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Minutes
Town of Lexington Appropriation Committee (AC)
September 1, 2016
Place and time: Parker Room, Town Office Building, 7:30 p.m.
Members present. John Bartenstein, Vice Chair and Secretary; Kate Colburn; Mollie Garberg;
Alan Levine; Eric Michelson; Richard Neumeier; Andrei Radulescu -Banu; Rob Addelson (non-
voting, ex officio)
Members Absent: Glenn Parker, Chair
Membership Note: There is one vacancy on the Committee which has yet to be filled.
Others Present: David Kanter, Vice -Chair & Clerk, Capital Expenditures Committee;
Elaine Ashton, Town Meeting member
The meeting was called to order at 7:33 pm.
1. Articles for Special Town Meeting (STM) 2016 -5
The articles were discussed in the order presented below, as follows:
• Article 5: Appropriate Funds for Police Station Feasibility Study: The requested $65,000
would be used to create schematic /conceptual designs for a new /renovated police station at
the current site and for a new station at 171 -173 Bedford Street, providing two options for
consideration. Mr. Michelson reported that he and Jill Hai, Chair, CEC, recently met with
and learned the following from Police Chief Mark Corr:
> The requested amount is based on the 2010 Donham & Sweeney Public Safety
Building Feasibility Study; a lot has changed since 2010, particularly in terms of
technical needs. The Study should only be used as a starting point.
> The current facility is 12,500 square feet; 25,000 square feet is needed.
> The current facility has structural deficiencies /inadequacies, including:
• There are no sprinklers.
• The station is located on a fault but is not designed to be earthquake- proof.
• The installation of air conditioning units resulted in structural damage along a
back wall.
• The facility is not Americans with Disability Act accessible, e.g., there is no
elevator.
• There is a serious shortage of evidence storage space; evidence must be kept
longer than was required in the past. Such space does not need to be on -site,
but it must be secure.
• The booking area needs a shower.
• The boiler room is used to store bicycles and all kinds of batteries.
• There is only one indoor parking space.
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• The Chiefs office does not have a conference area, and there is no permanent
place for a series of rolling files.
• The station does not have a protected operations center: an operations center,
with an enhanced dispatch system and high tech equipment, should be within
the building so that it is protected from adverse conditions or events.
> Chief Corr prefers the current location to 171 -173 Bedford Street primarily because
it includes easy access to Lexington center. He added that if there is an accident on
Routes 128/95 involving hazardous materials 171 -173 Bedford Street would be
particularly vulnerable to air -borne toxicity because of the prevailing winds. It was
also noted that 171 -173 Bedford Street has radio frequency challenges — requiring
hard -wired repeaters.
In response to questions about timing, Mr. Addelson suggested that design funds for the
station would be requested in the spring of 2017 and construction funds would be requested
in 2018. There were questions about the need to request the conceptual design funds at
STM 2016 -5. It was agreed to postpone taking a position on this article until after Mr.
Michelson talks to Suzie Barry, Chair of the Board of Selectmen.
Mr. Kanter advised that the CEC supported the article with the understanding that the
Hosmer House and the surrounding land would be included in the analysis. He noted that
some time ago the CEC endorsed the concept that public safety building replacements
should be the Town's number one priority, with a new fire station being built before a new
police station. In response to his concern that the $65,000 request may be inadequate, Mr.
Addelson said that the appropriation request could be increased.
Ms. Colburn questioned prioritizing public safety over the schools, noting that the
environment has changed in recent years because of burgeoning school populations; the high
school now has approximately 2,200 students. Mr. Neumeier noted that the current police
station was built in the 1950s and the fire station in 1947. Ms. Garberg stressed the need for
moving forward with both school and municipal projects, pointing out that debt exclusion
referendums are more likely to pass when there is an appropriate balance between the two.
