HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-03-18-CEC-ATM-rptCAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE
TOWN OF LEXINGTON
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A R
1 � �
TH
APRIL 19..
REPORT TO THE
2024 ANNUAL TOWN MEETING (ATM)
Released March 8, 2024
RECEIVEDSubmitted by:
Charles Lamb, Chair
'12 33 viii, Mar 08, 2024 David G. Kanter, Vice -Chair & Clerk
Sandy Beebee
Michael Boudett
TOWN C L L EW Rodney Cole
Lisah Rhodes
LEXINGTON I
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024
See Appendix C at the end of the Report for a Summary of
Articles and Subarticles addressed in this report.
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
Table of Contents
Foreword.................................................................................................................................................... 1
The Mission of the Capital Expenditures Committee............................................................................
3
Howto Read This Report.........................................................................................................................
3
Summary of FY2025 Capital -Budget Requests......................................................................................
5
CapitalBudget...........................................................................................................................................
6
CapitalProjects.............................................................................................................................
6
TheProjects Agenda....................................................................................................................
6
The Community Preservation Act..............................................................................................
7
EnterpriseFund Projects...........................................................................................................
10
RevolvingFund Projects............................................................................................................
10
Five -Year Capital Plan............................................................................................................................
11
Conservationand Open Space...............................................................................................................
14
LexingtonCommunity Center................................................................................................................
15
FireDepartment......................................................................................................................................
16
PoliceDepartment...................................................................................................................................
17
CaryMemorial Library..........................................................................................................................
19
PublicWorks............................................................................................................................................
19
PublicFacilities........................................................................................................................................
26
Recreation................................................................................................................................................
29
Schools......................................................................................................................................................
31
Innovation& Technology.......................................................................................................................
33
TownClerk's Office................................................................................................................................
34
AffordableHousing.................................................................................................................................
34
Planning....................................................................................................................................................
36
2024 ATM Warrant -Article Explanations and Recommendations....................................................
38
Article 7: Sustainable Capital Project......................................................................................
38
Article 8: Tucker Avenue Street Acceptance...........................................................................
39
Article 10: Appropriate for the FY2025 Community Preservation Committee Operating
Budgetand CPA Projects.......................................................................................
39
Article 11: Pine Meadows Improvements................................................................................
43
Article 12: Appropriate for Municipal Capital Projects and Equipment .............................
43
Article 13: Water Distribution System Improvements...........................................................
50
Article 14: Appropriate for Wastewater System Improvements ...........................................
51
Article 15: LPS Technology Program.......................................................................................
51
Article 16: Appropriate Public Facilities Capital Projects .....................................................
52
Article 18: Rescind Prior Borrowing Authorizations.............................................................
54
Article 19: Establish, Amend, Dissolve and Appropriate To and From Specified
Stabilization Funds (SFs).......................................................................................
54
Article 21: Amend FY2024 Operating, Enterprise and CPA Budgets ..................................
55
Article 22: Appropriate for Authorized Capital Improvements ............................................
56
Article 25: Pine Meadows Clubhouse Renovation -Construction ...........................................
56
Article 26: Lexington High School Construction Project —Design Funding .........................
56
Article 27: 173 Bedford Street Renovation..............................................................................
59
Article 33: Authorize the Select Board to Seek Affordable Housing .....................................
60
Appendix A: Information on the Town's Current Specified Stabilization Funds ............................
62
AppendixB: Acronyms Used.................................................................................................................
63
Appendix C: Summary of Warrant Articles Addressed......................................................................
65
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
Foreword
While we encourage you to read this report cover to cover, we also recognize that it's length may be
prohibitive. Nevertheless, we encourage you to read this section to learn what keeps our Committee `awake
at night'. Additionally, you can use this report as a resource to:
Get details on a particular Capital or Community Preservation Act (CPA) Article. Use the Table of
Contents or the Summary on the inside back cover to locate the Article in the second part of this report,
and then read the description from the Town's Recommended Budget & Finance Plan (Brown Book)
as well as any supplemental information we include to further explain the project'.
Get context and historical perspective on a department or a Capital project. Locate the department or
project in the front section of this report to learn more and see their five-year funding history.
See what Capital spending might look like in the future. Refer to this Committee's Five–Year Capital
Plan (5YCP) starting on Page 10. It lists the projects we are tracking on our radar.
During the past two years, our report has called out the uncertainty in both the Town's and our 5YCPs
caused by an inflationary bidding environment combined with supply chain sluggishness, and how that
makes short– and long–term planning difficult. This year, while that's still a problem for the Town which
implies increased project costs, in general, the need for supplemental appropriations, and/or reduced
project/program scope is not as prevalent. Supply chain issues continue to plague Lexington Fire and
Rescue and we have recommended to the Chief that we would endorse bringing ambulance and truck
replacements in one year sooner on the 5YCP as mitigation. Interest rates have been a two-edged sword
(read: increased borrowing costs, but also increased interest earned on cash reserves) and it appears that
rates may now be on a downward slope.
The Town remains in a particularly good free -cash position headed into FY2025, but we must bear in mind
that utilizing free cash is not the basis of a sound budget—it is one-time revenue. As a general policy, free
cash has and continues to be used to fund cash capital (a policy with which we enthusiastically support).
However, when the pressure grows on balancing a budget, the policy of use free cash to fund cash capital
is generally the first thing to be given up, and commensurately the amount of cash -based capital that can be
accomplished in the next fiscal year. The alternatives are to either do less (in capital) or borrow. In the past
several budget cycles, Town Manager Malloy has made a righteous stand to continue moving towards a
cash -based capital financing policy for all programs (see footnote). However, the less free cash that there
is to work with when advancing this policy, the less the Town can accomplish in moving towards that cash -
based capital program financing.
To his credit, a year ago Mr. Malloy took a 10 -year look at big ticket capital projects, largely in the context
of sequencing swing -space usage at 173 Bedford Street. His presentation to the Select Board back then
drew attention to the large capital agenda that we face over the next decade. Not so long ago it was just the
Police Station rebuild (which is currently in progress and slated to be completed this Spring) and the
Lexington High School rebuild (currently estimated at $450 million) on our radar screens. But remaining
on that 10 -year agenda are the East Lexington Fire Station, the Cary Memorial Library, the Stone Building,
173 Bedford Street, the Town Office Building, and numerous recreation needs. Missing from these
discussions, but certainly worthy of mindshare are the Bridge and Bowman Elementary schools which will
also need significant updates in that same 10 -year timeframe, if for no other reason than the community
will demand physical plant and program parity with the other elementary schools in the district.
' Within the development of budgets and other financial actions, "program" is used for already on-going
needs while "project" is used for what is considered to be a one-off endeavor, such as a new building or
specific renovation effort, during the five-year scope of financial planning.
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
173 Bedford Street is on the critical path for multiple big-ticket projects because it can potentially be used
as swing space, as has been done for the Fire Station Headquarters and Police Station rebuilds. Presently,
it looks like the School Administration will have a temporary home at 173 Bedford during the Lexington
High School (LHS) project: Old Harrington school is decrepit and should be torn down to make way for
playing fields. Following the School Administration's occupation, it seems to make sense for the library to
occupy that space during a potential major renovation. Article 27 ("Appropriate for Renovation of 173
Bedford Street") originally proposed to use $6m to make adequate building function upgrades for the
School Administration and also satisfy compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and
the Town's policy for Integrated Building Design and Construction Policy. Recently the Select Board
questioned whether 173 Bedford Street should take a different direction, towards Affordable Housing, and
that would necessarily impact the long-term plans for that structure. As a result, the current (as of this
writing) proposed motion requests only $4.2m which would result in just a limited upgrade of existing
Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system and not fulfill the Town policy which includes
converting to all -electric to maximize renewable energy usage,,
The cost of the LHS renovation/rebuild projects is definitely a `monster under the bed' for all of us. The
MSBA is comfortable with the $450m figure, and they certainly have a lot of experience building high
schools in the past decade. The Town Manager and staff have produced a debt -service spreadsheet which
proposes a possible financing plan that makes good use of our well -stocked Capital Stabilization Fund
(CSF). We have been contributing to that fund for well over a decade, and it is certainly going to come in
handy for taxpayer relief when we undertake this monster project. The finance staff is committed to
producing a few (new) different scenarios for financing with the CSF (e.g. prepay debt or spread out the
CSF offsets to the debt service). Credit: Mr. Malloy et al for this fine piece of work.
We anticipate a debt exclusion in (approximately) late 2025 for the LHS rebuild, but we still have other
potential big ticket capital projects in approximately the same time frame. Maybe it is wise to be thinking
of bundling all of those into one referendum. Maybe it's not. That's a policy decision for the Select Board
to spearhead. But it needs to be discussed once the Town settles on those big -ticket -project priorities
(besides LHS) and their sequencing.
Speaking of the LHS project, Article 26 on this year's warrant requests $10m (debt financed) for Design
and Engineering on the "new" LHS. This is essentially the second phase of a typical three phase capital
project, and as with any other capital project which requires a Debt Exclusion referendum, once the Debt
Exclusion is passed, these monies can be rolled into the excluded debt service. But what if the future Debt
Exclusion doesn't pass? Then the Town will be leftto carry up to $10m (actually up to $11.875m including
the already appropriated study monies) from the non -excluded tax levy. That's a heavy load, so Town
Meeting needs to have a pretty good feel for the political winds and believe that ultimately a Debt Exclusion
will be approved by the electorate before they endorse Article 26. (By the way, this Committee unanimously
recommends approval of Article 26.)
Moving to the Community Preservation Fund (CPF), the Community Preservation Committee (CPC) has
produced a needs analysis outlining the amounts that might be requested in the next five years, or at least
the ones they know about. (We've included their 5YCP in our own which is shown later in this document.)
This is a positive step by the CPC and we appreciate their diligence. Noticeably absent from their needs
analysis, and through no fault of the CPC, are FY2026—FY2029 projections for the Affordable Housing
Trust (AHT). The AHT is a relatively new entity so we must collectively give them a pass on the lack of a
5 year plan—they (and we) are still trying to see what "steady state" looks like for them. Presumably in next
year's CPC application they will offer more concrete figures for FY2027-FY2030 based on how their $3.2m
FY2025 funds are spent. The CPC needs to have some sort of out -year look in order to figure out how to
triage other large-scale projects.
As a closing remark, we would be remiss if we didn't remind you that this Committee is appointed by the
Town Moderator and chartered to advise Town Meeting, a mission we take seriously. While we work
collegially with Town Departments and other Boards and Committees, our recommendations represent
what we believe to be in the best interests of you, Town Meeting, and, therefore, the Lexington citizens
who you represent. We hope you will find this report useful.
2
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
The Mission of the Capital Expenditures Committee
From the Code of the Town of Lexington (§29-13):
D. Each year the Capital Expenditures Committee shall request and receive from the Town
Manager information on all capital expenditures requested by Town boards and
departments that may be required within the ensuing five-year period. The Committee shall
consider the relative need, timing and cost of these projects, the adequacy thereof and the
effect these expenditures might have on the financial position of the Town.
E. The Committee shall prior to each Town Meeting for the transaction of business prepare,
publish and distribute by making copies available at the office of the Town Clerk and at
Cary Memorial Library, and by mailing or otherwise distributing to each Town meeting
member, a report of its findings, setting forth a list of all such capital expenditures together
with the Committee's recommendations as to the projects that should be undertaken within
the five-year period, the approximate schedule for the funding of each recommended
project to the extent practical, and its recommendations on policies with either a direct or
indirect effect on capital matters. This publication may be combined with and distributed
at the same time as the Appropriation Committee report.
From the Code of the Town of Lexington (§29-14):
The term capital expenditures shall mean any and all expense of a nonrecurring nature not
construed as an ordinary operating expense, the benefit of which will accrue to the Town over an
extended period of time.
Definition of Capital Projects (Select Board's Recommended Budget & Financing Plan, Page XI -1):
A capital project is defined as a major, non-recurring expenditure that generally meets the
following criteria:
• Massachusetts General Law permits the Town to issue bonds to finance the expenditure;
• The expenditure is $25,000 or more;
• The expenditure will have a useful life of 10 years or more for buildings or building
components and 5 years for vehicles and equipment; and
• Planning, engineering, or design services may be considered capital when such services
are integral to a construction, renewal or replacement project that meets the criteria for a
capital expenditure.
From the Code of the Town of Lexington (§29-26):
The Capital Expenditures Committee shall state whether it endorses each recommendation of the
Community Preservation Committee.
How to Read This Report
The balance of our report is divided into four sections:
• An overview of Capital projects in Lexington,
• Presentation of a five-year Capital plan,
• For each department and program, an overview of its purpose, spending history, any general
Capital plan, references to any funding request in the FY2025 budget, and
• This year's Capital -related Warrant Articles.
"2025 ATM Town Warrant" refers to the respective portions of the Town of Lexington Town Warrant for
that March 18, 2023, Town Meeting. "Brown Book" refers to the "Town of Lexington Fiscal Year 2025
Recommended Budget & Financing Plan", dated February 20, 2024. Where our narrative includes a
"See Article _." it is referring to that Article in the last section of "Warrant -Article Explanations and
Recommendations". In that section you will find that:
• We have quoted the Town's documentation for each of the Articles on which we are reporting.
If we believe that quote has both adequately described the proposed work and satisfactorily
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
made the case for the Town's need, we will not reiterate either of those matters in this report.
However, additional narrative is included where we feel it would be helpful for better
understanding an Article or subArticle. (If in italics, it is what we believe should be included
when our Committee is asked for its spoken position.)
• Our Committee's recommendations and how we voted are shown only in the boxed header for
each Article and, if applicable, in any sub -elements unless there are further comments on our
position However, in any case where we are not unanimous in a recommendation to Town
Meeting there will be comments, including from those opposed to the recommendation or both
sides if a tie vote.
Our oral report on Town Meeting floor will highlight elements of our written report and present any new
information not available as of this writing. When we report on a Capital article on Town Meeting floor
during the deliberations, a committee member will provide this Committee's recommendation and, if
applicable, comments related to that recommendation.
11
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
Summary of FY2025 Capital -Budget Requests
Article
Sponsor
Description
General Fund
Debt Cash
Enterprise CPF
Funds
Approp. &
Auth.Other
Total
100)
Community
CPA Debt Service
681,200
681,200
10(k)
Preservation
Administrative Budget
150,000
150,000
Subtotal Community Preservation Committee
0 0
0 831,200
0
831,200
25
Pine Meadows Clubhouse Renovation -
Construction
2,575,000
2,575,000
26
Lexington High School Construction Project
-Design Funding
10,000,000
10,000,000
27
173 Bedford Street Renovation
5,635,845 334,155
30,000
6,000,000
10(a)
Department
Cary Memorial Library Renovation
Project -Construction
1,700,000
2,300,000
4,000,000
16(a)
of Public
Public Facilities Bid Documents
125,000
125,000
16(b)
Facilities
Public Facilities Interior Finishes
450,000
450,000
16(c)
School Paving and Sidewalks
265,000
265,000
16(d)
Public Facilities
Mechanical/Electrical/Plumbing
Replacements
4,015,000
4,015,000
7(b)
Solar Assessment Lincoln Fields
30,000
30,000
Subtotal Department of Public Works 19,910,845 5,219,155 0 2,300,000 30,000 27,460,000
8
Tucker Avenue Street Acceptance
30,000
30,000
13
Water Distribution System Improvements
1,288,900
1,000,000 2,288,900
12(d)
Equipment Replacement
1,215,000 385,000
320,000 1,920,000
12(e)
Sidewalk Improvements
800,000
800,000
12(f)
Hydrant Replacement
75,000 75,000
150,000
12(g)
Department
Townwide Signalization Improvements
50,000
50,000
12(h)
of Public
Stormwater Management Program
1,350,000
1,350,000
12(i)
Works
Cemetery Columbarium Design
50,000
50,000
12(j)
Public Parking Lot Improvement Design
15,000
15,000
12(q)
Street Improvements
2,707,321
2,707,321
14(a)
Pump Station Upgrades
50,000
50,000
14(b)
Sanitary Sewer System Investigation and
Improvements
1,061,210 1,061,210
Subtotal Department of Public Works
0 6,292,321 1,798,900
0 2,381,210 10,472,431
12(b)
Fire
I Heavy Vehicle Extrication Equipment
175,000
175,000
12(c)
Department
jAmbulance Replacement
377,000
125,000 502,000
Subtotal Fire Department
0 552,000 0
0 125,000 677,000
15 ILPS ILPS Technology Program
1,323,050
1,323,050
Subtotal Lexington Public Schools
0 1,323,050 0
0 0 1,323,050
12(a) Planning Transportation Mitigation
86,766
13,2341 100,000
Subtotal Land Use, Health and Development
0 86,766 0
0 13,234 100,000
11
Pine Meadows Improvements
110,000
110,000
10(c)
Recreation
Park Improvements -Athletic Fields
545,000 545,000
10(d)
and
Lincoln Park Stations Equipment
160,000 160,000
10(e)
Community
Programs
Park Improvements -Hard Court
Surfaces -Valley Road
492,000 492,000
10(f)
Lincoln Park Field Improvements
665,000
1,145,000 1,810,000
Subtotal Recreation and Community Programs
0 665,000 110,000
2,342,000 0 3,117,000
12(k)
Network Core Equipment Replacement
550,000
550,000
12(I)
Innovation &
Municipal Technology Improvement
Program
550,000
550,000
12(m)
Network Redundancy & Improvement Plan
998,500
998,500
12(n)
Technology
Network Technology Improvements
161,000
161,000
12(o)
Scanning - Electronic Document
Management
110,000
110,000
10(b)
Archives and Record Management
20,000 20,000
12(p)
Town Clerk
Election Equipment Upgrade
64,865
64,865
19
Town
Manager
Establish, Amend, Dissolve and Appropriate
To and From Specified Stabilization Funds
(SFs) (Deposit)
4,036,373
4,036,373
7(a)
Sustainable Capital Initiatives
35,000
35,000
Subtotal General Government
0 6,505,738 0
20,000 0 6,525,738
10(i)
Affordable
Housing Trust
Affordable Housing Trust (AHT) Pre -Funding
3,200,000 3,200,000
10(g)
LexHAB
LexHAB Support, Restoration, Preservation,
and Decarbonization
482,365 482,365
10(h)
Lexington
Housing
Authority
Lexington Housing Authority Exterior
Preservation
100,000 100,000
Subtotal Non -Government Projects
0 0 0
3,782,365 0 3,782,365
Total FY2025 Recommendations
1 19,910,8451 20,644,030 1,908,9001
9,275,5651 2,549,4441 54,288,784
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
Capital Budget
Lexington allocates resources to Capital projects by considering them in three categories:
• Capital Projects (by definition those that can be debt-financed, are greater than $25,000, and have a
useful life of at least 5 years for vehicles and equipment, and 10 years for buildings or building
components);
• Enterprise & Revolving Funds projects (greater than $25,000); and
• Community Preservation Fund (CPF) projects (any dollar amount).
The Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC):
• Assesses Capital needs brought forward by each department (municipal and schools) as well as the
Community Preservation Committee (CPC) through the annual budgeting process;
• Works with those departments and the CPC to identify likely Capital needs for the next five years;
• Independently considers public facilities, infrastructure systems, and prospective longer-term needs,
as well as issues and facilities not being addressed within any department; and
• Through this report and in presentations, advises Town Meeting about necessary and prudent
investments to maintain, improve, and create facilities required to serve Lexington citizens safely,
effectively, and efficiently. During the year, Committee members also work with, advise, and consult
staff members in various departments and with other public committees—notably in budget summits
with the Select Board (SB), the Appropriation Committee, and the School Committee—in an effort
to shape a responsible Capital budget for Lexington.
Please note these important caveats:
• All cost figures are estimates and may not reflect the cost in then -year dollars. The degree of accuracy
varies by project. Estimates that are several years into the future are the most uncertain. They are
subject to refinement as projects are designed, bid, and built. Even relatively near-term work is subject
to cost uncertainties until projects are bid and contracts signed because material, labor, and contract -
management costs are often highly variable even over a period of just a few months.
• The scope of future projects is also often highly uncertain. Accordingly, project budgets are subject
to significant revision as the work is defined through the political and budgeting processes.
• Dates for appropriations and taxpayer impact of financing projects, unless otherwise specified, are
given in fiscal years, beginning July 1.
Capital Projects
Capital projects require careful analysis, budgeting, and broad support. Generally, recommended large
Capital projects have been funded through borrowing, consistent with their expected life and annual
budgeting for operating needs.
Borrowing incurs debt service in later fiscal years, and this is funded in one of three ways:
Through the operating budget, which may `crowd' the budget for other Town needs.
2. Through the use of a Proposition 2'/2 debt -exclusion, which has the additional benefit of reinforcing
broad community support.
3. Through the CPA, in which case, neither a debt -exclusion vote nor operating budget funds are
required to use the CPF. However, there may be a separate funding for companion elements—usually
essential—of the project that are not eligible for use of the CPF.
This Committee applauds the Town departments' emphasis on continual infrastructure maintenance and
upgrades. We continue to work closely with the stewards of our assets to prioritize, plan, and project the
Capital work for a period of five years or more.
The Projects Agenda
The following are big-ticket items being considered in Lexington. Except for the first item identified by the
SB as the Town's highest priorities—with which this Committee agrees—no priority ranking is intended;
the rest of this listing is simply alphabetical.
• School Buildings—Expansion, Renovation & Reconstruction (See Article 26.)
0
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
• Community (Affordable) Housing—Development and Acquisition (See Articles 10(g, h, i) and
33)
• Conservation/Open Space Land—Acquisition and Enhancement (No action at this Town
Meeting.)
• Hartwell Avenue Transportation Management Overlay District (No action at this Town
Meeting.)
• Police Station (Construction is in process, no action at this Town Meeting).
• Recreation Facilities—A continuing need (See Articles 10(c, d, e, f), and 11.)
• Roads—A continuing need (See Article 12(????).)
• Sidewalks—A continuing improvement need. (See Articles 12(g, m)
• Stone Building (previously the East Lexington Library), 735 Massachusetts Avenue—Determine
use and renovation. This structure has been stabilized but is not code compliant nor suitable for use
without further renovation or build -out. Design funds to explore possible renovation and future
uses (including a Lyceum) were voted at 2023 Annual Town Meeting.
• Sustainability—This is a new Capital Program, commencing with EV Chargers behind the Town
Office Building (see Article 7).
• Transportation Mitigation—This is a continuing need. (See Articles 12(e), 16(c).) (Actions taken
are often an element of road -related projects, rather than being solely to achieve specific
mitigation.)
The SB, School Committee (SC), CPC, and Permanent Building Committee (PBC) continue to evaluate,
refine, prioritize, and schedule these projects forthe next several years. Realistic cost proposals are typically
incorporated in the 5 -year projections.
The Community Preservation Act
In March 2006, Lexington voted to adopt the CPA—an opt -in, State -funding mechanism for selected
purposes. CPA funds may be used for capital projects proposed by municipal and non -municipal entities
within four categories: Community Housing, Historic Resources, Open Space, and Recreational Use. These
monies help accomplish some of our Town's traditional needs, but only those that fall within the limited
purposes of the Act. (See Article 10(a) -(k).)
Currently 194 municipalities have adopted the CPA, compared to 187 last year. That's 55% of all the
municipalities in Massachusetts comprising 70% of Massachusetts residents. Each community opting into
the Act voluntarily adds a surcharge from 1% to 3% to its municipal taxes to fund its CPF. Lexington has
selected the maximum 3%. Under the statute, each CPA municipality is then eligible for annual
supplemental State funding in November based on its collected surtax level. The original State supplement
"matched" the total of each municipality's surcharge receipts, but as more municipalities opted into the
program, the supplement level to each has diminished. When the initial distribution to adopted
municipalities was less than a 100% surcharge collection match, the State began a proportional distribution.
For those communities that have adopted the maximum 3% surcharge, a second- and a third -round
distribution is also calculated to determine their final supplemental funding.
See the Table following for the lifetime history of supplemental distributions to Lexington, including the
projection for FY2025. The footnotes include those years in which there was an added State Community
Preservation Act Trust Fund (CPATF) distribution because of an allocation of a portion of any surplus in
the State's budget at its close. (See more details following the table.)
7
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
Community Preservation Act Funding to Lexington
Year in which
supplement received
Prior -Year's CPA
Surcharge
Collected'
State Supplement Percenta
e
Total
Supplement
Amount TSA
1st 2nd 3rd
Round Round Round
Total
FY2008 Actual
$2,556,362
100.0% N/A N/A
100.0%
$2,556,362
FY2009 Actual
$2,777,882
67.6% 1.8% N/A
69.4%
$1,927,708
FY2010 Actual
$2,931,678
34.8% 0.9% 0.5%
36.2%
$1,060,390
FY2011 Actual
$3,042,587
27.2% 0.6% 0.4%
28.2%
$858,729
FY2012 Actual
$3,206,117
26.6% 0.6% 0.4%
27.6%
$885,463
FY2013 (Actual)2
$3,344,371
26.8% 0.6% 0.4%
27.8%
$929,507
FY2014(Actual)3
$3,572,460
52.2% 1.1% 0.7%
54.1%
$1,932,347
FY2015 (Actual )4
$3,777,676
31.5% 0.7% 0.4%
32.6%
$1,230,116
FY2016 Actuals
$4,012,883
29.7% 0.6% 0.4%
30.7%
$1,229,774
FY2017 (Actual )6
$4,217,305
20.6% 0.4% 0.3%
21.3%
$897,243
FY2018 Actual 7
$4,442,893
17.2% 0.4% 0.2%
17.8%
$789,905
FY2019 (Actual)8
$4,659,786
19.0% 0.5% 0.3%
19.8%
$922,256
FY2020 Actuals
$4,911,223
23.9% 0.6% 0.4%
24.8%
$1,219,950
FY2021 Actual
$5,214,556
28.6% 0.7% 0.4%
29.7%
$1,549,955
FY2022 Actual 10
$5,492,511
39.4% 0.9% 0.6%
45.5%
$2,500,261
FY2023 Actual 11
$5,815,118
1 38.5% 1 0.9% 0.6%
40.0%
1 $2,323,956
FY2024(Actual)12
$6,216,085
1 21.0% 0.5% 0.3%
21.8%
$1,354,935
Total Actual:
$70,191,493
Received to date:
34.4%
$24,168,857
FY2025 Projected 13
$6,270,000
TBD
TBD
TBD
15.0%
$940,000
Totals including
projected:
$76,461,493
32.8%
$25,108,857
1 The "actuals" are the net amounts as used by the State; the "projected" is the Town's projection for the net
collection.
