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Minutes of the
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December 12, 2018
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Location and Time: Town Office Building, Reed Room; 7:45 A.M.
Members Present: Charles Lamb, Chair; David Kanter, Vice-Chair & Clerk; Sandy Beebee;
Rod Cole; Frank Smith; and Wendy Manz
Members Absent: None
Others Present: William Kennedy, Chair, Lexington Housing Assistance Board (LexHAB);
Robert Phelan, LexHAB; Sara Arnold, Recording Secretary
Documents Presented:
• Notice of CEC Meeting, December 12, 2018
• CEC Questions on LexHAB FY20 Application for CPA Funds (LexHABQ),
December 10, 2018
• Table: LexHAB Projects—Request for FY2020 Community Preservation Act (CPA)
Funding
• Table: FY2020-FY2024 Capital Improvement Projects (CIPs) (as of
December 10, 2018)
• General Points Regarding CEC Review of FY2020-FY2024 CIPs, prepared by
Mr. Kanter, 11 Dec 2018
• Draft #3 Minutes of the CEC Meeting, December 4, 2018
• Draft Minutes of the CEC Meeting, December 6, 2018, during the Financial Summit II
Call to Order: Mr. Lamb called the meeting to order at 7:46 A.M.
Review of the LexHAB Projects for which CPA Funding is being requested
The LexHABQ was used as a guide to lead the discussion regarding LexHAB's requests.
The discussion addressed all of this Committee's earlier questions and those raised during
this meeting and provided LexHAB representatives with this Committee's feedback regarding
any remaining concerns and/or suggested revisions to the provided material. Comments by
Mr. Kennedy and Mr. Phelan included, but were not limited to, the following:
• If a facility were purchased using CPA funds, then the project involves rehabilitation;
otherwise it is identified as a preservation project.
• There are 10 locations that have been identified for rehabilitation and/or preservation
projects. Construction is normally conducted when a tenant has moved out and the
facility is empty.
• There is an open-bid process. Sometimes projects are bundled. Minuteman
Technical High School students are used when appropriate.
Mr. Kanter strongly supported action on creating LexHAB housing on a Vine Street site that
was purchased by the Town for such housing. Mr. Kennedy advised the project has not been
advanced because of neighborhood objections. Mr. Kanter said that while the Town takes
seriously such objections, those must be taken in conjunction with the Town's needs and
intentions and he feels that project is long overdue for being advanced.
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Minutes of the Lexington Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) Meeting
December 12, 2018
Minutes
Mr. Kanter described proposed amendments to the Draft#3 Minutes for the
December 4, 2018, CEC meeting. A Motion was made and seconded to approve that
Draft #3, as amended. Vote: 6-0.
A Motion was made and seconded to approve the Draft Minutes for the December 6, 2018,
CEC meeting, which was part of Financial Summit II. Vote: 6-0.
Review of the FY2020-FY2024 CIPs and Preliminary CEC positions
Mr. Lamb reported that Jim Malloy, Town Manager, has been invited to this Committee's
January 9, 2019, meeting to receive input on this Committee's preliminary positions. In
preparation for that discussion and in anticipation of writing this Committee's report to the
2019 Annual Town Meeting (ATM) with this Committee's 5-year capital plan, each CIP was
reviewed, and preliminary positions were discussed.
Mr. Kanter opened the discussion by reviewing a list of general concerns he has with some
CIPs' details (e.g., inaccurate revision dates, lack or belated delivery of some back-up
material, some estimates not cited in then-year dollars, flat-lined estimates, etc.). He also
stressed the statutory obligation this Committee has to make financial recommendations and
its own a five-year plan for each CIP that this Committee supports for inclusion—in the instant
case with FY2020-FY2024 funding.
