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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018-5-17Minutes for May 17, 2018, adopted Aug. 2 Town of Nantucket Capital Program Committee p www.nantucket-ma.gov :r ` Members: Stephen Welch (Chair), Pete Kaizer (vice chair), Richard Hussey (Secretary), Christy parr _ r% Peter McEachern, Jason Bridges, Nat Lowell! MINUTES Thursday, May 17, 2018 N 4 Fairgrounds Road, Training Room —11:00 am Called to order at 11:00 a.m. and Announcements made. Staff: Libby Gibson, Town Manager; Brian Turbitt, Director Finance; Julia Lindner, Financial Analyst; Terry Norton, Town Minutes Taker Attending Members: Welch, Kaizer, Hussey, Kickham, Bridges, Lowell Absent Members: McEachern Late arrival: None Documents used: Copy of minutes April 12, 2018; FY2019 meeting schedule; Capital Project Request Forms; FY2020 out -year projects Agenda adotited by unanimous consent. None 11. --APPROVE MINUTES 1. April 12, 2018: adopted by unanimous consent. • • •0 V.1 N tj OLVA I OEM "MIT44 1:3 11 IJ F Discussion Welch — Page 80 of the FY2019 report under "procedural recommendations": proposes looking at the information to inform a decision on whether or not the annual funding amount, which is currently 1 percent, should go up. Gibson — If we are going to increase the capital funding, there are implications on the operating budget. Annually our Financial Advisor looks at the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP); suggested inviting her to a CapCom meeting. Turbitt — We wouldn't recommend borrowing that puts us outside the funding amount. Everything is modeled to fall within the annual amortization for 10 years. We talk regularly about our debt service and amortization schedule and about whether or not it all fits into our budget. Hussey — Asked when the annual funding amount was last changed and how Nantucket fares compared to other towns. Gibson — It has not changed recently. When other towns change is all over the board; there seems to be no set schedule. Turbitt — When we start the budget planning process, $1M comes off immediately to get within the calculation for the levy. We have to look at it holistically. Welch — Feels CapCom should look at it to review a report/recommendation based on the debt obligations, the amortization schedule and the 12%. Suggested looking at what percentage might be the most advantageous. Gibson — We need to clarify what we want the money to cover. Welch — Another item to address is congregational planning group amongst the different entities involved in the capital procurement process to pull all the different plans together. Lowell — The group concept is important; it helps to show there is strong leadership as a whole. Page 1 of 4 Minutes for May 17, 2018, adopted Aug. 2 Welch — There are a variety of plans being put together that address five- and 10 -year plan. This group dialogue would address the economic 30 -year plan and plan for them in advance, along the lines of what Nantucket wants to be in 2050 and how we get there. Lowell — Consistency in the committee process to keep the Select Board, which changes more than any other Board, apprised of the overall goal of the Town. Welch — Insofar as the CIP, working over the course of the next budgeting session to become focused on out year projects to look at them in depth and review exceptions and dollar cost changes; there would be little change when they finally come. Part of doing that is developing a CIP program so anyone can come in and know how to proceed. This concept of congregational planning would be similar to that and help deal with emergency issues and keep everyone on track and develop consistency. Gibson — What would be helpful would be the three groups to know what the schedule is and what's on the horizon and what's coming up immediately. As far as an `emergency', not everyone might agree that some capital project is an emergency. It wouldn't have to be a long meeting, simply a "check in" so nothing is a surprise. Bridges — What we're looking for as an aligned focus. The Strategic Plan is important to help the Select Board to stay focused on what they want to ensure are done in the next three years. CapCom asking them to look at the next 10 years detracts from the shorter -term focus. Welch — CapCom does take the 3-6 years into consideration for the Select Board along with Finance Committee (FinCom) concerns and overlaying it along the 10 -year plan. The next layer in the maturity of that is for groups to focus on an aligned 10- to 20 -year economic goal Lowell — In people's mind the Select Board is Nr 1 but in fact it is the Town as a whole. Things that come out of Transportation Planning shift around; he thinks it would work better with CapCom to keep things tight. Welch — Nantucket Planning and Economic Development Commission is the voice of the community through the Master Plan. The Master Plan includes action on general and specific capital assets, which cost money. If there is an active and open dialogue on this bigger picture through congregational planning, it helps inform CapCom, FinCom, and Select Board decisions; this is the 30 -year planning concept. He thinks it would benefit the Town if that's how the Master Plan is implemented in regards to long-term financial planning. Centralizing the Capital Asset Management: the idea is to have a way to adequately manage information that has to do with capital assets and to make timely, well-informed decisions; and to save money through a self-funded administration structure. For instance, Capital Asset Management Program paying a salary to a manager or director with a Project Manager reporting to the Town Manager saves a tremendous amount of money rather than paying a percentage of each capital project to several outside project managers. Asset management, information development and sharing, and monitoring projects could be a year-round process, not a capital "binge" process by staff, CapCom, and others. At some point, he would like to talk about how to get the discussion going. Gibson — This would be valuable; in departments with larger projects, they assign project managers. We're at the point where we need