HomeMy WebLinkAbout2012-03-13-CEC-minMinutes of the Lexington Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) Meeting
Date, Place, and Location: March 13, 2012 8:00 A.M., Cary Memorial Building, Ellen
Stone Room
Members Present: Charles Lamb, Chair; Ted Edson, Vice - Chair; Shirley Stolz; Bill Hurley;
David Kanter
Other Attendees: Pam Shadley, Lexington Center Committee; Bill Hadley, Director of
Public Works; Carl Valente, Town Manager; John Livsey; Town Engineer; Melisa Tintocalis,
Economic Development Director
Documents Presented:
1. Center Streetscape Workin Group Memo, March 13, 2012, "Information for Capital
Expenditures Committee"
2. Draft #5 of the Capital Expenditures Committee Report to the 2012 Annual Town
Meeting (ATM) & 2012 Special Town Meeting (STM), April 2, 2012 distributed
electronically, March 12, 2012, and distributed in printed form at the meeting.
Call to Order: Mr. Lamb called the meeting to order at 8:00 A.M.
Re -Visit of 2012 Annual Town Meeting, Article 12(0), CBD Sidewalk/Street
Improvements /Landscaping D &E (Center Streetscape Project)
As the Committee had been presented with a memo summarizing the project — appreciation
of which was expressed by the Committee —the discussion could immediately began with
questions &answers.
Mr. Kanter asked how much of the $240,000 being requested is needed to accomplish the
four items listed on the memo (i.e., three traffic - engineer studies and continued public
discussion) before moving ahead. Mr. Livsey said $120,000. Mr. Kanter asked why not just
request that amount to answer the outstanding questions and then let the Board of
Selectmen (BoS) make their decision before going further. Ms. Shadley said the 25% D &E
(Survey Design) provided by the full request is needed to get better cost estimates.
Mr. Kanter said that the descriptions for this effort in, first, the preliminary budget (the
"White Book ") and then in the recommended budget (the "Brown Book ") made it look like
the request for construction money would be in FY2014 —with no obvious provision for
funding the balance of the D &E — but he sees the memo indicates it would be a 3 -year, not
2 -year, funding profile. Nonetheless, he sees the outstanding issues as having a significant
effect on the design and wants the BoS to make its decisions before D &E. Mr. Valente said
it's not uncommon to do 25% D &E in first phase.
Mr. Kanter asked how long would it be anticipated that the services of the traffic engineer
would be needed to accomplish the indicated studies? Ms. Shadley said the traffic studies
and data collection could be a couple of months, but that doing them over the summer
might not provide fully representative information. After getting the data, a number of the
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issues require more public meetings, so it would take more months to get through the rest
of the process.
Ms. Stolz asked why not combine some of the traffic studies with those being requested
around the Battle Green? Mr. Livsey said the model would be expanded to encompass both
areas. Ms. Stolz said it doesn't seem to be a coordinated effort between the Battle Green
and Streetscape Project efforts and their funding.
Mr. Kanter asked to understand whether there was any factor (e.g., a pending structural
failure) that would preclude doing the Massachusetts Avenue reconstruction —which is
outside the scope of the Streetscape Project, but must follow after its design —one year
later if the Streetscape Project timeline should be extended. Mr. Livsey said there was none
of which they're aware. Mr. Valente said that even with the requested Streetscape Project
timeline, they have been talking about a skim coat over Massachusetts Avenue using road
maintenance funds this coming summer to (1) hold it together, and (2) in preparation for the
Town's 300th anniversary celebrations which begin this September.
Mr. Kanter said that if we get it "right ", I don't expect our citizens will be upset whether the
construction turns out to be $4 million or $6 million as this is key to the future of the Town's
Center.
Mr. Edson asked that if only $120,000—rather than the $240,000 —were appropriated, how
much would that delay completion of the project? Ms. Shadley said they wouldn't have a
revised master plan incorporating the new data. Mr. Valente said the Town is going to have
to reconstruct Massachusetts Avenue, one way or the other and the second $120,000 for
the Streetscape Project would ultimately, and likely get spent anyway. He asked whether by
holding off the 2nd $120,000 are you really helping the public discourse? Mr. Kanter said
"yes" as more of the outstanding issues and questions would have been answered before
entering D &E. Mr. Valente said the planned FY2014 appropriation might include some
construction along with the rest of the D &E as he envisions the construction work being
done in phases so as not to completely shut down the Center from a business perspective.
Mr. Kanter asked how, for example, could they be coming up with a cost estimate if the
decision on how, or whether, to reconstruct the Woburn Street intersection with
Massachusetts Avenue is still up in the air. Mr. Livsey said they wouldn't get into that
intersection's design until they had a concepts plan that came out of the traffic study.
Mr. Valente said this is a combination of both kinds of engineering work. Mr. Kanter said it's
a timing question for him, not a money question.
Motion: It was moved and seconded to support the $240,000 request. Vote: 4 -1
(Mr. Kanter opposed)
Mr. Valente commented that next Monday he will be presenting to the BoS the revised
Health Insurance budget which reflects a $3 million reduction. Most of the options for the
use of that money are capital related.
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Approval of Previous Meeting's Minutes: It was moved and seconded that the Minutes
of the Committee's February 28, 2012, meeting as reflected in the draft that had been
distributed electronically, March 1, 2012, with the change proposed today, be approved.
Vote: 4 -0 -1 (Ms. Stolz abstaining)
Discussion of the Committee's Report to the 2012 ATM and 2012 STM (April 2, 2012):
The Committee discussed the contents of Draft #5, made changes, and reviewed the
Comments that Mr. Kanter had entered —with some being resolved and the rest to be
addressed in the future draft(s).
Mr. Lamb left the meeting at 8:35 A.M. and Mr. Hurley at 8:50 A.M., but the discussion
continued among Mr. Edson, Ms. Stolz, and Mr. Kanter.
Adjourn: A Motion was made and seconded at 9:10 A.M. to adjourn. Vote: 3 -0
These Minutes were approved by the CEC at its meeting on March 16, 2012.
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