HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013-00-00 2020 Demographic Change Task Force Draft ReportReport of the Demographic Change Task Force - Draft 1.42
DRAFT 1.42
Executive Summary
Lexington is experiencing a dramatic change in its racial composition and a substantial modification of its
age profile.
In 1990, just over 6% of the Town's residents were of Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Korean or other Asian
origin. By 2000, the percentage of Asian residents had risen to 11 %; at the end of 2009 it may have
reached 20 %. The percentage of Asians in Lexington is substantially higher than in any other
neighboring community. According to the 2005 -2007 American Community Survey, conducted by the
Census Bureau, Asians of Chinese origin represented about 10% of Lexington's population; they were
followed by Indians and Koreans, each at about 2.5 %, and Japanese and Vietnamese at 0.5% each. At
present, Asians are significantly under - represented in the Town's Departments, Boards and Committees.
The quantitative impact of this demographic change has been most evident in schools and in subsidized
housing. The schools, with about 5% of students having limited English proficiency, have responded by
expanding English Language Learner programs. With respect to housing, over 50% of the residents of
Vinebrook and Greeley Villages (low income, elderly and handicapped housing) are now Asian; twenty
years ago there were none.
Data on English proficiency from the 2000 Census reveal that about 300 Asian residents did not speak
English or spoke it poorly and could present a communication challenge for Town Departments,
particularly in emergencies.
Although Lexington's population has not grown over the past 30 years, its age profile (distribution by
age band) has changed considerably. It now most closely resembles the profiles of suburban
communities with highly -rated school systems, and differs from all immediately neighboring
communities except Lincoln. Currently, it consists of one peak in the 10 -14 year age band; falls to a
minimum in the 25 -29 year band; rises to its maximum in the 50 -54 age band; and then drops off with
higher ages. The profile is consistent with the following interpretation: Older parents move into
Lexington to place their children in its excellent schools, while young adults move elsewhere. Over the
past 10 to 20 years, the initial peak has grown and the maximum of the distribution has shifted out by
10 years. The average age of the population is slowly rising now, but is projected to rise faster at a
faster pace over the next 20 years according to projections from the Metropolitan Area Planning
Council. The aging population, coupled with the trend of more seniors living alone, is placing new and
additional demands on Town services. In particular, minor problems that may have once been handled
by family members can evolve into crises by the time they finally come to the attention of the Police,
Fire, Health, and Human Services Departments.
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DRAFT 1.42
Relative to Massachusetts as a whole, Lexington's median home values and median family income both
rose from the 1990 Census to the 2005 -2007 ACS. In this sense, we are becoming a more exclusive
community.
Our recommendations stress the need to develop a better understanding of in- and out - migration and
of the growth and makeup of the Asian population. Only by taking these steps will the Town be able to
respond appropriately. Accordingly, we recommend interviewing members of the community (e.g.
teachers) and others (e.g. real estate agents) who have direct and frequent dealings with Asians and
older residents who are at the center of these trends. We also recommend analyzing the steps taken by
other communities, not only in Massachusetts, that have experience with similar demographic trends.
In parallel with these actions, we believe it is essential to identify and implement ways to accelerate and
broaden participation of the Lexington's Asian population in Town business, including the shaping the
appropriate response to the trends identified in this report.
We also recommend that — to the extent permissible by law —Town Departments begin to include age -
and language - related data when documenting incidents, particularly emergencies. Finally, we
recommend that the Town derive much greater value from its annual census by slight modification of
the form and a more detailed analysis of the data.
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DRAFT 1.42
Background and mission of the Task Force
Noting "significant changes in the composition of Lexington's population over the last 15 -20 years" and
the need for municipal government and schools to take them into account, the Lexington 2020 Vision
Committee established the Demographic Change Task Force (DCTF). In announcing its formation in
March 2008, the 2020 Vision Committee issued the following statement:
"Identifying the nature of demographic change is essential for local government to
meet the needs of the community now and in the future. Different ways of thinking
and communicating result from changes and increased diversity over time.
