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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-09-13-TCC-min Town Celebrations Committee Minutes of Meeting September 13, 2023 By Zoom Teleconference Members Present Glen Bassett and Geetha Padaki, Co-Chairs; Sudha Balasuryan, Linda Dixon, Dave Grabel, Yifang Gong, Mary Hutton, Cerise Jalelian, Bonnie Karshbaum, Lorain Marquis, Sandy Podgorski, Ashley Rooney, Sue Stering. Members not Present Steve Cole, Kevin Collins, Dabby Harter, Gresh Lattimore, Sondra Lucente, Julie Miller, Pam Winters, Hong Xie. Guest: Jolene Cai, Lexington High School Junior Business  Co-Chair Geetha Padaki opened the meeting, read the required Zoom language, and declared that a quorum was present.  Approval of the meeting minutes of June 14, 2023was postponed to our next meeting.  We will aim to develop a more efficient process for submitting minutes to the Town Clerk.  Yifang Gong and Linda Dixon will be alternate meeting recorders if needed.  Ashley introduced Jolene Cai, a junior at Lexington High School, who has volunteered to help with promoting our programs. Budget – Lorain Marquis  Our budget for this operating year is $47,173, slightly more than last year ($910), broken down as follows: Patriots’ Day, $39,000; Veterans Day, $4500; Memorial Day, $2500; Martin Luther King Day, $1000; and Miscellaneous, $300.  Everyone should submit any unpaid invoices asap and be sure to use tax-exempt forms. The Town will not reimburse payments for sales tax. Use local merchants when possible, as they are familiar with Town billing procedures. Consult Lorain for large purchases.  Ashley asked whether our committee is allowed to apply for local grants. There are several possible funding sources, such as Council for the Arts, Community Endowment for Lexington, and Veterans’ Heritage Grants Program. Geetha will check the committee’s eligibility to apply for grants and report at the next meeting. Meeting Structure, Cadence, Responsibilities  Geetha shared a chart, outlining roles of the Co-Chairs, officers and working group leads.  Veterans Day: Dave Grabel is heading up the Veterans Breakfast working group, Cerise Jalelian the Veterans Auto Parade, and Linda Dixon the Breakfast Ceremony.  Patriots’ Day: Glen will take overall responsibility, with leaders of several working groups to be named soon.  Memorial Day: Mary Hutton and Linda Dixon will lead the working group.  Working groups cannot include more than 6 full (i.e., voting) committee members. Seven voting members constitute a quorum, which would be in violation of the Open Meeting Law. Geetha emphasized that our committee/subcommittee structure is a legal distinction only. For our everyday work, there is no distinction between members. Proposed Meeting Dates  In past years, the committee met 24 times a year. Last year, to streamline our work, we met 12 times and the Co-Chairs received feedback that we needed more meetings. This year we have scheduled 19 meetings. For the two months prior to a major event, the committee will meet twice a month, otherwise once a month, from September to June. After making a minor adjustment to the proposed meeting schedule, i.e., adding one more meeting in March and removing the final June meeting, the committee set the 2023-24 schedule. Report on Veterans Day Activities  Glen has submitted a detailed plan, along with a request for permission to use space on the Visitors Center Lawn and/or the Green for the LHS Band, Scouts, and such, to the Select Board. This is on the SB agenda for vote on September 18.  Dave Grabel is working closely with the Knights of Columbus. They will set up the hall the night before, and provide a registration table and a POW vignette. The Knights and Michelson’s Shoes will distribute tickets. Veterans are admitted free of charge and a $5 donation is requested from other guests. We are reaching out to the Rotary and Lions Clubs for volunteers to serve the breakfast. Scouts will be on hand to clean up. Parking may be tight; Dave is checking possibilities for overflow parking at Custance Place.  Cerise has recruited Scouts to assist veterans lining up for the parade in the parking lot.  Linda is developing a brief program focused on youth. Two LHS students will read their finalist essays with a Veterans Day theme. Two original art posters designed by students at Minuteman Tech and selected by a panel of veteran judges will be awarded in a drawing to two veterans, hopefully with the artists present. Christmas Concert  Glen and Geetha recommended that we forego sponsoring a Christmas concert with the Middlesex County Volunteers this year. While all agreed this was a very popular and successful event, it may not be possible to host in 2024 due to Lex250 event planning. Lex250 Report  Cerise reported that the Lex250 Commission has voted to hold both the Reenactment and the Patriots’ Day Parade on Saturday, April 19, 2025. TCC will be asked to plan a full day of events for Monday April 21. Easter and Passover will also take place during this weekend. A naturalization ceremony for new citizens is being considered on Sunday.  Glen will set up a working group to focus on these details with Cerise. The meeting was adjourned at 8:20 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Linda Dixon, member