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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018-05-29 BOS-min Selectmen – May 29, 2018 Page 1 of 7 SELECTMEN'S MEETING Tuesday, May 29, 2018 A meeting of the Lexington Board of Selectmen was called to order at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 29, 2018 in the Selectmen’s Meeting Room of the Town Office Building. Ms. Barry, Chair; Mr. Pato; Mr. Lucente; and Ms. Hai were present as well as Mr. Valente, Town Manager; Ms. Siebert, Recording Secretary. Ms. Ciccolo was absent. Announcements Mr. Valente’s retirement party will take place on Thursday, August 2, 2018 from 4 to 6 p.m. in Battin Hall of the Cary Memorial Building. Several Selectmen will attend the Association of Black Citizens of Lexington (ABCL) meeting on Thursday, May 31, 2018. Update—Center Streetscape Ms. Barry stated that the presentation tonight is an opportunity for the Board to be updated on the project prior to the Center Streetscape Public Meeting scheduled for 7 p.m. on Monday, June 11, 2018 in Battin Hall of the Cary Memorial Building. Dave Pinsonneault, DPW Director, and John Livsey, Town Engineer, provided the most recent information for Board comment. Mr. Pinsonneault stated that the presentation will focus on recent actions, project goals, and preliminary cost estimates.  Recent actions Taking the Selectmen’s direction following the Center Streetscape Design Review Ad Hoc Committee report, the Center Streetscape Working Group has worked toward the goal of finalizing the 25% design. To that end, two reports have been generated: one by Public Archaeology Laboratory (PAL) which conducted an historic resource assessment to tie the current landscape back to how it was originally developed; and a second by Bartlett Tree to conduct a street tree inventory that will form the basis of a tree management plan.  Project Goals There are three primary goals: Safety, Accessibility; and Renewal of the Mid-Century Modern Landscape.  Preliminary Cost Estimate to Construct=$9.2M The cost estimate is based on 2018 pricing comparisons and assumes work will be done in one phase as opposed to three, as previously envisioned. The work area was defined as Meriam Street to the Police Headquarters driveway at 1575 Massachusetts Avenue. The estimate does not include funds already expended but does include all elements of the 25% design; contingency; construction administration; and police details which will be substantial due to the high-traffic corridor. An updated cost estimate will be calculated at the 100% design threshold. Mr. Selectmen – May 29, 2018 Page 2 of 7 Pinsonneault noted that input from Selectmen and from the public at the June 11, 2018 meeting could impact this estimate. Mr. Livsey presented details of the sidewalk, lighting, street tree, furnishings, bike rack, and signage elements of the Center Streetscape.  Sidewalks will be reconstructed with brick where they are now brick and with concrete with brick edging where they are now concrete; the brick is straight-edge wire-cut with no spacers, red to dark brown in color, set to industry standards in herringbone configuration to minimize vibration, with hand tight sand-swept joints, and minimally cross-sloped to meet or exceed ADA standards. Curbing will be granite; ramps will have a concrete transition pad for visual contrast. Bump outs will be used to shorten street crossing distances; crosswalks will be lit to improve nighttime visibility.  Lighting at the pedestrian level will be consistent with existing lighting and on simple, slender, black poles with shielding at the top to prevent light pollution.  Lighting for the street will also use black poles and have slender profiles, resulting in minimal visual presence. The height of street poles will be between 21 and 30 feet. Some roadway lights will be mounted on existing utility poles.  Street Trees, assessed by Barlett Tree, are largely in poor condition (52%) with only 15% (17 trees) assigned a “good” rating. One tree is completely dead; 58 others are in poor health. The remaining 35 trees (32%) are in “fair” condition. Replacements will be two varieties: Zelkova and Honeylocusts. These species are hardy in this region, low maintenance, and urban landscape-tolerant. Drainage and soil compaction will be corrected with tree grates, Silva cells and irrigation systems. The goal is to provide a continuous canopy on both sides of the street  Benches/street furnishings in good condition will be removed and re-set; benches in poor condition will be replaced by those made of IPE wood for greater durability. Bench plaques will be transferred onto new benches at or near the former location. A variety of backless and chair-style seating will be intermingled with traditional style benches to facilitate conversation and comfort and to accommodate differing seating needs.  Bike racks will accommodate 45 bicycles along Massachusetts Avenue (not inclusive of the seasonal parklet or the racks near the bike path). Two styles have been selected in collaboration with the Bike Committee.  