Mr. Addelson stated that both municipal and school projects have been included in his
financial modeling, using 30 -year debt service assumptions where appropriate, but the
model will need to be updated to include funds for the Bedford Street land acquisition. He
noted that the approximately $1.5 million proposed for appropriation into the Capital
Stabilization Fund under Article 7 during STM 2016 -5 could help offset some of the costs
associated with replacing the fire and police stations. In response to questions, he stated that
most of the new revenue that has been recognized comes from more Chapter 70 aid than
anticipated; although this is a result of growing school enrollments, Lexington is not
required to spend Chapter 70 funds on school - related projects because the Town exceeds
minimum school spending requirements. He added that the purchase of 171 -173 Bedford
Street might be financed with short -term debt and then included with the Hastings
Elementary School debt exclusion referendum.
• Article 6: Amend FY2017 Operating, Enterprise Fund and CPA Budgets: Mr. Addelson
reviewed expected sources for increased revenue, including Chapter 70 state aid
(approximately 1.5 million), new growth increases (based on $2.7 million in new growth
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rather than the $2.5 million used in previous budget estimates), and a FY2017 allocation for
FY2016 snow and ice removal that is not needed ($300,000). It is anticipated that some of
these funds would be allocated to increases to the FY2017 budget to help cover the costs
associated with handling absentee ballots ($6,500), the Hartwell Avenue shuttle to Alewife
(about $20,000), and a demographic study for the 2020 Committee ($30,000).
• Article 2: Land Purchase —171 -173 Bedford St: Mr. Levine reported that he is gathering
information for use in this Committee's report to STM 2016 -5 related to this article. He is
asking about the zoning of the site, to be sure this isn't an issue. He is looking for previous
studies that identify the need for a new fire station. He wants to see the signed Letter of
Intent, which should be available early next week, and the results of the appraisal that is in
progress. He also wants a cost estimate for the modifications. It was noted that the motion
for the article would include funds for a schematic design of the anticipated swing space;
part of that task would be to produce remodeling cost estimates. The current building is 2.5
stories of office space. A temporary fire station would require office space, dorms, and
locations for vehicles.
• Article 3: Supplemental Appropriation for Middle Schools — Additions and Remodeling:
This article is a placeholder, dependent on the bid that is to be submitted in early September
for renovations at Diamond and Clarke Middle Schools. The bid is currently expected to be
$2.7 million less than the budgeted amount, down from the $3.0 million in savings
mentioned at this Committee's August 23 meeting. However, because the Middle School
project is still solidly under budget, it is anticipated that this article will be indefinitely
postponed.
• Article 4: Supplemental Appropriation for School Facilities Capital Projects: This article is
included to supplement previously appropriated funds for renovations and installing modular
units for the elementary schools. There was no response to the Town's first solicitation of
bids for the project. The second such effort, including a May 2017 installation date rather
than December 2016, resulted in a bid that is approximately $1.4 million more than the
amount previously appropriated for the project if six modular units are to be installed.
Without the six units, the schools will not be able to meet their average class -size goals.
Installing five units would reduce the additional amount required to $860,000. Mr.
Addelson added that the funding source would be debt, but it hasn't been determined
whether it would be added to a debt exclusion.
Mr. Addelson further explained that the article that provided funding towards the rebuilding
of Hastings Elementary School included $520,000 in contingency funds that could be used
alternatively for modular units at the elementary level. The $520,000 is now available for
helping offset the total cost of the modular units.
• Article 7: Establish and Appropriate To and From Specified Stabilization Funds: Mr.
Addelson reported that this is a "housekeeping" item. He expects there will be a request to
move some of the Chapter 70 local aid receipts discussed above into the Capital
Stabilization Fund. He also anticipates a small appropriation request for the Transportation
Demand Management Stabilization Fund as part of this article.
2. Minutes
Minutes of the Open Session held on August 23, 2016 were reviewed and approved.
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3. Announcement
Mr. Addelson reported that he will be retiring in January 2017.
4. Adjourn
The Committee adjourned at 9:00 p.m.
The documents used at the meeting are listed below.
Respectfully submitted,
Sara Arnold, Recording Secretary
Approved September 21, 2016
Exhibits
Agenda, posted by Glenn Parker, Chair
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