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Home My WebLink About2014-10-14-CCAC-min TOWN OF LEXINGTON Ad hoc Community Center Advisory Committee (AhCCAQ AM Ip Minutes Date: October 14, 2014 Place and Time: Training Room,Public Services Building, 3:30 p.m. Members Present: Michelle Ciccolo (Board of Selectmen), Chair; Harry Forsdick; Laura Hussong; Jon Himmel(Chair,Permanent Building Committee); Florence Koplow Members Absent: Betty Borghesani; Leslie Zales Liaisons Present: Staff. Linda Vine,Vice Chair of AhCCAC, Town Manager's Office; Sheila Butts for Karen Simmons, Recreation; Charlotte Rodgers, Human Services; Koren Stembridge, Library; Committees: Joe Pato, Board of Selectmen (BoS); Wendy Manz, Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC); Glenn Parker, Chair, Appropriation Committee Liaisons Absent(liaisons only attend as-requested and as-available to address relevant agenda items): Staff. Chris Filadoro, Department of Public Works; Dorinda Goodman, Information Technology; John Mazerall,Police Department; Shawn Newell, Department of Public Facilities (DPF); Chief John Wilson, Fire Department; Committees: Jessie Steigerwald, School Committee Also present: Pat Goddard, staff, DPF; Mark Barrett, staff, DPF;Nancy Adler, Chair, Council on Aging Board; David Kanter, CEC; Bob Pressman,resident; Bob Gaudet,resident Recording Secretary: Sara Arnold The meeting was called to order by Ms. Ciccolo at 3:35 P.M. 1. Minutes: There was a motion and second to approve the AhCCAC Minutes for October 3, 2014 with edits to reflect the correct timing of Mary Ellen Allesandro's resignation from this Committee. The Minutes were approved. VOTE: 5-0 2. Motions Presented to this Committee by the Governance and Programs Working Groups: Ms. Ciccolo directed this Committee to a handout that identified five motions compiled by the two working groups. After brief reviews of the first two motions,minor edits were incorporated. Each edited motion was made and seconded, as follows: • The AhCCAC recommends that the Lexington Community Center(LCC)will have a phased opening strategy of an initial soft opening following issuance of the Certificate of Occupancy and the relocation of the Recreation and Human Services Departments, expected in the spring of 2015; an expanded opening in the new budget year beginning July 1, 2015; and a Grand Opening in early October 2015. The motion passed. VOTE: 5-0 • The AhCCAC recommends that the hours of operation of the Lexington Community Center are: ➢ Soft opening period (start date based on Certificate of Occupancy and relocation of current staff to continue current programs, spring 2015): Mon—Fri: 8:00am—5:00pm ➢ Expanded opening period(July—October 2015 with expanded Fiscal Year(FY)2016 staff): Mon -Thurs: 8:00am—5:00pm; Fri: 8:00am—9:00pm; Sat: 9:00am—3:00pm ➢ Grand opening (October 2015 and beyond with expanded FY2016 staff): Mon—Thurs: 7:00am—9:00pm; Fri—Sat: 7:00am— 10:00pm; Sun: 8:00am—6:00pm The motion passed. VOTE: 5-0 The third motion was discussed later in the meeting and the other two were tabled. 3. PowerPoint Presentation by the Governance and Programs Working Groups: Mr. Forsdick and Mr. Himmel presented slides to provide background information relating to three aspects of the LCC opening that have budget implications, as follows: • The timing for aphased opening; • The hours of operation for each phase; and • The staffing requirements for each phase. The extensive effort that each working group pursued included visiting and surveying nine communities with community centers and creating a comprehensive matrix that consolidated, categorized and analyzed approximately 700 programs that may be offered at the LCC. It was noted that the Town has many working documents that identify policies and procedures that will be incorporated into the operation of the facility. With input from Ms. Hussong and Ms. Koplow, Mr. Forsdick and Mr. Himmel discussed the importance of the LCC being a friendly,welcoming environment that facilitates drop-in activities while encouraging program participation. They anticipate attracting residents beyond those who currently participate in Recreation and Human Services activities; they envision an"umbrella" structure that includes those two departments plus a third set of new functions. The concept is to serve all taxpayers, not just those who are in special groups. Mr. Forsdick identified three levels of staffing that the two working groups support: • A strategic leader who manages the facility