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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-12-04 Department Budget Presentations SELECT BOARD MEETING Department Budgets December 4, 2024 A meeting of the Lexington Select Board was called to order at 1:00p.m. on Wednesday, December 4, 2024, via a hybrid meeting platform. Mr. Lucente, Chair; Mr. Pato, Ms. Hai, and Mr. Sandeen, were present, as well as Mr. Bartha, Town Manager; Ms. Axtell, Deputy Town Manager; and Ms. Katzenback, Executive Clerk. Carolyn Kosnoff, Assistant Town Manager for Finance, gave a brief financial update. She explained that the total new revenue available is 3.6% over last year. The municipal departments have approximately $1.7 5M over what was available last year. However, there is also a 4.9% increase over last year's budget. Based on what every department has submitted for their level service budget, the budget is shore by approximately $673,000. This gap could be closed using various options such as raising additional revenue, spreading out one-time funds, and minimizing debt financing. She noted that there is over $2M in PIRs have been requested for FY26, with $434,000 of those being one-time items, and approximately $1.8M being ongoing items. ITEMS FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION 1. FY2026 Proposed Budget - Human Services Department Presentation Dana Bickelman, Director of Human Services, explained that the Human Services Department is requesting a level-service budget. The requested FY26 All Funds budget is $2,278,620 which reflects an increase of $189,745, or 9.08%, from FY2025. Compensation will increase by $14,367, or 1.58%, and expenses increase by $175,378 or 14.89%, primarily due to contractual service increases in the Lexpress bus contract. The All Funds budget includes funding from a Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs (EOEA) grant, the MBTA Suburban Transportation grant, and the Senior Services Revolving Fund (formerly known as the Council on Aging Programs Revolving Fund). The General Fund budget request (All Funds less the revolving fund and grant-supported spending) is $1,892,333 and reflects a $380,214 or 25.14% increase, with a $4,488, or 0.60% increase in compensation and a $375,726, or 49.22%, increase in expenses. Department Initiatives:  Prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion in all departmental internal operations and external programming, services, and support.  Support and promote access to mental health services the department and community partners offer. This includes developing a sustainable plan for additional mental health services or support after the William James INTERFACE contract ends.  Market, outreach, and educate the community on the new Mental Health Task Force website and how it can be utilized.  The department will seek more opportunities beyond just Veteran benefits to ensure that Veterans and their families maximize all benefits available to our Lexington Veteran residents.  Increase the number of program offerings in the Youth and Family Services division.  Provide more training and support to other town departments on topics such as hoarding, de- escalation, protective services, and suicide.  Participate in and advocate for housing-related initiatives that create more access to housing resources, promote housing diversity across the lifespan, and allow residents to age in place.  In conjunction with the Assessor’s Office, the Human Services Department will provide more community education about Property Tax Relief Programs.  Increase awareness and utilization of all transportation services, including MBTA and Lexpress bus routes and demand responsive services, and further support active modes of transportation through Safe Routes to School and review of infrastructure and new developments to meet our many Town goals and polices related to mode shift. Program Improvement Requests:  Community Center Coordinator Mr. Pato stated that he would like the Board to consider how Lexpress will continue to tailor its service and meet opportunities. Mr. Lucente stated that, in a future budget, he would like to see a position considered for coordinating housing. DOCUMENTS: Fy2026 Human Services Budget Request - updated 2. FY2026 Proposed Budget - Innovation & Technology Department Presentation Tim Goncalves, Director of Innovation & Technology, explained that the FY2026 budget request for Innovation & Technology reflects an increase of $251,949 or 8.06% from the revised FY2025 budget. Compensation increases $16,135 or 1.89%, which is attributed to contractually obligated step increases and cost of living adjustments. Compensation does not include any estimate of prospective cost of living increases for contracts expiring on or before June 30, 2025. Funds for prospective increases are captured in the