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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-06-15 SB-min Select Board Meeting June 15, 2020 A remote participation meeting of the Lexington Select Board was called to order at 6:01 PM. on Monday, June 15, 2020 via Zoom remote meeting services. Select Board members Mr. Lucente, Chair; Mr. Pato; Ms. Barry; Ms. Hai and Mr. Sandeen were present, as well as Mr. Malloy, Town Manager; Ms. Axtell, Deputy Town Manager; and Ms. Katzenback, Executive Clerk. Mr. Lucente stated that the meeting was being held in accordance with Governor Baker’s March 12, 2020 Executive Order suspending certain provisions of the Open Meeting Law to allow remote participation during Massachusetts’ state of emergency due to the outbreak of Covid-19. Mr. Lucente provided directions to members of the public, watching or listening via the Zoom application, regarding the procedure for making a public comment. Mr. Lucente reminded Board members, staff, and members of the public about Lexington’s Standard of Conduct regarding civil discourse during Town Government meetings. SELECT BOARD MEMBER CONCERNS AND LIAISON REPORTS Ms. Hai:  The Tourism Committee hopes to have the Visitors Center open with limited capacity by the mid-July. At the beginning of July, a kiosk/cart outside the building will be stocked with orientation information. July is usually the busiest month for the Visitors Center.  Via Zoom, the Minuteman Advisory Group on Interlocal Coordination (MAGIC) Legislative Breakfast will take place this Thursday morning, June 18, 2020, at 9:00-10:30 a.m. Representatives for Lexington and surrounding communities will be in attendance. For those who wish to participate, link to the breakfast is on the MAPC “MAGIC” site. Mr. Pato:  The Vision 2020 Committee met Friday, June 12, 2020 to review a panel session that took place at the beginning of April. The Vision 2020 Committee had not met since then due to the pandemic. The Committee has drafted a detailed summary and review of recommendations that arose from the panel discussion which will be presented to the Select Board, School Committee, and Planning Board. Also discussed was the next Town-wide survey, which would occur in 1½ years. It will require a budget allocation; the Committee also asks the Town Manager to set up a mechanism for technical assistance so survey responses can be collated. Mr. Lucente:  The Fund for Lexington Committee met earlier in the day. Since March, the Fund has received donations of $37,000 from Lexington residents to be used for Covid-19-related issues. Ms. Barry: 1  The Youth Commission is hoping to host a drive-in movie event at the Community Center this summer.  The striping has begun on the Track at the Center Recreation Complex. No firm date for reopening has been determined.  The gazebo in Hastings Park is being illuminated with blue and gold lighting for the whole month of June to recognize this year’s graduating classes. The Cary Memorial Building and the Cary Library will also be lit in blue and gold during the last weekend in June.  Ms. Barry asked that a potential fall debt exclusion vote for Police Station construction be put on the next Select Board agenda. Mr. Sandeen:  The Transportation Advisory Committee said their public information sessions previously scheduled for June 23, 2020 will have to be postponed for at least a week.  The Communications Advisory Committee is finalizing the LexMedia contract. The contract will come before the Select Board prior to ratification by July 1, 2020.  Tonight, the Board of Health will discuss business and restaurant reopening plans that were presented to the Select Board at the June 10, 2020 meeting.  The Permanent Building Committee will meet Thursday, June 18, 2020 to consider— and hopefully finalize— some of the design proposals for the Police Station. TOWN MANAGER REPORT In response to a question by Ms. Barry, Mr. Malloy reported that interview dates and questions for Town Counsel candidates are being finalized. Mr. Malloy asked Select Board members to submit specific questions to his office for inclusion in the interview script. A tentative date to begin interviews is Tuesday, June 23. 