HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-01-13 BOS-min
Selectmen’s Meeting
January 13, 2020
A meeting of the Lexington Board of Selectmen was called to order at 6:00 p.m. on Monday,
January 13, 2020 in the Selectmen’s Meeting Room, Town Office Building. Mr. Lucente, Chair;
Mr. Pato; Ms. Barry; Ms. Hai; and Mr. Sandeen were present, as well as Mr. Malloy, Town
Manager; Ms. Axtell, Deputy Town Manager; and Ms. Katzenback, Executive Clerk.
EXECUTIVE SESSION
1. Exemption 6: Purchase, Sale, Lease of Real Estate - Lease for Munroe Center for the Arts
Upon a motion duly made and seconded, the Board of Selectmen voted 5-0 to go into Executive
Session under Exemption 6 to consider a lease related to the Munroe Center for the Arts and to
reconvene in Open Session. Further, it was declared that an open meeting may have a detrimental
effect on the negotiating position of the Town.
Upon exiting the Executive Session, the Board returned to Open Session at 6:24 p.m.
SELECTMAN CONCERNS AND LIAISON REPORTS
Ms. Hai stated that the Martin Luther King Day community conversation on race will be taking
place on Monday, January 20, 2020 from 8:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. at Grace Chapel. She also stated
that the school equity audit will be presented at the School Committee meeting on January 21,
2020 and March 25, 2020.
Mr. Pato stated that he will be posting an action summary a day or two after the Board of Selectmen
meetings. He said that since there is limited local news coverage these days, he is going to post
from the meeting packet what was going to be discussed, if the Board took a vote, and what the
action was without any opinions listed. The posting will not be the official meeting minutes.
Mr. Lucente stated that he, Ms. Barry, Mr. Sandeen and Mr. Malloy attended the Chinese
American Association of Lexington’s Lunar New Year celebration on Saturday, January 11, 2020
and it was a great event.
Ms. Barry stated that the Monuments and Memorials Committee will be meeting on Wednesday,
January 22, 2020 to discuss the proposed World War II Memorial with the suggested location of
inside the Cary Memorial Building.
ITEMS FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION
1. Review Amendments to Guidelines for LexHAB Use of CPA Funding
Mr. Lucente stated that the Board is being asked to review changes proposed for the use of
Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds by the Lexington Housing Assistance Board
(LexHAB). Both the Community Preservation Committee (CPC) and LexHAB have voted to
support these changes.
Charles Hornig, Vice-Chair of the Community Preservation Committee, presented the updated
guidelines (that the CPC and LexHAB have been working on to reflect current practice). The
guidelines were previously voted on by the CPC, while LexHAB will be voting on them on
Wednesday, January 15, 2020. The approval of the guidelines was requested for the CPC’s report
at Annual Town Meeting.
Mr. Sandeen and Mr. Pato suggested that the guidelines should reference the Town’s newly
adopted Integrated Design and Construction Policy.
Upon a motion duly made and seconded, the Board of Selectmen voted 5-0 to approve the changes
to the guidelines for the use of CPA funding by LexHAB, as presented pending the approval by
LexHAB.
2. LexHAB Request for Community Preservation Committee Funds and Financial Reserves
Mr. Lucente stated that the Lexington Housing Assistance Board (LexHAB) had submitted a
request for Community Preservation Act (CPA) funding to complete the Farmview Project, 34
Lowell Street. In July, LexHAB had received authorization to enter into a contract for modular
construction on the site. However, the contract terms exceeded the funds appropriated by Town
Meeting.
Mr. Lucente also stated that the Board of Selectmen will consider the long range financial reserves
and operations of LexHAB, as it continues its pursuit of affordable housing opportunities within
the Town of Lexington.
Bob Burbidge, Chair of Lexington Housing Assistance Board, and Lester Savage, Vice-Chair of
the Lexington Housing Assistance Board, stated that given their financial condition is in good
shape, LexHAB has decided to withdraw its request for additional funding to finish the Farmview
Project.
Bob Pressman, Community Preservation Committee (CPC), stated that the funds should be
provided to LexHAB and he will proceed to ask the CPC to consider granting funds to LexHAB
for this project.
Janet Kearn, 72 Lowell Street, expressed that she was glad to hear that LexHAB withdrew its
request for additional funding from the Town for this project.