Salary Adjustment account within the Town Manager’s budget. Expenses are proposed to increase $235,814 or 10.38%. The primary factors driving the increase in the expense budget are general inflation costs, and annual software maintenance increases. Department Goals:  Continue to invest in the Town's IT infrastructure and security posture o Implement recommendations from network assessments o Implement recommendations from cybersecurity assessments o Investigate additional cybersecurity measures and services o Provide cybersecurity training to all staff  Maximize the value of current systems o Laserfiche o Enterprise ERP o BlueBeam o OpenGov o Vision o ProPhoenix  Increase Customer Service Quality and Responsiveness o Emphasis on a customer-centric approach to working with the departments and staff  Focus on future visioning for IT o Mobile work initiatives o Electronic Workflows o Enhanced Communications o Hybrid work/meeting spaces o Disaster Recovery (DR) planning and expansion of capabilities o Network redundancy planning and implementation Program Improvement Requests:  Director – Personal Town-Issued Vehicle  Senior Network Administrator (Reclass Current Position)  Senior Applications and Systems Administrator (Reclass Current Position) FY2026 Capital Requests:  Application Implementation  Network Core Equipment Replacement  Municipal Technology & Improvement Program  Network Redundancy & Improvement Plan  Phone Systems & Unified Communications  Network Technology Improvements Ms. Hai asked when the outdoor Wi-Fi will go live. Mr. Goncalves explained that the Town Center units will arrive this week and then be installed. This should go online by the end of January. The units are programmed to hold the general population’s capacity or slightly larger. Mr. Sandeen suggested that the Town consider adopting a policy around implementing and using AI from a risk, responsibility, and safety perspective. Mr. Lucente asked about having a general purpose vehicle for Town staff use. DOCUMENTS: FY2026 Innovation & Technology Budget Request The Board took a brief recess. 3. FY2026 Proposed Budget - Recreation & Community Programs Presentation Melissa Battite, Director of Recreation & Community Programs, explained that the Department of Recreation and Community Programs consists of five divisions: Administrative, Recreation, Pine Meadows Golf Course, Therapeutic Recreation, and the Community Center. The requested FY2026 operating budget is $3,789,645.  Personal Services is increasing by 3.05% due to several factors including the increase to the minimum wage and hiring additional seasonal part-time staff as compared to FY2025 as the scope of programs and services continue to increase, staff coverage associated with operations at the Community Center, and contractual obligations.  Expenses are increasing by 0.70% which is primarily due to the financial restructuring of the contracted services that are offered in the summer.  For FY2026, the Indirect contribution to the General Fund to cover the cost of employee benefits and indirect services provided by other departments is $318,261, and overall tax levy support for three Community Center staff and other department operations totals $254,213. Departmental Initiatives: 1. Implement the Key Findings of the 2021-2022 Comprehensive Study of Athletic & Outdoor Recreation Facilities and the 2023-2024 Lincoln Park Master Plan in the development of the operational and capital improvement planning for the future needs of the community. 2. Actively participate in the planning and preparations for the 5-year impact on the community with the permanent and temporary loss of outdoor recreation facilities at the Center Recreation Complex. 3. Maintain and sustain the financial stability of the Recreation Enterprise Fund. 4. Continue the growth and implementation of the department's therapeutic, adaptive and inclusive recreation programming. 5. Support Townwide cultural and historic events and initiatives such as diversity equity and inclusion and Lex250. Program Improvement Requests:  Increase to DPF line item for Community Center Expenses  Strategic Plan stnd  Drainage Improvements for 1 and 2 Fairways FY2026 Capital Requests:  Pine Meadows Improvements  Pine Meadows Equipment  Lincoln Park Parking Lot Reconstruction  Park Improvements – Athletic Fields  Center Recreation Complex – Athletic Field Resurfacing  Lincoln Park Field Improvements  Park and Playground Improvements  Park Improvements – Hard Court Surfaces  Outdoor Pickleball Courts Construction  Park Improvements – Site Amenities  Lincoln Park – Boardwalks  Aquatics Improvements Mr. Lucente asked if the proposed Strategic Plan PIR includes a concept for the Community Center expansion. Ms. Battite stated that she believes the proposal would include long-term and short-term capital and operational