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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016-11-29-CEC-min Minutes of the Lexington Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) Meeting November 29, 2016 Location and Time: Town Offices Building, Parker Room; 7:30 .. AM Members Present: Jill Hai, ChairDavid Kanter, Vice-Chair & Clerk; Rod Cole; ; Charles Lamb; Wendy Manz Members Absent: None Others Present (some arriving & departing during the meeting): Rob Addelson, Assistant Town Manager for Finance; Jennifer Hewitt, Budget Officer; Mary Czajkowski, Superintendent of Lexington Public Schools (LPS); Ian Daley, Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations, LPS; Marianne McKenna, Director of Technical Operations and Information Systems, LPS; Debbie Harvey, Manager of Procurement Operations, LPS; Eileen McMahon, Director of Educational Technology, LPS; Aaron Henry, Planning Director; David Kucharsky, Assistant Planning Director; Carol Kowalski, Assistant Town Manager for Development; Melisa Tintocalis, Economic Development Director; Karen Mullins, Conservation Administrator; Elaine Ashton, Town Meeting Member; Sara Arnold, Recording Secretary Documents Presented : Notice/Agenda of CEC Public Meeting, November 29, 2016 FY2018–FY2022 CIPs for LPS, non-facilities FY2018–FY2022 CIPs for Land Use, Health and Development, including newly added #1039 Hill Street New Sidewalk Project Updated FY2018–FY2022 Department of Public Works (DPW) CIPs #644, Sidewalk Improvement; #1040 Westview Cemetery Irrigation; and #1043 Highway Sign Machine Updated FY2018–FY2022 Department of Public Facilities (DPF) CIPs #1009 Munroe School Window Restoration, #1034 Purchase Parking Lot for Community Center; and #1044 Lexington High School Upgrade Stone Building Project #1032 historical summary of previously funded projects and concept for the FY2018 request, prepared by Ms. Kowalski FY18 Community Preservation Act (CPA) Project List as of November 23, 2016 Draft #3 CEC Notes for the session, November 1, 2016 Draft #4 Minutes of CEC meeting, November 8, 2016 Draft Minutes of CEC meeting, November 9, 2016 Draft #4 Minutes of CEC meeting, November 15, 2016 Call to Order: At 7:32 .., Ms. Hai called the meeting to order. AM Review of the FY2018–FY2022 CIPs: LPS, non-facilities: Staff reported on the following projects, including, but not limited to, the following information: #668 Food Service Equipment: There are cafeteria capacity issues at Clarke Middle School that need to be addressed to ensure efficient service. Additionally, cafeteria equipment in the Fiske and Harrington Elementary School cafeterias needs to be replaced. Diamond Middle School renovations address that school’s cafeteria needs. Mr. Addelson noted that, consistent with the past two years, funds from the School Lunch Revolving Fund would be used for this project. Page 1 of 4 Minutes of the Lexington Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) Meeting November 29, 2016 #896 School Furniture, Equipment, & Systems Program: A prior Annual Town Meeting appropriated $100,000 for funding an inventory of the schools’ furniture, equipment, and systems; the goal was to develop a tool that could be used to track purchases, estimate their longevity, and identify potential spikes in funding needs. A Request for Proposals did not generate a viable candidate. In response to continued concerns by this Committee regarding the need for a methodology for developing this funding request, it was agreed that school department staff would work with Pat Goddard, Director, DPF, and building Principals, to create a broad evaluation of existing items, their anticipated longevity, and an estimated time line for replacements. It was suggested that this might be a summer project for high-school students. It was noted that recent large building projects have covered items that might otherwise have been included in this funding request. Additionally, the curriculum budget includes funding to outfit two additional classrooms each year. #945 LPS Technology Capital Request: An Educational Task Force Committee has been created to develop a three-year plan to identify technology needs. Each classroom is being evaluated. A final draft is scheduled for late January 2017. There are 25 members, including staff, parents and students. The State has mandated on-line testing, making it necessary to increase the number of students using digital learning devices. Costs include licenses as well as software. Estimated costs are based on experience with prior projects. Students are generally able to adapt to new platforms comfortably; staff can assist. Old equipment can frequently be re-purposed. A new email system is being considered. Security needs are considered as part of the evaluation. It was agreed that Tom Case, Chief Information Officer, would be kept informed; a meeting is already scheduled. Committee request: Discounts, such as State discounts that are being applied to purchases, should be identified to keep residents informed of such. Land Use, Health and Development: Staff reported on the following projects, including, but not limited to, the following information: #980 Bedford St. at Eldred St. Safety Improvements: Alternatives for facilitating the safe crossing of Bedford Street by pedestrians have been studied since 1980. The State supports the installation of a Rectangular Rapid-Flashing Beacon, assuming the Town assumes financial responsibility of its purchase and installation; this approval is critical because Bedford Street is a State right-of-way. The requested funding would be used for further design work. The project will be handled by the DPW when it proceeds to the construction phase. Committee request: Specific support from the Lexington Police Department should be sought and the CIP should then be updated to include reference to such support. #981 Transportation Mitigation: Partly because the work previously done by the Sidewalk