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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-11-06-STM-AC-rpt RECEIVED .,o I ,o.Vlo^ IA log,III III'III III TOWN CLERK LEXINGTON MA APPROPRIATION COMMITTEE TOWN OF LEXINGTON /163 C ( ,, , , 1m it u \\\ . 4 „ °Ilf2 i iii kiir, / • ��.— G ' REPORT TO SPECIAL TOWN MEETING 2024- 1 RELEASED NOVEMBER 6, 2024 APPROPRIATION COMMITTEE MEMBERS Glenn P Parker, Chair • Sanjay Padaki, Vice Chair• Alan Levine, Secretary Carolyn Kosnoff(ex officio, non-voting) • Anil A. Ahura • John Bartenstem Enc Michelson • Sean Osborne • Vinrta Verma• Lily Manhua Yan STM 2024-1 APPROPRIATION COMMITTEE 6 NOVEMBER 2024 Table of Contents Summary of Warrant Article Recommendations II Introduction 1 Warrant Article Analysis and Recommendations 3 SPECIAL TOWN MEETING 2024-1 Article 2 Appropnate for Pnor Years Unpaid Bills 3 Article 3 Establish,Amend, Dissolve and Appropnate To and From Specified Stabilization Funds 3 Article 4 Amend FY2025 Operating, Enterprise and CPA Budgets 4 Article 5 Appropnate for Authonzed Capital Improvements Article 6 Establish,Amend and Continue Departmental Revolving Funds 6 Article 7 Appropnate for Schematic Design Funds -Harrington Athletic Fields 6 Article 8 Dela` Massachusetts School Building Authorit` (MSBA)Filing Resolution 7 Article 9 Resolution -Design Process of Cremator\ at Westview Cemetery 10 STM 2024-1 APPROPRIATION COMMITTEE 6 NOVEMBER 2024 1 Summary of Warrant Article Recommendations 1 Abbreviations EF Enterprise Fund CPF Community Preservation Fund GF General Fund SF Stabilization Fund RE Retained Earnings IP A motion to Indefinitel` Postpone is expected RF Revolving Fund SPECIAL TOWN MEETING 2024-1 Art- Funds Funding Committee icle Title Requested Source Recommendation 2 Appropnate for Prior Years Unpaid Bills None N/A IP (9-0) Establish,Amend, Dissolve and 3 Appropnate To and From Specified $4,362,799 Tax Levy Approve (9-0) Stabilization Funds 4 Amend FY2025 Operating, Enterpnse and See below See below Approve (9-0) CPA Budgets 5 Appropnate for Authorized Capital $1,240,000 GF Debt Approve (7-2) Improvements 6 Establish,Amend and Continue None N/A Approve (9-0) Departmental Revolving Funds 7 Appropnate for Schematic Design Funds - $100,000 Tax Levy Approve (9-0) Hamngton Athletic Fields 8 Dela` Massachusetts School Building None N/A Disapprove (0-8-1) Authont\ (MSBA) Filing Resolution 9 Resolution-Design Process of Crematory None N/A Approve (9-0) at Westview Cemeten ii STM 2024-1 APPROPRIATION COMMITTEE 6 NOVEMBER 2024 Introduction This report includes the Appropnation Committee's analysis and recommendations regarding all appropnations of Town funds that are anticipated at this special town meeting, and other municipal matters that ma` be considered. This report is distributed as an electronic document via the Town website The Committee also makes presentations dunng Town Meeting, including recommendations on appropnations and other matters for which the Committee s formal position has been revised since the time of publication. The Committee published its Report for the 2024 Annual Town Meeting on March 13 2024 Please refer to the preface of that report for more details of how this report is prepared and the conventions used within. The Committee s goal is to publish its report at least one week prior to the date when the articles covered in this report ma` be taken up b` Town Meeting That date is typicall` the same night that the annual town meeting or a special town meeting is convened. Committee Membership On Ma` 6 2024 the Moderator appointed Vinita Verma to the Appropnation Committee filling the one empt\ seat on the Committee Alan Levine Sana` Padaki, and John Bartenstein were each reappointed to a 3-year term b` the Moderator on August 14 2024 There have been no other changes to the Committee s membership Reserve Fund On August 8 2024 the Committee approved a Reserve Fund transfer of$60 000 for repairs at the Pine Meadows golf course The cost of these repairs would normall` be covered b` the Recreation Enterpnse Fund, but the size and urgenc` of the repairs necessitated using the Reserve Fund. The Committee expects that a future transfer (in combination with an increased spending authonzation) from the Recreation Enterpnse Fund will restore this amount to the Reserve Fund. The FY2025 Reserve Fund appropriation was for$750 000 The balance is now$690 000 Developments Since Adoption of the FY2025 Budg On Jul` 11 2024 the Committee reviewed final budget adjustments for FY2024 as recommended b` Town staff The end-of-year(EOY)budget adjustments were to 1 Transfer$25 000 from `Health Insurance to `Propert` &Liabilit\ Insurance 2 Transfer$9,500 from `Board of Health Contract Services to Board of Health Regular Wages 3 Transfer$96 000 from `Multiple Lines -Town Manager&Land Use to `Legal Services 4 Transfer$15 000 from `Elections Seasonal P/T Wage to `Elections Contract Services 