HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-05-30-VISION2025-minTown of Lexington
Vision for Lexington Committee Meeting
May 30, 2025
Remote Meeting
7:45 a.m. — 9:00 a.m.
Minutes
Members Present: Sara del Nido Budish, Marian Cohen, Margaret Coppe, Andrew Dixon, John Giudice,
Bhumip Khasnabish, Tom Lin, Carol Marine, Shannon Murtagh, Michael Schanbacher, Catherine Yan,
Min Zhou
Absent: Larry Freeman (School Committee), Jill Hai (Select Board), Daniel Joyner
Meeting was called to order: 7:49 AM
The remote meeting script was read by Margaret Coppe.
Roll Call Vote: Budish, Aye; Cohen, Aye; Coppe, Aye; Dixon, Aye; Giudice, Aye; Khasnabish, Aye; Marine,
Aye; Murtagh, Aye; Schanbacher (Planning Board), Aye; Yan, Aye; Zhou, Aye; Lin, Aye.
Minutes:
• The approval of minutes from April 25, 2025, was moved by Marian Cohen and seconded by
John Giudice.
• Roll Call Vote: Budish, Aye; Cohen, Aye; Coppe, Aye; Dixon, Aye; Giudice, Aye; Khasnabish, Aye;
Marine, Aye; Murtagh, Aye; Schanbacher, Aye; Yan, Abstain; Zhou, Abstain; Lin, Abstain. The
vote is unanimous with three abstentions.
Meeting Highlights
Committee Membershi
The committee welcomed two new members, Michael Schanbacher, a representative of the planning
board, and Tom Lin. Existing members shared their backgrounds and affiliations with the town. Vineeta
Kumar is the new Select Board member appointed to Vision for Lexington. She will start attending Vision
for Lexington Meetings in June. The committee is still waiting to hear who will join from the school
committee.
VFL Website and report on emails
The committee has received general notifications from the Town. There are no other updates on the
website or email.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusivity
The Chief Equity Officer position remains unfilled. The Select Board is expected to discuss the hiring
plan at their June 91" meeting. The position will be posted shortly after. The committee will discuss the
town plan at the next meeting.
Update from Subcommittee on Participation in Local Elections
Marian Cohen shared that the subcommittee's report has been edited and formatted, with final
formatting and graph reviews underway, aiming for completion by the end of June. The subcommittee
discussed the analysis of local election data, noting some similarities and differences in voter turnout
across comparative communities. The timeline for the debt exclusion vote was also discussed as it is
expected to be the next town vote. It will follow the special town meeting, likely taking place in
December.
Town Wide Survey
The town -wide survey is scheduled for administration in February -March 2027. A funding request of
approximately $50,000 is needed for mechanics and analysis. The committee will review previous
surveys, construct questions with professional help, conduct beta testing, translate into multiple
languages, and coordinate marketing efforts through various community groups before analyzing results
and presenting them to elected boards and the public.
Volunteers
The survey requires a dedicated committee chair and 3-4 members who are committed to regular
meetings. Those interested in joining should contact Margaret Coppe. The group must include
representatives from the Planning Board, School Committee, and Select Board. Michael Schanbacher
volunteered to represent the Planning Board.
Public comment
No public comment
Motion to adjourn: Motion from Marian Cohen. Catherine Yan seconded the motion
Roll Call Vote: Budish, Aye; Cohen, Aye; Coppe, Aye; Dixon, Aye; Giudice, Aye; Khasnabish, Aye; Marine,
Aye; Murtagh, Aye; Schanbacher (Planning Board), Aye; Yan, Aye; Zhou, Aye; Lin, Aye.
Adjourn: 8:48
Next meeting: June 27, 2025 7:45 AM
Remote by Zoom