HomeMy Public PortalAboutCapital Planning Committee -- 2013-01-02 Minutes 1
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Capital Plan Committee
Town Hall
January 2, 2013
Minutes
The meeting was called to order at 4:06 P.M.
Present: Lisa Souve, Don Poole, John Dickson, Lisa Vitale and Charles Sumner.
Also attending was Kathy Cockcroft, Jeff Gardner, Lawrence Houghton, Mark
O'Brien, Steve Mann, Cindy Bingham and Rob Harris.
The first department for review was the Brewster Ladies Library. Mr. Poole asked
if the Library wanted to point anything out in particular about the requests.
Kathy Cockcroft has requests for parking lot work, technology upgrade annually,
outside fences and landscaping. Mr. Sumner asked about the amounts
requested for technology $15,000 to $20,000 seems like a lot annually for
technology. Kathy Cockcroft said they have staff and public computers. Mr.
I Sumner asked if there was a plan that accompanies the technology requests.
Ms. Cockcroft is looking to replace a backup server, install a laptop lump
program and buy ereaders in FY14. Ms. Cockcroft explained that 451 outside
groups used the library this past year as it is the only free place for meetings.
Some of the requested technology money is to upgrade projectors, equipment
I and wireless access. Mr. Dickson asked if Ms. Cockcroft could submit a plan of
detail for technology with the monetary requests next year and also that we put
in amount for technology in 2018. Ms. Cockcroft thought that $15,000 would be
adequate for 2018 because that would not be a year where they would be
j replacing a portion of computers. Mr. Dickson also asked about the generator
request in 2017. Ms. Cockcroft has been working with Sue Leven on getting a
grant from MEMA. The Library is considered an after-emergency site because
1 that is where the public goes to communicate and get assistance when they do
not have power. The generator would be very physically big. Mr. Sumner
explained that because of the library set up and wiring, it is difficult to hook up a
1 generator. Ms. Cockcroft said that they did not get the grant this year and they
need to do some additional work and re-submit it. Mr. Dickson does not like the
roof replacement and the generator being in the same year. Kathy Cockcroft said
that the Association just paid for an emergency roof repair. Mr. Dickson
requested that the generator be moved to 2016. Kathy Cockcroft also explained
that the carpet and painting was for preventive maintenance. Don Poole would
like to keep that in as he believes preventive maintenance is a good investment.
Lisa Souve asked if the full interior painting and outside fences/landscaping was
being asked for at this spring town meeting. The painting has not been done yet
and the landscaping is requested in 2015. Kathy Cockcroft said that she has had
1 a hard time getting quotes for the interior painting because of the requirements
for the job. She is concerned about getting quotes for the exterior painting for
1
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the same reasons. John Dickson asked if it was worth trying to pair the COA and
library painting together. Lisa Souve explained that approved warrant Articles
can be carried forward to a new fiscal year. Kathy Cockcroft said that Bob Bersin
came and checked out the parking lot. He thinks that the patches, drainage, chip
seal and crack seal as well as irrigation and electrical work should all be done
together. He will submit an estimate for all the work. John Dickson asked if they
should we take #13, the alarm work off the plan. Kathy Cockcroft said it can
come off as the library board paid for that.
Don Poole asked about Assessors and Health not coming in. Mr. Sumner said he
felt they did not need to come in, but they would discuss both when they had
their review and recommendation meeting. Lisa Souve asked if anyone knew
what would happen to Paul Anderson's car when he changes to a truck. Mr.
Sumner said he would look into whether it was worth sending it to another
department.
The second department for review was Golf. Mark O'Brien and Steve Mann for
the Golf Course as well as Cindy Bingham from the Golf Commission. Mark
O'Brien brought an updated plan to the meeting. The changes are as follows,
#51-56 Aerifier equipment is it not as high as his original capital request; #103
added a request for a backflow preventor which was originally in the operation
budget, but it is a one-time repair that should last 20 years so it was moved to
capital. Mr. O'Brien also explained that this plan represents a different strategy
for equipment as most of the equipment requests are lease payments instead of
purchases. Lisa Souve asked what #99, a procore processor does. Steve Mann
explained that it cleans soil and should cut down on the use of the Rayovacs.
Mr. Sumner asked about the items that we have intermunicipal agreements for.
Mark O'Brien said the only item that we share with other Towns is the air
compressor. Mr. Sumner asked if we can do this with any other items. Mark
O'Brien said they do not share ownership of other equipment, but they are
resourcing labor and equipment to make the process faster. Steve Mann
explained that they are sharing some leases, but what is on the plan represents
their portion of the leased items. Steve Mann said that the other towns bring
their aerifiers and labor and they can do more holes in a day. Mr. Dickson
explained that this only shuts the course down for a few days. The course
currently has 3 green aerifiers and 3 fairway aerifiers. Mr. Sumner asked when
they go to Dennis or Harwich, do they bring the Captains equipment and people
because it appears that the other two courses actually have less equipment.