2020. ITEMS FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION 1. Covid-19 Update Discuss strategies, Implementation, and Community Response Actions Related to Covid-19 Guidelines and Directives As of today, there are 318 confirmed cases in Town (cumulative). Increases in new cases in Lexington and state-wide numbers have been dropping significantly since the peak in May. All Town Departments are beginning to return to work with partial staff numbers. Staff will work 25% of the time in the Town offices and remotely 75% of the time during this first phase. Town offices will not yet open to the public. The Library and Community Center are reviewing reopening plans. The DPW and DPF both returned to full schedule on June 1, 2020. The Return to Work Task Force is completing its review and has begun presenting the plan to the unions; the Town has met with unions that had questions about the plan. The Town has engaged an 2 Industrial Hygienist to review plans and facilities and to make further recommendations. The regular, Wednesday 8 a.m. conference calls with the Senior Management Team and Health Officials will continue to review local case numbers and to discuss actions and issues/concerns. Staff hope to begin working with restaurants in the coming week after the Board of Health approves the reopening plan. Ms. Hai said citizens should be given a sense of when Town buildings will re-open for business. They also should be made aware that even though Town buildings remain closed, staff are still available to assist. Mr. Sandeen mentioned that health experts are finding that the primary mode of transmission for COVID-19 is via aerosols. He asked if CARES Act funds are available to help the Town cover costs of expenses such as upgrading ventilation systems and air filter replacements. He would like to consider how to make more room for pedestrians on the sidewalks in the Center so that social distancing is easier. 2. Award Sale of Bond and Bond Anticipation Notes Carolyn Kosnoff, Assistant Town Manager for Finance, presented information about the sale of bonds and notes. The sale of $20.3M in bonds and $5.85M in notes took place on Wednesday, June 10, 2020. The purpose of the bond sale was to continue financing the Town’s large construction projects, most of which are payed for with excluded debt (Hastings School; Fire Station; Lexington Children’s Place; Visitors Center). The specific purpose of the bond anticipation notes is to keep the Town’s cash flow moving through the summer construction season in preparation for a variety of projects (Center track and field construction; Water & Sewer projects; sidewalks; School and Municipal technology purchases.) There were ten competitive bids on the 15-year bond; the lowest bid was from Janney Montgomery Scott LLC, who’s True Interest Cost (TIC) of 1.315% included a premium of $2,485,290. This premium was applied to reduce the par value of the issuance on the day of the sale, which resulted in a net resized issuance of $18,010,000 and net proceeds to the Town of $20,495,290. Five bids were submitted for the notes which will come due on February 12, 2021. The bids, based on a calculation of the net interest cost (NIC), which takes into consideration the amount of the issue, coupon rates and offering premium, ranged from a high of .907% to a low of .497%. The low bidder was Piper Sandler & Co., who’s NIC of .497% included a premium of $46,262. Members of the Select Board whole-heartedly endorsed the results of the sales and praised the Town’s financial managers. Mr. Sandeen asked how much the more-favorable-than-expected rates will save. Ms. Kosnoff reported that a coupon rate of 4% was used in the modeling so a rate of 1.315% will save millions over the life of the loan. However, the next year’s budget will be substantially the same as before the lower rate was known because borrowing for the Visitors Center shifted from a short-term note to a 15-year bond ahead of schedule, thus eliminating some budget flexibility and accelerating the impact of interest payments by one year. 3 Upon a motion duly made and seconded and by roll call vote, the Select Board voted 5-0 that the sale of the $18,010,000 General Obligation Municipal Purpose Loan of 2020 Bonds of the Town dated June 25, 2020 (the “Bonds”) to Janney Montgomery Scott LLC at the price of $20,328,114.38 and accrued interest is hereby approved and confirmed. The Bonds shall be payable on June 15 of the years and in the principal amounts and bear interest at the respective rates, as follows: Interest Rate Interest Rate Year Amount Year Amount 2021 $1,215,000 4.00% 2029 $1,200,000 4.00% 2022 1,215,000 4.00 2030 1,200,000 4.00 2023 1,205,000 4.00 2031 1,195,000 3.00 2024 1,200,000 4.00 2032 1,195,000 3.00 2025 1,200,000 4.00 2033 1,195,000 2.00 2026 1,200,000 4.00 2034 1,195,000 2.00 2027 1,200,000 4.00 2035 1,195,000 2.00 2028 1,200,000 4.00 And further: to approve the sale of $5,856,000 General Obligation Bond Anticipation Notes of the Town dated June 25, 2020 and payable February 12, 2021 (the “Notes”) to Piper Sandler & Co., at par and accrued interest, plus a premium of $46,262.40. And further: that in connection with the marketing and sale of the Bonds, the preparation and distribution of a Notice of Sale and Preliminary Official Statement dated June 3, 2020 and a final Official Statement