2 The TSA includes $255 to correct an underpayment in FY2012 from an error with Phillipston's surcharge.
3 TSA reflects additional supplement as $25 million added to the State's CPA Trust Fund as State finished FY2013
with a surplus permitting the maximum amount authorized by the State Legislature to go into that Fund.
4 TSA reflects additional supplement as $11.4 million added to the State's CPA Trust Fund as State finished FY2014
with a surplus permitting the maximum amount authorized by the State Legislature to go into that Fund.
s TSA reflects additional supplement as $10 million added to the State's CPA Trust Fund as State finished FY2015
with a surplus permitting the maximum amount authorized by the State Legislature to go into that Fund.
6 There was no State budget surplus from FY2016 so, while the State Legislature authorized up to a $10 million
addition from any surplus, there was no subsequent State infusion into the State's CPA Trust Fund.
7 TSA includes $168 deduction due to an update to FY2017 data after last year's distribution was made.
8 TSA reflects additional supplement as $10 million added to the State's CPA Trust Fund as the State finished FY2018
with a surplus permitting the maximum amount authorized by the State Legislature to go into that Fund.
9 TSA reflects additional supplement as $20 million added to the State's CPA Trust Fund as the State finished FY2019
with a surplus permitting the maximum amount authorized by the State Legislature to go into that Fund.
10 TSA reflects additional supplement as $10 million added to the State's CPA Trust Fund as the State finished
FY2021 with a surplus permitting the maximum amount authorized by the State Legislature to go into that Fund.
11 TSA reflects additional supplement as $20 million added to the State's CPA Trust Fund as the State finished
FY2022 with a surplus permitting the maximum amount authorized by the State Legislature to go into that Fund.
12 There was no State supplemental funding.
13 Not included would be any further increase resulting from the State deciding to infuse the State's DPA Trust Fund
with additional funding from a prior -year budget surplus, if any.
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
The funds available for these State supplements are taken from a surcharge on the transaction fees charged
by the State's Registries of Deeds. The FY2020 Massachusetts Budget provided for increases in registry
fee surcharges which fund the CPATF. As no further increase in the rates is currently projected, the
supplements will vary from year to year with the level of activity at those Registries. For some previous
years, the State had allocated additional funds to the CPATF if the State's prior -year's budget ended with
a surplus. However, the State's budgets did not always end with a surplus. (See the footnotes to the above
table.)
The Lexington CPF receives the annual receipts from our local surcharge, the State supplement, and interest
on the balance in our Town's CPF. Under the statute, 10% of the total received each year is allocated to
each of the following categories: Community Housing, Historic Resources, and Open Space. The remaining
70% of this income may be spent for any of these categories or for Recreation. Funds may be accrued from
year to year and are available for debt service on previously approved projects.
A CPA -funded project can only be brought to Town Meeting for action through recommendation by the
CPC whose membership, in our Town, is prescribed in the Code of Lexington as follows:
§ 29-23A. There is hereby established a Community Preservation Committee pursuant to Section
5 of Chapter 44B of the General Laws (the "Act") consisting of nine members. The Board of
Selectmen shall appoint three members of the Community Preservation Committee and the
following bodies shall each select one of its members for membership on the Community
Preservation Committee: the Conservation Commission, the Planning Board, the Recreation
Committee, the Historical Commission, the Housing Authority, and the Housing Partnership.
Town Meeting can only approve, reduce the funding, or disapprove a project; it cannot change the purpose.
Town Counsel has provided an opinion that Town Meeting can change the funding mechanism for a given
project (cash or debt). This Committee gives our recommendation on each of the projects put before Town
Meeting.
See the report of the CPC for information on how Lexington has spent from the CPF since 2007.
The projected available CPF cash is not a limitation on what the CPC can recommend to Town Meeting for
spending approval. The CPA can—and often does—include debt financing, which is then paid over the
term of the borrowing using the CPF. Most recently, the CPA recommended, and Town Meeting approved
debt funding for the Monroe Center for the Arts renovation (2023 ATM Article 10(b) with a combination
of existing CPA funds and $2 million debt. This Committee has always stated that cash funding should be
the first preference. However, (1) Any such debt should be for as short a term as practical, with and payment
front-end loaded, as practical, after considering the funding projected for the CPF (not including any State
supplemental funds) over at least the next 10 years; and (2) Such debt should be approved only after
consideration of potential future projects that might come before the CPC for consideration which would
require funds beyond those allocated to the three, mandatory reserves for Open Space, Historic Resources,
and Community (Affordable) Housing.
The debt service is an obligation borne by the CPF throughout the term of those instruments—whether
short-term financing (i.e., notes, such as a Bond Anticipation Note [BAN]) and/or long-term financing (i.e.,
a bond). It is the Town's practice that each year's debt service will be paid from any funds remaining in the
reserve category under which that project was eligible—whether or not initially financed from that
reserve—before use of other available funds. In subsequent years, the CPC recommends to Town Meeting
those obligatory debt -service -payment appropriations. (See Article 10(g).)
One approach that provides flexibility in deciding how much, if any, CPF cash should be applied up front
for a large project is to defer that decision by initially issuing a BAN for a term of one year or less for the
full amount of the project. (A BAN typically carries an interest rate that is below even the relatively low
rates paid on the Town's bonds.) When a BAN matures, a decision can be made whether to use CPF cash
to reduce the total for which a longer-term bond would then be issued. Doing so gives the Town a better
idea of how much CPF cash should be held in anticipation of the next—and later—years' demands upon
0
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
the CPF. This mechanism has been used in the past, and this Committee expects it to be proposed in the
future for other large projects.
The CPC carefully husbands available funds and has recommended taking on additional debt only after
considerable deliberation. The first phase of the Cary Memorial Library Children's Room Renovation is
expected to cost $5.5m, but only $2.3m is being requested from CPA Funding in order to prevent incurring
additional CPA debt. Cary Memorial Building Construction debt service payments will end in FY2025, the
same year debt will be issued for the Monroe Center renovation..
The Town, the CPC, and this Committee are mindful of the additional taxes which the CPA imposes on our
community at a time when our tax burden is projected to rise to pay for essential capital projects like the
new Police Station and a new or renovated Lexington High School. To lessen the impact on Lexington
households, particularly those with smaller homes, the Town has adopted a provision in the CPA law that
exempts the first $100,000 of home value from the CPA surcharge.
As is clear from the Table in this section, by choosing the maximum 3% surcharge, Lexington has received
the maximum supplement allowed paid from the State for every year since 2007. As of FY2024, the Town
has received $22,813,922 and projects an additional $940,000 for FY2025. Had our participation been at
the 1% level, not only would our initial proportional distributions have been lower, but we would not have
received the second and third round distributions, and our total supplemental receipts would have been less
than a third of what they were. For relatively small contributions per household, the Town has realized
enormous benefits, and will continue to do so, even with the lower percentage supplements of recent years.
For these reasons this Committee continues to believe that Lexington should maintain its CPA participation
at the 3% level, and that not to do so would be "penny wise and pound foolish."
See the CPA Summary in the Brown Book (Appendix C, Page C-8) for a summary of the CPF status,
including projects that have been funded from the CPF since its inception in Lexington and those being
requested for FY2025 under Article 10.
Enterprise Fund Projects
The Town operates three enterprise funds (EFs) for revenue-producing activities funded outside the tax
levy by user fees: water distribution, wastewater distribution (sanitary sewers), and certain Recreation and
Community Programs (R&CP) services, such as the golf course, swimming pools, and tennis courts. The
costs of these activities are normally funded out of their respective enterprise funds. Unlike property -tax
revenues, EF fees are not subject to a limit under Proposition 2'/2. Recreational playground restoration and
equipment, in contrast, are not fee generating and Capital investment for such equipment is therefore,
normally funded as part of the small -ticket program of the General Fund (GF)—sourced by the tax levy.
The 2012 amendments to the CPA expanded the range of recreation projects that are eligible for funding
under that Act; therefore, many recreational projects have since been submitted to our CPC with requests
for use of the CPF as the fund source. That continues this year; many of the recreation projects coming
before this ATM will request full or partial funding from the CPF rather than from the EF or GF.
This Town Meeting will consider requests from the Departments that manage the R&CP, Water, and
Wastewater EFs. (See Articles 11, 13, 14.)
Revolving Fund Projects
Revolving funds established under the provisions of Massachusetts General Laws (M.G.L.) Chapter 44,
Section 53E'/2, must be authorized annually by Town Meeting vote. (As the Schools Food Service
Revolving Fund was established, instead, under M.G.L. Ch. 548 of the Acts of 1948, it does not require
Town Meeting's annual authorization or appropriation to use it.)
Each fund is credited with only the departmental receipts received in connection with the programs
supported by such revolving fund, and expenditures may be made from the revolving fund, without further
appropriation, for those programs.
Revolving funds are usually expended to cover non -Capital costs, and this Committee normally does not
report on their annual authorizations unless a Capital expense is contemplated. Such an expense is not
contemplated in FY2025.
10
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
Five -Year Capital Plan
The table and its footnotes on the next three pages summarize this Committee's Five -Year Capital Plan.
This plan reflects the expected FY2025 appropriations at the 2024 ATM, and the FY2026–FY2029 requests
that this Committee recommends. We started with the amounts and timing shown in the Brown Book,
Page XI -5 for FY2025, and XI -26 for FY2026–FY2029 Those requests have also been updated based on
any information we received after it was published (including for FY2025). Additionally, if we feel that the
project is multi -phase and either Design & Engineering or construction monies are anticipated, we have
made additional entries or changes, even though no formal position has been taken by the Town. In that
vein, there are important caveats to our table:
• Footnotes explain when this Committee's position differs from the Town's position
• Excluding the many hundreds of millions of dollars of to -be -determined (TBD) entries, the total in
this Committee's Plan for FY2026–FY2029 is over $500 million. The TBD entries include future
construction phases, undetermined project elements, or entire major facility projects. If any project
includes any TBD in any year, whether standalone or augmenting a dollar amount, none of the
project's funding is included in our total estimated amounts.
• For several years the Town has been building the Capital Stabilization Fund (CSF) so that it can be
used to mitigate the debt service tax impact of Capital projects. While the CSF can, and will, have
a significant positive impact on taxpayer burden, given the current proposed and possible out -year
projects in our Capital Plan, mitigating our debt service with the CSF will fully deplete that reserve
(by design) before the debt service for the future projects are completed.
• Because of the ongoing challenge the Town faces regarding the planning and financing for the
renovation/replacement/renewal of its Capital Assets, this Committee looks forward to the SB
refining a formal, Townwide, Facilities Master Plan, including a financing plan that also identifies
the likely debt -exclusion referendums. Any such plan will necessarily continue to consider the
results of the DPF-sanctioned 20 -year Capital maintenance plan. This Committee stands ready to
assist in any way it can.
• This Committee appreciates the Town's reluctance to cite a preliminary estimate for projects that
are not yet well-defined and hence, the Town's out–year amounts generally do not reflect the costs
in then -year dollars. As this Committee does not have the means to reasonably adjust those current -
year values to then -year values, we are using the Town's dollar values unless we have made a
change for another reason—in which case there will be an explaining footnote. This uncertainty is
further exasperated by the current inflationary construction bidding environment.
11
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
CEC Five -Year Capital Plan (FY2025-FY2029)
Project Name (see footnote 1)
FY2025
Recommended
FY2026 Plan
FY2027 Plan
FY2028 Plan
FY2029 Plan
excluding
TBDs
Innovation & Technology Programs
Application Implementation
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
Network Core Equipment Re lacement
$550,000
$100,000
$600,000
$100,000
$700,000
$2,050,000
Municipal Technology Improvement Program
$550,000
$150,000
$100,000
$100,000
$100,000
$1,000,000
Network Redundancy & Improvement Plan
$998,500
$760,000
$250,000
$250,000
$150,000
$2,408,500
Phone Systerns & Unified Communications
$90,000
$80,000
$60,000
$60,000
$290,000
Network Technology and Improvements
$161,000
$86,000
$86,000
$86,000
$143,000
$562,000
Subtotal
$2,259,500
$1,186,000
$1,116,000
$596,000
$1,153,000
$6,310,500
Land Use, Housing and Development Programs
Transportation Mitigation
$100,000
$80,000
$80,000
$100,000
$100,000
$460,000
Eldred Traffic Calming and Hartwell Avenue Crossing
$70,000
$460,000
$530,000
Phase II - Town -wide Pedestrian & Bicycle Plan
$80,000
1
$80,000
Subtotal
$100,000
$230,000
$540,000
$100,000
$100,000
$1,070,000
Public Facilities Programs
Public Facilities Bid Documents
$125,000
$125,000
$150,000
$150,000
$150,000
$700,000
Public Facilities Interior Finishes
$450,000
$468,000
$486,720
$506,189
$526,437
$2,437,346
School Paving and Sidewalks
$265,000
$200,000
$225,000
$250,000
$250,000
$1,190,000
Public Facilities Mechanical/Electrical/Plumbing Replac
$4,015,000
$4,565,000
$3,000,000
$11,580,000
Municipal Building Envelopes and Associated Systems
$1,100,000
$2,670,000
$3,770,000
School Building Envelopes and Associated Systems
$2,125,000
$4,440,000
$6,565,000
Subtotal
$4,855,000
$4,018,000
$5,426,720
$3,576,189
$8,366,437
$26,242,346
Public Works Programs
Storm Water Management
$1,350,000
$1,350,000
$1,350,000
$1,350,000
$1,350,000
$1,350,000
Equipment Re lacement
$1,920,000
$1,950,000
$1,950,000
$1,355,000
$2,000,000
$9,175,000
Sidewalk Improvements
$800,000
$800,000
$800,000
$800,000
$800,000
$4,000,000
New Sidewalk Installations
$3,250,000
$3,250,000
Townwide Si nalization Improvements
$50,000
$55,000
$105,000
Street Improvements
$2,707,321
$2,726,806
$2,746,777
$2,767,247
$2,788,230
$13,736,381
Hydrant Replacement Program
$75,000
$75,000
$75,000
$75,000
$75,000
$375,000
Subtotal
$6,902,321
$6,956,806
$10,171,777
$6,347,247
$7,013,230
$37,391,381
Electric Facility Support Programs
Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
$35,000
$17,082
$17,937
$70,019
Subtotal
$35,000
$17,082
$17,937
$70,019
School Programs
LPS Technology Program
$1,323,050
$1,316,962
$1,635,804
$1,672,356
$1,548,624
$7,496,796
Subtotal
$1,323,050
$1,316,962
$1,635,804
$1,672,356
$1,548,624
$7,496,796
Ongoing Capital Programs -Enterprise Funds
Purnip Station Upgrades
$50,000
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
$50,000
Sanitary Sewer System Investigation and Improvements
$1,061,210
$1,082,431
$1,104,080
$1,126,161
$1,148,684
$5,522,566
Water Distribution System Improvements
$2,288,900
$2,334,670
$2,381,360
$2,428,987
$2,477,567
$11,911,484
Hydrant Replacement Program
$75,000
$75,000
$75,000
$75,000
$75,000
$375,000
Water Tower(s) replacement (see footnote 2)
$100,000
$3,960,000
$4,060,000
Subtotal
$3,475,110
$3,592,101
$7,520,440
$3,630,148
$3,701,251
$21,919,050
Recreation & Community Programs
Pine Meadows Improvements
$110,0001
$95,000
$89,000
$35,000
$329,000
Pine Meadows Equipment
$65,0001
$30,000
$70,000
$165,000
Subtotal
$110,0001
$65,0001
$125,0001
$89,0001
$105,0001
$494,000
Fire
Replace Pumper Truck
$950,000
$950,000
Heavy Vehicle Extrication Equipment
$175,000
$175,000
Off Road Fire Engine
$400,000
$400,000
Ambulance Replacement
$502,000
$525,000
$1,027,000
Subtotal
$677,000
$950,000
$525,000
$400,000
$2,552,000
Footnotes
(1) The Committee is generally concerned about the lack of any inflationary adjustments to the out year program numbers.
(2) This Committee believes these numbers are largely placeholders because presently the actual mechanism by which the towers will be replaced or
rehabilitated is under investigation.
(Continued on next page)
12
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
CEC Five -Year Capital Plan (FY2025-FY2029) (continued)
Project Name (see footnote 1)
FY2025
Recommended
FY2026 Plan
FY2027 Plan
FY2028 Plan FY2029 Plan
excluding
TBDs
General Fund Capital Projects
Public Facilities
LHS School Project see footnote 3
$10,000,000
$440,000,000
$450,000,000
173 Bedford Street Renovation- Design
$6,000,000
$6,000,000
East Lexington Fire Station- Feasibility Study
$2,000,000
$1,000,000
$12,000,000
$15,000,000
Central Administration Building Demolition
$1,650,000
$1,650,000
Pine Meadows Clubhouse Renovations
$2,575,000
$2,575,000
Cary Library Children's Room Renovation (footnote 7)
$1,700,000
$1,700,000
Subtotal
$20,275,000
$443,650,000
$1,000,000
$12,000,000 $0
$476,925,000
Public Works
Hartwell Ave. Compost Site Improvements
$220,000
$220,000
Public Parking Lot Improvement Program
$15,000
$528,000
0
$543,000
New Sidewalk Installations
$300,000
$3,250,000
$3,550,000
Bedford St. & Hartwell Ave. Long -Range Transportation
Improvements
$1,950,000
$1,950,000
Street Acceptance
$30,000
TBD
TBD
TBD TBD
Cemetery Columbarium
$50,000
$450,000
$500,000
Subtotal
$95,000
$1,498,000
$1,950,000
$3,250,000
$6,793,000
Recreation &Community Programs
Lincoln Park Field Improvements
$1,810,000
$715,000
$2,525,000
Park Improvements - Athletic Fields
$2,000,000
$2,000,000
Strategic Plan Update
$100,000
$100,000
Subtotal
$1,810,000
$2,815,000
$4,625,000
CPA Projects and Programs
Public Facilities
Stone Building Renovation
$5,150,000
$2,400,000
$2,400,000 $2,400,000
$12,350,000
Cary Memorial Library Renovation
$2,300,000
$2,300,000
Cary Library Upper Floors HVAC
TBD
Subtotal
$2,300,000
$5,150,000
$2,400,000
$2,400,000 $2,400,000
$14,650,000
Non -Governmental Projects
Munroe Center for the Arts Building Renovation
LexHAB Property Acquisition (see footnote 4)
$1,000,000
$1,025,000.000 $1,050,625.000 $1,076,890.625 $1,103,812.891
$5,256,329
LexHAB Rehabi I ition/P reservation and Installation
$482,365
$482,365
Land Use, Housing and Development
LexHAB: Lexington Housing Authority Projects
$100,000
TBD
TBD
TBD TBD
LexHAB: Affordable Housing Trust (see footnote 5)
$3,200,000
$6,000,000
$4,000,000
$4,000,000 $5,000,000
$22,200,000
Subtotal
$4,782,365
$7,025,000
$5,050,625
$5,076,891 $6,103,813
$28,038,694
Conservation
Wright Farm Barn Preservation and Rehab Ste 3
TBD
TBD
Cotton Farm/Community Center Connector
$200,000
TBD
Conservation Land Acquisition see footnote 6
TBD
TBD
TBD TBD
Simond's Brook Conservation Area Trail Design &
Engineering
$75,000
TBD
Subtotal
$275,000
$275,000
Recreation &Community Programs
Park and Playground Improvements
$1,041,000
$1,840,000
$2,881,000
Park Improvements - Athletic Fields
$545,000
$4,180,000
$4,725,000
Park Improvements - Hard Court Surfaces (Valley)
$492,000
$492,000
Park Improvements - Site Amenities
$30,000
$30,000
Outdoor Pickleball Courts Construction
$870,000
$870,000
Lincoln Park Fitness Stations Equipment
$160,000
$160,000
Subtotal
$1,197,000
$5,221,000
$2,740,000
$9,158,000
Innovation and Technology
Scanning - Electronic Document Management
$110,000
$110,000
Subtotal
$110,000
$110,000
Town Clerk
Archives & Records Management
$20,000
$20,000
$20,000
$20,000
$80,000
Election Equipment Upgrades
$64,865
Subtotal
$84,865
$20,0001
$20,000
$20,000 $0
$80,000
Total all pages)
$50,391,211
$483,968,8691
$39,713,448
$39,282,8311 $30,909,2921
$644,200,786
Footnotes
(3) This Committee believes that the $400 million figure is Iikelyto increase.
(4) The Affordable Housing Trust has not offered any projected dollar amounts for LexHab funding so we have taken a historical value of $1,000,000 and
adjusted it for inflation in the out -years.
(5) The Affordable Housing Trust had once offered the FY2026-2029 figures to the CPC, but then retracted them without offering alternative figures so we have
continued to carry their original figures.
(6) Added by this Committee as a TBD in the outyears for possible future conservation land acquisitions.
7 Total project cost is $5.5M, $1.7M GF debt, $2.3M CPF, $1.5M Library Trust Fund.
13
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
Conservation and Open Space
The Conservation Division serves three primary purposes:
• to administer and enforce State and local wetlands protection codes, as well as the State
Stormwater Management Policy
• to manage over 1,400 acres of Town -owned conservation land and monitor conservation
easements and restrictions
• to conduct outreach and education regarding the town's natural resources and watersheds
Wright Farm. The 2020 ATM approved $69,000 in CPA funds for site design to provide for public access
and parking while protecting conservation lands. The Conservation Commission established a Wright Farm
Advisory Subcommittee to assist in the Commission's planning and to make recommendations for program
activities and management of the property. The Commission, as recommended by the Subcommittee in
August 2021, requested and the 2022 ATM approved $155,000 for barn stabilization. This work is ongoing,
assisted by DPF.
Parker Meadow Universal Trail Project. Pursuant to the ADA Goal of Lexington's Open Space and
Recreation Plan, last approved in 2015, $551,026 in CPA funding was approved by the 2020 ATM for
construction of a universal accessible passive recreation trail system. The final design concept for this
project was approved by the Conservation Commission at a public hearing, and engineering and design
plans for wetlands permitting, including a bid package, were completed. Due to the initial Spring 2021 bids
coming in over the appropriation, the Conservation Commission requested and was appropriated a
supplemental FY2022 CPA appropriation in the amount of $235,750. The bid was reissued in
December 2021 and awarded, with construction starting February 2022 and a Grand Opening October 2022.
Cotton Farm. The 2017 Annual Town Meeting approved an appropriation of $301,300 to fund the design
and construction work needed to address several long-term goals at the Cotton Farm, a Town -owned
property. The project would include removal and naturalization of a major portion of the existing driveway
and parking area, relocation and construction of a new expanded parking area and installation of an ADA
accessible trail and pond viewing platform. The project is complete.
Willard's Woods. The 2017 ATM approved $40,480 in CPA funds for the restoration and preservation of
Willard's Woods, the largest and most utilized conservation area in the Town. After input from
Conservation Stewards and others, that work was deferred until the completion of a comprehensive land
management and site plan to address the restoration and expansion of pathways in compliance with the
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The 2019 ATM approved $138,273 in CPA funds for that work.
The Conservation Commission approved the Ecological Land Management Plan prepared by Land
Stewardship, Inc., in November 2020. The FY2024 funding of $1,211,675 was for trail improvements
including the construction of a Universally Accessible trail. The construction phase of the project is pending
final design, permitting, and bid documents. The final design and engineer plans, the Notice of Intent
Conservation permitting, and the completion of full bid documents is expected by June 2024, with a fall
2024 construction phase.
Meadowlands. The Conservation Commission has an ongoing program of restoration and preservation of
meadowlands. No funds are requested in the current Capital Budget
Land Acquisition. The Town closed on the Highland Avenue conservation open space purchase on
April 1, 2021. The fall 2020 STM -3 approved the purchase of conservation land located at
39 Highland Avenue with $3,560,000 in CPA funds, of which $1,000,000 would be funded through
borrowing. After receipt of Lexington's State matching funds in November 2020, and review of the
Community Preservation Fund's cash position, the Community Preservation Committee proposed an
amendment to the 2020 application to allow it to appropriate an additional $1,000,000 from the
14
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
Undesignated Fund Balance of the CPF thereby eliminating the borrowing component of the authorization.
Town Meeting voted this change of funding source under Article 25 of the 2021 Annual Town Meeting.
Whipple Hill Trail Repair. Conservation staff have hired Woodard and Curran to design the crossing.
They anticipate this will go out to bid for construction by fall of 2024.
Open Space and Recreation Plan Update. The 2021 ATM approved an appropriation of $50,000 from
the FY2022 CPA Administrative Budget for updating Lexington's State -mandated Open Space and
Recreation Plan due to expire at the end of 2022. Staff from Conservation and Recreation and Community
Programs have worked through a process of gathering data from the town, receiving community input
which was presented to the community for feedback. A draft plan was written and presented to the SB
2/27/2023, The final OSRP is pending; expect spring 2024 once the town consultant completes
incorporating all State Division of Conservation Services comments regarding the draft.
