HomeMy WebLinkAbout2011-11-22-CEC-minMinutes of the Lexington Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) Meeting
Date, Place, and Location: November 22, 2011 8:00 a.m., Cary Memorial Building, Ellen
Stone Room
Members Present: Charles Lamb, Chair; Ted Edson, Vice - Chair; David Kanter;
Shirley Stolz
Member Absent: Bill Hurley
Other Attendees: Pat Goddard, Director, Department of Public Facilities (DPF);
Rob Addelson, Assistant Town Manager for Finance; Theo Kalivas, Budget Officer;
Koren Stembridge, Director, Cary Memorial Library; George Burnell, Selectman
Documents Presented: FY2013— FY2017 Capital Improvement Projects (CIPs) as cited
below.
Mr. Lamb called the meeting to order at 8:00 a.m.
Continuation of DPF FY2013 — FY2017 CIPs (Mr. Goddard):
Mr. Goddard asked when CPA funds are available after Town Meeting closes.
Mr. Addelson answered that if financing source is the undesignated fund balance, the funds
are immediately available. Otherwise, the funds are not available until July 1. If from the
undesignated fund balance, then projects have to be balanced against other competing
interests also funded by that source.
Project #598, White House Stabilization:
Mr. Goddard explained the project now includes renovating the interior of the building
(to include code compliance) for potential uses as the Liberty Ride bus origin and to provide
users of the "conscience land" in front of the White House (e.g., the Farmers Market) a
public restroom. The renovation of the 2nd floor would not include making it handicap
accessible so any use would have to be with the understanding that it wasn't accessible.
The attic would be cleaned up. The revised project requests $665,000 in FY2013, of which
$502,550 is a CPA request ($198,550 for the stabilization & $304,000 for the renovation)
with the $162,400 balance being for demolition of all but the core house. Mr. Edson
requested that if this project were to be approved, copper gutters and down spouts not be
used on the outside.
The estimate includes two contingencies (totaling $120,000): a 15% Design
Contingency and a 10% total - project -cost contingency.
Mr. Kanter stated that, so far, the Board of Selectmen has taken no position on this
project—and Mr. Goddard confirmed that.
Mr. Kanter reported that Ms. Dawn McKenna has said that the Liberty Ride could use
the existing building as -is. Mr. Goddard said that building is not code - compliant so that
would have to be evaluated and, as necessary, corrected before any use could be granted.
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Mr. Goddard said that at a joint meeting of the Historic Districts Commission and
Historical Commission on November 17 the project to partially demolish the White House
structure and stabilize the Main Block was reviewed and endorsed by both committees with
a vote. If the project were to be funded, the plan review and approvals would follow the
normal process.
Mr. Edson asked whether the heating costs are realistic.
Capital Projects for Schools: Mr. Kanter commented that we had gotten a huge set of
projects. It included the sub - projects at the per - school level, along with the rolled -up
projects. Those sub - projects are not something we need to see and their presence
complicated our review of the submittal.
The Committee discussed smaller capital items such as those for desks and whether they
should be cash or otherwise. Mr. Addelson said he tends to fund these with cash, not
financing.
Cary Memorial Library FY2013— FY2017 CIPs (Ms. Stembridge):
Project #600, Cary Library Building Project - Material Handling and Workflow: The $100,000
funded in FY2012 provided for design and partial implementation of the FY2011- funded
study ($25,000). This project requests the $75,000 needed to complete the project —which
is reduced from the $300,000 that had been contemplated for FY2013 in last year's project
request. Mr. Kanter pointed out that while $28,600 of the total had been requested to be
from the Community Preservation Fund, Town Counsel's opinion was that that portion of
the work (a book drop in the new - construction portion of the library) was not eligible under
the Community Preservation Act —and the Community Preservation Committee agree.
Project scope includes rebuilding the lower -level loading dock so that it's safer for staff,
rebuilding the circulation desk (ergonomics), and a 3 -bin sorting machine at the south-
entrance book return (40% of items are returned through that drop). Machinery would sort
upstairs and downstairs (childrens /adults). This would save time. Machine is $60,000 and
construction cost is $106,000.
Project #750: Cary Memorial Library RFID Conversion Project. The Minuteman Library
Network, of which our library is a member, has a guarantee from a contractor for the
multiple readers so all stations are compatible so that cost is known to be about $95,000,
but all the library items must be converted to have aradio- frequency identification (RFID)
tag. Conversion would be done by interns from the Simmons College Graduate School of
Library and Information Science so there should be no labor cost. Cost of the tags for the
current collection (225,000 items) is about $55,000. Subsequent tagging of new
acquisitions will be absorbed into operating budget. Software included licensing fees will be
paid by the Network.
Ms. Stembridge departed.
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Further Continuation of DPF FY2013— FY2017 CIPs (Schools) (Mr. Goddard):
Project #782: Clarke Increased Storage in Gymnasium. Question by Mr. Kanter about how
they get to the second story of the storage. No contingency is shown because estimate is
ballpark.
Project #653: School Building Flooring Program: Principals need to evaluate at year end
which projects will be prioritized.
Project #561: School Building Roofing program. Bowman and Estabrook Elementary
Schools roofs are included into debt - exclusion renovation project.
Project #697: School Locker Program. This will be the last year of this program as this
should address the remaining locker capital needs.
Project #826: Central Office New Loading Dock. Mr. Kanter noted that the project
justification discusses afire -code related situation at the print shop (stuff stacked in the
halls) and urged that that situation be addressed pending a solution through the
accomplishment of this project.
Project #696: School Window Treatments Extraordinary Repair. Mr. Kanter noted that the
scope is really "Repair /Replace ".
Project #743: Classroom Furniture [this remains a Schools responsibility, not DPF's].
Mr. Kanter was concerned that $10,000 is cited as needed just for disposal of furniture.
Project 802: LHS Second Floor of LHS Main Building Improvement. Mr. Kanter asked about
the "wall" component in the description of Staff Room 245. Mr. Goddard says that element
would be addressed under Project #700 (LHS Overcrowding —Phase 2). This Project #802
is just to buy the furniture.
Mr. Goddard notes that Schools will try to start the capital -needs process earlier next year,
in June. He is trying to pull together the information for them, also.
Project #807: Student Services Room Modification for Hearing Impaired Students. The
$40,000 requested for FY2013 is only for a program study which phase remains a Schools
responsibility, not DPF's]. Design &Engineering (D &E) is projected to be $148,000 in
FY2014 —along with $1,480,000 of construction funding in that same year [which the
Committee expects would be a DPF responsibility, not the Schools]. Mr. Lamb raised the
question of D &E and construction funding in the same year.
Adjourn: A Motion was made and seconded at 9:30 a.m. to adjourn. Vote: 4 -0
These Minutes were approved by the CEC at its meeting on January 10, 2012.
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