HomeMy WebLinkAbout1995-10-20-BFC-min.pdf TOWN OF LEXINGTON
AD HOC BUILDING FINANCE COMMITTEE
Minutes of Meetina October 20 1995 at the School Administration
Building, as approved November 3 , 1995
The meeting began at approximately 7 38 a m with all committee members
except Eagle, Jenkins and Moore School staff Moynihan also attended
Minutes of September 29 1995 and Minutes of October 12 1995 were
approved as amended A brief discussion on the urgency and politics of
space needs ensued The situation was reviewed at the last Tuesday' s
meeting of the School Committee They decided not to oust the LABB
collaborative program from the high school Possibly more bending and
squeezing of program will be done, action may await perception of
crisis New high school principal Lanoue is reassessing the situation
At Chairman Kelley's request a meeting with the principal and his
assistant was held last Tuesday to review space utilization at the high
school At this meeting the Chairman described the committee's percep-
tion of urgency (Member Kennedy was asked about the 1985 KLQ study of
the schools Neither this nor the Archetype study considered overall
space use of the high school )
Member Garber asked if this committee is a crisis-caller Kelley told
of his meeting with Selectmen's Chairman McSweeney after his session
with the high school principals They discussed town priorities and
perceptions This committee' s interim report on capital priorities for
facilities is due to the Selectmen November 14, the same time as a
definitive report has been promised from the School Committee
The Selectmen definitely need a statement from this committee, who have
been picked as a
group with building and business experience, who
represent no special interest but the town's Their charge is to
interpret the Archetype report for the town and the Capital Expenditures
Committee with objectivity
Tour of nearby new/renovated libraries to take place November 4
Chairman Kelley passed around his copy of the announcement he received
as a Town Meeting Member Included on the tour are the libraries of
Weston, Waltham and Arlington
Capital Reauests are due about November 1, Moynihan pointed out The
School Department has not yet determined its exact course, he stated,
and is aparently "figuring how they can squeeze " They will probably be
consulting an educational planning firm on Clarke and the high school
for the FY97 budget "serious planning " Committee members expressed
concern about the needs at Diamond in this scenario; no quick fix or
"half-baked plan" will do for that middle school
Review of draft statement on Cary Memorial Building revised by Kennedy
called for adding specific current needs as well as indicating future
better utilization of the building's "great potential" for the benefit
of the entire town Could a private funding effort be mounted? Could a
committee "adopt" this building as a project? How should a study of the
building be conducted? Kennedy will amend his report
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Ad Hoc Building Finance Committee Minutes 10/20/95 - Page 2
Review of Munroe tour raised questions about the profit-making aspects
of some of the building's arts tenants and possibly conflicting notions
of who should occupy the space to be vacated by Share-A-Ride Rumored
that Town Manager wants to locate the literacy group (now in East
Lexington Library) there Questioned if Vinton is aware of this scheme
Committee members mulled ways that the school town could shift off its
shoulders the financial responsibilities of ownership Before making
any recommendations for Lexington, the committee said it should look at
comparable other projects in and outside Lexington
Committee adjourned at 9 08 a m until Friday, October 27 at 7 30 a m
Respectfully submitted,
Erna S Greene
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