Meeting Minutes
FALMOUTH EDIC OPEN MEETING: November 8, 2022
Falmouth Town Hall, 59 Town Hall Square, Falmouth, MA 02540
Select Board Meeting Room
PRESENT
Christopher Land (C), Thomas Feronti (VC), Kevin Holmes (T), Mark Lowenstein (CK), Michael, Galasso, Samuel Patterson, Adrian Merryman
ABSENT
Adrian Merryman
8:30 am* CALL TO ORDER
A quorum was established. The Vice Chair called the meeting to order.
8:30 PUBLIC COMMENT
None
8:30 APPROVAL OF BOARD MEETING MINUTES
MOTION: Patterson made a motion to approve the October 11, 2022 Public Session Board Meeting Minutes. Holmes 2nd the motion. All in favor. Motion approved.
8:31 FINANCE
Kevin Holmes
Holmes referred to the October 31st financial reports. The net cash position improved by $27K due to rent payments arriving late. Rent payments are up to date with exception of Solar 2.
This was the month that was budgeted for the sale of the Tech Park lot. As this did not occur, the financials will begin to look off. The EDIC continues to demonstrate expense control; unrealized expenditures are keeping the financials within budget. The net income line is negative $14K, vs. a budgeted negative of $46K.
Galasso inquired why the Falmouth Station long term leasehold, is not listed as an asset of the corporation on the financial reports. Holmes and Lingafelter reported that both the EDIC’s CPA and Auditor continue to affirm that the EDIC financial reports are correctly structured as presented. The Auditors referred to the government accounting standards to support their position on the EDIC financials. Lingafelter said that he would invite the EDIC Auditor to a future board meeting to further update the board regarding this matter.
MOTION: Holmes made a motion to approve the November 8th, 2022 warrant in the amount of $18,671.00. Patterson 2nd the motion. All in favor. Motion approved.
Holmes reported receiving and reviewing a draft copy of the 2021 Audited financials. All data was within the realm of what was expected. The net position continues to decline with a 2021-year end net position of negative $43K. Revenues were up year over year but this was primarily due to government stimulus PPP loan. When backing this out, revenue increased by a modest $3K. The revenue increases realized at the Falmouth Station were offset by the slightly lower income from the Solar Landfill projects.
Discussion ensued regarding the designation of being a “component part” of the Town of Falmouth.
Lingafelter will provide a copy of the draft 2021 audited financial report to the EDIC Board. If a board vote is required, it will be done at the December board meeting.
Holmes advised that Roselli & Clark presented a new 3-year engagement proposal to the Falmouth EDIC for years 2022 – 2024. Data provided by Chad Clark demonstrated a 35-45% savings on past EDIC audit pricing. Holmes stated he thought the price increases for the next 3 years were reasonable, noting the benefit of Roselli & Clark’s familiarly and experience with the EDIC and the Town of Falmouth. Holmes stated there is merit to continuing the EDIC auditing service with Roselli & Clark.
Galasso inquired if because the audit contract exceeds $10K if an RFP needed to be issued. Lingafelter stated that he believes that accounting services were excluded.
MOTION: Holmes made a motion to approve the 3-year contract for Roselli & Clark. Lowenstein 2nd the motion. All in favor. Motion approved.
8:54 OpenCape: Steve Johnston, CEO and Executive Director
Mr. Johnston stated that the Falmouth EDIC and Falmouth Chamber approached OpenCape in 2017 regarding a Main Street Fiber Optic High Speed Internet Project to support Falmouth businesses that were communicating difficulty with processing credit card transactions.
On Feb. 3rd, 2020 the first fiber optic internet connect was installed at the Falmouth Chamber of Commerce.
Currently, there are 59 Falmouth OpenCape internet customers connected. Service runs from Palmer Avenue down Main Street up to approximately the Falmouth Mall shopping area.
The original service charge was $117 per month; in March 2022 OpenCape lowered the price to $80 per month.
Every customer receives a minimum of 250 megabits per second down and 125 megabits per second up. The network is performing very well.
Installation costs were originally estimated to be $600 per customer. Due to varying and greater distances to the fiber optic backbone, the actual installation costs were approximately $1,350 per customer. This higher cost also was a result of higher labor and equipment costs due to Covid-19.