Marilyn Fenollosa, Chair of the Community Preservation Committee, inquired if the CPC would
need approval from the Board of Selectmen to supply a grant to LexHAB, as mentioned by Mr.
Pressman.
Mr. Pato referenced the special act that had created LexHAB and pointed out that the Board of
Selectmen would have to approve any funding going to LexHab.
Mr. Savage stated that LexHAB would still like to receive funding for the Vine Street project and
will continue with the application process.
Mr. Lucente stated that there is no longer a motion, since the request for CPA funding has been
withdrawn.
3. Vote to Transfer Wright Farm Property to LexHAB
Mr. Lucente stated that the Board of Selectmen is being asked to transfer the custody and control
of the 241 Grove Street, Parcel 2-A property to the Lexington Housing Assistance Board
(LexHAB). The property will be divided into two parcels, with one of the parcels being transferred
to the care, custody, and control of the Conservation Commission at a future meeting.
Ms. Hai expressed concern that the deed does not specify a restriction for affordable housing.
Melinda Walker, 14 Larchmont Lane, inquired if the Local Initiative Program (LIP) application
was approved for this project, which would include a deed restriction for the property.
Bill Kennedy, Lexington Housing Assistance Board, stated that the Department of Housing &
Community Development (DHCD) has approved this project, but the deed would be needed in
order to file the LIP application.
Marilyn Fenollosa, Chair of the Community Preservation Committee, stated that according to
Chapter 44B, Section 12, which is the Community Preservation Act (CPA): “…a real property
interest that is acquired with monies from the Community Preservation Fund shall be bound by a
permanent restriction recorded as a separate instrument that meets the requirements of Section
31 to 33 of Chapter 184, limiting the use of the interest to the purpose for which it was acquired”.
Therefore, the Town is required by the statute to file the permanent restriction because the land
was purchased with CPA funds.
Mr. Malloy stated that he will follow up with the Board in regards to the additional deed restriction
document.
Upon a motion duly made and seconded, the Board of Selectmen voted 5-0 to approve the transfer
of 241 Grove Street, Parcel 2-A to the Town of Lexington Housing Assistance Board, Inc., as
described in the proposed deed.
The Board thanked Mr. Kennedy for his years of service on the Lexington Housing Assistance
Board, as he has recently stepped down as Chairman.
4. Discuss Proposed New Police Station
Mr. Malloy presented an update to the Board on the new police station design. The presentation
was a continuation of the discussion from the December 16, 2019 Board of Selectmen meeting.
He stated that he would be checking with Anne Eccles, Chair of the Historic Districts Commission,
to discuss the following questions: What is the additional cost of maintaining the two façades of
the existing building? Would the Town be able to build a more attractive building that blended
better with the Cary Memorial Building and Town Offices, if we were to completely demolish the
existing police station? What was the genesis of maintaining the two façades? Are solar canopies
in the parking lot completely out of the question or would HDC consider these?
Mr. Malloy stated that Mike Cronin, Director of Public Facilities, will be working with Tecton
Architects, PC to get a cost estimate to compare an updated cost for 173 Bedford Street to the
current cost estimate, as well as the cost of building anew at the 1575 Massachusetts Avenue
location.
Mr. Malloy stated that he will be working with Carolyn Kosnoff, Assistant Town Manager for
Finance, to develop an updated financial model on the debt costs.
Mr. Malloy stated that the topic of the new police station design would be targeted for Special
Town Meeting in the fall due to the timeline for getting updated cost estimates.
Mr. Cronin stated that the two costs associated with the current project are: additional architectural
work to revise designs and escalation cost of $100,000 per month for the delay in construction.
The new cost estimates and timelines will be available by the end of January.
Mr. Lucente stated that the Board needs to provide a clear strategy to Mr. Malloy, Mr. Cronin, and
the architect in order to move the project forward. He stated that he would like to see the project
move forward as a complete rebuild at its current location on Massachusetts Avenue without the
two façade walls in the front.
Ms. Barry expressed that she would like to wait for answers to all of the proposed questions from
Mr. Malloy before making a decision.
Mr. Sandeen stated that he would like to see the project move forward as a complete rebuild at its
current location on Massachusetts Avenue without the two façade walls in the front.
