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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010-01-21-CPC-min Community Preservation Committee Thursday, January 21, 2010 Legion Room, Cary Memorial Building 3:00 pm Present: Betsey Weiss, Chair; Joel Adler, Norman Cohen, Marilyn Fenollosa, Vice Chair; Jeanne Krieger, Wendy Manz, Leo McSweeney, Nathalie Rice, Admin. Asst., Sandy Shaw, and Dick Wolk. Mr. David Kanter of the Capital Expenditures Committee was also in attendance. Ms. Weiss called the meeting to order at 3:08 pm. The purpose of the meeting was to take final votes on 20 projects which sought CPA funding. The total of the projects under consideration was $5,731,329. 1.Update on Town Office Project – Ms. Weiss updated the Committee on the Town Office Building Renovation Project and summarized a letter from Deputy Town Manager, Linda Vine, in which Ms. Vine had addressed some of the costs and timing issues associated with the project. Most importantly, Ms. Vine noted that the final costs of the project would not be known until the design stage had reached the 75% completion point, in the last week of February/first week of March. She also addressed the cost associated with the ground floor ADA bathrooms, stating that the unused funds from the previous Signage/ADA Bathroom article from 2009 (Art. 9(m), ATM 2008) would be used to perform the work. Additionally she stated that the FY11 Capital Request for Server Room Improvements was not duplicative of work that would be done under the Town Offices Renovation project. A discussion ensued in which certain members of the Committee voiced their concerns about the project. In general, members supported the ADA work and agreed with the need to bring the building up to code, but some had reservations about the need to relocate offices to make a more efficient working environment. Ms. Fenollosa suggested requesting a separate estimate for the ADA and code upgrades in order to give the CPC an idea of what they considered to be priority work. Ms. Weiss brought up the point that in the next 2-3 years, CPA funds will be sought for higher priority projects such as renovations to the Fire Station and Police Station. 2.Final Vote on Projects – Ms. Weiss called for final votes on projects. Many projects were voted on without discussion. Where there was lengthy discussion, it is noted. Minuteman Bikeway Preservation$320,000(9-0) a. - No discussion. 1 Stormwater Mitigation Old Reservoir/Marrett Road – $190,047 (9-0) b. No discussion. Center Playfields Drainage – Implementation Phase – $875,173 (9-0) c. No discussion. Greeley Village Siding Replacement – $386,129 (9-0) d.No discussion. e.Vynebrook Village Drainage Project – Design Study – $10,000 (9-0) No discussion. f.LexHAB Purchase of Two Properties– $695,000 (8-1) Mr. Wolk stated that he was in favor of the project but suggested that LexHAB take on an additional $100,000 of the project cost. Ms. Weiss explained that she had talked to Bill Hays, Chairman of LexHAB, to suggest a similar request, but that Mr. Hays responded that LexHAB was putting $80,000 in to the project between the two units. This prompted a much longer discussion of LexHAB units and their compliance with affordable housing quotas, and the anticipated purchase of apartments at Katahdin Woods for affordable housing. Presently 75 units of the housing units in Katahdin Woods qualify as affordable housing. If and when these units become available for purchase, only 25+- of these would remain affordable for purchase by LexHAB. Mr. Kanter noted that the new census to be completed this year, will be the basis for important new housing numbers. Archives and Records Management/Records Conservation – $150,000 g. (9-0) No discussion. Cary Library Preservation Project – Archives – $100,000 (8-0-1) h.No discussion. Cary Memorial Building – Venue Improvements Study – $60,000 (9-0) i. No discussion. Cary Memorial Building Signage – $25,000 (6-3) j.There wasconsiderable discussion of this project, with Mr. Wolk questioning if the project was indeed necessary. Some members felt the signage project was too expensive for the approximately 20 signs that would be installed. Ms. Krieger stated her opinion that the project had great value, and would eliminate confusion when people enter the Cary Memorial Building. She added that there are many residents of Town who support work on municipal buildings and who feel that such work is a suitable way to take advantage of state matching funds. In response, Ms. Fenollosa noted that the CPA was passed by the Legislature to accomplish projects that would not otherwise be funded, not to provide a supplement to town operating budgets. She expressed her opinion that the CPC may have lost sight of the original intent of the Act, 2 and its value to Lexington’s historic structures. There was discussion of this sentiment, with Ms. Weiss eventually stating that members of the Committee respected the different sides of the debate on this issue. Building Envelope – $73,000 (9-0) k.No discussion. Town Office Building Renovation – (no vote taken) l.The Committee was unable to take a vote on this project due to the fact that the costs for the project had not yet been finalized. The Committee further discussed separating the project into ADA and code related work, to which Mr. Kanter suggested that there might be certain reductions in the code requirements if the project was reduced in cost. Certain members of the Committee agreed it would be useful to invite Linda Vine and Mark Barrett to an upcoming CPC meeting to discuss separating the project costs. Ms. Krieger felt such a separation would be a mistake, and would forfeit valuable state matching funds. Cary Memorial Building/TOB HVAC Controls Upgrade – $35,000 (9- m. 0) No discussion. Police Station Ventilation System – $31,700 (6-3) n. No discussion. Muzzey Senior Center Improvements Stud– $45,100 (7-2) o.y No discussion. White House Historic Structures Report – $18,000 (6-3) p. No discussion. Stone Building Exterior Renovatio– $202,933 (9-0 q.n )– No discussion. Munroe Tavern Capital Improvements – $400,000 (8-1) r. – This proposal prompted a discussion of private vs. municipal projects. Mr. Adler made a motion that the CPC approve for appropriation up to $400,000 (the amount applied for) or 50% of the total project cost, whichever was less. A vote was taken on this motion and passed 8-1 with Ms. Krieger dissenting. Comprehensive Cultural Resource Survey – Supplemental s. Appropriation - $5,300 (9-0) No discussion. Battle Green Master Plan – $25,000 (8-1) t.Mr. Adler said he had been to the Green to look at the lighting, parking, etc, and was not convinced that improvements were necessary. Mr. Kanter stated that he would have preferred that the bidding costs had been removed from the proposal, thereby lowering the cost of the project. 3 Busa Debt Service – (9-0) u.The Committee voted in support of this proposed expenditure, which they assumed would be in the range of $2.7 million. The exact figure for the first year debt service will not be available until Mr. Addelson, Assistant Town Manager of Finance, has determined the appropriate amount for the first year payment on the front-loaded bond. Administrative Fees – $150,000 (9-0) v.No discussion on this expenditure. Land Acquisition – (no vote) w.There was no vote on this project, since there were no details on the acquisition. Cotton Farm Land Acquisition – (no vote) x.There was no vote on this project since there were no details on the acquisition. 3.Discussion of $2 Million Reserve – Ms. Weiss opened the discussion of this topic, noting that there may have been some confusion regarding the appropriate account(s) where the suggested $2 million dollars be held in reserve. She said that Ms. Krieger had questioned whether the $2 million should be kept in the various “buckets” in $500,000 amounts each. The Committee noted that such a policy would eliminate flexibility for larger projects or acquisitions, which was the intent of the reserve. Ms. Manz moved “that the CPC establish a guideline to keep $2 million in the Undesignated Fund Balance”. The Committee voted 9-0 in favor of this motion. The meeting was adjourned at 5:15 pm. Respectfully submitted, Nathalie Rice Administrative Assistant Community Preservation Committee 4