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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018-02-05 BOS-min Selectmen—February 5, 2018 Page 1 of 9 Selectmen's Meeting February 5, 2018 A meeting of the Lexington Board of Selectmen was called to order at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, February 5, 2018 in the Selectmen's Meeting Room of the Town Office Building. Ms. Barry, Chair; Mr. Kelley; Mr. Pato; Ms. Ciccolo; and Mr. Lucente were present as well as Mr. Valente, Town Manager; and Ms. Siebert, Recording Secretary. Public Comment Joelle Gunther, 35 Woodcliffe Road, asked what the Town's response will be to inaccuracies on a number of Woodcliffe Road 2018 property tax assessments. She believes most people affected are unaware of the reason their tax bills have increased. The abatement deadline (February 1) has now gone by and Ms. Gunther asks the Town to notify affected homeowners and to generate amended bills. Mr. Valente acknowledged there had been an error affecting seven property assessments on Woodcliffe Road. It was a staff coding error, isolated to teardown properties of a certain date. Assessment staff has notified all affected Woodcliffe Road homeowners, directing them to file an abatement. Recalculation of the valuation is at this point not possible as towns have no legal authority to change home values but bills; abatement is the way the issue can be remedied. If the Town did not hear back from the Woodcliffe Road homeowners, a second notice was sent. Mr. Valente does not know how many responses were received but he will report back with that information. He further noted that property tax bills, by law, have the abatement application deadline printed on them. Ms. Ciccolo asked if there are potentially other properties affected by this error. Mr. Valente said he is not aware of others. Mr. Lucente asked that the Town look into other valuations to ascertain if the error was isolated. Mr. Kelley said he had been contacted by residents of Slocum Road who suspect something similar has happened with their valuations. He asked that the Town look into these properties as well. Mr. Kelley noted that this 3rd quarter bill is the first to reflect the most recent valuations. Mr. Valente said he will look into the question of whether 4th quarter bills can be abated if homeowners missed the 3rd quarter deadline. Mr. Pato noted that home sales, and associated valuations, have risen significantly. Mr. Valente agreed but added that there are also wide variations in sale prices, depending on house style. Selectmen Concerns and Liaison Reports Ms. Barry reported that two or three World War I commemorative plaques on the Battle Green have gone missing. The Monuments and Memorials Committee would like permission to coordinate with Public Works staff to replace the plaques in advance of the next November's 100th anniversary ceremony commemorating the end of World War I. Selectmen—February 5, 2018 Page 2 of 9 Town Managers Report Mr. Valente said the Town would be selling $48M in municipal bonds and $12M notes later this week. Standard &Poor's and Moody's credit agencies have recently confirmed Lexington's AAA rating. The Board will be asked to approve the bond/note awards at the next Selectmen's meeting on February 12, 2018. Accept Terms of the Richard "Dick" Michelson Scholarship Fund Eric and Jerry Michelson, sons of Dick Michelson, were present for the acceptance. The Selectmen, in turn, acknowledged with deep appreciation the many contributions of Dick Michelson and his family. The Michelsons said the idea for the scholarship had originated from their father, who began the process of establishing the fund before his death. Upon motion duly made and seconded, the Board of Selectmen voted 5-0 to accept the terms of the Richard "Dick" Michelson Scholarship Fund that will be managed by the Trustees of Public Trusts. Approve Request for Discovery Day Street Fair Eric and Jerry Michelson presented a request from the Lexington Retailers Association for permission to hold the 39th annual Discovery Day Street Fair. Upon motion duly made and seconded, the Board of Selectmen approved the request of the Lexington Retailers Association to have exclusive use of the Muzzey Street/Waltham Street parking lot on Saturday, May 26, 2018 (rain date June 2) from 5:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. for the 39th annual Discovery Day Street Fair, to erect seven temporary signs, to park a flatbed trailer in Lexington Center and provide free parking, as outlined in their letter dated January 26, 2018, subject to working out all the details with Public Works and Police staff. Request of the Lions' Club for 62nd Annual Carnival Mr. Lucente, Treasurer for the Board of Directors of the Lexington Lions' Club, recused