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Management Information Systems (MIS) continued from previous page Worked with the Finance Department to implement a Disaster Recovery Plan for the Town's Munis Financial Software System. The Town Computer Center is now ser- viced by a backup generator which has improved power reliability. Partnered with DPW Operations to implement new work- flow software, Cartegraph. Installed the last module of the Munis Financial Software Water and Sewer billing. This completes the replacement of the legacy accounting system. No Place For Hate Committee ROLE: To mobilize citizens to challenge bigotry and to promote a prejudice -free community in which all people are appreciated for their differences. ENDORSED by the Board of Selectmen: Co- chairs Kenneth Elmore and Jill Smilow, Catherine Abbott, Reverend Judith Brain, Mark Corr, David Horton, Daniel Huang, Jeanne Krieger, Charles Martin, Leona Martin, Michael Novak, Brenda Prusak, Linda Crew Vine, and Jennifer Wolfrum. HIGHLIGHTS: • The Town provided education to new and veteran employees in the areas of racial awareness and diver- sity. The goals of the program were, first, to raise the awareness of Town employees about the range of diversity represented by Lexington's residents and employees and, second, to increase and impact the recruitment efforts of the Town to diversify its work- force. During the sessions, employees could learn about the actual demographics of Lexington resi- dents and employees, develop specific cultural com- petencies, and gain practice discussing racial issues. • Developed a window sticker of the No Place for Hate logo, for residents to show their support for diversity and tolerance. Developed and distributed Guidelines for Civil Discourse to organizations and committees within the Town. Their purpose is to guarantee all people's right to free speech and to ensure productive civil discourse at public meetings and gatherings in the Town. The guidelines request that all citizens recog- The Town Web presence is the cornerstone for future e- government initiatives and continues to grow in size. The Tourism Committee partnered with a local business and MIS to develop an enhanced Tourism site at http:Hwww. libertyride.us. The MIS Coordinator serves as a member of the Communications Advisory Committee and provides monthly reports in the role of Wide Area Network Administrator. nize a person's right to advocate ideas that are dif- ferent from their own; show respect for others; speak as they would like to be spoken to; agree to listen; speak for themselves, not others; and follow agreed upon guidelines regarding who speaks when and for how long. Piloted Study Circles, a type of study group whose goal is to involve and engage people from all sectors of our community in the critical social and political issues of importance to our Town by building inter- group understanding and respect; preventing acts of bigotry, hates crimes, and civil rights violations; hav- ing respectful, productive discussions among com- munity members from all sectors of our community; addressing critical public issues in a democratic and collaborative way; creating new personal relation- ships and community networks; and providing a basis for problem solving, which may lead to action at many levels. Additional Study Circles sessions are planned for 2004. Began work on developing an Incident Response Protocol through which the leadership of the Town and its citizens can counteract the effects of hate inci- dents and hate crimes in a unified, coordinated way. The goal of the protocol is to create a mechanism to disseminate accurate information to dispel rumors, state what the Town stands for, identify resources for people to contact for support and help, and to list actions that will be taken to ensure everyone's safety and integrity. The protocol should be in place in the Spring of 2004. 2003 Annual Report, Town of Lexington Page 11