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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-02-21-CEC-min ���ry Ndg42 btr��f} Y Minutes of the Lexington Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) Meeting February 21, 2021 Location and Time: Remote Meeting; 3:00 P.M. Members Present (remote participation): Charles Lamb, Chair; David Kanter, Vice-Chair & Clerk; Sandy Beebee; Rod Cole; Wendy Manz (arrived 3:02 P.M.); and Frank Smith Members Absent: None Others Present (remote participation): Members of Other Committees: Sara Cuthbertson and Scott Bokun, School Committee liaisons; Glenn Parker, Appropriation Committee liaison; Town Meeting Member: Taylor Singh; Staff: Finance Department: Sara Arnold, Recording Secretary Documents Presented: • Notice of Public Meeting/Agenda, CEC Meeting, February 21, 2021 • James Malloy, Town Manager, E-Mail, February 16, 2021, Subj: Police Station Discussion • Draft #3 of CEC Minutes for its February 4, 2021 Meeting Call to Order Mr. Lamb called this Remote (Virtual) Meeting, which had been posted as such, to order at 3:00 P.M. As all those present had been previously advised of the special conditions of this meeting, he passed on repeating them (i.e., The requirement to have a physical presence of a quorum had been suspended in an Executive Order by Massachusetts Governor Charles D. Baker, on March 12, 2020, after having proclaimed, on March 10, 2020, a STATE OF EMERGENCY in the Commonwealth due to the outbreak of the 2019 novel coronavirus, known as "COVID-19.). Mr. Lamb further reported that the documents for this meeting, which had been provided electronically to the Committee and would be available upon request, were those listed as Documents Presented. Any votes during this meeting would be taken by a roll call. This meeting is being recorded to assist in preparing Minutes, and the recording would be deleted once the Minutes were approved. Mr. Lamb took a roll-call vote and confirmed that six Committee members were remotely participating. Member Concerns and Liaison Reports Mr. Lamb reported that the Town Manager had requested that he and Mr. Parker attend the Select Board's (SB's) February 22nd meeting to provide information and insight from their committees regarding the timing for bringing the Police Station project back to Town Meeting. The design phase of this project, which was previously funded, was put on hold by the SB until it felt there had been sufficient community outreach to, and discussion with, residents about police policies. That community outreach was in response to national events that triggered controversy at the 2020 Annual Town Meeting (ATM) over funding for building a replacement, outdoor, firing range. [Subsequently named a Public Safety Training Facility.] The outreach is starting with a study that is just getting underway. The SB must now decide when to re-engage the design process, which must be completed prior to the appropriation of construction funds. The window for being ready with a final design and cost estimate to Page 1 of 3 Minutes of the Lexington Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) Meeting February 21, 2021 make a request at the fall 2021 Special Town Meeting is narrowing. If the design process remains suspended, then the construction appropriation would be delayed until the 2022 ATM, or perhaps later. During discussion, the following issues were identified: • The longer this project is delayed, the closer it will be to the project to replace the high school, which will put stress on funding schedules and the debt-exclusion votes that will be required if, and soon after, those fundings have been approved at a Town Meeting. • The building design has already been accepted and includes some flexibility that should be able to accommodate changes in police policies. • It seems highly unlikely that changes in police policies or that information garnered from the study would significantly impact the design. • Public safety is a high priority. The current Police Station is antiquated; the project should move forward as expeditiously as makes sense. • Additional design funds are expected to be needed because of the delay; further delays would increase the additional funds needed. A Motion was made and seconded for the SB to remove the freeze on the project now so that the design phase can be completed in time for a presentation to the fall STM with the understanding that the manner of the Chair's presentation to the SB would be at his discretion. There then was considerable discussion about whether it was necessary to formally vote and whether there was any possibility the consultant recently hired to pursue community engagement around policing policies might find a reason for changing the design. There was also concern about losing time on the project. It was noted that any risk in moving forward was small and waiting to get feedback from the consultants would be costly both financially and potentially politically. Based on that discussion, the original Motion was reworded to express the Committee's unanimous support to re-start the design process now so that the project moves forward and could be presented at the fall STM, with the Chair's presentation beyond that to be at his discretion. Roll-Call Vote: 6-0 Mr. Lamb agreed to share this position at the SB meeting while emphasizing the CEC's reasoning. Specific comments to share with the SB included that this Committee does not foresee the community engagement results requiring significant design changes. That said, this Committee's belief is that the engagement discussion is separate from the design; that the building is separate from the program; and therefore, the Committee urges moving forward now. Approval of Minutes A Motion was made and seconded to approve the Draft #3 CEC Meeting Minutes for February 4, 2021, as presented. Roll-Call Vote: 6-0 Page 2 of 3 Minutes of the Lexington Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) Meeting February 21, 2021 Continued Discussion of the Status of this Committee's Report to the 2021 ATM ("Report"); and other matters related to that Town Meeting Mr. Kanter reported that he has updated the previously distributed Draft #1 of that Report to reflect his reconciliation of it to the SB-approved FY2022 Recommended Budget and Financing Plan (the "Brown Book")—which update (Draft #2) he will soon distribute. He also plans to continue to identify areas in the report where additional material is still needed. Adjourn A Motion was made and seconded at 3:49 P.M. to adjourn. Roll-Call Vote: 6-0 This Minutes was approved by the CEC at its meeting on March 4, 2021 Page 3 of 3