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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-04-06-SB-ATM-rpt SELECT BOARD TOWN OF LEXINGTON REPORT REPORT TO THE 2020 ANNUAL TOWN MEETING Voted April 6, 2020 Select Board: Douglas M. Lucente, Chair,Jill I. Hai,Vice-Chair, Joseph N. Pato, Suzanne E. Barry, Mark D. Sandeen Kim Katzenback, Executive Clerk Table of Contents Message from the Select Board Page 1 Select Board Goals January 2020 - December 2021 Page 2 Article 42 ATM 2018-Special Permit Residential Development (SPRD) Referral to the Select Board Page 3 Hartwell Avenue Zoning Initiative Page 4 Fiscal Guideline Recommendations Page 5 Affordability for the Residents Page 6 Progress towards Sustainable Action Plan Page 7 Semiquincentennial Celebration of the Battle of Lexington Page 8 Center Streetscape Update Page 9 Municipal &School Building Projects Page 9 Message from the Select Board April 2020 The Select Board has prepared this written report to Annual Town Meeting 2020 under Article 2. This report contains an update to Town Meeting on the status of several topics the Board felt would be of interest to Town Meeting Members.These topics include: Select Board Goals for January 2020-December 2021, an update on Article 42-Special Permit Residential Development zoning that was referred back to the Board at Annual Town Meeting 2018,the current status of the Hartwell Avenue Zoning Initiative,the current status of addressing Affordability for the Residents, an overview of the Fiscal Policies addressed this past year, the current status of Municipal and School Building Projects, the upcoming Semiquincentennial Celebration of the Battle of Lexington, and the progress toward Lexington's Sustainable Action Plan. Should you have any questions or comments regarding this report, the Board encourages you to get in touch with any member of the Board via email: SelectBoard@lexingtonma.gov or by calling the Select Board Office (781-698-4580) to schedule an in-person meeting. All five members of the Board hold regularly scheduled office hours in the Select Board Office at Town Office Building (unless otherwise noted) as follows: • Doug Lucente, Chair: Friday 9:00-10:00 am dlucente@lexingtonma.gov • Jill Hai,Vice-Chair: Wednesday 2:00-3:00 pm jhai@lexingionma.gov • Joe Pato: Wednesday 10:00-11:00 am&Wednesday 2:00-3:00 pm at the Community Center tpato@lexin onma. og_v • Suzie Barry: Thursday 4:00-5:00 pm sbarry@lexingtonma.gov og_v • Mark Sandeen: Tuesday 3:00-4:00 pm msandeen@lexin onma. og_v Respectfully submitted, Lexington Select Board Douglas M. Lucente, Chair Jill I. Hai, Vice-Chair Joseph N. Pato Suzanne E. Barry Mark D. Sandeen 1 Select Board Goals January 2020 - December 2021 Each year following the Annual Town Meeting, the Select Board meets to discuss their goals for the upcoming year and to establish and confirm the guiding principles as a means of informing staff and to help guide the annual budget process. This past year the goal setting process was facilitated by a professional strategic planning consultant, utilizing a two phase approach. During the first phase, information gathering,facilitated meetings were held with individual Board members,Management Staff, and leadership of the various Boards and Committees to gather input on the Town's priorities, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges. As leaders of the Lexington community, participants had an opportunity to answer the question: "What should the goals be for the Town of Lexington?" The information gathered from these sessions were compiled into a report by the consultant and provided to the Select Board for consideration. The second phase was an offsite goal setting retreat, during which the Board held an open and constructive dialogue where we shared and generated new ideas which drove the development of our "Strategic Objectives". The Board received a final report of our goals and recommendations. The Board identified two Top Priorities: 1) Thriving Local Economy. This will be accomplished by creating a more predictable framework for the permitting processes,including a redesign of the business resource guide,creating a one-stop shop for all pre-permitting review through the Design Review Team, and training for all Development/Permitting Boards. Further, the Board seeks to engage in community conversations to further define what attractive and vibrant would look like for Lexington,and to work with businesses and property owners of all sizes to develop creative and integrated solutions. 