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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014-04-07-CCAC-min TOWN OF LEXINGTON Ad hoc Community Center Advisory Committee (AhCCAQ Minutes Date: April 7, 2014 Place and time: Lexington Senior Center, Muzzey Building, 1475 Massachusetts Avenue 1:00 P.M. Members Present: Michelle Ciccolo, Chair; Harry Forsdick; Laura Hussong; Jon Himmel(Chair,Permanent Building Committee); Florence Koplow; Leslie Zales Members Absent: Betty Borghesani; Mary Ellen Alessandro Liaisons Present: Staff. Linda Vine,Vice Chair of AhCCAC, Town Manager's Office; Charlotte Rodgers, Human Services; Karen Simmons, Recreation; Committees: Beth Masterman, Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) Liaisons Absent(liaisons only attend as-requested and as-available to address relevant agenda items): Staff. Dorinda Goodman, Information Technology; Shawn Newell, Department of Public Facilities (DPF); Chris Filadoro, Department of Public Works; John Mazerall,Police Department; Koren Stembridge, Library; Chief John Wilson,Fire Department; Committees: Jessie Steigerwald, School Committee; Glenn Parker, Chair, Appropriation Committee;Norm Cohen, Board of Selectmen(BoS) Steffian Bradley Associates (SBA): Teresa Wilson Also present: Pat Goddard, staff,DPF; Sheila Butts, staff, Recreation Department;Nancy Adler, Chair, Council on Aging (COA) Board; David Kanter, CEC. In addition, 28 individuals,most of whom were associated with the Council on Aging/Senior Center signed in at the meeting. Recording Secretary: Sara Arnold The meeting was called to order by Ms. Ciccolo at 1:15 P.M. 1. Introductions: After welcoming the attendees, and after AhCCAC members introduced themselves, Ms. Ciccolo reviewed the history associated with the creation of the Lexington Community Center(LCC). She also identified the opportunities for contacting this Committee. ACTION ITEM: Ways to contact this Committee will be identified in newsletters and on the Senior Center bulletin board, as well as on appropriate websites. 2. Community Center Plan Review and Open Discussion: Ms. Rodgers and Ms. Simmons reviewed the new LCC floor plans and discussed the programs that will be utilizing that space. They made the following points: • The Human Services Department currently provides approximately 280 hours of programming per week; space limitations restrict expansion. These programs include fitness,wellness and lifelong learning. • Recreation programs are fluid to remain current. Indoor programming space is limited. • The new LCC will be a hub for community connections and collaboration and will increase efficiency. • The new building will accommodate exercise classes,health and wellness programs, a workshop,ping pong, billiards, a gift shop,multipurpose computer areas, gathering spaces, and offices for support staff. • The large multi-purpose room on the first floor can accommodate 153 chairs auditorium style and seat 100 people at tables,which is comparable to the large multi-purpose room in the current Senior Center. • The large lower level fitness room will have the ceiling replaced and perhaps raised slightly. The presentation triggered questions and discussion. Comments from staff and this Committee included: • The building will be compliant with all Americans with Disabilities code requirements. • Fundraising is being considered and finding community partners will be explored. • Ventilation will meet code requirements,which are more stringent in exercise rooms; energy recovery is included. • There will be several central core air handling units. • Radon testing will be done in the near future. • Most presentations of the floor plans include a scale to facilitate an understanding of room sizes. • The flooring,heating, acoustics, lighting, and ventilation have all been considered when designing the fitness rooms. • The three largest rooms will eventually be equipped with a full complement of audio visual equipment. • There isn't funding to provide for a large (for approximately 250 people)multipurpose space at this time. The Chinese New Year program, and other large events,will need to use Battin Hall in the Cary Memorial Building or some other appropriate facility. • The long term vision(Phase 2) for the LCC includes a large multi-purpose room and a gymnasium. Several rooms,including the lower level fitness room,have movable partitions for dividing the rooms. • There are many small gathering rooms on the first floor that can be used for a variety of activities or as casual gathering places. • A number of rooms will have sinks to accommodate painting and arts and craft activities. • Proceeds (approximately $8,000) from the current Window Pane Shop in the Senior Center are used to provide coffee;it will be necessary to work out how the new gift shop functions. • Furniture that supports flexibility will be sought in an effort to maximize the utility of what can be purchased within the furniture budget. • There is $53,000 in the budget for Audio Visual equipment. The building will have a robust Wi-Fi system, and there are plans for large screens. Technology improvements (e.g., Skype capability) can be added over time. • There is a Governance Working Group that will be looking at fee structures. They will have to consider the current availability of donations and grants, such as those from the Friends of the COA and the Executive Office of Elder Affairs, that subsidize classes for senior citizens. • The computer area on the second floor has room for six mobile computers. • Lexpress will be stopping at the LCC every half hour, and with a new system for locating each bus using the Global