and serves as the "face" of the LCC; • Tactical leader(s) to ensure that day-to-day activities run smoothly; and • Administrative Support Current staff members may fulfill some of these functions,but there is general consensus that a strategic leader,most likely filling a new full time position,is needed as soon as possible to begin managing all aspects of opening and operating the LCC. Further discussion included the following comments: • New programs and drop-in activities will not necessarily fall under the purview of Recreation or Human Services, although the Senior Center currently has a drop-in component. It was noted that most"drop-ins" are people who have come early or stay late for a defined program. • A phased opening allows the facility to open without affecting the FY2015 budget,unless a strategic leader is hired in FY2015. Additional funding will be needed in FY2016 to allow for expanded programming. • There will be ebbs and flows in activity as new programs are initiated and evaluated. • The minimal staff needed to provide safe usage during off-peak hours has not been identified. • The LCC is envisioned as a central location for Town programs,regardless of the department that is sponsoring them. Mr.Valente shared some thoughts,which included the following: • He has read much of the material produced by this Committee. • When looking at programs in the Town,he is interested in long term sustainability, so he will be looking beyond FY2016 budget implications. • The Town is juggling a number of capital issues and FY2016 operating issues and now is the time to determine what is needed for the LCC. • It may be necessary to prioritize the expansion of hours in the event that funding is not available in FY2016 for the hours currently envisioned for a fully functional LCC. In response to Mr.Valente's questions about the drop-in aspect of the LCC, there was discussion about providing a comfortable place to meet friends for casual interaction or to work or read. It could be comparable to the way the Senior Center and library are currently used. Mr.Valente would like this to be more clearly defined;he envisions the need for controls on the way it might be used by unsupervised 2 students. There was discussion about the possible incorporation of Lexington Community Education programs. It was agreed that further dialogue with those who manage these programs is needed. 4. BoS Report: Ms. Ciccolo discussed a draft BoS update that she had distributed; she expects to present it to the BoS next Monday evening. This triggered discussion about staffing,which was included in the third motion in the motions presented by the Governance and Program Working Groups. It was agreed that a high priority is having a strategic leader with integrated responsibilities to begin working as soon as possible. Ms. Ciccolo agreed to increase the emphasis on this in the update. It was also agreed that the report should expand on the "umbrella" concept to emphasize the plan to coordinate programs for all residents. There was discussion about trying to prioritize the expanded hours of operation if funding for the recommended hours is not available in FY2016. It was agreed that the report to the BoS should support the need for opening the LCC beyond the core hours because not doing so will exclude some groups of people and will not meet the expectations of the general public. This Committee did not want to compromise on its recommended hours of operation. 5. Next Meeting: Although a date has not been selected,it was agreed that it is important to hear from the Safety Working Group about staffing levels and other safety issues,including the supervision of drop-in students. 6. Adjourn: A motion was made and seconded to adjourn the meeting at 5:40 P.M. The motion passed. VOTE: 5-0 These minutes were approved on December 3, 2014. Materials distributed/used at the meeting: ➢ Public Meeting Agenda, Octoberl4, 2014, AhCCAC ➢ Motions: Recommended by the Governance and Programs Groups; CCAC Meeting Tuesday, October 14, 2014 ➢ PowerPoint Slides:Lexington Community Center;Phasing, Hours of Operation, and Budget Recommendations; ad hoc Community Center Advisory Committee -Programs and Governance Working Groups Report, October 14, 2014 ➢ Draft Memo from Ms. Ciccolo to the BoS; Subject: Interim Status report with Initial Occupancy Recommendations for the new Lexington Community Center at 33 Marrett Road, to be presented to the BoS on October 20, 2014 ➢ Draft AhCCAC 2014 Annual Report v D2 3