5 Transfer$8 000 from Innovation&TechnologTownwide Software Support to Innovation& Technolog` Overtime 6 Increase the spending limit of the Compost Operations Revolving Fund b` $65 000 from $875 000 to $940 000 The Committee voted to approve the EOY transfers for the requested budget line items, and to increase the spending limit for the Compost Operations Revolving Fund. 1 STM 2024-1 APPROPRIATION COMMITTEE 6 NOVEMBER 2024 Revenue Additional revenue has become available for appropnation since the budget was approved at the annual town meeting Revenue Category From To Change New growth(General Fund) $ 3 000 000 $ 4,247 789 $ 1,247 789 New growth(Capital Stabilization Fund) $ — $ 2, 26 677 $ 2, 26 677 State aid $ 19 943, 23 $ 20 451 907 $ 508,384 Chem Sheet assessments $ (1 198 657) $ (1,203 708) $ (5 051) Snow and ice removal set aside (FY2024) $ (400 000) $ — $ 400 000 TOTAL $ 4 677 799 The Town s New Growth was certified b\ the state Dept. of Revenue at $6 774 465 The FY2025 budget estimated new growth conservativel` at $3 000 000 resulting in $3 774 465 of unbudgeted new growth revenue In the table above this additional revenue is divided into two parts, with $1,247 789 flowing into the General Fund, and $2,526 677 being earmarked for the Capital Stabilization Fund (CSF) The rationale for the use of this additional new growth is explained below The Town has adopted a polic` for funding the Capital Stabilization Fund (CSF) that earmarks a portion of each year s new growth to build a recumng revenue stream Earmarks from prior years are cumulative meaning that the annual revenue stream is the sum of all pnor earmarks Each year the size of the earmark is set based on the certified new growth revenue attributable to PSDUP and Hartwell Avenue building projects This year that amount is $2,526 677 which denves largel\ from the new office building at 440 Bedford St. Combined with $4 036,373 of pnor-year earmarked revenue that was alread` appropriated at the 2024 Annual Town Meeting,the revenue earmarked for the CSF will total $6,563 060 The remaining new growth revenue of$1,247 789 is not earmarked for recumng appropnation to the CSF but it is proposed to incorporate this mone` into a one-time appropnation into the CSF under Article 3 State aid has come in higher than the projected amount of $19,943,523 b` $508,384 The State cherry sheet assessment was revised upward b\ $(5 051) from the projected amount of$(1 198 657) An increased assessment reduces the Town s revenue Finall` $400 000 that was set aside in the FY2024 budget for snow and ice removal was not needed,and that amount is now available The changes yield a total of$4 677 799 above the estimated revenue for the FY2025 budget approved at the annual town meeting The bulk of this new revenue will be appropriated into the CSF under Article 3 with a small portion funding requests in Articles 4 and 7 FY2026 The first Budget Summit for FY2026 was held on September 19 2024 This was a joint meeting of the Select Board, School Committee Capital Expenditures Committee and Appropriation Committee The summit opened with a review of the financial results from FY2024 which concluded on June 30 2024 The Committee has also participated in several Finance Summits focused on the high school project. Updates This report presents the official positions of the Committee as of the date of publication. The Committee will continue to meet as necessary pnor to and during Town Meeting and it ma` revise its official positions based on new or updated information. The Committee also reports orall` to Town Meeting on each article The oral report summarizes the Committee s final recommendation. 2 STM 2024-1 APPROPRIATION COMMITTEE 6 NOVEMBER 2024 Warrant Article Analysis and Recommendations SPECIAL TOWN MEETING 2024-1 Article 2 Appropriate for Prior Years' Unpaid Bills Funds Requested Funding Source Committee Recommendation None N/A IP (9-0) As of publication, staff has not identified an unpaid bills from pnor years No action is required under this article Article 3 Establish, Amend, Dissolve and Appropriate To and From Specified Stabilization Funds Funds Requested Funding Source Committee Recommendation $4,362,799 Tax Levy Approve (9-0) Appropriations Requested From To Amount Tax Lev\ Capital Stabilization SF $4,362,799 This article requests an appropnation into the Capital Stabilization Fund (CSF) The size of the request is based on budget guidelines that are discussed in more detail below The CSF was established as a repositor of funds to mitigate debt service payments on future capital projects In September 2021 at the Fall Fiscal Guidelines Summit, the Town Manager proposed, and the major boards and committees agreed on, a Capital Stabilization Funding Framework that would help to grow the CSF significantl` In anticipation of the high school project. Taking advantage of robust growth in the Town s commercial tax base the