Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes 2008

Advisory Committee
March 13, 2008 Meeting Minutes

APPROVED
Town of Hingham
Advisory Committee
March 13, 2008 Meeting Minutes
Hingham Town Hall
Present: Committee Members Bierwirth, Asher, Ellison, Farrell, Friedman, Innis, Johnson, Kiernan, Lauter, Manning, Port, Seelen.
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1. Chair Joe Bierwirth called the Advisory Committee meeting to order at 7:38 PM.

2. The Committee reviewed and approved the minutes from the March 11th meeting.

3. Capital Budget Presentation:

Irma Lauter introduced Andy Mooradian of the Capital Outlay Committee (COC). Andy reviewed the FY '09 Capital Budget Recommendation of the COC. Andy and Irma also reviewed several new approaches the COC took this year, including:

COC asked individual departments to rank the priorities of their capital requests in case the Town's capital budget is not sufficient to meet all perceived capital needs.
COC prepared a base line capital budget showing repeating annual needs of the Town's departments (IT, vehicles, etc.). This base line annual budget amounts to approximately $1,300,000.00 in 2008 dollars (level services); new initiatives, such as major building repairs, are in addition to this figure. Ted Alexiades suggested that this base line budget should be funded from recurring revenues (tax levy) rather than from variable revenues, such as free cash.

The Advisory Committee voted favorably to recommend an approved Capital Outlay budget of $2,423,634.00.

4. Historic District Extension:

Tony Kiernan updated the Advisory Committee on the status of the proposed Hingham Centre Local Historic District extension. Boy Scout Troop One has expressed a desire to have its property excluded from the extended district. An attempt to reach a compromise between the Historic Districts Commission (HDC) and Troop One has not been successful. Geoff McCullough and Alec MacMillan, representing the HDC, spoke in favor of including Troop One's property in the District. Jeff Tocchio and Jim Drew, representing Troop One, spoke in opposition to its inclusion. Jeff Tocchio presented a new compromise proposal, and the Advisory Committee suggested that both sides try to resolve their differences with a mutually acceptable compromise. No vote was taken.

5. Energy Policy Warrant Article:

The Advisory Committee voted favorably on the Energy Policy Warrant article.

6. Affordable Housing on Beal Street (Amend LIP) Warrant Article:

The Advisory Committee voted favorably on this Warrant article.

7. Affordable Housing Trust Allocation Plan Warrant Article:

Karen Johnson introduced Selectman Laura Burns and members of the Board of Trustees of the Hingham Affordable Housing Trust (HAHT). The Trustees presented their allocation plan, and they noted that a current significant priority is preserving existing affordable housing, such as the Lincoln School Apartment building. This building is scheduled to lose its affordability restriction in approximately three months, and HAHT would like the ability to purchase it in order to preserve its affordable status. The Committee discussed several items of concern, including the idea that the HAHT develop a business plan, the thought that the allocation plan might be too restrictive, and the desire for Town Meeting to retain some degree of review over specific HAHT expenditures.

The majority of the Advisory Committee voted favorably on this article; one member abstained, and Linda Port voted in opposition and asked to be recorded.

8. Community Preservation Committee – Housing W arrant Articles:

The Advisory Committee voted favorably on the following CPC Housing Warrant Articles:

Transfer $225,000.00 from the CPC Housing Reserve to Hingham Affordable Housing Trust (HAHT). The majority of the Committee voted in favor of this article; Linda Port voted in opposition and asked to be recorded.
Transfer $175,000.00 from the CPC Housing Reserve to HAHT so that HAHT can operate the previously authorized pilot loan program.
Appropriate $85,000.00 from the CPC Housing Reserve to help construct a low-income home on Nokomis Road.

9. Community Preservation Committee – Open Space Warrant Articles:

The Advisory Committee voted unanimously in favor of the following CPC Open Space Warrant articles:

Transfer $50,000.00 of unspent funds previously appropriated for a pedestrian bridge at the Harbor, such funds to be used for the feasibility study of, and preparation of construction documents and estimates for, a pedestrian walkway at the Mill Pond Outfall Crossing.
Appropriate $492,500.00 from the CPC General Reserve for use by the Hingham Conservation Commission in acquiring the 3.3 acre Amonte property on Rockland Street.

The meeting was adjourned at approximately 11:45 PM.

The next Advisory Committee meetings are scheduled for 3/18/08, and tentatively 3/19/08 as well in the event that business cannot be completed at the 3/18 meeting; all meetings at 7:30 PM.

Respectfully submitted,
Jerry Seelen, Secretary

Advisory CommitteeMarch 13, 2008 Meeting Minutes

Advisory Committee
March 13, 2008 Meeting Minutes