Conservation and Open S ace 5 -Year Capital Appropriation History (All Sources)
Lexington Community Center
Lexington Community Center (LexCC), at 39 Marrett Road, was purchased by the Town in 2013. A
SB—appointed Ad hoc Community Center Advisory Committee (AhCCAC) worked to identify short-term
and long-term improvements to the building needed to support Town programs there. Appropriation for the
resulting renovations appears in the DPF funding -history table.
The LexCC incorporates functions of the previous Lexington Senior Center and provides expanded,
multi—generational services to the Town. To manage the LexCC and the closely associated Town functions,
the SB created the Recreation and Community Programs Department. Programming began in 2015 and
includes structured classes and drop-in programs such as yoga, table tennis, and billiards. LexCC also
provides meeting and function spaces.
Since the Town has a substantial backlog of capital -intensive priorities, the Recreation Department has
postponed seeking additional funding for expanding the Community Center. The 2019 Community Needs
Assessment revealed that residents still desire spaces to conduct cultural performances as well as fitness
and wellness activities, so the Department is using online classes to compensate for the lack of physical
space. Meanwhile, focus has turned to improving accessibility in the current building through replacing a
sidewalk and patio alongside the mansion side of the Community Center up to full compliance with the
Americans with Disabilities Act. (See 2021 ATM Article 10(c).)
At present, there is no decision on space usage in the Muzzey High Condominiums that previously housed
the Town's Senior Center. Deed restrictions on that space limit it to uses for the benefit of seniors. The
Carriage House located next to the Community Center also has deed restrictions that limit its use. DPF
currently maintains both spaces in a caretaker mode.
15
FY2020
FY2021
FY2022
FY2023
FY2024
Wright Farm
$69,000
$155,000
Conservation Meadow
$22,425
$28,175
Preservation
Willard Woods Land
$138,273
$1,211,675
Management and Site Plan
Pedestrian and Bike Path
$65,000
Whipple Hill Trail Repair
$300,000
Parker Meadow Accessible
$551,026
$235,750
Trail
Totals
$642,451
$235,750
$248,175
$1,511,675
Lexington Community Center
Lexington Community Center (LexCC), at 39 Marrett Road, was purchased by the Town in 2013. A
SB—appointed Ad hoc Community Center Advisory Committee (AhCCAC) worked to identify short-term
and long-term improvements to the building needed to support Town programs there. Appropriation for the
resulting renovations appears in the DPF funding -history table.
The LexCC incorporates functions of the previous Lexington Senior Center and provides expanded,
multi—generational services to the Town. To manage the LexCC and the closely associated Town functions,
the SB created the Recreation and Community Programs Department. Programming began in 2015 and
includes structured classes and drop-in programs such as yoga, table tennis, and billiards. LexCC also
provides meeting and function spaces.
Since the Town has a substantial backlog of capital -intensive priorities, the Recreation Department has
postponed seeking additional funding for expanding the Community Center. The 2019 Community Needs
Assessment revealed that residents still desire spaces to conduct cultural performances as well as fitness
and wellness activities, so the Department is using online classes to compensate for the lack of physical
space. Meanwhile, focus has turned to improving accessibility in the current building through replacing a
sidewalk and patio alongside the mansion side of the Community Center up to full compliance with the
Americans with Disabilities Act. (See 2021 ATM Article 10(c).)
At present, there is no decision on space usage in the Muzzey High Condominiums that previously housed
the Town's Senior Center. Deed restrictions on that space limit it to uses for the benefit of seniors. The
Carriage House located next to the Community Center also has deed restrictions that limit its use. DPF
currently maintains both spaces in a caretaker mode.
15
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
Fire Department
The Fire Department uses industry standards and its own experience to establish its Capital—equipment
replacement schedule. Unlike many pieces of Town equipment, fire engines and medic trucks
(rescue -ambulances) are partially custom-made and equipped, require detailed specifications, and typically
require many months between placing the order and the delivery and acceptance.
The mission of this Department in the 21St century has shifted beyond traditional firefighting to emergency
services, homeland security, and community education. Our firefighters are trained for Emergency Medical
Services and Advanced Life Support. The equipment to perform these missions has changed with new
technologies for firefighting and communications, yet the basic pumper truck, ladder truck, and rescue
ambulance are still essential to the mission.
Lexington must continue to replace its aging equipment and retain backup capacity. The table on the next
page includes the forecasted need for replacing major Capital vehicles in the current Department inventory.
Cost escalations continue to occur frequently and are attributed to supply -chain cost increases passed onto
the end-use manufactures. Delivery dates have been pushed out from a normal timeline of one to two years
as a result of supply chain issues.
The approved FY2023 $650,000 funding for a replacement Pumper turned out to be insufficient as the bid
price came in as $732,882.00. The $82,882 shortfall was secured from the American Rescue Plan Act
(ARPA) Funds allocated to the Town. Delivery of the Pumper is expected in the spring of 2024.
What had been an anticipated FY2024 funding for an ambulance replacement was removed from Capital
Expenditures request table as funding was secured from ARPA Funds.
FY2025 is projected to have a request to replace outdated and underperforming vehicle rescue stabilization
and extrication equipment. That equipment would allow the firefighters to perform these tasks on vehicles
ranging from passenger through large-scale trucks and buses. Once that projected need is defined, it is
expected to be added to the following table with the Department's Major Capital Equipment.
For Fire related fundings, see Article 12(b, c)
16
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
Capital Equipment Replacement
The following is the current replacement inventory of the Fire Department's major Capital equipmentl—
ordered by the year of the currently projected replacement funding:
(Fire Department 5 -Year Capital Appropriation History has been combined with the Police
Department History as some appropriations may be for the joint benefit of both Departments. That
combined Public -Safety History follows the Police Department narrative.)
Police Department
The Lexington Police Department, which provides public safety services through a team of dedicated police
officers, detectives, dispatchers, and support staff, is supported by the Town's Capital Program in the areas
of communication systems, computer systems, and improvements to the facilities in which it is housed and
trained.
The primary on-going Capital project for this Department is to provide a new Station as the previous facility
at 1575 Massachusetts Avenue was out of date in every way and failed to meet the needs of modern
professional policing and requirements set by the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission
(MPAC). (The DPF manages this project.) While the Design/Engineering (D/F-) funds were appropriated
in FY2019, the contractor had only partially completed the Schematic Design when the Select Board placed
17
Originally
Projected
Model
Put -in-
Projected
Replacement
Year
Service
Useful Life
Original
Funding
ID
Type
Make
Purchased
Date
Years
Cost
Emergency
FY2026
E-3
Pumper
One/
2004
Jan 2005
203
$327,390
Typhoon
FY2027
18
Ambulance
Ford/Horton
2018
Jul 2018
92
$260,930 5
FY2028
F-1
Pumper
Chevy/Kodiak
2008
2008
204
$85,000
FY2030
21
Ambulance
Ford/Horton
2021
2021
92
$304,961
FY2033
E-4
Pumper
E e rgenc on
2013
Mar 2014
203
$465,000 s
FY2038
L-1
Aerial
Emergency 1 m/ Cyclone
2017
Jan 2018
204
$875,000
Includes ID series "E" (pumpers),"L" (ladder), "F" (forestry) & "M" (Medic) (M designation followed by vehicle year).
2 The life span of ambulances is based on 6 years of frontline service and 3 years as a mechanical spare.
3 The life span of these vehicles is based on 10 years of frontline service, and 10 years in reserve status.
4 These vehicles are based on lifetime.
5 TNet cost $254,930 ($260,930 less $6,000 for trade-in 2009 ambulance).
6 $485,000 was appropriated for FY2014 to replace E-2 that was plagued with serious mechanical issues. (See
Committee's Report to the 2013 ATM, Article 10(a), for the background on that matter.) The legal action taken by
the Town for a refund has been resolved. The replacement was purchased under the 23 Feb 2015 STM #2, Article
3, $500,000 appropriation for $415,000 ($465,000 less $50,000 for the trade-in of E -4—a 2003 Ferrara/International
pumper that had been purchased for $210,000 and put in service in Jul 2003). Approximately $20,000 of the FY2014
appropriation was spent for ancillary equipment for the new pumper. A rescission of $20,335 of the 23 Feb 2015
financing authorization was approved at the 2016 Annual Town Meeting under Article 20 which closed out all the
related funding.
(Fire Department 5 -Year Capital Appropriation History has been combined with the Police
Department History as some appropriations may be for the joint benefit of both Departments. That
combined Public -Safety History follows the Police Department narrative.)
Police Department
The Lexington Police Department, which provides public safety services through a team of dedicated police
officers, detectives, dispatchers, and support staff, is supported by the Town's Capital Program in the areas
of communication systems, computer systems, and improvements to the facilities in which it is housed and
trained.
The primary on-going Capital project for this Department is to provide a new Station as the previous facility
at 1575 Massachusetts Avenue was out of date in every way and failed to meet the needs of modern
professional policing and requirements set by the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission
(MPAC). (The DPF manages this project.) While the Design/Engineering (D/F-) funds were appropriated
in FY2019, the contractor had only partially completed the Schematic Design when the Select Board placed
17
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
a hold on this project on October 5, 2020, by not supporting progress past Schematic Design as further
feedback from the Town citizens was considered warranted regarding the future operations of the Police
Department. When the hold was removed, the contractor reassigned its team to this project and additional
funding was needed, and appropriated, to complete through Design Development and Contract
Documents—and with a cost estimate that was ca $6m more than before.
Besides addressing basic needs the previous facility could not fulfill due to overcrowding and functional
inadequacy, the rebuild will include many other necessary enhancements to bring the Police Station to
21St–century standards. One of the crucial inadequacies in the previous facility is that there was no secure
entry to the building for a police vehicle transporting a prisoner. Industry standard is a secure, controlled
entryway through which a vehicle could enter the building and then escort a person in custody directly to
the booking and holding area ("a sally port"). A garage will give the opportunity to offer cover and
protection to the fleet. A modern evidence storage area and modern processing lab will allow the detectives
to use the most up-to-date investigative measures when investigating crimes. A new Investigative suite in
the department will allow individual office space for each detective with the ability to close a door to have
confidential conversations in person or over the phone with members of the community who have been a
victim of crime. The suite will have an area with a large conference table for group meetings surrounding
joint investigations in the department or with outside agencies.
After extensive input from various Town committees, the Police Station design incorporates numerous
spaces that will give the Town and the Police Department flexibility for housing civilian advocate partners,
including licensed clinicians and other social service advocates. An elevator will assist with Americans
with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance. The design also reflects the communities input demanding a more
inviting public area. These included the installation of a small conference room available for public use for
safe and controlled custody exchanges, online transactions, and other uses. Multiple restrooms will be
available for public use especially for those attending Fletcher Field events. There will also be a
Training/Community Room that will allow the department to host -area officer -training sessions and allow
community groups to hold meetings with members of the department. A state-of-the-art training room will
be installed that allows officers to practice de-escalation skills in a simulation environment which allows
real-time feedback to training. Without the restraints of weather or range availability, this training will be
available to officers twelve months a year and allow this type of training to take place numerous times
during the course of the year. The design also provides locker room and bathroom spaces for male, female,
and non -binary users. A modernized work out area will also be added to maximize officer wellness
initiatives. Among many other aspects, more glass walls will be incorporated into the design to promote a
sense of transparency within the department.
Throughout the design phase of this project, two locations for a new Station were considered: the current
location at 1575 Massachusetts Avenue in the cluster of Tow facilities and the now -Town -owned property
at 173 Bedford Street. The latter had provided an interim facility ("swing space") for the Fire Department
while its new facility was being built at its old location. The Bedford Street facility is to be the swing space
while a new Police Station is built at its current location. The Police Department is extremely thankful for
the use of 173 Bedford Street as a temporary station. This facility has allowed them to continue all of the
services and programs offered to the community. They have used this time to plan for their move back into
1575 Mass Ave. which is slated to occur in June of this year. They have been evaluating their policies and
procedures to see what will need to be changed in accordance with the Massachusetts Police Accreditation
Commission when they occupy the new building. The move will require the complete collaboration of all
the divisions of the department to ensure a successful move. A plan for the move is in place and is constantly
being reviewed and amended. The Department of Public Facilities should be commended on the amount of
effort, communication, and community input they have solicited for this project,
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
Public -Safety Departments 5 -Year Capital Appropriation History (All Sources)
(Combines Fire and Police Departments Appropriations)
FY2020 FY2021 FY2022 FY2023 FY2024
Fire Trucks & Ambulances $325,000 $732,882
Fire Other Specialized Vehicles $65,000
Fire Self -Contained Breathing Apparatus $416,545
Totals $0 $325,000 1 $416,545 1 $732,882 $65,000
(Police Department S -Year Capital Appropriation History has been combined with the Fire
Department History hence this Public -Safety Departments History as some appropriations may
be for the joint benefit of both Departments)
Cary Memorial Library
For several years, the Library has been working toward a renovation of the lower floor, including the
Children's Room and nearby Large Meeting room, and HVAC systems. For the Children's Room this will
improve accessibility, create a flexible design that accommodates diverse programming objectives, and
improve safety. For FY2020, Town Meeting appropriated $100,000 (see 2019 ATM, Article 20(h)) for a
Children's Room feasibility study, but the COVID-19 pandemic has slowed the pace of work. In 2022,
Library Trustees resumed the study, which also incorporated an investigation of the building's heating,
ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems, whose various subcomponents are due to be replaced
between 2022 (boiler) and 2032. This work will be funded by CPA funds, general fund revenues, and
private donations ($1,500,000). (See Articles 10(a) and 16(e)) for the Town's funding.)
The Stone Building (former East Lexington Library Branch) continues to be maintained by the DPF in
caretaker status under the oversight of the Library's Board of Trustees. The Stone Building
Feasibility/Reuse Committee was established in August 2020 with a charge of "exploring constructive
reuse by researching the feasibility of alternative uses for the building thereby supporting future Town
investment to implement the preservation recommendations of the 2009 Historic Structures report... ". That
Committee issued a report recommending the transformation of the building into a 21s' century Lyceum,
after conducting research, holding conversations with Town stakeholders and holding a public forum. The
Town received $400,000 (see 2023 ATM, Article 10(a)) from the CPC in order to create a design for the
first phase renovation and an addition, which is expected to also incorporate accessible restrooms, an
elevator, and fire protection. The total eventual project cost is expected to be $10.9 million, funded by the
CPF, and done in several phases, with the end goal of attracting a long-term tenant who will partner with
the Town to develop the Stone Building into a useful property for the community.
Library 5 -Year Capital Appropriation History (All Sources)
Public Works
The Department of Public Works (DPW) is responsible for design, bidding, construction, and project
management related to Town infrastructure, including buildings assigned to the Department of Public
Facilities (DPF). Routine maintenance and other operational activities are not capital -related and are not
addressed by this Committee.
19
FY2020
FY2021
FY2022 FY2023
FY2024
Children's Room
$100,000
Renovation
Public Works
The Department of Public Works (DPW) is responsible for design, bidding, construction, and project
management related to Town infrastructure, including buildings assigned to the Department of Public
Facilities (DPF). Routine maintenance and other operational activities are not capital -related and are not
addressed by this Committee.
19
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
The DPW is organized around seven divisions that are responsible for: Administration, Engineering,
Highway, Public Grounds, Environmental Services, Water, and Sewer. The Environmental Services
division manages solid waste, recyclables, yard waste from Lexington and private contractors, and
hazardous products from Lexington and eight neighboring communities.
Major components of DPW's FY2025–FY2029 capital projects include:
• Road, sidewalk, and signalization improvements
• Water distribution, sanitary sewer, and pump -station upgrades
• Hydrant replacements and parking lot improvements
• Town Water Towers major repairs or replacements
• Comprehensive Watershed Stormwater Management improvements
• Storm Drainage and National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) improvements
• Hartwell Ave. Long -Range Transportation Improvement Planning
• Trucks and heavy equipment necessary to accomplish the DPW mission
A 5 -year history of DPW capital appropriations appears at the end of this section; the CEC's 5 -Year Capital
Plan can be found on Page ]� 0.
DPW's capital needs—except when funded in whole or in part by the Town's Community Preservation
Fund, Revolving Fund, or Enterprise Funds—must be funded by cash or financed through the general tax
levy and/or voter–approved debt exclusions. Almost all construction projects for the sanitary -sewer system
and for the water -distribution system are funded by Water- and Sewer -rate payers through the Enterprise
Funds. Large trucks and heavy equipment used in support of the sanitary -sewer and water -distribution
systems are also funded, either in whole or in part, by Enterprise Funds.
Engineering
Engineering work for all DPW projects is either done in-house or contracted through public procurement
to outside consulting or design firms. In addition to supporting ongoing DPW work, Engineering is a major
participant in DPW's future projects. The simple title of this Division does not reflect its enormous and
crucial contributions across the breadth of the DPW's capital and operational activities.
Roads
Lexington has almost 200 miles of roads, which include Town, State, and unaccepted roads. This total
consists of 132 miles of Town -accepted roadways (TAR), 18.5 miles of private/unaccepted roadways, and
46 miles of State highway. (Source: Stantec FY2017 Asset Management Summary, January 2017). The
DPW maintains the TAR; the remainder are maintained by the private owners or the State. The DPW also
maintains the Town's portion (5.3 miles) of the 10 -mile Minuteman Commuter Bikeway (`Bikeway"),
which opened in 1993.
The Town uses a software system that uses the term Road Surface Rating (RSR) to assess road condition,
and a contractor (BETA Group) does annual updates. The first BETA update, for FY2018, showed an RSR
of 79.33. That 79.33 RSR signified that the typical TAR condition in Lexington was at the top of the
"Preventative Maintenance" level of road repair.
The 2023 inspections showed an RSR of 89.90 which continues the upward trend in the "Routine
Maintenance" band.
The FY2022 inspections pegged the total roadway repair backlog at about $7,500,000. The Town also
actively tests different road treatments each year as it seeks to extend the life of the roads and to lower
maintenance costs.
The FY2022 update recommended that the Town spend approximately $2.5 million annually to maintain
the current road network's RSR, or more to further increase it. The Town has been maintaining or exceeding
such recommendations in an effort to steadily improve the conditions of the roadways.
A list of planned street work in the 2024-5 construction period will be posted when available on the
Town's Engineering website at:
haps://www.lexin tom og v/en ine�ering/Tages/en ine�ering-construction-projects.
20
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
This Committee is always pleased to see a quantitative basis for determining the condition of Town—owned
assets and is impressed by the Town's success in making substantial improvements to the street network's
condition. It also supports the DPW's continuing efforts to raise the Town's baseline pavement—condition
grade to be solidly in the "Routine Maintenance" RSR Range (80-94). Continuing with the Pavement
Management Program (PMP), along with DPW's careful management of other potential impacts to our
pavements (e.g., utility work, construction for storm -water and wastewater system improvements,
sidewalk -related projects, etc.) offer the promise of an ever -more productive and cost-effective roadway
program going forward. Funding for the Pavement Management Program is provided by a combination of
Town Funds (typically 72%±) and State Chapter 90 funds. See Article 12(g) for the FY2025 funding
request.
Sometimes road work can be included in large, specific projects, such as the recently completed Center
Streetscape Project.
Lexington's aggressive and creative approach to maintaining our roads and extending their useful life shows
up in the improvements noted above. The national pavement preservation industry trade group FP2 also
took note with its 2020 excellence award to the Town Engineering Department for its practices and results.
Sidewalks
The Town has approximately 80 miles of sidewalks and 1,050 pedestrian curb ramps (source: BETA
Sidewalk and Curb Ramp Assessment report, September 2020).
The Town has been working with the BETA group since 2018 to develop and implement a sidewalk and
ramp survey methodology that will provide detailed and continuous data. Inspections on one third of the
Town/s roadways each year since 2018, and in September 2020, a new Sidewalk and Curb Ramp
Assessment report was released covering all three phases.
The BETA methodology uses Geographic Information System mapping tools and, in the case of sidewalks,
high-resolution cameras and lasers, to record the detailed conditions (including measurements of sidewalk
roughness), materials, and features of sidewalks and curb ramps across Town.
As of 2022, approximately 44 miles of sidewalk require either no repairs at all, or minor repairs on fewer
than 10% of the sidewalk segments. Another 25 miles require repairs to between 10% and 25% of the
segments surveyed, and the remaining 16 miles have at least some sidewalk segments in poor condition.
794 of the 1163 curb ramps inventoried were found to require minor or no repairs, 232 were in fair
condition, and 137 were in poor condition. In addition, 557 of the ramps are not yet ADA compliant. The
Department has analyzed these new measurements and determined that they are equivalent to a 68.5 SCI
(Sidewalk Condition Index) score.
In October 2015, the SB assigned the responsibility of the Sidewalk Committee (now inactive) to the
Transportation Safety Group (TSG), a Town Manager appointed Working Group that evaluates issues and
concerns relative to traffic, transit, pedestrian, bicycle, and parking safety. The TSG makes
recommendations to the Select Board and the Town Manager. The working group includes citizens and
representatives of the Police, Public Works, Planning and School Departments.
Regarding the sidewalk network, including ramps, DPW maintains the primary responsibility for both
maintenance and capital projects of the existing sidewalk network, while the TSG focuses on the need for
new sidewalks and pedestrian ramps, and bringing safety-related concerns about the existing network to
the attention of DPW.
Sidewalk replacement and extension are costly initiatives. Embedded in these costs are
sidewalk—construction obstructions, easement issues, and negotiations with residents. The DPW and TSG
overall policy has been to develop a prioritized sidewalk -construction plan focusing on the "Safe Routes to
School Program", other high -pedestrian -traffic routes, and streets with high walking hazards. All
reconstructed/new sidewalks and their pedestrian ramps are designed and constructed to comply with the
ADA. Approximately 15,000 linear feet of sidewalk improvements are completed each year, although in
FY2025 there is no funding request for new sidewalks.
The FY2025 request for general sidewalk work is in Article 12(e)
21
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
Townwide Signal Improvements
An Engineering Division study in 2011, funded with Traffic Mitigation funds, identified and prioritized the
Town signal locations in need of improvement, after assessment of signal conditions, signal timing, delays,
and ADA requirements. As recommended, the Town has adopted a Standard Specification that allows for
cost-effective maintenance strategies. The study did not include the signals which are under the jurisdiction
of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, including, but not limited to: Bedford Street at
Hartwell Avenue, Lowell Street at Maple Street, Marrett Road at Spring Street, Marrett Road at
Waltham Street, and Hayden Avenue at Waltham Street.
When Town intersections are improved, new signals are installed, if appropriate, with "smart" controls, as
is the case in the recent Massachusetts Avenue at Worthen Road project. These controls provide efficiencies
like preventing light changes when there are no cars approaching or waiting and watching for pedestrians
waiting to cross. Ten of the Town's signalized intersections have been upgraded with smart signalization.
Upgrading signals is generally done in conjunction with other intersection work. The funding request for
FY2025 is for a new study of ADA compliance.
Water Distribution System
Many of the Town's 178 miles of water mains were installed in the early 1900s and require an ongoing
engineering program for pipe cleaning, lining, or replacement. On an annual basis, the DPW implements
work for cleaning, lining, and/or replacement of unlined, inadequate, aged, and breaking water mains to
improve water quality, pressure, and fire -protection capabilities, and to reduce frequency and severity of
water -main breaks, as well as to minimize long lengths of pipe not fed at both ends (known as "dead ends").
This work often requires excavation prior to pipe -condition analysis. Work continues to replace remaining
unlined pipes, of which 2% (4 linear miles) presently fall into this category. Work also focuses on replacing
aging mains or those with a higher break history. The Town's annual funding requests are now generally
about $2.2 million, so that 1% of the Town's water -piping can be replaced each year.
Using funding authorized in FY2016, engineering completed an analysis of the entire distribution network
in order to prioritize work for the next phase of the improvement plan. This work has produced a model of
the network, now in use by the Engineering Division. Results of this analysis have included: establishing a
specific level of service goals for all water -system components; identification of individual water mains to
reline or replace; and identification of low-pressure areas in the system. This work allows the Engineering
Division to continue its best practices in the documentation of the materials, age, and break history of the
Town's water mains and to use that information with ongoing material sampling, as appropriate, to
determine its engineering replacement and rehabilitation priorities.
Plans for the next five years anticipate water main replacements on Vine Street, Hayden Ave., and Marshall
Road. Lowell Street and Summer Street have been completed, in coordination with work being performed
by the Town of Burlington.
Heavy equipment and trucks used by the Water Division to maintain the system are procured with Water
Enterprise funds that are funded directly by Water -rate payers. Where equipment is shared with the Sewer
Division, the costs are split.
Work to research and design replacements for the Town's two water tanks looms in the future, but there is
no funding request for FY2025. These tanks were built in 1933 and 1950, and are now approaching the
end of their useful lives. Analysis of both tanks done in 2018 indicated the need for significant interior and
exterior repairs.
Hydrant System
This Committee continues to encourage hydrant replacement at an accelerated rate and supports the level
of funding proposed, which remains at a $150,000 per year level, estimated to allow the replacement of
approximately 60 per year of the Town's 1,747 hydrants. Hydrants have an estimated life of 50 years.
Funding for hydrant replacement continues to be evenly divided between Tax Levy funds and the Water
Enterprise Fund. For the FY2025 funding request see Article 12(f).
22
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
Wastewater System
The sanitary -sewer system has about 176 miles of main sewer line and 8.5 miles of pumped "force main"
lines, and, like the water -distribution system, has sections that date back to the early 1900s. Due to age-
related deterioration, some sections are susceptible to storm -water inflow and groundwater infiltration
which increases the total flow to the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) treatment system,
resulting in increased charges to the Town, and causing overloading of parts of the system, with the potential
to spread waterborne disease. Engineering has an ongoing program of investigating, evaluating, repairing,
and replacing sections of the system. This work has been partially funded by the MWRA Infiltration/Inflow
(I/I) Local Financial Assistance Program, which provides grant and interest-free loan funding for member
communities; the current allocation provides for $1.59 million, of which 75% is grant and 25% is a
no—interest loan. For the FY2025 funding request, see Article 14(b).
