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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018-11-01-AC-min 11/1/2018 AC Minutes Minutes Town of Lexington Appropriation Committee (AC) November 1, 2018 Place and Time: Dawes Room, Town Office Building, 7:30 p.m. Members Present: John Bartenstein, Chair; Alan Levine, Secretary; Ellen Basch; Eric Michelson; Richard Neumeier; Nick Nichols; Sanjay Padaki; Lily Manhua Yan; Carolyn Kosnoff, Assistant Town Manager, Finance (non-voting, ex-officio) Members)Absent: Glenn Parker, Vice-Chair Other Attendees: None The meeting was called to order at 7:40 p.m. • Announcements: • Mr. Bartenstein reported: ➢ Notice of reception for Charlotte Rodgers Retirement on November 29 from 4:30-6:30 at the Depot Building. ➢ Message from David Horton on the TMMA list regarding the Minuteman project being on time and on budget. ➢ Meeting with Town Manager on 10/24. 1. The Town Manager seems anxious to work on reducing our debt service and controlling expenditures for capital projects. 2. Discussed finding a solution to the cumbersome process of putting together a report to Town Meeting without being able to circulate drafts to members of the committee in order to be compliant with current open meeting laws. • Mr. Levine requested someone to fill in for him at the next School Master Planning Advisory Committee meeting on 11/20. Mr. Neumeier volunteered to attend. Mr. Levine summarized his current thinking about the need for new elementary and middle school space based on the enrollment changes from the fall of 2017 to the fall of 2018 and projections of future changes. • Ms. Basch reported as Liaison to the Minuteman IMA Working Group that there are still many unanswered questions regarding the benefit that the Town would receive by partnering with Minuteman Technical High School in building new athletic facilities. • Planning for report to fall Special Town Meeting (STM 2018-1): • Mr. Bartenstein discussed the process we would follow to review, discuss and vote articles tonight for our report to the upcoming special town meeting. A draft report was distributed to members immediately prior to the start of the meeting. Mr. Bartenstein and the entire committee expressed their gratitude for the work Mr. Parker did to get this draft in shape for review at the meeting. • It was agreed that all edits to the report, in addition to those discussed at the meeting, would be sent to Mr. Bartenstein and Mr. Parker by Saturday,11/3, at noon in order to generate a final version. 1 11/1/2018 AC Minutes • The final version of the report will be voted on Tuesday, 11/6, with printed copies available for the TMMA information session on 11/8. Mr. Padaki noted that he would not be able to attend the meeting on 11/6. • Review, discussion, and votes for financial articles on STM warrant: The Committee next discussed the financial articles to be addressed in its report to Special Town Meeting 2018-1, took votes as necessary, and suggested edits to the current draft report. • Article 3: Appropriate for Center Streetscape Design: Mr. Michelson summarized the article and after review and discussion. Ms. Yan added a no vote to the previously recorded vote of 8-0, making the vote 8-1 in favor of Article 3. With respect to the funding source for this article, Mr. Bartenstein was authorized to convey to the Board of Selectmen at its next meeting on Monday, November 5, the strong sense of this Committee that the present plan to fund this and other appropriations at the Special Town Meeting with cash resulting from the revised estimate of FY2019 new growth should not be changed at this late date; and that any policy discussion about the use of revenue and levy capacity attributable to the "personal property" component of new growth should take place in conjunction with a broader look at the Town's finances over a more extended period of time. • Article 5: Appropriate for Hosmer House Reuse Study: Mr. Neumeier summarized the article and after review and discussion a motion was made and seconded to support Article 5. The motion passed with a vote of 5-2-1; Mr. Padaki and Ms. Yan voting no, Ms. Basch abstaining. • Article 6: Amend FY2019 Operating, Enterprise, and Community Preservation Act (CPA)Budgets: Ms. Kosnoff summarized the article and after review and discussion, a motion was made and seconded to support Article 6. The motion passed with a vote of 8-0. • Article 7: Appropriate for Prior Years' Unpaid Bills: This article has been indefinitely postponed. No vote was required. • Article 8: Establish and Appropriate To and From Specified Stabilization Funds: Mr. Padaki summarized the article and after review and discussion a motion was made and seconded to support Article 8. The motion passed with a vote of 8-0. • Article 10: Amend Zoning Bylaw-55 & 56 Watertown Street(Owner Petition): This article was previously discussed. The version in the latest draft report is shorter than the previous version but is intended to convey the same ideas. There is no recommendation from the Committee and no vote was required. 2 11/1/2018 AC Minutes • Liaisons for new committees: • Ad hoc Crematory Study Committee: Mr. Padaki is still considering serving as liaison if the meeting schedule is compatible for him. If scheduling issues preclude his attendance, Mr. Michelson agreed to serve in this capacity. • Minutes: A motion was made and seconded to approve the October 17, 2018 minutes. The motion passed with a vote of 8-0. The meeting adjourned at 9:40 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Ellen Basch Approved: November 6, 2018 Exhibits • Agenda, posted by Mr. Bartenstein, Chair • Draft Appropriation Committee Report to the November 2018 Special Town Meeting 3