2) Livability for All Ages and Stages. This will be accomplished through the development of effective transportation solutions including identifying opportunities for regionalization, first/last mile service,and improved bike lanes.Further,the Board will review residential zoning for ways to create new housing opportunities and protect the diversity of our existing housing stock. The Board identified four High Priorities: 1) Quality Infrastructure, Amenities, and Municipal Services. This goal seeks to ensure that Committees are reflective of the residential makeup of the community. The Board will review the charges for all Town committees, and will modify and update as appropriate to reflect Board priorities while seeking to create expanded opportunities for resident participation. 2) Community Character. This goal seeks to create and communicate a pian for broadening diversity,equity and inclusion for Town staff, as well as our committees. 3)Town-wide Fiscal Stewardship.This goal seeks to limit the rate of property tax increases,review home rule petition opportunities to address the issue of tax deferrals, and to take action on development of a means-tested and/or age-based residential exemption. 4) Develop a Capital Master Plan. This goal seeks to encompass all capital items (infrastructure, buildings,etc.) and incorporates them with the School's Master Plan. Lastly,the Board identified three Other Priorities: 1) Implement the sustainable action pian and getting to net zero emissions pian. 2) Prepare for the Semiquincentennial celebration of the Battle of Lexington (Lex250). 3) Two-way communication tools between residents and town departments. For further details on each of the Select Board Goals, please visit our website at: Iirttww.f��xinf,tonn� .Dov/ elect-roa��l 2 Article 42 ATM 2018-Special Permit Residential Development (SPRD) Referral to the Select Board ATM 2018 referred Article 42, a citizen's article to revise the Special Permit Residential Development (SPRD) Bylaw,back to the Select Board for further evaluation and work. The Board allocated funds in its FY19 budget to cover the costs of a facilitator for the SPRD committee and a consultant to draft any bylaw or regulation revisions. These funds were originally granted through the TIF agreement with Shire,which provided contributions over 10 years,to be used at the Board's direction. The committee charge approved by the Select Board, as well as meeting minutes and presentations are available at: https://www.lexini.atonma.gov/st)ecial-L)ermit-residential-develoL)ment-zoning law- amendment-committee-ad-hoc The appointed members of the Ad-Hoc SPRD Committee are: • Jill Hai • Richard Canale • Scott Cooper • Matt Daggett • Heather Hartshorn • Joyce Murphy • Richard Perry • Taylor Singh • Betsey Weiss The Committee held 14 meetings between December 2018 and October 2019. These meetings were filmed by LexMedia and available for viewing OnDemand. The committee examined the existing bylaw,projects produced since its inception, and reviewed the intent of the bylaw. It also reviewed the Town's Housing Production Plan and its goals. Two public listening sessions were held on April 23 and 25,2019 as well as several sessions learning about existing and best practices in Lexington and other communities. The committee also received presentations on inclusionary zoning and affordable housing. Presenters to the Committee included: Carol Kowalski,Asst.Town Manager,Development Victoria Buckley,Lexington Commission on Disability Katy Lacy,Massachusetts Housing Partnership J otsna Kakullavara u,Lexington Council on Aging Gary Larsen,Landscape Architect Anthony Serio,Lexington Assistant Director Youth and Family Services John Farrington,Attorney Hemali Shah, Lexington Assistant Director Senior Services Richard Waitt,Engineer Melinda Walker, Lexington Housing Partnership Board David Jay,Landscape Architect Alex Dohan,Lexington Conservation Commission Jim Kelley,Lexington Building Commissioner Bob Creech,Planning Board member,participating as a resident Sheila Page,Lexington Assistant Planning Director Charles Hornig,Planning Board member,participating as a resident The Committee created a comprehensive statement covering the goals it believes the Town can aspire to achieve with the SPRD bylaw. This statement forms the basis of the work to be done by the zoning consultant who has been engaged to revise or replace the existing SPRD bylaw in order to create the 3 necessary incentives to increase production of the housing stock Lexington desires. The statement reflects an increased focus on sustainability and accessibility The statement reads as follows: Lexington seeks to encourage greater diversity of housing opportunities to meet the needs of a diverse population with respect to income,ability,accessibility needs, number of persons in a household and stage of life. Lexington seeks to fulfill this goal while preserving its cultural and historical values and promoting growth that is sustainable and sensitive to the natural environment. Lexington is mindful of supporting development