Understanding and responding appropriately to these changes can promote a sense
of community and strengthen the democratic process. The data analysis and
recommendations provided by the Task Force will inform long -range community
decisions and actions for the Board of Selectmen and other Town officials."
Subsequently, Town Manager Carl Valente defined three primary objectives for the Task Force:
1. Identify the most important demographic changes currently taking place in Lexington and identify the
changes that are likely to occur by 2020.
2. Explore how these changes will affect town services.
3. Understand how to maintain and create a sense of community despite these demographic changes.
Membership
The current members of the Task Force are:
Marian Cohen (2020 Vision Committee Liaison)
Margaret Coppe (Lexington School Committee)
Ben Esty (Resident)
Bebe Fallick (Resident)
Dan Krupka (Resident)
Candy McLaughlin (Assistant to the Town Manager; staff to the Task Force)
Carl Valente (Lexington Town Manager; staff to the Task Force)
Activities
Whereas "demographics" can be interpreted to encompass a broad range of topics, the Task Force has
addressed the following: age, race, language, income and home values. Although, the 2020 Vision
Committee's Scoping Group had suggested that residency (moves into and out of town) and religion be
included among the demographic topics, we were unable to obtain data on the former and did not
explore the latter.
The Task Force pursued two lines of inquiry: (1) collection, analysis and discussion of demographic data
and (2) meetings with managers of Town Departments and organizations of interest. The activities in
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DRAFT 1.42
the first category were predominantly data gathering and analysis, followed by discussion within the
Task Force as a whole. The second category consisted of sessions whose objectives were to become
familiar with the responsibilities of Town Departments, and to learn how demographic changes were
affecting them or might affect them in the future.
We thank all who met with usl for their preparation and for the candid discussions. We also thank
Arthur Bakis of the US Census Bureau for patiently answering questions regarding data sources and data
interpretation; Tim Reardon of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) for discussions of the
models used by the MAPC and for providing data; Robyn Dowling- Grant, K -12 Coordinator — English
Lerner Education Program for Lexington Schools for data on the English Language Learner (ELL) program;
and Aaron Henry, Senior Planner, Town of Lexington, for Appendix A and historical data on the Town's
population.
A. Demographic data
The data in this report are drawn primarily from the US Census Bureau and from the Massachusetts
Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). The former performs decennial censuses
and, during the intervening years conducts surveys, spanning three years, known as the American
Community Surveys. This report includes results from the 2005 -2007 American Community Survey (ACS)
because it was the most recent one available when the Task Force assembled its data. In December
2009, the US Census Bureau published its 2006 -2008 ACS. Because its results, related to the topics of
interest to the Task Force, do not differ substantively from the previous ACS, we have continued to use
the 2005 -2007 ACS in the body of this report. Most recently, Aaron Henry, Senior Planner for the Town
of Lexington, drafted a Demographic & Socioeconomic Profile Report for the Town, comparing the
results of the 2006 -2008 ACS with those of the 2000Census. That report constitutes Appendix A.
As the data reported in this section demonstrate, Lexington is experiencing substantial change both in
its age profile and in its racial composition. The evolution of its age profile resembles that of Boston -
area communities with highly- ranked schools. By contrast, Lexington's Asian population (16.5%
according to the 2005 -2007 ACS) is significantly higher than any of the communities mentioned above
and any neighboring community.
In this Section, we present data on the following demographic topics:
1. Age
2. Race
3. Language
4. Housing and income
1 Please see Table 2 for the list.
4
DRAFT 1.42
Caveats
Before discussing the data, it is important to keep in mind the following:
1. It has been nearly ten years since the last US census, which, being based on a count of the entire
population, represents the most accurate data. Because the ACS data are based on a sample,
not the full population, they can be less accurate. This tradeoff — accuracy of data vs. timeliness
— must be recognized in any analysis and interpretation.
2. In addition to historical data, we include one projection for 2020 developed by the MAPC. It is
based on a forecast for the total population of a group of "similar" neighboring towns whose
results are then allocated to the towns in the group. Because the forecast is not based solely on
data for Lexington, its reliability and validity may be limited.