framework dedicates new growth revenue from certain new commercial developments (those in the Hartwell area and planned developments approved b` Town Meeting) as a recurring revenue stream to fund annual appropriations into the CSF This guideline has been applied from 2021 onward. At the 2024 ATM, $4 036,373 was appropnated into the CSF based on dedicated new growth revenue from FY2024 and FY2023 New growth in FY2025 includes $2, 26 677 from developments earmarked under the CSF guideline This revenue will be added to the dedicated annual appropnation into the CSF In this year and in future years In addition, this article seeks to appropnate to the CSF on a one-time basis, $1 836 122, which represents all other newl\ recognized revenue not otherwise proposed for appropnation at this STM. The sources of this new revenue are discussed in the Introduction, and the Town routinel` appropnates one-time revenue not needed for an other purpose into the CSF The sum of the newl\ dedicated revenue and the one-time revenue is$4,362,799 The pnmar capital project on the honzon that will draw on the CSF is the renovation or replacement of Lexington High School On March 2, 2022, the Massachusetts School Building Authont` (MSBA) invited the Town of Lexington into the MSBA s Ehgiblht` Period for a new or renovated Lexington High School The project is currentl` in the later stages of Massachusetts School Building Authont\ (MSBA) Module 3 -Feasibilit` Stud\ and, contingent on a future debt exclusion referendum, is expected to be completed in the 2030 to 2033 time frame 3 STM 2024-1 APPROPRIATION COMMITTEE 6 NOVEMBER 2024 Article 4 Amend FY2025 Operating, Enterprise and CPA Budgets Funds Requested Funding Source Committee Recommendation See below See below Approve (9-0) At last spnng s Annual Town Meeting (ATM) operating and enterprise fund budgets for FY2025 were presented and approved based on the FY2025 Recommended Budget and Financing Plan (RBFP) This article allows Town Meeting to adjust those budgets to account for developments which have occurred since the ATM. The Line column in the tables below references budget line items specified in the RBFP There are no proposed changes to the CPA budget at this special town meeting. The Introduction of this report discusses additional revenue and available funds that support funding for these requests Operating Budget Staff proposes three changes to the current year (FY2025) operating budget that was voted under Article 4 at the 2024 ATM. Please see a summan in the table below The additional funds for Public Works Expenses would be used to purchase batten-powered equipment in order to compl` with recentl` updated noise bylaws The increase in the Town Manager Expenses line would be used to conduct a stud\ of the Fire and Police Departments in order to understand how best to address heav` use of overtime in those departments The additional funds for Finance Expenses would be used to backfill for an employee on parental leave The total increase in the operating budget due to these three items is $215 000 Line From To Change 1 3300 Public Works Expenses (public grounds) $ 7 884 124 $ 7,94 124 $ 70 0001 1 8210-8220 Town Manager Expenses $ 414,962 $ 534,962 $ 120 0001 1 8400 Finance Expenses 510,260 $ 535,260 $ 25 0001 Water/Wastewater Enterprise Funds Two categories of adjustments are proposed for the water and wastewater enterpnse fund budgets These adjustments are routine housekeeping matters made annuall` in response to updates from the MWRA. The first updates the appropriations for MWRA assessments The appropnations made at the 2024 ATM for MWRA water and wastewater assessments were placeholders based on assumed increases of 10%. The revisions now requested amend the ongmal appropnations to reflect the actual, final assessments issued b\ the MWRA in June The adjusted numbers, much lower than the placeholders, reflect a combined decrease of 0 6%from the final water and wastewater assessments for FY2024 These revised appropriations will be used when the Select Board sets FY2025 water and wastewater rates this fall 1 Line From To Change 1 3620 MWRA Water Assessment $ 10,277 096 $ 8 432,204 $ (1 844 892)1 1 3720 MWRA Wastewater Assessment $ 10,284 483 $ 9 153,352 $ (1 131 131)1 The second proposed adjustment updates the debt service appropnations made for the water and wastewater funds The appropnations at the 2024 ATM were based on estimates of the debt service to be incurred in FY2025 The revised appropnations reflect the actual amounts finalized subsequent to the ATM. 1 Line From To Change 1 3610 Water Fund Debt Service $ 1,386 157 $ 1,368 116 $ (18 041)1 1 3710 Wastewater Fund Debt Service $ 1,592,858 $ 1,569 746 $ (23 112)1 4 STM 2024-1 APPROPRIATION COMMITTEE 6 NOVEMBER 2024 Article 5 Appropriate for Authorized Capital Improvements Funds Requested Funding Source Committee Recommendation $1,240 000 GF Debt Approve (7-2) At the 