Ms. Hai expressed concern that the original vote (to rebuild at the current location of 1575
Massachusetts Avenue by the former Board of Selectmen) was being challenged. She does not
agree with the additional costs and time being spent redesigning the building for other locations.
Mr. Pato expressed that he would like to wait for answers to all of the proposed questions from
Mr. Malloy until the end of January before making a decision.
Mr. Lucente expressed concern in regards to empty space in the Town center if the police station
were to be moved out of its current location. He had also mentioned that there would be renovation
costs associated with the building, if left vacant.
Mr. Sandeen asked that the Board review a long-term facilities master plan when making these
types of decisions.
Mr. Pato expressed that he would like to see an empty building left as-is until a need is found for
the space.
Dawn McKenna, Precinct 6 Town Meeting Member, expressed concern that the police station
project is being delayed due to further discussion on the location.
Charles Favazzo, Jr., Permanent Building Committee (PBC), expressed that the current location
of the police station on Massachusetts Avenue is the best location. He also expressed that the
building at 173 Bedford Street can be sold, where the building at 1575 Massachusetts Avenue
could not. He stated that the cost to adhere to the new Integrated Design Policy will increase the
cost in order to make the building sustainable.
Bridger McGaw, Precinct 6 Town Meeting Member, stated he is thrilled we are applying the
Integrated Design and Construction Policy to this project. He expressed that communication of the
value of the project is necessary for the new police station project. He suggested identifying a fixed
budget number, looking for program efficiencies and total life cycle cost, the comparison of local
police programs for similar towns.
Philip Coleman, Permanent Building Committee (PBC), expressed that safety is important and
that the Massachusetts Avenue location, in the center of town, provides that need. He suggested
that the design team quickly develop three designs to present to the HDC.
Ms. Cronin said the design team was currently planning to construct one new design for both
location and timelines for those options.
Ms. Hai expressed that the cost of renovating the building at 1575 Massachusetts Avenue should
be included in the cost estimate of the building at 173 Bedford Street.
Mr. Sandeen asked if the current budget included the cost of moving the Hosmer House and asked
if the Town could explore options to reduce or remove that cost from the project.
Mr. Malloy stated that the current budget includes $1.1 million for moving the Hosmer House and
that the Town was developing an RFP to determine whether there was interest in a third party
buying the Hosmer House.
Mr. Pato expressed concern in regards to the design options that will be presented to the Historic
Districts Commission. He stated that he would also like to the see the cost estimate to renovate the
building at 173 Bedford Street if the police station were to remain at 1575 Massachusetts Avenue
and look at solar options for both facilities.
Mr. Malloy stated that he does not want to put a cost estimate on the renovations of either building
at this time, since the intended use of each building is not currently known. He expressed that the
information would be inaccurate.
The Board affirmed its desire to complete the due-diligence investigation of the cost differential
between a new police station at the current location and construction at 173 Bedford Street.
Furthermore, Town staff will consult with the Historic Districts Commission to see if a more
compact station, designed from scratch without preserving any of the existing façade, would be
acceptable to the Commission.
The Board of Selectmen exited for a brief recess and returned at 8:14 p.m. calling the meeting back
to order.
5. Review and Approve 2020 Fee Schedule for Recreation/Community Programs
Melissa Battite, Director of Recreation & Community Programs; Christine Dean, Community
Center Director; and Peter Coleman, Assistant Director of Recreation, presented the proposed
Recreation Fee Schedule for calendar year 2020. The proposed Recreation Fee Schedule was
approved by the Recreation Committee in December of 2019.
Ms. Battite stated that the fee increases were due to minimum wages that go into hiring part-time
and seasonal staff, as well as the market analysis comparison of the competitor communities. She
stated that some of the fees have not increased in years, despite the costs having increased. The
proposed new pricing was designed to be more uniform for consistent fee pricing.
Ms. Hai expressed concern regarding the aquatics fee increase for seniors only. She questioned the
lack of a fee increase from 2019 to 2020 for the non-residents versus the residents using the
aquatics facility. She would like to see the topic explored further in the future.
Ms. Battite stated that there are not many non-residents who utilize the facilities, so the revenue
stream would not be significant from non-residents.
