HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-10-16-AC-STM2-STM3-rpt APPROPRIATION COMMITTEE
TOWN OF LEXINGTON
REPORT TO THE OCTOBER 2017
SPECIAL TOWN MEETINGS
2017-2 AND 2017-3
Released October 10, 2017
APPROPRIATION COMMITTEE MEMBERS
John Bartenstein, Chair• Alan Levine Vice Chair/Secretary
Carolyn Kosnoff(ex-officio; non-voting) • Ellen Basch • Eric Michelson • Richard Neumeier
Sanjay Padaki • Andrei Radulescu-Banu • Lily Manhua Yon • Jian Helen Yang
APPROPRIATION COMMITTEE SPECIAL TOWN MEETINGS 2017-2&3 OCTOBER 10,2017
Contents
Summary of Warrant Article Recommendations 2
Preface. 4
Introduction . ... 5
Special Town Meeting 2017-2 Analysis and Recommendations 8
Article 2017-2.2: Appropriate for Hastings School Construction 8
Article 2017-2.3: Appropriate Design Funds for Lexington Children's Place/20 Pelham Road 9
Article 2017-2.4: Appropriate Design Funds for Fire Headquarters 12
Article 2017-2.5: Appropriate for Temporary Fire Station Construction 13
Special Town Meeting 2017-3 Analysis and Recommendations 15
Article 2017-3.5: Amend FY2018 Operating and Enterprise Funds 15
Article 2017-3.6: Establish and Appropriate To and From Specified Stabilization Funds 17
Article 2017-3.7: Amend Revolving Fund Authorization 17
Article 2017-3.8: Appropriate Design Funds for Visitors Center 18
Article 2017-3.9: Appropriate for Solid Waste Collection Equipment 20
Article 2017-3.11: Appropriate for Lexington High School Security System Design 20
Article 2017-3.12: Appropriate Community Preservation Act Projects 22
Article 2017-3.13: Appropriate for Authorized Capital Improvements 22
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APPROPRIATION COMMITTEE SPECIAL TOWN MEETINGS 2017-2&3 OCTOBER 10,2017
Summary of Warrant Article Recommendations
Abbreviations
EF Enterprise Fund CPA Community Preservation Act
GF General Fund DSSF Debt Service Stabilization Fund
RE Retained Earnings IP A motion to Indefinitely Postpone is expected
RF Revolving Fund TDM Traffic Demand Management
SF Special Fund
Special Town Meeting 2017-2
Ar- Funds Funding Committee
tide Title Requested Source Recommendation
2 Appropriate for Hastings School $63,059,418 GF Debt Approve (7-0-2)
Construction
Appropriate Design Funds for
3 Lexington Children's Place/20 $2,500,000 GF debt Approve (7-0-2)
Pelham Road
4 Appropriate Design Funds for $676,300 GF Debt Approve (9-0)
Fire Headquarters
5 Appropriate for Temporary Fire $2,140,000 GF Debt Approve (9-0)
Station Construction
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APPROPRIATION COMMITTEE SPECIAL TOWN MEETINGS 2017-2&3 OCTOBER 10,2017
Special Town Meeting 2017-3
Ar- Funds Funding Committee
tide Title Requested Source Recommendation
Amend FY2018 Operating and See article GF; Parking Fund;
5 TMOD Approve (9-0-0)
Enterprise Funds discussion
Stabilization Fund
Establish and Appropriate to and Developer
6 from Specified Stabilization $585,110 payments Approve (9-0-0)
Funds
Amend Revolving Fund $50,000 RFs Approve (9-0-0)
Authorization $142,000
8 Appropriate Design Funds for $150,000 GF Approve (8-0-1)
Visitors Center
9 Appropriate for Solid Waste IP
Collection Equipment
11 Appropriate for Lexington High $31,000 GF Approve (9-0-0)
School Security System Design
12 Appropriate Community TBD (land pur- CPF Housing: IP
Preservation Act Projects chase) Land:Pending
13 Appropriate for Authorized IP
Capital Improvements
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APPROPRIATION COMMITTEE SPECIAL TOWN MEETINGS 2017-2&3 OCTOBER 10,2017
Preface
The Appropriation Committee is appointed by the Town Moderator and serves as an advisory group to the
elected members of Town Meeting. The Committee is required by Town by-law to present its recommen-
dations to Town Meeting prior to any vote with a financial impact on the Town. This report summarizes
the Committee's deliberations and analysis regarding the warrant articles that we deem to have financial
significance, along with the vote of the Committee for each article. The Committee also gives oral reports
and responds to questions during Town Meeting as necessary, or when important information has become
available following the publication of a report.
This report is distributed to the members of Town Meeting as a printed document and as an electronic
document via the Town website. It is being published on October 10, 2017, so that it will be available at
the Town Meeting Members Association information meeting scheduled for that evening, and approxi-
mately a week prior to the commencement of Special Town Meetings 2 and 3 on October 16,2017.
Acknowied2ements
The content of this report, except where otherwise noted, was researched, written and edited by members
of the Committee who volunteer their time and expertise, with the support of Town staff. Our Committee
has the pleasure and the privilege of working with Town Manager, Carl Valente; Assistant Town Manager
for Finance, Carolyn Kosnoff; Budget Officer, Jennifer Hewitt; the Capital Expenditures Committee; the
Community Preservation Committee; the School Committee; the Permanent Building Committee; Super-
intendent of Schools,Dr. Mary Czajkowski;Director of Finance and Operations,Ian Dailey; and the Board
of Selectmen. We thank the municipal and school staff, Town officials, boards and volunteers who have
contributed time and expertise to help us prepare this report. Last but not least,we thank Sara Arnold,who
records and prepares the minutes of our meetings.
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APPROPRIATION COMMITTEE SPECIAL TOWN MEETINGS 2017-2&3 OCTOBER 10,2017
Introduction
This introduction provides a brief overview of significant budgetary developments since the close of the
Annual Town Meeting,the reasons for convening two back-to-back special town meetings this fall,and the
major financial issues which will be addressed.
Overview of Fall Special Town Meetings
Two fall special town meetings are scheduled to commence on Monday, October 16, 2017. Because a
special town meeting was already held earlier this year on the first day of the Annual Town Meeting, the
two fall special town meetings have been designated Special Town Meeting 2017-2 and Special Town
Meeting 2017-3.