dated June 10, 2020 (the “Official Statement”), each in such form as may be approved by the Town Treasurer, be and hereby are ratified, confirmed, approved and adopted. And further: that in connection with the marketing and sale of the Notes, the preparation and distribution of a Notice of Sale and Preliminary Official Statement dated June 3, 2020 and a final Official Statement dated June 10, 2020, each in such form as may be approved by the Town Treasurer, be and hereby are ratified, confirmed, approved and adopted. And further: that the Bonds shall be subject to redemption, at the option of the Town, upon such terms and conditions as are set forth in the Official Statement. And further: that any certificates or documents relating to the Bonds (collectively, the “Documents”), may be executed in several counterparts, each of which shall be regarded as an original and all of which shall constitute one and the same document; delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page to a Document by electronic mail in a “.pdf” file or by other electronic transmission shall be as effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart signature page to such Document; and electronic signatures on any of the Documents shall be deemed original signatures for the purposes of the Documents and all matters relating thereto, having the same legal effect as original signatures. 4 And further: that the Town Treasurer and the Select Board be, and hereby are, authorized to execute and deliver continuing and significant events disclosure undertakings in compliance with SEC Rule 15c2-12 in such forms as may be approved by bond counsel to the Town, which undertakings shall be incorporated by reference in the Bonds and Notes, as applicable, for the benefit of the holders of the Bonds and Notes from time to time. And further: that we authorize and direct the Town Treasurer to establish post issuance federal tax compliance procedures and continuing disclosure procedures in such forms as the Town Treasurer and bond counsel deem sufficient, or if such procedures are currently in place, to review and update said procedures, in order to monitor and maintain the tax-exempt status of the Bonds and Notes and to comply with relevant securities laws. And further: that each member of the Select Board, the Town Clerk and the Town Treasurer be and hereby are, authorized to take any and all such actions, and execute and deliver such certificates, receipts or other documents as may be determined by them, or any of them, to be necessary or convenient to carry into effect the provisions of the foregoing votes. Copies of the bond and note documents will be available in the Select Board office for members to sign, by Thursday at the latest, so that they can be returned to Bond Counsel by the end of the week. In order for the contracts to be valid, at least three members of the Board must sign them. 3. Discuss Fiscal Year 2020 and Fiscal Year 2021 Financial Status Carolyn Kosnoff, Assistant Town Manager for Finance; and Jennifer Hewitt, Budget Officer; made the presentation. Ms. Kosnoff referred to the memo, also distributed to Town Meeting which outlines the Town’s financial situation due to impacts from Covid-19. One of the major financial concerns is Revenue loss but Ms. Kosnoff noted no extraordinary expenses due to the pandemic. In fact, there have been fewer expenses because of the shutdown period. Revenue loss includes significantly lower Local Receipts, such as from meals taxes and hotel/motel taxes. Building permits remain strong and 99% of anticipated property taxes for the quarter have been received. State Aid is uncertain; if it comes in on target, FY2020 Revenue projections could still be solid. FY2021 is a different story, however. Projections include diminished Local Receipts; a 1% loss in Tax Levy Revenue; and substantially reduced expectations from State Aid, including Chapter 70 school aid. A conservative total lost Revenue projection is $6.89M. Ms. Kosnoff said it could be lower but until State Aid is known, the Town should not make any drastic decisions. There are a number of actions that could be taken to bridge the Revenue gap. Ms. Kosnoff has asked Town Departments to curb non-essential spending for FY 2020 and FY2021. Program Improvement Requests (PIRs) for the next budget cycle will be discouraged. Some Capital projects that are not time-sensitive will be postponed. Ms. Barry asked Ms. Kosnoff to comment on the impact these financial challenges will have on the School budget. Ms. Kosnoff said she has no current information about the School budget but she noted that the Town has been allocated just under $3M in CARES Act funding from the 5 State to address expenses in surplus of appropriation. At this juncture, these funds