HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014-09-26-2020-min
Town of Lexington
Lexington 20/20 Vision Committee
Minutes of Meeting of September 26, 2014
20/20 Vision Committee
A meeting of the was held on Friday, September 26, 2014 at 7:45 a.m. in the Parker Room in
the Town Office Building at 1625 Massachusetts Avenue.
Members Present: Fernando Quezada, Dan Krupka, Matthew Pronchik,Joe Pato, Andrew Dixon, Bhumip Khasnabish,
Peter Enrich, Margaret Coppe, Peter Lee, Carroll Ann Bottino
Staff: Melissa Jones
Members Absent: Saatvik Ahluwalia, Alan Wrigley, Ginna Johnson
Action Items:
Submit Annual Report write-up to Selectmen’s Office (Melissa)
Invite Donna Hooper to attend November meeting (Melissa)
Draft and review one-page outline for study of community models of multicultural integration (Dan, Bhumip,
Matthew, Peter L., Melissa)
Coordinate outreach event for survey results with the Schools (Margaret and Fernando)
The meeting was called to order at 7:50 a.m. and acted on the following items:
Approved minutes from July 25, 2014
Notes from August 21, 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.
Discuss future meeting dates:
The group decided to meet exclusively on Fridays moving forward (instead of switching
between Thursdays and Fridays).
Approved 2014 Annual Report Write-Up:
Melissa will make one grammatical correction and submit to the Selectmen’s
Office.
Discuss future of e-government:
Fernando said that the Town has made significant gains in terms of online access to
information for the public, and that it may be worthwhile to start thinking about where we want to be in 2020 and beyond.
He said that online forums such as the Lexington List stratify the community on the basis of communication, and actually
create separate communities where people can choose to come and go. Joe noted that these types of “list servs” are
resident-driven, so they are not an official part of our e-government. He mentioned that the Town now has a Chief
Information Officer (Donna Hooper); the creation of this position is part of an effort to improve cross-departmental
collaboration with technology initiatives and data-sharing, as well as to improve our information management. The group
decided that it would be useful if Donna met with the Committee to discuss this new role and whether this Committee or
another citizen advisory group may be helpful to her. Andrew noted that as we make advancements in e-government,
access may be an issue for non-technical people. He also said that in person interactions will continue to be important;
technology is an important tool, but it is not a replacement for in person interaction.
Identify areas to be stressed in presentation of community survey results:
Fernando noted that the Committee had
decided on three outlets for dissemination of the survey results, and that Marian would be making these presentations.
These three outlets include: League of Women Voters First Friday; Schools; Chamber of Commerce. Fernando said that
the League of Women Voters has been responsive and is in touch with Marian. Joe said that the meeting with the
Chamber of Commerce may be delayed because of new organizational changes that the Chamber is undergoing. Margaret
said that she would work with Dr. Ash to determine who the audience at the Schools should be.
Discuss next steps for study of community models of multicultural integration:
Dan, Matthew, Peter L. and Melissa
met with the Town Manager to discuss this study. Melissa said that the goal was to receive his input and find out what he
needs from the Committee in terms of a FY2016 budget request. Melissa said that Carl suggested looking at communities
in the San Francisco Bay Area. The idea would be to conduct some data research (i.e. Census data) to identify relevant
communities, and then have a third party (such as a doctoral student) reach out to those communities and conduct primary
research. A group of residents could serve as advisors to the study. In order to submit an official budget request, the
Committee will need to provide Carl with a one-page write-up after its next meeting. Dan said that the Committee should
put in the work for the preliminary research so that we can really identify what we want the third party researcher to do.
Peter L. noted that Lexington is leading a wave of communities in this area who are dealing with this issue. He also said
that the Committee should not lose sight of the recommendations from the demographic change report. Joe said that this
new study could be done at the same time that those recommendations are being implemented. This study would provide
perspective from other communities and will provide additional information and tools as we move forward. The group
agreed that the recommendations of the demographic change report should be monitored. Dan volunteered to do a draft
write-up of the new study, and Bhumip, Peter L., Matthew and Melissa will review it prior to the next meeting.
Discuss possible task force to address issues of diversity beyond race and ethnicity:
The group discussed two
additional identifiers that would be useful to study: age and income level. In regards to age, it was noted that the 25-40
age bracket has been declining in Town, and that the elderly population has been increasing. In regards to income, the
group expressed the concern that some residents may be losing the ability to stay in Lexington as the cost of living here
increases. The group noted that the issue of diversity of housing stock is closely linked to this. Peter E. said that in
general, this Committee may want to identify a few areas to focus on moving forward. He noted three possible areas:
issues of diversity beyond race and ethnicity (this agenda item); e-government; and capital planning.
Take photo for Annual Report:
David Tabeling was present to take the group’s photo.
Meeting adjourned:
9:00 a.m.
Respectfully Submitted: Melissa Jones, Scribe
Next meeting:
Friday, October 24, 2014 in the Parker Room