2023-03-20-SB-ATM-rpt - Laserfiche WebLink

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The Select Board further allocated$875,000 for housing-related projects,including funds for LexHAB to purchase houses,funds to develop a Municipal Housing Trust and Development Corporation proposal, and funds for Vine Street Affordable Housing Design. The Select Board has also approved $321,609 for pandemic-related expenses,including additional staffing for the Human Resources Department, solutions for remote/hybrid meetings, and outdoor shelters for the Recreation Department. To ensure that the community has a voice in the allocation of the ARPA funds,the Select Board has implemented a Participatory Budgeting(PB) process. This democratic process allows residents to propose and vote on projects that will be funded using a portion of the ARPA funds. The PB process for FY2023 in Lexington has taken place over the past several months and is currently in the Voting Phase. The Town received 136 project submissions. The Select Board narrowed the list down to 13 projects that met the criteria,including being able to be completed within a year,benefiting the community, and being able to be funded within the allocated budget. These projects range across various categories, including Transportation,Streets, and Sidewalks;Arts &Culture;Parks and Recreation;Environment& Sustainability; and Public Health. Social Racial Equity Initiatives The Select Board recognizes that social and racial injustice has deep roots.The Board has made a proactive and ongoing commitment to engage in comprehensive and ongoing community conversations to better understand community needs and to consider diversity, equity, and inclusion in policies and plans, all with the goal of making Lexington a truly equitable community for all. The Select Board has adopted Diversity, Equity & Inclusion as one of its top priority goals, including a commitment to develop and implement a comprehensive racial equity plan, consider racial and other equity impacts in all decisions and planning processes, and incorporate the goals of Town Meeting's systemic racism resolution in each department's goals and objectives. The Select Board recognizes that accomplishing these goals will require and budgetary commitment to training and continuous improvement. The Chief Equity Officer (CEO) leads the Town in achieving these goals while prioritizing community engagement. The CEO is currently actively focused on expanding the applicant pool for Town staff positions, with the goal of hiring and retaining staff of diverse backgrounds and identities. The CEO also secured a$50,000 Community Compact grant to conduct an internal equity audit to better understand the gaps and barriers that create inequities.The audit will also review policies,survey focus groups,and work with senior staff to assess their readiness to implement the recommendations of the audit. The Chief Equity Officer also facilitates a series of community engagement and communication initiatives designed to build relationships with cultural groups including: • Forming the Strategic Equity Advisory Team (SEAT) with representatives from as many communities as possible, • Launching the Coffee with the [Police] Chief program to foster better understanding and communications between the community and the Police Department. The CEO facilitated the first Coffee with the Chief session attended by 20 highly engaged residents who were able to ask questions of Chief McLean and other Police Department staff.The CEO is also developing a joint grant application to fund community training and conversation around diversity, equity, and inclusion. The Lexington Police Department(LPD) continues to review the recommended policy changes submitted by Lexington Town Counsel (Anderson&Kreiger LLP). LPD has completed the implementation of 30 of 4