Positioning System it will be possible to have detailed information about the arrival time. • Lex-Connect provides an alternative transportation resource for residents who want to access the LCC. In addition to the questions that resulted in the above responses, those in attendance added comments or requests, including: • It would be helpful if the facility could have a well-equipped yoga room similar to the one in Newton. • Those who operate the fix-it shop in the current Senior Center would like to have a chance to meet with the architect again. • If the largest gathering spaces could be technically connected to allow broadcasting between them,it would be possible to accommodate a large number of people for an event. • Smart Boards can be very useful in a teaching environment and should be considered for the LCC . • A welcoming atmosphere and broadening the range of programs beyond those that are exercise-related will help incentivize participation. This is particularly important for those who have limited or no transportation. Additional transportation options should be explored. • It would be nice to have a piano. 3. Minutes: •motion was made and seconded to approve the March 5, 2014 Minutes, as amended. VOTE: 6-0 •motion was made and seconded to approve the February 28, 2014 Minutes, as corrected. VOTE: 6-0 •motion was made and seconded to approve the March 21, 2014 Minutes, as corrected. VOTE: 6-0 •motion was made and seconded to approve the March 27, 2014 Minutes. VOTE: 6-0 4. Liaison and Working Group Reports: Ms. Ciccolo reviewed the record keeping process for the working groups. Minutes with votes taken should be forwarded to Ms. Ciccolo before being distributed elsewhere. There was discussion about the make-up of the working groups. It was generally agreed that the voting members on a 2 working group should only consist of members from this Committee. If others wish to actively participate, this should be approved by this Committee; such information should be forwarded to Ms. Ciccolo. It was noted that the responsibilities of more than one working group can overlap. For example, the Technology Working Group recently met, and they touched on safety and security. Safety and Security Working Group: In an email, Ms. Alessandro asked that she be removed as chair of this working group. It was agreed that either the police chief or the fire chief should assume that role. In response to concerns that the police and fire chiefs had not had ample opportunity to work on safety and security needs, Mr. Goddard explained that the chiefs are being consulted. He further reported that card readers are shown in the architectural drawings, and safety and security needs require access to low voltage systems,which will be readily available throughout the building. He added that State contracts will be used to purchase cameras and other security equipment so that those systems will not be included in the bid documents that are being prepared by SBA. Space/Interiors Working Group: Mr. Goddard reported that this Friday there is a meeting at SBA to discuss interior design,but only Ms. Koplow from the Space and Interiors Working Group is able to attend. Ms. Ciccolo will also try to attend. Technology Working Group: Mr. Forsdick and Mr. Himmel reported on a recent meeting of this group. They plan to ensure that the basic fundamental infrastructure for technology is in place. Most technological needs can be supported with WiFi capability and low level voltage. Equipment can be added over time. Mr. Himmel is creating a matrix of all the rooms showing their desired technological capabilities. Locations for screens are being identified. Some items will be on a wish list and may require fundraising. It was noted that 90% architectural drawings for the renovation project are due in 1�/z weeks,putting a premium on identifying technically-related needs and requests in a timely manner. Program Working Group: Ms. Hussong reported that this group is developing a program spreadsheet,which will combine the programs already identified by the staff with the list of potential programs created by Ms. Borghesani and Ms. Koplow. ACTION ITEM: It was suggested that the spreadsheet identify which programs are staff supported because this information may assist the Governance Working Group. Public Relations Working Group: Ms. Zales reported that this group is developing objectives and action items. They plan to develop a single message to avoid contradiction; Ms. Stembridge has agreed to help develop a brochure. They are identifying places to go that will bring this project to the people; these include the Ride for Neighbor Brigade on May 17"', Discovery Day on May 24"', and the Farmers Market. It was suggested that a display at CVS might be appropriate because this space is used by the Historical Society, and the LCC will be in a historical building. 5. Next Meetings: The next meetings are at 8:30 A.M. on April 17 and May I in Estabrook Hall, Cary Memorial Building. A date for meeting with the Recreation Committee is to be determined. 6. Comment and Adjournment: Ms. Adler thanked this Committee for coming to the Senior Center, adding that such outreach is reassuring to senior citizens. A motion was made and seconded to adjourn the meeting at 3:30 P.M. The motion passed. VOTE: 5-0 These minutes were approved on October 3, 2014. Materials distributed/used at the meeting: ➢ Public Meeting Agenda, March 27, 2014, AhCCAC ➢ Ad hoc Community Center Advisory Committee; Updated Work Group Schematic ➢ Lexington Community Center;Muzzey Senior Center Meeting—April 7, 2014;PowerPoint presented by Ms. Rodgers and Ms. Simmons 3