3. There is a need to distinguish what has been an historical trend from what is likely to be a future
trend from now through 2020, and to understand the methods and potential biases involved
with forecasting methods. In some cases, we have extrapolated current trends to arrive at
estimates of future values, re cognizing that such extrapolations need to be considered with
caution.
4. There is a need to distinguish temporary trends and permanent trends (e.g. something that is
important for first generation citizens, such as English classes, may not necessarily be important
for future generations).
1. Age
After almost doubling from its 1950 level, Lexington's population reached 33,400 in 1970. It then
declined to about 28,500 in 19802 and, as reported by the Census Bureau's decennial Censuses, has
been roughly stable at about 30,000 since then. Although the MAPC forecasts3 that it will grow to nearly
32,000 in 2010 and nearly 33,000 in 2020, the projections appear to be high in light of the past 30 years
of relative stability and the limited opportunities to add to the Town's housing stock.
The overall stability of the past 30 years masks major underlying change. Figure 1 shows age profiles,
described by number of Lexington residents in five -year age bands. The figure is based on historical data
from the US Census Bureau (1990 and 2000 Censuses and the 2005 -2007 ACS) and a projection for 2020
from the MAPC. The most recent age profiles are characterized by one peak for the 10 —14 age band
and a second peak, which has been shifting to higher ages, in the 50 — 54 age band. The population dips
in the 20— 35 year band, with the dip appearing most pronounced in the 2005 -2007 ACS data. Over the
past 20 years or so, the number in the 60 — 69 age band has dropped while the number in the 70+ age
band has risen. This will change if the MAPC projection proves to be accurate: It forecasts a large
2 We are grateful to Aaron Henry, Senior Planner of the Town of Lexington for providing Town population at ten -
year intervals starting in 1860.
3 Timothy Reardon of the MAPC provided historical data for 1990 and 2000 and forecasts through 2030 for
communities in the Boston Metropolitan Area.
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DRAFT 1.42
B. Meetings with Town departments and organizations
Table 2 lists the meetings held by the Task Force. Representatives of Town Departments were guests at
many of them. Appendix B summarizes the topics discussed at meetings with guests and the findings
from each meeting related to demographic trends.
Table 2— List of meetings
Date
Town Department or Organization
Representative fr)
June 11, 2008
No guests. Organizational meeting
NA
July 9, 2008
Metropolitan Area Planning Council
(MAPC)
Holly St. Clair, Data Center Manager,
MAPC
September 24, 2008
Police Department
Fire Department
Chris Casey, Police Chief
Bill Middlemiss, Fire Chief
October 29, 2008
Health Department
Human Services Department
Gerard Cody, Health Director
Charlotte Rodgers, Director
December 17, 2008
Town Clerk
Cary Library
Donna Hooper, Town Clerk
Connie Rawson, Director
January 7, 2009
Schools
Dr. Paul Ash, Superintendent
March 4, 2009
Public Works
Recreation
Bill Hadley, Director
Karen Simmons, Director
May 20, 2009
Transportation
Bill Levison, Co -Chair Transportation
Advisory Committee
Gail Wagner, Transportation Coordinator
June 1, 2009
Planning Board
Charles Hornig, Planning Board Chair
Maryann McCall - Taylor, Planning Director
July 29, 2009
No guests. Working session
NA
August 26, 2009
Town Clerk; working session
Donna Hooper, Town Clerk
September 23, 2009
No guests. Working session
NA
September 28, 2009
(Candy McLaughlin and
Dan Krupka only)
Housing Authority
Patricia Sullivan, Federal Program
Coordinator
(Meeting held at Housing Authority)
October 14, 2009
No guests. Working session
NA
December 2, 2009
No guests. Working session
NA
January 6, 2010
No guests. Working session
NA
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DRAFT 1.42
Findings from meetings
The following represent the most significant findings regarding demographic trends, gleaned from the
records of the meetings listed in Appendix B.
