HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014-07-25-2020-min
Town of Lexington
Lexington 20/20 Vision Committee
Minutes of Meeting of July 25, 2014
20/20 Vision Committee
A meeting of the was held on Friday, July 25, 2014 at 7:45 a.m. in the Parker Room in the
Town Office Building at 1625 Massachusetts Avenue.
Members Present: Fernando Quezada, Andrew Dixon,Marian Cohen,Margaret Coppe, Peter Lee, Joe Pato, Saatvik
Ahluwalia
Staff: Candy McLaughlin, Melissa Jones
Members Absent: Alan Wrigley, Dan Krupka, Matthew Pronchik,Bhumip Khasnabish, Peter Enrich
Others Present: Carroll Ann Bottino
Action Items:
Share final list of new Selectmen goals with the Committee (Melissa)
Circulate revised committee charge (Melissa)
Future agenda item: Discuss next steps for study of community models of multicultural integration
Future agenda item: Discuss possible task force to address issues of diversity beyond race and ethnicity
Future agenda item: Finalize plan for dissemination of survey results
The meeting was called to order at 7:50 a.m. and acted on the following items:
Approved minutes from May 23, 2014
Notes from June 26, 2014:
There was no quorum at the last meeting, so the minutes do not need to be approved.
However, because the meeting was documented and the notes were shared with the entire Committee, they may be
discussed by the full group in open meeting and referenced in future minutes.
Hear updates:
Selectmen’s goal setting discussions:
Joe said that there were two major takeaways from the Committee’s
submission to the Selectmen. The first addresses the issue of inclusiveness, and being proactive in engaging
Asian residents in civic participation. To that end, the Town Manager has been meeting with CAAL, and the
former Board of Selectmen Chair (Deb Mauger) had begun meeting with CAAL and IAL. There is concern from
the Selectmen regarding how to engage in regular, candid conversations with these groups in light of the open
meeting law. If a quorum of the Board meets with one of these groups, the meeting will need to be posted as
public; this format may not lend itself well to candid interaction. The second takeaway for the Selectmen is the
reviewing of committee charges. 20/20’s revised charge will be the first step in this process, and will demonstrate
an effort to make charges more clear. Joe and Michelle Ciccolo will work on a proposal regarding how to move
forward on this more broadly.
Current trends in citizens’ engagement:
Candy shared some feedback from the ICMA workshop she attended
on citizens’ engagement, particularly regarding ways to consider the role of the citizen and the role of the
professional manager. She said that there are many models of citizen engagement to explore if and when the
Committee wants to try something new. Saatvik asked for feedback on how to communicate to residents that they
should get involved. Feedback from the group included: emphasizing a need to get involved for your children’s
sake; a sense of honor in preserving the character of the Town; making a difference in your community. The
group also recommended directing people to the volunteer form.
Revised committee charge:
This is on the Selectmen’s agenda for Monday, July 28. Andrew will try to attend to
represent the Committee. Melissa will recirculate the revised charge to the full group.
Discuss next steps for study of community models of multicultural integration:
The idea behind this study is to look
at communities across the country that have also experienced a growing minority population, and learn from how they
have handled this demographic shift. Marion said that it will be important to identify key variables, and how to use those
variables to achieve integration. She noted that it may be possible to study examples where the dominant minority
population was non-Asian, and that historical examples may be relevant for study as well. She said that it will be
important for the Committee to determine what it wants to know, and what it wants to do with the information.
Discuss possible task force to address issues of diversity beyond race and ethnicity:
The group noted that there is
some overlap between this item and the previous agenda item. The group discussed affordable housing as a major issue,
and decided that this proposed task force is worth exploring further.
Begin planning targeted dissemination of survey results in September:
Fernando suggested that the Committee
choose three specific outreach efforts. The group agreed that a League of Women Voters First Friday would be a great
forum for this. The group also agreed that School staff should be included in one of the outreach events.
Other:
Candy described her transition to her new role as Project Manager in the Information Technology Department.
She said that she may attend Committee meetings from time to time, especially if there are items on the agenda that she
has been involved with in the past, but that Melissa will now be in charge of providing logistical support to the
Committee.
Meeting adjourned:
9:00 a.m.
Respectfully Submitted: Melissa Jones, Scribe
Next meeting:
Thursday, August 21 in the Selectmen Meeting Room