Ms. Dean stated that there were no fee increases for the room rental charges at the Lexington
Community Center since January of 2017.
Ms. Battite stated that for the permit fees, the tier group definitions have not changed, but the cost
to use the lights at each field are now all the same. The groups interested in using the fields will
be charged differently for grass versus synthetic. There will be a $5.00 per hour fee increase for
tiers 3 and 4. The fee increase will not take effect until July.
Mr. Sandeen suggested clarifying the “per hour” aspect of the charges because it reads as a one-
time fee.
Mr. Lucente expressed that he would like to see the lighting fee per hour charge increased for non-
residents in the future, as he feels it is a luxury item.
Dawn McKenna, Precinct 6 Town Meeting Member, expressed that the price differential for
residents versus non-residents should have a higher increase and not wait until next year for it to
take effect.
Upon a motion duly made and seconded, the Board of Selectmen voted 5-0 to adopt the 2020
Recreation Fee Schedule as proposed.
6. FY2021 Preliminary Budget & Financial Planning
Mr. Malloy; Ms. Kosnoff, Assistant Town Manager for Finance; and Jennifer Hewitt, Budget
Officer, presented the preliminary FY2021 Operating and Capital Budget recommendations, also
known as the “White Book”.
Mr. Malloy stated that the FY2021 budget is balanced. Revenue sources are projected to total
$237.7 million, an $8.4 million change over FY2020. The recommended expenditure totals $237.7
million, an $8.4 million change over FY2020. There has been $16.636 million set aside for
designated expenses.
Mr. Malloy noted several recommended expenditures that further identified Selectmen goals and
priorities, such as: Construction Funds for the Police Station Facility with a recommendation
expected in the fall; Pedestrian, Bicycle and Vehicle Safety on Town Roads with a total of
$3,839,022; Cemetery Building Construction with a total of $3,290,000; Community Mental
Health Programs, which is currently being worked on by Municipal and School Departments;
Improving Transportation with a total of $17,910 to increase the hours of the Transportation
Manager and $50,000 for transportation pilot programs with the MBTA; Sustainability, in which
the budget operationalizes the funding for a full-time Sustainability Director; and Facilities Master
Plan with a total of $100,000 for developing a Municipal Facilities Master Plan.
Mr. Malloy presented the significant capital projects that would be located under the General Fund,
as follows: the Westview Cemetery Building with a total of $3,290,000 for the construction of a
new building to house the cemetery offices and equipment; the Police Station Reconstruction with
a total of $28,757,151 to reconstruct the police station at its current site, but this project has been
recommended for exclusion from Prop 2 ½ and a debt exclusion referendum is expected in the fall
of 2020; and Water/Sewer Enterprise Programs with a total of $2,200,000 for funding water main
replacement and $1,401,200 for sewer mains and pump stations.
Mr. Malloy presented the Continuing Policy Issues, which center around the following issues:
Appropriate into the Capital Stabilization Fund; Appropriate from Capital Stabilization Fund for
Within-Levy Debt Service; Appropriate from Capital Stabilization for Excluded Debt Service;
Appropriate into Other Post-Employment Benefits (OPEB); Unallocated Revenues for
Contingencies; Reduce/Eliminate Use of Free Cash; and Reduce Use of Debt Service for Capital
Expenditures.
Mr. Malloy concluded with some key upcoming dates in the pre-Annual Town Meeting budget
process, which included: Summit III on January 16, 2020; Summit IV, if needed, on February 6,
2020; the approval of final recommended Operating and Capital Budget on February 10, 2020; the
distribution of Selectmen’s recommended budget to financial committees/Town Meeting members
on February 21, 2020; and the earliest date Annual Town Meeting will consider financial articles
on March 23, 2020.
Mr. Pato expressed many concerns regarding the “White Book”. He expressed that he is concerned
about the amount of money going into the Capital Stabilization Fund, the recommended amount
is a sharp reduction from last year and does not adhere to the policy of increasing this contribution
we had established at a budget summit early in the Fall. He also stated that he would like to see
more money in the budget for the Sustainability Director to respond to short-term projects that
would benefit the Town and would likely lead to savings.. Lastly, he noted that the Minuteman
High School increase reflected increases in assessments due to debt service on the new building
and the departure of a member community. Lexington’s enrollment, however, increased by 24.5%
and suggests that increases in this budget item will be a recurring issue over the next several years.
