HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022-10-18-COD-min 1
Commission on Disability
October 18, 2022 Meeting Minutes
Members: Victoria Buckley (Chair), Sue Cusack, Shaun Grady, Julie Miller, Leonard Morse-
Fortier, Janet Perry, John Rossi, Francine Stieglitz, Nancy Wong
Town Liaisons: Jim Kelly, Building Commissioner; Mark Sandeen, Select Board
Committee Liaisons: Bonnie Teitleman, Council on Aging; Pam Lyons, Center Committee; Rod
Cole, CEC
Guest: Christina Burwell, Munroe Center for the Arts
Pursuant to Governor Baker’s March 12, 2020 Order Suspending Certain Provisions of the Open
Meeting Law, G.L. c. 30A, §18, and the Governor’s March 15, 2020 and subsequent Orders
imposing strict limitation on the number of people that may gather in one place, this meeting
of the Lexington Commission on Disability will be conducted via remote participation to the
greatest extent possible. Specific information and the general guidelines for remote
participation by members of the public and/or parties with a right and/or requirement to
attend this meeting can be found below. No in-person attendance of members of the public will
be permitted, but every effort will be made to ensure that the public can adequately access the
proceedings in real time, via technological means. (*As per Executive Order regarding remote
participation: https://www.mass.gov/doc/open-meetinglaw-order-march-12-2020/download)
Please be advised that the House and Senate passed a bill that Governor Baker signed, which
will allow the continuation of remote public meetings until July 15, 2022.
This meeting met remotely from 5:48 PM to 7:09 PM.
Thank you:
• Thank you to Sharon Coffey for helping with the zoom technology.
Review of Minutes
• Minutes from September 2022 were unanimously approved with slight changes not
related to substance.
Announcements
• Dyslexia Screening is Thursday, October 20th at 6:15. Victoria and Janet will attend.
• Clarke Middle School has a wonderful student art exhibit created by students with
disabilities.
Discussion with Christina Burwell about Munroe Center for the Arts
• Christina shared that Munroe is using the back entrance as the main entrance now.
• There have been improvements at the backdoor including an inside lift.
2
• Stairs have new extended handrails.
• They installed offset hinges to widen doorways.
• Ramp was installed near the studio to accommodate the raised dance floor.
• Visual identification was added to stairways inside and out.
• Christina talked about the new design plans, working with architect, Brian Healy. There
will be a small annex in back providing sufficient space to add an elevator and gender-
neutral accessible bathrooms. The plans call for the elimination of the existing dated
bathroom facilities and the addition of new bathrooms in the new annex
• Accessible parking spaces will abut a ramp that leads to the main entrance in the back of
the building. Martha Duffield helped to connect the Center to receive rail tie barriers for
the parking lot to prevent cars from parking on top of the accessible pathway
• November 1 is the deadline for CPA application with the goa l of getting on the Town
Meeting Warrant for the spring. They are applying for $3.5M.
• They are planning to prepare drawings by Town Meeting and if approved, work on the
annex would start in the spring.
• Christina has already met with the Design Review Team, Select Board, the Monroe
Community, HDC, and others. They have not met with the Permanent Buildings
Committee
• Jim Kelley offered that he is noticing some momentum in this effort and is hopeful that
Christina will be successful moving forward.
• The Commission voted by verbal roll call unanimously to support the following motion:
To support the renovation and addition to the Munroe Center for the Arts to make it
accessible
Review of Parker Meadow Event
• Francine read a statement written by Victoria at the ope ning. She reported that there
were at least 50 people at the event with a high level of enthusiasm. Len attended and
Michael Martignetti provided food. Meg Landers also spoke at the event. This can be
viewed on cable.
• Francine would like to develop UA Trail Guidelines, such as:
o should bikes yield to all other users on the UA sections of the trail ,
o should bikes be dismounted and walked,
o should dogs be leashed.
• Discussions:
o Mark offered that a conversation with the Bike community would be of value to
help sort out the definitions related to “Yield to all other users on UA sections of
the pathways”. Meetings on the Bike Committee are the 2nd Thursday of the
month
o Mark is asking if the guidelines are a proposal? Or a reality?
o Len offered that the pathways of crushed stone may not hold up over time if a
variety of vehicles are using it (wheelchairs and bikes).
o Jim Kelly offered that a permeable surface may hold up better.
3
o Discussions about dogs should not be a consideration at Parker Meadow where
they are required to be on leashes, but at Willard Woods, they are allowed to be
off leash. Rod Cole offered off-leash if the dog is under voice control.
o Mark proposed that we get on the agenda of the Bike Committee to discuss
these issues and work toward a common understanding and pull in the
Conservation Commission. Victoria will ask to be on their agenda
Minutes submitted by Sue Cusack
Meeting Adjourned 7:09 pm