Committee is now undertaken by the Transportation Safety Group (TSG), the number of requests to the TSG for safety-related improvements has increased; there are currently 20–25 active requests. Requests for new sidewalks are analyzed before being recommended for construction; that analysis is funded as part of this project. Construction would be funded in a separate DPW project. This prevents the blurring of funding for one purpose over the other; however, the departments coordinate the new and old sidewalk projects. Page 2 of 4 Minutes of the Lexington Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) Meeting November 29, 2016 If all of this project’s funds are not used in a particular fiscal year, unused funds would be used in support of future-year project(s). The Transportation Mitigation Stabilization Fund could be a funding source if the improvements are in an area where a business contributed to that fund. Another consideration is whether those Stabilization Funds should be “banked” for a larger future demand. Committee request: Provide a summary of how the prior-year funding has been, or is being, used. Future CIPs for this project need to include background information on previous years’ appropriations and use of those funds. Mr. Cole departed at 8:34 .. AM #983 Muzzey Street/Clark Street Parking Lot: Efforts to reach agreement on aggregating parking areas that include private parking lots while opening additional parking spaces to public parking have not yet been successful. While alternatives are being considered, this project is currently being slipped. Committee requests: If and when such a project were ready to request design funding, include as backup to that CIP: (1) a map of the properties involved annotated with their respective surface areas and private abutters, and (2) a summary of which written agreements have been reached with the abutting private parties. Facilities for recharging electric cars should be considered for any parking-lot project. #1016 Willard’s Woods and Wright Farm Meadow Preservation: No questions or discussion. #1017 Cotton Farm Conservation Area Improvements: A driveway easement granted to an abutting owner has expired, allowing the Town to enlarge its parking area and return some land to its natural condition. #1019 Hartwell Area Transportation Mitigation Overlay District (TMOD) Plan Update: Because of three currently scheduled construction projects for the area, the plan will be updated in FY2019. A developer on Hartwell Avenue has paid a first installment into the Town’s TMOD Mitigation Fund, which is a potential source for funding this project. Future demands on this fund will be considered before the source of funding is determined. Committee request: Provide an update on the prior understanding that the owners along Hartwell Avenue were to pay for, and have erected, Hartwell-gateway signage on that Avenue near the intersection with Bedford Street. #1024 Conservation Restriction/Trail Easement, Lexington Montessori Land: The Town is negotiating for either a conservation restriction or a license agreement to allow a trail through this land. The former would be eligible for CPA funds, but a license is more likely. The amount to be requested has not been determined. Building a trail would involve resolution of wetland issues. It was noted that a license fee would not be a capital expense, but building a trail could be. Committee request: Provide a diagram of the area, identifying relevant elements. #1030 Wright Farm—Additional Site Assessment: This funding would supplement previously received funds for preparing the site for conservation purposes. Committee request: Provide a table showing the prior funding sources related to that property and uses/expected uses of those funds. Page 3 of 4 Minutes of the Lexington Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) Meeting November 29, 2016 #1032 Stone Building Analysis: After reviewing the history associated with this building since it was closed as a branch library and subsequently stabilized, staff is recommending development of a concept-level design for using the building for two distinct purposes: first floor exhibition space and upper-floor lyceum/community use. This concept has been developed with input from the Executive Director of the Lexington Historical Society. The Community Preservation Committee (CPC) has expressed some skepticism about another funding request for this building using CPA funds, but it is generally accepted that there needs to be resolution regarding the use of this building. Committee request: Review the condition and stability of the building with Mr. Goddard. #1033 A potential additional CIP related to affordable housing may be released. Applications to the CPC for FY2018 Community Preservation Funds: Ms. Manz distributed a table showing information on those applications, including any preliminary positions taken by the CPC, as of November 23, 2016. Review of Notes and Approval of Minutes: The Draft #3 Notes for the information-only session on November 1, 2016, were reviewed and accepted. As they are part of today’s Minutes, those notes are a public document and will be submitted to the Town Archive. A Motion was made and seconded to approve the Draft #4 Minutes of the CEC meeting, November 8, 2016. Vote: 4–0 A Motion was made and seconded to approve, and release to the public, the Draft Minutes of the CEC meeting, November 9, 2016, which was held at the Budget Summit II and included an Executive Session. Vote: 4–0 A Motion was made and seconded to approve the Draft #4 Minutes of the CEC meeting, November 15, 2016. Vote: 3–0–1 (Ms. Manz abstained as she had not attended that meeting.) th Next Meeting: It was agreed that the next meeting would be on December 5, at 7:30 .., AM th instead of on December 6. Adjourn: A Motion was made and seconded at 9:22 .. to adjourn. Vote: 4–0 AM These Minutes were approved by the CEC at its meeting December 5, 2016. Page 4 of 4