2023 ATM under Article 16(1) Solar Canopy & System —Police Station $3 4 million was approved for this project. Unexpected increases in the cost of the steel canoe` and solar power components now require additional funding if the project is to be completed. Net-zero design The new Police Headquarters was designed and intended to operate as a net-zero facilit\ relying on power generated b` photovoltaic cells (solar) to offset its electncit\ usage The design calls for the installation of solar power arrays on the building and on canopies along the penmeter of Fletcher Park, as well as batters storage The overall cost equation for the police station assumed that its operating costs would be significantl` reduced b` virtue of the solar power offset. As long as there is no solar power arra` the facilit\ cannot be net-zero and the Town will pa` standard utilit` rates for the electrlcit` used in the police station. The Town plans to begin using full` electnc vehicles as police cruisers The new facillt` was designed for future electnc vehicle charging, including six "level 2" regular speed chargers, and three "level 3" fast chargers, all of which will further increase the building s use of electncit\ The Town wishes participate in the electnc uh11t` s `Connected Solutions program allowing it to deliver stored batters power to the utilit\ gnd upon request. This program could generate up to $135 000 in annual revenue The solar arra` and local batters storage could further reduce utilit\ costs b` shaving the peak electncit\ demand for the building Finall` the batter\ storage would be available to bnefl` provide uninterrupted power to the police station dunng utilih blackouts until the diesel-powered generator can come online Timing and federal funding The timing of this request is based largel\ on a desire to complete all construction and site cleanup at the Police Headquarters in advance of the Semiquincentennial celebrations that will hit peak activit` 1n Apnl 2025 The outward appearance of the Police Station and Fletcher Park at the center of Town will affect visitor experience dunng an important time for tounsm Town staff believes that if construction can begin in Januar\ 2025 it will be completed in time The nature of this request is unusual because the Town has alread` applied for a federal earmark to cover these expenses, and the Town s request was incorporated into a bill awaiting final approval Unfortunatel` that approval has been delayed and there is a nsk that the outcome of the election could lead to cancelling the federal funding This appropriation, which would authorize debt financing, was requested in order to establish a guaranteed funding source for the solar arra` project. Without such a backup the Town cannot put the project out to bid before the federal funding is confirmed. If the federal grant is eventuall` confirmed, then this appropriation would not be needed and the debt authorization would be rescinded. If this appropriation is not approved, then the project will not proceed unless and until the federal funding is confirmed, or another source of funding is provided. This would likel` dela` the start of the project,meaning that it could not be completed before Apnl 2025 so the start date would have to be pushed until after Apnl 2025 Finall` once the project is completed,the Town would be able to appl` for a federal reimbursement of 30%to 40% of the total project cost under the Inflation Reduction Act. Cost estimates and return on investment Some members of the Committee expressed concerns about the process that the Town followed when first determining the costs of the solar canoe` project. The solar panels, battenes, canoe` structures and other components were not onginall` put out to bid as a standalone project, and the initial pncing from the contractor working on the Police Headquarters project was not accepted because it was perceived as noncompetitive In STM 2024-1 APPROPRIATION COMMITTEE 6 NOVEMBER 2024 addition, earlier cost estimates did not anticipate the requirement for a more expensive method of steel construction that was later imposed b` the Histonc Distnct Commission. Town staff have since made significant changes to the project to lower the construction costs, and this is reflected in the size of the appropriation being requested now The updated design is awaiting review b` the Historic Distnct Commission. The complete project, including the steel canoe` solar panels and battenes, will now be put out for competitive bidding For solar projects, it is important to understand the lifespan of the system and the expected return on investment (ROI) This includes the projected operating budget savings from net metering, along with annual revenue generation from batter\ power which determine the expected number of years until the project pays for itself Solar panels are expected to last 20 years, so an ROI penod of about 5 years