He observed that the distribution from the Capital Stabilization Fund was lower than projected at
the 2017 Town Meeting and suspects that this is due to the delay in proceeding with the Police
Station – but he wants to be sure we are meeting the mitigation in excluded debt we promised
when the debt exclusion question was approved by voters. He had other minor comments and edits
that he intends to send to Mr. Malloy or Ms. Kosnoff separately.
Ms. Barry asked for clarification about how the Board would be discussing the “White Book” at
future meetings, as she has concerns regarding the budget not being balanced.
Ms. Kosnoff stated that there was about a $1.5 million deficit or imbalance in the budget at the last
Summit, so the Town agreed to meet the School Department halfway. She stated that regarding
the comment made earlier about the decrease in the Capital Stabilization Fund, which was mostly
coming from the tax levy, that is essentially how the Town made up that difference. The School
Department will present where their half of the deficit will be funded at the next Summit meeting
on Thursday.
Mr. Sandeen said he felt there was value in having additional discussion regarding the tradeoffs
between funding OPEB and the capital stabilization fund. Mr. Sandeen requested that the
aggregate debt service numbers be broken out by major projects.
The Board of Selectmen provided preliminary feedback on the FY2021 budget. The proposal will
be reviewed with the School Committee, Appropriation Committee, and Capital Expenditures
Committee at the next Budget Summit to be held on Thursday, January 16, 2020. The Board
Members agreed to submit edits and comments to the Town Manager by Friday, January 17, 2020
to include in a future discussion at the next Board of Selectmen meeting.
7. Recap of Budget Summit IIA
The Board of Selectmen discussed areas of concern that were raised at the December 19, 2019
Summit IIA.
Mr. Lucente stated that there were three main areas of concern from the Board. The first issue was
the disappointment expressed regarding the dollar amount that was going into the Capital
Stabilization Fund. The second concern was regarding the request to revisit the Other Post-
Employment Benefits (OPEB) policy. And the last topic of concern was in regards to the long term
goals, and the ability to meet the community’s needs, without having an operating override on the
School Department side.
Mr. Sandeen suggested that there would be value in understanding whether an operating override
would be a one-time event or an ongoing requirement to balance the budget.
Ms. Barry requested that the presentation for the Summit be available as soon as possible so as to
allow adequate time to review prior to the Summit on Thursday night.
Mr. Pato stated that he would like to see a more collaborative effort on both the municipal and
school side to present information that is consistent in the future because the meeting in December
seemed more adversarial than is traditional.
Ms. Hai stated that her questions for the Summit meeting on Thursday involve needing more
background information on the OPEB policy and best practices for a possible amendment to the
policy.
Ms. Kosnoff stated that an OPEB actuarial evaluation will be completed by the end of January.
The Board agreed that they will be willing to look at the OPEB policy after the actuarial study is
completed at the end of January. The Board also agreed to recap the Summit meeting on Thursday
at the next Board of Selectmen meeting on Monday, January 27, 2020.
8. 2020 Annual Town Meeting
Presentations: Update on the following Citizen Petition Warrant Articles:
Citizen Article - Declare Climate Emergency
Grace Yang and Kaveesh Pathak presented the 2020 Annual Town Meeting Warrant Article 29:
Declare Climate Emergency. The purpose of this citizen article is to seek a resolution from the
Town of Lexington to endorse the declaration of a climate emergency and to call for a regional
collaboration to reverse global warming, as well as to move towards a more sustainable economy.
The climate emergency affects communities worldwide and will impact future generations. A draft
resolution was provided that was modeled after climate emergency resolutions passed by other
communities.
Ms. Yang described the need for continued and more extensive action to combat climate change.
She suggested a townwide mobilization effort, educating Lexington residents about the crisis, and
joining a nationwide call for all levels of government to take action against climate change.
Mr. Pato encouraged Ms. Yang and Mr. Pathak to reach out to members of the Town Meeting
Members Association (TMMA) to gauge their interest in the resolution and to assist in the adoption
of it.
Mr. Lucente suggested that Ms. Yang and Mr. Pathak provide more information regarding other
communities who have declared climate emergencies because it would be beneficial at Annual
Town Meeting.