During the CIP discussion, Mr. Kanter said he holds that construction-related facilities
projects should be identified with the department that has the Town's experience and
expertise for such projects (i.e, the Department of Public Facilities [DPF]) and that should
execute the project, not identified with another department that will use the facility—which he
calls "the client". He said that doesn't diminish the client's role as the stakeholder regarding
the objective purpose of the facility. He was pleased that two projects (#940, Westview
Cemetery Building, & #1046, Old Reservoir Bathhouse Renovation) have been
acknowledged as the responsibility of DPF, but is disappointed that revisions have not been
produced to reflect the change in department—which would change their placement in the
master listings. Examples of other such projects that he believes should also be transferred
to DPF are#967: Police Outdoor/Indoor Firing Range—Hartwell Avenue, #1048, Community
Center Campus Expansion, and #1049, Pine Meadows Clubhouse & Maintenance Building
Renovation. He also addressed CIPs that need to be re-worded or clarified, and stressed
that no program CIP should include sub-projects that alone require less than the $25,000
threshold of Capital. He identified #653, Building Flooring Program, and #698, School Paving
and Sidewalk Program, as two such programs, but not necessarily the only ones.
The following CIPs were identified as not supportable at the 2019 ATM or need additional
information/discussion before all Committee members would take a position:
• #882: Parker Meadow Accessible Trail Construction: No funding identified for any of
the five years; a five-year plan issue.
• #981: Transportation Mitigation: Funding sources need to be clarified.
• #983: Parking Lot Consolidation and Repaving: There are questions about the
project's viability.
• #1037: Conservation Land Acquisition: No information currently available.
• #967: Police Outdoor/Indoor Firing Range—Hartwell Avenue: There are questions
about the advisability of postponing this project until FY2021.
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Minutes of the Lexington Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) Meeting
December 12, 2018
• #321: Center Streetscape Improvements: More information is expected in January.
• #327: Automatic Meter Reading System: No support for this project because Return
on Investment information has not been provided. Additionally, implementation costs
have increased substantially since the project was first proposed so the project is
expensive.
• #672: Battle Green Master Plan—Phase 3: There are additional questions regarding
details.
• #922: Battle Green Streetscape Improvements: Coordination with #672 is not fully
understood.
• #940: Westview Cemetery Building: General support for the project as currently
designed, but Ms. Beebee wants information from the Crematory Study Group, for
which she is the CEC liaison, before taking a position.
• #893: Shared Expense with Minuteman High School for Construction of New
Recreation Athletic Complex: Concerns included the project not having been
prioritized, not being in the financial model, and putting funds into a facility that does
not belong to the Town.
• #1013: Outdoor Pickleball Court Construction: Concerns about displaced programs if
pickleball courts are built. Ms. Beebee plans to discuss this with Melissa Battite,
Director of Recreation and Community Programs.
• #1014: Cricket Field Construction: No support for this project.
• #1048: Community Center Campus Expansion: No support for this project in this
5-year plan.
• #1065: Recreation Community Needs Assessment: The CIP wording links this project
to #1048, which this Committee opposes. Ms. Beebee plans to discuss this with
Ms. Battite. If the wording in the FY2020 Recommended Budget and Financing Plan
(the "Brown Book") includes this reference, there is some opposition to the project.
Mr. Lamb agreed to prepare a document for use in discussing this Committee's concerns
with Mr. Malloy, with a focus including, but not necessarily limited to, the following CIPs.
• #321: Center Streetscape Improvements
• #1044: Lexington High School Feasibility
• #1048: Community Center Campus Expansion
• #893: Shared Expense with Minuteman High School for Construction of New
Recreation Athletic Complex
Member Concerns
It was agreed to cancel the tentative meeting on the 19th of this month as it is not needed. It
was suggested that Committee members work on the front material for this Committee's
report to the 2019 ATM. Mr. Kanter will distribute a "strawman" version of that report as soon
as he can.
Adjourn: A Motion was made and seconded at 9:36 A.M. to adjourn. Vote: 6-0.
These Minutes were approved by the CEC at its meeting on January 9, 2019.
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