1. Age - related
a. Most of the managers of Departments mentioned that they had noticed an increase in the
number of elderly citizens. Their observations are consistent with the demographic trends
for this age group.
b. More senior citizens appear to be living alone. As a result, simple problems, which in the
past might have been identified and handled by their children or spouses, end up being
dealt with by the Fire, Police, Health or Human Services Departments. Furthermore, a
secondary line of defense is no longer available: Because the Public Works' water meter
readers no longer need to enter homes, the opportunity to perform an informal check on
living conditions has been eliminated.
To fill the gap, the Police Department has created an "At Risk" form, filed on a voluntary
basis by family members or caregivers. Although it was originally created to assist in
tracking down and dealing with residents with Alzheimer's or dementia, the list of
conditions was subsequently expanded to include autism. More recently, it has been
further expanded to include any disease or behavior that could endanger an adult or child.
The form, shown in Appendix C, includes a photo, a description of the person's medical
condition, whether the person is able to speak and a list of emergency numbers.
2. Language- and culture - related
a. The growth in the Asian population has created some communication problems with the
Town. It appears that many from this population are reluctant to seek help from the Town
when it would be in their best interests to do so. Occasionally, during emergencies,
members of the Police and Fire Department have difficulty communicating with residents
who either don't speak English or who speak it poorly. In recognition of the demographic
trends, the Police Department subscribes to AT &T's translation service, available by phone.
It has also hired an officer who speaks Mandarin.
b. The Cary Library is building modest collections of Mandarin and Bengali books and DVDs. It
is also seeking to diversify its staff in response to the growth in Asian members.
c. More than 50% of the residents of Greeley and Vinebrook Village (low- income and disabled
housing) are Asian. In 1997, there were no Asian residents in these units.
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DRAFT 1.42
Discussion and Implications
Age
The trends that shape the age profile up to the age of 60, shown in Figure 1 (page 6), are possibly the
following:
a. Parents move to Lexington as their children approach, or reach, school age because they are
attracted by the highly- ranked school system; they move here when they are able to afford to live in
Lexington. This explanation is consistent with the fact that the number of children in the 5 -9, 10 -14
and 15 -19 age bands exceed the number of children in the 0 -4 age group.
b. The parents who are moving in are getting older, thereby helping to shift the peak of the age profile
to higher ages.
c. Adults in the 20— 35 age band appear to be leaving the Town. They may be finding that they are
unable to afford to live Lexington, or they may prefer to live in communities with more to attract
them.
Because other Boston -area communities with excellent schools and relatively expensive housing (e.g.
Carlisle, Dover, Lincoln, Sherborn and Weston) have similar age profiles we have some confidence in the
above explanation. We acknowledge, however, that we have but anecdotal evidence to support it.
If the attraction of Lexington's schools slightly accelerates in- migration, the increase in school -age
children may contribute to offsetting, or partially offsetting, the decline in enrollment anticipated as a
result of the falling birth rate. In fact, the most recent projections released by Dr. Paul Ash16 are based
on a mean Birth -to- Kindergarten Progression Factor of 1.65, slightly higher than the factor of 1.59 he
used in developing the forecast one year ago. This is equivalent to recognizing a higher rate of in-
migration of children approaching Kindergarten age. In addition, Dr. Ash's most recent forecast assumes
a slightly higher birth rate (215) than last year (210). The slight increase in the two factors has led Dr.
Ash to project a slower decline in enrollment than anticipated in January 2009.
In contrast to school enrollment projections, which are keenly studied because of their impact on the
Town's budget, forecasts for the senior population receive limited attention. The slight growth in the
population exceeding 60 years of age, discussed in connection with Figure 2 (page 7), may be the result
of better health of this age group and the ability of elderly citizens to remain in their existing homes or
to find other suitable housing in Town. Indeed, one of the explanations given by the MAPC for the
growth of the 55+ age group in its projections for 2020 and 2030 is the postulated availability of smaller
homes or apartments in Lexington. In the MAPC model, seniors would move from their larger houses
thereby making them available for families and increasing the Town's population. Without growth in
16 Dr. Paul B. Ash, Four- and Ten -Year Enrollment Forecasts, January 5, 2010
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DRAFT 1.42
the number of smaller homes or apartments, however, it is difficult to see how the senior population
would rise.