At Special Town Meeting 2017-2, Town Meeting will be asked to make appropriations necessary to move
forward each of three long-pending capital projects, subject to approval by voters of debt exclusions for
those projects in a referendum later in the fall: (1)replacement of the Hastings elementary school; (2) con-
struction of a permanent facility for the Lexington Children's Place (LCP) preschool at 20 Pelham Road;
and(3)reconstruction of the Fire Headquarters at 45 Bedford Street,together with the construction of tem-
porary fire station swing space at 171-173 Bedford Street. In the case of the LCP and fire headquarters
projects, additional design and engineering funding will be sought so that a final appropriation can be made
at the Annual Town Meeting next spring. In the case of the Hastings and fire station swing space projects,
funding will be sought for the final design and construction costs necessary to complete the projects.
The financial articles of Special Town Meeting 2017-3 will focus primarily on the allocation of additional
FY2018 revenue resulting from increases in revenue estimates since the 2017 Annual Town Meeting, as
discussed below, and adjustments to the FY2018 operating budget.
Updated FY2018 Revenue Estimates
Since the close of the 2017 Annual Town Meeting,the Town's estimated General Fund revenue for FY2018
has increased on a net basis by $2,667,987, as detailed in the table below.
Changes in FY2018 Revenue Estimates
From To Change Notes
New Growth Higher new growth than projected.
$2,500,000 $3,000,000 $500,000
State Aid Increase in Chapter 70 funds over
last year's amount,previous
$13,552,552 $15,712,062 $2,159,510 estimate level-funded
Parking Fund Increased estimates of parking
$385,000 $421,500 $36,500 revenues
TMOD Stabilization
Fund $19,000 $44,000 $25,000 Increased estimate of receipts
Revenue Adjustment Clerical error—ATM Article 4 did
not reflect late adjustment to Free
($53,023) Cash transfer
Additional Revenues
to General Fund $2,667,987
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APPROPRIATION COMMITTEE SPECIAL TOWN MEETINGS 2017-2&3 OCTOBER 10,2017
An increase in the property tax levy of$500,000 is attributed to a revised estimate of new growth, which
had been estimated at $2.5 million at the 2017 ATM, and is now estimated at$3.0 million. The final new
growth number could be somewhat higher,but the precise new-growth amount is still being determined by
the Assessing Department, and will be finalized when the FY2018 Tax Classification packet is released to
the Board of Selectmen in November—December 2017.Any additional new growth recognized at that time
will flow to Free Cash and be available for appropriation only after the books are closed, and Free Cash has
been certified, for FY2018.
State aid has increased by a little over$2 million based on the final Cherry Sheet numbers from the FY2018
State Budget approved by the Legislature in August. Most of that increase is attributable to an increase in
Chapter 70 Education Aid over what had been estimated at the prior Annual Town Meeting. In this regard,
it should be noted that there have been substantial annual increases in State Aid for several years now as
the State has made efforts to bring Lexington's share of Chapter 70 Education Aid, which is based on a
"foundation budget,"more in line with that of other communities;however,as Lexington approaches"par-
ity," such extraordinary increases are not expected to continue going forward.
Other,more minor adjustments to revenue estimates result from increases in parking revenues, which will
be offset by proposed appropriations for parking improvement projects as detailed in the discussion of
Article 2017-3.5 below. It should be noted that a decision by the Town's electricity supplier, Eversource,
to make monthly payments to the Town for electricity generated at the Hartwell Avenue solar facility,
estimated to total $600,000 in FY2018, as opposed to giving the Town credit on its monthly bills, has
technically increased the Town's local receipts by that amount; however, as set forth in the table under
Article 2017-3.5,this does not result in any net revenue increase to the Town as the proceeds will be applied
to expenses that would otherwise have been covered by the credits.
Debt Exclusion and Use of Capital Stabilization Fund
As noted above, the major purpose of this fall's Special Town Meeting is to authorize borrowing so that
the Town can move forward with three major capital projects: replacement of the Hastings School, which
is needed to correct significant deficiencies in the existing building and to provide additional elementary
school capacity as school enrollments have continued to grow; construction of a permanent facility for the
LCP, currently split between the new and old Harrington School buildings, to correct serious inadequacies
in that arrangement and also to free up four additional classrooms at new Harrington; and the long-planned
replacement of the Town's aging and increasingly obsolescent main fire station.
Because the price tag for these three projects will be very substantial, currently estimated at approximately
$85 million($48,765,695 for the Hastings School after MSBA reimbursement of$16,513,723; $14,879,342
for the LCP; and $22,140,000 for the fire station with swing space), and servicing of the associated debt
cannot practically be accommodated within the Town's existing revenue base,the Board of Selectmen has
elected to proceed with a town-wide debt exclusion referendum vote, anticipated to be held in late Novem-
ber or early December. In that referendum, Town voters will be asked to exclude from the limits of Propo-
sition 21/2 the debt service for each of these projects for the life of the debt, currently expected to be issued
for 30 years. The appropriations sought at the Special Town Meeting for each project will be contingent on
voter approval of a debt exclusion for that project.
Voter approval of debt exclusions for all of the projects to be considered in STM 2017-2 would have a
significant impact on residential(as well as commercial)tax bills. It would add in the early years, after all
of the debt has been issued, about $8 million a year in annual debt service costs, gradually tapering down
over the life of the debt as principal is paid off. Of particular concern is that,when the newly excluded debt
is combined with already outstanding excluded debt for previously approved projects —including the new
Estabrook School, the recent additions to the Clarke and Diamond Middle Schools, and the renovation of
the Bridge and Bowman Schools — the excluded debt service component would roughly double in a short
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APPROPRIATION COMMITTEE SPECIAL TOWN MEETINGS 2017-2&3 OCTOBER 10,2017
period of time between FY2019 and FY2024, from approximately $10 million annually to $20 million
annually, resulting in a"spike"of substantial annual tax bill increases for that period of time.
Fortunately,thanks to recent favorable economic conditions, and a prudent anticipation of major upcoming
capital needs,the Town has been able to set aside substantial reserves in a Capital Stabilization Fund(CSF),
which is available to help finance these projects and partially to mitigate the impact of projected increases
in excluded debt. The current balance of the CSF is currently approximately $28 million. The Town staff
has recently prepared, and will present at the Special Town Meeting, a Capital Financing Model and Prop-
erty Tax Mitigation Plan (the "Model") which contemplates annual draws from the CSF through FY2024
to limit the sharp increases to annual tax bills which would otherwise occur during that period of time if all
of the new debt exclusion referendum items are approved. Assuming that no additional funds become
available to further augment the CSF, the Model projects that the CSF would be depleted by FY2024.