cannot be used to cover Revenue losses. Current projections are that Lexington will not have $3M in Covid-19- related School expenses but Ms. Kosnoff said restrictions for re-opening schools in the fall are stringent and could therefore cause these funds to be expended. Mr. Malloy said Municipal and School administrations have been meeting together to develop these financial memos. The Schools have indicated they are starting to grapple with what the new budget will look like; by the next iteration of the memo, there will be a better sense of what the future holds. Ms. Hai asked when a financial Summit should be scheduled to discuss the particulars with everyone at the same table. Ms. Kosnoff said before a Summit is scheduled—most likely in early September— she intends to provide an update to the current memo, probably at the end of June 2020 beginning of FY2021. One of the most crucial pieces of information is the State budget. Mr. Pato suggested that the Town have a policy summit, sometime during the summer, to discuss how to handle the economic impacts of Covid on Lexington’s residents and commercial partners. 4. Discuss Creating a 20 mph Safety Zone in the Area of Lexington Center Mr. Malloy, Town Manager; and Sheila Page, Assistant Planning Director, reported that the Traffic Safety Group (TSG) has developed this proposal with Town Engineering in advance submitting the speed changes to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT). This is the second draft to come before the Select Board. Additional input is requested. The proposal: The Safety Zone would encompass these areas: Massachusetts Avenue From Harrington Road to Woburn Street 20 MPH Safety Zone Bedford Street From Harrington Road to Massachusetts Avenue 20 MPH Safety Zone Hancock Street From Bikeway Crossing to Bedford Street 20 MPH Safety Zone Meriam Street From Bikeway Crossing to Massachusetts Avenue 20 MPH Safety Zone Waltham Street From Massachusetts Avenue to Vinebrook Road 20 MPH Safety Zone Woburn Street From Hayes Lane to Massachusetts Avenue 20 MPH Safety Zone Ms. Barry asked why Grant Street and Fletcher Avenue are not included. Ms. Page said the TSG discussed the parameters at length and tried to be judicious. Ultimately, it did not include these two streets because they have less traffic and fewer pedestrians, unlike the other, more commercial streets in the proposal. Ms. Barry asked what the effective date would be and how the change would be communicated to the larger community. Ms. Page said that effective date would be when the proposal was signed by the Select Board. Paperwork must be submitted to MassDOT but there is no State approval process. Mr. Malloy approved of following the same communication procedures used when the town-wide speed limit was lowered to 25 mph. Mr. Sandeen asked if Harrington Road could be included in the 20 mph zone. Ms. Page answered that if the Board prefers, it can be. 6 Mr. Sandeen asked if the primary goal for the lowered limit was safety. Ms. Page said safety is the primary purpose; statistically, more pedestrians are hit by vehicles when speed limits are higher. Additionally, in a previous parking study, it was shown that people viewed crossing Massachusetts Avenue as a factor when choosing where to park. Mr. Sandeen asked what data we have from other towns on the effectiveness of reducing speed limits to 20 mph. Ms. Page said that MassDOT does not yet have data on whether lowering the speed limit to 20 mph achieves safety goals. Ms. Hai noted that the Center Committee was unaware that this question was coming before the Select Board tonight. Ms. Hai said she would prefer the lower speed zone to end at the Slocum Road crosswalk, or at Hunt Road, rather than as proposed, right at the busy Woburn Street intersection. She noted that, to discourage speeding, end of zone signage should clarify that the limit changes from 20 mph to 25 mph. Mr. Pato agreed that ending the zone at Slocum Road is better. He agreed that Harrington Road should be included. He added that drivers coming onto Massachusetts Avenue from Clarke Street and Fletcher Avenue should be alerted they are entering a 20 mph zone. Mr. Lucente suggested the Center Streetscape project would provide a good opportunity to make the speed limit change, rather than going ahead with it now. The Center Streetscape project is also intended to improve safety and the effects of making those changes have not yet been evaluated. David Kanter, 48 Fifer Lane, asked why there is a need for an “end 20 mph zone” sign if a 25 mph sign would suffice. Ms. Page said beginning and end speed zone signs are required and signs for the town-wide 25 mph limit are posted only at the town borders, not throughout town. The Board postponed a vote on the motion to wait