If the MAPC projections, showing a large increase in Lexington's senior population are correct, however,
they have several implications. If the aging population combines with a social trend of seniors living
alone, it will create greater demands on the Health Department (screens, shot clinics etc), Human
Services (home visits, senior center, meals, etc.) and Police and Fire Departments (EMT, ambulance). The
seniors may also have an important impact on town finances as more of them will be living on
retirement income or fixed income. As a result, the town's ability to pay for incremental services may
be limited. Interestingly, it appears that seniors are a declining percentage and number of Lexpress
riders in recent years, but may well increase in the coming year.17
Race
While Lexington's age profile may resemble the age profiles of some neighboring communities known
for their schools, its race profile is very substantially different, and the difference is accelerating. If
current trends continue, Lexington's Asian percentage could reach 25% by 2020. (To put this in
perspective, San Francisco's Asian population, reported in the 2005 -2007 ACS is 31 %). Asians are
significantly under - represented not only in Town Departments, e.g. Police and Fire, but also in Town
government and on Boards and Committees. Of approximately 800 Board and Committee slots, only 20
appear to be occupied by Asians based on a count of names and identification of many known to
members of this Task Force. Despite the fact that this issue appears to have been broadly recognized,
little progress seems to have been made in improving it.
Although we have treated changes in the age and race profiles as distinct demographic trends, they are
in fact linked: The in- migration rate of Asians with school -age children exceeds the in- migration rate of
other races with school -age children because the proportion of Asian students continues to grow.
Language
If the Asian population continues to grow, Town Departments can expect to encounter more problems
in communicating with members of this population, particularly during emergencies. Although it is
unlikely that the number of Asians with very limited English proficiency currently exceeds 600,18 it is the
oldest of these residents who tend to be the least proficient and the most likely to require help from the
Departments. Without more data on the frequency of such incidents, however, it will be difficult for the
Departments to plan appropriate measures.
It is not just emergencies that need to concern Town Departments. Should the Town websites include
sections in Chinese, Korean and Japanese on Town regulations, services, including public health services
such as flu shots? Should the school websites include translations of vital pages and important
17 Bill Levison, data presented to the DCTF, May 20, 2009
18 It was 300 in 2000 when the Asian percentage stood at 10.9 %, and we estimate that the current percentage is
20 %. See discussion on page 9 and Figures 8a — c on page 12.
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DRAFT 1.42
announcements? How much should the Cary Library invest in books in Mandarin or Korean? Should the
Fire, Police, Health and Human Services Departments actively recruit people who speak Mandarin?
By contrast, the challenges for Lexington's schools are readily quantifiable. As the number of students
with limited English proficiency has grown, the schools have had to keep pace by adding ELL teachers.
Communicating with parents, however, has not been a problem for the schools because, in most cases,
at least one parent speaks English.19
Recommendations
While Massachusetts law requires that schools provide ELL programs for students with limited English
proficiency, no analogous requirements are prescribed for other Town services. This gives Lexington the
freedom to shape its response as it deems appropriate. We believe that this requires (a) deeper insight
into in- and out - migration and (b) better understanding of the growth, makeup and needs of the Asian
population, while recognizing that the two are not independent. Our recommendations, therefore,
center on moving beyond high -level statistics to acquiring insight as well as learning from other
communities that may have experienced or are experiencing similar trends.
We also believe that the Town of Lexington has opportunities to collect additional quantitative
demographic data to assist it formulating its response to current trends.
Although we draw attention to a likely linkage between the growing Asian population and the changing
age profile, we nonetheless recommend that be considered as distinct for now.
Growing Asian population
Our recommendations on this topic progress from obtaining additional available data information to
developing an understanding of the individual and common challenges and needs of the Town's Asian
population to learning how other communities successfully handled a comparable demographic change.
They are listed roughly in the order in which they might be addressed.