himself from this item. Colby Crogan, in-coming President of the Lexington Lions' Club, presented the information for the event. Ms. Barry noted that if carnival activities are to take place on July 8, 2018, a Sunday entertainment license will be necessary. This can be done, if necessary, at a later Selectmen's meeting. Upon motion duly made and seconded, the Board of Selectmen voted 4-0 to approve the request of the Lions Club to hold the July 4th Carnival from Sunday July 1, 2018 to Sunday, July 8, 2018 with the times as requested in the Lions Club letter dated January 30, 2018. Board Review and Comments to the Planning Board on Annual Town Meeting Zoning Articles Since there are a number of 2018 Annual Town Meeting Citizen's articles related to zoning, Ms. Selectmen—February 5, 2018 Page 3 of 9 Barry and Mr. Valente asked the Board to consider how to convey Selectmen's positions to the Planning Board after they hear the various article presentations. Mr. Valente reported that staff are available to draft written comments for the Selectmen and the Planning Board has said it would be helpful to hear the Selectmen's views before taking positions. All zoning article Public Hearings have been continued to the February 14, 2018 Planning Board meeting and will tentatively be ongoing until February 28, 2018. Assuming that all deadlines could be honored, the Board reached consensus that capturing positions in written form would be useful and preferable. Ms. Barry and Mr. Valente will work together to try to achieve this objective. Review Draft-2018 Annual Town Meeting Warrant Mr. Valente and Ms. Axtell, Assistant Town Manager, noted a few changes to the draft warrant: • The previous Article 45 (accept MGL 40C) was deleted. • The title of Article 46 was changed to–"Amend Chapter 447 of the Acts of 1956", as the Study Committee is now recommending amending our HDC special act rather than accepting the State Law on HDC's. • The previous Article 24—"Appropriate bonds and notes premium"was deleted. It was confirmed with bond counsel that the Municipal Modernization act covers what is necessary going forward by adding language to every borrowing article covering bond and note premiums. • Article 12—Appropriate for Lexington Children's Place Construction was increased by $200,000,to reflect the latest cost estimate by the Architect. Mr. Valente said this first draft will need to be revised for typographical errors. He asked for comments from the Selectmen on substantive matters. Referring to Article 20f Visitors Center Construction Documents and Citizen's Article 22 Visitors Center Funding, Mr. Valente noted that the White Book includes funding reflected in Article 20f that would take the project up to bid document status only. Article 22 includes full construction funding. If the Board decides to expand Article 20f to include full funding, the citizen who brought forth Article 22 may decide to indefinitely postpone that article. If the Board votes to expand Article 20f, Mr. Valente recommends that it become a stand-alone article instead of remaining a subset of Article 20. This is a practice he recommends for all major construction articles. Ms. Ciccolo, Ms. Barry and Mr. Pato said they want to see financing proposals for both scenarios before deciding which to support. Mr. Valente said the financing plan will be presented at the March 19, 2018 Board meeting, after the warrant deadline. The price estimate will also be available at that time. Mr. Kelley recommended splitting off Article 20f in any case, since it would prepare for either possibility. Dawn McKenna, Tourism Committee Chair, urged the Board to separate Article 20f so that it can more easily be expanded if the financing plan for full construction is approved. In addition, Ms. McKenna expressed disappointment that Tourism Committee-approved language for Article Selectmen—February 5, 2018 Page 4 of 9 22 had been changed. She asked for the missing components to be restored in the interest of clarity. Ms. Ciccolo, Ms. Barry, and Mr. Lucente agreed with Mr. Kelley's recommendation to separate Article 20f into a stand-alone article. Mr. Pato said he supported keeping the article as a subset of Article 20. The Board will finalize this vote at the next meeting. Mr. Valente noted that the Capital Expenditures Committee recommends the $370,000 replacement radio console for the Police Department be included in the FYI Capital budget. At the February 12, 2018 Selectmen's meeting, the subject of the Town Meeting Consent Agenda will be addressed, with the goal of compiling a list for review by the School Committee, Capital Expenditures Committee, and the Appropriation Committee. Ms. Barry will also begin to assign Selectmen presenters for Town Meeting articles. Review Charge for Ad Hoc Stone Building