HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022-09-15-CAC-min RECEIVED
2023 '1 ,Jain, &55 am
TOWN OF LEXINGTON TOWN CL,ERK
COMMUNICATIONS ADVISORY COMMITTEE LEXINGTON
MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 15, 2022
CONDUCTED BY REMOTE PARTICIPATION
1. Call to order and roll call.
Communications Advisory Committee (CAC) Chair Kenneth Pogran called the meeting to order
at 6:35 PM and called the roll. The meeting was conducted remotely via Zoom.
Members Present (via Zoom): Ken Pogran, Chair; Dave Becker, Dave Buczkowski, Smita
Desai, Dorinda Goodman, Steve Kaufman, Nick Lauriat, P.K. Shiu, Rita Vachani.
Members Absent: Bob Avallone, Ramin Taraz
Quorum: A quorum of members was present.
Others Present: Doug Lucente, Select Board; Florence DelSanto, LexMedia; David van Moritz,
Astound.
Materials Referenced: Draft minutes of the June 16, 2022 CAC meeting; Astound Rate Notice
Letter; Astound Rate Notice Information; Town Manager"Board and Committee" memo; Draft
CAC contribution to the Town Annual Report.
In addition, the following materials were provided for information: Revised minutes of the May
19, 2022 meeting; LexMedia contract extension; LexMedia contract amendment.
2. Review and VOTE to approve minutes of the CAC June 16, 2022 meeting
The minutes of the June 161h meeting, as amended, were reviewed and approved by all other than
Dave Buczkowski. Dave Buczkowski abstained as he was not present at the June 16d' meeting.
3. Select Board liaison report: Doug Lucente
Doug Lucente noted that the Fall Special Town Meeting will kick off November 1, 2022, and the
Select Board is focused on that. Nothing on the proposed warrant for the Town Meeting pertains
to the CAC. He also mentioned that the FY24 Budget Cycle will be starting soon. As per
agreement at the May 23rd 2022 Select Board Meeting, we would like to request supplemental
funding for LexMedia in the FY24 budget. Rita Vachani will follow up with Carolyn Kosnoff,
Assistant Town Manager Finance, to check if any additional information is needed from the
CAC to support the funding request. Doug Lucente will also check with Jim Malloy, Town
Manager.
4. Service provider reports
Dave von Moritz did not have any new developments to report. Dave Becker asked a question
regarding Astound's rate changes: For customers who have a higher than basic tier package,
would the new added charges be cumulative, and hence result in a potential $18-$20 increase in
their monthly subscription charges? Dave von Moritz answered that he would have to follow up
to get an accurate response, and he would get back to Ken Pogran with an answer that could be
shared with the Committee.
5. Chairman's Report: Ken Pogran
Ken Pogran noted that 3 of the current CAC members -- Dave Buczkowski, Ken Pogran and Rita
Vachani — are up for reappointment and are waiting for confirmation of their appointments from
the Select Board.
On a related note, there was discussion about the Town Manager's recent memo regarding
"Boards and Committees" in Town, specifically the proposal that the CAC appointments be
made by the Town Manager. Dave Becker reminded everyone that the MA Department of
Telecommunications and Cable authorized the Towns to create Cable Advisory Committees to
advise the Issuing Authority (for Lexington that is the Select Board) on technical issues and help
negotiate the cable licenses. Doug Lucente clarified that the memo is a starting point for a
broader discussion on "How do you reimagine Boards and Committees in the Town" to make
sure there is best use of the talent in Town, to reduce duplication across Committees, and to use
the time of the Town Staff and the Select Board most effectively. The Select Board has heard
from a large number of Town residents at the Select Board Meeting as well as via emails on the
changes proposed in the memo and will be considering all these inputs as they deliberate further.
Doug Lucente emphasized that the Select Board will meet with the CAC before any changes to
the appointment process/reporting structure are made.
Ken Pogran then discussed several administrative items:
i. Continue CAC meetings on the third Thursday of the month. There were no objections to
this schedule
ii. Recording secretary and Complaints assignments: The same rotation to continue for both
activities and Ken Pogran will send out the updated rosters.
iii. Working group assignments for the year: After some discussion, it was decided that we
should have a written description of each group's charge and then revisit the membership
of each group. Ken Pogran will take the lead on creating this document.
iv. Remote or in person meetings: The State has approved all public meetings can continue
remotely till March 2023. The Town is working on procuring equipment and software to
enable hybrid meetings in the future, allowing for some remote participation. There was
discussion about what the CAC members would prefer—Dave Buczkowski and Dave
Becker said they would like to have the option to attend remotely when they cannot make
it in person; Nick Lauriat and Steve Kaufman both expressed the view that there is a loss
of community when the meetings are remote and so we should aim for in person
meetings when possible. It was also confirmed that the zoom (remote) meetings do not
need to be recorded, as the minutes of the meeting are the official record. So, the meeting
recordings can be stopped going forward. However, the transcript option should continue
for accessibility.