is considered favorable However without detailed bid responses, it is difficult to project the ROI for this project. Town staff have offered to present ROI calculations to the Select Board and this Committee once bids have been received, but once funding is approved the project can proceed regardless of the ROI figures A majorit` of the Committee recommends approval of this request. A minont\ of the Committee feels that the funds needed for this project could be put to better use elsewhere in the Town budget, and/or that the rush to complete the project bApnl 2025 is unnecessary Article 6 Establish, Amend and Continue Departmental Revolving Funds Funds Requested Funding Source Committee Recommendation None N/A Approve (9-0) This article seeks to rename the `Lab Animal Permit Applications/Inspections Revolving Fund as the Lab Inspections Revolving Fund to better reflect the activities that will be conducted using this revolving fund. Receipts into the fund will be from lab permit application fees The Health Director will continue to be responsible for the administration of the funds and ma` utilize consulting services to perform inspections of life science and research labs This will require an amendment to Section 110-1 of the Code of Lexington. Article 7 Appropriate for Schematic Design Funds - Harrington Athletic Fields Funds Requested Funding Source Committee Recommendation $100,000 Tax Levy Approve (9-0) This article requests funding from the Tax Lev\ for the surve` design, and engmeenng services for construction of athletic fields at 146 Maple Street, Central Office adjacent to the Harrington School. It is anticipated that the final project design and project cost estimate will be completed in time for an appropriation request for construction funds at the 2025 Annual Town Meeting The 2021-2022 Comprehensive Stud\ of Athletic & Outdoor Recreation Fields identified the development of athletic fields at Hamngton as the project with the greatest potential to increase the field inventors The proposed design will include two full-sized fields situated to support concurrent independent use or single use for sports such as cncket, parking areas outside of school traffic lanes, and ADA-compliant access pathways that connect the parking areas to the different fields throughout the site The design process will include an overall site assessment conducted collaborativel` with the Department of Public Facilities in preparation for the demolition of the Central Office Building The design process will also include communit\ meetings with stakeholders and discussions to determine the best choice of playing surface 6 STM 2024-1 APPROPRIATION COMMITTEE 6 NOVEMBER 2024 The Harnngton Athletic Fields project is now proposed in FY2026 of the FY2025-FY2029 year 5-year capital plan. The project construction and timing is contingent on the approval and timing of demolition of the LPS Central Office building Article 8 Delay Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) Filing Resolution Funds Requested Funding Source Committee Recommendation None N/A Disapprove(0-8-1) Executive Summary The Committee is unanimous in recommending disapproval of the motion under this article This executive summan covers a few highlights of our analysis Current enrollment trends in lower grades suggest that high school enrollment could begin to decline over the next few years, but the current high school would remain significantl` overcrowded for the next 5 years or more and unprepared to handle a large influx of new students We agree that there is great uncertaint\ about the pace of development under the MBTA Communities zoning, and its future impact on school enrollment. Even if even development application submitted to the Town comes to fruition,the number of public school students that would live in the new units is difficult to project. In an` case the Town retains the abilit` to update its zoning bylaws in order to moderate future development. The current designs allow for expansion up to 2,895 students at 85% utilization, which could be pushed to 3 065 students at 90% utilization. At that point, rather than increasing the population of the high school, we believe the School Department would begin to consider redistributing the ninth grade to the middle schools to avoid having a single school with well over 3 000 students Splitting the project into two major phases that are started years apart would likel` increase the total project cost b` a large amount, and there is no guarantee the MSBA would fund a second phase in a timel\ manner The dela` between phases would drasticall` increase the financial nsks to the Town b` extending the use of facilities at the current high school that are reaching, or have alread` passed, their end of life The wait for a second phase means most of the existing issues in the current buildings would linger for an uncertain number of years While the