that preserves historically or architecturally significant buildings and landscape. The Town recognizes that not all of these values can be applied to all sites but is committed to evaluating each site as an opportunity to contribute to serving and promoting these values Town wide The zoning consultant the Town has engaged is Ted Brovitz of Brovitz Community Planning and Design. Mr. Brovitz has been working with the Town on the Hartwell Ave re-zoning initiative and is therefore already familiar with the Town, the zoning code, the Planning Department and Planning Board and the general community dynamics. The committee will be meeting with the consultant at the end of March to outline the next phase of the work,which will include community input as well as research and drafting. It is expected whatever proposals the committee accepts will then be put to robust community outreach with a goal of having proposals ready to be brought to a Fall Special Town Meeting 2020. Hartwell Avenue Zoning Initiative The Select Board continues to explore strategies with respect to economic development and zoning initiatives in the north section of Hartwell Avenue. In 2018 the Town hired an urban design team and a real estate analyst to help develop a conceptual vision with planning strategies for the Hartwell North area. Members of the Select Board, Planning Board, Economic Development Advisory Committee and the State Secretary of Housing and Economic development met with area property owners on September 5, 2019 to discuss opportunities for maximizing the development opportunities in this corridor. The results of these meetings as well as the reports from the engagements reported above can been viewed on the Town's website https://www.lexingtot a.gov/economic-development/L)ages/consultant-information Hartwell Zoning IY�itiative: vision and Market��ortunities, March 8, 2018 2018 Memorandum, Stantec Preliminary Trans sortation Im�sacts Hartwell Zoninia Initiative: Urban Design&Market Context Presentation,December 18, 2017 • Real Estate Analysis Scope of Work Architecture / Desigri Scope of Work Following the receipt of these analyses,the Town hired Ted Brovitz of Brovitz Community Planning and Design to work with staff and property owners to craft new zoning for Hartwell. Mr. Brovitz's presentations to the Hartwell Ave property owners and stake holders on September 5,2019 and to the joint Board of Selectmen,Planning Board and Economic Development Advisory Committee on October 24,2019 reflecting his proposals are also available at the above link. Traffic issues in the Hartwell Avenue area are one of the key concerns cited by residents and business owners. The state maintains a Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) list which contains all transportation related infrastructure projects slated to receive state and federal funding. In order stay on the TIP list, and potentially advance in the queue for TIP funding, a project must first have a 25% design, 4 the cost of which is borne by the local municipality. For this reason the Town therefore requested 2019 Special Town Meeting approval of funding to develop the 25% design "for a major transportation improvement project to include minor improvements on Wood Street, four travel lanes in most of the project corridor, a sidewalk or multi-modal path and bike lanes on both sides of the roadways; raised center medians;safe pedestrian accommodations and crossings;and reconstruction of major intersections: Bedford Street and Hartwell Avenue intersection as well the intersection of the on and off ramps to I-95". With continued growth at Hanscom Air Force Base and Lincoln Labs,the Town will pursue all available options for financing any traffic improvements at both the State and Federal level with a goal of funding construction through external resources. The Town is already working with our state and federal delegation to this end. Fiscal Guideline Recommendations Financial summits were held with the Board of Selectmen, Capital Expenditures Committee, Appropriation Committee and School Committee in May and October 2019 to review tax and budget policies. These summits resulted in a set of draft financial guidelines setting forth overall principles and goals for fiscal planning and management.These guidelines address both current activities and long-term planning and are intended to be advisory in nature and serve as a point of reference for the Select Board, Appropriation Committee, Capital Expenditures Committee and School Committee as well as management staff. It is fully understood that Town Meeting retains the full right to appropriate funds and incur debt at levels it deems appropriate, subject to statutory limits such as Proposition 21/2. The principles outlined in these guidelines are designed to ensure