for feedback from the Center Committee. Members concurred, however, that the Board should move ahead once the feedback was obtained. Members also concurred that the eastern end of the safety zone should extend past Woburn Street to Slocum Road. 5. Approve Amendment to the Regional Housing Services Office Agreement Mr. Malloy said the amendment is intended to provide a 90-day extension to the current agreement to provide more time to discuss potential changes to the next 3-year contract with the RHSO with participating members. Upon a motion duly made and seconded and by roll call, the Select Board voted 5-0 to approve the agreement between the Town of Lexington and the Regional Housing Services Office for 90 days as attached. 6. Review Determination of Tree Hearing—497 Concord Avenue Chris Filadoro, Superintendent of Public Grounds/Tree Warden; and Dave Pinsonnault, Director of Public Works were present for the item. Mr. Filadoro said hearings have been held to determine whether to remove or retain a 42” oak near a proposed emergency access driveway to the Cotting School. Meetings were held at the site. Participants included representatives from the School, the architect for the Cotting School project, members of the Tree Committee, and Town staff. An arborist was consulted to find a 7 way to save the tree by protecting the root system. However, site lines from the driveway entering the roadway would not meet the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) safety standard. No consensus has been reached on what to do. Mr. Lucente said he received a lot of feedback on this issue right before the meeting and he is not yet sure how to move forward. Mr. Sandeen, who participated in the tree meetings as the Select Board’s liaison, reported that the situation is still evolving. Recently one of the abutters offered to provide an easement so the driveway can be relocated and the tree could be saved, while still preserving Fire access to the site and at no additional cost to the school. Mr. Sandeen believes action should be delayed pending further developments. Ms. Hai said she is not ready to make a decision given the recent information and lack of clarity. Ms. Barry noted that the Cotting School’s letter to the Select Board states that the school has received no direct contact from the abutter. Ms. Barry agreed that she is not ready to decide the fate of the tree. Mr. Pato concurred and asked what the site line standard is for a driveway versus a roadway. He would like to save the tree if possible and asked the parties to come together to reach a conclusion. Mr. Lucente said another layer of confusion is the dollar amount of the tree removal mitigation. He asked for a summary of the Planning Board meeting at which the tree was discussed. Mr. Sandeen reported that at the meeting, the Cotting School made a presentation, the proponent withdrew its proposal, and no action was taken. Some Planning Board members expressed a desire to save the tree. Charles Hornig, Planning Board Vice Chair, said the reason for the meeting was because the Cotting School wanted to make a slight change in the approved driveway. The school did not propose that the tree could be saved if the driveway stayed where it was originally located or moved. The revised plan would save some maples trees on the west side of the driveway but Planning Board members were more interested in saving the older, bigger oak. Gerry Paul, Tree Committee Chair, reported per discussion with Town Counsel, that the full value of the oak cannot be recovered through mitigation but the $39,850 recommended by Mr. Pinsonnault is acceptable. Mr. Paul said if the amount can be agreed upon, the remaining question is whether the oak can be salvaged. Mr. Paul said the AASHTO standard treats driveway and roadway sightlines differently, if treating them the same is not possible under the circumstances. Mr. Paul recommended that the tree not be removed at this time and that the matter return to the Planning Board for further consideration. The Tree Committee believes if care is taken, the oak’s deep taproot will support survival even if the surrounding ground is disturbed. Megan Buczynski, Principal, P.E., Civil Engineer at Activitas, said the problem is the 14½ -foot setback required for the driveway. Given the speed limit on the street (35 mph), a longer sightline is needed. Even if the street were to have a school zone speed limit (20 mph), the sightline distance is not adequate. Even if the easement is granted by the abutter, the few 8 additional feet it would not be enough. The School is willing to agree to the proposed mitigation amount and will replace removed maple trees with a better species. Ms. Buczynski trusts the opinion of the Cotting School’s traffic engineer and