second phase remains completel` unspecified, we expect it would involve a complete renewal of the remaining buildings This negates an design options that are not in-place renewal, and it raises awkward questions for the design of the first phase Imposing a multi-year dela` between phases would ultimatel\ degrade the educational experience for mans more students,while increasing the time before the center athletic fields could be restored to regular use Discussion The Appropriation Committee has sent a non-voting liaison to meetings of the School Building Committee (SBC) since its inception and has been following the project development closel\ since it began. We also heard from this article s proponent before the citizen s petition for this warrant article was filed. Over mans years, the Committee has supported the high school project, and we have helped to shape financial policies that will enable this project to move forward. The motion under this article proposes a non-binding resolution with no direct financial impact, but we offer our perspective because the article envisions a retreat and a retrenchment from a major goal of the Town at a critical point in the project timeline with major financial consequences The proposed resolution asks the Select Board, the School Committee the School Building Committee and Lexington s state legislators to request a significant change in the ongoing MSBA-guided development process for Lexington High School in response to uncertamt\ about future school enrollment. Proponents note that construction of new residences under the MBTA Communities zoning will bnng new families to Lexington, and this is certain to increase enrollment throughout the school system Since the timing, distribution across grades, and overall 7 STM 2024-1 APPROPRIATION COMMITTEE 6 NOVEMBER 2024 magnitude of increases in school enrollment are difficult to predict, the proponents suggest delaying an major construction until the Town has better knowledge about the impending changes This new approach would essentiall` discard all previousl` developed LHS designs that have been considered b` the SBC particularl` where in-place renovation/reconstruction was not used. The project would be split into two phases, imposing a dela` between the phases of from two to five years, and it would ask the MSBA to provide supplemental funding for both phases The motion provides no details for either phase but proponents have suggested that the first phase could address the current overcrowding at LHS b` demolishing the World Language building and replacing it with a larger four stor\ 172,000 sq ft. building Deficiencies in the remaining LHS buildings and an further response to enrollment changes would be addressed in the second phase LHS enrollment A major point of concern for the proponents is the initiation of development for more than a thousand new dwelling units under the MBTA Communities zoning overla` distncts adopted at the 2023 Annual Town Meeting It is important to recognize that not all these developments will necessanl` proceed to completion, and those that do ma` ultimatel\ result in fewer units than described in their initial applications Nevertheless, the number and scale of applications suggests that a notable growth wave is coming In determining the target enrollment capacit\ for the new high school, it is important to analyze the potential for increased school enrollment ansmg from this residential development,which will impact ever\ public school in Lexington. There are strong reasons to proceed with the current project designs using the target enrollment of 2,395 together with expansion space for up to 500 additional students, for a total nominal capacit` of 2,895 students • Lexington s elementary school (K-5) enrollment has dropped from 3,203 in June 2018 to 2,546 in October 2024 a decrease of just over 20%. Since the future high school population is largel\ fed b` students from our elementar\ schools, this trend will tend to reduce LHS enrollment as the smaller cohorts advance through the grades This will at least partiall` offset the influx of new students The midpoint of the high school cohorts is grade 10.E while for elementary schools it is grade 2 5 suggesting that high school enrollments, excluding additional students coming from newl\ built residences, would tend to follow a trend similar to that of the elementar\ schools but delayed about eight years • While the pace of development under the MBTA Communities umbrella is faster than projected when Article 34 was approved,we do not yet know if this is a short-lived burst of development for properties that were npe for upgrade or if the development will continue unabated. • The Town retains the authont` to modify its zoning bylaws at future town meetings to reduce the pace of development. • One can envision scenanos in which a substantial numbers of MBTA Communities residences are