The system has ten sewage -pumping stations that need continual maintenance and periodic major upgrades.
In July 2013, the engineering firm Wright -Pierce performed a detailed survey of the pump stations,
generating a 20 -year repair/replacement plan which the Town has been following. This year's FY2025
request is for $100,000 from the Wastewater Enterprise Fund. (See Article 5(b).)
Of the nine pumping stations determined to be large enough to warrant backup power, seven stations
(Main Station, Concord Avenue, Potter Pond, Brigham Road, Constitution Road, Marshall Road, and
Worthen Road) have had backup electric -power generators installed during the pump station upgrades.
Significant improvements to the main pump station on Bedford Street were completed in October 2016,
which included heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) upgrades to bring it up to current code
requirements, installation of Variable Frequency Drive motors, which provide energy savings and noise
reduction in the sewer force main, on all the pumps, and a surge tank.
The Hayden Avenue pump station was recently completed. Work on the North Street Station will likely be
completed by Spring 2024. Once all station upgrades have been finished, the capital plan to maintain this
critical infrastructure will again be re-evaluated and updated.
Heavy equipment and trucks used by the Sewer Division are procured with Sewer Enterprise Funds that are
funded by Sewer rate -payer fees, additional fees and charges, investment income, and connection fees. In
cases where equipment is shared with the Water Division, the costs are split.
Stormwater Management Program
Storm drains collect stormwater along Town streets and parking areas and convey this water to streams and
other bodies of water. The storm -drain pipes, and the 4,700 catch basins that direct stormwater to them,
occasionally fail due to heavy loads passing over and/or loss of supporting soil, thereby creating holes in
the street. In addition, as streets are repaired and repaved, it is often discovered that the storm -drainage
system has become seriously deteriorated. Concurrent drainage -system repairs are required to prevent
further deterioration and to protect the newly paved streets. Drains also have to be analyzed and repaired
where overflow conditions develop or complaints are received.
Article 12(h) combines several programs which were separated in prior years: the National Pollution
Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), the Comprehensive Watershed Stormwater Management System,
and the culvert replacement program.
The goal of the Federal NPDES program, under which the Town has a State -administered permit, is to
maintain water quality in the drainage system. New permitting regulations became effective on
July 1, 2018. Those new regulations represent an unfunded obligation that was expected to increase both
operating and capital costs and complexity of this work in future years; however, because of the Town's
aggressive efforts, it expects to remain compliant. In anticipation of this mandated program and the ever-
increasing needs of managing stormwater, a number of municipalities nationwide, including some in
Massachusetts, have instituted a Stormwater Management Fee to offset the capital and operating costs of
managing stormwater emanating from private properties. Staff will continue to evaluate models for a
Stormwater Enterprise Fund over the next year.
In addition, the Engineering Department has developed several approaches to hold down future NPDES
compliance costs, including, for example, starting a year early on meeting the Illicit Discharge Detection
23
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
and Elimination (IDDE) requirements; the use of volunteer interns to help with the IDDE work; and an
innovative, lower cost phosphorous removal plan developed in conjunction with the Town of Arlington and
the University of New Hampshire.
Recent drainage improvements have been completed on Barberry Road, Worthen Road, John Poulter Road,
Munroe Road, Paul Revere Road, Diana Lane, Grant Street, Tyler Road and Oak Street, Massachusetts
Ave., and Battle Green Road. Illicit discharges, often wastewater entering the storm drainage system in
some way, have previously been discovered in the Vine Brook and Mill Brook areas, with an average of
one discharge discovered and removed each year. This Committee welcomes Engineering's leadership and
efforts, in compliance with Federal Environmental Protection Agency requirements, to improve the water
quality in Lexington's streams and ponds while protecting the Town's investment and structural integrity
of its streets. The Committee also applauds the help of the University of Massachusetts Lowell volunteer
and paid interns programs, which have contributed significantly to the detection and elimination of illicit
discharges in Town.
In order that the Town's storm -drainage system capacity is maintained to handle runoff from impervious
surfaces, the Town must manage the stormwater runoff associated with its 18 brooks and three watersheds.
Additionally, sediment deposits, organic debris, and refuse can impede the flow of water through watershed
areas, and cause flooding and damage to private property, thus creating liabilities for the Town. To date,
the Charles River, Shawsheen River, and Mystic River watershed -management plans have all been
completed. Recent proj ects include Pleasant Street drainage, Whipple Hill daylighting, Oxbow/Constitution
Road phase I, and Valleyfield/Waltham St. phase L Upcoming projects include phase 2 at both
Oxbow/Constitution and Valleyfield/Waltham.
Culverts
There are 93 culverts in Town. A culvert is defined as a pipe or drain that carries a stream or ditch under a
roadway. Many older culverts are near or at failure. DPW's engineering program for ongoing culvert
inspections has identified needs for regular culvert replacement and extraordinary repairs. A project at
Concord Ave/Hardy's Pond Brook has recently been completed. Work continues in the
Oxbow/Constitution Road and Valleyfield areas. In addition, the Engineering Department's Townwide
Culvert Assessment and Asset Management Plan, which will guide the selection of future culvert
replacements, has been completed.
Public Grounds
The Town owns approximately 630 acres of land of which approximately 110 acres are in parks,
playgrounds, golf course, conservation areas, athletic facilities, school grounds, and historical sites. In
addition, DPW staff administers and maintains four cemeteries with a combined area of just over 30 acres.
The Forestry staff maintains approximately 10,000 trees along roadways and an undetermined number of
trees, shrubs, and plantings on Town -owned land.
Minuteman Commuter Bikeway
Arlington, Lexington, and Bedford are each responsible for maintaining the portion of the Minuteman
Commuter Bikeway within their town. The 2025 Street Improvements funding request includes possible
work on the Bikeway near town center. In addition, in FY2015 funding was authorized for the design of
Wayfinding and Etiquette signage for the Lexington portion of the Bikeway with follow-on FY2017
funding. The signage project is 90% complete. Two informational kiosks will be installed in calendar year
2024. (Arlington and Bedford declined to participate in 2022.).
Town Center Streetscape Project
Increasing the vitality of Lexington Center has long been an open-ended goal of the Town as businesses
come and go and usage patterns change. Projects in support of the Center have been both large and small,
including rezoning the former Battle Green Inn site and the installation of seasonal "pocket parks" on
Massachusetts Avenue. Infrastructure deterioration in the Center, and needed safety enhancements as traffic
volume has increased, are significant concerns. To address these issues in a coordinated manner, the Center
Streetscape Improvements Project was created. Now fully implemented, it addresses sidewalks, roadway,
trees, lighting, bicycle and vehicular safety, and additional elements from business -front to business—front
across Massachusetts Avenue and run, northwesterly, from just after the intersection with Woburn Street,
24
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
Winthrop Road, and Fletcher Avenue to just beyond Meriam Street. (The Woburn Street intersection,
originally included, was removed from the scope of the Project, to be addressed separately later.) The results
ofthis Project will be further enhanced at the Meriam Street end by work under the Battle Green Streetscape
Project.
DPW Equipment
DPW currently has 146 pieces of significant equipment (including vehicles). The current
equipment -replacement value is approximately $10 million and includes pick-up and dump trucks,
construction vehicles, and specialized equipment including pumps, rollers, sprayers, and mowers.
Replacement intervals vary from 5 to 20 years and are based upon manufacturers' recommendations and
DPW experience. Most of these vehicles have individual acquisition costs more than $25,000; therefore,
their replacement would normally be characterized as Capital and subject to this Committee's review.
DPW has developed a well -conceived program, which includes annual updates produced by Division
Superintendents, with review by the Manager of Operations and Department of Public Works Director.
This program replaces older, less fuel-efficient, and high -maintenance equipment with standard,
off-the-shelf, vehicles and equipment that will last longer and cost less to maintain and operate. (The
Department is beginning to transition some of its light-duty, non -emergency vehicles to hybrid or electric;
much of its heavy-duty or continuous -use equipment is not yet available in battery -powered alternatives.)
Automobile replacement and all equipment with individual acquisition costs under $25,000 are funded with
operating funds. The current 5 -year equipment -replacement schedule projects annual costs of around
$1.5 million per year. For the FY2025 funding request and the list of this year's requested equipment, see
Article 12(d).
DPW 5 -Year Capital Appropriation Histor All Sources
25
FY2020 I
FY2021 I
FY2022 I
FY2023
FY2024
Cal2ital using Tax Levy, CPF Other Ca ital Cash and Cha
ter 90 Funds
DPW Equipment
$900,000
$1,038,000
$1,165,000
$1,536,000
$1,820,000
Street Improvements & Easements
$3,590,597
$2,634,022
$2,651,674
$3,651,998
$3,678,740
Street li hts/Traffic signals
$125,000
$125,000
$125,000
Center Business District "Center" Streetsca a
$9,101,730
Battle Green Master Plan
$317,044
$4,975,000
Town -wide Culvert Replacement
$390,000
$390,000
$390,000
$390,000
Drainage/dams/brook cleaning
$385,000
$385,000
$385,000
$570,000
$570,000
Sidewalk/walkway/bikeway
improvements/installation 3,4,5
$2,300,000
$1,080,000
$1,450,000
$875,000
$2,420,000
Comprehensive Watershed Study & Implement
$390,000
$390,000
$390,000
$390,000
Hydrant Replacement
$75,000
$75,000
$75,000
$75,000
$75,000
Electric Vehicle EV Charging Stations
$40,750
Public Parking Lot Improvement Program
$100,000
$160,000
$575,000
Parking System Replacement
$343,237
Staging for Special Events
$65,000
Hartwell Avenue Infrastructure Improvements
$65,000
Bedford St. & Hartwell Ave. long-range im vts
$1,750,000
Network Core Replacement
$980,000
Tax Levy, CPF, Other Capital Cash, and
Chapter 90 Totals
$17,298,077
$5,654,066
$7,014,911
$12,812,998
$12,648,740
1 FY2022 includes $265,974 of funds available from earlier debt -financing actions.
2All years include State Chapter 90 funding.
3FY2020 includes $1,500,000 for the Hill St. Sidewalk.
4FY2021 includes $280,000 for new sidewalks in two locations.
FY2024 includes $65,000 for ATV.
25
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
5FY2022 includes $750,000 for new sidewalks on Lincoln Street.
Capital using Enterprise Funds
Sanitary Sewer
Sanitary Sewer System
$1,000,000
$1,000,000
$1,000,000
$1,020,000
$1,040,404
Pump station upgrades
$700,000
$401,200
$520,000
$2,000,000
$75,000
DPW Equipment
$200,000
$110,000
Automatic Water -Meter Reading Equipment
$2,970,000
Sewer Sub -Totals
Water
$4,870,000
$1,401,200
$1,630,000
$3,020,000
$1,115,404
Water Mains Relining & Replacement'
$2,200,000
$2,200,000
$1,110,000
$1,110,000
$4,209,580
DPW Equipment
$200,000
$55,000
$145,000
$145,000
Hydrant Replacement
$75,000
$75,000
$75,000
$75,000
$75,000
Water Tower Replacement
$300,000
$300,000
Automatic Water -Meter Reading Equipment
$2,970,000
Water Sub -Totals
Enterprise -Fund Totals
Capital using Revolving Funds
Compost Operating Revolving Fund
$5,445,000
$10,315,000
$2,330,000
$3,731,200
$1,630,000
$3,260,000
$1,630,000
$4,650,000
$4,284,580
$5,399,984
DPW Equipment
$525,000
$275,000
Hartwell Avenue Compost -Site Improvements
$200,000
Compost Fund Sub -Totals
Sale of Cemetery Lots Special Revolving Fund
$0
$525,000
$475,000
$0
$0
Westview Cemetery Building'
Moved to
DPF
Westview Cemetery Irrigation
$35,000
Sale of Cemetery Lots Fund Sub -Totals
RevolvingFund Totals
$0
$0
$35,000
$560,000
$0
$475,000
$0
$0
$0
$0
IFY2024 includes $2,909,580 in debt secured against water fund revenues
'As endorsed by this Committee, this project has become the responsibility of the DPF—with DPW is its "client"—so this
design funding ($270,000 General Fund debt with debt service funded from this revolving fund) has been moved to the DPF's
fundinq histo
Grand Total 1
$27,613,077 1
$9,945,266
1 $10,749,911 1
$17,462,998 1
$18,048,724
Public Facilities
The Department of Public Facilities (DPF) coordinates and cares for all Town -owned buildings under the
control of the Select Board, Town Manager, Library Trustees, Recreation Committee, and School
Committee. Expenses associated with the DPF staffing, maintenance (including preventive maintenance),
custodial services, capital -project management, utilities, landscaping and grounds (at schools only), and
managing of building rentals and other reservations for use of building spaces are the responsibility of this
department.
DPF is currently responsible for buildings at 30 locations:
• Town Office Building
• Cary Memorial Building (CMB)
• Police Station
• Fire Headquarters
26
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
• East Lexington Fire Station
• Samuel Hadley Public Services Building
• Stone Building (in caretaker status)
• Cary Memorial Library
• Visitors Center
• Lexington Community Center
• Unit in the Muzzey Condominiums, 1475 Massachusetts Avenue (in caretaker status)
• Westview Cemetery
• Animal Shelter, Westview Street
• 173 Bedford Street (currently swing space for the Police Station)
• Ten schools (Including 1 preschool, 6 elementary, 2 middle, and LHS)
• Old Harrington School (the Schools' Central Administration Office).
• Center Pool Complex
• Center Recreation bathroom facilities
• Reservoir facility
• Lincoln Park bathroom facilities
• Water Tower communications building
The DPF is organized around four areas: Administration, Project Management, Facility Maintenance and
Repair, and Custodial Services. Administration administers the Department. Project Management handles
major capital renovations and provides staff support to the Town's Permanent Building Committee for new
construction. Facility Maintenance and Repair maintains and repairs all the facilities listed above. Custodial
Services is responsible for custodial services in all those facilities except the fire stations and the Westview
Cemetery building.
DPF has taken a systematic approach to assessing the needs of both Municipal and School buildings,
including roofs, flooring, building envelope, and school playground, paved surfaces, and sidewalk areas. In
a few cases the needs are met by programs with annual funding and could be considered more as ongoing
extraordinary maintenance. However, as the needs exist and the work has traditionally been funded using
GF cash, the Committee supports labeling these projects as "Capital".
The 2023 ATM approved several DPF-related appropriations:
• Stone Building Design and Repairs (2023 ATM, Article 10(a) $400,000): The designer selection
process has been completed and the Town has engaged the Spencer Preservation Group. The
architect will engage the community in brainstorming ideas for the restoration including the
possibility of an addition, or an "ell" to be added.
• Monroe Center forthe Arts (2023 ATM, Article 10(b) $6,635,191): The cost estimate received was
above the appropriation. The project architect and the Monroe Center for the Arts continue to work
on a design that fits within the appropriation. DPF expects to see a cost estimate during the spring
of 2024 with construction to commence in the fall of 2024.
• Public Facilities Bid Documents (2023 ATM, Article 16(a)): The department continues to utilize
these funds as required by projects that come up during the year.
• Public Facilities Interior Finishes (2023 ATM, Article 16(b)): All classroom flooring was replaced
at the Harrington Elementary School. The original Vinyl Composite Tile (VCT) required
significant maintenance efforts including stripping and waxing. The new Linoleum Vinyl Tile
(LVT) is a much more environmentally friendly flooring that does not require stripping or waxing.
All flooring surfaces at Harrington are now converted to LVT. At the Diamond Middle School,
four multi -stall restrooms and six single -stall restrooms were completely refurbished. This update
included hands free fixtures, new flooring, ceilings, stalls, paint, and required fixtures were all
upgraded and made current. The two single toilets on the second and third floors of the Town Office
Building will receive a cosmetic rehab this spring.
• Public Facilities Mechanical/Electrical/Plumbing Replacements (2023 ATM, Article 16(c)): The
Clarke Middle School and the LHS Library both received new HVAC units as their old units had
27
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
failed. The two HVAC systems were all 100% dedicated outside air systems and were all electric.
The new equipment was in place and was operational before the first day of school.
• School Paving and Sidewalks (2023 ATM, Article 16(d)): The entrance drive was completely
replaced at the Diamond Middle School. The road was completely milled down and a new sidewalk
was installed from the rotary at Hancock all the way to the school parking area. The driveway,
crosswalks, parking stalls, and pavement markings were all repainted before school began.
• Municipal Building Envelopes and Associated Systems (2023 ATM, Article 16(e)): The Town
Office Building attic weatherization is complete. The Lexington Community Center exterior
stairway, brick walkways, and the brick under the rotunda have all been repaired or replaced.
• School Building Envelopes and Associated Systems (2023 ATM, Article 16(f)): The Bowman
Elementary School fascia replacement and painting project was completed this summer. After
completion of the Bridge roof replacement, work began to complete the fascia and painting.
• Pine Meadows Clubhouse Renovation Design (2023 ATM, Article 16(g): The Recreation
Department and Committee, along with the architect and staff, developed a number of concepts for
the refurbishment of the Pine Meadows Golf Clubhouse. The preferred option chosen will be the
basis for the cost estimate and presentation at the 2024 ATM.
• 173 Bedford Street Renovation - Design (2023 ATM, Article 16(h)): The design and engineering
work are complete and will allow for the placement of the new elevator and sprinkler systems.
Neither are in the building presently. Engineering continues to work on two options for the
replacement of the HVAC system. One option is a new all -electric system. The second option
would be to keep the system as gas fired, but replace all the components required to allow the
system to operate for the next 10 years.
• Solar Canopy and System - Police Station (2023 Article, 16(1)): After multiple design charrettes,
the HDC approved the Certificate of Appropriateness in November 2023, allowing the system to
be designed and sent to bid. The foundations are currently being installed. The structure will be
built by late spring 2024 and it is anticipated the system will be online in the late fall.
• East Lexington Fire Station - Feasibility Study (2023 ATM, Article 160)): The designers were
recently hired and put under contract. The architects are currently performing a conditions
assessment of the facility, which will be followed by a GIS heat map review. The review will
indicate where the fire department responds to frequently. This information will suggest where the
East Lexington Fire station should be located.
The DPF is using the building assessment to develop a 20 -year capital plan. This information feeds directly
into the 5 -year capital plan that was submitted The current budgeting and finance planning is for all five
years: FY2025 through FY2029. DPF narratives include significant facility needs that should be addressed
including 173 Bedford Street, the Central Office, East Lexington Fire Station, and the Town Office
Building.
The DPF is using the building assessment to develop a 20 -year capital plan. This information feeds directly
into the 5 -year capital plan that was submitted The current budgeting and finance planning is for all five
years: FY2025 through FY2029. DPF narratives include significant facility needs that should be addressed
including 173 Bedford Street, the Central Office, East Lexington Fire Station, and the Town Office
Building.
Public Facilities 5 -Year Capital Appropriation History (All Sources)
(Exclusive of Land -Acquisition Costs)
Pro ram
FY2020 FY2021 FY2022 FY2023 FY2024
Municipal (School(s) included)
Stone Building Design & Repair
$400,000
173 Bedford Street
$100,000
Visitor Center Renovation/Upgrade
$525,000
Westview Cemetery Building
$3,290,000 $770,000
Bathhouses & Adjacent Facilities
$620,000 $1,080,000
Pine Meadows Building
1 $120,000
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
Irving Mabee Pool Water Heater
$91,000
Public Facilities Bid Documents $100,000
$100,000 $100,000
$100,000
$125,000
Building Envelope $203,865
$208,962 $214,186
$219,540
$225,029
Townwide Roofing
$2,010,152 $528,000
$428,000
Major Electrical/Mechanical Systems
Upgrades $605,000
$672,000 $728,000
$787,000
$849,200
Building Floor Program
$150,000
East Lexington Fire Headquarters
$50,000
Police Headquarters New Facility3
$870,000
$32,400,000
Police Station Adjacent Solar Canopy
$3,400,000
Municipal Sub -Total $2,053,865
$6,281,114 $3,210,186
$35,255,540
$5,269,229
Schools Sole recipient for each
High School Overcrowding
Renovations/Expansions
$150,000
High School Replacement or
Renovation
$1,825,000
High School Equip Emergency Fund
$500,000
Building Envelope & Systems
$233,448
$239,285 $245,199
$251,400
$1,457,864
School Paving & Sidewalks Program
$125,000 $125,000
$145,000
$265,000
Interior Renovations
$125,000 $125,000
$407,200
Schools Sub -Total
1 $639,285
$639,285 $495,199
$2,721,400
$2,130,064
Municipal & Schools Totals
1 $2,693,150
$6,920,399 $3,705,385
$37,976,940
$7,399,293
Town -Owned Building Under Lease
Munroe Center for the Arts4
$6,635,191
Grand Totals
$2,693,150
$6,920,399
$3,705,385
$37,976,940
$14,034,484
As endorsed by this Committee, this project has become the responsibility of the DPF-with DPW is its "client" -so
this design funding ($270,000 General Fund debt with debt service funded from this revolving fund) has been moved
from the DPW's funding history.
2 As endorsed by this Committee, this project has become the responsibility of the DPF-with DPW is its "client" -so
this design funding ($75,000 CPF (Cash)) has been moved from the Recreation's funding history.
3 Includes costs for interim facility at 173 Bedford St -initially for the Fire Headquarters use and then to rehabilitate
that facility for the Police Headquarters use.
a DPF required to approve & oversee all renovations to that Town -owned building under lease to that company.
Recreation
Recreation Department programs are funded from three sources:
General -Fund Tax Levy: The General Fund Tax Levy supports the wages associated with the three
full time employees for the Community Center (Community Center Director, Youth & Family
Coordinator and Admin Asst). Capital projects that do not qualify for CPC funds are paid through
Tax Levy, Free Cash/Bond and the Recreation Enterprise Fund. (e.g., used for neighborhood
playgrounds, athletic fields, and basketball court improvements if not recommended by the
Community Preservation Committee for CPA funding).
• R&CP EF (e.g., used for fee-based activities such as a� Pine Meadows Golf Course, Community
Center, Irving H. Mabee Pool, Old Reservoir, and tennis courts). Programs and services have
returned in full, post COVID pandemic.
CPA funds (available for creation and preservation of recreation facilities, including those for
fee-based activities). CPA monies have enabled some large projects which otherwise might not
have been financially viable. for example renovations at Lincoln Fields.
29
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
Demand for Recreation facilities remains strong, demand for outdoor recreation facilities, including
athletic fields in particular will reach critical levels when the expected High School project starts as all
or most of the Center Recreation Complex natural grass fields will be lost during the expected five year
period of construction and then rebuild of the fields. Note this also requires a pending Article 97 land
swap between the Town and School department.
The Recreation Department has a large number of projects recently completed or in progress, or seeking
funding.
Current and Recent Projects
The Community Park Master Plan for Lincoln Park, as identified in the 2020 community needs assessment
report. This plan will allow the park to properly coordinate capital projects and annual upgrades identified
by the Recreation & Community Programs Department, Recreation Committee, Lincoln Park
Sub—Committee, as well as stakeholders and those desired by the community. The kick-off meeting for this
project took place in early 2023, and a draft report has been written. The final report is anticipated to be
presented in March 2024.
The Lincoln Park Field Improvements approved last year, $3.391M, for reconstruction of field 1, and
lighting for fields 1 & 3. Bids were opened 29 February, and the low bid was within budget. The expectation
is the project will start in early June, and be substantially complete by the end of September. The FY2025
request of $1,810,000 is for laser grading and turf replacement for field 2 ($1,145,000 from CPF and
$665,000 from the general fund). (See Article 10(f) and Article 16(f)). In addition, there is an FY2025
request for $160,000 from CPF for new fitness equipment. (See Article 10(d)).
The Center area projects to renovate the Gallagher tennis courts and Center basketball courts, and replace
the bathroom facilities were substantially completed in late 2023, with only some landscaping remaining
to be done in the spring.
Work at Pine Meadows golf course to restore some cart paths and tee boxes is ongoing with completion
anticipated in the spring of 2024. There are two FY2025 Pine Meadows improvement requests, $110,000
from the RE for renovations to fuel bays and safety netting for the practice area (See Article 11) and
$2,575,000 to renovate the Pine Meadows Clubhouse (See Article 25).
Park improvements at Justin Park and Bridge School are expected to take place during the spring and
summer of 2024. The Bridge Field renovation FY2025 request is for $545,000. (See Article 10(c)).
Fiske Park & Playground Improvements and Athletic Fields renovation with laser grading, new backstops,
new natural grass, signage and fencing, and creation of walkways to provide accessibility between team
areas and different ball fields in accordance with the Town's 2017 ADA compliance study. It is anticipated
that this project will begin in the spring of 2024.
The Old Reservoir Bathhouse project was put out to bid in the spring of 2023. The bids came in over the
allocated funds, and the project has been put on hold while alternatives are being considered.
Improvements to the Muzzy Athletic fields was put out to bid in 2022 including two accessible paths is in
anticipated to be completed by 2024.
There is an FY2025 request for $492,000 from the CPF for replacement of the Valley Rd hardcourts for
tennis and pickleball. (See Article 10(e)).
Recreation 5 -Year Capital Appropriation History (All Sources)
Program
FY2020 FY2021
FY2022
FY2023
FY2024
Athletic Fields
$435,000 $470,000
$155,000
$250,000
$285,000
Park, Playgrounds, & Tot Lots
$302,000 $95,000
$395,000
$200,000
$155,000
Pine Meadows Golf Course
$75,000
$87,000
$95,000
$394,000
Irving H. Mabee Poole
$35,000
Lincoln Fields Improvements
$100,000
$3,391,500
30
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
Hard Court Resurfacing
$50,000
$100,000
$2,500,000
Athletic Facility Lighting
2020/2021 2021/2022
$450,000
2023/2024
Pre -Kindergarten Pre -K) 68
57 67
Recreation Community Needs
Assessment
$50,000
Elementary (Kindergarten (K)-5) 3,019
2,790 2,702
2,702
2,674
Center Track and Field
Reconstruction
1,793 1,748
1,765
1,737
High School 9-12 2,275
2,261 2,273
Totals
$912,000
$1,115,000
$637,000
$3,145,000
$4,260,500
1FY2021 $100,000 for Athletic Fields Feasibility Study for the 14 Town -owned properties & $370,000 for
improvements.