1. Consult the authors of "Asian Americans in Lexington "20 to learn if they have developed an
understanding of what brings Asians to Lexington and how long the trend may last. This is a
step that the DCTF can take immediately.
2. Request that Town Departments track emergency situations in which they encounter difficulties
in communicating with Town residents who don't speak English or speak it poorly. By recording
the language spoken by the person (whenever it is not English) the Town will acquire data on
the severity of the issue, and will be able to explore appropriate responses. We make this
recommendation mindful of the big difference between running a town with 70% English
speakers and 30% Chinese speakers (only two languages), and running a town with 70% English
19 Dr. Paul B. Ash. Discussion with Dan Krupka, July 20, 2009.
20 See Reference 6, page 9.
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DRAFT 1.42
speakers and 15 other languages represented among the remaining 30% of citizens (16
languages). It is much more difficult to staff town services, provide public information, provide
library services, and handle emergencies as the number of languages spoken by residents
increases, assuming they have limited knowledge of English.
3. Interview people with first -hand experience in working with Asians (e.g., real estate agents,
Robyn Dowling- Grant, school principals, teachers) regarding what attracts Asians to Lexington
and to shed light on the breakdown of Asians who move to Lexington with the intention of living
here indefinitely and those who are temporary residents.
4. Set up a task force to identify and implement effective ways to accelerate and broaden
participation of Town's Asian population in its government, boards, associations, and
committees.
5. Conduct a series of focus groups with Asian residents to develop an understanding of the
individual and common challenges faced by the various ethnic groups in the Asian population; to
learn about what has attracted them to Lexington; and to become acquainted with their
interests and needs.
6. Assess steps taken by Massachusetts communities that have experienced significant
demographic changes in recent years. Determine what worked and what did not, and what
could be applied in Lexington. (DCTF /2020 Vision Committee, possibly with the help of MIT's
Department of Urban Studies and Planning and the MAPC)
7. Conduct an analysis of other communities across the country that have experienced significant
demographic changes and the ways in which they responded (e.g., analyze Berkeley, California
and its response to an increasing Asian population). (DCTF /2020 Vision Committee, possibly with
the help of MIT's Department of Urban Studies and Planning)
Changing age profile
1. Conduct a focus group with real estate agents, who are particularly active in Lexington,
regarding the major forces driving in- and out - migration of residents in the 60+ age group. In
preparation for such a focus group, obtain data on moves from the Town Clerk and the
Assessors' database. The MAPC may be interested in assisting with this because it might help in
building the models for population projections.
2. Modify the annual Town Census, possibly with the assistance of the MAPC and certainly with the
concurrence of the State, as follows:
a. Add a request to identify legal residents of Lexington who are away at college or serving
in the Armed Forces. This step would ensure that the Town has the mandatory list of
registered voters, while producing annually an age profile constructed in accordance
with Census Bureau practice. This would give the Town more solid data for responding
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DRAFT 1.42
to demographic trends. Including ethnicity and race (as defined by the Census Bureau)
be most valuable in light of current trends.
b. Arrange for the data to be analyzed down to a single -year age band, thereby improving
the data needed for planning resources for incoming Kindergarten classes and
projecting enrollment in the schools.
3. Reconvene a task force on demographics when the results from the 2010 census are available —
probably in mid 2011— and request that it update this report with the most recent data.
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DRAFT 1.42
Appendix A - Demographic and Socioeconomic Profile Report
of Lexington, MA
Demographic &
1 • - • nomic
Profile Report
SECOND DRAFT
Lexington Planning Department
January 2010
23
DRAFT 1.42
Appendix B - Meetings with Town Departments and others
Organization
Representative
Topics and issues discussed
Takeaways
Metropolitan
Holty St. Clair, Data
0
lnformation on data sources and how
° MAPC represents a
Area Planning
Council (MAPC)
Center Manager
to access them
valuabe resource that
we can draw on in
*
Trends and projections for Metro
carrying out our work
Boston and Lexington
Police
Chris Casey, Chief
•
Growth of elderty population and its
• PoIice responding to
Department
impact on auto accidents and on
exploitation by strangers and family
members
issues with the elderly
by creating "At Risk"
files for use by
responding officers
•
Problems with exploitation
exacerbated because many of the
elderty Iive in singte family homes and
no one is aware of problem
° Police Dept. hired a
Mandarin speaker to
assist in
0
Members of growing Asian population
reluctant to seek help from Town
communicating with
growing Chinese
population
° Police does not track
calls by estimated age
or ethnicity
° Both use a service
(national call center)
for language
interpretation to assist
with the town's
changing ethnicity (also
used by Health Dept?)
