HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-01-12-AHTBT-min
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Affordable Housing Trust
Meeting Minutes of January 12, 2024 10:00 am
Hybrid meeting on Zoom and attended in-person in the Parker room, Town
Office Building
Affordable Housing Trust Board Members present: Elaine Tung, Chair; William Erickson, Tiffany
Payne, Linda Prosnitz
Staff present: Carol Kowalski, Assistant Town Manager for Development; Liz Rust, RHSO
Director; Ragi Ramachandran, Administrative Assistant
Other attendees: Kathryn Roy, Margaret Heitz
Ms. Tung chaired the hybrid meeting and called the meeting to order at 10:05 am.
1. Chair, Select Board, Board/Committee Liaison and RHSO/staff report
Ms. Tung reported on attending the Select Board meeting, which included d iscussion of
whether to use 173 Bedford St as swing space or to lease space. Ms. Tung made a statement at
the Select Board meeting urging the Select Board members to not delay using 173 Bedford
Street for affordable housing. The Select Board voted unanimously to tear down the old
Harrington School which currently houses the School Administration to create playing fields in
anticipation of the loss of fields due to construction of the new high school . The Select Board
put off the decision pending more information requested.
Mr. Erickson: LexHAB voted unanimously to support Article 33. They also discussed the
legislation to allow LexHAB’s transition to an independent nonprofit organization.
Ms. Prosnitz: The Housing Partnership Board met the previous night and the vote to support
Article 33 would come up at the following meeting. The Housing Partnership Board discussed
the proposed Land Acquisition Policy Group which was discussed by the Select Board. Ms.
Prosnitz said some members of the Housing Partnership Board thought the Affordable Housing
Trust should be included in the group.
Ms. Payne will follow up with Lexington Housing Authority for a letter of support. Ms. Tung
asked Ms. Prosnitz and Mr. Erickson if they would attend a Lexington Housing Authority
meeting with Ms. Payne if the Lexington Housing Authority requested it.
2. Lowell Street status and planning
Ms. Tung and Ms. Kowalski explained that the upcoming neighbor informational meeting was
not posted as a Housing Trust meeting so less than a quorum of members may attend. Trust
members discussed the ways to present the goals for the site and the Article. The purpose of
the informational session is to let the neighbors know what the goals for the parcel are, to
explain the process, that subsequent meetings will occur, to hear their concerns, and to explain
that it’s all preliminary. Mr. Erickson urged emphasizing the process slide.
3. CPC Article
The members of the Trust Board discussed the warrant article slide presentation for the
meeting with neighbors and the presentation for the CPC funding request.
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The Board discussed reaching out and getting on the agendas of other committees, reaching
out to Lexington affinity groups, and getting on the League of Women Voters First Fridays
program.
4. Adjourn
Mr. Erickson moved to adjourn, which was seconded by Ms. Payne, and on a roll call vote: Mr.
Erickson, yes; Ms. Prosnitz, yes; Ms. Payne, yes; Ms. Tung, yes, adjourned the meeting at
12:42pm.
List of documents reviewed:
Draft slide presentation Info Session
Draft slide presentation CPC presentation