built,but LHS enrollments do not exceed the limit of 2,895 students There are currentl` 2,420 LHS students in a town with about 12,000 residences, a ratio of 0.2 high school students per residence (not accounting for the small number of non-resident students, e g METCO students) Under the MBTA Communities zoning, we anticipate mans smaller dwelling units to be built, with a larger proportion of one- and two-bedroom units compared to the existing housing inventors This suggests that the ratio of high school students from new developments ma` be less than or equal to the current ratio of 0.2 per dwelling unit. As an illustration, assume that 2,000 new units are built under the MBTA zoning and the ratio of high school students per unit holds stead` at 0.2 If the number of high school students from existing residences declines b` onl` 5% (compared with the actual 20% decline in elementar\ enrollments since 2018) then the high school enrollment would reach roughl` 2,700 students, which is well within the expanded capacit` options in the current designs • Finall` the current high school has been struggling with overcrowding for years, and it is simpl` incapable of handling continued increases in enrollment. Core components that are alread` strained b` overcrowding, such as the library gym and cafetena, would not be enlarged for years under the plan proposed b` this motion. The need for a larger and redesigned high school is urgent and unavoidable 8 STM 2024-1 APPROPRIATION COMMITTEE 6 NOVEMBER 2024 Expansion options in the current designs We know from experience that a large high school building has a great deal of flexibilit` in the number of students it can support. The current high school is at roughl` 98% utilization, meaning that it is severel` overcrowded. That s a real problem,vet even at this extreme the school continues to function. The target enrollment capacit` of the new designs assumes a nominal 85% utilization of available classrooms and certain other spaces Current designs include 20 000 sq ft. for the School Administration ( `Central Office ') but if necessan that space could be converted into 12 classrooms to accommodate another 250 or so students The designs also include an option for a future building addition that, combined with the space mitiall` designated for the Central Office would increase capacit` b` 500 students, for a total enrollment capacit` of 2,895 at 85% classroom utilization. Increases above 2,895 students are still possible but this implies a higher utilization level At 90% utilization, the school would have 3 065 students, and at 95% utilization, the enrollment would hit 3,235 (an additional 340 students) In circumstances where the space utilization is 90% or less, the building would be somewhat overcrowded but would not be subject to the extreme overcrowding in the high school toda` Both the Supenntendent and the School Committee have expressed serious concerns about increasing the size of a high school beyond the maximum capacit` of the proposed designs In brief, the practicalities of operating a high school do not scale well with an enrollment in excess of 3 000 students If enrollment continued to grow past that point,the Town would likel` have to consider a new school building to offload enrollment from the high school. Delays and cost escalation Delaying the start of construction will be ven costl` not onl` in terms of construction costs and soft costs, but also in the qualit` of education we are providing to public school students Town staff has estimated that even year of dela` would increase the total project cost b` $15 to $20 million. Much of the infrastructure in the present high school, e.g HVAC boilers, piping, control systems and roofs, are in poor condition and ma` fail at an` time Extending the time b` years before those systems are replaced greatl` increases the nsk that the Town will face costl` emergenc` repairs,while temporaril` losing use of parts of the high school There is no precedent in the histon of MSBA funding for an extended two-stage project as proposed here In other large multi-phase developments, the MSBA has required separate statements of interest, which must each undergo the complete formal MSBA process of review development, and funding approvals We waited patientl` for several years before our current statement of interest was accepted b` the MSBA. It could be five to ten or more years before the\ are read` to consider a second one from the Town. Problems with the two-stage concept Overcrowding creates problems in mans areas of the existing high school, e.g there is insufficient space for students to eat lunch in the cafeteria, the science labs are inadequate choke points in hallways create major traffic jams,mans classrooms are well below standard size the gym is too small, etc The construction of a 172,000 sq ft. building could alleviate some overcrowding issues, but mans fundamental