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Home My WebLink About2019-10-30-CEC-min JS�®pN�N Minutes of the �3 Lexington Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) Meeting H October 30, 2019 Location and Time: Town Office Building, Parker Room (G-15); 7:45 A.M. Members Present: Charles Lamb, Chair; David Kanter, Vice-Chair & Clerk; Sandy Beebee; Rod Cole; Wendy Manz; Frank Smith Members Absent: None Others Present: Mark Corr, Chief, Police Department (Dept.); Michael McLean, Captain of Operations, Police Dept.; Derek Sencabaugh, Chief, Fire & Rescue Dept.; Christopher Ford, Assistant Chief, Fire & Rescue Dept.; Carolyn Kosnoff, Assistant Town Manager for Finance; Jennifer Hewitt, Budget Officer; Nick Nichols, Appropriation Committee Documents Presented: • Notice of CEC Meeting, October 30, 2019 • Draft #3 Minutes of the CEC Meeting, October 23, 2019 • Draft #2 Capital Expenditures Committee Report to the 2019-1 Special Town Meeting (STM) • Police and Fire and Rescue FY2021-FY2025 Capital Improvement Projects (CIPs) • Police Dept. responses to CEC Questions Provided Regarding the Police FY2021-FY2025 CIPs (Police Q&A) • Fire & Rescue Dept. responses to CEC Questions Provided Regarding the Fire & Rescue FY2021-FY2025 CIPs (Fire & Rescue Q&A) Call to Order: Mr. Lamb called the meeting to order at 7:45 A.M. Review of the Police Dept FY2021-FY2025 CIPs Chief Corr discussed CIP #967, Police Outdoor/Indoor Firing Range—Hartwell Avenue. In addition to his written responses to questions submitted by this Committee, he provided the following information: • The 30-foot earth berm at the current Hartwell Avenue outdoor range helps attenuate the noise from shooting practice, but it is still necessary to restrict use of the range to 4:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. to minimize the disruption to residential areas. • The size of the current outdoor range does not facilitate dynamic shooting practice, which incorporates the movement of targets. • The goal is for a new shooting range with a noise attenuating, all-weather roof that would restrict noise from traveling to residential areas while maintaining air flow features that would minimize the need for "scrubbing" the air within the building after use. • Shooting ranges across eastern Massachusetts are closing; currently, Towns are bartering their services and use of their facilities so that the departments get the target practice required by the State, but practicing more than two times a year would be considerably more desirable. • This CIP requests design funds; once a design is available, it is likely that Lexington could get grant money for building a range for target practice. There is considerable support from a variety of entities. Page 1 of 3 Minutes of the Lexington Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) Meeting October 30, 2019 • If Lexington builds a new shooting range, it is likely that the Town could bring in revenue from outside users, including other Towns, businesses that provide security services, and facilities that hire security personnel. Additionally, it could reduce overtime costs for Lexington. • The indoor range in Police Headquarters has been abandoned because of deterioration. Mr. Kanter suggested that getting commitments from other Towns also to help mitigate capital costs would be very valuable. Mr. Lamb expressed concern about delaying the project, but would defer to the Chief regarding the time required to get grants. Mr. Smith expressed concern about Town Meeting supporting a $5.0 million project, making the need for offsets critical. Review of the Fire & Rescue Dept. FY2021—FY2025 CIPs Chief Sencabaugh discussed CIP #735, Ambulance Replacement, and CIP #1052, Replace 2004 Pumper. In addition to his written responses to questions submitted by this Committee, he provided the following information, much of which related to concerns expressed about the high cost of new vehicles: • Tariffs are impacting the cost of steel, ambulance-chassis components, and electronic equipment. It isn't known how tariffs will impact purchases beyond those in the near future; providers aren't willing to provide long term estimates at this time. • Stretchers now come with an enhanced track system that can accommodate 900 pounds and keeps the stretcher far more reliably attached to the frame of the vehicle for enhanced safety. • Competition in the fire-truck market is minimal, partially because one parent company owns many of the entities that provide the body and equipment. • Vehicle costs are impacted by increasingly more stringent emission-control regulations. • Both fire stations currently have an ambulance assigned to it, both have staffing for the ambulance, and both serve approximately the same number of calls over a year. Not all calls require a transport. • The Dept. works closely with the Human Services Dept. to reduce major crises. • Lexington has a high collection rate for ambulance services provided. In response to questions, Chief Sencabaugh reviewed the protocols for sending out vehicles. He noted that staff need to stay with their assigned vehicles to ensure readiness; often they go from one event to another without going back to the station. Funding for the 2019-1 STM, November 12, 2019 Ms. Kosnoff reported that regarding Article 4—Amend FY2020 Operating, Enterprise, and Community Preservation Act (CPA) Budgets—there is still internal discussion about funding Cyber Security Insurance, which would affect the Operating Budget portion of this Article and, consequentially, funding available for other purposes. Regarding Article 3—Appropriate To and From Specified Stabilization Funds, Ms. Kosnoff said that there would be a recommendation to use $250,000 from the Transportation Management Overlay District Stabilization Fund to partially fund Article 8: Appropriate Page 2 of 3 Minutes of the Lexington Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) Meeting October 30, 2019 Funding for 25% Design of the Route 4/225 Bedford Street—Hartwell Avenue—Wood Street Transportation Improvement Project. Approval of Minutes It was moved and seconded that the Draft#3 Minutes of the CEC Meeting, October 23, 2019, be approved as amended. Vote: 6-0 Committee's Draft #2 Report to the 2019-1 STM • Article 3: It was noted that this Article now includes a $702,697 transfer of available funds into the Capital Stabilization Fund—down from the earlier $761,872. That reflects two other adjustments that use available funds: The LED Streetlight Conversion (Article 9) is $54,675 more than earlier contemplated and the Town Manager Personal Services (Article 4, 8200) has been increased by $4,500 (to $47,500) in the operating budget for a new Sustainability-Director position filled for half of the fiscal year. It was moved and seconded to recommend all the elements of Article 3 as discussed. Vote: 6-0 • Article 8, Appropriate Funding for 25% Design of the Route 4/225 Bedford Street— Hartwell Avenue—Wood Street Transportation Improvement Project: Mr. Smith provided some minor edits. Mr. Cole suggested that the summary to be spoken for the majority report needed to be more robust and the minority report should be shorter. He read an enhanced majority-report summary that was then supported by this Committee, and Mr. Kanter agreed to reduce the length of the minority report summary—with a goal of one or two sentences for each bulleted text. It was moved and seconded to support Article 8 and its text in the draft report as discussed and with the pending amendments. Vote:5-1 • Article 9, LED Streetlight Conversion:There was discussion about the color of the new lights and the warranty. Mr. Smith agreed to add some text to the draft report about those issues. It was moved and seconded to support Article 9 and the text in the draft report as discussed and with the pending amendments. Vote: 6-0 Overall Report: It was moved and seconded to approve the report with the cited amendments, and with the Chair or Vice-Chair authorized to make any further changes that are compatible with the Committee's decisions for each of the three Articles. Vote: 6-0 Member Concerns and Liaison Reports: As all the members are present at this meeting and for all the votes, it was agreed there was no need to meet for the posted Friday morning meeting (November 1, 2019). Mr. Kanter will report the meeting cancellation to the Town Clerk's Office and the room-reservation cancellation to the Town Manager's Office. Adjourn: A Motion was made and seconded at 9:09 A.M. to adjourn. Vote: 6-0. These Minutes were approved by the CEC at its meeting on November, 6, 2019. Page 3 of 3