to focus more on capital needs; right now it's a lot of people's jobs and she likes the idea of a single dedicated position in charge of it It is a high- level position and she is aware of all the other positions that are being sought for inclusion. This position would help departments handle their projects; there have been a lot of regulatory and statutory changes that make projects more difficult OSHA Standards being imposed on all municipality projects might mean creating a position for a safety officer. Kaizer — Asked if this position would be modeled after similar positions in other municipalities. Gibson — Yes, it is becoming a more popular position; municipalities are dedicating more resources to capital projects. We will be talking about it at our staff meetings. Welch — In terms of the concept, the idea is to centralize handling and managing information which is an extension of the database we are creating and to free up Finance staff in long-term Page 2 of 4 Minutes for May 17, 2018, adopted Aug. 2 planning. Pointed out two large capital projects could pay the salaries of that position for ten years; the cost savings would be substantial and would eliminate redundancy. Project Review Timeline: want to work in more to fulfill our charge within the timeline. Another part is a semi-annual procedure to review the status of projects. Gibson — At least twice a year, we have our own meeting on out -standing projects with the departments; we can combine that with CapCom. She wants to have another Capital Project Status Review before instructions Capital Requests go out. Welch — Schedule: Expanded the schedule to meet more frequently for less time; this is a step toward a year-round process, which won't be fully possible until CapCom has dedicated staff. This also works in time for a review of the year's process. The schedule also clarifies the hard - finish date and when department heads would come back. He met with FinCom about the schedule; they need the information from CapCom in December to prevent a bottleneck of information in January when FinCom begins its review process. He set up the schedule to deliver the CapCom recommendations either December 12 or 19. Ms Gibson will also ensure FinCom is using the CapCom schedule and not their own; that should help create common expectations. Also new this year is, between May 17 through June 11, the process to review out years, finalize the process, a pre -joint meeting, and a joint Select Board-FinCom meeting on June 11. August 2 begins the process for reviewing Special Town Meeting articles and a preliminary review without department heads, and staff studies if one is going on. There will be an organizational meeting to discuss officers and set the liaisons. Reviewed the ATM departmental capital project review schedule. Kickham — Asked if there are place holders. Welch — Yes, pointed out that Peter McEachern is extremely busy in August and will probably miss a few meeting. Kickham — Asked if the Department of Public Works (DPW) will have good information that early. Gibson — It will be tricky; but we're trying to get them used to his. Kickham — He can see some alleviation with this schedule for CapCom. Wants to ensure we have the information we need at that time. Welch — DPW and solid waste has a pretty well vetted Capital Projects list already, that's why they are first. Discussion Gibson — Things possibly coming up in FY2020: parking garage, redo parking lots at 2 (12:07) Fairgrounds Road and town lot, town pier, Polpis Harbor dredging, feasibility study or a plan for seasonal employee housing, a new municipal building, a feasibility study for a Senior/Community Center, funds for disposition of the Nantucket Fire Department property, Newtown Road sidewalk, completion of in -Town bike path, and intersection improvements. Projects might come out of the Coastal Resiliency Plan. Hussey — Asked about 20 South Water Street. Gibson — The most recent feasibility study for office space constructed a new municipal building at 2 Fairgrounds Road and renovated 16 Broad for State offices and the courts and lease 20 South Water Street to a group to turn it into a more functional community or visitor center. Welch — That plan is where congregational planning would make a huge difference. Lowell — That plan is a perfect example of how things change overnight. Gibson — In the meantime, we have buildings that are becoming progressively greater problems. Kickham — Asked about the concept of a community center. Gibson — Events, activities for adults and children. We're going to start seeing issues with meeting space; soon this training room will be unavailable when the new Fire Department building is finished. Page 3 of 4 Minutes for May 17, 2018, adopted Aug. 2 Welch — FY2020 and out years, important item is facilities maintenance to be discussed with DPW. Another item of discussion was smaller transportation -related projects that are being put off but should be done in conjunction with other roadwork. Departments should identify those projects and ensure they are on the CIP for planning purposes. Gibson — Transportation projects come through the Transportation Planner. There are various intersections that have been identified as needing improvement. Every department is encouraged to identify any project that might occur in the next 10 years; the CapCom Liaison could help. Lowell — Some projects are so small and easy to do they don't need to be on the CIP; cited some examples. Welch — Asked for an update on the database. Turbitt — We are working with a development company, which is supposed to have a quote to us next week. We sent them a copy of the CIP request form and worked through the amount of users and worked through a couple of reports. Hopefully we'll sign an agreement The goal is for the database to be avail mid July for department heads. Working on the parameters of fields filled before it is saved. The next phase will be the RORI which should hit by August 9. The plans is that on August 9 to show everyone how to log in and use it. 1. N Date: I May 24, at 11 a.m., 4 Fairgrounds Road, Training Room Adjourned at1 12:28 p.m. by unanimous consent. Terry L. Page 4 of 4