but this Committee has expressed
serious concerns that will not provide sufficient space if that growth continues as last
projected.
#898 School Traffic Safety Improvements: This project reflects an ongoing effort to
identify and implement safety enhancements at the schools using traffic-flow studies.
It is anticipated that those would be funded by debt.
#939 Public Facilities Mechanical/Electrical System Replace: This is an annual
program. The FY2018 funding would be used to replace the library chiller where
there has been an issue with moisture. Air cooling may be preferred to the current
water-cooling system. The geo-thermal well systems at Fiske Elementary School
and Harrington are not lasting as long as originally anticipated. Consultants are
being used to assess the projects.
#979 Munroe School Roof: The Munroe Center for the Arts Board voted to cover the
approximately $150,000 that was the bid for this project. Therefore, as further
funding is not required, it is anticipated that this CIP will be withdrawn.
#989 LHS Security Evaluation and Upgrade: Mr. Hurley reported that LHS has 45
entrance doors in its many buildings. Currently teachers must physically lock all of
those doors if a lock-down is required. Staff requested implementation of an
electronic-locking system to enhance safety. It was noted that the replacement LHS
facility that is being pursued is likely to incorporate a more-contiguous building
campus that would reduce the security challenges created by the current sprawling
campus. Mr. Goddard questioned whether an electronic-locking system in the
current facility would be as effective as is anticipated. This Committee suggested
that the project should have strong internal support before proceeding further with it.
Mr. Hurley agreed to discuss this further with the SC.
#990 LHS Guidance Space Mining: Current guidance space would be reconfigured
to accommodate the expanding enrollment. The project should not be postponed
and can be done over the summer.
#991 LHS Nurse Office and Treatment Space: A mechanical room would be
reconfigured to add space to the nursesÓ area as well as to provide some additional
athletic storage space. There was a discussion as to whether this reconfiguring was
the best use of that space (e.g., rather than as educational space). The sense of the
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Minutes of the Lexington Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) Meeting
November 8, 2016
Committee was that the project should proceed as planned, not be postponed, and
can be done over the summer.
#1009 Munroe School Window Restoration: It is anticipated that the Town would pay
for this project, if recommended by the Community Preservation Committee and
then approved by Town Meeting, without a reimbursement from the Munroe Center
for the Arts.
#1022 LCP: Using a handout, Mr. Hurley reviewed the options for accommodating
the LCP program that is currently accommodated on the Harrington site. Last night,
the SC identified the property at 20 Pelham Road as its first choice, but it is not
known at this time whether the Town has negotiated a purchase of this property, and
the estimated purchase price and renovation costs are of concern. There are three
alternative reconfigurations for retaining it at the Harrington site.
Mr. Cole departed at 9:25 ..
AM
#1034 Purchase Parking Lot for Community Center: When the Town purchased
what is now the Lexington Community Center (LexCC), the Scottish Rite retained all
of the existing parking area not included in the purchase, while providing the Town
an easement to use that space for overflow parking for LexCC if doing so didnÓt
adversely affect the parking needed by the Scottish Rite. Subsequently, the Scottish
Rite reports that it spent $400,000 to create an additional parking area on its own
property. Scottish Rite is now asking the Town to purchase that new parking area
that it reports is used almost exclusively by LexCC patrons. This Committee
questioned whether the purchase was needed if the easement already provided the
Town with the conditional use of that new parking area.
Approval of Minutes:
Mr. Kanter presented the Draft #2 Minutes of the CEC Meeting, October 25, 2016. A Motion
Vote: 4â0
was made and seconded to approve that Draft.
Adjourn:
Vote: 4â0
A Motion was made and seconded at 9:35 .. to adjourn.
AM
These Minutes were approved by the CEC at its meeting November 29, 2016.
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