Fire
Department
Bill Middlemiss,
Chief
=
Collaboration with neighboring towns
for emergency medical services and
fire
° None relative to
mission of our Task
Force
Human Services
Charlotte Rodgers,
*
Programs run by the Department
0 Trends, while possibly
Department
Director
0
Trends
o Demand for senior citizen's services
rising, particularly with the growth
of 85+
o lncrease in demand for mental
health services, often with requests
for financial assistance
o Financial crisis increasing demand
for youth and family services
important, were
presented
qualitatively, not
quantitatively
24
DRAFT 1.42
Organization
Representative
Topics and issues discussed
Takeaways
Health
Department
Gerard Cody,
Health Director
®
Key mandates for department:
Environmental inspections; community
health programs; emergency
preparedness
®
Trends for seniors
living alone are similar
to those observed by
Chief Casey of the
®
Trends
o Senior citizens living alone, some in
unsafe or unhealthy housing. Some
situations further complicated by
mental illness
o Diverse workforce, e.g. in
restaurants may complicate
communications. Interpreter
services used occasionally.
®
Police Department
Diversity in the
workforce
encountered in
Lexington unlikely to
differ from situations in
other towns
Schools
Dr. Paul Ash,
Superintendent
®
®
Four and 10 -year enrollment forecasts
Surprise increase in K enrollment in
®
About 25% of students
are Asian
F2008
®
®
Vision for collecting population data
that could be readily linked to lots,
thereby facilitating projections of
specific school enrollments
Trends
o Expect drop of about 300 in
elementary schools over next 5 yrs
o 22% of students non - white,
predominantly Asian
o 17% from homes where English is
not the first language
o 3.6% are non - English speakers;
®
Although forecasting K
enrollment has proven
to be difficult, there
exist methods that
could be used to
improve the forecasts
English Language Learners up by
25% from 2006
Town Clerk
Donna Hooper,
Town Clerk
®
®
Annual Town census does not collect
data on race, but, judging from visits to
the Town offices, there is an apparent
increase in the Chinese and Indian
population
According to the Town's census
numbers, the percentage of residents
aged 50 or older rose from about 35%
in 1997 to about 42% in 2009; more
half of this increase can be attributed
to the 60+ component
®
®
Residents who are 60
or older do not appear
to be moving out of
Lexington
With the addition of
race, the annual Town
census could become a
more useful tool for
measuring rapid
demographic trends
®
Possibility of a Home Rule petition to
allow non - citizens to vote in the local
elections
25
DRAFT 1.42
Organization
Representative
Topics and issues discussed
Takeaways
Cary Library
Connie Rawson,
Director
®
Trends
o Increase in Asian users
o Small collection of Chinese books
and DVDs; small Bengali collection
o Library used as a shelter by people
with various need of services
(mental health, homelessness,
adequate comfort at home)
o Library trying to hire diverse staff
®
i
Library is observing the
same trends as other
Town departments
Library is responding
with some collections
and objective of hiring
diverse staff
Public Works
Bill Hadley,
Director
®
®
Elimination of the need to read water
meters in homes has eliminated the
opportunity of the Town's meter
readers to report problems,
particularly in the homes of the elderly
Loss of an employee who spoke
Bengali ( ?) eliminated the sole
employee who was able to
communicate with residents from
India
®
®
Public Works is yet
another department
that has noticed that
informally keeping tabs
on elderly citizens is
becoming more
difficult
Public Works is also
aware of the benefits
of someone who
speaks an Asian
language
Recreation
Karen Simmons,
Director
®
The golf course is becoming
increasingly popular with the Town's
®
This is one of the few
instances in which the
Asian population
Asian population is
participating in the
Town's activities
Transportation
Bill Levison, Co-
Chair
Transportation
•
Data on yearly Lexpress ridership for
Senior and Disabled and other
ridership data
®
Although Lexpress
would seem to be very
convenient for seniors
Advisory
Committee
Gail Wagner.