6. LexMedia Update: Florence DelSanto
Florence DelSanto reported that LexMedia had a very successful summer class for middle school
kids, with 11 students signed up, and also had 4 interns (3 from college, 1 from LHS). LexMedia
staff dipped their toes into news broadcasting by producing 2 news segments. The show, called
LexLocal, is focused on hyper local issues, and is in a prototype stage. One of the segments can
be viewed on the On-Demand channel. The team needs to assess if the show can be sustained
with existing staff and determine what next.
Florence DelSanto mentioned that the terms of some of the Board Members of LexMedia will be
expiring soon, including that of Jim Shaw. She expects that Jim Shaw will continue as Chair and
most of the Board Members will also continue, making for a very stable Board. LexMedia's
Annual Meeting will be an in-person meeting in November. The annual financial audit for
LexMedia was completed over the summer and the report will be available prior to the Annual
Meeting.
Florence DelSanto reported that there were a few issues with equipment and service over the
summer. The broadcast server was upgraded($30,000 capital expense) and after a few hiccups, it
is functioning well. The air-conditioning in the server room blew out and to prevent damage to
the equipment, the servers were shut down. LexMedia could not broadcast for a week until the
issue was resolved. The cameras in Cary Hall seem to be off and LexMedia is working with the
A/V person on site to resolve that.
As usual, LexMedia is gearing up for a busy fall with several community events and school
activities to be covered.
7. Comcast Cable Television License Renewal Update: Ken Pogran, P. K. Shin, Dave
Becker, Dave Buczkowski, Nick Lauriat
Ken Pogran mentioned that the Comcast license will expire in 2024 and the Select Board has
directed the CAC to proceed with license renewal discussions. P.K. Shiu will lead the effort and
will publish a timeline for the activities.
8. Should CAC have a Vice Chair: Ken Pogran
After a short discussion, the Committee agreed that it was not necessary to have a Vice Chair at
this time.
9. Review and VOTE to approve CAC contribution to the Town Annual Report: Ken
Pogran
The CAC contribution to the Town Annual Report was unanimously approved.
10. Town IT Update: Dorinda Goodman
Dorinda Goodman noted that the IT department is still dealing with the failure of the cooling
system at Bedford Street due to delays in getting replacement/new parts. They are making do in
the interim with stop gap measures.
Dorinda Goodman reported that the IT department has been working on a proposal for a town-
wide fiber network connecting all the Town buildings, and money from a State grant and Town
Capital was expected to fund the network. However, at the RFQ stage, they found out that the
cost to install fiber had increased by 40% and the cost of the equipment had gone up almost 5
times since the original proposal. So, the IT department has to now work on the additional capital
required to go ahead.
Dorinda Goodman also updated the CAC on progress with the AT&T tower. The engineering
design and architectural sketches are at a stage that they can be sent for approval to the Historic
District Commission, and work can then proceed.
11. Wireless Facility Applications: Nick Lauriat
Nick Lauriat reported that there has been nothing for the CAC to review in the permitting
system. This was followed by discussion on whether the CAC still needed to be involved in the
Wireless Facility Applications process, given the changes in zoning/permitting/FCC shot clock
ruling. Nick Lauriat and Ken Pogran both said that it seems that the CAC should get out of this
review process. Ken Pogran will coordinate with Doug Lucente to confirm if CAC can be
dropped from this process.
There was discussion that the CAC efforts should shift to working with the Wireless Carriers to
improve coverage in town. Steve Kaufman and Nick Lauriat both commented that there are
several areas in Town where cell coverage, specifically high speed data service, is very poor.
Ken Pogran said he would convene the Wireless Services group to discuss this issue.
12. Complaints
There were no complaints in the period June— September(to-date).
13. Election of Committee Chair, 2022-2023
Ken Pogran was unanimously elected Chair of the CAC for 2022-2023.
10. Adjourn
The meeting was adjourned at 7.58 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Rita Vachani
Recording Secretary