HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-04-29-CSCII-min (DRAFT) Ad Hoc Crematory Study Committee II
Draft Minutes, Meeting of Tuesday, April 29, 2025
Parker Room, Town Office Building
9:00 AM
Mr. Pato, the Select Board liaison, serving as chair pro-tem called the meeting of the Ad Hoc Crematory
Study Committee II to order at 9:00am on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, via a hybrid meeting platform.
Members Archan K Basu, Michael P Harris, Rabbi David Lerner, Jyoti Puri, Joseph Su, Dr Jillian Tung,
Judith S Zola attended as did the liaisons David Pinsonneault, Director of Public Works; Anil Ahuja,
Appropriation Committee; and Lisah Rhodes, Capital Expenditures Committee.
The meeting began with members introducing themselves and providing a brief outline of their motivation
to serve on the committee.
1) Discuss meeting operations, open meeting law, and procedures
Mr. Pato provided an overview of the Open Meeting Law and Ethics Law obligations as well as
mechanics for the committee’s operations.
Documents:
a) AG’s guide to the Open Meeting Law: https://www.mass.gov/doc/open-meeting-law-guide-
and-educational-materials-0/download
2) Review committee charge, previous committee final report, and member aspirations
The committee's charge was discussed, which involves reviewing the prior committee’s report,
identifying changes in conditions, and potentially recommending a different approach. The
committee also discussed the thoroughness of the 2018 and 2019 reports. The next steps include
reviewing the materials from the previous committee and making them available for the next
meeting.
The committee discussed the increasing rate of cremations across the nation, with data from the
National Funeral Directors Association. The committee discussed the importance of focusing on local
trends in Lexington and Massachusetts rather than national trends when making decisions.
They agreed to separate the issues of need and interest from the question of feasibility . The group
agreed to focus first on validating the community's need for a crematory before proceeding with
further plans. The committee also acknowledged the need to consider the financial demands on
community members since 2019 and the potential changes in the regulatory landscape.
Westview Cemetery's Changing Burial Practices
The committee discussed the history and current state of Westview Cemetery. They considered the
changing burial practices and the need for a more inclusive approach to accommodate different
religious and cultural practices. The committee also discussed the potential for expanding the scope
of their work to address broader issues related to burial practices and equity. They agreed to gather
more information and present their findings to the select board for further discussion.
Documents:
a) Committee Charge: https://www.lexingtonma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/14449
b) Final report of the previous committee:
https://www.lexingtonma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1995/Final-Report-of-the-
Committee-PDF
3) Discuss meeting schedule
The committee discusses scheduling future meetings, settling on Tuesday, May 27th from 5 to 6 PM.
Frequency of meetings over the summer will be discussed at this next meeting.
4) Adjourn
Meeting Adjourned at 9:51 AM.
Actions:
• Joe Pato to send an email looking for preferred days of the week for future meetings.
• Joe Pato to send a pointer to the town meeting video recording and transcript regarding the
crematory motion.
• Dave Pinsonneault to gather data on Westview Cemetery usage and death rates in Lexington.
• Dave Pinsonneault to check on the use of liners in green burials at Westview Cemetery.
• Joe Pato to obtain materials from Doug Lucente and distribute them to the committee.
• All committee members to research and identify conditions that have changed regarding unmet
needs in the community for burial practices.
• Jyoti Puri to report back on findings from the research trip to a crematory facility in Vancouver.
• Joe Pato to send out draft minutes and a detailed homework assignment via email.
• Joe Pato to look into scheduling follow-on meetings in advance through year-end.
Minutes submitted by Joseph Pato, chair pro-tem.
Approved 5/28/2025