Financing Bedford Street and Pelham Road Property Purchases
At the time of the Annual Town Meeting last spring,it was contemplated that a debt exclusion referendum
presented to the voters would include not only the project costs described above, but also two additional
associated costs,totaling approximately$12.5 million,which were previously appropriated by Town Meet-
ing, and which have already been incurred: the cost to acquire the property at 171-173 Bedford Street(ap-
proximately$4.5 million)in the fall of 2016 for use as fire station(and possibly police station)swing space;
and the cost to acquire the 20 Pelham Road property(approximately $8 million) for use by the LCP and, at
a future date, the Lexington Community Center. Because these two land purchases were financed with
short-term, interest-only Bond Anticipation Notes (BAN's), it would theoretically be possible to seek ex-
clusion of the future debt service costs of long-term bonds issued to replace the BAN's.
During a series of"capital"summits conducted by the major boards and committees through the spring and
summer, this Committee suggested that it might be prudent to use funds in the CSF, which are currently
earning approximately 1% interest, to pay off the two property purchases, rather than to issue long-term
excluded debt at an interest rate of approximately 3% (the "true interest cost" of the most recently issued
long-term debt),thereby saving a 2% spread or roughly$250,000 per year and potentially millions over the
life of the avoided debt. Although this would lower the amount of CSF funds available to "mitigate"the
near-term spike in excluded debt service costs, it would also lower the total amount of excluded debt re-
quired to be issued, lower total borrowing costs, and remove from the debt exclusion two items which are
faits accomplis and not subject to the usual voter"choice"associated with a debt exclusion referendum.
The Selectmen ultimately concurred with much of this reasoning,and decided that the costs associated with
the two land purchases should not be included in the debt exclusion referendum. However,at the suggestion
of the Town Manager, they have adopted a slightly different plan for paying off those purchases within the
levy, and avoiding the payment of higher long-term interest costs,but without the need to draw directly on
the CSF. Under this alternative plan, the Town will roll over for five years the existing BAN's for the two
property purchases,which have an interest cost of about 1%; and if conditions are favorable,gradually pay
off the principal, and thereby retire the indebtedness, in equal installments of approximately $2.5 million
over those five years using surplus available funds within the levy (i.e., free cash) that would otherwise
have been appropriated to augment the CSF. If conditions are not favorable, the fallback plan would be to
issue long-term debt within the levy, thereby spreading out the repayment over a longer period of time.
To kickstart this plan, a motion will be presented under Article 2017-3.5, "Amend FY2018 Operating
Budget,"to appropriate $2,351,487 toward the partial retirement of the debt incurred for the purchase of
the Bedford Street and Pelham Road properties in lieu of appropriating it to the CSF.
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APPROPRIATION COMMITTEE SPECIAL TOWN MEETINGS 2017-2&3 OCTOBER 10,2017
Special Town Meeting 2017-2
Analysis and Recommendations
The warrant for Special Town Meeting 2017-2 contains articles seeking borrowing authorization for four
major capital projects which are of critical importance to the Town and are now ready to move forward:
construction of a new Hastings Elementary School; completion of design and engineering work needed for
construction of a new Lexington Children's Place preschool facility at the recently acquired Pelham Road
site; the design of a new Fire Headquarters; and the completion of design and construction of temporary
swing space for use by the Fire Department while the existing Fire Headquarters is demolished and rebuilt.
Article 2017-2.2: Appropriate for Hastings School Construction
Funds Requested Funding Source Committee Recommendation
$63,059,418 Excluded Debt($46,545,695) Approve (7-0-2)
MSBA Grant ($16,513,723)
This article seeks construction funds for a new 30-section, 110,000 sq. ft.Hastings Elementary School, and
for demolition of the old Hastings School. Enrollment in the Hastings School was 455 students in 2016-
2017.The new school,with a design capacity of 645 students,is essential for addressing overcrowding, for
providing adequate space for delivery of a modern K-5 educational program, and for addressing multiple
issues with the integrity of the current building envelope, structure, and other systems.
Opened in 1955,the existing Hastings School has a floor area of 64,980 square feet,including eight modular
classrooms, four of which were added in 1995, and four in 2000. The current building has in recent years
needed major repairs to the foundation and to cracked structural beams in the gym, as well as for water
infiltration caused by roof ice dams. All of the modular classrooms are either approaching or past the end
of their useful life of 20 years.
Project Costs and MSBA Reimbursement
The Massachusetts State Building Authority (MSBA) approved, on August 16, 2017, a partial reimburse-
ment of the construction costs for a new school building. The total project budget is about$65,300,000, of
which MSBA will reimburse approximately $16,500,000, with the balance of$48,800,000 to be covered
by the Town of Lexington.
The $65,300,000 budget is comprised of $52,900,000 in construction costs, including site work, and
$12,300,000 in soft costs. The table below lists previous appropriations and this article's request.
Hastings Project Purpose
STM 2/2016 $1,500,000 Feasibility Study
TM 4/2017 $720,000 Feasibility&Design
STM 10/2017 $63,059,418 Feasibility, Design&Construction
Total $65,279,418
MSBA Grant $16,513,723
Debt $48,765,695
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APPROPRIATION COMMITTEE SPECIAL TOWN MEETINGS 2017-2&3 OCTOBER 10,2017
MSBA Reimbursement
Construction costs for the new school,including site work, are projected to be approximately $52,900,000,
or$482 per sq.ft. The MSBA reimbursement represents 35.79% of not more than$46,200,000 in construc-
tion costs.The basis of the MSBA reimbursement excludes legal fees,site costs in excess of 8%of the total
building cost, construction costs in excess of$326 per sq. ft.plus eligible demolition and abatement costs,
other miscellaneous ineligible construction costs,costs associated with mailing and moving,costs in excess
of the $1,200 per student allowance for fixtures, furniture, and equipment, costs in excess of the $1,200 per
student allowance for technology, and owner's and construction contingency amounts.
Building emissions and energy use
The new Hastings is being designed for both excellent building air quality and low lifecycle energy costs.
Although these two goals tend to oppose each other, the design achieves a good compromise,in part by
employing geothermal wells for heating and cooling, at a cost premium of$2,200,000 over a conventional
air-cooled chiller and condensing boiler plant. The site energy consumption by end-use at Hastings is pro-
jected to be 24.1 kBTU/SF-yr EUI(energy use index,in kBTU per sq.ft.per year), compared to 39.7
kBTU/SF-yr for the conventional HVAC system. The savings reflect primarily more efficient space heat-
ing. For comparison,historical EUIs at other Lexington elementary schools are 54.8 kBTU/SF-yr at Es-
tabrook, 48.4 at Harrington, and 39.3 at Fiske which employs geothermal heating. These numbers do not
take on-site solar panel energy generation into account. The new building will have the capacity to install
rooftop and parking lot canopy solar panels that could potentially generate as much as 901,977 kWhr/yr.
