Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-03-22-TOUR2-min Town of Lexington Tourism Committee Dawn McKenna, Chair (781) 862-0500 ext 84585 Minutes Wednesday, March 22, 2017 at 4:30 – 6:00 pm Parker Room (Lower level Town Office Building) Members Present: Marsha Baker, Kerry Brandin, Bebe Fallick, Jon Himmel, Dawn McKenna, Wim Nijenberg Staff Present: Megan Zammuto Center Committee Liaison: Fred Johnson Members Absent: Margaret Coppe, Trisha Kennealy, Leeying Wu 1)Town Meeting Article Positions including The committee addressed the following articles, and discussed member opinions and if they should consider taking a position at Town Meeting. a)The committee discussed Article 10, Community Preservation including: i)Munroe School Window Restoration (10i). The committee welcomed Shawn Newell, the Assistant Director of Public Facilities who presented information on the Munroe School Window Restoration. Shawn explained the analysis that led to restoring the widows opposed to replacing the windows. The committee discussed the importance of the Munroe Center to the Town’s culture, but ultimately decided not to take a position on this article. 2)Town Meeting Article Positions including The committee addressed the following articles, and discussed member opinions and if they should consider taking a position at Town Meeting. a)The committee discussed Article 10, Community Preservation including: i)Munroe School Window Restoration (10i). The committee welcomed Shawn Newell, the Assistant Director of Public Facilities who presented information on the Munroe School Window Restoration. Shawn explained the analysis that lead to restoring the windows opposed to replacing the windows. The committee discussed the importance of the Munroe Center to the Town’s culture, but ultimately decided not to take a position on this article. ii)Parker’s Revenge Interpretive signage (10b). The committee welcomed Bob Morris from the Friends of the Minuteman National Park to present on this issue. Bob discussed the archeological project that resurfaced 21 musket balls. The group is looking for $41,350 to plan, design and produce an exhibit to showcase these discovery. He explained that the National Park does not have the funds to pay for a custom exhibit case at this time. The committee discussed the Tourism Committees mutually beneficial partnership in promoting the area over the last 15 years. A motion was made to support article 10b Parker’s Revenge Project. The motion was seconded and approved unanimously. iii)The committee discussed 10(h), the Stone Building Feasibility Study. The committee discussed the request of $25,000 to fund a market feasibility study for this building. The data collected would assist the Town in bringing the building to its potential. The committee discussed uses for the building including the potential to host traveling exhibits. A motion was made to support article10h Stone Building Feasibility Study. The motion was seconded and approved unanimously. iv)Interpretive signage (10a) Marsha Baker presented information on the interpretive signage project. The Historical Society put forward this project with the encouragement from Community Preservation. The objective is to restore or replace damaged signs with an estimated cost of $38,400. The committee discussed the project, and felt that the Tourism Committee should be involved in the project given that they had previously considered the walking tour and how best to incorporate that as described in the Battle Green Master Plan. The committee discussed potentially postponing the project. Marsha decided to take this 1625 MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE • LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02420 feedback to the Historical Society leadership to consider postponement. The committee sees value in this project and wants to work together to accomplish this goal. A motion was made to support Indefinite postponement of article 10a Interpretive Signage. The motion was seconded and approved unanimously. b)Dawn McKenna discussed the Continue Revolving Fund Article (9). A motion was made to support the Continue Revolving Fund (9) for both the Visitors Center and the Liberty Ride. The motion was seconded and approved unanimously. c)The committee discussed the Economic Development Budget portion of Article 4. A motion was made to support Article 4, Line item 7300tEconomic Development portions that fund Tourism. d)The committee discussed Article 38, Establishing Revolving Funds. This is a change in state law that will allow the Town, with permission of Town Meeting, to permanently establish the Revolving Funds. Dawn suggested language changes to the Town Manager which were incorporated into the motion. A motion was made to support Article 38, the motion was seconded and approved unanimously. e)The committee discussed Article 18, the Visitors Center Project. Dawn updated the committee on the recent TMMA Bus Tour which stopped at the Visitors Center, as well as her recent meeting with Selectmen Suzie Barry and Peter Kelley, as well as Carl Valente and Pat Goddard regarding the steps necessary to move the project forward. The subsequent letter from Architect Donald Mills estimated the design costs through Design Development. The estimate shows that a total of $230k is needed. The Town currently has $130k. Therefore, $20k in additional funds would complete Schematics, and $80k would complete Design Development. She also noted that there is currently $565k in unallocated funds that could be used as a possible source of funding for the design request. A motion was made to recommend that the source of funding for Article 18 Design Services for the Visitors Center request be from the tax levy. A motion was made that the Motion under Article 18 – Visitors request $100k to supplement the existing funds for design through Schematics and Design Development, inclusive of the exhibit design services and site design services. The motion was seconded, and approved unanimously. th 3)The Committee reviewed and discussed the minutes from the Tourism Committee meetings on February 8 and st March 1. thst and March 1, 2017. A motion was made to approve the minutes of the Tourism Committee Meetings on February 8 The motion was seconded and approved unanimously. Documents Available: Lexington Visitors Center Conceptual Project Estimate and Schematic Design Fee Proposal, Correspondence between Pat Goddard and Donald Mills, Tourism Committee Presentation, “Investing in a Visitor Based Economy,” Economic Development Office Budget, Revolving Fund Warrant Article 9, CPA Article 10, Ellen Stone House project FAQ, tourism webpage task list, Draft Minutes 2.8.17, Draft Minutes 3.1.17 Adjourned at approximately 6:07 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Megan J. Zammuto Approved, April 5, 2017