2Previously included a project at the Old Reservoir Bathhouse. As endorsed by this Committee, that project
has become the responsibility of the DPF—with Recreation as its "client"—so the design funding ($75,000
CPF (Cash)) has been moved to the DPF funding history.
Schools
Overview
The Lexington Public Schools (LPS) provide educational, athletic, and club activities for students in
grades Pre -Kindergarten -12. This is the enrollment for the current and the four previous academic years:
Enrollment in Lexington Public Schoolst
Academic Year
Grades 2019/2020
2020/2021 2021/2022
2022/2023
2023/2024
Pre -Kindergarten Pre -K) 68
57 67
75
76
Elementary (Kindergarten (K)-5) 3,019
2,790 2,702
2,702
2,674
Middle Schools 6-8 1,828
1,793 1,748
1,765
1,737
High School 9-12 2,275
2,261 2,273
2,303
2,318
Totals 7,190
6,901 6,790
6,845
6,805
tEnrollment figures are those as of October 1st as required by the State's Department of Elementary and
Secondary Education DESE for each academic year.
LPS currently owns and operates a preschool (the Lexington Children's Place (LCP)), six
elementary–school buildings, two middle -school buildings, and the high-school complex of four,
freestanding, academic buildings, and a field house. Central Office ("Administration") personnel and
services are in what had been the old Harrington School. The maintenance of these fourteen buildings is
overseen by the DPF.
Starting in 2005 with the opening of the Harrington elementary school, the Town of Lexington has been
building and renovating its school buildings to address issues of obsolesce and what had been rising
enrollments. A new building for LCP opened in 2019. The following elementary-school buildings have
been replaced with new schools: Harrington [2005], Fiske [2007], Estabrook [2014] and Maria Hastings
[2020]. The Bowman and Bridge elementary schools were renovated and expanded via space mining
[2013]. The middle schools Clarke and Diamond were renovated and expanded [2017]. In addition, modular
classrooms were added to Bowman, Bridge, and Fiske [2017], and in two phases at the high school [2014,
2016]. The Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) has accepted the high-school project into
the first module of its reimbursement program.
In the 2020-2021 school year, the national COVID-19 pandemic has impacted school enrollments, reducing
student loads across the board, especially in the elementary schools. While enrollment has stabilized,
populations remain below projections and it is expected that the preschool, elementary, and middle schools
will have sufficient capacity for the foreseeable future. The high school is likely to continue to have a
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CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
population at general classroom capacity, though it will be well over capacity in ancillary areas such as the
cafeteria. In addition, the high school is past its expected life and will need extensive renovation or
replacement. One potential risk to future student population forecasts is zoning changes implemented at the
2023 ATM to support development of denser housing near public transportation in order to alleviate
housing shortages across the Commonwealth.
Preschool: The capacity at LCP for the educational program as it existed pre-COVID-19 was 166 slots (a
half-day student takes one slot, and a full-day student takes two slots) across programs for Intensive
Learning Program, integrated special education, and general education. The enrollment tends to start low
at the start of the school year and grow during the year as children reach the age of two years and nine
months. To date the maximum enrollment has been 136 slots from 71 students (2017-2018). The number
of students rebounded to near pre-COVID-19 levels as the pre—COVID-19 schedule was resumed.
Elementary schools: The capacity (as provided by the LPS in 2016) is 3,248 while current
(October 1, 2023) enrollment is just above 2,674, slightly below with last year. Each school is operating
well within its capacity. Elementary enrollments are now projected to continue to drift downward to 2,394
through FY2027 and will remain safely below capacity. One issue for the town, regardless of fluctuations
in student population, is that Bridge and Bowman Schools are older facilities that may require extensive
renovation of replacement in the next decade.
Middle schools: The capacity in the middle schools after the previous renovations and expansion are 903
at Clarke and 946 at Diamond for a total of 1,849. Current enrollments are 810 and 927, respectively, for a
total of 1,713. Enrollments are currently projected to decline to around 1614, well below the buildings'
capacity, as smaller elementary classes replace the large cohorts currently in the middle school.
High School: Lexington High School is the remaining school asset that lacks capacity for additional
students and in poor physical condition. According to the Statement of Interest submitted to the MSBA, the
High School was designed to accommodate 1,850 students. The High School has been expanded in two
phases through modular -classrooms additions. After the first set, Symmes, Maim, McKee Associates, in
January 2015, estimated the high-school capacity at 2,325. The second set added space primarily for the
Intensive Learning Program special -education program, but included two general -education classrooms,
bringing the capacity to approximately 2,375.
The current population of 2,318 is within the general -use classroom capacity and projected to be stable for
the next three years. However, other facilities such as the cafeteria and science laboratories are
overcrowded. The science—classroom space needs are being partially addressed by space mining. One
science classroom was outfitted in the summer of 2019 using existing operating funds, and another was
outfitted in the summer of 2020 using an appropriation in the last fiscal year. Even with these measures, the
High School requires substantial capital investment to meet safety requirements, achieve DESI
requirements for time on learning, and deliver a 21st century educational curriculum.
Preparation for high-school renovations and enlargement, or replacement is underway after acceptance of
the project by the MSBA on March 2, 2022. The Town funded the $1.825 million Feasibility Study at the
Fall STM 2022-2, Article 2. The Town has been cooperating with MSBA requests, and has just received
guidance that the new high-school project should be designed to accommodate a population of 2,395
students; that figure includes a buffer of potentially 300 hundred additional students from proposed zoning
changes but assumes that Lexington's high-school population will otherwise decline slightly.
While there are no actual architect -based cost estimates at this time, and costs may depend on renovation
versus replacement, this will be a Capital undertaking on a scale never experienced by Lexington. The
Town has increased the estimated total cost of the project in its models to $450 million. Accompanying
appropriations (not including that $1.825 million funding in 2022 for the feasibility study) are $35 million
for design and engineering ($10 million under Article 26 in this Town Meeting for FY2025; $25 million
in FY2026) as part of a Debt Exclusion Referendum and $415 million for construction in FY2026 (also
part of that Debt Exclusion Referendum. It is estimated that MSBA will cover 25% of the total -pay costs.
That would result in an approximate Lexington net cost of $337.5 million if the MSBA issues a Project
Funding Agreement. That rate is comparable to recent Town MSBA-assisted projects and reflects that often
there are design features our Town deems essential but not eligible for reimbursement. It remains to be seen
32
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
if this $450 million cost estimate is accurate. It is estimated that MSBA projects, under typical
circumstances, take 6 years from feasibility -study approval to the opening of a new or a major -renovated
building(s). Given the exceptional total project cost, ensuring Town—wide financial support may be required
before committing additional resources beyond the feasibility study. Hence a positive debt—exclusion vote
to secure funding for the project could take place in late 2025. See Article 26 in this report for more details
on the timeline for this project.
If additional overcrowding is expected well before a new high school can be completed, the Town may
require some Capital investment for continued space mining, although there are no entries in the 5 -year
capital plan. Additionally, at the 2023 ATM, the Town established revolving High School Emergency Fund
(2023 ATM Article 16(g)) to address unexpected equipment repairs that arise before a new or reconstructed
high-school facility is completed.
While Capital projects for the LPS buildings and their environs are managed by the DPF, there currently is
an annual request for capital appropriations directly managed by LPS for school technology. (See
Article 15.)
School Technology Program
There is a long-term plan to upgrade technology for students and staff throughout the schools by replacing
the oldest computers, Chromebooks, iPads, peripherals, projection systems, network -delivery systems, and
other associated hardware and software to have enhanced Pre -K through grade 12 instructional and
administrative tools. (See Article 15.) Funding for at least some of the shorter lifespan technology items
will be cash funding within the operating budget to avoid the costs of debt financing.
Schools -Managed 5 -Year Capital Appropriation History (All Sources)
Program
FY2020
FY2021
FY2022
FY2023
FY2024
Technology
$1,743,900
$1,299,246
$1,186,236
$1,343,006
$1,465,488
Innovation & Technolos!y
This department supports, maintains and manages the Town's Information Technology (IT) systems
(hardware, software, and Web sites) that are critical service -delivery elements and provide program
management for all the Town's departmental operations. Services provided include: municipal IT
hardware/software operations and support for all activities; staff training; financial -management hardware
and software (including the Town's Munis system) maintenance that serves Town and School departments;
electronic mail and Internet access; Town website support; phone Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP)
infrastructure and applications; head—end management and support; and co -management, with School
Department Information Technology staff, of the Town's wide—area network actively connecting to 28
Town and School buildings.
There are five FY2025 requests. See Articles 12(k,l,m,n,o).
5 -Year Capital Appropriation History (All Sources)
Program
FY2020
FY2021
FY2022
FY2023
FY2024
Cary Library Network
$95,000
Network Core Equipment
$550,000
Replacement
Telephone System
$150,000
$150,000
Replacements
Municipal Technology
$550,000
Improvement
MIS/Network Technology
$100,000
$100,000
$161,000
Improvement Program
Scanning Electronic
$110,000
$110,000
Document Management
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CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
Network Redundancy & $945,000 $998,500
Improvement Plan
Application Implementation $390,000 $325,000 $158,500
Totals 1 $640,000 1 $575,000 1 $95,000 1 $1,213,500 1 $2,369,500 1
Town Clerk's Office
This Office is the primary repository of official documents forthe Town, and the custodian of, and recording
office overseeing the maintenance, disposition, and preservation of municipal archival records and
materials. Responsibilities include the issuance of vital records and statistics as well as preparation and
distribution of dog licenses and business certificates. The Office is tasked with the posting of meetings of
all government bodies in accordance with the Open Meeting Law as well as providing access to public
records in compliance with the State Public Records Law. Additional responsibilities include administration
of the annual census and ethics training compliance, recording of all Town Meeting actions, scheduled
reporting to the Department of Revenue and Attorney General, and, in conjunction with the Board of
Registrars, supervision of all election related activities in conformance with State and local laws.
There is one FY2025 request; see Article 10(b).
Town Clerk's Office 5 -Year Capital Appropriation History (All Sources)
Affordable Housing
To provide for the needs of its residents and to meet State law, the Town must plan and budget for the
continuing creation and maintenance of units of affordable housing. Indeed, increasing affordable housing
is both a priority for Lexington constituents and the State.
Massachusetts General Law Chapter 4013, passed in 1969, requires each municipality in the
Commonwealth to have 10% of its housing "affordable" as defined by the statute and its regulations. To be
maintained as affordable, a unit must be subject to a long-term, preferably perpetual, deed restriction
limiting its sale price to the affordable level as determined at the time of sale. To encourage more rental -
unit creation, the statute also provides that if a rental -housing development deed restricts 25% of its units,
all the rental units will count as part of the town's Subsidized Housing Inventory (SHI), even though 75%
of them are actually priced at market rate.
The Lexington Housing Partnership (LHP) is a nine -member board of Town residents appointed by the
Board of Selectmen to 3 -year terms. Its mission is to keep Lexington residents informed of the Town's
housing needs and to plan and advocate for the preservation and creation of affordable housing in
Lexington.
The Lexington Housing Authority (LHA), a five -member board, was created in 1969 under
Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 121B. The members of that board are appointed as follows: 1 by the
Governor for a 5 -year term but serves until reappointed or replaced; 3 Town elected with varying term
length; and 1 resident member, residents apply, and appointment by the SB for a 5 -year term. Under the
statute, municipal housing authorities manage State- and Federal -subsidized housing units and administer
Federal housing vouchers to individuals and households who qualify. As of this year, the LHA will own or
manage over 77 Federal units, 158 State units, and 14 subsidized, privately owned units. The LHA also
administers 76 housing vouchers, including Section 8 vouchers which are used by households to pay private
34
FY2020
FY2021
FY2022
FY2023
FY2024
Election System
Archives & Records
Management/Conservation & Restoration
$20,000
$20,000
$20,000
$35,000
Totals
$20,000
1 $20,000
$0
1 $20,000
1 $20,000
Affordable Housing
To provide for the needs of its residents and to meet State law, the Town must plan and budget for the
continuing creation and maintenance of units of affordable housing. Indeed, increasing affordable housing
is both a priority for Lexington constituents and the State.
Massachusetts General Law Chapter 4013, passed in 1969, requires each municipality in the
Commonwealth to have 10% of its housing "affordable" as defined by the statute and its regulations. To be
maintained as affordable, a unit must be subject to a long-term, preferably perpetual, deed restriction
limiting its sale price to the affordable level as determined at the time of sale. To encourage more rental -
unit creation, the statute also provides that if a rental -housing development deed restricts 25% of its units,
all the rental units will count as part of the town's Subsidized Housing Inventory (SHI), even though 75%
of them are actually priced at market rate.
The Lexington Housing Partnership (LHP) is a nine -member board of Town residents appointed by the
Board of Selectmen to 3 -year terms. Its mission is to keep Lexington residents informed of the Town's
housing needs and to plan and advocate for the preservation and creation of affordable housing in
Lexington.
The Lexington Housing Authority (LHA), a five -member board, was created in 1969 under
Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 121B. The members of that board are appointed as follows: 1 by the
Governor for a 5 -year term but serves until reappointed or replaced; 3 Town elected with varying term
length; and 1 resident member, residents apply, and appointment by the SB for a 5 -year term. Under the
statute, municipal housing authorities manage State- and Federal -subsidized housing units and administer
Federal housing vouchers to individuals and households who qualify. As of this year, the LHA will own or
manage over 77 Federal units, 158 State units, and 14 subsidized, privately owned units. The LHA also
administers 76 housing vouchers, including Section 8 vouchers which are used by households to pay private
34
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
landlords. Depending on the size and type of housing unit, the LHA's wait time for eligible households
varies from 1'/2 to 8 years.
The L14A routinely applies for State and Federal contributions for maintenance and improvement of these
housing units. However, State contributions are normally insufficient to meet annual needs. Use of
Lexington's Community Preservation Act to fund capital improvements that are eligible under the statute
allows the Town to keep existing units functional and in compliance with legal standards. This year, L14A
is requesting $100,000 from CPA funds to make exterior improvements on a duplex on Massachusetts
Avenue (see 2024 ATM Article 10(h)).
In 2016, the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development launched the Modifying
Public Housing and Supporting Elders (MoDPHASE) Initiative to distribute State grants for the
preservation of State public housing and the encouragement of cooperation between local Housing
Authorities and local service agencies for the benefit of seniors occupying public housing. In a competitive
process, Lexington was awarded a grant of $5.3 million to rehabilitate kitchens and baths at Vynebrook
Village in 2019. The award has since been increased to over $7 million. A Lexington CPA application was
awarded in 2022 to fund fire alarm upgrades as part of the project (see 2022 ATM Article 10(1)). The
contract has been awarded and construction began in April 2023. As of February 2024, work is
approximately 85% complete with an anticipated completion date of May 2024.
The Lexington Housing Assistance Board (LexHAB) is unique to Lexington. The nine -member board
was created in 1983 by the Selectmen, who were concerned about the need for affordable and transitional
housing for Lexington residents experiencing economic difficulties. LexHAB currently owns and manages
78 rental housing units and uses rents to maintain and improve the units as needed. LexHAB also maintains
a fund balance that may be used to build new units or to purchase units on which the deed restrictions
maintaining their affordability may expire. LexHAB's effectiveness has been adversely impacted by
Lexington's competitive housing market and by being subject to the public procurement process as a Town
entity. At the Fall STM 2022-3, Town Meeting voted to convert LexHAB (at its request) into a 501-3(c),
though the State has yet to finalize the necessary changes. We expect LexHAB in the future to be primarily
funded by the recently established Affordable Housing Trust (AHT). In 2022, LexHAB was able to use
$800,000 of ARPA funds, to acquire and begin renovations at 9 Kimball Road, a 3 -bedroom market -rate
home, which will be converted in an affordable unit. LexHAB used $400,000 from CPA funds to build a
reserve in order to capitalize on similarly sized opportunities that may arise in the future. (See 2023 ATM
Article 10(0, p). In FY 2025, LexHAB is requesting $482,365 to preserve 26 affordable units under Article
10 (g)
Lexington's Subsidized Housing Inventory (SHI) The housing units administered by the L14A and those
LexHAB units that have been assigned under the State's lottery procedure all qualify on Lexington's SHI.
Including all rental units, as permitted by statute, the Town's SHI stood at 11.2% at the 2010 Federal census.
However, as 75% of the Town's rental units are not actually deed -restricted, the true percentage of
Lexington housing units that are affordable to households below the area median income is closer to 5%.
As the Town's inventory of market -rate units increases more rapidly each year than do deed -restricted units,
there is concern that in this year's decennial census, Lexington's SHI will fall below the statutorily required
10%. In that event, the statute provides those private developers who deed -restrict 25% of the units in their
projects will not be subject to the density restrictions of Lexington's zoning bylaw, allowing them to build
larger and more densely sited subdivisions than Lexington zoning would otherwise allow.
The Affordable Housing Trust. In Fall 2022, Lexington voted to create the AHT in order to accelerate
the development of affordable housing (STM 2022-3, Article 12). An AHT acts primarily as a source of
funds to (1) buy land, (2) buy housing (buildings), (3) finance construction (for example by providing funds
to LexHAB or other affordable housing entity). The Trust can act quickly to purchasing property when
opportunities arise since once funds are in the Trust there is no need to go to the Community Preservation
Committee (CPC) or Town meeting. Town funds or AHT funds require an affordable housing deed
restriction, as well as Town monitoring and compliance of a project, in addition to AHT oversight. CPA
funds contributed $1.5 million initial funding for the AHT (see Article 10(n)) in FY 2024 and the CPA has
voted in favor an additional $3.2 million in FY 2025. The AHT also seeks the donation of Town owned
35
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
land totaling 3.2 acres on North Street for the purpose of developing an affordable housing project in
cooperation with a developer (see Article 33).
The Community Preservation Act (see further information starting on Page x.) provides that 10% of each
year's revenue under the Act (i.e., the designated tax -surcharge revenue, the State contribution, and interest
earned on the Lexington Community Preservation Fund (CPF)) be allocated for community (low or
moderate income) housing. Since Lexington's adoption of the Act in 2006, CPA funds have been the
primary means of adding affordable units to Lexington's inventory. Town Meeting has approved LexHAB
requests for CPA allocations to purchase and rehabilitate existing homes, as well as to build new units, both
of which are then deed—restricted and rented to eligible households. We anticipate that CPA will, in the
future, be a reliable funding source for the Affordable Housing Trust (AHT).
Surcharge to Fund Affordable Housing. The fall 2020 STM -3 approved a citizen petition to instruct the
Select Board to establish a surcharge on specific residential developments for the purpose of funding
affordable and community housing construction, renovation and associated land acquisitions or easements,
and to authorize the Select Board to petition the Massachusetts legislature to enact enabling legislation for
this purpose.
Planning
The mission of the Planning Department is to provide technical and administrative support to the Planning
Board and various Boards and Commissions to implement the community's long-term vision. The Planning
Department is responsible for advance planning, development review, public information, and development
compliance as permitted and conditioned by the Planning Board.
Town Comprehensive Plan (LexingtonNext)
The Town Comprehensive plan guides the work of the Planning Department. The Plan covers Land Use,
Housing, Economic Development, Natural and Cultural Resources, and Transportation. The current plan
was adopted September 28, 2022.
TMOD Implementation -Permitting and Progress Tracking
The Traffic Management Overlay District (TMOD) to facilitate multi -modal transportation networks and
to improve traffic management and mitigation was approved in 2009, and at the FY2011 ATM the TMOD
Stabilization Fund to receive mitigation payments from commercial developers was created. Compiling the
data from the TMOD developments will help us evaluate the effectiveness of various transportation demand
management elements and inform us how to better improve the requirements. At the FY2024 ATM $42,000
from the TMOD Stabilization Fund was approved for a permitting and tracking system to enable the
compiling of these data. Regulations for this effort were passed in September 2023 and will be implemented
over the summer 2024.
Transportation Mitigation
The Transportation Safety Group (TSG) is a working group appointed by the Town Manager and consists
of staff from the Planning Office, Engineering Division, Transportation Services, and the School and Police
Departments and is advised by representatives from the Commission on Disability, Bicycle Advisory
Committee, Transportation Advisory Committee and Greenway Corridor Committee. The TSG reviews
traffic safety requests from residents and from various Town Departments and provides the list of new
sidewalk priorities to DPW. TSG funds are used to evaluate safety requests, conduct studies, and develop
construction cost estimates for future capital requests as well as fund the design/construction of
smaller—scale, safety—related, projects.
Lexington receives an annual allotment from the Transportation Network Companies (TNC) fund which
collects fee from companies such as Uber and Lyft. Starting in FY2021, the Town asked Town Meeting to
allocate this allotment to the TSG. TSG spending was limited to the TNC funds in FY2021 ($16,504),
FY2022 ($20,889.20), and FY2023 ($6,823.50) in part because of the COVID-19 pandemic and because
of successful grant applications, so no further Town -generated funds were requested. In FY2024 the TSG
request is for $87,685, which includes $7,685 from the TNC fund. The FY2025 request has returned to the
pre -pandemic level of $100,000 ($86,766 from the general fund, $13,234 from the TNC).
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CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
Bedford St. and Hartwell Ave. Long Range Transportation Improvements
The 2019 Fall Special Town Meeting appropriated $1.5 million ($1,250,000 to be funded by debt, and
$250,000 to come from the TMOD Stabilization Fund) to develop the 25% Design for improvements to
Route 4/225 (Bedford Street/Hartwell Avenue), including the "jug -handle" intersection. The project aims
to create a complete street for vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists by widening Route 4/225, adjusting the
intersection, and adding pedestrian and transit facilities. This project will improve traffic safety, fix choke
points, provide safe pedestrian crossings and safe bus stops, expand our existing pedestrian and bicycle
network, and improve access to the Minuteman Bikeway. A public meeting was held on Nov 16, 2023, and
the consultant is using the resulting feedback to develop concept plans for MassDOT review. The FY2024
request of $1.75 million provides an iterative funding step toward the final PS&E (Plans, Specifications &
Estimates), and is critical to keeping Lexington's place for this project on the State's Long -Range
Transportation Plan (LRTP) for the 2029 -2033 -time band.
Planning New Column 5 -Year Capital Appropriation History (All Sources)
Program FY2020 FY2021 I FY2022 I FY20231 FY2024
Hartwell Signage 1 1 $65,000
Transportation Mitigation $100,0001 $16,5041 $20,8891 $181,8241 $129,685
Totals $100,0001 $16,5041 $20,8891 $246,8241 $129,685
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CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
2024 ATM Warrant -Article Explanations and
Recommendations
Cites of the "Town Warrant" refer to the "Town of Lexington Warrant for the 2024 Annual
Town Meeting, March 18, 2024". Cites of the "Brown Book" refer to the "Town of Lexington
Fiscal Year 2025 Recommended Budget & Financing Plan", February 20, 2024
In this context, N/A stands for Not Applicable; IP stands for Indefinite Postponement
Article 7: Sustainable Capital
Project
Amount
Requested
Funding
Source
Committee
Recommends
$65,000
Free Cash
Approval 6-0
Project Description
Amount
Funding
Committee
(b) Solar Assessment Lincoln Fields
Requested
Source
Approval 6-0
Recommends
1(a) Sustainable Capital Initiatives
$35,000
Free Cash
Approval 6-0
"This is a new capital program to fund sustainable capital initiatives including electric vehicle (EV)
charging equipment and infrastructure. In the future this program may also include the study, design and
construction of rooftop solar or solar canopies, including battery storage; and other projects identified by
the Sustainability and Resilience Officer to move the Town towards achieving its sustainability goals.
"The FY2025 request is for funding the purchase and installation of two or more electric vehicle charging
stations. At least one EV charging station would be installed at the Town Office Building, primarily for
charging municipal fleet vehicles, but could be utilized by the public outside of operating hours. This
request is expected to fund a second charger in a location that is to be determined."
(Brown Book, Page XI -25, 436)
Project Description
Amount
Requested
Funding
Source
Committee Recommends
(b) Solar Assessment Lincoln Fields
$30,000
Free Cash
Approval 6-0
"This request for funding is to assess the feasibility of installing solar collectors and related systems at
Lincoln Park as part of the feedback from the Lincoln Park Master Plan. In order to properly assess the site
for solar production using canopies, the Town would need to consult with a geotechnical engineer to
understand the soil conditions given that the site is a capped landfill. The Town would also need to consult
with solar professionals to site the solar collectors and to determine the possible size of the system. If
feasible a construction project will be incorporated into the Lincoln Park Master Plan and implemented
during the end of life replacement of the Lincoln Field 43 renovation that is currently in the Recreation
Committee 5- year capital plan for FY2026."
(Brown Book, Page XI -18, 48)
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
Project Description
Amount
Funding
Committee Recommends
FY2025 Community Preservation
Requested
Source
Committee Recommends
Article 8: Tucker Avenue Street
$30000
Free Cash
Approval 6-0
Acceptance
'
(Cash) + $1,700,000
and CPA Projects
"The residents of Tucker Avenue have submitted a request to have the street brought up to Town standards
and accepted by the Town. This acceptance would increase the length of town roadways, which in turn will
result in a small increase in yearly funding received from the state in Chapter 90 allotments. This asset will
fall under the town's asset management program; once completed, proper preservation can extend the life
of the road 20 to 30 years or more. The street acceptance must be approved by Town Meeting, however the
cost of road construction will ultimately be borne by the residents of Tucker Avenue through the assessment
of street betterments."