Mr. Sandeen suggested that Ms. Yang and Mr. Pathak prepare an answer for a potential question
at Annual Town Meeting regarding what might be done differently if a climate emergency is
declared.
Citizen Article - Reduce Legal Expenses
Richard Neumeier presented the 2020 Annual Town Meeting Warrant Article 24: Reduce Legal
Expenses. The purpose of this citizen article is to seek approval to hire in-house counsel for legal
services for the Town for FY2021.
Mr. Neumeier stated that there are three topics related to Article 24: what the Town is spending,
what the Town is spending money on, and the alternatives to the current spending on Town
Counsel. He expressed his opinion that the Town spends over $500,000 a year for routine legal
services. He referenced information from the Town Report that most legal cases for the Town do
not go to trial and that 80% of the services provided are routine. He suggested the alternative of
hiring an in-house attorney, or two part-time in-house attorneys, as he feels it would be more cost-
effective due to biweekly paychecks at lower rates.
Mr. Pato inquired about the Legal Services Request For Proposal (RFP) and if it would reflect the
current range of legal services the Town consumes or if it would differ based on the type of service.
Mr. Pato expressed concern at addressing changes to legal services as a budget line adjustment,
but he is open to reviewing the Town’s legal representation to ensure the Town is receiving the
best value.
Mr. Malloy stated that the RFP would reflect a similar type of arrangement that the Town currently
has, which would be one law firm with both Town Counsel Services and Labor Counsel Services.
Mr. Malloy provided information related to the five-year spending on legal services, as well as the
last 12 months of detailed legal expenses to the Board for their information.
Mr. Lucente stated that he does not necessarily agree with the method in which this topic has been
presented, but he feels as though the Town conducting an RFP is a fiscally responsible way to
review the large number of legal expenses.
Mr. Sandeen asked the Town Manager whether one person would have the time to provide all the
Town Counsel services required. The Town Manager said that it would not be possible for one
lawyer to provide all Town Counsel services and would probably require 3 or 4 in house lawyers.
Ms. Hai expressed that she feels a single lawyer on staff would not be able to sufficiently meet the
needs of the Town without any supporting legal staff. She stated that the end goal would be to
obtain competent and capable legal services without overpaying for them.
Dawn McKenna, Precinct 6 Town Meeting Member, expressed concern over the amount of control
the Town Manager’s Office has taken with regards to the Selectmen-Town Manager Act.
Citizen Article - Amend General Bylaws-Noise Control
Varda Haimo presented the 2020 Annual Town Meeting Warrant Article 28: Amend General
Bylaws - Noise Control. The purpose of this citizen article is to propose revisions to the Noise
Bylaw to better protect residents from noise pollution due to residential and other construction
projects. This article complements the article brought forward by the Noise Advisory Committee,
which addresses times of day/week when heavy equipment can be used.
Ms. Haimo expressed concern over the noise and duration of construction projects throughout the
Town of Lexington. She specified the amount of ledge removal and the sound of constant pounding
of rock. She has experienced the sound of ledge removal in her own neighborhood.
Ms. Haimo proposed the requirement of a noise mitigation plan as a condition for obtaining a
building permit whenever high noise levels are expected for extended periods of time. She also
proposed effective noise barriers be put around the perimeter of a project.
Mr. Lucente stated that he would like to see more information as to the type of project that the
motion is referring to because it was not specific enough. He also suggested reaching out to the
building community as it may impact residents wanting to sell their homes.
Ms. Haimo stated that the type of projects listed in the motion were based off of the number of
days of rock work.
Ms. Barry suggested outreach to the Town Meeting Members Association and local contractors
prior to Annual Town Meeting to avoid any surprises. She also suggested an informal presentation
to the Planning Board.
Mr. Sandeen said he supported the warrant article and suggested providing details regarding
enforcement or the view from Town staff perspective.
Ms. Hai suggested that when speaking to contractors in the field and to the Building Department,
to ask for other potential solutions or recommendations to the noise pollution.
Mr. Pato inquired of Mr. Malloy if there were any legal challenges to creating this type of bylaw
and requiring permits to be conditioned by having an appropriate noise plan.
Mr. Malloy stated that the question would be better suited for Town Counsel.