the Town's sound financial condition now and in the future. Sound Financial Condition may be defined as: • Cash Solvency-the ability to pay bilis in a timely fashion. • Budgetary Solvency-the ability to balance the budget annually. • Long-Term Solvency-the ability to pay future costs. • Service Level Solvency-the ability to provide needed and desired services. It is equally important that the Town maintain flexibility in its finances to ensure that the Town can react and respond to changes in the economy and new service challenges without appreciable financial stress. As much as possible,these guideline recommendations have been put into practice for the FY21 proposed budget. Guideline Recommendations • Financial forecasting: Use a 5-year horizon so policy makers can determine priorities and assess the community impact of decisions and to provide staff the ability to focus their priorities to fit into a balanced budget. • Free Cash:Phase in the elimination of free cash to supplement the operating revenues in a phased manner - operating revenues should support operating expenditures and one-time sources such as free cash should not be used for this purpose. • Fiscal Reserves:The Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) recommends a minimum of 2 months (16.67%) of General Fund operating revenues as a reserve. The Town should strive to maintain this as a minimum. When Free Cash and total Stabilization are accounted for,Lexington exceeds the GFOA Best Practice recommendation. • Capital Budgeting: In Lexington Capital Budgeting has two components. The first is "programmatic capital' which includes those items that are budgeted every year on an ongoing basis to replace and maintain existing capital. This should be budgeted with an inflationary index based on the Boston Consumer Price Index (CPI). The second component consists of one-time 5 capital items that need to be considered on a prioritized basis, sorted so that the highest priorities requests are funded annually within the recommended amount of 1.0%to 1.5% of the General Fund Operating Budget per year. • Pension Funding: The current funding schedule projects that the retirement system will be fully funded in FY24. It is recommended to continue the funding schedule, including any adjustments to ensure the retirement system reaches full funding in FY24. • Other Post-Employment Benefits (OPEB): In 2014 the Select Board adopted a policy under the former standards to fund OPEB liabilities at between 35% and 100% of the"Normal Cost". In 2015 the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) adopted new standards (#74 & #75) that replaced standards #43 and #45 and "Normal Cost" has been replaced with "Service Cost". The Town should continue funding at the previous level (35% - 100%) of the service cost (as opposed to the normal cost) and by adding $50,000 per year to continue moving toward 100% in order to meet the long-term OPEB liabilities and to ensure the Towns bond rating remains strong.Utilizing the last actuarial study', the Town has set aside 8% of its total OPEB liability and the FY20 contribution was 42% of the service cost. • Taxing to the levy limit:Lexington has had a practice of taxing to the full amount allowable under the Proposition 21h levy limit.Knowing that there is a near-future large capital project for Lexington High School, the recommended practice is to continue to tax to the levy limit and to increase the amount being transferred into the Capital Stabilization Fund. It is recommended that this be part of the Revenue Allocation Model and budgeted in a planned manner to grow the amount being appropriated each year until the first year of debt service is due on the high school at which time it is recommended the amount previously being appropriated to the Capital Stabilization Fund be reduced to zero to offset the higher debt service level in the General Fund. • Personal Property:Last year there was discussion regarding the impact of personal property new growth, which gets amortized and spread out among the other classes of property (residential, commercial and industrial) over a period of years and whether there was a method to address this issue. Given the recommendation above related to taxing to the full amount allowable under Proposition 21h and that the personal property new growth is included as part of the Proposition 21h calculation it is not recommended at this time to further address this issue. • Within levy debt service: - The past practice has been to manage the growth of within levy debt service to 5% over the previous year,which does not appear to be sustainable. It is recommended that changes in practices that reduce the reliance on Free Cash for balancing the operating budget and funding the OPEB liability will allow for greater use of Free Cash for smaller capital purchases with shorter life spans that can be purchased as cash capital instead of issuing debt. GFOA's best practices recommends a comprehensive debt management policy be adopted by the governing body that includes statutory limits as well as local limits placed on debt. It is recommended that during the next year a comprehensive policy be drafted based on the criteria recommended by GFOA, other best practices and the needs of the Lexington community. Affordability for the Residents The Select Board has adopted a goal to limit the rate of property tax increase. To this end our aim is to: 1. Not have a Proposition 21h operating override. 