HomeMy WebLinkAbout2000-02-16-FHHR-min.pdf Stf py en.B00111
From: Jean Hibino [Jean.Hibino@hbsr.com]
Sent: Thursday February 17 2000 9:31 AM
To: 'sbaran@ci.lexington.ma.us'
Subject: Minutes of 2/16/00 Fair Housing and Human Relations Committee mee ting
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Steve Tom asked me to take minutes of last night's meeting. Unfortunately
I missed the discussion on the brochure/Web site. I was planning to email
these minutes to Tom first so he could review as my memory and note-taking
ability are not the best. Could you please make sure he and/or Peg sees
these minutes before they go out to the committee? Please feel free to
change and edit. Thank you! Jean
Called Meeting of the Fair Housing and Human Relations Committee
February 16, 2000
Present: Cathy Abbott, Margaret Cole, Temporary Co-Chair Jean
Hibino, Tom Montanan, Temporary Co-Chair Jed Snyder
Absent: Florence Baturin, Kathryn Davis, Michelle Ekanem, Beverly
Goodridge, Keng Hsu, Steve Baran, staff and recorder
Minutes
This was not an official meeting as no quorum was present. The minutes of the 1/19/00 meeting
were not acted upon.
Guest Speaker
Jennifer Van Kampen from the Waltham Alliance to Create Housing (WATCH), a private, non-
profit community development corporation, gave a presentation and overview of WATCH's
activities in Waltham. The group formed in 1988 and presently has four full time staff members.
WATCH lobbies for municipal and state action on vacant public housing in Waltham; keeping
rents down; and helping citizens who have received eviction notices understand their legal rights.
Ms. Van Kampen expressed WATCH's desire to work with other similar organizations and as a
first step,WATCH is organizing a housing conference scheduled for March 31 2000 (probably at
the Waltham Westin Hotel, details forthcoming). She invited the committee to attend and much
interest was expressed. In addition to encouraging the attendance and participation by other
local area housing groups, WATCH is planning to invite local and state legislators to the
conference as well. Several pieces of WATCH literature (summer 1999 newsletter housing
proposal to the Town of Waltham, invitation/information on 3/31 housing conference will be made
available to the committee.)
Brochure and Web Site
Awards
No action taken.
LexHab speaker for next meeting, March 15, 8:15pm
People thought it a good idea to have someone from LexHab speak, and Tom will arrange with
Steve about extending the invitation. It was raised that it would be good to hear specifics on
LexHab's current and future housing plans and to have the speaker bring literature as well.
Miscellaneous
No Place for Hate:
At the Selectman's meeting, February 28, 2000, 7:30pm,Tom will encourage the Town's efforts
to proceed in its involvement with the No Place for Hate campaign, and express the Committee's
support for and readiness to participate in the project.
Incidents at the high school and at East Lexington nursing home:
Steve received a call from the Lexington P.D. and reported to Peg that a white high school
student was arrested for deliberately striking the car of a black high school student, and shouting
a racial slur Details were sketchy but Steve reported that the same student was involved in
another possibly racially motivated incident with a different student. Steve also reported that KKK
and other graffitti was spray-painted on the nursing home in East Lexington.
Both incidents are being investigate by the police department and it was felt that Steve would
continue to monitor developments.
Respectfully submitted by,
Jean Hibino