(Brown Book, Page XI -23, 428)
The Committee recognizes that although the expected life of the to -be -incorporated roadway is 20-30 years,
there will be ongoing operating costs (e.g., plowing).
Article 10: Appropriate for the
Amount
Funding
Committee Recommends
FY2025 Community Preservation
Requested
Source
Committee Recommends
Committee Operating Budget
Requested
$2,300,000 CPF
Renovation Project—Construction
$4,000,000
(Cash) + $1,700,000
and CPA Projects
$11,640,565
CPA (Free Cash)
See Below
Project Description (Category)
Amount
Funding Source
Committee Recommends
Requested
(a) Cary Memorial Library
$2,300,000 CPF
Renovation Project—Construction
$4,000,000
(Cash) + $1,700,000
Approval 6-0
(Historic Resources)
General Fund Debt
"It has been nearly 20 years since the Cary Library's major renovation project in 2004. Over the course of
the next ten years, the library will need significant capital investment due to wear and tear and aging
mechanical systems. The library recognized the need to renovate its Children's Room and Large Meeting
Room spaces in 2019 when it received an appropriation of $100K to conduct a feasibility study for those
spaces.
"Children's spaces in public libraries have changed significantly since the Cary Library was designed in the
late 1990s. Several factors drive these changes: advances in technology, the need for more flexible
programming spaces, evolving standards in accessibility/Universal Design, and an increasing urgency
regarding the safety of children in public spaces. The renovation of the Children's Room will provide a
larger programming space, updated restrooms (including one with a universal changing table), better sight
lines, and adequate staff work space. The Large Meeting Room adjacent to the Children's Room will also
be renovated as part of this project. This space will receive a full technology update for hybrid
programming, a new hearing loop, and better kitchen facilities designed for cooking, science, and craft
programming.
"The issue of the building's HVAC system reaching end of life prompted replacement of the system on the
entire lower level, increasing the scope of the project. Approximately half of the project cost will go toward
installing a new green energy HVAC system for the lower level. The library's HVAC system is nearing end
of life, and this project presents an opportunity to convert the lower level which will require ceiling
replacement throughout. Additional updates included in this funding are renovation of the lower level
restrooms, new carpeting for the lower level hallway, and replacement of the stairway treads connecting
the South Lobby and the Main Level.
39
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
"The total cost for this renovation is $5,500,000, however this request is for an appropriation of $4,000,000
(CPA funds and General Fund debt). The remaining $1,500,000 has been committed as a gift by the Cary
Memorial Library Trustees."
(Brown Book, Page XI -9, 43) and just a reference
Cary Memorial Library Renovation Project -Construction -$4,000,000 ($1,700,000 General Fund Debt;
$2,300,000 CPA): See a detailed description of this project under Table I: General Fund Debt.
(Brown Book, Page XI -18, 47)
Project Description (Category)
Amount
Requested
Funding
Source
Committee Recommends
(b) Archives and Record
Requested
Source
Management (Historic Resources)
$20,000
CPF (Cash)
Approval 6-0
"This is an ongoing request to fund the conservation and preservation of historic municipal documents and
records and to make them available on the Town's digital archives. This FY2024 request will include the
conservation and preservation of a three-part set of oversized map books belonging to the Engineering
Department and containing schematic drawings, cemetery plot information and other engineering and urban
layout plans spanning from 1856-1912. Significant progress has been made in preserving Lexington's
historic documents but there remains a continuing need to preserve records from the early 1900s and make
them accessible. It is projected that this will be a yearly request for treatment/digitization/microfilming of
records. The preservation and conservation of permanent records for archiving creates the basis for
documenting Lexington's history for the future."
(Brown Book, Page XI -25, 434)
Project Description (Category)
Amount
Funding
Committee Recommends
(d) Lincoln Park Stations
Requested
Source
(c) Park Improvements—Athletic
$160,000
CPF (Cash)
Approval 6-0
Fields Bowman School
$545,000
CPF (Cash)
Approval 6-0
Recreational Resources
"This request is to renovate the Bowman School Field. This renovation will include a complete
reconstruction with the installation of a new natural grass Little League field, new irrigation system, new
backstops, signage, and park benches. Additionally, the trail that leads to the abutting Dunback Meadow
conservation area will be restored, and based on the recommendations in the ADA Compliance Study, the
end curb that runs parallel to the dugouts will be cut back to allow access to the ball field from the parking
lot and an accessible path will be installed from the dugout on the parking lot side of the field behind the
backstop to provide access to the dugout closest to the playground."
(Brown Book, Page XI -19, 413)
Project Description (Category)
p ( g Y)
Amount
Requested
Funding
Source
Committee Recommends
(d) Lincoln Park Stations
Equipment (Recreational
$160,000
CPF (Cash)
Approval 6-0
Resources
"The fifteen fitness stations installed along the Teresa and Roberta Lee Fitness/Nature Path at Lincoln Park
have been frequently used by park goers over the years and have surpassed their useful life, many being in
a deteriorated condition. This request is to upgrade and replace the equipment at all of the fitness stations."
(Brown Book, Page XI -19, 414)
Me
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
Project Description (Category)
Amount
Funding
Committee Recommends
Requested
Source
(e) Park Improvements—Hard
$1,145,000 CPF
Court Surfaces—Valley Road
$1,810,000
(Cash) +
$665,000 Free
Approval 6-0
(Recreational Resources)
$492,000
CPF (Cash)
Approval 6-0
"This request is to renovate the Valley Courts on Valley Road. The project will include the construction of
post tension concrete court surfaces for tennis and pickleball. In addition to new courts, the project will
provide new fencing, athletic equipment, and site amenities."
(Brown Book, Page XI -19, 415)
Project Description (Category)
Amount
Funding Source
Committee Recommends
Requested
Source
(f) Lincoln Park Field
$1,145,000 CPF
Improvements (Recreational
$1,810,000
(Cash) +
$665,000 Free
Approval 6-0
Resources)
Cash
"This request is to conduct an end -of -life synthetic turf replacement at Lincoln Field 42. The project
includes a professional evaluation to determine if subsurface/base "pad" can be reused or if a replacement
is required for safe function of the field. The project then comprises removal of the existing surface turf
"carpet" at Lincoln Field 42, laser grading of the subsurface, inspection and repair (as needed) of the
drainage system, replacement of the base "pad" if indicated by the aforementioned study,
replacement/recycling of the infill material, replacement of the surface turf, replacement of the (wood)
anchors and edging around the immediate field perimeter, and restoration of the walkways, guardrails, and
plantings surrounding the field."
(Brown Book, Page XI -19, 416)
Project Description (Category)
Amount
Funding
Committee Recommends
Requested
Source
(g) LexHAB Support, Restoration,
Preservation, and Decarbonization
$482,365
CPF (Cash)
Approval 6-0
,(Community Housing)
"This FY2025 request seeks funding for the preservation, rehabilitation, and restoration of 26 Lexington
Housing Assistance Board (LexHAB) affordable housing units. The scope of the work at these units varies
by property. There will be preservation, rehabilitation, and restoration projects at seven units which were
acquired with CPA funds, including kitchen and bath renovations, floor replacements, exterior painting,
water and HVAC replacements, and new appliances; and decarbonization initiatives at three properties,
including the installation of solar panels and gas to electric conversions. This funding request will also
cover preservation projects at nineteen LexHAB-operated units not acquired with CPA funds. These include
door replacements, exterior painting, retaining wall replacement, and driveway and walkway replacements.
All improvements are intended to ensure the continued safety and functionality of the units. This request
also seeks funding support to subsidize the rents of LexHAB's lowest income tenants."
(Brown Book, Page XI -26, 437)
41
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
Project Description (Category)
Amount
Requested
Funding
Source
Committee
Requested
Source
Recommends
(h) Lexington Housing Authority
Recommends
Exterior Preservation (Community
$100,000
CPF (Cash)
Approval 6-0
Housin
"This request is to finance the preservation, rehabilitation and restoration of a Lexington Housing Authority
(LHA) duplex at 561/563 Massachusetts Ave. Improvements will include siding, windows and exterior
door replacement which will ensure the continued safety and functionality of the units."
(Brown Book, Page XI -26, 439)
Project Description (Category)
Amount
Funding
Committee
Requested
Source
Recommends
(i) Affordable Housing Trust
Recommends
(AHT) Pre -Funding (Community
$3,200,000
CPF (Cash)
Approval 6-0
,Housing)
"This request is to fund the Lexington AHT by providing CPA seed money for affordable housing, and to
allow the AHT greater flexibility in purchasing property and competing with for-profit developers in the
real estate market."
(Brown Book, Page XI -26, #38)
It is essential that the AHT produce a 5YCP because it is well–known that demand exceeds supply of CPA
Funds.
Project Description (Category)
Amount
Funding
Committee
Requested
Source
Recommends
(j) CPA Debt Service Housing
$681,200
CPF (Cash)
Approval 6-0
Historic Resources
"FY2025 Recommended Projects—Community Preservation Act Debt (Table VI)
Row C Approved Debt Service"
(Brown Book, Page XI -13)
Project Description (Category)
Amount
Funding
Committee
Requested
Source
Recommends
(k) Administrative Budget
$150,000
CPF (Cash)
Approval 6-0
Administrative
"* CPA totals do not include proposed FY2025 administrative budget of $150,000 and $681,200 for debt
service.
(Brown Book, Page XI -15, FY2025 Recommended Projects—Cash Capital (Table VIII), Footnote *)
Of the request:
• $50,000 is for the planning, legal, survey and appraisal work associated with the acquisition of
open space. Such funds will enable the Conservation Commission to complete the due diligence
required to prepare for a land acquisition. While other Town projects use "study monies" to
investigate the benefits of a particular project, the Conservation Commission does not have the
42
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
advantage of this type of lead-time. It must often act quickly to evaluate a property through legal,
survey and appraisal work. Without designating these funds for open space planning, the CPC's
charge of allocating a portion of its revenues to open -space preservation would be hindered.
• The remaining $100,000 funds are for administrative, legal, membership, and advertising expenses.
Included are funds for a year-round, 3 days/week, administrative assistant (the Town's GF covers
the other 2 days) and $10,000 for membership in the Community Preservation Coalition, a
Statewide, non—profit, organization working on behalf of communities who have adopted the CPA.
If any of these appropriated Administrative Budget funds are not required by the end of the fiscal year, that
balance will become part of the Undesignated Fund Balance and, thus, part of the CPF's total amount
available for later appropriation.
'This request is replace the fuel bays, renovate the practice area, and replace the safety netting at the practice
area at the Pine Meadows Golf Club. The fuel bays were last replaced in 2002 and require replacement to
maintain the quality of the golf course. The practice area has also deteriorated over the years and is in need
of a renovation that includes replacing the netting to ensure that safety of all users."
(Brown Book, Page XI -19, 412)
Amount
FundingCommittee
Committee Recommends
Article 11: Pine Meadows
Funds Requested
Source
Recommends
Improvements
Sources
$10,253,686
$110,000
Recreation RE
Approval 6-0
'This request is replace the fuel bays, renovate the practice area, and replace the safety netting at the practice
area at the Pine Meadows Golf Club. The fuel bays were last replaced in 2002 and require replacement to
maintain the quality of the golf course. The practice area has also deteriorated over the years and is in need
of a renovation that includes replacing the netting to ensure that safety of all users."
(Brown Book, Page XI -19, 412)
Project Description
Amount
Funding
Committee Recommends
Article 12: Appropriate for
Funds Requested
Committee Recommends
Municipal Capital Projects and
Sources
$10,253,686
See Below
Approval 6-0
Equipment
Project Description
Amount
Funding Source
Committee Recommends
Requested
$86,766 Free Cash +
$13,234 Transportation
(a) Transportation Mitigation
$100,000
Network Company
Approval 6-0
(TNC) Special Revenue
Fund
"This annual capital request is to support the ongoing work of the Transportation Safety Group (TSG). The
TSG is staffed by the Planning, Engineering, School and Police Departments. Between FY2008 and
FY2011, Town Meeting appropriated funds to collect data, perform analysis, review citizen requests and
recommendations for various Townwide transportation improvements in support of the Traffic Mitigation
Group (dissolved in 2012 and later reconstituted as the TSG).
"Projects underway include a "No Turn on Red" pilot program at the Mass Ave/ Maple Street intersection,
speed limit reductions on Lincoln St. and Marrett Rd. and implementing a School Zone on Concord Ave.
This request will fund the purchase and installation of speed feedback signs, and design and engineering
services to address safety requests."
(Brown Book, Page XI -18, 49)
43
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
Project Description
Amount
Funding
Committee
Requested
Source
Recommends
(b) Heavy Vehicle Extrication
$175,000
Free Cash
Approval 6-0
,Equipment
$502,000
$125,000 Ambulance
Approval 6-0
"This request is to fund the replacement and upgrade of the fire department's heavy vehicle extrication
equipment which is showing signs of end -of -life. The useful life of this equipment ranges from 15-20 years,
and vehicle designs have outpaced the equipment's ability to extricate trapped individuals in serious auto
wrecks. The replacement of this equipment will allow the department to respond effectively to calls
including those involving large trucks, buses, and aircraft, and will avoid costly repairs and equipment
downtime."
(Brown Book, Page XI -18, #10)
Project Description
Amount
Funding Source
Committee
Requested
Recommends
$377,000 Free Cash +
(c) Ambulance Replacement
$502,000
$125,000 Ambulance
Approval 6-0
(d) Equipment Replacement
$1,920,000
Stabilization Fund
Approval 6-0
"The Fire Department's ambulance replacement program intends to rotate and replace ambulances every
three years. The new vehicle runs as the primary ambulance, moves to the secondary position and finally
to mechanical back-up status. At the end of this 9 -year rotation the vehicle has over 150,000 miles. In recent
years the ambulance mechanical systems are suffering more frequent breakdowns due to hard usage. This
replacement request is being advanced one year in the capital plan due to extreme supply chain delays in
order to keep the replacement schedule intact."
(Brown Book, Page XI -18, 411)
Project Description
Amount
Funding Source
Committee
Requested
Recommends
$1,215,000 Free Cash +
$125,000 Water Retained
(d) Equipment Replacement
$1,920,000
Earnings + $260,000
Wastewater Retained
Approval 6-0
Earnings + $320,000
Compost Fund Debt
"This is an annual request to replace equipment that is beyond its useful life and whose mechanical
condition no longer meets the requirements of the Department of Public Works (DPW). The DPW has an
inventory of 146 pieces of equipment including sedans, hybrid SUVs, construction vehicles and specialized
equipment used to mow parks, plow snow, repair streets and complete a variety of other projects. Without
regular equipment replacement, the efficiency and cost effectiveness of the DPW's operations would be
handicapped due to equipment down time and excessive repair costs.
February 20, 2024
XI -19, #17
Each piece of equipment is inventoried with original and current replacement cost, state of condition and
replacement time interval. Replacement intervals vary from 5 to 20 years and are based on manufacturer
recommendations and use (type and duration).
The selection of vehicles to be replaced begins with the proposed replacement date. Then each vehicle is
assessed as to its mechanical condition and work requirements. The systematic replacement program
MA
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
defines what equipment is expected to need replacement during the next five years with the intent of
preventing any unexpected emergency purchases. Annual updates are conducted by the Equipment
Maintenance Division, Division Superintendents and reviewed by the Manager of Operations and Director
of Public Works.
The FY2025 request, by funding source, is shown in the table below.
[reconstructed]
Equipment
Free Cash
Compost
Revolving
Sewer RE
water
RE
Total
Ford F550 Utility
Approval 6-0
$35 000
$ 135,000
Mack Dump Truck
$25 000
$25 000
$ 250,000
Front End Loader
320 000
$ 320,000
Hook Loader Hot Box
$ 150,0001
$ 150,000
Sidewalk Equip. with Snowblowe
$ 195,000
$ 195,000
Turf Aerator
$ 60,000
$ 60,000
Toro Gang Mower
$ 165,000
$ 165,000
Toro Electric Utility Vehicle
$ 45,000
$ 45,000
6 Wheel Snow Fighter
$ 300,000
$ 300,000
Leaf Vacuum MS4 Permit
$ 150,000
$ 150,000
Sidewalk Equip. with Snowblowe
$ 150,000
$ 150,000
$1,215,000
$ 320,000
$ 260,000
$125,000
$ 1,920,000
(Brown Book, Page XI -19, 417) and subset:
$320,000 (Compost Revolving Fund Debt): This request is part of the Department of Public Works'
annual program to replace equipment that has reached the end of its useful life. In FY2025 a front-end
loader that is exclusively used for the Compost facility at Hartwell Avenue is due for replacement. The
funding for this equipment is requested from the Compost Revolving Fund. See a full detailed description
of the Equipment Replacement program under Table VIII: Cash Capital.
(Brown Book XI -14, #1)
Project Description
Amount
Requested
Funding
Source
Committee
Recommends
(e) Sidewalk Improvements
$800,000
Free Cash
Approval 6-0
"This request is to rebuild and/or repair existing sidewalks that are in poor condition. DPW, in conjunction
with various committees and other town departments, will generate a list each year of the sidewalks most
in need of repair/ replacement based on four determining factors:
I. Is the sidewalk unsafe for travel due to trip hazards, defects, etc.
ii. Is the sidewalk within the Safe Routes to School Program
iii. Is the volume of pedestrian traffic heavy, light or average
iv. Is the general condition of the sidewalk poor, fair or good which dictates treatments
such as full reconstruction, overlay or patching
DPW currently reviews 30% of sidewalks annually to identify the work to be done. Sidewalks considered
for FY2025 funding include:
DPW currently reviews 30% of sidewalks annually to identify the work to be done. Sidewalks considered
for FY2025 funding include:
45
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
Simonds Road from Bedford St. to Preston Rd.
1285 LF Asphalt
Douglas Road from East St. to #11
850 LF Asphalt
Clarke Street from 433 Forest (on Clarke)
50 LF Concrete
Hancock Street from Adams St. to Bikeway
4000 LF Asphalt
Bedford Street from Bikeway to N. Hancock St.
900 LF Asphalt
Revere Street from Larchmont Lane to Hancock St. 1300 LF Asphalt
Edgewood Road
920 LF Asphalt
Glen Road from Meriam St. to Upland Rd.
240 LF Asphalt
Upland Street
600 LF Asphalt
Chandler Street from Upland St. to Oakland St.
440 LF Asphalt
Stetson Street
670 LF Asphalt
Reconstruction of Ramps Townwide
The following table presents the recent history of Sidewalk appropriations:
FY2018 FY2019 FY2020 FY2021 FY2022 FY2023 FY2024
$ 800,000 $ 800,000 $ 800,000 $ 800,000 $ 800,000 $ 800,000 $ 800,000
(Brown Book, Page XI -20, 418)
Project Description
Amount
Funding Source
Committee Recommends
Requested
(I) Hydrant Replacement
$150,000
$75000 Free Cash + 75,000
Approval6-0
Improvements
Water Retained Earnings
"This is an ongoing replacement program designed to maintain the integrity of the fire protection system
throughout town. Faulty hydrants need to be replaced to meet safety requirements. A list of hydrants
needing replacement is generated each year during the annual inspection and flushing of hydrants by the
Water and Fire Departments. The Town of Lexington has 1,747 fire hydrants in its fire protection system
and the goal is to replace approximately 45 hydrants per year at a cost of $3,500 per hydrant, with labor
covered by the operating budget. The expected life of a hydrant is 50 years.
(Brown Book, Page XI -22, #21)
Project Description
Amount
Funding Source
Committee Recommends
Requested
(g) Townwide Signalization
$50,000
Free Cash
Approval 6-0
Improvements
"This is an annual program to update traffic and pedestrian signals in Lexington. In addition to updating
traffic and pedestrian signals, this request also periodically updates the compliance study, which is the
funding request proposed in FY2025. The last signal inventory and compliance study was completed in
2011. This study will include ADA compliance, condition assessment, signal timing, delays, and
prioritization recommendations. Signalization projects currently underway include improvements to the
intersections at Lowell at East Street and Lowell at North Street. These intersections have both been
designed and will be substantially constructed utilizing a 'Bottle -neck' grant obtained through MassDOT.
Construction is anticipated in construction calendar year 2024."
(Brown Book, Page XI -21, 419)
we
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
Project Description
Amount
Funding Source
Committee Recommends
(i) Cemetery Columbarium Design
Requested
Free Cash
Approval 6-0
(h) Stormwater Management
$1,350,000
Free Cash
Approval 6-0
,Program
"This is a new program combining three former programs related to stormwater management into one
annual request: Townwide Culvert Replacement, Storm Drain Improvements and NPDES Compliance, and
Comprehensive Stormwater Management. Many of the challenges and solutions are multi- pronged and
cross over between the three programs, which creates complications in the selection and awarding of
projects. By combining these projects, it creates more flexibility and agility for the Department for the
improvements of stormwater throughout Lexington. The aggregated funding will be utilized for supporting
the National Pollutant Discharge and Elimination System (NPDES) program with an emphasis on Illicit
Discharge Detection and Elimination (IDDE) and nutrient removal which are both required by the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Municipal Separated Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit. These
regulations are focused around improving water quality. Additionally, this request will support the stream
management plan, culvert replacement and rehabilitation program, and storm drain improvements to
mitigate flooding."
(Brown Book, Page XI -22, 422)
For a description of recent and future projects, see the discussion of the Stormwater Management Program
on Page "",
Project Description
Amount
Requested
Funding Source
Committee Recommends
(i) Cemetery Columbarium Design
$50,000
Free Cash
Approval 6-0
"The FY2025 funding request is for layout and design services for a columbarium (a structure with niches
to store funeral urns with cremated remains) at Westview Cemetery. Due to the rising number of cremations,
an option for interring urns has been requested by many residents. Currently urns are interred in traditional
burial plots. A columbarium is a more efficient use of cemetery space and will provide an additional option
for those choosing cremation while freeing up traditional burial plots. A request for construction funding
of a columbarium is expected in FY2026."
(Brown Book, Page XI -23, 426)
Project Description
Amount
Requested
Funding
Source
Committee Recommends
(j) Public Parking Lot Improvement Design
$15,000
Free Cash
Approval 6-0
"This request is for the redesign of the public parking lots located in downtown Lexington, including the
Depot lot, the lot between Edison Way and the Depot (behind CVS pharmacy), and the lot between
Waltham Street and Muzzey Street (behind Michelson's Shoes). These lots are currently in fair to poor
condition with inefficient circulation and parking layouts. This FY2025 request will supplement previously
allocated funds and will be used to advance the 100% design and finalize P,S&E (plans, specifications and
estimates) for the Muzzey Street and Library parking lots. These plans will also help to understand and
refine the overall construction cost of the project. This redesign work will improve efficiency, circulation
and aesthetics of the parting lots."
(Brown Book, Page XI -23, 427)
47
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
Project Description
Amount Requested
Funding Source
Committee
Requested
Source
Recommends
(k) Network Core Equipment
$550,000
Free Cash
Approval 6-0
,Replacement
"This multi-year capital program is to replace aging equipment or add equipment that functions as the core
or head end for the Town network. The head end is made up of many components including, but not limited
to, routers, switches, DNS servers, firewalls, access control devices, e-mail spam filters, and web access
control devices. The overall purpose of the head end is to provide security and to manage network traffic.
"In FY2024 funding was approved to install a new redundant network core, router and firewalls in the new
Police Station (completion expected in 2024). This new network core will become our primary core and
require approximately 10 times the number of fiber connections as our current core due to the increased
count in connections with the new Fiber Municipal Area Network (FMAN). The FY2025 funding request
is to add additional modules to the new core to allow compatibility with the new FMAN network, including
the purchase of hardware and technical services for installation. It should be noted that technology costs
have increased significantly over the past couple of years, driving up costs especially on networking
equipment."
(Brown Book, Page XI -24, 429)
Project Description
Amount
Funding Source
Committee Recommends
Requested
Source
(1) Municipal Technology
$550,000
Free Cash
Approval 6-0
Improvement Program
"This capital program funds major municipal technology improvements including servers, Storage Area
Network (SAN)/data arrays and other critical Town hardware and components. New infrastructure is
obtained with a focus to achieve technical consolidation, energy savings, reduction in financial burdens and
reduction in staff maintenance time while increasing management efficiencies, increasing reliability and
introducing new capabilities.
"The request for FY2025 will fund the purchase and installation of a server/SAN environment in the new
PD server room. This new environment will be used to migrate away from hardware that was installed in
2020 in another server room that is reaching end -of -life. In future years this program is expected to increase
data storage capacity and expand backup capacity to match the Town's growth and storage needs. In
addition to SAN needs, hardware and licensing may be purchased to assist with data transfer to cloud
services including back-up and Disaster Recovery (DR)."
(Brown Book, Page XI -24, 430)
Project Description
Amount
Funding
Committee Recommends
Requested
Source
(m) Network Redundancy &
$998,500
Free Cash
Approval 6-0
Improvement Plan
"This is a multi- phase request to build a standalone fiber network for town computing and communications
in an effort to achieve redundancy and vendor -independent capability. The purpose of this program is to
both improve the resiliency of the Townwide fiber network and to provide better networked services. This
includes enhancement of communications within municipal buildings through the installation of wireless
access to our wide area and local area networks. This will protect communication (both data and voice)
between sites that are assessed as critical to the daily function and safety of the Town. The first phase of
this project in FY2023 was $945,000 to construct multi -loop core infrastructure to top -tier critical buildings.
The second -phase request of $988,094 in FY2024 was to complete phase I, and additionally fund fiber
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
connections to tier 2 and tier 3 sites. This third phase includes the purchase and installation of the equipment
to connect the tier 2 and tier 3 sites to the new FMAN and vendor services for network programming
assistance."