problems related to core functions such as those provided in the cafetena and gym would remain. It is not clear how the uses of the spaces built in the first stage would be coordinated with the uses of the spaces built in the second stage If a 172,000 sq ft. building constructed for the first stage includes supplementan eating and gym space for example then it is not clear what would become of those spaces once full` adequate eating and gym spaces are provided in the second phase We have no clear idea of what a stage two might involve but at a minimum it would have to address the remaining problems we have alread` identified that require attention toda` necessitating an almost complete renewal of the facilit` Furthermore this stage two would presumabl` be implemented as a phased-in-place project. The current work b` the design team has shown that: • Phased-in-place construction on the existing footprint is far more expensive than the alternative • Multiple phases dunng a phased-in-place approach can almost double the construction timeline • Phased-in-place construction is far more disruptive to the operation of the school, and to the education received b` students dunng construction. 9 STM 2024-1 APPROPRIATION COMMITTEE 6 NOVEMBER 2024 Each of the two phases in the proposed concept would require modular classrooms and potentiall` other temporar\ structures be installed, likel` on the athletic fields,before construction could begin. Impact on Athletic Fields Since even a phased-in-place construction project impacts the recreation complex fields due to construction access, la\-down areas, and the possible installation of geothermal wells, a longer project timeline with two stages implies that the nearb\ athletic fields would be impacted for a much longer time than in the current single stage concepts One current design option would build on the fields, splitting the current athletic field complex into two areas with the high school sitting in between. The proponents of this article argue that the resulting loss of contiguit` in the athletic field complex is qualitativel` undesirable However no specific problems have been identified — the number and quailt� of the fields will be at least as good after completion of the project as the` are now and bathroom facilities to serve users of the fields on the Waltham St. side of a new building ma` be provided in the new building in this design option. Conclusion The Town cannot dela` action on the high school project, in spite of the uncertainties we face All the current SBC designs alread` provide sufficient enrollment capacit\ to handle the largest high school that the Town would want to operate We are not convinced that a drastic change in strateg` is required at this time Rather we assert that the strateg` proposed in this article would produce highl` undesirable results Article 9 Resolution - Design Process of Crematory at Westview Cemetery Funds Requested Funding Source Committee Recommendation None N/A Approve (9-0) We first note that two members of the Appropnation Committee are proponents of this citizen s petition. Based on advice from Town Counsel, and with the agreement of the Moderator these members were not required to recuse themselves from deliberations or voting on this recommendation. This resolution urges the Town to research, develop and present a plan to Town Meeting to construct a cremator\ as an addition to the Westview Cemetery building Such an addition,which was envisioned in the design of the current cemetery building, would be able to provide regular cremations as well as suitable end-of-life ceremonies for several faith communities in our town. Based on the 2019 report of the Ad Hoc Cremator\ Stud\ Committee (AHCSC) we understand that a new cremator\ facilit\ would be a significant capital investment, and it might require ongoing operational support from the Town, particularl` dunng the first few years of operation. For these reasons, the report recommended against proceeding with the project at the time Notabl` absent from the 2019 report was information from our Hindu, Sikh, Jam, and Buddhist communities regarding their experiences in meeting their religious end-of-life obligations The proponents assert that the percentage of cremations is trending upwards at the national, state and local levels, and that providing a local cremator\ would be comparable to other end-of-life options currentl` available to our residents at Westview Cemetery The` also highlight the issue of cultural equit` for those whose religious practices require them to witness the cremation of famil` members We believe It would be reasonable for the Town to examine current market conditions and reconsider the need for a cremator\ facilit` in Lexington. The committee recommends approval of this motion, and we appreciate the proponents willingness to coordinate this work under the Town s capital planning process 10