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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016-12-08-AC-min 12/08/2016 AC Minutes Minutes Town of Lexington Appropriation Committee(AC) December8, 2016 : Parker Room (moved from DawesRoom),Town OfficeBuilding,7:30p.m. : Glenn Parker, Chair;John Bartenstein, Vice Chair and Secretary; AlanLevine; Eric Michelson;RichardNeumeier; Jian Helen Yang; Rob Addelson (non-voting, ex officio) Members Absent:Mollie Garberg;Andrei Radulescu-Banu; Membership Note:A ninth member has not yet been appointed. Others Present:Suzie Barry, Chair, Board of Selectmen(BoS); Jill Hai, Chair, Capital Expenditures Committee(CEC); Bob Pressman, resident; ElaineAshton, Town Meeting member The meetingwas calledto order at 7:35pm. 1.Announcements Mr. Neumeier reportedthatthe Lawyers’ Weeklypublication recentlylistedopen positionsfor legal servicesin three Massachusettscities, as follows: Cambridge: $91,206 plus benefits; Newton: $90,000 to $94,000; New Bedford:$57,666-$69,609 He noted thatthe BoS is requesting $415,000 for municipal legal services. The additional amount needed for the school department has not been identified, but the Town has been spending $800,000 to $900,000 annually for out-sourced legal assistance. He suggested thatthe Town should consider hiring in-house counsel for most of its legal work. Mr. Michelson reported that the Town of Lexington recently approved the Town of Belmont’s request to leave the Minuteman TechnicalHighSchool regionaldistrict. He noted that the demand for vocational education is expanding, according to a Globearticle. 2.Minutes A motion was made and seconded to approve the draft September 21, 2016 minutes with one minor edit.VOTE: 6-0 3.FY2017Snow and Ice Service Contracts Mr. Michelson reported on the Department ofPublic Works’ (DPW) changes in the process used for hiring outside sources for snow removal. In previous years, a number ofdifferent individuals were contacted and hired, but competition from other townswas creating challenges. DPW decided to seek bids fromcontractorswho would bid on snow removal services for all of one or more of three components:sidewalks, parking lots, and roadways. Using a handout, Mr. Michelsondescribed the resulting cost increases. Of particular concern was that there was only one bid for the roadway component, which is 33% greater than last year’s cost. 1 12/08/2016 AC Minutes Mr. Michelson noted that the Town had placed a legal bid notice in the paper for these services, thus complying with notification laws. DPW also individually contacted a few large entities, telling them of this opportunity but did not contact all the individuals who had previously worked for the Town in this capacity. Mr. Michelson questioned whether more competitive quotes would have been forthcoming with more outreach, adding that the contract for the roadways is only for one year, so this can be addressed next year. He also reportedthat the Town will no longer be repairing contractors’ equipment, which had been the practice in the past.It was noted that there were available mechanisms for funding cost overruns for snow and ice removal. 4.School Department Capital Planning; Potential Uses of 20 Pelham Road Mr. Parker reported that there would be a joint meeting of theBoard of Selectmen (BoS), School Committee, Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC)and this Committee at 8 p.m. on December 12 to discuss potential uses of20Pelham Road. A majority oftheBoS supportsan eminent domain taking for municipal orschool use; this wording allows for flexibilityin future uses of the property by the Town.The valuehas beenestimatedby an appraiser hired by the Townas $7.4 million, but the owner will havetwo years tolegally challenge the value. The School Committee has indicated interest in using the site for the Lexington Children’s Place (LCP)program. Ms. Hai reported that the CEC is meeting at 7:30 a.m. on December 12 to review the issues. She identified several of her concerns, including: This appears to be an expensive way to accommodate the LCP needs, especially ifthe land purchase is included inthe cost. It is premature to make a commitmentto a particular use; another use may have a higher priority as we move forward. Earlier discussions identified advantages for the LCP being located on a site with another school in order to share some resources. The following points were made by committee membersduring the ensuing discussion: The Harrington site, which currently accommodates Harrington Elementary School, the LCP, and the school administration offices, has traffic and parking issues. Enrollment projections indicate the need for relief from an increasingly untenable situation. The current LCP facility needs additional space to avoid paying outside tuition if the number of LCP students continues to increase, as projected. The LCP facility only needs one totwo acres of land, and 20 Pelham includes eight acres, leaving room for alternative uses. Bringing the Pelham Road building for the LCP up to code would costapproximately $18.0 million. The building would then be “adequate” but not “as new”. The Pelham Road facility could be used for the school administration offices. Buying the property and holding it ties up capital and results in some maintenance and security costs. The following opinions were expressedbut do not necessarily reflect a consensus of the Committee: The estimates for building the LCP at Pelham Road should not be burdened with the entire purchase cost of Pelham Road. 2 12/08/2016 AC Minutes A debt exclusion vote for purchasing 20 Pelham Road should not be coupled with the vote for Hastings Elementary School debt exclusion funds. Identifying per-pupil costs for building/renovating facilities might help evaluate options; priorities need to be identified. There were conflicting views expressed about purchasing/taking20 Pelham Road. Making the purchase/takingwithout a clear purposewas questioned.Others believe that there are so many needs in Town, currently and potentially in the future,that the property would be a valuable asset even without a definitive planned use at this time.It was agreed that the discussion would continue at the Monday night meeting. 5.Adjourn The Committee adjournedat 8:55p.m. The documentsused at the meeting arelistedbelow. Respectfully submitted, Sara Arnold,Recording Secretary Approved January 5, 2017 Exhibits Agenda,posted by Glenn Parker, Chair Snow Removal Contracts FY2017, prepared by Eric Michelson, 12/8/16 3