(Brown Book, Page XI -24, #31)
Project Description
Amount Requested
Funding Source
Committee Recommends
(n) Network Technology
$161,000
Free Cash
Approval 6-0
Improvements
$110,000
Free Cash
Approval 6-0
"The general purpose is to replace old network related equipment. The first part of this capital program is
for funding the replacement of all end -of -life (EOL) WiFi Access Points (APs) units located throughout the
various municipal buildings in Town. These provide local wireless internet to each building for staff and
public use. The second part of this capital program is for funding the replacement of end -of -life network
switches in municipal buildings or public safety antenna sites (e.g. Water Tower, Avalon, etc.)."
(Brown Book, Page XI -25, 432)
Project Description
Amount
Funding Source
Committee Recommends
(p) Election Equipment Upgrade
Requested
Free Cash
Approval 6-0
(o) Scanning — Electronic Document
$110,000
Free Cash
Approval 6-0
Management
"This is an ongoing program to scan existing physical documentation into the Town's document
management systems (Laserfiche and Tyler Content Manager). This effort will support continued efforts to
migrate to paperless workflows. Once workflows have been established and no additional paper records are
being created, historical records are scanned to ensure a complete repository and to allow departments to
reclaim the physical space previously occupied by their records."
(Brown Book, Page XI -25, 433)
Project Description
Amount
Requested
Funding Source
Committee Recommends
(p) Election Equipment Upgrade
$64,865
Free Cash
Approval 6-0
'This request is to upgrade current election equipment. New provisions under the VOTES Act have
increased election participation, putting greater wear and tear on our equipment. Participation is expected
to increase during the 2024 Presidential election season and existing equipment is nearing end -of -life. New
tabulator machines will allow for faster processing at upcoming elections and avoid costly maintenance
fees."
(Brown Book, Page XI -25, 435)
Project Description
Amount
Requested
Funding Source
Committee
Recommends
(q) Street Improvements
$2,707,321
Tax Levy
Approval 6-0
"This is an annual request for the street resurfacing and maintenance program. In addition to the $2,707,321
appropriated from the tax levy, $974,012 of Chapter 90 funds will be utilized. (Chapter 90 funding is based
on Lexington's most recent allocation and on the current state allocation of $200 million statewide.) Funds
will be used for design, inspections, planning, repair, patching, crack sealing and construction of roadways
and roadway related infrastructure including repair and installation of sidewalks. A pavement management
system is utilized to assist in analyzing the road network and selecting roadways for repairs. This funding
will allow for the proper improvements and repair of Lexington's streets and sidewalks, increasing their
11
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
quality and safety. A preliminary list of the streets to be repaired under this article is currently being
developed. Streets anticipated for completion in 2024 include Eldred Street, Appletree Lane, Depot Square,
Edison Way, Pleasant Street at Watertown Street and a portion of the Minuteman Bikeway near Town
Center."
Street Improvements - Financing Components
FY25
2001 Override Increased by 2.5% per year $ 779,366
Maintenance of unallocated revenue from FY2012 Revenue Allocation $ 281,234
Maintenance of unallocated revenue from FY2013 Revenue Allocation Model $ 164,850
FY2014 Health Insurance Savings $ 1,100,000
Additional Tax Levy Funding $ 381,87
Estimated Chapter 90 Aid $ 974,012
Total $ 3,681,333
Without Chapter 90 $ 2,707,321
(Brown Book, Page XI -21, 420)
"This is an annual program that replaces unlined, inadequate, aged and vulnerable water mains, deteriorated
service connections and eliminates dead ends in the water mains. The Town completed a hydraulic model
for the entire distribution network and an asset management plan for replacing the Town's aging water
infrastructure that will ensure a proactive approach for keeping Lexington's water both safe and reliable.
The model identifies areas of vulnerability, water main aging, and those areas with low volumes and
pressures. The asset management plan recommends the replacing 1% of our water mains on an annual basis.
"Beginning in FY2021, the funding source for this ongoing capital replacement program has been gradually
shifting to Water user charges, with the ultimate goal of transitioning the entire program to cash funding
over 11 years. While rate payers may pay slightly higher water rates in the short-term, significant debt
service savings will be realized, resulting in lower overall costs in the long-term. This is the fifth year of
transition and $1,000,000 is being requested from water user fees.
"Water mains were recently replaced on Lowell Street (from Maple to Summer Street) as part of a joint
project with the Town of Burlington and the Massachusetts Water Resource Authority. Future water main
replacements are anticipated on Vine Street, Hayden Avenue, and Marshall Road. A booster pump is
planned for the low-pressure area along Fairfield Street."
(Brown Book, Page XI -23, 425)
50
Funds
Funding
Committee
Requested
Source
Recommends
Article 13: Water Distribution
System Improvements
$1,000,000 Water User
$2,288,900
Charges + $1,288,900 Water
Approval 6-0
Retained Earnings
"This is an annual program that replaces unlined, inadequate, aged and vulnerable water mains, deteriorated
service connections and eliminates dead ends in the water mains. The Town completed a hydraulic model
for the entire distribution network and an asset management plan for replacing the Town's aging water
infrastructure that will ensure a proactive approach for keeping Lexington's water both safe and reliable.
The model identifies areas of vulnerability, water main aging, and those areas with low volumes and
pressures. The asset management plan recommends the replacing 1% of our water mains on an annual basis.
"Beginning in FY2021, the funding source for this ongoing capital replacement program has been gradually
shifting to Water user charges, with the ultimate goal of transitioning the entire program to cash funding
over 11 years. While rate payers may pay slightly higher water rates in the short-term, significant debt
service savings will be realized, resulting in lower overall costs in the long-term. This is the fifth year of
transition and $1,000,000 is being requested from water user fees.
"Water mains were recently replaced on Lowell Street (from Maple to Summer Street) as part of a joint
project with the Town of Burlington and the Massachusetts Water Resource Authority. Future water main
replacements are anticipated on Vine Street, Hayden Avenue, and Marshall Road. A booster pump is
planned for the low-pressure area along Fairfield Street."
(Brown Book, Page XI -23, 425)
50
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
Article 14: Appropriate for
Funds Requested
Funding
Source
Committee Recommends
Wastewater System
$50,000
Sewer Retained
Earnings
Approval 6-0
Improvements
$1,111,210
See Below
Approval 6-0
Project Description
Amount Requested
Funding Source
Committee Recommends
(a) Pump Station Upgrades
$50,000
Sewer Retained
Earnings
Approval 6-0
Program
$500,000 Wastewater
"This is an ongoing capital program to maintain Lexington's 10 sewer pumping stations to enable better
energy efficiency and avoid emergency expenditures. In 2013, an evaluation and asset management plan
was developed for the sewer pump stations with the assistance of Wright -Pierce, including a detailed
engineering survey of the Town's existing infrastructure. This survey helped determine current and future
needs, timetable and probable costs for the proposed work. In FY2024, $75,000 was approved to update
the evaluation and asset management plan, but may not full cover the full project. This request for FY2025
funding will ensure the completion of the update.
(Brown Book, Page XI -22, 423)
Project Description
Amount
Funding Source
Committee Recommends
Article 15: LPS Technology
Requested
Source
Program
$500,000 Wastewater
(b) Sanitary Sewer System
$1061210
User Charges &
Approval 6-0
Investigation and Improvements
$561,210
Wastewater Debt
"This annual program provides for rehabilitation of sanitary sewer infrastructure. The Town's sanitary
sewer infrastructure is made up of approximately 176 miles of main line, 8.5 miles of force main and
5,280 manholes. Work will include replacement or repair of deteriorated sewers, force mains and
manholes in order to improve flow and reduce inflow and infiltration into the system. Engineering
investigation and evaluation will continue on sewers throughout town, including those in remote, hard to
access areas. These capital investments improve the operation of the sewer system, reduce backups and
potential overflows, prevent system malfunctions and reduce the measured flows through the MWRA
meter.
"Beginning in FY2021, the funding source for this ongoing capital replacement program has been
gradually shifting to Wastewater user charges, with the ultimate goal of transitioning the entire program
to cash funding over 10 years. This is the fifth year of transition and $500,000 is being requested from
user fees."
See a detailed description of this program under Table Wastewater Fund Debt (Table III).
(Brown Book, Pages XI -12, 41 & cross listing XI -22, 424)
"This request addresses the District's strategic goal for enhancing the capacity to utilize technology as an
instructional and administrative tool. The request will continue to support student access to devices to allow
for innovative learning methods that integrate supportive technologies, problem -based approaches and
higher order thinking skills. It also maintains and improves, when needed, current infrastructure such as
networks, access points and servers. The capital improvement request for FY2025 would provide funding
for the following:
51
Funds Requested
Funding
Committee Recommends
Article 15: LPS Technology
Source
Program
$1,323,050
Free Cash
Approval 6-0
"This request addresses the District's strategic goal for enhancing the capacity to utilize technology as an
instructional and administrative tool. The request will continue to support student access to devices to allow
for innovative learning methods that integrate supportive technologies, problem -based approaches and
higher order thinking skills. It also maintains and improves, when needed, current infrastructure such as
networks, access points and servers. The capital improvement request for FY2025 would provide funding
for the following:
51
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
"Tech Workstations - $204,150 is requested for this category of the capital project. Replace Unit A (all
classroom teachers, counselors, librarians and staff working under the teacher contract; Unit A)
workstations and peripheral devices (laptops, desktops, printers and monitors). Staff workstations were
replaced from FY2020 funds, thus, only a minimal number are needed until the full replacement cycle
begins in 2026. Prices have remained relatively stable for all devices in this category.
"1:1 Middle School Program - $234,080 is requested to fund 560 Chromebooks for 6th graders entering
Diamond and Clark Middle Schools. All middle school students have 1:1 devices and the devices follow
them through middle school (three year life span). Generally, by the end of middle school, many devices
have reached their end of life due to use. These Chromebooks are more expensive than the high school
devices due to their having dual cameras and touch screens. (560 Chromebooks � $418 each). The previous
model has been discontinued, and the newer model is more expensive.
"1:1 at Lexington High School - $209,560 is requested to purchase 620 Chromebooks for 9th graders. All
high school students, once provided a device in 9th grade or upon entering the high school, have the device
through their senior year (four-year life span), (620 Chromebooks � $338 each).
"Science/Technology/Engineering/(Art)/Math (STEM/STEAM)/Computer Science - $51,000 is requested
to update computer labs at the High School level and purchase STEM/STEAM based curricular materials.
The high school world language lab will be updated next year ($45,000 for one lab, $6,000 for
STEM/STEAM Materials). Digital Learning Coaches (DLCs) work with all department heads that are
holding curriculum reviews. The small amount of money allocated for STEM/STEAM may result in
equipment being piloted or may also replace some equipment currently being used (elementary small robots
for coding, etc.).
"Interactive Projectors/Whiteboard Units and Document Cameras - $231,260 is requested for this category
of the capital project.
Replace 48 interactive projectors districtwide. This equips buildings with a touch -activated,
interactive system and soundbar. The replacements will begin with the oldest model per school
until all systems are within a 7 year window with all of the same functionality (48 projectors
$4680 each).
The request will also replace 10 document cameras at Lexington Middle and High School. All
elementary schools have had document cameras replaced, and upgrades have been made in many
middle school classrooms as well. A small number of replacement devices are needed for FY2025
(10 document cameras � $662 each).
"District and Building Network Infrastructure - $373,000 is requested to replace end of life Wireless Access
Points (WAPs) at both middle schools and switches across all elementary schools. This is a phased project
and WAPs will be replaced in all elementary schools in subsequent years. Due to the impending high school
building project and a final determination for the current Central Office, WAPs and cabling for those sites
have been deferred. The current five year capital submission also includes anticipated costs for future
replacement of the district's core and firewalls with the building of a new high school and possible
relocation of Central Office.
"Server/Storage Infrastructure - $20,000 is requested to maintain and upgrade any server related hardware."
(Brown Book, Page XI -16, 41)
This Committee commends LPS for continuing to produce detailed material supporting this annual
request—and a detailed 5 -year plan.
Article 16: Appropriate
Funds Requested
FundingCommittee
Source
Recommends
Public Facilities Capital
$4,855,000
See Below
Approval 6-0
Projects
52
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
Project Description
Amount Requested
Funding Source
Committee Recommends
(a) Public Facilities Bid
$125,000
Free Cash
Approval 6-0
Documents
$230,655 Tax
"This is an annual request for funding professional services to produce design development, construction
documents and/or bid administration services for smaller projects in anticipation of requests for
construction funding at town meeting that have a high probability of approval. This will ensure that both
municipal and school projects can be completed in the then -current construction season, which is
particularly important for the timely completion of school building projects given the short window between
the end of school in June and the end of summer. There has been a steady uptick in the number of projects
requiring these services in recent years."
(Brown Book, Page XI -17, 42)
Project Description
Amount
Funding Source
Committee Recommends
(c) School Paving and Sidewalks
Requested
Free Cash
Approval 6-0
(d) Public Facilities
$230,655 Tax
(b) Public Facilities Interior Finishes
$450,000
Levy + $219,345
Approval 6-0
,Replacements
Free Cash
"Initiated in FY2011, this is an annual request for funds to be used for the replacement of flooring systems
in municipal and school buildings and interior finishes including mill work, ceiling work, tile work,
countertop replacement and bathroom finish renovations. The goal of this annual program is to ensure
failing systems are replaced and are safe for all users. The FY2025 request will allow the Department of
Public Facilities to complete approximately four classroom flooring systems and prioritize other floors
requiring attention. This request also covers other building finishes, based on priority.
"Projects recently completed include replacement of flooring in 30 classrooms at Harrington Elementary
and Diamond Middle schools and the renovation of two single -stall bathrooms in the Town Office Building.
Future improvements are expected to include classroom flooring at Clarke, Diamond, Bowman, Bridge,
Harrington and Fiske schools."
(Brown Book, Page XI -17, 43)
Project Description
Amount
Requested
Funding Source
Committee Recommends
(c) School Paving and Sidewalks
$265,000
Free Cash
Approval 6-0
"This capital request provides `as needed' replacement of sidewalks, bus loops and parking areas on school
grounds. Extraordinary repairs for school paving areas are necessary to maintain parking and pedestrian
surfaces in a condition suitable for public safety and highlights the Safe Routes to School.
"Projects recently completed include the full driveway and sidewalk replacement at Diamond middle
school. The FY2025 request will fund repairs at the Bowman School rear play area, parking lot, and access
road."
(Brown Book, Page XI -17, 44)
Project Description
Amount
Funding Source
Committee
Requested
Recommends
(d) Public Facilities
$3,265,000 Free Cash
Mechanical/Electrical/Plumbing
$4,015,000
+ $750,000 Tax Levy
Approval 6-0
,Replacements
"This project is an annual replacement of Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing systems that have exceeded
their useful life and require replacement before catastrophic failures occur. After the development of the
20 -year Capital Plan, the report identifies significant projects that are coming due in the next 5 years. This
category has significant dollars scheduled for investment over the next 5 years."
53
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
(Brown Book, Page XI -17, 45)
"To see if the Town will vote to rescind the unused borrowing authority voted under previous
Town Meeting articles; or act in any other manner in relation thereto.
(Inserted by the Select Board)
"FUNDS REQUESTED: Unknown at press time
"DESCRIPTION: State law requires that Town Meeting vote to rescind authorized and unissued debt that
is no longer required for its intended purpose."
(Town Warrant, Page 10)
Last year the Conservation Commission discussed the longstanding open authorization for $3.0 million
from 1999, and voted unanimously that it could be rescinded. That authorization had originally been
established at the 1999 ATM, Article 34, for a potential Land Acquisition Bond; however, that bond had
not been established and is no longer contemplated. This Committee supports the rescission.
Article 19: Establish, Amend,
Dissolve and Appropriate To
and From Specified
Stabilization Funds (SFs)
Authorization
Funding
Committee Recommends
Article 18: Rescind Prior
Rescinded
Source
$3,000,000
Pending General
Fund
Approval 6-0
Borrowing Authorizations
"To see if the Town will vote to rescind the unused borrowing authority voted under previous
Town Meeting articles; or act in any other manner in relation thereto.
(Inserted by the Select Board)
"FUNDS REQUESTED: Unknown at press time
"DESCRIPTION: State law requires that Town Meeting vote to rescind authorized and unissued debt that
is no longer required for its intended purpose."
(Town Warrant, Page 10)
Last year the Conservation Commission discussed the longstanding open authorization for $3.0 million
from 1999, and voted unanimously that it could be rescinded. That authorization had originally been
established at the 1999 ATM, Article 34, for a potential Land Acquisition Bond; however, that bond had
not been established and is no longer contemplated. This Committee supports the rescission.
Article 19: Establish, Amend,
Dissolve and Appropriate To
and From Specified
Stabilization Funds (SFs)
Funds Requested
Funding
Source
Committee
Recommends
Ca ital SF
(This only provides those actions
related to Capital. For a description
Deposit $4,036,373
General Fund
Approval 6-0
of the purpose of each of these
-appropriations, lease see below.
"To see if the Town will vote to create, amend, dissolve, rename or appropriate sums of money to and from
Stabilization Funds in accordance with Massachusetts General Laws, Section 5B of Chapter 40, for the
purposes of (a) Section 135, Zoning By -Law; (b) Traffic Mitigation; (c) Transportation Demand
Management/Public Transportation; (d) Special Education; (e) Center Improvement District;
(f) Transportation Management Overlay District; (g) Capital; (h) Payment in Lieu of Parking; (i) Visitors
Center Capital Stabilization Fund; 0) Affordable Housing Capital Stabilization Fund; (k) Water System
Capital Stabilization Fund; and (1) Ambulance Stabilization Fund; determine whether such sums shall be
provided by the tax levy, by transfer from available funds, from fees, charges or gifts or by any combination
of these methods; or act in any other manner in relation thereto.
(Inserted by the Select Board)
"FUNDS REQUESTED: Unknown
DESCRIPTION: This article proposes to establish, dissolve, and fund Stabilization Funds for specific
purposes and to appropriate funds therefrom. Money in those funds may be invested and the interest may
then become a part of the particular fund. These funds may later be appropriated for the fund's specific
designated purpose by a majority vote of an Annual or Special Town Meeting"
(Town Warrant, Page 11)
Purposes of these Actions
Capital SF (Deposit): Transfer New Levy Growth into Capital Stabilization Fund from General Fund—
Per CSF Guideline.
General Information Regarding the CSF: Available cash would be added to the CSF by a majority vote of
this Town Meeting, with the intent that, as having been done in the past and as proposed above, the CSF
54
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
will be having continuing withdrawals, by a 2/3rd vote of Town Meetings, to mitigate the tax burden of
major capital projects. The withdrawals are expected to be in the form of amounts cited for appropriation
under the Operating Budget toward debt service—as is the case, again, for this Town Meeting—to be an
additional source, to the extent funds remain in the CSF, toward each year's projected debt service for
projects excluded from the Proposition 2'/2 property -tax -levy limit, as approved by the voters, and—to a
much lesser degree—for debt not excluded from that limit (i.e., within the tax -levy limit).
All the Town's Specified Stabilization Funds are in addition to the Town's General Stabilization Fund. See
Appendix A for a table with information on all the Specified Stabilization Funds.
The following table provides insight into the Capital Stabilization Fund recent history.
Table 10 below provides a history of appropriations into and out of the Capital Stabilization
Fund and recommendations for FY2025, including dedicated tax levy growth per the new fiscal
guideline:
Table 10
FY2021
FY2022
FY2023
FY2024
Appropriated
FY2025
Budget
Appropriated One -Time Sources for
CSF
$—
$ 3,730,836
$ 3,784,689
$ 396,145
$—
Dedicated Tax Levy Growth for CSF
$—
$ 57,138
$ 1,733,137
$ 4,036,373
$ 4,036,373
Prior Year Balance
$25,229,254
$20,674,058
$21,730,961$
27,330,886
$31,970,357
Investment Income*
$ 44,804
$ 68,929
$ 882,099
$ 706,953
TBD
Subtotal - Available for Appropriation
$25,274,058
$24,530,961$28,130,886
$ 32,470,357
$36,006,730
Appropriation From Stabilization
Fund:
Excluded Debt Service Tax Relief
$ 4,600,000
$ 2,800,000
$ 800,000
$ 500,000
$_
Within Levy Debt Service
$—
$—
$—
$—
$_
Subtotal
$ 4,600,000
$ 2,800,000
$ 800,000
$ 500,000
L$_
Projected Balance of Fund
1$20,674,0581$21,730,9611$27,330,8861$
31,970,357
1$36,006,730
*FY2024 Investment Income reflects 1213112023 Balance
Over the last several years the Town has drawn funds from the Capital Stabilization Fund to mitigate debt
service that has been excluded from Proposition 212, therefore providing relief to taxpayers. The Town
continues to appropriate into the Capital Stabilization Fund in anticipation of future capital projects
including the renovation or reconstruction of Lexington High School.
(Brown Book, Page XI)
rticle 21: Amend FY2024
Operating, Enterprise and
Revenue Change
Funding Source
Committee Recommends
N/A; no CPF-related item
CPA Budgets
N/A
N/A
planned
(Only if CPF Related)
(Then whole Article IP'd)
"To see if the Town will vote to make supplementary appropriations, to be used in conjunction with money
appropriated under Articles 4, 5, 9, and 10 of the warrant for the 2023 Annual Town Meeting, and Article
4 of the warrant for the Special Town Meeting 2023-1, to be used during the current fiscal year, or make
any other adjustments to the current fiscal year budgets and appropriations that may be necessary; to
determine whether the money shall be provided by transfer from available funds including the Community
Preservation Fund; or act in any other manner in relation thereto.
(Inserted by the Select Board)
"FUNDS REQUESTED: Unknown at press time
"DESCRIPTION: This is an annual article to permit adjustments to current fiscal year (FY2024)
appropriations."
(Town Warrant, Page 11)
55
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
Article 22: Appropriate for
Authorized Capital
Improvements
Funds Requested
Funding Source
Committee Recommends
N/A
N/A
IP 6-0
"To see if the Town will vote to make supplementary appropriations to be used in conjunction with sums
appropriated in prior years for the installation or construction of water mains, sewers and sewerage systems,
drains, streets, buildings, recreational facilities or other capital improvements and equipment that have
heretofore been authorized; determine whether the money shall be provided by the tax levy, by transfer
from the balances in other l larticles, by transfer from available funds, including enterprise funds and the
Community Preservation Fund, by borrowing, or by any combination of these methods; or act in any other
manner in relation thereto.
(Inserted by the Select Board)
"FUNDS REQUESTED: Unknown at press time
"DESCRIPTION: This is an annual article to request funds to supplement existing appropriations for
(Town Warrant, Page 11)
No actions are expected for this Article.
Article 25: Pine Meadows
Clubhouse Renovation -
Construction
Funds Requested
Funding Source
Committee Recommends
$2,575,000
General Fund Debt
Approval 6-0
"In FY2024 Town Meeting approved $120,000 for design and engineering for upgrades to the Clubhouse
at the Pine Meadows Golf Club. For FY2025 the Recreation Committee is requesting $2,575,000 in funding
for the construction phase of this renovation project.
"The clubhouse, constructed prior to the Town's purchase of the property in 1988, has not undergone any
significant renovation in the past 30 years and is suffering the typical deficiencies and wear and tear
associated with its age and heavy usage. The accessibility issues at the current clubhouse were identified as
the 42 priority for remediation by the Commission on Disability in the 2017 ADA Compliance Study.
Completion of this project will not only restore the clubhouse to a modern and functional facility suitable
to support the ongoing successful operation of the Pine Meadows Golf Club, but will also bring it into
ADA -compliance and make it welcoming and accessible for all residents of Lexington and visitors.
"The renovation of the clubhouse will include the main concourse area, restrooms, plumbing system and
fixtures, windows, roof, solar collectors for the Clubhouse and additional work as needed to improve
accessibility."
(Brown Book, Page XI -8, #1)
Article 26: Lexington High
School Construction Project —
Design Funding
Funds Requested
Funding Source
Committee Recommends
$10,000,000
General Fund Debt
Approval 6-0
"Lexington High School was invited into the Massachusetts School Building Authority School Building
(MSBA) Grant Program in June 2022. During the Eligibility Period, the Town had a number of steps to
complete before March of 2023 in order to move to the next module in the MSBA prescribed process.
Module 2 included the selection of the Owners Project Manager and the Designer (architect) for the high
school project. During 2023 the Town selected Dore and Whittier as the Owners Project Manager (OPM),
and Symmes Maim and McKee Associates (SMMA) as the Designer. This will be the project team for the
duration of the LHS project.
"The Town is currently in Module 3, Feasibility Study, which will determine whether the project is an
addition/renovation or a completely new building and will also determine the location and size of the
project. Special Town Meeting 2022-2 appropriated $1,825,000 for the Feasibility Study. Once Module 3
56
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
is completed, the Town will need to have funds available to contract with the designer to complete the
Schematic Phase drawings, which importantly will establish the true budget for the project. This current
appropriation of $10,000,000 is to advance the project through the Schematic Design Phase. Before this
phase is completed, all construction figures used in these documents are rough estimates based on a square
footage estimate only. The Town expects to request an appropriation of construction funds for Lexington
High School in the FY2026 budget.
"The construction funding for this project will be subject to a townwide debt exclusion referendum which
is expected to occur in late [2025]. This $10,000,000 in design funds will be included in the overall project
and if successful, may be excluded from the limits of Proposition 2-12."
(Brown Book, Page XI -9, #1) and
Lexington High School Construction Project -Design Funds ($10,000,000) is a potential candidate for a
Proposition 212 debt exclusion vote. The debt exclusion vote is anticipated to occur in late 2025. If
successful, beginning in FY2026, debt service related to this project will be excluded from the limits of
Proposition 212, and principal and interest on long- and short-term debt will be funded outside the levy
limit. Otherwise the debt will remain within the limits of Proposition 212 as presented in Table I: General
Fund Debt.