2. Keep total average residential property tax increase spikes at or below 5%. 3. Provide tax relief programs to reduce the burden on seniors and other vulnerable populations. t The Town conducts an actuarial study every two years.The most recent study used for this report was conducted in January of 2018 and reported on the June 30,2017 actuarial value of Lexington's Post Retirement Benefits Plan.The study reporting on the June 30,2019 actuarial value is in process. 6 4. Better communicate with residents about town finances and taxes. Status: 1. Operating Overrides No operating budget override has been requested since June 2007 for FY2008. 2. Residential property tax spike The average single-family residential property tax increase for FY2020 is 3.8%. 3. Tax relief programs The Board created the Ad Hoc Residential Exemption Policy Study Committee in January 2018 with the task of making policy recommendations related to adopting the Residential Exemption as allowed by state law.The Board expanded the charge to include making recommendations on other approaches to provide tax relief programs for residents. In May 2019 the Ad Hoc committee presented its recommendations to the Board: https://www.lexingtonma.gov/sites/lexingtonma/files/pages/2019_residential exeM-)tion report v1. O.�sdf Of the eight recommendations proposed,The Board acted on the following three: Recommendation#1: The Board agreed to not adopt the Massachusetts Residential Exemption. Recommendation #3: The Board has requested that the Public Information Officer increase awareness of existing tax deferral programs. Information has been circulated in tax mailings,on the Town web site,and in communications with seniors. Recommendation #4: Two Warrant Articles of the 2020 Annual Town Meeting (ATM) aim to make the existing tax deferral program more accessible and appealing to residents. 2020 ATM Warrant article 6 proposes to increase eligibility thresholds for the Lexington Property Tax Deferral Program as recommended.2020 ATM Warrant article 7 proposes to request a home-rule petition to provide a one-year delay in the interest rate increase paid by the estate after the death of the tax deferral applicant. The Board will continue to review the remaining recommendations for potential action. 4. Better Communications The Town Manager and Finance Department will develop easy to understand informational pieces during 2020 and will work with the Public Information Officer to communicate to residents through Town Meeting, a community conversation, online,mail and/or LexMedia. Progress towards Sustainable Action Plan The Select Board adopted Lexington's Sustainable Action Plan and Getting to Net Zero Emissions Plan in August of 2018.The Sustainable Action Plan defines a framework for prioritizing the Town's sustainability actions in ten sectors, Health, Safety, Buildings, Energy, Water, Transportation, Food, Toxics & Waste, Environment, and Economy. Lexington has made excellent progress on many of these sectors in the past year. In October 2019, the Select Board and the School Committee both adopted the Integrated Design and Construction Policy to set 7 high performance standards for health,indoor air quality,elimination of toxic materials,energy efficiency, all-electric heating systems, all while maximizing the amount of onsite solar energy generation and lowering total cost of ownership. Lexington Children s Place and Hastings School will be among the first net zero school buildings in the state, producing more solar energy onsite than they use over the course of the year. Lexington's Fire Station, and Visitor Center have also been designed as high performance, all-electric buildings with excellent indoor air quality. The Police Station is expected to be the first municipal building designed under the newly adopted Integrated Design and Construction Policy. The Select Board and the School Committee have approved the installation of solar canopies at 7 schools including Lexington Children s Place and Hastings School, which will bring our solar generation up to 65% of the Town's electricity consumption. It is expected that the solar