HomeMy WebLinkAbout1999-03-16-Y2K-min.pdf Y2K Awareness/Communication Team
Minutes
Date/Time March 16, 1999, 3 00—4 10 p m.
Location. Room 111
Present:J Marino, Diane Snell, Ray Carberry, Donna Hooper, Linda Vine
Absent. Steve Corr, Rosa Tsai
Introductions
This was the first meeting of the team. We introduced ourselves Joe outlined for the group why he asked
them to participate on this team One of the main considerations was to involve representatives from
departments that have a significant amount of citizen contact.
The team discussed the issues that it believed would concern the typical citizen We agreed that there
would be four basic concerns They are availability of water, availability of light, availability of food, and
availability of cash
Our tasks
• The team discussed its role and agreed that it should focus its efforts on educating the public and the
town employees about the Y2K issue, and about what the Town is doing to address potential
problems There was also consensus that businesses be included in our awareness effort. Joe said that
he has put a paragraph in the Chamber of Commerce newsletter that describes our Y2K efforts There
will be three awareness efforts Those efforts will involve Town employees, citizens, and businesses
• We discussed how to present the Y2K issue to Town Meeting. Linda referred to a draft plan that Joe
prepared that outlines the town's Y2K efforts. Joe said that it is a first draft, and that he is looking for
comments from the Y2K Committee and the Awareness/Communication Team. He will forward a
copy of the draft to the Awareness/Communication Team for review and comment.
• Ray commented that he believed that it is important for any plan to include a timeline for action. The
team agreed and Joe will add a timeline to the Committee's plan
• The team agreed that since there is no staff that the tasks need to be divided up among the members
• The team reviewed the Y2K Committee organization chart. There were questions about how the
Awareness/Communication Team would interact with the Y2K Committee, and who should be the
official spokesperson for the town? Joe said that he would bring up both concerns at the next Y2K
Committee meeting. In the meantime, he will forward the minutes from the Y2K Committee meetings
to the Awareness/Communication Team
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• The Team also discussed.
1 how specific the information we provide to the public should be,
• We agreed that we should not be too specific with the information that we give the public The
key is to give out enough information to convey that the town is aware of the issues, and is
dealing with them.
2 what our first tasks should be,
• We agreed that our first tasks should be to put a short paragraph in the Lexington Minuteman
that describes the towns Y2K efforts Joe said that the editor of the paper told him that the
team is welcome to do that. Joe will draft that paragraph
• We also agreed to include a paragraph in the COA newsletter that will be going out for April
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Awareness/Communication Team 2
Minutes, March 16, 1999
• There will be regular (monthly) publications in these sources that will provide information that
is more specifics and detailed as the New Year approaches
• We agreed that we would also use the Web Page as a major way to provide information to the
public
3 Who the audience is
• The team discussed making copies of the American Red Cross flier"Y2K What You Should Know"
available to the public at the library, the COA, and at Town Meeting.
• The team discussed offering an educational program at the COA on this issue
Review draft Goals and Objectives (2/26/99)
• The team reviewed the draft goals and objectives and generally agreed with them Joe will update and
reprint for final approval
Review draft Outline of Information to the Public (2/26/99)
• At the next meeting, the team should review the draft Outline
Team Organization
• The team agreed that the organization chart should be changed. The Team would like all of the
members listed together, and that even though we will be doing both internal and external
communication, it did not need to be reflected on the organizational chart.
• The team agreed that it would be important to include a representative from the fire department—even
if it means that this person would not be able to attend every meeting because of scheduling. Joe will
call Peter Torode about involving Ken Tremblay on the Y2K Awareness/Communication Team.
Next meeting
• Wednesday April 7, 3 00-4 00
Follow-up Action Items:
• Joe Send sample of the letter sent to interested citizens to Ray C �y