The Debt Exclusion Referendum
The Board of Selectmen has voted 4-1 to present a motion under this article in which the appropriation is
contingent on approval of a Proposition 21/2 debt exclusion referendum to be held in late November or early
December.
Should the debt exclusion be approved,property taxes will be higher than otherwise allowed under Propo-
sition 21/2 for the life of the debt. Annual debt service payments for the new Hastings are projected to reach
$3,572,415 in FY2021, and to decrease in later years. Some of the excluded debt service may be covered
through mitigation transfers from the Capital Stabilization Fund. See the discussion in the Introduction.
The Committee recommends approval of this request(7-0-2).
Article 2016-2.3: Appropriate Design Funds for Lexington Children's Place/20
Pelham Road
Funds Requested Funding Source Committee Recommendation
$2,500,000 Excluded Debt Approve(7-0-2)
This article seeks $2,500,000 for design, engineering and architectural services for the proposed new Lex-
ington Children's Place(LCP)at the recently purchased 20 Pelham Road location.The preschool,compris-
ing 18,850 square feet of floor area and 7 classrooms,is estimated to cost around $15M.
The LCP provides services to preschool children(ages 2 years 9 months to 5 years old),including children
with special needs who qualify under the state mandate for free educational services, and children without
special needs whose families pay tuition. The LCP currently shares space in the Harrington School and in
the old Harrington School building where the School Central Office (CO) is located. As of the end of the
2016-2017 school year, LCP had an enrollment of 81 students, of which 41 students attended one slot per
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APPROPRIATION COMMITTEE SPECIAL TOWN MEETINGS 2017-2&3 OCTOBER 10,2017
day, i.e., either in the morning or afternoon, while 40 attended two slots per day, for a total of 121 slots.
The current program capacity is 157 slots, including 97 slots in the Harrington School and the rest in the
CO building.Per state regulations, each class has a maximum of 15 students.
The splitting of the program between two buildings and the present condition of the LCP space in the CO
building have created many challenges for the operation of the LCP. Issues of concern include security,
communication, child safety, limitations on program capacity,program integrity and efficiency, and staff
work efficiency.
The program serves children with complex physical, medical, or other needs, many of whom are best lo-
cated close to a school nurse or require placement in acoustically proper spaces or spaces with other special
requirements. Since there is no nurse in the CO building,there are tight constraints on how the space in the
CO building can be used. Speed and reliability of communication is important in a preschool environment,
especially one that serves children with special needs; communication between LCP staff in the CO build-
ing and those in the Harrington School building has been awkward, inconvenient, and often ineffective.
While the distance between the two buildings would not present large challenges to older children or adults
without mobility issue, it does for preschool children especially during winter months and inclement
weather. The CO building has not been modified to provide appropriate security for the LCP portion of the
building. There are also safety concerns regarding children crossing the parking lot.
The School Committee has been looking for a permanent location for the LCP and the Pelham Road location
has become the preferred choice. Moving the LCP out of the Harrington School to a more suitable facility
is intended to alleviate the issues with the present facilities, and would also free up four classrooms that
could then be used for K-5 education to help alleviate overcrowding in the elementary schools.
Project Costs and Appropriation Schedule
As of September 13, 2017, the total project cost is estimated at $14,879,342. The design has since been
revised in order to locate the building further away from the wetland.This may result in additional site costs
anticipated in the $100,000 to $200,000 range.
The table below lists previous,proposed current and expected future appropriations.
LCP Project Purpose
STM 2017 Spring $581,500 Design Funds for LCP
STM 2017 Fall $2,500,000 Design, engineering (including the demolition of the existing
structure, removal of hazardous material, and some sitework),
and architectural services
Expected future $11,797,842 Construction, sitework, and completion of the project
appropriation
Total $14,879,342
It should be noted that the project cost of$14,879,342 does not include the cost of acquiring the property
at 20 Pelham Road, which was approximately $8 million inclusive of costs of studies, legal work, and
miscellaneous items. The Lexington Community Center (LexCC), which is located on the adjacent lot,
could potentially use a portion of the 20 Pelham Road lot for a detached gym and cafeteria or additional
parking. However, since the expansion of the LexCC is not viewed as being time critical, and because the
time was short to prepare for this special town meeting, planning for such expansion has been deferred
beyond this meeting.
Since this project is for a preschool,it is not eligible for MSBA reimbursement.
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APPROPRIATION COMMITTEE SPECIAL TOWN MEETINGS 2017-2&3 OCTOBER 10,2017
Breakdown of The Cost
Item Cost Amount Sought in This article
Hard Costs
Building Construction Cost $7,658,556 $0
Building Demo +HazMat Costs $684,788 $684,788
Sitework $3,217,385 $975,000
Subtotal Hard Costs $11,560,729 $1,659,788
Soft Costs
Study/Fees/On-site construction rep/Testing $2,068,613 $720,000
Furniture, Fixture &Equipment/Technology $445,000 $0
Subtotal Soft Costs $2,513,613 $720,000
Construction &Owner Contingencies $805,000 $115,000
Total $14,879,342 $2,494,788
Minority Opinion
A minority of the Committee,while understanding the needs of the LCP program and liking the design of
the new facility,has difficulty coming to terms with the cost,hence chooses to abstain.
The proposed project has two major benefits: improving the LCP program and gaining four classrooms at
the new Harrington.However,this is a very expensive way to gain four classrooms.While the present LCP
facility is not ideal,the minority does not believe it is clear that it is essential to immediately move the LCP
to a better facility.
The fact that there are very few similar projects in other towns in this part of the state also raises the question
as to how other towns address their needs and whether there might be more cost-effective ways to accom-
modate the early childhood program.
The Committee recommends approval of this request(7-0-2).
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APPROPRIATION COMMITTEE SPECIAL TOWN MEETINGS 2017-2&3 OCTOBER 10,2017
Article 2016-2.4: Appropriate Design Funds for Fire Headquarters
Funds Requested Funding Source Committee Recommendation
$676,300 Excluded Debt Approve(9-0-0)
This article seeks appropriation of the amount of$676,300 for the continuation of work on the design of a
new Fire Headquarters building at the site of the current Fire Headquarters. These funds are intended to
allow the design to proceed through the construction document development stage.