®
®
Lexpress ridership dominated by
students
Funding is ongoing concern
who are unable to
drive, it is used
predominantly by
students
Transportation
Coordinator
26
DRAFT 1.42
Organization
Representative
Topics and issues discussed
Takeaways
Planning Board
(elected)
Charles Hornig,
Planning Board
Chair
•
Challenges faced by the Planning
Board, including the inability to make
zoning changes based on
demographics
®
Planning Board is not
doing anything that
would change the
housing mix
Mary Ann McCall-
Taylor
®
Avalon Hills required 10 years of
planning and negotiation with Belmont
and Waltham
•
Little demand for age- restricted
housing
®
Conversion of schools has produced
many housing units, but they have not
been judged to be either affordable or
livable
®
Difficulty in obtaining data from Town
Assessor's office
•
Data from Town census increasingly
difficult to obtain owing to privacy
laws
Housing
Authority
Patricia Sullivan,
Federal Program
Coordinator
®
®
®
Percentage of units rented to Asians in
Greeley and Vinebrook (both State-
supported)have risen from "almost
zero" to over 50% in 2009
Most renters are on Transitional
Support
Most of the Asians may be related to
Asians living in Lexington, and were
initially brought from China to care for
their grandchildren
a
Over 50% of the
renters in the State -
supported units for
low- income seniors
and disabled are Asian;
this percentage has
grown near zero ten
years ago
®
It is unclear at the time of writing of
this report whether the average
waiting time for units in Greeley and
Vinebrook are becoming longer
®
Many senior in Lexington are unaware
that they may be eligible to rent in
Greeley and Vinebrook despite
publicity from Lexington Housing
Authority
27
DRAFT 1.42
Appendix C - At Risk form
A POLICE DEPARTMENT REGISTRY TO ASSIST PERSONS AT RISK
Instructions: Complete form, affix photograph and return to: Lexington Police Department
1575 Massachusetts Avenue
Lexington, MA 02420 -3889
Attn: Fa nily Services Officer
Last Name
Personal Descri ition
F val Name
Date of Birth
Race & Sex
Race
Sex
Height
Weight
Hair Color
Eye Color
Scars/Marks
Glasses
Facial Hair
Impo -tant Address Information
Home
Phone #:
Work
Phone #:
School
Phone #:
Emergency Contacts
AT HOME - Name
Rolm ionsh ip
NI
Forme by tic rdtcllrymnenuhIy
MN#
Affix Recent Photo Here
Phone
Address
AT WORK— Name
Relationship
Phone
Address
AT S CHOOL -- Name
Relationship
Phone
Address
OTHER — Name
Relationship
Phone
Address
SEE REVERSE SIDE OF THIS FORM FOR IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
28
DRAFT 1.42
AT RISK INFO'. ATION
Medical Condition:
Ph),w a„
Pbc
ndd«,
Cwrcol 1 diWtions
Does person drive?
Plate #
YES Li NO U j I
Make
a vehicle is being used, please describe below:
Model
Year
Color
Does person speak? YES ❑ NO ❑ If not, how does person communicate?
Does person wander? YES ❑ NO ❑ If yes, to where?
Describe medical alert ID, if worn:
Additional information that will help identify the risk or assist an officer find, communicate with, or care for
person. If necessary, attach a separate sheet.
RELEASE
I, , give my permission to the Lexington Police Department to retain this
information, to be kept confidentially on file for the purpose of identification and assistance relative to people at risk
and related investigative activities.
Print Name:
Status update:
Signature:
Date:
29