Mr. Pato asked Mr. Malloy that Town staff be available to assist in the details of the motion, so
that it comes out cleanly for Annual Town Meeting.
The Board provided feedback to article proponents and encouraged broad and active public
outreach to build consensus prior to Annual Town Meeting.
Board Discussion - Review Potential Articles and Draft Warrant
The Board of Selectmen and Ms. Axtell reviewed the list of articles for 2020 Annual Town
Meeting. Prior to discussion on the draft warrant, Ms. Axtell noted that there are roughly a little
over 50 articles and that the article for the police station building design will be removed with the
recommendation for Special Town Meeting in the fall. Also, there were two revolving funds (lab
animal permits and tobacco inspection) that were combined into Article 9, so that Articles 7 and 8
will be replaced with other articles. This is a first glance at the warrant articles and corrections will
be forthcoming.
Ms. Barry inquired about the inclusion of the short-term rental impact fee article and the status of
an article for the mitigation funds received for affordable housing as part of the Brookhaven
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
Mr. Pato stated that he would like to amend the language in Article 6 from “…to adjust the current
eligibility limits” to read “…to increase the current eligibility limits”. He wants to ensure that there
is no amendment in scope to reduce them. He also questioned what Town Meeting action was
required for the DPW fees, as the regulations under section three were adopted by the Board of
Selectmen and Town Manager.
Mr. Lucente asked that the word “historical” be removed from the purchase of land on page 14
because the purchase is not historical. He also asked if the address could be added for this same
item for a clearer identifier. He also felt that the description for the Hosmer House relocation was
confusing.
Ms. Barry asked if, in the description, an indication could be made of what Town property is
located at 344 Lowell Street for the land exchange.
The Board agreed to submit edits for the draft warrant to Ms. Axtell by Friday, January 17, 2020
in order to sign off at the Board of Selectmen meeting on Monday, January 27, 2020.
9. Discuss Semiquincentennial Commission (Lex250) Charge
The Board reviewed the revised draft of the Semiquincentennial Commission (Lex250) charge.
Mr. Lucente asked for feedback from the Board in regards to whether or not a member of the Board
of Selectmen should be a member of, or a liaison to, Lex250.
Ms. Barry expressed that a member of the Board of Selectmen should be a member of the
Commission, as she feels it would be helpful in guiding the process and serving as a conduit
between the Board and Commission.
Ms. Hai stated that she feels it is important to have a member of the Board of Selectmen as a
member of the Commission. She expressed concern that the process will extend over a period of
years and the member may change as the Board evolves.
Mr. Lucente expressed concern over the amount of work that this event will entail and does not
want to derail a Board Member from other Town business.
Mr. Pato expressed that the Board should have an active interest and involvement in the
Commission and feels as though it would be a benefit.
Mr. Sandeen expressed concern over the Commission being able to meet quorum.
Ms. Hai stated that she would like to see “School Department” be changed to “School Community”
under the list of members that make up the Commission because the former sounds like school
staff only. She would also like the word “designee” replaced with “representative” so that certain
groups are not appointing a person that the Board of Selectmen then has to choose from.
The Board agreed to make the following changes to update the charge: change the word
“Committee” to “Commission”, keep the Board of Selectmen member as a member of the
Commission, change the word “designee” in each section to “representative”, and change
“Lexington School Department” to “Lexington Public Schools Representative”. The Board also
agreed to add “updates will be presented to the Board of Selectmen at least quarterly” under
deliverables.
Dawn McKenna, Chair of the Tourism Committee, stated that on one page of the document, it
reads that there will be one representative from each of the following groups, but on another page
it reads as two representatives.
Mr. Lucente removed the quantities and left “representatives” only.
Upon a motion duly made and seconded, the Board of Selectmen voted 5-0 to approve the
Semiquincentennial Commission (Lex250) charge as amended.
10. Selectmen Committee Appointment
Upon a motion duly made and seconded, the Board of Selectmen voted 5-0 to appoint Mark
Connor to the Tree Committee with a term expiration date of September 30, 2022.
ADJOURN
Upon a motion duly made and seconded, the Board of Selectmen voted 5-0 to adjourn the meeting
at 11:10 p.m.
A true record; Attest:
Stacey Prizio
Department Assistant