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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1999-01-29-2020-min (Initiating Committee) Initiating Committee January 29, 1999 Minutes Members Present: Peter Enrich, Chuck Benson, Helen Cohen, Clark Cowen, Robin DiGiammarino, Alan Lazarus, Peter Lee, Fred Merrill, , Marjorie Platt, and Fernando Quezada CALL TO ORDER APPROVAL OF MINUTES DISCUSSION RESIDENT RESPONSE FORMS To date, 191 responses have been collected from Lexington residents. The breakdown of the respondents can be found on the “Resident Respondent” handouts. As more responses are received, the report will be revised. Clark Cowen reviewed all of the submitted forms prior to this meeting and reported his comments to the committee. He invited all Initiating Committee members to stop by the manager’s office and review the response forms if they have the time. The Response Form Review Subcommittee agreed to meet on Friday, February 5, 1999 at 7:30 in the morning at First Parish Church. Some committee members reported that they did not receive the town-wide mailing. The group agreed that a small article should be put in the local newspaper to remind residents about the process and that all participation is welcome. FORMATION OF STAKEHOLDER’S GROUP Several comments and suggestions were offered regarding the process for creating the stakeholders group: In framing the process, it was suggested that the Initiating committee attempt to be as inclusive as possible and recognize the need to have diverse representation in the Stakeholder’s Group. The committee reviews the responses and organizes the interested residents based on categories such as areas of interest or commitment time. The response forms, because of the broad range of responses, may not offer the best source of information for categorizing the interest groups. Reserve adequate space in the Stakeholders Group for representation by local organizations and interests How can we generate interest from younger residents, particularly high school students? The Student Senate, student newspapers What is the appropriate number of members have on the Stakeholder’s Group?One committee member suggested 50, then allow the group to expand if need be. Another indicated that it may be preferable to have the number at 80, expecting that participation may dwindle and some will not show up to regular meetings. If the Stakeholder’s Group is refined to include only a certain number of members, those individuals need to be aware of their status as members, a distinction which entails a certain commitment to the group. The committee may prefer to consider forming the issue groups prior to the formation of the Stakeholder’s Group. This way, special interest/single issue advocates can be placed in an appropriate forum. The Initiating Committee ultimately agreed to make the decision about the formation of the Stakeholder’s Group after the consultant has been hired. (regarding the number persons to be included in the group. The committee concluded that once hired, the consultant would be able to apply professional insights and guidance in order to direct the process. Members of the group were asked to review the currently list of respondents and mark those individuals that they know. This exercise represents an attempt to avert any subjective biases that may creep into the Stakeholder Group selection process. R.F.P. UPDATE The committee suggested that the RFP incorporate the following changes: 1. Scale back the description of the process as it appears in the document. Use bullets to indicate the primary tasks that have been outlined by the Initiating Committee. 2. Use the draft chart as a framework for describing the process. 3. Include a section in the RFP which asks consultants to react to the preliminary process and add their own suggestions. The Initiating Committee gave its consent to the RPF subcommittee to make the changes listed above and send out the RFP as soon as possible. SHORT TERM TIMETABLE/TRANISTION TO STEERING COMMITTEE Letters will be sent to resident respondents in late February/early March to inform them about the status of the process and the consultant search. The RFP will be sent out by Friday, February 6 with the intention of selecting a consultant by early- March. The committee discussed the need for extending the life of the Initiating Committee through February. The group agreed to at least two more meetings, but recognized the need to begin making the transition from the Initiating Committee to the Steering Committee. Members were asked if they were interested in extending their participation by assuming roles in the Steering Committee. All were interested, but the following three members voiced uncertainty: Fred Merrill, Helen Cohen, and Robin DiGiammarino. The group suggested that the membership of the Steering Committee include greater representation of the town’s business community. The committee suggested using Joe Marino as a means of interacting with members of the business community. INITIATING COMMITTEE MEETING SCHEDULE February 12, 1999 February 26, 1999