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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2000-11-15-FHHR-min.pdf FAIR HOUSING AND HUMAN RELATIONS COMMITTEE MINUTES 11/15/00 Present: Florence Baturin;Margaret Cole,Co-Chair;Jeffrey Collins;Jean Hibino;Tom Montanan,Co-Chair;Chang- Sheng Ting,guest;Steve Baran,staff and recorder. Absent: Michelle Ekanem;Beverly Goodridge;Jed Snyder;Cathy Abbott,Liaison Selectman Minutes of 9/20 and 10/2/00 The minutes were approved. Hate Crime Victim Florence will prepare draft of a letter to be sent through the Police Department to a recent hate crime victim who did not wish to be identified. Minuteman Vocational Technical School Pat Taylor expressed concern about the atmosphere at Minuteman Vocational since a friend of her son had informed him about skinheads being active there.Pat said she would look into this further.Peg Cole volunteered to talk with the Principal. No Place for Hate Campaign Steve Baran reported on recent No Place for Hate campaign activity Florence Baturin met with the editor of the Minuteman about a diversity calendar. Affordable Housing Conference Florence reported that a planning group was in the process of refining the program. There would be another planning meeting on December 4.Local town-oriented planning for next steps after the conference would go forward at the conference. Lexington Coalition for Affordable Housing Margaret Cole had talked with Glen Garber,Director of Planning,who saw a lack of Lexington leadership in bringing together those groups concerned with affordable housing whereas Bedford and Winchester were effective in this regard. He believed Lexington needed a paid coordinator.Margaret Cole was in favor of having a focus group made up of Lexington activists meet in the near future.Tom Montanan was in favor of proceeding with a focus group after the regional conference. In the interim,he suggested inviting Ron Cordes from Bedford to present their model for achieving more affordable housing.It was decided to invite Ron Cordes. Civility p Margaret Cole suggested that the Fair Housing Committee prepare an op-ed item under Voices in the Community for the Minuteman on the general theme of standing up for tolerance,respecting other people's opinions,and having codes of behavior.A subcommittee was formed to draft the document to be presented at the next committee meeting. The l subcommittee was to consist of Peg Cole,Jeffrey Collins,Chang-Sheng Ting and Jean Hibino.Bob Dentler of the Human Services Committee would be asked to offer suggestions. 1 3 Soft Second Loan Program The Soft Second Loan Program for first-time homebuyers had not been brought to the attention of the Fair Housing Committee when the town was contacted about this most recently.There would be another round in the spring at which time the town would be alerted through Cathy Abbott. December agenda The December agenda was to include Ron Cordes presenting the Bedford model,the draft civility article,and the draft letter to the hate crime victim.A pot luck supper would follow.