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Minutes of the Lexington Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) Meeting
December 4, 2019
Location and Time: Samuel Hadley Public Services Building, Training Room (221);
7:45 A.M.
Members Present: Charles Lamb, Chair; David Kanter, Vice-Chair & Clerk; Rod Cole;
Frank Smith
Members Absent: Sandy Beebee and Wendy Manz
Others Present: Carolyn Kosnoff, Assistant Town Manager for Finance; Jennifer Hewitt,
Town Budget Officer; David Pinsonneault; Director, Department of Public Works (DPW);
John Livsey, Town Engineer, DPW; Romina Comunale, Management Analyst, DPW;
Erik Gitschier, Highway Superintendent, DPW; Marc Valenti, Manager of Operations, DPW;
Nick Nichols, Liaison to the CEC, Lexington Appropriation Committee
Documents Presented:
• Notice of CEC Meeting, December 4, 2019
• DPW FY2021—FY2025 Capital Improvement Projects (CIPs), October 23, 2019
• CEC Questions with DPW Answers Regarding the DPW FY2021—FY2025 CIPs
(DPW Q&A), November 27, 2019
• Draft #3 Minutes of the CEC Meeting, November 13, 2019
• Draft #3 Minutes of the CEC Meeting, November 20, 2019
• Draft Minutes of the CEC Meeting, November 21, 2019 (Summit II)
Call to Order
Mr. Lamb called the meeting to order at 7:47 A.M.
Review of the DPW FY2021—FY2025 CIPs
Mr. Smith used the DPW Q&A to initiate a discussion regarding the 24 DPW CIPs.
• CIPs are addressed in the same grouping order used by the Finance Department in
the distribution of this year's set of CIPs and numbering are the CIPs number.
• He acknowledged that the detailed responses in the DPW Q&A resolved most of this
Committee's questions so often little additional needed to be added during this
discussion.
• Mr. Pinsonneault, other DPW staff members, Ms. Kosnoff, Ms. Hewitt, and CEC
members provided comments, when needed, throughout the discussion that were not
limited to the following—many of which are based on the written responses provided
by DPW.
General
Mr. Pinsonneault advised that inflation was not included in the cost estimates in his
department's CIPs as he understood that had been a Town-staff instruction. Mr. Kanter
advised that the CIP-preparation instructions states that estimates are to be in then-year
dollars. That would include applying an inflation factor, as best known, along with any other
factors that are currently understood likely to affect the funding request whether in the
FY2021 budget year or the FY2022—FY2025 out years. Ms. Kosnoff affirmed that then-year
cost estimates were to be cited.
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Minutes of the Lexington Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) Meeting
December 4, 2019
SECTION I - CAPITAL PROJECTS
#554, Street Acceptance
• There are no street-acceptance requests in process at this time.
#881, Municipal Parking Lot Improvements
• The funding was pushed out to FY2022 & FY2023 as the on-going design of the new
Police Headquarters will have a bearing on both the general size and scope of this
parking lot project and when it can be executed.
#915, Hartwell Ave. Compost Site Improvements
• Funding will be from the Compost Revolving Fund.
• Both the new office building and the new equipment is being factored in to the new
fee model, but a rate analysis has not yet been done of any new fees.
• Limited "bandwidth" within DPW is why this project is not being proposed for FY2021.
#922, Battle Green Streetscape Improvements
• The conceptual plans have been produced as well as numerous presentations during
this design process. The cost estimates will be refreshed as we progress through the
next stage of design which is expected to bring full design plans.
• It is undetermined which, if any, elements of the work are eligible for CPA funding.
#940, Westview Cemetery Building
• Because of the delay in the project as it wasn't funded at this past fall Special Town
Meeting (STM), the now cited $3.1 million cost—an increase from the $2.8 cost at that
STM— is based on the latest architect's estimate. (If the ready-for-a-crematorium
changes were to be retained, the new estimate is $3.2 million.)
• The increase in total cost will change the March 15, 2019, analysis by the Town
Manager on how the construction costs debt will be funded over time through the
Cemetery Fund and the tax levy. That analysis has not yet been produced by Town
Finance.
• If approved by the 2020 Annual Town Meeting (ATM), it is contemplated the
construction would begin in spring 2021 and end in fall 2021.
#941, Public Parking Lot Improvements
• Design has not begun on the plans for these downtown parking lots.
• The $100,000 shown as Design/Engineer funds in FY2023 & FY2024 should have
been entered as Project Management over the work funding by the same-year's
Construction funding.
#1056, Public Grounds Irrigation Improvements
• The funding is not until FY2024 as there is need to coordinate with what other projects
have done or will be done with those grounds.
• The elements in the scope of this project that are considered eligible for funding under
the Community Preservation Act (CPA) are the work done at the Battle Green, Visitor's
Center, and Buckman Tavern.
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Minutes of the Lexington Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) Meeting
December 4, 2019
#1081, Staging for Special Events
• Those platforms, ramps, and other hardware would be stored at DPW.
#1083, Bedford & Hartwell Long Range Transportation Improvement
• It is anticipated that the construction funding will be from State aid.
#1086, New Sidewalk Installations
• All priorities for these sidewalks are set by the Transportation Safety Group and, if
approved, then forwarded to the Engineering Department where they are addressed
in the order so received. The list is growing.
• Cost estimates are based on general per-mile costs for sidewalks of similar
complexity. A more defined cost cannot be developed until plans are at 25% design.
• Design and construction costs for these sidewalk projects are usually in the same year
because typically the construction funding received at an ATM is not used until the
following construction season as it is not available until after July 1St. That both limits
construction time and the construction bidding would be at a bad time of year when
contractors are not as `hungry' for work. We can, however, procure design services at
that time of year and begin both survey and design work for the project in the summer.
