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Board of Selectmen continued from previous page using the new Samuel Hadley Public Services Building as a base of operations. Information gathered during the boil - water emergency has led to new guidelines when ordering the suspension of food - related services to lessen the impact on businesses. Communicating Community Values The discussion over adding services continued. The plowing of the Minuteman Bikeway was the focus of one such dis- cussion. How best to clear this important cross -town path- way remains an issue, but the problem has been temporarily solved by using donations to support plowing operations under the supervision of the Lexington Bicycle Advisory Committee. The willingness of citizens to contribute to support services not funded by the Town and to help less fortunate residents was noticeable even in fiscally constrained times. The long- running debate over parking in the Center con- tinued with a thick report and a series of public sessions producing additional data. The Selectmen will be consider- ing recommendations in the report during 2011. The Cen- ter Committee continued the development of proposals for improvements to the area although once again there was no consensus on bank properties. Affordable housing and large -scale housing projects also oc- cupied a significant amount of our time in 2010. A housing project of 51 units, with six of them affordable, off Woburn Street near Countryside was approved by Town Meeting. In addition, LexHAB continued to acquire single - family properties, but the debate continues over whether to move away from the current affordable housing policy of scat- tered site development toward more dense development. In May members of the Demographic Change Study Task Force presented a final report. The objective of the Task TOWN OF LEXINGTON 1 5 Force was to identify demographic changes taking place with an eye to forecasting changes that are likely to occur by 2020 and to understand how these changes will affect Town services. Increased commercial development in South Lexington brought with it increased revenue and a strengthening of the commercial tax base, but at the same time intensified the de- bate over how to mitigate impact on nearby neighborhoods. The Climate Action Plan Committee was dissolved upon request of their chairman, but their work was taken up by the newly- formed Sustainable Lexington Committee. Although the Board still lacks a reliable crystal ball, obvious projects for the coming year will almost certainly include what to do with the White House property, renewed ef- forts to determine what youth, family and senior services the Town should offer and how that translates to physi- cal space, what level of maintenance should be rendered to unaccepted streets and how best to maintain our many miles of roadways and sidewalks. Added to this list must be further work on the eventual disposition of the Munroe School given the general feeling of the Town Meeting that such further work was needed. The Board recognizes that any successes are a joint effort of an enthusiastically participatory citizenry, supported by dedicated Town staff and numerous volunteer elected and appointed boards, commissions, and committees. The Board of Selectmen serves mostly to guide and encourage all of the citizen groups that do so much for the Town. 2010 ended and 2011 began with an event that marked the continued reawakening of Cary Hall as a community gath- ering place. The Lexington Symphony Orchestra used it as the venue for a black tie ball to say goodbye to the old year and welcome the new. The Selectmen do the same with this report. Board of Selectmen: (L—R): George Burnell; Peter Kelley; Hank Manz, Chairman; Diana Chabot, Assistant to the Executive Clerk Norman Cohen; Deborah Mauger. Rear: Carl Valente, Town Manager.