canopy installations will be complete by the end of calendar year 2020. The Town of Lexington's Community Choice aggregation program has provided 100% renewable electricity to over 10,000 customers while lowering electricity bills over $3 million since the programs inception in July 2017. The Town of Lexington has also switched to 100% renewable electricity. Lexington is also expanding the number of electric vehicle charging spots in the center of town from 3 charging spots to 13 charging spots thanks to funding from Eversource to cover all the infrastructure costs and a grant from the state to cover the cost of the electric vehicle charging stations. At the time this report was written, there are 9 electric vehicle charging spots operating in the center, with the remaining 4 charging spots expected to be operating later this spring. Lexington's fee based curbside composting pickup program is expanding rapidly, reducing both the Town's emissions and the cost of trash pickup.Lexington's highly successful school composting programs are expanding, with the Board of Health's support, to include running a food rescue pilot program at Diamond Middle School. In 2019 the Town developed a comprehensive Hazard Mitigation Plan based on extensive stakeholder participation from town staff,town committees, and local community organizations, as part of the state's Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) program. MVP communities can qualify to receive up to $2 million in grants for projects that help communities adapt to vulnerabilities related to climate change. Lexington also received a $135K Green Communities grant to weatherize Harrington, Bowman, and Bridge schools and install LED lighting at Harrington and Fiske schools. These energy efficiency measures are expected to save the Town over $40,000 a year in energy costs. Lexington is in the process of hiring a Sustainability Director to guide the Town in its implementation of the Sustainable Action Plan and the Getting to Net Zero Emissions Plan as a result of funding from the 2019 Special Town Meeting(STM) 2025: The 2501h Anniversary of the Battle of Lexington In anticipation of the 250tH Anniversary of the Battle of Lexington in year 2025, the Select Board recently established the Semiquincentennial Commission(Lex250) as the official Town entity dedicated to helping the Town of Lexington plan events. The Commission was charged with making recommendations and coordinating the Town-wide activities and other historical events related to the founding of our Country and to further the coordination of the Towns events with local, state,regional and federal events. As part of its study and investigation, the Commission shall develop a comprehensive pian for celebrating and promoting the 250tt1,Anniversary of the Battle of Lexington which will include: Identifying funding needs; 8 Identifying potential sources of funding including but not limited to: Commemorative Memorabilia, Public/Private Partnerships, Gifts and Grants (private, State and/or Federal); Identifying opportunities for individuals or organizations to participate in celebrations with a commitment to diversity, inclusiveness, and opportunity at all levels and activities; Investigating opportunities for a possible permanent memorial, Consider transportation-related issues; Consider marketing and communications strategy; Determine what sub-committees or additional staffing requirements (event planning) may be necessary and seek proper approval from the Select Board and update the Select Board at least quarterly. Recruitment for membership on the Commission is currently underway. In addition,there will be ample opportunities for interested residents and groups to volunteer as part of Lex250 events,be sure to watch the Town Website,Town E-Newsletter"Link to Lexington' and local papers for updates. Center Streetscape Update Following the 2019 Annual Town Meeting staff pursued a MassWorks Grant. The Town was not successful in obtaining the grant so the timetable has been revised. Staff continues to meet with the Working Group, a subset of the Center Streetscape Committee, and the Architect to finalize the 100% design pians. The design should be completed in the summer of 2020. Staff will provide an update to the Select Board at that time. The project will be bid in the winter of 2020. Once a contractor had been selected staff will coordinate regular meetings with the center businesses and develop a communications pian for the project. The projected project start date is spring 2021 after Patriots' Day. The project will take approximately 2 construction seasons to complete. The Battle Green Streetscape project will be brought to 100% design over the next 2 years with construction targeted once the main Streetscape Project is complete. The goal