considerations for all spaces and programs. Mr. Lucente asked about the proposed parking lot reconstruction project. Ms. Battite explained that this proposal included the significant cost of removing landfill materials from the site to accommodate the infrastructure for a solar structure. Mr. Pato asked about potential offsite parking during the High School construction project. Ms. Battite stated that the new layout will add a few more spaces and be more user friendly. Should the parking lot be considered and used as swing space, there will be some other operational expenses that are not reflected in the parking lot expense. Mr. Sandeen mentioned that the Town’s solar canopies at the composting facility were constructed using a technique called dynamic compaction that eliminated the need to remove landfill material from the site and suggested that be considered for the solar project at Lincoln Field. Mr. Sandeen asked about any trends regarding golf course and recreation fees, and if these are expected to increase. Ms. Battite stated that the Department presents annual fee increases to the Recreation Committee, typically in December or January, which are then moved forward as a recommendation to the Select Board. The FY26 proposal reflects an increase in revenues. Golf fees are not proposed to increase next year. Mr. Sandeen asked about the request for $6.9M in CPA funds and the prioritization of the requests. Ms. Battite stated that the process to prioritize them was based on their capital summary. Two of the three items requested are at end of life, and the third is for the development of fields at Harrington, which was an outcome recommendation from the field study. The Rec Committee has not been asked to prioritize these three items. Mr. Sandeen asked about the breakdown in cost for the Harrington field proposal. Ms. Battite stated that Proposal B for Harrington which the Recreation Committee chose to move forward with is $6.8M and includes lighting at a cost of $1.17M. Proposal A contains natural grass, but not in the same layout. Ms. Hai asked about the $28,000 for software maintenance in the Department budget based on what is included for software in the IT budget. It was noted that this is for software maintenance, such as year- round contracts. Ms. Hai also asked about the reduction in electricity costs. Ms. Battite stated that this is mostly due to LED components being used. Ms. Hai asked about the Enterprise Retained Earnings Funds. Ms. Battite stated that the estimate for this fund is approximately $1.8M, allowing for flexibility to invest in some of the Department’s programs without putting burden on the taxpayers. DOCUMENTS: FY2026 Recreation Budget Request 4. FY2026 Proposed Budget - Town Clerk's Office Presentation Mary de Alderete, Town Clerk, explained that the FY2026 requested budget for the Town Clerk's Office is $692,479, representing an increase of $11,660 or 1.71% from the FY2025 appropriation. Compensation increases by $7,259 or 1.31% due to contractually obligated steps increases and cost of living adjustments, plus overtime for FY2026 elections. Expenses increase by $4,401 or 3.49%, which is primarily linked to the increased cost to run elections. Departmental Goals:  Administration - Continue to provide important administrative services, including vital records, Public Records Requests, voter registration, outreach to all board and committee members, public meeting postings, Open Meeting Law and Ethics requirements as mandated by law, business licensing, and recording and archiving of decisions from the Board of Appeals, Planning Board and Historic District Commission.  Elections Administration - Administer Town/State/Federal elections in compliance with statutory requirements and regulation changes. Automatic Voter Registration continues to be a time- consuming initiative, increasing staff time in processing voter registrations. Mail-in early voting is expected to increase in the 2025 Election cycle as a result of the anticipated Special Election for the High School.  Vitals - Continue effective use of Commonwealth of Massachusetts Electronic Vital Records System for births and deaths.  Records and Archives - Continue migration of historic documents to Town's Laserfiche repository for public access. Continue to expand use of Laserfiche for administrative use and for public access. DOCUMENTS: FY2026 Town Clerk Budget Request 5. FY2026 Proposed Budget - Fire Department Presentation Derek Sencabaugh, Fire Chief, explained that the FY2026 budget for the Lexington Fire Department is $9,459,187 which is a $169,287 or 1.82% increase from the revised FY2025 budget. Compensation is increasing by $77,888, or 0.93%, which reflects contractually obligated step increases. Compensation does not include any estimate of prospective cost of living increases for contracts expiring on or before June 30, 2025. Funds for prospective increases are captured in the Salary Adjustment account within the Town Manager’s budget. Expenses are increasing by $91,399, or 10.30%, which is primarily due to significant increases in the cost of fire apparatuses and equipment. Department Goals:  Continue to develop and implement online inventory tracking.  