Steve Mann explained that you wouldn't own more equipment if the Towns didn't
work together, it would just take longer. Mark O'Brien said the work also affects
the condition of the course and they charge a reduced fee for about 1 week after
they aerify. Cindy Bingham asked why we need (3) aerifiers when Harwich only
has two. Steve Mann explained that it costs more in overtime and you can go
faster with 5-6 aerifiers; you can do 18 holes in one day. Dennis and Brewster
have 36 holes, Harwich has 18 but we have the most equipment. Steve Mann
said this is a semi new agreement with other towns and he is actually requesting
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1 greens aerifier less than what they have now. The Committee asked what the
Hydrojet aerifier was used for. Steve Mann explained that it is a water aerifier,
mainly used in the summer to deal with situational problems. Mr. Poole asked
about the pump replacement in 2017, #73 & 74, as it is a big jump in the Capital
Plan. Mr. O'Brien said they would only replace them if needed and it is hard to
plan for when they might go. Mr. Poole asked if they could be staggered over
three years 2016/2017/2018. The committee asked about mower replacement
#'s 26-34 and why they are all in the same year. Mr. O'Brien explained that it is
so the parts are interchangeable and that these mowers are not used with the
same regularity, but they have been pushed back on the capital plan a few
times. Steve Mann said they mowed by hand about 15 times this season, but if
you have the help, it's better for the turf to hand mow. The year before, they did
it about 40 times. John Dickson said there was a big bump in 2017/2018 in the
overall amount and do we know how much of the annual requested amount
comes out of golf receipts versus what the town pays. Mr. O'Brien said it all
comes from receipts but receipts have been down. They can fund all of this up
until 2018 then they start running into the red. He is wondering if some of the
course improvements should be funded by the town so that they don't clear out
the receipts account. Mr. Dickson asked when the bond for the second course
come off the books; it comes off in 2020. Mr. Dickson thinks it would be better to
go on the receipts as long as possible since the problem starts in 2017 and we
need to think about what can be spread out or delayed to make it until 2020.
Cindy Bingham wondered if we could look at leases and how much more would it
be to lease to own. Mr. Dickson said he is a fan of leasing as it sets a schedule
for payments and you get new equipment. Mr. Sumner said that Town counsel
hates leases and they leave little room for negotiation. He is fond of Lisa's, but
not leases. Mr. Sumner believes we have to continue to make investments in the
course. Mr. Dickson asked what it looks like when you purchase instead of
leasing. Mr. O'Brien said the bottom line is higher. In terms of projects, they
have ongoing cart paving, sink hole and tee repairs in each year. Lisa Souve
asked how many sink holes there are. Mr. Mann said about 50. Cindy Bingham
said some of them are very serious. The requested yearly amount is 45K which
would take care of 3 to 4 sinkholes. The 30K will cover about 6 tee areas and the
15K for cart paths depends on price of asphalt. Mr. O'Brien said they have
deferred a lot of projects. John Dickson said this year's requests look reasonable.
Cindy Bingham is worried about the long term situation before we get to 2020.
Mr. O'Brien said that if we went over the plans from the last 10 years, you would
see that a lot of items have been moved. Mr. Dickson asked what the amount
per year that could be spent to last until 2020. Mr. O'Brien said you start with a
220K shortfall in 2018. Mr. Dickson said if you took 100K out in 2017 and 2018
then, you could probably make it to 2020. Mr. Poole pointed out that the receipts
are based on the current year with no growth right now and that could change
so maybe we should wait and see what happens.
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Lisa Souve asked about the electric cable replacement in 2016 and if it should be
moved up. Steve Mann explained that it pops on occasion and is just an electrical
wire buried in the ground which really needs to be upgraded, but they can wait
until 2016 unless continual problems occur. Mr. Sumner said that we should plan
on paying some of these items out of free cash now. Mr. O'Brien thought it may
be worthwhile to think about doing the tee renovation all at once which would be
$450,000 out of free cash versus it being $90,000 for 5 years out their capital
plan. Mr. Dickson believes the politics of where the money comes from is
significant. He thinks it would be better to try to spread out the projects and
continue to take it from cart receipts than ask for town money. He does think
that if you have a project like the electrical connection which may be unsafe, that
is a different issue. Mr. Sumner explained that the Golf Course has been losing
about $250,000 a year and the Town is already absorbing that, but there were
many years where the course returned a large profit to the town. Mr. Sumner
thinks that the Selectmen should talk about this issue with the golf commission.
Charlie Sumner made a motion to adjourn at 5:12 pm, Lisa Vitale second. The
vote was unanimous in favor.
The next meeting is on January 7, at 4:00 P.M.
Respectfully Submitted,
Donna J. Kalinick
Administrative Clerk
Town Administrator's Office
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