This appropriation of funds for design work for Lexington's Fire Headquarters represents another step to-
ward replacement of the current building on Bedford St. at the corner of Worthen Road with a new larger
building that will better serve the needs of the Fire Department for many years into the future. The numer-
ous deficiencies of the current building include, among others, lack of sufficient room for equipment,per-
sonnel, and workspaces, a floor under the equipment bays that is failing and is held up with temporary
supports,and a leaky basement that has had problems with mold and mildew. The justification for replace-
ment of the Fire Headquarters station is documented in detail elsewhere. This Committee briefly reviewed
the rationale in our "Report to the Special Town Meeting on September 21, 2016" dated September 14,
2016, under Article 2016-5.2. A brief synopsis of the rationale may also be found in the report of the
Capital Expenditures Committee to that special town meeting. The reasons to replace the facility are dis-
cussed at length in a report submitted to the Town by consultants Donham & Sweeney Architects in 20111.
The total cost of the replacement of the building, not including the cost of swing space, has recently been
estimated to be $19,950,000. Under Article 2 of Special Town Meeting 2017-1 held in March, 2017,
$450,000 was appropriated for design work on the new station through the schematic design and design
development stages. Both this amount and the amount requested under this article are included in the
estimated total cost. The estimate of the total cost is likely to change,hopefully only to a small extent,after
the completion of construction documents, and finally upon award of a construction contract.
The Bedford St. site is not sufficiently large to allow construction of a new building while the Fire Depart-
ment continues to operate out of the current facility. The current facility must be demolished before con-
struction commences on the new facility. Therefore, the Headquarters operations need to move to an off-
site facility before demolition of the current structure commences. Late in 2016, the Town purchased the
Liberty Mutual land and building at 173 Bedford St. to serve as swing space during demolition of the old
building and construction of the new building.
Of course, the overall cost of the project must take the costs of the swing space into account. These cover
the cost of acquiring the land and building at 173 Bedford St., the costs of designing modifications to that
site and building, of modifying the site and building, of acquiring and installing a temporary structure to
house the fire trucks and other equipment,of installing a temporary traffic signal and traffic signal controls,
and of moving the Headquarters to the temporary site and, later, into the new facility after it is completed.
It is not clear how much of the cost of acquisition of the 173 Bedford St. property should be allocated to
the replacement project,because after the replacement is complete,the land and building will become avail-
able for another use or uses. Nevertheless, the acquisition costs should be noted. The costs of the swing
space are fully discussed under our report on Article 5 of this special town meeting.
It is anticipated that this appropriation request will be contingent on approval of the exclusion of debt ser-
vice for the project at a referendum in late November or early December. The debt exclusion authority
1"Lexington Fire Station Schematic Design Study Report",dated 2/15/2011,Donham& Sweeney Architects. This
report is available on the Town website at: http://records.lexingtonma.gov/weblink/O/doc/142658/Pagel.aspx
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APPROPRIATION COMMITTEE SPECIAL TOWN MEETINGS 2017-2&3 OCTOBER 10,2017
would cover the previous and present requests for design funds, which will be financed in the interim by
short-term,interest-only bond anticipation notes (BANs), as well as the expenses for subsequent phases of
the project including the costs of swing space. In the event that a debt exclusion for the fire station is not
approved by voters this fall or in the next year or two,the fire station replacement will not proceed,the debt
approved under this article would not be incurred,and the debt service for the previously approved$450,000
for design work would be funded from the non-exempt tax levy. In that case the Fire Headquarters would
continue to work in the current facility.
If both this article and the debt exclusion for the project are approved, an appropriation for the balance of
the costs of the replacement of the facility will be sought in the spring of 2018 at the annual or at a special
town meeting.
If all approvals are granted according to the anticipated schedule, the new Fire Headquarters station would
likely be available for occupancy in late 2019 or early 2020.
It is appropriate to describe the approximate impact on property taxes if this project moves forward. The
estimate made here assumes that the cost of the land purchase is covered within the non-exempt tax levy,
and that the overall cost of the facility replacement together with swing space, exclusive of the cost of
acquiring the site and building at 173 Bedford St. and debt service interest,is approximately $22,000,000.
The estimate assumes that the cost is funded through debt with a term of 30 years at an effective interest
rate of 4%. With these assumptions, the principal payment would be about $730,000 per year and the
interest cost would be, in the first full year of debt service, about $880,000. The sum of principal and
interest payments in the first full year of debt service thus represents just under 1% of the non-exempt
property tax revenue that will likely be raised in that year. The annual interest cost would decline over the
30-year term to about$30,000 in the final full year of debt service.
This Committee agrees that it is important for the Town to proceed with this project so that Fire Department
personnel will have a facility that allows them to efficiently carry out their responsibilities and to provide
residents and businesses with high quality fire prevention and suppression services.
The Committee recommends approval of this request(9-0-0).
Article 2016-2.5: Appropriate for Temporary Fire Station Construction
Funds Requested Funding Source Committee Recommendation
$2,140,000 Excluded Debt Approve(9-0-0)
This article seeks an appropriation of$2,140,000 for design,engineering,and architectural services,includ-
ing production of construction documents, and for the construction of a temporary fire station at 173 Bed-
ford Street,including signalization and access improvement.
Late in 2016,the Town purchased the Liberty Mutual land and building at 173 Bedford St.at the negotiated
price of$4,300,000. The site and building were acquired for a temporary fire station that will be used while
the current building is demolished and replaced with a new fire station(see Article 4 above for details). In
addition to the amount of the purchase price, at the Special Town Meeting 2016-5 held in September,2016,
$58,000 was appropriated for legal, survey, and environmental costs and $85,000 was appropriated for
preliminary engineering studies in regard to the temporary facility.
Under Article 3 of Special Town Meeting 2017-1 held on March 20, 2017, $50,000 was appropriated for
the design development phase of the temporary fire headquarters at 173 Bedford Street location. The esti-
mated total cost of the project at that time was $2,093,000.The design phase has been completed by Tecton
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APPROPRIATION COMMITTEE SPECIAL TOWN MEETINGS 2017-2&3 OCTOBER 10,2017
Architects and the current total project cost estimate is $2,190,000, of which $50,000 in design funds has
previously been appropriated, leaving a total of $2,140,000 requested for the bidding and construction
phases of the project. The estimate includes a—10% contingency. The approval of this funding request will
allow the issuance of the construction documents for bid with an anticipated completion around the end of
May 2018.
It is anticipated that this appropriation request will be contingent on approval of the exclusion of debt ser-
vice for the project at a referendum in late November or early December. The debt exclusion authority
would cover the previous and present requests for design funds, which will be financed in the interim by
short-term,interest-only bond anticipation notes (BANs), as well as the expenses for subsequent phases of
the project including the costs of swing space. In the event that a debt exclusion for the fire station is not
approved by voters this fall or in the next year or two,the fire station replacement will not proceed,the debt
approved under this article would not be incurred, and the debt service for the previously approved$50,000
for design work would be funded from the non-exempt tax levy. In that case the Fire Headquarters would
continue to work in the current facility.