Signs will be posted on black poles to minimize visual clutter. A full signage plan has yet to be developed but the goal is to keep signs to a minimum. The blue P on oxblood background will continue to be used to direct drivers to parking locations. Mr. Lucente asked how far the project will extend down Meriam Street, Waltham Street, and Edison Way. He believes the condition of the sidewalk and curbing on Waltham Street is unsafe and would benefit from upgrade. Mr. Livsey said the scope down Meriam Street and Edison Selectmen – May 29, 2018 Page 3 of 7 Way is very limited, close to 20 feet. However, on Waltham Street, it is slightly further because of the desire to add lighting and replace some of the sidewalk. Mr. Lucente asked how susceptible to frost heaves the new sidewalk construction would be. Mr. Livsey said the soil below the brick layer is the more reactive to cold. The current silt layer will be replaced with gravel, which is less reactive, and with Silva cells. Both have better durability and require less attention/maintenance due to frost damage. Ms. Lucente asked how many parking spaces would be lost to the planned sidewalk bumps outs. Mr. Livsey believes the loss is minor but will research the exact number. Mr. Lucente said he likes the lighted crosswalks but he is concerned about the impacts of construction on businesses in the Center. He asked for a business impact plan to be created and for the Town to gather input from business owners/managers. Mr. Lucente asked for a more detailed description of how the trees would be affected. Mr. Livsey said the impact is location-dependent: on the south side of Massachusetts Avenue, where there is a narrower sidewalk, grates will be used. On the north side, granite would be used, as recommended in the archaeology report. Nearer to the Town Office Building and Cary Memorial Building, there would be neither grates nor granite because the area is not narrow and does not have the significant soil compaction concerns. Mr. Lucente noted there are no bike racks in front of Town Hall. Mr. Livsey said there is a large rack in front of the Post Office but he will look into the matter. Mr. Pinsonneault said the bike racks behind Town Hall will remain because it is not part of the project area. Mr. Pato applauded the safety improvements the plan includes. He asked if lights are planned for the Emery Park area. Mr. Pinsonneault said the lighting currently there will remain and the style is consistent with the proposed new lighting. Ms. Barry asked if the new poles would support banner hardware now used for town events. Mr. Pinsonneault said the hardware may need to be modified but the working group did pay heed to that concern. Ms. Barry asked how big the replacement trees would be. Mr. Pinsonneault said they would be 3 ½ to 4-inch caliper and 16-22 feet tall. Anything larger is harder to transplant successfully. Mr. Pinsonneault said trees are not yet planned for Waltham Street but the group is still working through this question. Ms. Barry asked if the benches would be replaced exactly or moved. Mr. Pinsonneault said some may be moved slightly to accommodate other streetscape features but he assured Ms. Barry that memorial plaques would be transferred as close to the original location as possible. Ms. Barry said it is her preference to use tree grates in front of Town Hall as well as further up the avenue. She asked if the Town has to coordinate with the MBTA about changing the bus stop sign posts. Mr. Livsey said the posts can be changed without approval, as long as the stop itself is not being moved. Selectmen – May 29, 2018 Page 4 of 7 Ms. Hai asked if LED streetlights shield are included in the current cost estimate or considered add-ons. Mr. Livsey said this remains to be determined. Depending on the top of the luminaire, a shield may not be needed in all cases. If so, they would not constitute a significant additional cost. Ms. Hai asked how tall the current light poles are. Mr. Livsey said that the existing lights are 26 feet and he hopes to get the 30-foot pole heights shortened down to 27 feet. Ms. Hai recommended adding this piece of information to the Public Meeting presentation. Ms. Hai said the swerve bike rack style is visually more intrusive and she would prefer styles that have less impact. She asked if signs could share posts. Mr. Livsey said it was location dependent. Ms. Hai asked if any crosswalks would be eliminated. Mr. Livsey said there are a number of relocations that will improve sight lines and safety but no eliminations. Ms. Hai agreed that a disruption plan should be shared with businesses and with abutting residents as well. She agreed that tree treatments should be kept to two styles and carried through in front of the municipal buildings. Ms. Hai asked why the estimated price of the project is higher than it was, even though a section of the project area was eliminated and a number of granite and historic markers have been reduced. She asked how confident the cost estimate is. Mr. Livsey agreed that large ticket items like stone walls had been taken out of the plan, and that lighting had been somewhat reduced, but other big-ticket items, like the Silva cells, have been added. The last estimate was also based on 2014 construction costs. He stated that, although the project dollar amount has increased, a straight comparison shows that the project costs have actually been reduced by a few hundred thousand dollars. About the Public Meeting for June 11, 2018 the Board was assured that the event is being advertised in comprehensive manner. Ms. Barry agreed that a direct mailing should go residential abutters and that it is crucial to reach out to businesses. She asked that the Center Streetscape webpage be updated on the Town website and that the project timeline be made clear to residents. She asked that Town Meeting members also be directly informed of the June 11, 2018 Public Meeting. Ms. Barry asked for a chart to be created that explains the timeline and how changes to the project have been made over time; the chart would include recommendations that came the ad hoc committee, subsequent recommendation from the Board of Selectmen, and whether or not a particular feature remains in the plan. She believes this will dispel rumor and serve to update