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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1995-10-12-BFC-min.pdf { TOWN OF LEXINGTON AD HOC BUILDING FINANCE COMMITTEE Minutes of Meeting October 12 1995 at the School Administration Building , followed by a tour of Munroe School , now Munroe Center for the Arts , as approved October 20 , 1995 The meeting began at approximately 7 38 a m with all committee members except Kennedy John Moynihan of the School Department and Superinten- dent of Building Maintenance Fred Sweet were also present Town Engineer Frank Fields joined the tour of Munroe School Since minutes of the September 29 meeting were not available, the meeting began with a review of action taken at that meeting Also reviewed was the committee ' s mission, boiled down to this "To develop a fiscally responsible capital investment plan (for the town's building facilities) The largest need aside from the Library which is already a-going is space in the schools to accommodate the changing educational programs of today and the coming decade Class size, especially in the high school , has been increasing to as many as 30 in some instances There is a clear need for 23 more classrooms The state demands a comprehensive plan for new or renovated space that meets present standards Moynihan gave examples of how some of these standards can be met by citing the three kindergarten rooms at Hastings , two nearly up to standard that could become large enough by adding an additional room to be devoted to the program and the third by requesting and receiving a waiver from requirements Moynihan stated that stretch- ing to meet state standards to qualify for 59 percent reimbursement has usually proved more economical than more short term solutions Presently Philip Lanoue the new high school principal , is on a quick information gathering project for the middle and high schools with David Miller of the Capital Expenditures Committee They will present their findings , incorporating the Archetype 20-year projections of the high school ' s mechanical needs to the School Committee November 14 Chairman Kelley will meet with a group working on the high school Space reclaim- ing from the home economics and industrial arts programs will doubtless be considered Again questions arose about the role of the committee Is it an arm of the Capital Expenditures Committee? Is it to look beyond the Archetype Report Agreed yes , as that report provides only a generic analysis and reference point of 1993 and needs to be expanded in light of today' s need and into the future Agreed also that the committee should discuss its mission again before finalizing its forthcoming report Among priorities seen now (1) exterior shells - secure buildings and give a single page evaluation of each, ( 2) consider needs accumulated due to delayed maintenance (3) consider how to meet increased school enrollments , working with the School Department , who are now studying program arrangement Meeting adjourned at 8 34 to tour the Munroe School/Center for the Arts Ad Hoc Building Finance Committee Minutes 10/12/95 - Page 2 At for former Munroe School now arts center the committee met with Melinda Vinton, Executive Director of the Center and Robert A Anderson, Board of Directors Chair Throughout the ongoing dialog, Chairman Kelley explained about the committee ' s role Ms Vinton stated that about $250 000 worth of repairs is needed on the building A new roof was put on by the Town seven years ago, and the town also put in storm windows Ice damming was a problem two years ago when many others were similarly affected The fiscal 1997 budget contains $8 , 000 for painting the building (this need most evident on the rear of the structure The arts center has installed a fire alarm system When the school was first surplussed, the first tenants were a church group and the local Cable TV firm Then about 11 years ago Share-A-Ride and an arts organization moved in The Munroe Center for the Arts replaced the other arts organization, which had internal problems causing the town to invite bids from other potential tenants , in October , 1994 The Center has an educational mission, and has applied for 501(c)3 (Federal non-profit tax-exempt) status Among the services to the community activities of the center are Open House twice yearly Arts Camp scholarships , each tenant must also give service to the community (free events , etc ) The Center' s lease for $1 a year rent has not yet been signed, and the term of the lease has not yet been determined The group would like long-term tenancy Tenant Share-A Ride will be moving out October 29 They occupy the center section of the first floor, and their space will be available for more arts tenants Cash flow has always been a problem for the two successive arts organi- zations in their combined eleven years of occupancy So far this group has not attempted any capital investments in the building In response to a Committee query, Vinton and Anderson said their organization is more credible than its predecessor, and that purchase thoughts are "in the background down the road" Among the largest expenses associated with the plant is the $10 , 000 bill for heat This bill has been enlarged by the electric heat pump-driven hot air heating installed for the basement and first floor quarters , once occupied by Adams-Russell The arts group has not attempted to use the air-conditioning possibility of that system In addition, the boiler(s) serving the remainder of the building are very old The group would like to convert to gas Eagle noted that the in-ground oil tank was inspected a few years ago and found in good condition There are dry system sprinklers in the boiler room and the building' s fire alarms have been checked regularly by the Fire Department The committee inspected the boiler room featuring two huge antique boilers , only one of them in use The large hot water tank in the room' s corner is soon to be replaced, Vinton explained Also looked at was the front entry area said to be a constant maintenance problem due to icing, probably caused by excess water backing up from non-operative 1 1 Ad Hoc Building Finance Committee Minutes 10/12/95 - Page 3 drainage from downspouts Although the front walk was in tolerable condition, committee members had noted that pavement along the western side of the building was breaking up They also observed an excess of pavement in front of the building that could be contributing to the drainage problems and doubtless is not needed now that the building is not hosting an elementary school The Munroe Center for the Arts detailed their tenant selection philo- sophy Lexington residents receive priority, diversity is an aim, a lottery may be used if competition is intense The tour ended about 9 15 a m Respectfully submitted, Erna S Greene, Secretary