HomeMy WebLinkAbout2011-01-18-CEC-minMinutes from Capital Expenditures Committee Meeting
01/18/11, 8:OOam, Town Office Building, Rm 111
Members Present: Bill Hurley, David Kanter, Shirley Stolz, Charles Lamb (Chair)
Member Absent: Ted Edson
Other Attendees:
Deb Mauger (Selectman), Bill Hays (Lexington Housing Assistance Board [LexHAB]), Joel Adler
(Community Preservation Committee [CPC]), George Burnell (Selectman), Pat Goddard (Director,
Department of Public Facilities)
Documents Presented and Reviewed:
Capital Request Summary (LexHAB)
Fire Headquarters Options Report to Board of Selectmen (BoS)
Discussion of LexHAB Request to the CPC for a $450K Set -aside
The recent way of LexHAB's approach to adding affordable rental units was to pay interest on the
mortgages for those acquisitions until that liability could be eliminated by funds from the Town's
Community Preservation Fund (CPF). This amounted to $1,600 /month x 10 months or more (could be
a total of $22.5K). They also lost rent (on the order of $5.5K) while clearing all the State requirements
regarding affordable housing and eligibility for inclusion on Lexington Subsidized Housing Inventory
(LSHI). They also need a second closing to add deed restrictions and a mortgage ($1.5K —$2.OK in
extra legal costs). There is also the lost opportunity of an earlier providing of the housing as the unit
can't be occupied until the second closing. Deed restrictions can't be placed on the unit until Town
Meeting has closed. The set -aside approach simplifies the whole process, saves funds (whether the
CPF's or LexHAB's), reduces the burden on the Planning Department's in -house staff (as they help
LexHAB with the paperwork), and provides housing to the needy sooner. The actual acquisitions
would need to be approved, in advance, by the BoS.
The Committee suggested that LexHAB verify that streamlined process really works in other towns and
also recommended that the project guidelines, along with including the CPC as an advisor to the BoS in
the project- approval process, explicitly be included in the presentation of the Article to the 2011
Annual Town Meeting (ATM) and in the CPC report to that Meeting. (We intend to include those
points in our Report to that Meeting.)
LexHAB is only asking for $450K this year, but might want more in the future. The CPC has given no
assurance about any future funding, but would entertain year -by -year submittals by LexHAB.
Discussion of Lexington Fire Department (LFD) Headquarters Equipment Floor & Modular Office
Space (Pat Goddard)
The range for shoring the floor is $150K— $450K. $10.6K of an existing appropriation is being used to
do a study to shrink that range. The estimate for modular offices out back of the Headquarters is
$106K, but that doesn't include any required site work (e.g., plumbing, etc.). $7.3K of an existing
appropriation is being used to do a study to get a better handle of the all -in estimate. The request to the
2011 ATM will be for the upper ends of the current estimates (i.e., $700K; $450K for the floor &
$250K for the modular, all -in).
The Committee will be especially interested in reviewing the space -need component that's included in
the modular - related study as to exactly how much additional space is needed and, equally important,
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just what would be put in the modular unit(s) as that could have a meaningful impact on the costs.
DK: This request is being proposed when the deliverables under the studies are not expected until just
before the start of the 2011 ATM. There will be little to no opportunity to vet their conclusions and
recommendations. There has been no indication that a catastrophic failure is imminent. Why not look
for a better - defined appropriation at a Fall Special Town Meeting, if there is one, or at the 2012 ATM?
Compost Facility Green Waste (Anaerobic Facility) Study (Deb Mauger)
The BoS wants to investigate the potential for new, green, electric - generation technologies at the
Hartwell Avenue Compost Facility— which, if feasible, would be run by a private contractor. This
FY2012 capital request (amount unknown at the time, but estimated to be between $25K and $50K) is
for producing an RFP. Raynham, MA, has an RFP on which the BoS would like to base ours. John
Livsey (Town Engineer), Robert Beaudoin (Superintendent of Environmental Services), and Bill
Hadley (Director, Department of Public Works) are the proponents.
Adjourn: 10:05 am
These Minutes were approved by the CEC at its meeting on February 8, 2011.
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