HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018-11-06-AC-min 11/6/2018 AC Minutes
Minutes
Town of Lexington Appropriation Committee (AC)
November 6, 2018
Place and Time: Parker Room, Town Office Building, 7:30 p.m.
Members Present: John Bartenstein, Chair; Glenn Parker, Vice-Chair; Alan Levine, Secretary;
Ellen Basch; Eric Michelson; Richard Neumeier; Nick Nichols; Lily Manhua Yan;
Carolyn Kosnoff, Assistant Town Manager, Finance (non-voting, ex-officio)
Member(s)Absent: Sanjay Padaki
Other Attendees: None
The meeting was called to order at 7:32 p.m.
Announcements
Mr. Bartenstein reported on the Board of Selectmen's (BoS)November 5, 2018 meeting:
• The BoS made no changes to the funding sources previously identified for Article 3:
Appropriate for Center Streetscape Design or Article 5: Appropriate for Hosmer House
Reuse Study, which are being presented to the Special Town Meeting 2018-1. This
information triggered a discussion by this Committee about issues associated with the
personal property tax and the use of the Capital Stabilization Fund (CSF). Ms. Kosnoff
noted that whatever may be decided about the use of the CSF, it must be transparent.
• The BoS also discussed the preliminary tax classifications that were presented by the
Board of Assessors. It appears that the percentage increases in residential and
commercial taxes will be more balanced next year than has been the case in recent years.
Mr. Bartenstein said that this Committee's November 13 meeting will be in the Ellen Stone Room
in the Cary Memorial Building. The photographer for the Town Report will come at 7:00 p.m. to
take a committee photo.
Report to the Fall Special Town Meeting (STM 2018-1)
Subsequent to this Committee's November 1, 2018 meeting, Mr. Levine, Mr. Bartenstein, and Mr.
Parker had made edits to this Committee's draft report. The new draft was distributed, and the text
associated with each article was reviewed. Edits were suggested and incorporated by Mr. Parker.
The process resulted in discussion and votes, as follows:
• Article 5: Appropriate for Hosmer House Reuse Study: It was noted that the Historic
District Commission had supported the idea of moving the Hosmer House, located in
close proximity to the Police Headquarters, to a different location on the current site.
This would make it possible to expand the police headquarters to include the current
Hosmer House location. The reuse study would help determine potential uses for the
building, which could influence the best new location.
Prior to this meeting, this Committee's vote to support an appropriation for the Hosmer
House Reuse Study was 5-2-1. Mr. Parker added an affirmative vote for the project.
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11/6/2018 AC Minutes
Mr. Neumeier questioned the need for the study and changed his affirmative vote to a
no. Ms. Basch changed her abstention to no. The final vote was 5-4 in support.
• Article 6: Amend FY2019 Operating, Enterprise and Community Preservation Act
Budgets: Mr. Parker added his affirmative vote of support, resulting in unanimous
support for the article.
• Article 8: Establish and Appropriate To and From Specified Stabilization Funds: Mr.
Parker added his affirmative vote of support, resulting in unanimous support for the
article.
• Article 10: Amend Zoning Bylaw— 55 & 56 Watertown Street: A number of edits were
incorporated into the text relating to the research that had been done on this article and
why this Committee was not taking a position on it.
• Approval of Final Report: A motion was made and seconded to approve publication of
the final report, as edited during the meeting, with the understanding that non-
substantive edits may still be made. The motion passed. VOTE: 8-0
Minutes
A motion was made and seconded to approve the draft November 1, 2018 minutes, as amended.
The motion passed. VOTE: 8-0.
Town Meeting Members Association (TMMA) Information Session:
This Committee is not meeting on November 7. Precinct 1 is meeting that night at 6:30 p.m. to
elect two new members, followed by the TMMA information session at 7:30 p.m.
The meeting adjourned at 8:53 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Sara Arnold
Approved: November 13, 2018
Exhibits
• Agenda, posted by Mr. Bartenstein, Chair
• Draft Appropriation Committee Report to the November 2018 Special Town Meeting
(Version 8), marked showing changes from the version reviewed at the November 1 AC
meeting (Version 3).
• Draft Appropriation Committee Report to the November 2018 Special Town Meeting
(Version 8)
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