HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-11-05-COD-min Commission on Disability
Meeting Minutes November 5, 2015
Members Present:
Victoria Buckley, Chair; Nate Finch; Julie Miller; Len Morse-Fortier; Francine Stieglitz; Janet
Perry
Town Liaisons:
Fred Lonardo, Building Commissioner; Joe Pato, Chair, Board of Selectmen; Linda Vine,
Deputy Town Manager; Harry Mackay, Council on Aging
Guests:
Shaun Grady, Lexington Resident; William Hadley, Director of Public Works; David
Pissonneault, Manager of Operations; Marc Valenti, Highway Superintendent
• Location: The November 2015 meeting of the Commission on Disability was held at a
different location - at the Community Center, 39 Marrett Road.
• Discussion about snow removal: Guests William Hadley, Director of Public Works,
David Pinsonneault, Manager of Operations and Marc Valenti, Highway Superintendent,
discussed town snow removal policies. Lexington has 62 miles of sidewalks. The goal is
to have them cleared 24 hours after storm ends. DPW also pre-treats roads and parking
lots. They use both in-house equipment and 95-100 pieces of contracted equipment.
Workers treat downtown sidewalks, ramps and crosswalks with the goal of being cleared
within 24 hours of snow stopping. Commission members voiced concerns and received
answers: issue of ramps being accurately cleared—Bill said workers are expected to
preview ramps and crosswalks so they know where they are specifically; concern about
how sometimes piles are put in HP parking spaces, or, as is the case of CVS, into the
outside lift—David said that this is not allowed and that members should call police
about CVS and/or DPW with any problems; issue of school bus stops and public transit
stops, that when a big pile is there people cannot wait safely—DPW should be notified of
this when it happens. Bill said that the merchants in the Center are also responsible for
clearing their sidewalks within 24 hours after the storm.
• Approval of September and October minutes: both sets of minutes were approved
unanimously.
• Photo of Commission for Annual Report: taken at this meeting.
• Discussion about wording for award for Brookline Bank: Brookline Bank has
lowered its teller windows to wheelchair height; they are the first bank to do this in the
Center. Nate suggested the wording for the plaque—"in appreciation for your advancing
the access for all". Commission agreed to have Chair present plaque to the bank.
• Reminder of NAMI event on 11/10, Lexington Venue: This is a documentary film
called "Pack Up Your Sorrows"; the Commission is listed as one of the supporters.
• Disability Film in Cambridge on 11/7: This is a disability rights film called "La Casa
Linda"presented by a community film series called "Disability Reframed".
• Discussion about addressing needs of citizens with hearing and visual issues:
Discussion started about how to gain information about what is needed in town. Len
volunteered to draft an article for the Minuteman about how the Commission is seeking
information. Unfortunately, Cary Hall's improvements were not fully in place for the
Town Meeting, but the auditory enhancements will be finished shortly. Janet talked
about voting issues for those with visual issues and Linda Vine said that we should invite
Nathalie Rice to our next meeting to discuss how to address this. Janet also said that
those who have visual problems have real difficulty with stairs that do not have a distinct
edge marked in white or yellow or some contrasting material. This is also true for people
with depth perception issues or cognitive or neurological impairments. To better work on
the Commission's broad goal of addressing citizens' various sensory issues, the plan will
be to gather more information, invite people with specific issues to contact the
Commission, possibly hold a special forum and then make recommendations.
• Additional new business and update on new projects: Fred said that architect Don
Mills was seeking a variance for one of the bathrooms at Cary Hall. Victoria will contact
Don to see if he needs a support letter for the variance.
Meeting was adjourned at 7:05 PM.
Respectively Submitted: Victoria Buckley