does not want to propose an alternative that is unsafe. Mr. Filadoro confirmed that the easement offers only a couple of feet. He pointed out that if the driveway was shifted, 5 or 6 other trees would have come down. Mr. Lucente noted the outpouring of neighborhood feeling about saving the oak. He thanked the Cotting School for its patience and partnership in trying to sort out the issue. With so much new information— and lack of resolution on some of the points—the Board opted to postpone a vote. Gloria Bloom, 17 Loring Road, reported that sightlines from an existing Cotting School driveway already offer poor visibility. Since the school cites safety in the matter of the oak, she hopes it will remedy existing safety issues as well. Ms. Bloom said AASHTO guidelines are forgiving and can also be waived. An 80-year-old oak will take a long time to replace. Sharon Cerny, 1 Barberry Road, noted that a lower-than-standard sightline already exists between the existing Cotting School driveway and Barberry Road. She reported that AASHTO guidelines allow waivers when ideals cannot be met. In an informal survey of Concord Avenue from Spring Street to the Belmont line, there are many examples. The average setback in this stretch of road was 9 ½ feet. The oak tree driveway would have a 12 foot setback. Brigit Irish, COO of Cotting School, said the school has spent a lot of time and effort dealing with this matter. The school engaged consultants to come up with a solution but so far nothing has addressed concerns. Ms. Irish stated it, originally, it was the Planning Board that requested the tree be removed to provide an emergency vehicle access way. She said the school would provide whatever additional information is needed for the Board to make a decision. Ms. Hai asked whether locating a driveway so close to the tree would result in a slow death. If the tree was lost in this manner, the mitigation funds would also be lost. Mr. Filadoro will contact the arborist about this. The item was tabled until the June 29, 2020 Select Board meeting. Mr. Lucente called a brief recess at 7:51 pm. The meeting was reconvened at 7:57 p.m. 7. Hosmer House Request for Proposal Mr. Malloy presented information about the proposed sale and removal of the Hosmer House. The RFP has been vetted by the working group which included members from the Select Board, Dept of Public Facilities, Historic District Commission, Housing Partnership Board, CPC, Historic Commission and LexHab. The RFP due dates have not been filled in yet. Liz Mancini, Purchasing Director will insert those once the Preservation Restriction language has been added by Town Counsel. There are statutory minimums for advertising in the Central Register. The deed restriction has been revised to a preservation restriction since the house is being sold as personal property and not as real estate. This will require state approval, but Town Counsel has advised that the RFP can go out to bid and the preservation restriction can be sought concurrently. The Town reserves the right to reject any and all bids. The matter this will come 9 back before the Select Board for final consideration. A Plan B discussion will take place to decide what to do if there are no bidders. Ms. Hai believes if more than one bidder comes forward, the Town will need to arrange for more than one tour of the house, due to the confined interior spaces. Avram Baskin, 43 Carville Avenue, hopes that someone will come forward to buy the house but, barring that, the Town should not preserve it. Upon a motion duly made and seconded and by roll call, the Select Board voted 5-0 to approve the RFP for the sale and moving of the Hosmer House and further to authorize the Town Manager to advertise the sale, subject to Town Counsel providing a preservation restriction for historic preservation. 8. Discuss Next Steps for Social and Racial Equity Initiatives Ms. Barry stated that she will participate in this item as long as the Police Department is not being discussed. In the event they are discussed, she will recuse herself because her husband works for the Town as a Police Officer. M. Malloy reported that, since the last meeting, he has not been able to move forward with plans to identify a facilitator that would convene a community conversation. He continues to work on that and other action items, such as having a policy and bylaw audit done by a third party and forming a task force. He has had time to meet with the Police Chief and reps from the two Police unions to discuss the ongoing national debate on the use of excessive force. Mr. Malloy noted that Lexington’s police department has no history of using excessive force and he reported that the Police Department wants to be part of the community discussion. The Police Department