HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-04-28-VISION2025-minTown of Lexington
Vision for Lexington Committee Meeting
April 28, 2023
Remote Meeting
7:45 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Members Present: Margaret Coppe, John Giudice, Robert Peters, Bhumip Khasnabish, Weidong Wang,
Min Zhou, Daniel Joyner, Andrew Dixon, Marian Cohen, Shannon Murtagh
Guests: Ambilu Sivabalan
Staff Present: James Robinson
Absent: Samita Mandelia, Mark Manasas, Mark Sandeen, Kathleen Lenihan
The meeting was called to order: 7:49 am
The Remote Meeting Script was read by Margaret Coppe. An update was given regarding the status of
remote meetings, which have been extended for two additional years.
Margaret Coppe introduced Ambilu Sivabalan, a student in Lexington, as a guest to the Vision for
Lexington Committee.
Minutes:
Minutes from 3/31/2023 were unanimously approved with minor revisions
Action Items:
Determine the process for adding a Student Liaison to the Vision for Lexington Committee
Vote on charge of new subcommittee for survey-related policy/program recommendation
Meeting Highlights:
VFL Website Report on Emails
Daniel Joyner provided an update that there were no new communications for the Vision for Lexington
Committee; and that Daniel Joyner will coordinate with the Director of Communications on the
communications audit; and will be looking into possible adjustments to the committee webpage.
Membership Review
Margaret Coppe shared that there is still a vacancy on the Vision for Lexington Committee, and added
that there are currently two applicants. Margaret Coppe reiterated the discussion from the previous
meeting that the Vision for Lexington Committee is interested in adding a student liaison to the
committee’s composition, and needs to determine the process for making that addition.
Robert Peters clarified the importance of determining whether the member would be voting or non-
voting, and Andrew Dixon asked about the requirements for a member to be able to vote in committee.
Daniel Joyner asked Ambilu Sivabalan about accessibility regarding remote meetings. Ambilu Sivabalan
shared that both in-person and remote meetings are generally accessible.
Update on Subcommittee on Voter Participation in Lexington
Marian Cohen shared that the subcommittee will be meeting later in the day and are in the stages of
developing a report on local voter participation.
Daniel Joyner asked if the subcommittees reports and documents will be made available.
James Robinson shared information on how the VFL Subcommittee on Local Election Voter Participation
is being shared.
John Giudice sought guidance on the development of the new subcommittee on survey action items.
Weidong Wang asked for clarity on sharing information in compliance with Open Meeting Law.
Next Steps: Discussion of new study; Review of recommendations of previous studies
John Giudice shared information on the development of a subcommittee for sharing survey information
with town groups and organizations. John Giudice, Daniel Joyner, Mark Manasas, Marian Cohen, and
Min Zhou are the VFL members working on these developments.
Daniel Joyner posed that the subcommittee could make regular updates to the standing VFL Committee
or have a fixed end date where the subcommittee will be dissolved.
Margaret Coppe added that the subcommittee’s work could inform how long they will ultimately be
needed.
Weidong Wang sought clarity on how long the subcommittee would be meeting for. John Giudice share
that there is an initial 6-month plan of work and then would reassess if more work should be continued.
Marian Cohen recommended that the charge of the subcommittee reflect whether the group will have a
fixed or open-ended point of conclusion.
Weidong Wang suggested prioritizing the order of work if the subcommittee were to have a 6-month
life.
Marian Cohen noted that the 3 elected boards are the entities that commission the surveys, and should
be reported to by the new subcommittee and follow those elected boards’ protocol for interacting with
town departments.
Daniel Joyner highlighted the need for a long-term survey-related work plan for the VFL Committee as to
inform and follow-up with survey results.
Robert Peters reiterated that the three main takeaways from the most recent surveys were DEI,
sustainability, and housing.
Andrew Dixon suggested that it would be helpful to provide references of the survey results to the wider
town stakeholders.
Bhumip Khasnabish asked Marian Cohen about best practices for disseminating survey results. Marian
Cohen shared that the identified priorities and recommendations are not always implemented, but
continued tracking of survey results and information can help reinforce recommendations.
Margaret Coppe suggested bringing the new subcommittee’s charge to the VFL Committee for a vote
next meeting.
Marian Cohen asked that the work schedule and timeframe be reflected in the charge.
Margaret Coppe shared that committees can be dissolved after the work is complete, but a hard
deadline is not essential.
Public Comment
There was no public comment.
Next Meeting: June 2, 2023 @ 7:45am
Adjourn: 8:53am