Continue to refine and expand the fire permitting process.  Develop an improved employee recruitment process to address diversity and retention. Program Improvement Requests:  Rank Reclassification Captain Shift Commander to Deputy Chief (4 positions) and (4 positions) Lieutenant to Captain Non-Shift Commander  Rank Reclassification 4 Lieutenants to Captain (non-shift commander)  Shift Commander’s Aide/Tactical Technician (4 positions) FY2026 Capital Requests:  Replace Pumper Truck  Ladder Truck  Off Road Fire Engine  Ambulance Replacement  Back Up Ambulance Replacement Mr. Sandeen asked about the proposed pumper truck. Chief Sencabaugh explained that the time of contract sets the price. The delivery time could be out to two years, and the Town would pay upon delivery. Mr. Sandeen asked about the economics of adding another ambulance. Chief Sencabaugh stated that the Department and Town Manager’s Office continue to consider if another ambulance is necessary. DOCUMENTS: FY2026 Fire Dept Budget Request 6. FY2026 Proposed Budget - Finance Department Presentation Carolyn Kosnoff, Assistant Town Manager for Finance; Rosalyn Impink, Budget Officer, explained that the requested FY2026 Finance Department budget reflects a $57,378 or 2.67% increase from the FY2025 budget. This includes a $47,148 or 2.88% increase in compensation, which reflects contractually obligated increases. Compensation does not include any estimate of prospective cost of living increases for contracts expiring on or before June 30, 2025. Funds for prospective increases are captured in the Salary Adjustment account within the Town Manager’s budget. Finance expenses are increasing $10,230 or 2.00% primarily due to increasing costs for professional services and postage costs. Departmental Initiatives: The Comptroller's Office continues to manage the accounting and annual reporting for the Federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF). The Town of Lexington has been granted $9.9 million to be used for pandemic relief and economic recovery that will be available for spending until 12/31/2026. The department also continues to support the Lex250 Commission with purchasing and grant funding surrounding the 250th Anniversary of the Battle of Lexington, as the School Building Committee in planning for a new or renovated Lexington High School. The Finance Department is planning for additional program improvements in Fiscal Year 2026 and future years: 1. Finance is recommending implementing a new Tyler Cashiering module for online payments and electronic cashiering. This initiative will improve the online payment experience and self-service options for residents and will allow for electronic payments at the Treasurer's counter. Funding for this initiative is requested as a program improvement in FY2026. 2. Finance is recommending a Water and Sewer rate study during FY2026 to establish a new utility rate structure that will allow for a migration to quarterly utility billing (current billing is semi- annual). Funding for this initiative is requested as a program improvement in FY2026. 3. The department continues to explore additional functionality in Munis ERP including Employee Self Service (ESS), automated benefits enrollment and Employee Action Forms that will help move the department closer to paperless processing. 4. Continue reviewing new fiscal policies, specifically updating strategies for funding the Town's Pension and OPEB Liabilities. Program Improvement Requests:  Water and Sewer Rate Study  Tyler ERP/Cashiering Module FY2025 Capital Requests:  Public Facilities Bid Documents  Public Facilities Interior Finishes  Public Facilities Mechanical/Electrical/Plumbing Replacements  Municipal Building Envelopes and Associated Systems  School Building Envelopes and Associated Systems  School Paving and Sidewalks  Lexington High School Construction Project  Pine Meadows Clubhouse Renovation  East Lexington Fire Station  173 Bedford Street Renovation  Cary Memorial Library Renovation Project.  Central Administration Building Demolition  Clarke HVAC Replacement and Electrification  Solar Assessment Lincoln Fields  Cary Memorial Library Upper Floors HVAC Renovation  Stone Building Renovation and Addition DOCUMENTS: FY2026 Finance Budget Request, FY2026 Select Board Budget Hearings Kickoff 12.4.2024 ADJOURN Upon a motion duly made and seconded, the Select Board voted 4-0 to adjourn the meeting at 4:20 p.m. A true record; Attest: Kristan Patenaude Recording Secretary