Table V above also presents projected future debt service for funding the construction portion of the
Lexington High School project which is anticipated in the FY2026 budget and the impact of taxpayer
mitigation efforts on the total amount of Excluded Debt Service. As outlined in the policy section of this
document the Town's fiscal guideline to set-aside tax levy from new development is expected to partly
offset Exempt Debt Service beginning in FY2027. The Town may also continue to utilize Capital
Stabilization Funds to further mitigate the impact to taxpayers.
(Brown Book, Page XI -11, #1) and
PLANNING FOR LEXINGTON HIGH SCHOOL
The Town continues to plan for a large-scale reconstruction or renovation of Lexington High School.
Special Town Meeting 2022-2 appropriated $1,825,000 for a Feasibility Phase of this project. The FY2025
request includes a second -phase request for $10,000,000 in design funds to advance the project through the
Schematic Design Phase and determine construction cost estimates for a construction appropriation in
FY2026. The FY2025 budget also proposes funding to begin a multi- phased reorganization of Town assets
including:
• A $6.0 million renovation of the swing space building at 173 Bedford Street in FY2025 to allow
the Superintendent of Schools and School Administration to occupy the building in the coming
years as LHS is under construction.
• The FY2026 capital plan is expected to include funding to demolish the existing School
Administration Building at 146 Maple Street and additional funding for site work and installation
of recreation fields at that site. These fields will help address field loss at the LHS site as that project
is under construction.
• The FY2026 capital plan is expected to include construction funding for LHS. Office space for the
School Administration is planned to be included in the new LHS building.
• In a future fiscal year the 173 Bedford Street building may be used as swing space for the Cary
Memorial Library and/or the Town Office Building as additional capital improvements are
implemented in those buildings.
(Brown Book, XI -5)
Timeline
The MSBA process consists of several phases. Currently the project is in the MSBA "Feasibility Study"
phase which is funded through the $1.825m appropriated at STM 2022-2. Between November 2023 and
June 2024, a Preliminary Design Program (PDP) is being undertaken, which consists of several
components:
57
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
• Develop an Educational Plan and Vision.
• Analyze the existing building conditions.
• Analyze/Investigate the existing Site (plot survey, traffic patterns, wetland delineation,
geo—environmental research, environmental acoustics analysis, and geotechnical/geothermal
analysis.
• Consider Design Alternatives (Code Upgrade Only vs Renovation(s) and/or additions vs New
Construction).
• Create the Site Development Requirements for transportation routes and parking; emergency
vehicle access; safety and security requirements; fields and open space; wetlands; and utilities.
• Set Systems and Sustainability targets including LEED (Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design) Lexington, LEED Gold (the project is striving for Platinum), EUI (Energy
Use Intensity) 25 or 30% better than ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and
Air Conditioning Engineers), all electric building & net -zero energy, battery storage, embodied
carbon (this goal is TBD), ground or air -source heat pumps, PV (Photovoltaics)) and EV (Electric
vehicles) Charging, and health and wellness (goal TBD).
• Set targets and alternatives for Massing and Materials relating to Interior & Exterior materials
and massing, expansion potential, and safety and security.
The results of the PDP will be submitted to the MSBA (the target date is May 2024) along with a
recommendation (e.g., Code Upgrade Only vs Renovation(s) & additions vs New Construction), followed
by development of a Preferred Schematic Report (PSR) based on the approved PDP (the target date is
December 2024 with submission to the MSBA at that time).
Once the PSR has been approved by the MSBA, the Feasibility Study Phase will transition to the Schematic
Design Phase, to be funded by this Article's appropriation. Schematic Design Development will take place
from December 2024 to October 2025, at which point it will be submitted to the MSBA (prior to completion
in September 2025) seeking their approval by December 2025. The financing timeline is for a Special Town
Meeting to be held in November 2025 which will approve construction funding contingent on successful
passage of a Debt Exclusion Referendum, presently slated for late 2025 or early 2026.
Risks
This appropriation is the largest Design & Engineering (D&E) amount ever requested in Lexington, by an
order of magnitude. Granted, it is proportional to the total project cost (which is also the largest big—ticket
capital project ever embarked on by Lexington). The debt—service monies associated with this Article (and
the $1.825m Study Money appropriated by STM 2022-2) will be taken from the General Fund Tax Levy
until, and later moved to Excluded Debt if the Debt Exclusion Referendum passes in late 2025/early 2026.
If the future Debt Exclusion fails, the Town will still be obligated to pay any Debt Service from the monies
already spent, and that debt service will be borne by the General Fund. Carrying that large an amount of
debt service would necessarily either require drastically reducing future capital projects, or more likely
using the Capital Stabilization Fund to mitigate some of this debt burden. But that doesn't even consider
the larger question of "Where do we as a Town go now with the High School [if the Debt Exclusion doesn't
pass]?".
Therefore, Town Meeting, and the relevant Boards and Committees must put their fingers to the political
wind and determine if there is enough community consensus to pass a Debt Exclusion. Although this
Committee prefers to steer away from political questions, our reading of those tea leaves is that there is
sufficient momentum, not to mention a strong need, to remedy the existing High School shortcomings, so
that passing this second funding phase is in fact warranted. The risk is no different than appropriating D&E
monies for any other big-ticket capital project, modulo the fact that this one is an order of magnitude larger
than any prior project.
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
"To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate a sum of money for remodeling, reconstructing, and
making extraordinary repairs to the building at 173 Bedford Street, including engineering and architectural
services, original equipment, furnishings and all costs incidental or related thereto to provide swing space
for the School Administration or other municipal departments; and determine whether the money will be
provided by the tax levy, by transfer from available funds, by borrowing or by any combination of these
methods; or act in any other manner in relation thereto.
`(Inserted by the Select Board)
"FUNDS REQUESTED: $6,000,000
"DESCRIPTION: This article requests funds for renovation of 173 Bedford Street to include full ADA
compliance including an elevator, a fire suppression system, an HVAC system, and minor modifications to
the interior spaces. This building is intended to be used as swing space for the School Administration
department until the construction project at Lexington High School is complete."
(Town Warrant, Page 13)
"This request is part of a multi -phased plan to reorganize the Town's assets as described in the introduction
of the Capital Plan section of this document.
"The building at 173 Bedford Street is the current temporary home for the Lexington Police Department
while the new Police Station is under construction. After the Police Department moves into their new
facility, 173 Bedford Street will need additional work in order to support another department as the top
floor lacks accessibility, required fire protection, and a working HVAC system. This request is for funding
to renovate the building in order to house the School Administration staff for several years during the
Lexington High School construction project. The renovation will include the installation of an elevator,
HVAC replacement, a sprinkler system, and reconfiguration of the interior spaces to suit the School
Administration department. Permanent office space for the School Administration is planned to be included
in the new Lexington High School building."
(Brown Book, Page XI -9, 42) and now just an outdated reference that is included to provide that change
in status:
"173 Bedford Street Renovation -$4,200,000 ($3,835,845 General Fund Debt; $334,155 Free Cash; $30,000
BAN Premiums): See a detailed description of this project under Table I: General Fund Debt."
(Brown Book, Page XI -18, 46)"
173 Bedford Street has served as a crucial temporary home for large Town building projects, and is currently
housing the Police department, and previously the Fire Department. However, this aging facility requires
code and safety improvements if it's to continue fulfilling this swing space role.
Currently, the 17,000 square -foot three-story building lacks both a fire -suppression system and fundamental
ADA accessibility features like an elevator. Additionally, its HVAC system is outdated and inefficient with
59
Funds Requested
Funding Source
Committee Recommends
$6,000,000
$5,635,845 General
(Consistent to Town
Fund Debt +
Article 27: 173 Bedford Street
Warrant & Select
$334,155 Free Cash
Renovation
Board Support)
+ $30,000 BAN
Approval 6-0
Premiums
Brown Book was
[Brown Book was
$3,835,845 General
$4,200,000]
Fund Debt/
"To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate a sum of money for remodeling, reconstructing, and
making extraordinary repairs to the building at 173 Bedford Street, including engineering and architectural
services, original equipment, furnishings and all costs incidental or related thereto to provide swing space
for the School Administration or other municipal departments; and determine whether the money will be
provided by the tax levy, by transfer from available funds, by borrowing or by any combination of these
methods; or act in any other manner in relation thereto.
`(Inserted by the Select Board)
"FUNDS REQUESTED: $6,000,000
"DESCRIPTION: This article requests funds for renovation of 173 Bedford Street to include full ADA
compliance including an elevator, a fire suppression system, an HVAC system, and minor modifications to
the interior spaces. This building is intended to be used as swing space for the School Administration
department until the construction project at Lexington High School is complete."
(Town Warrant, Page 13)
"This request is part of a multi -phased plan to reorganize the Town's assets as described in the introduction
of the Capital Plan section of this document.
"The building at 173 Bedford Street is the current temporary home for the Lexington Police Department
while the new Police Station is under construction. After the Police Department moves into their new
facility, 173 Bedford Street will need additional work in order to support another department as the top
floor lacks accessibility, required fire protection, and a working HVAC system. This request is for funding
to renovate the building in order to house the School Administration staff for several years during the
Lexington High School construction project. The renovation will include the installation of an elevator,
HVAC replacement, a sprinkler system, and reconfiguration of the interior spaces to suit the School
Administration department. Permanent office space for the School Administration is planned to be included
in the new Lexington High School building."
(Brown Book, Page XI -9, 42) and now just an outdated reference that is included to provide that change
in status:
"173 Bedford Street Renovation -$4,200,000 ($3,835,845 General Fund Debt; $334,155 Free Cash; $30,000
BAN Premiums): See a detailed description of this project under Table I: General Fund Debt."
(Brown Book, Page XI -18, 46)"
173 Bedford Street has served as a crucial temporary home for large Town building projects, and is currently
housing the Police department, and previously the Fire Department. However, this aging facility requires
code and safety improvements if it's to continue fulfilling this swing space role.
Currently, the 17,000 square -foot three-story building lacks both a fire -suppression system and fundamental
ADA accessibility features like an elevator. Additionally, its HVAC system is outdated and inefficient with
59
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
equipment dating back to as far as 1968, with areas which are neither heated nor cooled. These upgrades
are essential if 173 Bedford Street is to function effectively as swing space for the next decade.
The $6 million request includes estimates for a fully -electric HVAC system.
As of the time of this report, the Select Board is fully committed to using the property as swing space for
the anticipated Lexington Public School Central Office relocation, Cary Memorial Library, and Town
Office Building projects which would be approximately 10-11 years, warranting the investment to
maintain and upgrade the facility for accessibility and all around healthy building as per the Select Board's
Integrated Building Design and Construction policy.
At their February 26, 2024, meeting the Select Board confirmed the $6 million motion request.
The Capital Expenditures Committee endorses the request and sincerely hopes the Town will deploy all
electrical HVAC and related systems (for which the $6 million request permits) to enable the building's
operations to achieve the highest reasonably attainable and economically viable performance standards for
health, energy, and resilience for the foreseeable future.
Article 33: Authorize the
Select Board to Seek
Affordable Housing
Funds Requested
Funding Source
Committee Recommends
N/A
N/A
Approval 5-1
"To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Select Board to sell, lease or otherwise dispose of
Town—described as parcel 68-44 located on Lowell Street near the northeast corner of North Street and
Lowell Street for the purposes of developing affordable housing thereon, and to authorize the Select Board
or its designee to enter into a Land Disposition Agreement and associated agreements in connection
therewith; or to act in any other manner thereto.
(Inserted by the Select Board at the request of the Affordable Housing Trust)
"DESCRIPTION: In 1978, the Select Board was authorized by Annual Town Meeting to accept land,
including a parcel containing approximately 3.12 acres, as a gift of Route 3 surplus land from the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts "for conservation, recreation and housing purposes" (Article 50,
April 26, 1978 Annual Town Meeting. "Parcel 101" in Article 50 is parcel 68-44.) The Select Board
unanimously voted on September 18, 2023 to support the AHT proceeding with investigating development
of affordable housing on this parcel. This article would authorize the Board or its designee to offer the
parcel for development by a private affordable housing entity subject to a land disposition agreement to be
negotiated by the Board or its designee."
(Town Warrant, Page 15)
This Committee resolutely supports the Town's mission of Affordable Housing through the Affordable
Housing Trust and affirmed that stance with our recommendations. This particular Article presents an
extremely cost-efficient way to put more units on the Subsidized Housing Inventory. To that end, a majority
of this Committee recommends support of this Article. We are ultimately advisors to you, Town Meeting,
and we feel compelled to remind you that this motion gives the Select Board the final authority to lease or
re -title the parcel to a developer. In an ideal world, Town Meeting would have a better understanding of the
scope of the project, but we have been told that this type of multi-year `friendly 40(b)' project does not
typically follow that process. The majority of this Committee trusts that this multi-year process will work
in everybody's favor and that this and future Select Boards will listen closely to stakeholder feedback and
input.
One Member is opposed to this Motion as premature for this Town Meeting's approval. There has been no
adequate understanding for this Meeting to judge the potential greatest extent of the contemplated
development including at least the general boundaries to be used, the nature of the greatest potential
physical structures, the potential interactions with the surrounding properties and the other users of that
area, to mention some that this Town Meeting deserves. Instead the Motion specifies the Select Board to
make the sole determination whether the conditions for the purposes of developing affordable housing on
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
that property. That member believes that is the wrong, singular, focus; the nature of the many other factors
is important, not just judging achieving the development. Further, it was assured that the Select Board was
the only approving agent for subsequent action, yet this Motion includes "This article would authorize the
Board or its designee to offer the parcel for development by a private affordable housing entity subject to a
land disposition agreement to be negotiated by the Board or its designee." Explicitly allowing a designee
to make that offer and/or to negotiate that agreement is inconsistent with the broad responsibility of the
Select Board. For all those factors, this Town Meeting should not approve this Article's Motion, but should
look forward—after the corrections of the raised issues—to an action at a later Special or Annual Town
Meeting.
61
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
Appendix A: Information on the Town's Current Specified
Stabilization Funds
Review of Lexington's Specified Stabilization Funds for Applicability
to the Lexington Capital Expenditures Committee's Reports to a Lexington Town Meeting
Town Warrant, Town of Lexington, for 2024 Annual Town Meeting on March 18, 2024, signed January 22, 2024
Article 19 ESTABLISH, AMEND, DISSOLVE AND APPROPRIATE TO AND FROM SPECIFIED STABILIZATION FUNDS
"To see if the Town will vote to create, amend, dissolve, rename and/or appropriate sums of money to and from
Stabilization Funds in accordance with Massachusetts General Laws, Section 5B of Chapter 40 for the purposes of:
(a) Section 135 Zoning By -Law, (b) Traffic Mitigation, (c) Transportation Demand Management/Public Transportation,
(d Special Education, (e) Center Improvement District; (f) Transportation Management Overlay District, (g) Capital;
(h) Payment in Lieu of Parking; (i) Visitor Center Capital Stabilization Fund; (j) Affordable Housing Capital Stabilization
Fund; (k) Water System Capital Stabilization Fund; and (1) Ambulance Stabilization Fund; determine whether such sums
shall be provided by the tax levy, by transfer from available funds, from fees, charges or gifts or by any combination of
these methods; or act in any other manner in relation thereto."
Warrant
Town Meeting (ATM=Annual; STM=Special)
Capital
Sequence
Name
Created
Purpose
Related
(a)
Section 135 Zoning By -Law
2007 ATM, Art 39
"for the purpose of financing public
Yes
improvements pursuant to Section 135 of the
Code of Lexington"
(b)
Traffic Mitigation
2007 ATM, Art 39
"for the purpose of financing traffic mitigation
Yes
projects pursuant to conditions of special
permits issue by the Town
(c)
Transportation Demand
2007 ATM, Art 39, &
"for the purpose of supporting the planning and
No
Management/Public
Trangnortation
repurposed under
?n16 ATM- Art 21 b
operations of transportation services to serve
the needs, of town residents, and businPccPc,"
(d)
Special Education
2008 ATM, Art 24
None stated when created, but Appropriation
No
Committee Report to that Town Meeting says
"for setting aside reserves to help cover
unexpected out -of -district Special Education
expenses that exceed budget"
(e)
Center Improvement District
2009 ATM, Art 25
"to fund needed improvements in Lexington
Yes
Center"
(some
actions)
(f)
Transportation Management
2011 ATM, Art 20
"for the purpose of financing transportation
Yes
Overlay District
infrastructure improvements per Section 135-
43C of the Code of the Town of Lexington"
(g)
Capital
2012 STM 19 Nov,
Originally name "Capital Projects/Debt Service
Yes
Art 3, & renamed
Reserve/Building Renewal Fund"; purposes
under 2015 ATM,
remained the same when renamed
Art 26e
(h)
Payment in Lieu of Parking
2017 ATM, Art 24
"for the purpose of management, construction
Yes
and acquisition of public parking and related
(some
improvements, including bicycle and pedestrian
actions)
accommodations serving Lexington"
(i)
Visitor Center Capital
2018 ATM, Art 26
"for the purpose of funding the capital
Yes
improvements and replacement of the Visitors
Center"
(j)
Affordable Housing Capital
2018 ATM, Art 26
"for the purpose of funding
Yes
affordable/community housing construction,
renovation, and associated land acquisition or
easements"
(k)
Water System Capital
2018 ATM, Art 26
"for the purpose of funding capital
Yes
improvements of the water -distribution
system"
(1)
Ambulance
2018-1 STM, Art 8
"for the purpose of funding the purchase of
Yes
ambulances"
Note: The previous "Debt Service" Specified Stabilization Fund was dissolved by approval of Special Town Meeting
2022-3, Article 3e, that directed final appropriation of that Fund's $494.05 balance to offset a bond—for renovation
of Lexington's High School, Clarke Middle School, & Diamond Middle School—expiring December 8, 2022
62
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
Appendix B: Acronvms Used
ACEC................
American Council of Engineering Companies
ADA ..................
Americans With Disabilities Act
AhCCAC ...........
Ad hoc Community Center Advisory Committee
AHT ..................
Affordable Housing Trust
AP .....................
Access Point
ARPA................
American Rescue Plan Act
ASHRAE ..........
American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers
ATM .................
Annual Town Meeting
BAN ..................
Bond Anticipation Note
BMP ..................
Best Management Practices
BoS ...................
Board of Selectmen [re -named as the Select Board (SB)]
CEC...................
Capital Expenditures Committee
CMB .................
Cary Memorial Building
CP .....................
Capital Plan
CPA ...................
Community Preservation Act
CPAC ................
Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee
CPATF ..............
Community Preservation Act Trust Fund
CPC ...................
Community Preservation Committee
CPF ...................
Community Preservation Fund
CSF ...................
Capital Stabilization Fund
DESE ................
Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
DLC ..................
Digital Learning Coaches
DPF ...................
Department of Public Facilities
DPW .................
Department of Public Works
D/E....................
Design and Engineering
EF ......................
Enterprise Fund
EOF ...................
End of Life
EUI ....................
Energy Use Intensity
EV .....................
Electric Vehicle
FY .....................
Fiscal Year
GF .....................
General Fund
HSSPWG ..........
High School Site Planning Working Group
HVAC ...............
Heating, Ventilation, & Air Conditioning
IDDE.................
Illicit Discharge and Detection and Elimination
I/I.......................
Infiltration / Inflow
ILP ....................
Intensive Learning Program
IP .......................
Indefinite Postponement or Indefinitely Postponed
IT .......................
Information Technology
LCP ...................
Lexington Children's Place
LEED ................
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
LexCC...............
Lexington Community Center
LexHAB ............
Lexington Housing Assistance Board
LHA ..................
Lexington Housing Authority
LHP ...................
Lexington Housing Partnership
LHS ...................
Lexington High School
LPS ...................
Lexington Public Schools
LRTP.................
Long -Range Transportation Plan
LVT...................
Linoleum Vinyl Tile
M.G.L...............
Massachusetts General Laws
MoDPHASE .....
Modifying Public Housing and Sporting Elders
MPAC ...............
Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission
63
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
Appendix B: Acronyms Used (continued)
MSBA ...............
Massachusetts School Building Authority
MWRA ..............
Massachusetts Water Resources Authority
NPDES ..............
National Pollutant Discharge and Elimination System
N/A ....................
Not Applicable
OPM ..................
Owners Project Manager
PBC ...................
Permanent Boulding Committee
PCI .....................
Pavement Condition Index
PDP ...................
Preliminary Design Program
PIP .....................
Pour in Place
PMP ...................
Pavement Management Program
PSR ....................
Preferred Schematics Report
PV ......................
Photovoltaics
PMS ...................
Pavement Management System
RSR ...................
Road Surface Rating
R&CP ................
Recreation and Community Programs
RE ......................
Retained Earnings
SB ......................
Select Board [previously was the Board of Selectmen (BoS)]
SC ......................
School Committee
SCBA ................
Self -Contained Breathing Apparatus
SCI .....................
Sidewalk Condition Index
SF ......................
Stabilization Fund
SHI ....................
Subsidized Housing Inventory
SMMA...............
Symmes Maim and McKeee Associates
STEAM .............
Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics
STEM ................
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
STM ...................
Special Town Meeting
TAR ...................
Town -accepted Roadway
TBD ...................
To be determined.
TDM ..................
Transportation Demand Management
TMOD ...............
Traffic Management Overlay District
TNC ...................
Transportation Network Company
TSG ...................
Transportation Safety Group
VTC ...................
Vinyl Composite Tile
VOIP .................
Voice Over IP
WAP ..................
Wireless Access Point
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
Appendix C: Summary of Warrant Articles Addressed
Article
#
Page #
in this
Report
Source
Brown
Book
Section
XI or
Town
Warrant
(TW)
Page(s)
Title
Motion
Requested
Funding
Total
7(a)
38
XI -25
Sustainable Capital Initiatives
$35,000
7(b)
38
XI -18
Solar Assessment Lincoln Fields
$30,000
8
39
XI -23
Tucker Avenue Street Acceptance
$30,000
10(a)
39
XI -18
Cary Memorial Library Renovation Project—
Construction
$4,000,000
10(b)
40
XI -25
Archives and Record Management
$20,000
10(c)
40
XI -19
Park Improvements—Athletic Fields Bowman School
$545,000
10(d)
40
XI -19
Lincoln Park Stations Equipment
$160,000
10(e)
41
XI -19
Park Improvements—Hard Court Surfaces—Valley
Road
$492,000
10(f)
41
XI -19
Lincoln Park Field Improvements
$1,810,000
10(g)
41
XI -26
LexHAB Support, Restoration, Preservation, and
Decarbonization
$482,365
10(h)
42
XI -26
Lexington Housing Authority Exterior Preservation
$100,000
10(i)
42
XI -26
Affordable Housing Trust (AHT) Pre -Funding
$3,200,000
100)
42
XI -13
CPA Debt Service Housing (Historic Resources
$681,200
10(k)
42
XI -15
Administrative Budget
$150,000
11
43
XI -19
Appropriate for Recreation Capital Projects—Pine
Meadows Improvements
$110,000
12(a)
43
XI -18
Transportation Mitigation
$100,000
12(b)
44
XI -18
Heavy Vehicle Extrication Equipment
$175,000
12(c)
44
XI -18
Ambulance Replacement
$502,000
12(d)
44
XI -19
Equipment Replacement
$1,920,000
12(e)
45
XI -20
Sidewalk Improvements
$800,000
12(f)
46
XI -22
Hydrant Replacement
$150,000
12(g)
46
XI -21
Townwide Signalization Improvements
$50,000
12(h)
47
XI -22
Stormwater Management Program
$1,350,000
12(i)
47
XI -23
Cemetery Columbarium Design
$50,000
120)
47
XI -23
Public Parking Lot Improvement Design
$15,000
12(k)
48
XI -24
Network Core Equipment Replacement
$550,000
(Continued on next page)
65
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2024 ATM
Appendix C: Summary of Warrant Articles Addressed
(continued)
Source
Brown
Book
Section
XI or
Page
Town
Motion
# in
Warrant
Requested
Article
this
(TW)
Funding
#
Report
Page(s)
Title
Total
12(I)
48
XI -24
Municipal Technology Improvement Program
$550,000
12(m)
48
XI -24
Network Redundancy & Improvement Plan
$998,500
12(n)
49
XI -25
Network Technology Improvements
$161,000
12(0)
49
XI -25
Scanning—Electronic Document Management
$110,000
12(p)
49
XI -25
Electronic Equipment Upgrade
$64,865
12(q)
49
XI -21
Street Improvements
$2,707,321
13
50
XI -23
Appropriate for Water System Improvements
$2,288,900
14(a)
51
XI -22
Pump Station Upgrades
$50,000
14(b)
51
XI -12
Sanitary Sewer System Investigation and
$1,061,210
Improvements
15
51
XI -16
Appreciate for School Capital Projects and Equipment
$1,323,050
16(a)
53
XI -17
Public Facilities Bid Documents
$125,000
16(b)
53
XI -17
Public Facilities Interior Finishes
$450,000
16(c)
53
XI -17
School Paving and Sidewalks
$265,000
16(d)
53
XI -17
Public Facilities Mechanical/Electrical/Plumbing
$4,015,000
Replacements
18
54
TW -10
Rescind Prior Borrowing Authorizations
IP
19
54
A
Establish, Amend, Dissolve and Appropriate To &
$4,036,373
From SSF
21
55
TW -11
Amend FY2024 Operating, Enterprise, and CPA
IP
Budgets
22
56
TW -11
Appropriate for Authorized Capital Improvements
IP
25
56
XI -8
Pine Meadows Clubhouse Renovation
$2,575,000
26
56
XI -11
Appropriate for Design Funds for Lexington High
$10,000,000
School Construction Project
27
59
XI -18
Appropriate for Renovation of 173 Bedford Street
$4,200,000
33
60
TW -15
Authorize the Select Board to Seek Affordable
Not
Housing
Applicable