believes they have a mutually supportive relationship with the community. Ms. Malloy read in full a statement from the Police Officers Union, saying his office had received a similar letter from the Police Supervisors Union. Mr. Malloy said he hopes to advance the issue on all fronts by the June 29, 2020 Board meeting. Mr. Sandeen said the Board should discuss scope and whether we are considering holding one conversation or multiple conversations. For example: should the initiative include, as some residents have asked, investigation into Police policies? Racial justice? The proposed Police firing range? What experts need to be brought in to speak? He believes decisions should be made on data. Mr. Lucente said he is thinking in terms of multiple conversations, not just one larger conversation. Ms. Hai recommended the Racial Equity And Leadership (REAL) program from the National League of Cities that addresses many subjects inherent in the larger issue. Arlington participates in the program. She believes the Board should talk about adding a Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) officer and she wants there to be a review of Town policies. Mr. Pato noted that one of the Select Board’s long-term goals has been ensuring that Lexington is welcoming to all. A DEI officer might help focus the steps to be taken to achieve the goal. 10 Ms. Barry agrees that the conversation should have multiple parts and should be facilitated. She hopes that a target date for the first conversation can be chosen. The issue needs to be worked on every day, not briefly dealt with. She would like a mission statement developed and asked that the item of Discuss Next Steps for Social and Racial Equity Initiatives be on the agenda at every Select Board meeting, at least for a check-in if not for a lengthy update meeting. Mr. Malloy said he would work on a draft of what the different components of a conversation would be. He will report his progress at the next meeting. Mona Roy, Chair of the Human Rights Committee; and Tanya Gisolfi, Vice Chair, hope that Lexington will join the League of Cities REAL program. Although the matter began as a police issue, there are other areas of equity that should be discussed. Ms. Roy supports many of the ideas put forward by the Select Board but would like to understand the purpose of a task force, saying the HRC stands ready to help. Ms. Gisolfi said facilitation of community conversations is crucial; the facilitator should be someone other than a Lexington resident. Avram Baskin, 43 Carville Avenue, agreed that data is important but based on comments he has received from other Town Meeting Members, he believes data alone will not be enough to resolve the issues. He would like to find a way to get the Police letters out to the public, and similarly the letters from Lexington clergy that are circulating among subsets of the community. Police Chief Mark Corr said he is very proud of his police staff and emphasized that the Police want to be part of a full-scope, transparent conversation that includes helping people understand what the Police do. Steve Kaufman, Precinct 5 Town Meeting Member, said he has received concerned comments from constituents about Police defunding. Even though Lexington police may not be culpable, he believes people need a place to voice their dissatisfaction about these issues. He endorses the concept of having a community meeting at which a vision for policing in Lexington can be developed. He believes that standards should support the vision and that people first have to agree on the vision. He believes there should be clear consequences for Police who deviate from community standards. Sean Osborne, former Chair of the Human Rights Committee, thanked the Board for signing the Racial Equity Pledge. He is concerned that the local and national discussions on these issues always seem to start with a defense of the Police. Starting with a defensive stance silences those who dissent, even before the conversation begins. Mr. Osborne emphasized that the Police work for the community and the community should establish what it wants from a Police department. He believes a “future of policing” task force is needed, similar to a Vision 2020 Committee. He agrees with the concept of hiring a DEI officer but thinks of it as a Diversity Officer that would focus on diversity hiring and on providing services for diverse populations. He likes the idea of re-convening the Police Policy Review Task Force. Bridger McGaw, Precinct 6 Town Meeting Member, approves of drawing on outside expertise to solve identified community problems. Actionable results should come out of these multiple conversations. Mr. Lucente said this is a top priority and an ongoing Select Board goal. 9. Review Request for Car Parade—Lexington Goes Purple 11 The DPW and Police have reviewed this request and have no objections. Select Board members supported delegating future such requests to the Chief of Police during the pandemic. Ms. Hai asked that the Board be informed about parades that have been approved. Upon a motion duly made and seconded and by roll call, the Select Board vote 5-0 to approve the request from Lexington Goes Purple to hold a Lexington Goes Purple Car Parade on Thursday, June 18, as outlined in the request letter dated June 5, 2020. It was further approved that such requests be delegated to the Chief of Police during the state of emergency. 