is to have all of the Streetscape completed by fall 2024 in anticipation of the 2025 Town Celebration. Municipal & School Buildings Lexington Fire Department Headquarters Replacement: Construction Start Date:November 2018 Estimated Project Completion Date: End of April 2020 Project Budget:$19,943,700 Funding:STM 1 2017-Article 2/STM 4 2017-Article 4/ATM 2018-Article 13 The Fire Department Headquarters building construction is scheduled to be completed by the end of April 2020. Interior wall board is being installed as construction activity transitions into the start of finish work. Painting,ceiling and light installs,millwork and flooring work will begin and will be followed by system & equipment start-ups and systems programming. The start of exterior work such as paving, sidewalks, and landscaping will depend to some degree on how early spring ushers in. Once all punch list and commissioning work is completed the Fire Department will schedule their move into the new Fire Department Headquarters at 45 Bedford Street. Visitors Center: Start Date: May 2019 Estimated Project Completion Date:April 2020 (Landscaping to be completed June 2020) Project Budget: $5,100,000 Funding: ATM 2017-Article 18/STM 2017 3-Article 8/ATM 2018-Article 22 9 The temporary Visitors Center was opened in the Cary Memorial Building in May of 2019. Demolition of the old Visitors Center took place shortly thereafter. The new Visitors Center construction began in June of 2019. The building construction has progressed steadily throughout the fall and winter with the interior finishes expected to be completed soon. The building is expected to be turned over to the Town and will be open to the public in April of 2020. The plantings and site work is expected to be completed in early June 2020. Westview Cemetery Administration Building_ Start Date: Design Development is complete and the Construction documents have started Estimated Project Completion Date:Spring 2022 Project Budget: $281,000 for design and $3,290,000 for construction Funding:ATM 2017-Article 120 (design) The funding request for the Construction of the new Westview Cemetery Administration Building will come to ATM 2020 under Article 16k.The project is currently in the construction document phase and the design team expects to be ready for the building to go out to bid for a spring 2021 construction timeframe. The Request for Proposal(RFP)for the construction project will be advertised in early January of 2021 with the expectation that the construction company mobilizes shortly after winter is over. The project is expected to be completed by early 2022 if approved at the 2020 ATM. Lexington Police Station Start Date:Schematic Design is underway Estimated Project Completion Date:tbd Project Budget: Currently$1,862,622 has been appropriated thru Construction Documents Funding:ATM 2018-Article 14 Conceptual design work continues with the New Police Station project. On March 9, 2020, the Select Board reaffirmed their decision that the new Lexington Police Station be located at 1575 Massachusetts Avenue. At this time it is anticipated this will come to a Fall 2020 STM for construction funding that would then be followed with a Town-Wide Debt Exclusion vote. Hosmer House: Appropriation: $50,000 Funding:STM12018-Article 5 Article 5 of the 2018 Special Town Meeting appropriated $50,000 for the study regarding relocation or renovation of the Hammond A. Hosmer house, located at 1557 Massachusetts Ave. A committee was formed with representatives of the Board of Selectmen, Permanent Building Committee, Historical Commission,Historic Districts Commission,Public Facilities Department and the Architectural firm LDa. This group held a public input session on May 7, 2019 along with several meetings to evaluate the data gathered.A report from the architectural firm LDa was completed and presented to the Board of Selectmen on July 8, 2019 which outlined the feedback received and proposed recommendations on the best use moving forward of both the Hosmer House and the surrounding greenspace. At the Board of Selectmen meeting on July 8, 2019, the Board felt strongly that the Hosmer House be returned to its intended use as a home and were in support of moving the Hosmer House to a different yet to be determined location. The Board is currently working with the Town Manager on a draft request for proposals (RFP) for the house to be moved and/or acquired. 