older impressions/assumptions. Ms. Barry added that residents should be clear that improvements to the street itself are included in the cost. With the 250 Town anniversary approaching in 2025, Ms. Barry said it is imperative to make sure the streetscape work is done in time. She recommended that a staff person be designated as the point person for dialog with the Center businesses. She encouraged Mr. Pinsonneault and Mr. Livsey to bring the Center Streetscape, Capital Expenditures, and Appropriation committees Selectmen – May 29, 2018 Page 5 of 7 together to prepare for Special Town Meeting in the fall of 2018 which, if the current timeline is maintained, will be asked to support construction funding. Mr. Livsey said a lot more will be known after the Public Meeting in terms of how fast the project will move forward. It is necessary for Town Meeting to authorize funds before the project can reach 100% design. Once the funds are in place, Mr. Livsey estimated it would lake 4 months to reach 100% design. Mr. Lucente asked if the $9.2M cost could be broken down and itemized. Mr. Livsey said this would be hard to do as many elements are interconnected and not easily separated. Ms. Hai noted there had been an earlier 25% breakdown of costs which could be used as a basis for comparison. Review Request for Qualifications Submitted by Executive Recruiting Firms for Town Manager Search Mr. Valente sent the RFQ to seven firms; five submitted responses. One of the firms ran into a submission delivery problem due to a UPS operational error; under the circumstances, Town Counsel said the Board could waive the deadline knowing that the firm made a good faith effort to work within the stated guidelines and because doing so would not put the other applicants at a disadvantage. Upon motion duly made and seconded, Board for Selectmen voted 4-0 to waive the date and time requirements for the executive recruiting proposal received from Community Paradigm Associates. Mr. Valente recommended that the Board use two parameters to decide which firms to advance to the interview phase:  Did the firm meet the Board’s minimum qualifications?  Does the Board feel the firm provided compelling evidence it can accomplish what needs to be done? The Board determined that it would narrow the field to three or four firms. Following discussion, the Selectmen reached consensus to advance these four firms:  GovHR USA  Municipal Resources, Inc (MRI)  UMASS/Edward Collins Center  Community Paradigm Associates Mr. Valente and Ms. Barry will reach out to these groups to schedule each of them for a 45- minute meeting on Monday, June 4, 2018. The interviews will take place in the Town Office Building and the Selectmen will make a determination that day, after the interviews are complete. When the candidate is selected, the process will move to the fee negotiation and contract signing stage. The same questions will be asked of each firm at the interview. Mr. Valente and Ms. Barry will work on the set of questions. Selectmen – May 29, 2018 Page 6 of 7 Battle Green Request—Gun Violence Prevention Rally Mr. Valente said the Battle Green guides would be cancelled for the duration of the rally but it should not conflict with the Liberty Ride. Staff has determined that, due to the nature of the event, four police details (one supervisor and three patrolmen) will be necessary to ensure safety. One DPW staff will need to be hired for a minimum of 4 hours to coordinate use of the PA system, tables, and chairs; this staffing request must be made through the Facilities department. The cost will be borne by the Requestor. Upon motion duly made and seconded, the Board of Selectmen voted 4-0 to approve #LexingtonSaysEnough's request for use of the Battle Green for the purpose of a Gun Violence Prevention Rally to be held Sunday, June 10, 2018 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. on the following conditions that the Requestor:  attends a site visit with the Department of Public Works and Police to review event in detail;  contacts the Police Department to coordinate Police Details;  contacts the Department of Public Works to coordinate request for PA System and set up requirement;  contacts the Department of Public Facilities to coordinate table and chair rental;  contacts other necessary Town Departments as deemed necessary. Selectmen—Committee Re-appointment Tom Fenn has been serving as an Associate Member on the Historic Districts Commission. His term expired on December 31, 2017; he is willing to consider renewing his tenure. The Lexington Arts and Crafts Society, the Lexington Historical Society and the Cary Memorial Library Board of Trustees, as the nominating organizations for HDC Associate Members, are in support of Mr. Fenn's reappointment. Upon motion duly made and seconded, the Board of Selectmen voted 4-0 to appoint Tom Fenn as Associate Member to the Historic Districts Commission to a five (5) year term to expire December 31, 2022. Consent Agenda  Water & Sewer Commitments Upon motion duly made and seconded, the Board of Selectmen voted 4-0 to approve Water & Sewer Commitments & Fee for Bedford Cycle 9 March 2018 for $ 250,889.26; and Water & Sewer Commitments & Fee for Bedford Cycle 9 April 2018 for $ 270,083.23.  Approve and Sign Eagle Congratulations Letter—Noam Lev Watt Selectmen – May 29, 2018 Page 7 of 7 Upon motion duly made and seconded, the Board of Selectmen voted 4-0 to send a letter of commendation congratulating Noam Lev Watt for attaining the highest rank of Eagle in Boy Scouting. Adjourn Upon motion duly made and seconded, the Board of Selection voted 4-0 to adjourn at 5:20 p.m. A true record; Attest: Kim Siebert Recording Secretary