Stakeholder Committee Mr. Lucente and Ms. Kowalski, Assistant Town Manager for Development, presented a draft of the charge for the Stone Building Stakeholder Committee. The purpose of the Committee is to make recommendations to the Board of Selectmen for use of the now-vacant building; Mr. Lucente noted that uses for the Stone Building are restricted by the bequest that left the building to the Town. Ms. Kowalski added that the draft charge is based on prior Stone Building studies, particularly that the second floor be used once again as a lyceum. The new committee would focus on what the first-floor use(s) might be. Ms. Ciccolo said the committee composition as written is thoughtfully considered. She agreed that the Town's empty buildings should be utilized. She also noted that architects who work in Lexington, even though not residents, might be considered for membership. Mr. Kelley said the draft charge is going in the right direction. Ms. Barry noted that the text of the draft specifies nine members but the affiliations listed number only eight. She is also concerned about how directive the language of the charge is and is uncomfortable with the second paragraph under "Description." Ms. Barry wants to ensure that residents understand the Committee is open to considering a variety of users. Ms. Ciccolo asked that another mechanism, such as a survey, be used to engage a broader range on stakeholders. Mr. Pato noted that the idea to form an ad hoc committee came out of a proposal to hire a consultant to look at the potential for marketable shared uses; the draft charge parallels that effort and is specific to the Stone Building. Since that is the case, he is comfortable with the narrowness of the charge but agreed that the second paragraph under "Description", with reference to the Historical Society, should be removed. Dawn McKenna, Chair of the Tourism Committee, asked that a representative of the Tourism Committee be considered for membership. She also recommended that the representatives from the Historical Society and the Historical Commission be liaisons instead of voting members. She suggested that facility users, such as the Lexington Symphony and Spectacle Management, be considered as potential members. Ms. McKenna also urged the Board not to split the charge into "first floor" and "second floor"recommendations, despite deed restrictions. Selectmen—February 5, 2018 Page 5 of 9 David Kanter, Capital Expenditures Committee, said the last Stone Building study was done with a condition of self-sustaining finances. Mr. Kelley said he would not put a similar constraint on this new committee. Mr. Pato cautiously agreed, but expressed the concern that a solution should not overly burden the Town budget; he would prefer a cost-neutral proposal. Ms. Ciccolo said, the Town should be careful about finances but if the building use were to bring in revenue, renovation/code compliance costs could be offset. A long-term tenant might partner with costs. Ms. Kowalski noted that the last study included an analysis of providing handicap -accessibility. The ad hoc committee would focus on looking into what uses are consistent with the terms of the deed requirements and what would be financially feasible. Mr. Lucente and Ms. Kowalski took note of the comments on the draft. They will revise the text and bring it back for a second review at a future meeting. Adjust Sidewalk Permit Fee It has been the Town's practice to allow food establishments in the Center to license the use of the adjacent public sidewalks for food service. The Town Manager is recommending an increase of approximately 3% for 2018. Mr. Valente noted that II Casale and Lexx restaurants both have outdoor seating but it is not on Town-owned property, as is the case with Bertucci's and Peet's Coffee. Upon motion duly made and seconded, the Board of Selectmen voted 5-0 to establish the monthly sidewalk permit fees for Bertucci's at $475 per month and for Peet's Coffee at $75 per month. Continue ReviewFY2019 Preliminary Budget and Financing Plan • Review of Proposed Operating Budget and Program Improvement Requests Mr. Valente said that, despite not recommending some of the PIRs, he believes all have merit were fully vetted by department heads. His choices were made to achieve balance, but he supports all the requests that were submitted. Items from the PIR list that garnered discussion: Sidewalk Data Collection Using PathMeT PIR for $22,500. Ms. Ciccolo asked why Mr. Valente is does not recommend this PIR. Mr. Valente said the PathMeT technology is fairly new; it would be used to measure sidewalk handicap accessibility, including vibration and slope. As it pertains to the Center Streetscape, Mr. Valente said the existing surface can be assessed before Center Streetscape construction dollars