#1090, Cemetery Projects
• The design and construction of a columbarium at the cemetery is independent of a
possible future crematory.
• The planned location for the columbarium is on the slope near the existing building.
#1091, LED Streetlights
• As this was funding approved at 2019 STM, it will be withdrawn.
SECTION II - CAPITAL PROGRAMS
#520, Equipment Replacement
• The out-year costs have been checked for accuracy with vendors for those later years.
#522, Street Improvements
• This Committee congratulated the Town for continuing to drive up the average
condition of our streets.
• All trench work is re-inspected the spring following the year it was performed. A list of
trench repair/replacement work is developed from that re-inspection and given to the
contractors for repair.
• The typical timeline for funding, design, and construction of a street-improvement
project varies significantly depending on the type of project. For the more common
paving, reclamation, and preservation projects, the funding is approved at an ATM
and available in July. The roadwork using that funding is typically constructed in the
following construction season.
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Minutes of the Lexington Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) Meeting
December 4, 2019
#523, Storm Drainage Improvements (and NPDES)
• The new permit is very demanding and very complex.
• The "stream team" provides unpaid volunteer work by University of Massachusetts
(Lowell) students. Typically, there are 15-20 per year; but this year it is 23. They
perform sampling throughout the school year providing data on where there may be
illicit discharges and where we can accept that the system is not contaminated. In
addition, we have paid interns through the summer with some school-year carry over
as well. That is the equivalent of approximately 80 man-hours per week during the
summer; 30 during the school year.
• Illicit discharges have been sanitary related with the key indicator being high E. coli
count. Ten were found since the inception of our Illicit Discharge Detection and
Elimination (IDDE) program. Of those ten, four have been identified through the
Stream Team/Intern program. Property owners are charged for the removal of illicit
discharges if they are the responsible party for the illicit discharge.
• A consultant has been engaged to work with the Town on an analysis with regard to
the Stormwater Enterprise Fund and plans for user fees. It is expected something
will be ready for a vote by the 2021 ATM.
#528, Hydrant Replacement Program
• The cost of $2,500 per hydrant is the 2nd year under a 3-year bid.
• In FY2019, 51 hydrants were replaced and 16 repaired.
#557 - Comprehensive Watershed Stormwater Management
• We are waiting for easements in the Valleyfield area—which has taken much longer
than anticipated for a variety of reasons—and we are getting near the point of asking
for easements in the Oxbow/Constitution area.
#644 - Sidewalk Improvement
• With the newer technology, two-thirds of the town's sidewalks have been surveyed
and a report will be provided. In the spring, the final third will be surveyed and at that
point the sidewalk condition index will be added to the next report.
#683 - Townwide Culvert Replacement
• Culvert repairs typically cost in the $200—$20,000 range.
#688 - Townwide Signalization Improvements
• The $50,000 in FY2023 is to perform an update of our signal inventory/capital
improvement plan to determine future priorities. FY2024 and beyond will be adjusted
once the update is complete and the long-term priorities are established.
SECTION III - CPA PROJECTS
#672 - Battle Green Master Plan Phase 3
• Last year's request was for $570,438, but the Community Preservation Committee
could only recommend $253,394 from CPA last year. This year's request is for
$317,044 balance.
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Minutes of the Lexington Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) Meeting
December 4, 2019
• Plans and specifications are being developed to bid this winter with construction
beginning after Patriot's Day 2020. It is hoped to have all elements of the 3-phases
completed by winter 2021.
SECTION IV - ENTERPRISE PROJECTS
#524 - Sanitary Sewer System Investigation and Improvements
• Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) funding not always 75%
grant/25% loan, although the last few allocations have been. Prior to that, it had been
55/45 for several allocations, and Phase 13 is loan only; however, future distributions
are expected to go back to 75/25. We are currently in the process of using Phase 12
funds.
#529 - Pump Station Upgrades
• There is backup power in place for 6 of the 10 stations and will be at 7 of 10 by the
end of calendar year 2019. Of the remaining 3, we are currently in design on 2 stations
and expect these to have backup power within the next 3 years. The tenth station will
likely not get back-up power as it is very small and the benefit is not seen.
#560 - Water Distribution System Improvements
• An extreme urgency is not currently seen for water-tank repair/replacement and,
therefore, shifted about $1 million in the capital requests from FY2021—FY2022 to
FY2024—FY2025. However, there is significant analysis and internal discussions on
the preferred steps on the tank(s) which will both result in adjustments to costs as well
as timing.
• It is hopeful that the current target of an annual replacement of 1% of the water mains
is still sufficient to meet our long-term goals; however, progress over time is being
monitored. Absent an emergency situation, the spending is constrained for both
budgetary and "bandwidth" reasons.
• With regard to achieving the 35-pounds-per-square-inch service goal across the
Town, the McKeever Drive pressure issue seems to be resolved and monitoring of
this location will continue. Fairland Street is also an area of concern. A design of a
booster station there is being developed and also working with a local developer who
may be donating a parcel of land for siting the station.
Approval of Minutes
Mr. Kanter explained the amendments that were suggested for both the Draft #3 Minutes of
the Committee's meetings on November 13, 2019, and on November 20, 2019. It was moved
and seconded to approve the amended versions of both of those Minutes. Vote:4-0.
It was moved and seconded to approve the Draft Minutes of the Committee's meeting on
November 21, 2019, as presented. Vote: 4-0.
Adjourn
A Motion was made and seconded at 8:55 A.M. to adjourn. Vote:4-0.
These Minutes were approved by the CEC at its meeting on December 11, 2019.
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