OpenCape is breaking even financially at this point with the Falmouth Business Main St. Gigabit Project. To generate a profit there will need to be 200 Falmouth connections. OpenCape is working on increasing their Falmouth customer base; Johnston is optimistic this will occur.
Johnston reported a new partnership with Cape Cod Young Professionals, who are managing a grant thru Mass Capital Growth Program. Small business can apply for this grant up to $5K for digital assistance which would include an OpenCape connection cost.
Many Falmouth business owners who expressed internet challenges have still not applied for connection.
Falmouth remains the most connected network on Cape Cod.
Johnston recently completed a Barnstable County ARPA grant application to replicate the Falmouth Business Main St. Gigabit Project in Provincetown, Orleans, Chatham, Mashpee and Buzzards Bay.
9:22 Executive Director’s Report
Wayne Lingafelter
Lingafelter reported that the CDBG audit will take tomorrow; Broderick is prepared. Results will be reported next month.
Lingafelter has communicated with the CCC’s Chief Regulatory Officer and Chief Planner members regarding resource availability for planning work associated with increased density and development at the Falmouth Tech Park. The next step is to determine what the EDIC wants to accomplish at the Falmouth Tech Park. Lingafelter suggested meeting with the Tech Park sub-committee to discuss development goals / opportunities.
Lingafelter reported meeting with Peter Johnson-Staub a month ago. Lingafelter proposed a donation of the land the water tank resides on and the water easement area. Lingafelter is awaiting a response from the Town Manager regarding the Tech Park Lot sublease proposal.
Lingafelter and Broderick met with the new Cleaning Service provider to review the SOW and fall/winter hours schedule. Cleaning service has been reduced from 7 days to 3 days a week for the slower fall/winter season to manage expenses.
Lingafelter and Lowenstein met with John Marcellino and had a constructive conversation regarding his lease default at the Falmouth Station. Rent payment in the amount of approximately $5K is in default.
Early last month, the parking lot stripping and curb painting was completed at the Falmouth Station. New bus stalls were added for bus parking in areas that will not impede pedestrian traffic.
The two grant applications for the workforce housing project were not approved. The Barnstable County ARPA grant application/ Letter of Interest submitted in September for $216K of funding was not approved to advance. Lingafelter applied to the mid/small $5M pool of funds offered. The Country received 122 Letters of Interest requesting a total of $40M in funding. Lingafelter stated that the applications that advanced benefited more than one town. Lingafelter was advised to apply directly to the Town of Falmouth for some of the Town ARPA funding, which he will explore. Lingafelter will explore upcoming additional rounds of ARPA funding, in particular for projects requesting larger amounts. The Mass Development $74K real estate services grant application submitted in May 2022 was also not awarded. There were 30 grant applications competing for $250K in funds. Mass Dev advised because the EDIC had already received funds from this grant program last year for the Falmouth Station Master Plan Study. There was some confusion as to whether the EDIC was a qualified agency to receive these funds, ultimately determining the EDIC was. As well, though there was support from the Town of Falmouth and local Legislative representatives, the EDIC did not quite demonstrate a partnership with the Town of Falmouth for the project.
A quarterly report was recently submitted to CPC for the Station masonry repair project. Lowenstein executed the Kenny & Kenny architectural engineering contract. Kenny completed a laser scan last week. Lingafelter is searching for an envelope water testing contractor to inspect the Falmouth Station exterior facades as part of the CPC funded masonry project.
The board discussed the budget review meeting date and time; scheduled for Friday, Nov. 11th at 11am.
9:46 New Business, Agenda Items or Guest Speakers
Mass Development – Robert Jenkins, State Senator - Susan Moran, State Representative - David Viera,
State Representative - Dylan Fernandes, Housing Assistance Corp.- Alisa Magnotta, CEO.
9:50 ADJOURNMENT and Move into Executive Session
MOTION: Feronti made a motion to ADJOURN the Public Session meeting and move into Executive Session, not to return to the Public Session, to discuss a lease matter as discussing in a public session would be detrimental to the EDIC’s negotiation position. Land 2nd. Roll Call: Holmes Aye, Patterson Aye, Land Aye, Feronti Aye, Galasso Aye, Lowenstein Aye. Motion approved.
NEXT MEETING – December 13th, 2022, 8:30am
*Times listed are intended merely for guidance.
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