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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-03-29-CEC-min Minutes of the Lexington Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) Meeting March 29, 2017 Location and Time: Cary Memorial Building, Robbins Room; 6:30 P.M. Members Present: Jill Hai, Chair;David Kanter, Vice-Chair & Clerk; Rod Cole; Charles Lamb; Wendy Manz Members Absent: None Others Present: Dawn McKenna, Chair, Lexington Tourism Committee (arrived 7:10 P.M.) Documents Presented: Revised Notice of CEC Meeting, March 29, 2017 Draft #6 of Updates & Errata to the CEC Report to the 2017 Annual Town Meeting (ATM) & Special Town Meeting (STM) 2017-1 Regional Housing Services Office (RHSO) Letter, revised March 10, 2017, to Carl Valente, Town Manager, Lexington, Subj: Pine Grove Village, Lexington Mr. Valente e-mail, March 21, 2017, to Ms. Hai (and others), Subj: Article 10K Mr. Valente e-mail, March 27, 2017, to Ms. Hai (and others), with attachment, Subj: New Sign Machine Analysis Mr. Kanter e-mail, March 28, 2017, to the other CEC member, with link to Aerial Map showing location and extent of parking lot to be purchased Tourism Committee Presentation, March 27, 2017, to the Board of Selectmen, Subj: Investing in a Visitor Based Economy, Appropriation for Design of Lexington’s New Visitors Center Call to Order: At 6:36 P.M., Ms. Hai called the meeting to order. CEC Reporting to the 2017 ATM Chair’s Verbal Report Under Article 2: Ms. Hai discussed with the Committee the report she planned to give to the Town Meeting at this evening’s session and the Committee’s discussed the changes suggested to it. The Committee then endorsed the resulting report. Take or Revisit Committee Positions on Articles/sub-Articles Yet to be Brought to Town Meeting: Using the draft Updates & Errata document as a guide, the Committee discussed each of the following and took the indicated positions. Article 10(d), Affordable Units Preservation—Pine Grove Village/Judges Road: The RHSO letter provided the needed detail on the use of the planned appropriation. A Motion was made and seconded to recommend approval of this sub-Article. Vote: 50 Article 10(k), Community Center Sidewalk: Mr. Valente’s e-mail advised that the Board of Selectmen would be moving for Indefinite Postponement (IP) of this sub- Article as engineering is still working on the design for a new alignment of the sidewalk. A Motion was made and seconded to recommend approval of IP. Vote: 50 Article 12(q), Highway Sign Machine: After considering the new analysis, a Motion was made and seconded to recommend approval. Vote: 3Î2 (No change from prior position) Page 1 of 3 Minutes of the Lexington Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) Meeting March 29, 2017 Article 16(j), Parking Lot for Community Center: Received confirmation that the originally known appropriation request and fund source remained applicable and have the map confirming the extent of the land purchase. A Motion was made and seconded to recommend approval. Vote: 5Î0 Article 18, Visitors Center: Consideration of a revisit of the Committee’s position was deferred until later as Ms. McKenna was expected to attend, but had not yet arrived. Article 22, Appropriate Bonds and Notes Premiums to Pay Project Costs: As this matter was already approved during the STM 2017-1, Article 5, a Motion was made and seconded to recommend approval of IP. Vote: 5Î0 Updates & Errata to the CEC Report to the 2017 Annual Town Meeting (ATM) & Special Town Meeting (STM) 2017-1: The Committee discussed the draft—the first that the Committee, as a whole, had seen—which currently provides three pages of specific changes to the report released March 13, 2017, and includes 7 pages revised tables in that report. The Committee members are to review and comment back to Mr. Kanter with any changes each feels is warranted to the document. Another draft will be prepared and provided to all the members prior to the next meeting of the Committee that is planned for April 3, 2017. Take or Revisit Committee Positions on Articles/sub-Articles Yet to be Brought to Town Meeting (continued): Article 16(d), Facility and Site Improvements: The Committee confirmed its intent to pursue un-merging the funding for the three embedded programs (Building Flooring Program, $150,000; School Paving Program, $172,226 (includes a 10% construction contingency); & School Traffic Safety Improvements, $45,000). Through our report to Town Meeting and individual contacts with the Town Manager, the Chair of the Board of Selectmen, and the Appropriation Committee, advance notice had been provided of this Committee’s objection to the proposed merged funding. Further, the Town Moderator has been advised of the Committee’s desire that that sub-Article be divided out for a separate vote(s) in a manner to preserve that those amounts remain dedicated to the respective programs. Article 18, Visitors Center: As the Committee’s commitment was to adjourn for the Town Meeting session beginning at 7:15 P.M., although Ms. McKenna had not yet arrived, the Committee had to re-visit its position on this Article. The Board of Selectmen had decided this past Monday to support (by a vote of 3–2) the $100,000 appropriation considered necessary to carry the project to Design Development (without Construction Documents), but with that Board having to approve the release, after having been presented with the results of the Schematic Design (and cost estimate), of the $80,000 needed to move further with the project. Mr. Kanter (who had attended in person) and Ms. Hai (who had watched the proceedings live on LexMedia) reported on the matters raised at that Board’s meeting. After further deliberations, a Motion was made and seconded to still recommend approval of only the funding needed to complete Schematic Design. Vote: 5Î0 Page 2 of 3 Minutes of the Lexington Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) Meeting March 29, 2017 Mr. Lamb departed at 7:09 p.m. to advise the Town Moderator and the Appropriation Committee of this Committee’s desire that Article 16(d) be deferred rather than being debated at this evening’s session of Town Meeting. Adjourn: A Motion was made and seconded at 7:10 P.M. to adjourn; however, Ms. McKenna arrived then before the vote was taken. Take or Revisit Committee Positions on Articles/sub-Articles Yet to be Brought to Town Meeting (continued): Article 18, Visitors Center: As a courtesy, Ms. McKenna was given a few minutes to state her case why the Committee should now support the full funding of the project through Design Development, with the Board of Selectmen maintaining control of any funding past Schematic Design. After hearing her information, the Committee did not believe there was a basis for changing its position. Adjourn: A Motion was made and seconded at 7:19 P.M. to adjourn. Vote: 4Î0 These Minutes were approved by the CEC at its meeting on April 18, 2017. Page 3 of 3