This Committee agrees that it is important for the town to proceed with this project in order to allow the
personnel of the Fire Department to have an interim facility from which they can efficiently carry out their
responsibilities while the main Fire Station is constructed.
The Committee recommends approval of this request(9-0-0).
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APPROPRIATION COMMITTEE SPECIAL TOWN MEETINGS 2017-2&3 OCTOBER 10,2017
Special Town Meeting 2017-3
Analysis and Recommendations
The warrant for Special Town Meeting 2017-3 contains eight financially-related articles seeking updates to
the FY2018 operating, capital and enterprise fund budgets. The Committee provides its analysis of these
requests below.
Article 2017-3.5: Amend FY2018 Operating and Enterprise Funds
Funds Requested Funding Source Committee Recommendation
See below General Fund; Parking Fund; Approve(9-0-0)
TMOD Stabilization Fund
Amend FY2018 Operating Budget:
As discussed in the Introduction,the Town's FY2018 revenue estimates have increased by$2,667,987, and
the Town will also receive direct payments from Eversource in lieu of credits estimated at$600,000, for a
total of$3,267,987. It is proposed to appropriate $3,086,987 of this amount under this article as follows:
Line From To Change
2160 Property&Liability $713,893 $738,893 $25,000 Additional funds to cover pre-
Insurance mium increases for vacant build-
ings at Pelham Road and 173 Bed-
ford Street and school expansions.
2180 Solar Producer Pay- $410,000 $410,000* Paid to Syncarpha for generation
ments and maintenance of our solar facil-
ity. Was originally in Public Fa-
cilities line item.
2210 Payment on Funded $5,640,760 $7,992,247 $2,351,487 Partial retirement of debt incurred
Debt for payment of Pelham Rd. and
Bedford St.property purchases.
2400 Facilities $10,402,987 $10,592,987 $190,000* Added back to electricity expense
budget to account for removing
credit for solar which is now re-
ceived as income.
The starred line items balance the $600,000 in direct payments expected to be received from Eversource
in FY2018 for electricity generated at our new solar facility in lieu of credits, as noted in the Introduction,
resulting in no net effect on previously estimated net revenues or to the Town budget.
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APPROPRIATION COMMITTEE SPECIAL TOWN MEETINGS 2017-2&3 OCTOBER 10,2017
4100 Law Enforcement $872,527 $900,527 $28,000 Partial cost to resurface Church of
Expenses Our Redeemer lot; spaces permit-
ted during week; funding source is
the Parking Meter Fund.
7100 Land Use Expenses $443,238 $451,738 $8,500 On-street survey work to stripe
new parking spaces in the Center;
funding source is the Parking Me-
ter Fund.
7100 Land Use Expenses $451,738 $495,738 $44,000 Hartwell North Zoning Proposal -
Development & Traffic Analysis;
$25,000 of the total,for the Traffic
Analysis, is to be funded from
TMOD Stabilization Fund.
8210 Town Manager Ex- $206,585 $224,585 $18,000 Police Sergeant Assessment Cen-
penses ter
8530 Town Clerk Ex- $120,250 $132,250 $12,000 Election expenses for Senator
penses Donnelly's seat. Expected to be
reimbursed from the state.
Total Operating Budget Amendments $3,086,987
Appropriation of the remaining $181,000 will be addressed in Articles 3.8, Visitors Center, and 3.11, De-
sign for High School Security System Upgrade.
Amend FY2018 Water/Sewer Enterprise Funds:
The amounts appropriated under Article 5 of the 2017 Annual Town Meeting for Water and Sewer Enter-
prise Fund expenses were based on preliminary FY2018 assessments issued by the MWRA. The revisions
below reflect the final assessments approved by the MWRA board this past June. These revised assess-
ments,which slightly lower the costs of each fund,were used in the calculation of the water and wastewater
rates approved by the Selectmen this fall, and amendment of the appropriation by Town Meeting is simply
a housekeeping measure.
From To Change
MWRA Water Assessment $7,275,204 $7,246,531 ($28,673)
MWRA Wastewater Assessment $7,453,886 $7,402,979 ($50,907)
The Committee recommends approval of this request(9-0).
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APPROPRIATION COMMITTEE SPECIAL TOWN MEETINGS 2017-2&3 OCTOBER 10,2017
2017-3.6 Establish and Appropriate To and From Specified Stabilization Funds
Funds Requested Funding Source Committee Recommendation
$585,110 Developer payments Approve (9-0-0)
The State statute authorizing towns to create and maintain a stabilization fund, G.L. c. 40, § 5B, was
amended in 2003 to permit the creation of multiple, separate stabilization funds for specified purposes.
Creating these funds, altering their specified purpose, or appropriating into or out of them requires a two-
thirds vote of Town Meeting. Lexington's first specified stabilization funds were established at the 2007
Annual Town Meeting. Additional funds have been created from time to time since then, as needed.
Each "specified stabilization fund" holds monies for one or more purposes that were specified when the
fund was created.A placeholder article is now routinely included on the warrant for both annual and special
town meetings to give Town Meeting the opportunity to establish new funds, and to appropriate monies
into, or out of, existing funds.
The action proposed at this STM,primarily a housekeeping measure,is to appropriate payments made since
the close of the 2017 ATM, under the terms of various memoranda of agreement between the Town and
property developers to mitigate traffic and other impacts,into the following specified stabilization funds:
• Traffic Mitigation Stabilization Fund
o King Street Properties, $200,000
• Transportation Management Overlay District(TMOD) Stabilization Fund
o King Street Properties, $258,355
• Traffic Demand Management(TDM)Stabilization Fund
o King Street Properties, $83,793
o Avalon Bay, $42,972
A request is being made under Article 3.5 above to appropriate funds from the TMOD Stabilization Fund;
see the table in the report on that article.That is the only request being made at this time for an appropriation
from any specified stabilization fund. There are no requests at this time to create a new specified stabiliza-
tion fund.
The Committee recommends approval of this request(9-0).
Article 2017-3.7: Amend Revolving Fund Authorization
Funds Requested Funding Source Committee Recommendation
$50,000 Building Rental Revolving Approve (9-0-0)
Fund
DPW Compost Operations
$142,000 Revolving Fund
Revolving Funds are used to fund town operations that generate their own revenue and for which that
revenue is the primary source of money to pay for those operations. These revenues are deposited into the
revolving fund specific for the operation, and Town Meeting is required to make annual appropriations
from the revolving fund to pay for the operations for that fiscal year. Any funds remaining in a revolving
fund at the end of the fiscal year are carried forward to the next year.
