HomeMy WebLinkAbout2012-08-14-2020-min (Demographic Change Subcommittee)Town of Lexington
Subcommittee on Demographic Change
August 14, 2012 Meeting Minutes
Present: Margaret Heitz, Albert Huang, Bhumip Khasnabish, Dan Krupka, John Lee (guest),
Susie Lee -Snell
The meeting was called to order at 7:40 pm.
The subcommittee approved the minutes of its meeting on July 10.
Action Items (to be reported on at the next meeting on September 11th )
• Review Dan's draft questionnaire - All Members
• Invite and confirm Marian Cohen to our next meeting - Dan Krupka
• Contact local real- estate agents as potential guest speakers to future meetings - Susie
Lee -Snell and Albert Huang
• Provide a draft guideline to be used for guest speakers — Margaret Heitz
• Research Newton's efforts to increase participation from their Asian - American
community — Albert Huang
Review of Action Items
• Dan spoke to Dr. Paul Ash about inviting teachers to future meetings. He also spoke to
Robyn Dowling- Grant, the head of the English Language Learner department of LPS.
She is interested in coming to a meeting, possibly in October. The committee will need
to contact Dr. Ash to let him know that she will be attending our meeting.
• The Lexington Police Department is looking for ways to provide training in Hinduism,
Muslim and Buddhism. The Human Rights Committee is looking for volunteers to
help with the training and Bhumip will report back on their progress.
• Nirmala will continue on her search for someone who can provide diversity training to
the fire department.
• It was suggested in a previous meeting that we should interview 3 -4 Asians who are
active in our community. It was suggested that the committee interview all active
members to increase validity of the data.
Discussion on the Charge of the subcommittee
1. Assess the steps taken by Town Departments to ensure that services, including
emergency services, are effectively delivered to Town residents who do not speak
English or speak it poorly.
• We've had the Chief of Fire and Chief of Police as guest speakers.
• Other suggested guest speakers are: Robyn Dowling -Grant from LPS, the head of
Human Services, head librarian, a representative or head of the Town recreation
department, and a representative from the Lexington Community Farm
Coalition (LexFarm)
2. Investigate the factors that attract Asian Americans to Lexington estimate the
proportion of Asian American who move to Lexington with the intention of living here
indefinitely and those who are temporary residents.
• The committee is hoping that Robyn Dowling -Grant will provide some insight to
this topic.
• Contact local real- estate agents
3. Identify any barriers that currently limit the participation of Town's Asian American
population in its government, boards, associations, and committees; propose and
facilitate steps to making them welcome on these bodies and comfortable in
participating on them.
• Dan created a questionnaire to be used when interviewing Asian - American
leaders in the community. The committee reviewed the questionnaire and will
continue to look it over before the next meeting.
• Discussion on how to effectively interview Asian American leaders. Some
suggested ideas are to:
1. Interview one -on -one
2. Online survey
3. Have a focus group
• Discussion on how to accurately document information so it will become useful
data.
4. Develop ideas regarding activities or events that will increase the community's
inclusion of Asian American residing here.
• This will be addressed as we develop answers to Item 3 above.
5. Assess steps taken by Massachusetts communities that have experience significant
demographic changes in recent years. Determine what worked and what did not,
and what could be applied in Lexington.
• The committee identified the following towns to investigate and have agreed that
a member of the committee will investigate one town.
o Acton, Boxborough, Westborough, Cambridge and Newton
o Albert Huang will investigate Newton
Minutes submitted by Susie Lee -Snell
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