10. Select Board Committee Appointments/Reappointments Mr. Lucente recused himself for one of the motions as his mother is a nominee for reappointment to the Town Celebrations Committee. Ms. Hai assumed the role of Chair. Upon a motion duly made and seconded and by roll call, the Select Board voted 4-0 to reappoint Sondra Lucente and Lorain Marquis to the Town Celebrations Committee for a term set to expire on June 30, 2023. Mr. Lucente resumed the role of Chair. Upon a motion duly made and seconded and by roll call, the Select Board voted 5-0 to reappoint Mike Barrett and Hank Manz to the Hanscom Field Advisory Commission for a three-year term set to expire on June 30, 2023. Upon a motion duly made and by roll call, the Select Board voted 5-0 to appoint Geetha Padaki to the Town Celebrations Committee for a term to expire on June 30, 2023 Upon a motion duly made and seconded and by roll call, the Select Board voted 5-0 to reappoint William "Glen" Bassett, Suzanne Caton, Stephen Cole, Jr., Wei Ding, Mary Hutton, Gresh Lattimore, Wayne Miller, Rita Pandey, Ashley Rooney, Susan Stering, and Samuel Zales to the Town Celebrations Subcommittee for a term set to expire on June 30, 2021. Upon a motion duly made and by roll call, the Select Board voted 5-0 to reappoint Kim Katzenback as Executive Clerk to the Select Board for a one-year term ending on June 30, 2021. Upon a motion duly made and by roll call, the Select Board voted 5-0 to reappoint Police Chief Mark Corr as Keeper of the Lockup for a one-year term ending on June 30, 2021. The Board discussed the appointment to the Minuteman Regional Vocational Technical School Committee and whether to defer and, instead, re-open the call for volunteers. Mr. Pato reported a lack of awareness among members of the Lexington School Committee re: the vacancy and noted that the position is significant. Although there is only one applicant, Mr. Pato believes there may be more interest in the position. After discussion of the particulars, including how the open position had been advertised, Board members decided move ahead with a vote on appointment. 12 Upon a motion duly made and by roll call, the Select Board voted 4-1 to appoint Judith Crocker as the Lexington representative to the Minuteman Regional Vocational Technical School Committee for a three-year term to be effective July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2023. 11. Discuss Select Board Liaison Assignments This item was tabled to be taken up at a later date. 12. Approve Fiscal Year 2021 Cost-of-Living Adjustment for Non-Represented Employees Ms. Barry recused herself as her husband is employed by the Town. Upon a motion duly made and seconded and by roll call, the Select Board vote 4-0 to approve a 2 percent cost-of-living adjustment for non-represented employees for fiscal year 2021, effective July 1, 2020. Ms. Barry rejoined the meeting. 13. Town Manager Committee Reappointments Upon a motion duly made and seconded and by roll call, the Select Board voted 5-0 to approve the Town Manager's re-appointment of Elizabeth Borghesani, Ellen Cameron, Camille Goodwin and Bonnie Teitleman-Levin to the Council on Aging and Lisah Rhodes to the Recreation Committee. All nominees’ ethics trainings are up to date. CONSENT AGENDA 1. Water & Sewer Commitments & Adjustments Upon a motion duly made and seconded and by roll call, the Select Board voted 5-0 to approve these Water & Sewer Commitments and Adjustments: Water & Sewer Commitment Section 1 $ 1,975,324.33 Water & Sewer Commitment Section 2 $ 1,943,500.95 Water & Sewer Commitment Section 3 $ 3,839,184.96 Water & Sewer Finals Nov 2019 $ 26,538.22 Water & Sewer Finals Dec 2019 $ 10,168.12 Water & Sewer Finals Jan 2020 $ 50,707.46 Water & Sewer Finals Feb 2020 $ 28,930.39 Water & Sewer Finals Mar 2020 $ 7,494.06 Water & Sewer Finals Apr 2020 $ 9,992.76 Water & Sewer Finals May 2020 $ 5,108.53 And a Water & Sewer Adjustments per WSAB 5/21/20 $(5,022.84) ADJOURN Upon a motion duly made and seconded, the Select Board voted 5-0 by roll call to adjourn the meeting at 9:31p.m. A true record; Attest: 13 Kim Siebert Recording Secretary 14