1985-Annual Report - Laserfiche WebLink

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MAPC Rep Sees Where Regional, Local Meet The Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), established by State law (1963), serves as a forum for regional planning issues for 101 cities and towns in an area from Boston, west to Route 495. The chief elected official, or city or town manager where appropriate, ap- points the representative, who is the liaison between local officials and MAPC. Funding for the agency is provided by state and federal grants and a per capita assessment of member communities, now at 17+ cents, or $5,100 in FY85. Through the environmental review process, Lexington has considered (1) the siting of the waste treat- ment plant for the newly established Water Resources Authority (Deer Island was our recommendation after consulting with appropriate town boards and offi- cials); (2) several Hanscom Field concerns, inclu- ding improvements to runways, lighting and expanded helicopter service; (3) funding requests for transportation services to LABB (for handi- capped students) and Share -A -Ride (transport- ation assistance for the mobility - limited in 16 area towns); (4) en- vironmental impact of a new development on Hartwell Avenue. W�_ Of particular interest was the MAPC- sponsored Rte. 128 workshop on the impact of traffic, utilities and other services on abutting communities. This will be a continuing project for MAPC. In June, Alexander Zaleski, Executive Director of MAPC and a former planning director of Lexington, made a formal presentation to the selectmen on land use patterns in Lexington since 1951. This overview compared commercial, residential, population changes and tax rates with surrounding communities, and should be helpful in further planning decisions for the town. Traffic, regional, locaZ, familiar. Natural honks bring geese and goslings across ramp safely at Routes 2 and 128. Moderator Urges Cooperation 'To Shorten Town Meetings The Town Meeting, that great New England tradition, lives on and, Lexington's 1985 edition was another example of democracy at work. Of all the articles in the warrant, of all the motions made, of all the debates and of all the votes taken, at the conclusion of the final session the greatest concern of the vast majority of the participants was the length of town meeting. There were 14 sessions plus two more in the Special Town Meeting. No one wants the right to be heard 16 Overview c c i i c c 0 iT c k Cl J y Y ti Q 7 O t a taken away from citizens or town meeting members, but curtailment of speech through rule changes could occur if the length of town meeting is not shortened substantially. Democracy is not the most efficient form of govern- ment but, in our case, with the co- operation of all the elected officials and town meeting members the efficiency can be improved. After all, government is a co- operative venture!