funds are requested at Annual Town Meeting 2019. Ms. Barry asked if sidewalk assessment will be done in full or in phases throughout town. Mr. Pinsonneault, DPW Director, said the $22,500 was for one phase of the analysis. David Kanter, Capital Expenditures Committee, suggested that the DPW discuss working in the Center sidewalk analysis with the contractor who ordinarily conducts the sidewalk audits. Dawn Selectmen—February 5, 2018 Page 6 of 9 McKenna, Chair of the Tourism Committee, said that the portion of the Battle Green Master Plan that deals with traffic and parking should be coordinated with the Center Streetscape effort. Ambulance Staffing, 2 FTE's for $188,565 is recommended for slightly less than half the full amount($91,371);the remainder ($97,194) is not recommended Mr. Valente said, given how long it takes to hire trained paramedics, half the fiscal year will elapse before staff is in place and therefore the amount can be cut. Going forward,the whole amount would be needed annually. The additional employees will bring the staffing up to two full ambulance crews. Youth and Family Services Additional Supports for $99,391, Ms. Barry thanked Mr. Valente for the inclusion of a dollar figure but asked if more funds would be needed for anything other than a salary. Noting the ongoing discussions with the School Committee and Human Services, Mr. Valente said there is still flexibility to decide which direction to go in. Transportation Strategic Plan for $25,000 was not recommended because a Commonwealth Compact grant will cover the cost for the three towns involved in the study: Lexington, Bedford, and Burlington. Assistant Building Commissioner for $20,290 was not recommended. Ms. Kelley said the cost is a worthwhile investment to assure building commissioner availability to the development community. Mr. Valente said the reason he did not recommended this request is because the new Building Commissioner has just been hired who should have time to become acclimated before deciding if an assistant is warranted. After discussion, the Selectmen reached consensus to return the funds to the "recommended" column in the event that the addition of an assistant is deemed prudent. Hartwell Gateway Signage, $10,000 recommended/$40,000 not recommended. After discussion about timing, branding, and ownership of the initiative, the Selectmen reached consensus to defer all funding. General Fund Support of Visitors Center for $41,400 and Marketing Budget Increase for $12,000 were not recommended. Dawn McKenna, Tourism Committee Chair, asked the Selectmen to consider cost increases in the future for Visitors Center expenses such as printing. Unmanned Aerial System for $7,950 that was not recommended, Mr. Valente said he is uncomfortable having the Town use drones without a policy in place. Mr. Pato said the Policy Committee would begin to take up the matter. • Continue discussion Regarding the Proposed Capital Budget Mr. Kelley, who was absent from the last meeting, concurred with his colleagues in their support for the Center Athletic Field Lighting and Center Track capital projects. Recapping the last meeting's discussion, it was noted that the Community Center Expansion remains off the Capital list. There has been a proposal to fund a $250,000 design phase to be drawn from the Recreation Enterprise Fund (available balance $650,000). The Recreation Committee fully supports the expense and is re-prioritizing initiatives to allow the funding to be Selectmen—February 5, 2018 Page 7 of 9 used in this manner. Ms. Ciccolo recused herself from this discussion as her parents' property abuts the Community Center. Mr. Pato said he has been concerned about supporting this preliminary phase of the project because he does not want to signify willingness to move ahead with construction unless the plan includes public/private funding. But, upon consideration, he agreed that the design funds will enable the project to reach a stage where public/private collaboration is more likely to occur. He cautiously supports the $250,000 commitment. Mr. Barry said she is now in support of moving ahead with the preliminary stage of the initiative. She reported, however, that the Capital Expenditures Committee is not in favor as it has significant concerns about the ramifications of accelerating the project. Dawn McKenna, Precinct 6, also opposes moving ahead. She asked how much money for Community Center operations is still being paid for from the Town budget rather than by the Recreation Enterprise Fund. She said the Tourism Committee stepped back on its Visitor Center efforts in order for the original Community Center initiative to go forward; now, she believes the expansion should not take precedence and believes School gym facilities should be made available to the community