HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019-03-07-AC-min 03/07/2019 AC Minutes
Minutes
Town of Lexington Appropriation Committee(AC)
March 7, 2019
Place and Time: Parker Room, Town Office Building, 7:30 p.m.
Members Present: Glenn Parker, Chair; Sanjay Padaki, Vice-Chair; Alan Levine, Secretary;
John Bartenstein; Ellen Basch; Richard Neumeier; Nick Nichols; Carolyn Kosnoff, Assistant Town
Manager, Finance (non-voting, ex officio)
Members Absent: Eric Michelson; Lily Manhua Yan
Other Attendees: None
The meeting was called to order at 7:40 p.m.
Announcements and Liaison Reports
Mr. Neumeier reported on an employment opportunity listed in the March 4, 2019, Massachusetts
Lawyers Weekly, for an Associate Town Counsel in the Town of Falmouth; salary: $83,200-
$108,555,plus a full benefit package. He also commented that the Lexington School Department
had curbed its use of outside legal services, reducing such expenses from $228,900 in FY2014 to
$90,000 in FY2016 and $101,602 in FY2018.
Mr. Padaki reported that the Ad hoc Crematory Study Committee was working on an interim report
for the 2019 Annual Town Meeting (ATM). That Committee supports design plans for the
Westview Cemetery maintenance building that support the addition of a crematory at a future date.
Details associated with costs for a crematory are not yet available.
Additionally, Mr. Padaki noted the following:
• Although cemetery fees are used for the operation of Westview Cemetery, tax levy
supplements are also necessary. It is not expected that a crematory would produce additional
revenue.
• There are two types of cremationa standard cremation and a"participatory" cremation.
The latter includes participation by a small group of family/friends.
• It is estimated that currently—50% of the population in the United States choose to be
cremated upon death.
Mr. Nichols reported that it is expected that Article 14(f) Appropriate the FY2020 Community
Preservation Committee Operating Budget and Community Preservation Act Projects: Athletic
Field Complex at Minuteman Regional Vocational Technical School will be indefinitely postponed.
AC Report to the ATM
The following articles were discussed:
• Article 4: Reduce Community Preservation Act(CPA) Surcharge Rate From 3% To I%
Pursuant to G.L. c. 44B, §16 (Citizen Article): Ms. Kosnoff confirmed that passage of this
article would not allow the Town to meet its CPA debt obligations using CPA funds, as
previously voted. She added that the Town's FY2020 budget assumed a 15% CPA
reimbursement by the State, but State funding for next year has been reduced to 11.5%,
creating a shortfall.
➢ A motion was made and seconded to recommend disapproval of this article. The motion
passed. VOTE: 7-0
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• Article 5: Establish Qualification for Tax Deferrals: Mr. Bartenstein explained that this
article would increase the income threshold for a residential tax deferral from $70,000 to
$75,000. Interest is charged and the Town eventually is paid the back taxes, making this
program revenue neutral.
➢ A motion was made and seconded to support approval of this article. The motion
passed. VOTE: 7-0
• Article 6: Appropriate for Cremation Facility at Westview Cemetery(citizen article): Mr.
Padaki reported that a motion has not been identified for this article. It may be indefinitely
postponed (IPed), depending on the position of the Board of Selectmen(BoS) on Article
20(g): Appropriate for Public Facilities Capital Projects; Westview Cemetery Facility
Construction. Further discussion was postponed until there is more definitive information.
• Article 7: Appropriate Funds for the Creation of a Lexington Economic Development
Strategy (Citizen Article): Mr. Neumeier reported that this item is not included in the
budget. Mr. Padaki wanted additional information.
➢ A motion was made and seconded to recommend disapproval of this article.
VOTE: 6-0-1
• Article 8: Funding for Sustainability Actions (Citizen Article): Mr. Nichols reported that it is
expected that this article will be IPed. It was agreed that there is no need to comment in the
report.
• Article 9: Sustainability Director(Citizen Article): Mr. Nichols reported that Article 9 would
be presented as a resolution. It was agreed that there is no need to comment in the report.
• Article 10: Appropriate to Post Employment Insurance Liability Fund: There was
discussion about the advisability of making such an appropriation at this time, considering
the demands on the tax levy. Comments included the following:
➢ The BoS and Town Manager are planning to hold a policy discussion on a number of
financially-related issues in May. This will be on the agenda. It would be valuable to
meet with the actuary as part of that discussion.
➢ $750,000 of the appropriation under this article would come indirectly from the Health
Claims Trust Fund, which must be used for employee health insurance costs.
➢ The Fund is invested in equities and generally earns good returns.
➢ A motion was made and seconded to support approval of this article. The motion
passed. VOTE: 7-0
• Article 11: Appropriate FY2020 Operating Budget: Discussion was postponed until this
Committee's next meeting when Peter Rowe, the School Department's Interim Assistant
Superintendent for Finance and Operations, and Kate Colburn, Vice Chair, School
Committee, will be attending to discuss the school budget.
• Article 15: Appropriate for Recreation Capital Projects: It was noted that this is a request
for a $50,000 community needs assessment and $75,000 for Pine Meadows improvements.
Retained earnings have been identified as the funding source.
➢ A motion was made and seconded to support approval of this article. The motion
passed. VOTE: 7-0
• Article 16: Appropriate for Municipal Capital Projects and Equipment: After a brief review
of this article's subsections, a motion was made and seconded to support subsections a-d, g,
and i-p, as identified in the Warrant. The motion passed. VOTE: 7-0
The other subsections of this article were discussed as follows:
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➢ (e) Center Streetscape Improvements—Construction: The recently released 75% design
indicates a cost of$173,000 less than previously estimated, but the cost is still over
$9.0 million. If approved, the project would be bid in the fall of 2019. Ms. Basch
reported that the Town is applying for a Massachusetts Works Grant, and the Town will
have a stronger case if funding for the complete project has been appropriated. The
Community Preservation Committee has not supported use of Community Preservation
Act funds for those elements that are eligible for such. Approximately$1.0 million is for
aesthetic improvements, as opposed to safety improvements, but it is difficult to separate
the two.
■ A motion was made and seconded to support this subsection of Article 16. The
motion passed. VOTE: 7-0
➢ (f) Automatic Meter Reading System: The return on investment is intangible. Ms. Yan is
collecting information on this article.
➢ (h) Hill Street New Sidewalk Project: Ms. Kosnoff reported that this is a $1.5 million
project, to be funded from capital debt; it is a complicated project because of the terrain.
Mr. Padaki plans to get additional information from John Livsey, Town Engineer.
Minutes
A motion was made and seconded to approve the minutes of the meetings of February 21, 2019,
and February 26, 2019. The motion passed. VOTE: 7-0
It was agreed that the next meeting would include discussion of Consent Agenda items.
The meeting adjourned at 9:53 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Sara Arnold
Approved: March 27, 2019
Exhibits
• Agenda,posted by Mr. Parker, Chair
• Town of Lexington Warrant: 2019 Annual Town Election, March 4, 2019; 2019 Annual
Town Meeting, March 25, 2019
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