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Lexington 2020 Vision Committee
September 21, 2006 Meeting Minutes
7:45 a.m. Selectmen’s Meeting Room
Members present:
Marian Cohen, Peter Enrich, Mollie Garberg, Jerry Lacey, Richard Pagett,
Fernando Quezada, Ann Redmon
Others:
Mary Jo Bohart, John Rosenberg, Greg Zurlo, Steve Hodson, Candy McLaughlin, Carl
Valente
Fernando called the meeting to order at 7:50 am. The minutes from the July 13 meeting were
approved.
Economic Development Scoping Group Report.
Scoping group representatives reviewed
highlights of the report and answered questions from committee members. The committee felt
the report was very well done, and it was accepted and approved. Everyone agreed that there is
momentum for economic development conversations, but the issues are difficult to resolve.
While economic development includes a broad range, the scoping group felt that the driving
issue right now is fiscal and therefore analysis should be focused on the commercial sector. At
the same time, community education is needed because most people think of the Center when
they think of non-residential tax base. Maintaining a vital Center continues to be very important,
but other groups are doing good work there so the scoping group concluded the Task Force
should do modeling of potential economic growth outside of the Center. In the end, economic
development anywhere in town will be good for the Center as well, and lack of commercial
development could create a worse situation for residential taxpayers.
The recommendation to do analysis before hiring an Economic Development Officer, in order to
narrow and define the position’s responsibilities, was discussed particularly in terms of the
Center Committee’s agenda. It was agreed that the next step is to present the scoping group
report to the Selectmen on September 25, because they would need to approve funding for the
analysis effort. The scoping group report lays out an ambitious agenda, so the Task Force should
be large enough that it can break into subgroups to address different work items. Several
scoping group members, including Greg and Mary Jo, are willing to move on to the Task Force
so there will be continuity.
Sustainable Lexington.
It was noted that a wider range of views was represented at the last
scoping group meeting, and some of these people are willing to serve on the Task Force. Toby
Sackman will continue on and chair the Task Force. The committee felt that this scoping group
report identified laudable goals but left the next process steps for the Task Force to figure out.
The report was accepted and approved. Since no funding is required, the report does not need to
go to the Selectmen at this time.
October 11 Public Meeting.
Discussion identified the key objectives for the meeting to be:
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Recognize accomplishments from prior Task Forces and acknowledge previous participants;
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Have speakers convey a sense of how other communities have tackled issues in these two
areas; and
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Discuss scoping group recommendations and future Task Force work in break-out groups.
The Operations Subcommittee will meet to refine details of the agenda.
Committee recruitment update.
Fernando will continue outreach to the Clergy Association,
and Ann will contact Jeff Crampton.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:05 am. Future meeting schedule:
- (public meeting evening of October 11)
- Thursday morning, October 12
- Thursday morning, November 9
- Thursday morning, December 14