rather than pushing for construction of a new gym within the expansion plan. David Kanter, Capital Expenditures Committee, said that design plans become "stale" if not acted upon in a timely manner. Mr. Kelley said he believes the Town purchased the Pelham property with the promise that it would benefit both the Schools and the larger community. He does not see the $250,000 as a tacit commitment to spend $20M. Ms. Barry noted that all four members involved in the discussion ask that the $250,000 be restored to the Capital budget. This subject will be addressed again on February 12, 2018. The full budget will be voted on February 26, 2018. Selectmen—Committee Resignation Upon motion duly made and seconded, the Board of Selectmen voted 5-0 to accept the resignation of Susan Barrett from the Transportation Advisory Committee. The Board extended its thanks and appreciation to Susan Barrett for her time and effort in serving the Lexington community. Ms. Barrett has just been hired by the Town as the new Transportation Services Manager. Preliminary Discussion—Municipal Mental Health Services Looking forward to the February 7, 2018 Joint Meeting with the School Committee in Estabrook Hall, the Selectmen commented on aspects of the Town/School mental health initiative. Selectmen—February 5, 2018 Page 8 of 9 Mr. Pato said he would like to have a written statement of the goals of the initiative. Mr. Lucente said he will be listening particularly for what services are already provided and what the gaps are. He added that it is good to know a third meeting will take place and asked that there not be such a long gap between meetings. Mr. Barry said the difference between the Schools and the Town is that the Schools have a distinct constituency and the Town serves the whole population. She believes more is going on in separate departments than is clearly understood and there should be better coordination. She asked what Town Government's role in community mental health should be. Ms. Ciccolo said she is looking for better clarity on what the goals are and there should be a community forum. It is hard at the moment to know how to be constructive. She asked for data to explain the level of need on the community side and asked that the missing data be resolved within the Comprehensive Plan process. Mr. Kelley said there is no easy answer to what Town Government's role is but efforts seem fragmented. He believes the answer starts with a community acknowledgement of responsibility. The Selectmen and School Committee will need to work together to address the need and make a joint commitment. Consent A eg nda • Approve One-Day Liquor Licenses Upon motion duly made and seconded, the Board of Selectmen voted 5-0 to approve a one-day liquor license request from Charles River Wheelers on Sunday, March 11, 2018 from 2:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. for the purpose of their kickoff meeting being held at The Depot. Upon motion duly made and seconded, the Board of Selectmen voted 5-0 to approve a one-day liquor license request from Deepak Das on Friday, March 16, 2018 from 5:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. for the purpose of the Deepak Das Art Show being held at the Munroe Arts Center. Upon motion duly made and seconded, the Board of Selectmen voted 5-0 to approve a request for a one-day liquor license from the Lexington Education Foundation on Saturday, June 16, 2018 from 7:00 p.m. until 11:00 p.m. for the purpose of the Celebration for Education being held at the Hayden Recreation Center, Lower Field. • Approve Minutes Upon motion duly made and seconded, the Board of Selectmen voted 5-0 to approve but not release the Joint Board of Selectmen and School Committee Executive Session minutes of December 19, 2017; and January 8, 2018 Joint Selectmen and School Committee. 0 Town Celebrations Committee Request—Approve Sending Sponsorship Letter Selectmen—February 5, 2018 Page 9 of 9 Upon motion duly made and seconded, the Board of Selectmen voted 5-0 to approve the request of the Town Celebrations to send out sponsorship letters, as proposed. • Use of the Battle Green—Lexington Fife and Drum Tattoo Upon motion duly made and seconded, the Board of Selectmen voted 5-0 to approve the request of the William Diamond Junior Fife and Drum Corps to hold the annual Tattoo and Lexington Muster on the Battle Green on Friday, May 4, 2018, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., including a small parade from St. Brigid Parish to the Battle Green beginning at approximately 6:50 p.m. The approval will be subject to working out the details with Town staff. Adjourn Upon motion duly made and seconded, the Board of Selectmen voted 5-0 to adjourn at approximately 9:26 p.m. A true record; Attest: Kim Siebert Recording Secretary