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APPROPRIATION COMMITTEE SPECIAL TOWN MEETINGS 2017-2&3 OCTOBER 10,2017
This first request is to increase the use of Building Rental Revolving funds from $475,000 to $525,000 to
pay for increased overtime staffing costs incurred in support of Spectacle Management events at Cary Me-
morial Hall. Spectacle Management has already paid into the fund to cover these costs and this appropria-
tion makes that revenue available to pay these costs. The current balance in this fund is $116,376.
The second request is to increase the authorization for use of DPW Compost Operations funds from
$755,000 to $897,000 to replace a storage bin at the compost facility.This storage bin was displaced by the
installation of solar panels at the composting facility, and the solar panel vendor was required to rebuild it
in a new location. The solar vendor asked that the Town find another contractor to do this work. The reim-
bursement money from the solar vendor will be deposited into this revolving fund. The current balance in
this fund is $1,011,139.
The Committee recommends approval of these requests (9-0-0).
Article 2017-3.8: Appropriate Design Funds for Visitors Center
Funds Requested Funding Source Committee Recommendation
$150,000 GF Approve(8-0-1)
This article requests the appropriation of$150,000 to fund production of design development documents
for a new Visitors Center. The building would be located in the current location of the Visitors Center,
across from the Battle Green.
The proposed design is for a two-story building with a full basement,which would have a gross floor area
of 6693 sq. ft. The estimated design and construction cost of the current concept is $4,517,000, although
the Permanent Building Committee (PBC) has identified savings that may reduce the estimated cost to
$4,315,000. The gross floor area of this concept is reduced by 19% from the 8297 sq. ft. area of the 2016
concept,which in June 2016 had an estimated design and construction cost of$4,063,675.In order to com-
pare the cost estimates of these two designs, the 2016 concept cost has to be adjusted for inflation to a cost
of$4,400,000. This comparison shows the cost per square foot of the 2016 concept as $530, compared to
$645 for the current design after PBC reductions.
The Tourism Committee has recommended a construction start in early November 2018 so that a new
Visitors Center can be completed in time for the Massachusetts 400' celebrations beginning in 2020 and
the 250'anniversary of the Battle of Lexington in 2025. In order to allow occupation of a new building by
April 2020, this Special Town Meeting would have to appropriate $350,000 to cover $150,000 for design
development and $200,000 for construction documents. This would be followed by a request for funding
for construction at the 2018 annual town meeting. As of press time. the Selectmen will only be requesting
$150,000 in design development costs. The Tourism Committee has urged that the Selectmen appropriate
the additional$200,000 for construction documents at this Special Town Meeting,with the stipulation that
this additional funding would be available for release by the Selectmen when they are satisfied with the
results of the design development phase, estimated to be available in February 2018.
The current Visitors Center building was constructed more than 50 years ago. It was designed to provide
rest rooms and information for tourists coming to commemorate the bicentennial of the Battle of Lexington
in 1975. The building is not fully handicapped-accessible, lacks adequate restroom facilities for use by
tourists and Minuteman Bikeway users,is inadequate for accommodating the flow of visitors, and lacks the
technology on which visitors now depend.
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APPROPRIATION COMMITTEE SPECIAL TOWN MEETINGS 2017-2&3 OCTOBER 10,2017
When first opened, the Visitors Center was operated by the Chamber of Commerce. Since 2016, it has
been operated and staffed by the Town's Economic Development Office. Sales revenue from the gift shop,
$197,186 in FY2016,funds the Visitors Center's complete operating costs.Approximately 126,000 visitors
entered the building in 2016.
In October 2011, a new Visitors Center was added to the Town's five-year capital plan. A programmatic
report was produced in 2012, and then revised in 2013. At the 2014 Annual Town Meeting, $220,608 was
appropriated for design development. The plan at that time was to renovate or rebuild the existing Visitors
Center building to include space for visitor education, tour groups, a self-service kiosk, counter space for
assisting visitors,a veterans' display with visual connection to exterior memorials,retail space,food vend-
ing area,new rest rooms, and office space as well as community meeting space.
Mills Whitaker Architects LLC was hired and guided the process further. In view of the condition of the
old building, of the new programmatic needs, and of conceptual plans provided by Mills Whitaker in 2015,
stakeholders and the Selectmen decided to pursue construction of a new building rather than renovation.
An article for the construction of a new Visitor Center was included in the 2016 Annual Town Meeting
Warrant but was indefinitely postponed.In June 2016,Mills Whitaker provided to the Selectmen a revised
estimate of the sum of design and construction costs for a new building of$4,063,675. In view of the high
cost, the Selectmen declined a request by the Tourism Committee to include an article in the Warrant for
the 2017 Town Meeting seeking an appropriation for 25% design funding. The Tourism Committee then
placed a citizen article on the Warrant. That article, Article 18, seeking appropriation of$21,000 to add to
the $130,000 remaining from prior appropriations for additional schematic design funds, was approved.
The resulting plan,made available via a report presented to the Permanent Building Committee on Septem-
ber 4,2017, is Mills Whitaker's attempt to address the shortcomings of the prior design.
The redesign work was based on a review of programmatic goals and feedback obtained through a series
of meetings among the Tourism and Permanent Building Committees, staff, and community stakeholders.
This review resulted in a concept for a building smaller than that originally proposed but one that is larger
than currently exists. The additional space would provide for a better functioning building having adequate
space for visitor interaction with the information desk,historic displays,retail area, and restrooms.
In addition to further refinement of the schematic design, value engineering of the project continues to
address the concerns voiced about the project cost. Currently $202,000 of cost reductions have been iden-
tified; those savings are reflected in the $4,315,000 estimated cost. It is projected that additional value
engineering could yield another$300,000 or more in cost reductions.Currently$30,000 of the appropriated
Schematic Design money remains unspent.
The Tourism Committee is in the process of identifying funding sources besides the tax levy. They are
examining creation of a revenue stream of approximately $16,000 by adding a small surcharge on the sale
of Liberty Ride tickets. They are looking at the qualifications required to obtain a one-time $300,000 grant
from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, as well as other state and federal grants. Additionally,it may be
possible to request funding under the Community Preservation Act for items such as the restoration and
display of current historical artifacts,including the diorama and USS Lexington memorabilia; the creation
of new historical displays; and exterior site work which is covered by the Battle Green Master Plan ap-
proved by the Board of Selectmen in March 2011.
