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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-11-05-COD-min Commission on Disability Meeting Minutes November 5, 2015 Members Present: Victoria Buckley, Chair, Nate Finch, Julie Miller, Len Morse-Fortier, Francine Stieghtz, Janet Perry Town Liaisons. Fred Lonardo, Building Commissioner, Joe Pato, Chair, Board of Selectmen, Linda Vine, Deputy Town Manager, Harry Mackay, Council on Aging Guests. Shaun Grady, Lexington Resident; William Hadley, Director of Public Works, David Pissonneault, Manager of Operations, Marc Valenti, Highway Superintendent • Location. The November 2015 meeting of the Commission on Disability was held at a different location - at the Community Center, 39 Marrett Road. • Discussion about snow removal. Guests William Hadley, Director of Public Works, David Pmsonneault, Manager of Operations and Marc Valenti, Highway Superintendent, discussed town snow removal policies Lexington has 62 miles of sidewalks The goal is to have them cleared 24 hours after storm ends DPW also pre-treats roads and parking lots They use both in-house equipment and 95-100 pieces of contracted equipment. Workers treat downtown sidewalks, ramps and crosswalks with the goal of being cleared within 24 hours of snow stopping. Commission members voiced concerns and received answers issue of ramps being accurately cleared—Bill said workers are expected to preview ramps and crosswalks so they know where they are specifically; concern about how sometimes piles are put in HP parking spaces, or, as is the case of CVS, into the outside lift—David said that this is not allowed and that members should call police about CVS and/or DPW with any problems, issue of school bus stops and public transit stops, that when a big pile is there people cannot wait safely—DPW should be notified of this when it happens Bill said that the merchants in the Center are also responsible for clearing their sidewalks within 24 hours after the storm. • Approval of September and October minutes. both sets of minutes were approved unanimously • Photo of Commission for Annual Report: taken at this meeting. • Discussion about wording for award for Brookline Bank. Brookline Bank has lowered its teller windows to wheelchair height; they are the first bank to do this in the Center Nate suggested the wording for the plaque —"in appreciation for your advancing the access for all" Commission agreed to have Chair present plaque to the bank. • Reminder of NAMI event on 11/10, Lexington Venue. This is a documentary film called "Pack Up Your Sorrows", the Commission is listed as one of the supporters • Disability Film in Cambridge on 11/7. This is a disability rights film called "La Casa Linda"presented by a community film series called "Disability Reframed" • Discussion about addressing needs of citizens with hearing and visual issues. Discussion started about how to gain information about what is needed in town. Len volunteered to draft an article for the Minuteman about how the Commission is seeking information. Unfortunately, Cary Hall's improvements were not fully in place for the Town Meeting, but the auditory enhancements will be finished shortly Janet talked about voting issues for those with visual issues and Linda Vine said that we should invite Nathalie Rice to our next meeting to discuss how to address this Janet also said that those who have visual problems have real difficulty with stairs that do not have a distinct edge marked in white or yellow or some contrasting material. This is also true for people with depth perception issues or cognitive or neurological impairments To better work on the Commission's broad goal of addressing citizens' various sensory issues, the plan will be to gather more information, invite people with specific issues to contact the Commission, possibly hold a special forum and then make recommendations • Additional new business and update on new projects. Fred said that architect Don Mills was seeking a variance for one of the bathrooms at Cary Hall. Victoria will contact Don to see if he needs a support letter for the variance Meeting was adjourned at 7 05 PM. Respectively Submitted. Victoria Buckley