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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCapital Improvements 08/08/1994CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS MINUTES AUGUST 8, 1994 t,rf- -M> 1311 QFP 19 F1 1: 52 PRESENT: Michael McClanahan, Marydee Flynn, Lawrence Carpenter, Ralph Penney, Dianne Royle William F. Williams, Town Manager Shaun P. Burke, Director of Planning and Development 1. Meeting called to order at 7:05 P.M. 2. Mrs. Flynn requested Mr. Williams bring the committee up to date on how Plan B was refined. Mr. Williams responded that Plan B was a progression of a number of reports outlining projects and cost alternatives, and that the Board of Selectmen would be voting on the plan at its August 10, 1994 meeting. Mrs. Flynn asked if Plan B would replace the Capital Improvements Committee plan formulated in the spring. Mr. Williams told her it would not. Mrs. Flynn then inquired if the conservation land would be included in the plan next year. Mr. Williams said it would. Mr. Penney said the original plan had been to fund non - equipment items, however it had grown into a wish list. Mr. Williams explained there were some items that had been requested but were no longer in the plan, adding that the latest revisions increased the plan approximately $1 million. Mr. Carpenter said the Town Hall budget has the most flexibility of any proposed building budget. He said jail cells cost approximately $30-40,000 and may be added when needed to reduce the plan's initial cost, since the latest revised budget includes funding for 16 cells. Mr. Carpenter suggested most of the office space needs could be met with modular office partitions. He also suggested compressing the time frame for construction of municipal office space and combining construction and design into packaged bids and putting all projects out as one bid. The committee discussed the need for 16 cells versus some smaller number. Mr. Penney asked if there was any way to get Great Woods to share the cost of the cells and locate them either at Great Woods or at the Town Hall. Mrs. Royle said the committee may have to refine the numbers for a second vote if the plan is to pass at Town Meeting. The committee discussed various options and decided the plan could be revised if it does not pass. Mr. Williams told the committee it should be consistent, proposing one plan with one funding request. Mrs. Royle agreed, saying the board should be united on its proposal. Mr. Williams said school space needs is a 20 -year projection of need, while Town Hall is a 50 -year. Mr. Penney was concerned the numbers in this plan are too high and may not pass at Town Meeting. Mrs. Royle and Mr. McClanahan agreed. The committee discussed proposing a single question or multiple questions for an override and what the residents would be willing to fund. Mr. Williams said a number of plans had been drafted and discussed and this revision appears to meet the Town's needs. The committee then discussed improvements to the Park Row School as a possible location for municipal offices. Mr. Penney suggested a narrative description of the proposed building improvements in order to convey the ideas to the voters. Mr. McClanahan asked if the committee could support the revisions to the plan. Mr. Penney said he would like to keep the downtown fire station, since $40,000 had recently been spent there and suggested not moving the headquarters to the West Mansfield station. Mr. Carpenter added Town Hall contains the additional space beyond what the police need. The board discussed building and space use options. Mr. Carpenter said the Municipal Building Committee premise had been to reuse existing structures at a minimal cost, and to keep the need for new buildings at a minimum. Mr. Penney suggested the plan express cost input per item per year and requested a narrative description of proposed building improvements. Mrs. Royle said the priorities should also include water and sewer improvements. Mrs. Flynn discussed the difference between a debt exclusion, where taxes are raised for a limited time frame, often twenty years, but may be as short as one year, and a Proposition 2 1/2 override, where the tax rate does not return to a lower rate. Mrs. Flynn also asked if the revised plan had been supported by the Finance Committee and Board of Selectmen. Motion: To support the revised municipal capital plan, totalling $12,720,000. (McClanahan -Flynn) All in favor. PASSES. 3. Adjournment at 9:05 P.M.