10 Pine Meadows Club House Construction Start Date: Design Development is anticipated to begin in summer 2020, pending funding approval at ATM 2020. Estimated Project Completion Date: Design Development is tentatively scheduled to take place from summer 2020-Winter 2021 Project Budget: $100,000 (design&engineering) and $950,000 (construction-tentative) Funding: ATM 2020-Article 11 (design&engineering) Funding for the renovation of the clubhouse will come to ATM 2021. Old Reservoir Bath House Construction Start Date: June 2020 Estimated Project Completion Date: September 2020 Project Budget: $75,000 (design&engineering) and $620,000 (construction) Funding: ATM 2018-Article 10i (design&engineering) and ATM 2019-Article 14g (Construction) Design Development is nearing completion and construction is tentatively scheduled to take place from June-September 2020 for anticipated public use in the 2021 season. Center Fields Bathrooms Construction Start Date: Design Development is anticipated to begin in summer 2020, pending funding approval at ATM 2020. Estimated Project Completion Date: Design Development is tentatively scheduled to take place from Summer 2020-Winter 2021 Project Budget: $100,000 (design&engineering) and $750,000 (construction-tentative) Funding:ATM 2020-Article 16b (design&engineering) Funding for the renovation of the building will come to ATM 2021. Maria Hastings Elementary School: Construction Start Date:May 2018 Estimated Project Completion Date: October 2020 (Student relocation to new school-February 2020) Project Budget:$65,279,418 Funding: STM 1 2016-Article 3/ATM 2017-Article 17/STM-3 2017-Article 2 Work has continued steadily on the building and during February 2020 school vacation week staff and student belongings were successfully moved to the new school building as it is prepared for its first day of school on February 24, 2020. Along with the new school building a new playground will be available for student use, weather permitting. The new school is an all-electric design and includes a geo-thermal heating system. The demolition and recycling of materials of the former Hastings School building has begun and once completed construction will then continue on the new parking lot, access drive and playing fields that will occupy the remainder of the school property. It is anticipated the work will be complete in October of 2020. The Scope and Budget agreement with the MSBA defines approx. $16,500,000 in reimbursement from the MSBA to Lexington on this project. Additional energy incentives with the utility companies are also being pursued. 11 Lexington Children's Place: Construction Start Date:May 2018 New Building Complete:October 2019 (Building Occupancy 8/15/19) Project Budget: $15,079,342 Funding:STM 1 2017-Article 4/STM 2 2017-Article 3/ATM 2018-Article 12 Construction started on the new building in September of 2018 and the project was substantially complete and ready for students on the first day of school in late August of 2019. Punch list and commissioning work has continued over the winter and remaining landscaping and paving work that could not be competed in the fall will be completed in the spring of 2020. Lexington High School The Superintendent,with support of the School Committee and Board of Selectmen,submitted a Statement of Interest to the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) on March 17, 2019, requesting state support for a high school building project. The MSBA has eight possible priorities for requesting support and Lexington's 51 page application qualified for six of them. These included the following (1) Replacement or renovation of a building which is structurally unsound or otherwise in a condition seriously jeopardizing the health and safety of school children,where no alternative exists. (2)Elimination of existing severe overcrowding. (3) Prevention of the loss of accreditation. (4) Prevention of severe overcrowding expected to result from increased enrollments. (5) Replacement, renovation or modernization of school facility systems,such as roofs,windows,boilers,heating and ventilation systems, to increase energy conservation and decrease energy related costs in a school facility. (7) Replacement of or addition to obsolete buildings in order to provide for a full range of programs consistent with state and approved. The response from the MSBA in December of 2019 was that while Lexington's case for a new high school was compelling,but that unfortunately did not invite us into the process this year. Recognizing the needs and challenges Lexington is facing,the MSBA strongly encouraged the Town to reapply in 2020. If Lexington were to be invited into the school building pipeline,a one-year feasibility period would begin, during which time issues of scope, siting, and cost would be explored in partnership with the MSBA. If Lexington is not invited into the pipeline in 2020,we will likely reapply in 2021 and every year thereafter until our application is accepted. In the meantime, the School Department is completing a School Master Plan which will include a phased plan to accommodate students at Lexington High School (LHS) until a new or renovated building is available. 12