The Tourism Committee and Economic Development Office operate the Visitors Center and the Liberty
Ride, and conduct marketing efforts, and the revenues of these activities cover expenses. Their"Linger In
Lexington" campaign has encouraged tour buses to spend more time in Lexington, and Center businesses
have experienced increased tourist foot traffic and business over the past five years.
As one justification for investing in this project,the Tourism Committee has noted that hotel and meals tax
collections since FY2011 have totaled $8,702,054. Total collections have experienced annual growth in
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APPROPRIATION COMMITTEE SPECIAL TOWN MEETINGS 2017-2&3 OCTOBER 10,2017
year-to-year collections and in FY2017 were over$1,538,639.However,it is important to note that tourism
is just one of three sectors that pay these taxes,the others being business customers, and residents and their
visitors.
If construction of this project is approved,the debt service costs for this project would be funded within the
levy. If the project is bonded over 20 years, annual debt costs would start at $400,000 and decline to
$230,000 over time. If this project is bonded over 30 years, annual debt costs would start at$330,000 and
decline to $150,000 over time. For context, FY2018 within-levy debt service costs are budgeted at
$7,152,605,prior to any mitigation.
If this Special Town Meeting appropriates the requested $150,000 in design development funds, design
development, estimated to take 12 to 14 weeks, should be completed in February 2018. Additional funding
at this time for construction documents would allow a request for an appropriation for actual construction
to be made at the spring town meeting. Deferring an appropriation for construction documents until the
spring town meeting would delay construction start until after November 2018.
The Committee recommends approval of this request(8-0-1).
Article 2017-3.9: Appropriate for Solid Waste Collection Equipment
Funds Requested Funding Source Committee Recommendation
IP
A motion to indefinitely postpone this article is expected.
Article 2017-3.11: Appropriate for Lexington High School Security System
Design
Funds Requested Funding Source Committee Recommendation
$31,000 GF Approve(9-0-0)
This article seeks funding for the engineering and architectural design of improvements to the security
system at Lexington High School.
Maintaining security at Lexington's public schools presents various challenges. To enhance security at the
eight elementary and middle schools and the Central Administration, electronic door access controls and
visitor entrances have already been implemented. In addition,to date these buildings have all had Closed-
Circuit Television(CCTV)installations or upgrades.
Since Lexington High School comprises multiple buildings with a complex layout and open campus envi-
ronment, security there is particularly challenging. At the 2017 Annual Town Meeting, funds were appro-
priated to upgrade the Closed-Circuit Television(CCTV) system at Lexington High School to meet stand-
ards similar to those met at the other eight school buildings and the Central Administration Building. The
upgrade was completed in the summer of 2017.
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APPROPRIATION COMMITTEE SPECIAL TOWN MEETINGS 2017-2&3 OCTOBER 10,2017
While Lexington High School is now on par with the other school buildings pertaining to the CCTV sys-
tem, great challenges remain with the ability to remotely lock doors as well as restricting visitor access.
Gaps in the current security system at Lexington High School:
• In the event of a lockdown, staff currently has to manually lock exterior doors,which is time con-
suming,presents opportunities for errors, and could result in unsafe conditions in a security emer-
gency.
• The number of entrances is difficult to limit. In the Quad, exterior doors are required to be open
during passing time so that students and staff can move between buildings. Currently there is no
efficient or realistic system to unlock doors during `passing time' and to lock them afterwards
when classes are in session.
• Currently,visitors have unrestricted access throughout the campus.
Estimated project costs:
Request under this article
Design, engineering, & architectural costs $31,000
Anticipated request for 2018 annual town meeting
Architectural construction administration $8,600
Construction $330,000
Total anticipated 2018 ATM request $338,600
TOTAL ANTICIPATED REQUEST 2017 STM-3 +2018 ATM $369,600
Project Timeline:
If the funding request under this article is approved, the design, engineering, and architectural work would
begin immediately upon release of the funds. This work would include schematic design, design develop-
ment,preparation of construction and bid solicitation documents, and updates of construction cost esti-
mates.
The plan would be to have construction documents completed, or close to completion,by the 2018 An-
nual Town Meeting in April. This would allow an updated presentation to be made at the 2018 ATM in
conjunction with a request for funds for construction and construction administration.
If funding of the complete project is approved at the 2018 ATM,having already-completed design docu-
ments will allow the bid process to begin immediately thereafter. This would allow a contractor to be on
board by July 1, 2018 when the construction funds become available. The plan is to have an updated se-
curity system substantially completed before the start of the 2018-2019 school year.
The Committee recommends approval of this request(9-0).
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APPROPRIATION COMMITTEE SPECIAL TOWN MEETINGS 2017-2&3 OCTOBER 10,2017
Article 2017-3.12: Appropriate Community Preservation Act Projects
Funds Requested Funding Source Committee Recommendation
Affordable Housing CPF Housing: IP
TBD (land purchase) Land: Pending
A motion may be brought under this article seeking the appropriation of Community Preservation Act
(CPA) funds for the purchase of a small parcel of open space bordering the Chiesa Farm conservation land
on Adams Street. As of press time,we understand that a separate request by LexHAB to appropriate addi-
tional CPA funds for its affordable housing project on Lowell Street will be indefinitely postponed, with
the expectation of bringing it back to the Annual Town Meeting next spring.
Land Purchase
The Community Preservation Committee has recently been presented with a proposal to acquire for open
space purposes a parcel at 44 Adams Street,consisting of approximately 30,000 square feet of land,adjacent
to the Town-owned Chiesa Farm conservation land.
This lot was purchased in 2017 by a developer who razed the existing house with plans to build a large new
house on the property. The builder has agreed to delay the project to allow the Town to consider whether
to purchase the land for open space. The purchase would expand the Town-owned conservation land at
Chiesa Farm and preserve open space in Lexington consistent with the 2015 Open Space Plan Update.
If the matter proceeds, funding would be requested for the costs of purchase, legal expenses, a land survey
and plan, deed,and$5,000 in monitoring funds for Citizens for Lexington Conservation,which would hold
and enforce the CPA-required conservation restriction.
There is currently no definitive estimate of the purchase cost, but it is expected that the price would have
to cover the developer's acquisition cost(around$850,000)plus the sunk cost of demolition of the existing
structure plus some or all of the developer's anticipated profit.
At the time of publication of this report, the CPC had not yet voted whether to approve this project and it
is not yet known whether it will go forward.
The Committee's recommendation on this part of this article is pending.
Article 2017-3.13: Appropriate for Authorized Capital Improvements
Funds Requested Funding Source Committee Recommendation
IP
A motion to indefinitely postpone this article is expected.
22