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Home My WebLink About2026-02-24-COD-min Commission on Disability Meeting Minutes for February 24, 2026 Members: Victoria Buckley (Chair), Sue Cusack, Shaun Grady, Leonard Morse-Fortier, Janet Perry, John Rossi, Francine Stieglitz, Nancy Wong Town Liaisons: Joe Pato, Select Board; Juanica Buchanon, Clinical Engagement and Community Equity Officer Committee Liaisons: Pam Lyons, Transportation Advisory Committee Guests: Dana Bickelman, Director of Human Services; Vannak Khin, Community Engagement Coordinator Announcements  Roll call was taken.  Congratulations to John Rossi as he was invited to join “The Best Lawyers of America”.  Vannak Khin, Community Engagement Coordinator, vkhin@lexingtonma.gov, introduced himself and shared his goals to increase language accessibility and extending the reach of the Community Center. Commission members shared their backgrounds and interests. The group discussed their ongoing work to ensure focus on building language resources for the Town of Lexington. The group discussed their ongoing work to ensure programs, services, and buildings are accessible to all residents, with particular attention to transportation and architectural concerns. Joe Pato, the Select Board liaison, noted his role in facilitating improvements recommended by the commission.  No minutes were available to review. Continued discussion about Willard’s Woods – led by Commission on Disability member Shaun Grady  Shaun presented a satellite view of Willard's Woods from 2012, highlighting the main parking lot and discussing a proposed loop trail. He asked the Commission to consider getting more information from the Conservation Commission about the feasibility and impact of adding the Brent Road loop, as well as the possibility of an observation deck near the pond. Victoria clarified that the original goal was to make trails in conservation areas more accessible, and Shaun explained that he would abstain from voting on the project due to his personal involvement with the land.  The group discussed accessibility improvements at Willard's Woods, focusing on a proposed parking lot regrading and trail modifications. Leonard expressed concerns about the current proposal, preferring to improve the bridal path and create accessible parking near North Street instead of the planned location. Shaun presented an alternative loop trail concept, but Sue explained that this couldn't be added to the current approved project due to timing and budget constraints. The commission decided to vote on whether to ask more questions about the current proposal rather than requesting additional work.  The group discussed prioritizing conservation area access improvements and agreed to pursue a feasibility study approach rather than voting on specific projects. Victoria will propose scheduling a meeting with the Conservation Commission in April or May to discuss long-range plans and prioritize access improvements, starting with the most used areas. The group decided to focus on planning and proactive discussion rather than being reactive to individual projects, following a successful model previously established by Melissa and Kate DeAngelis. Letter of Support for the Bus Shelter and Lexpress Passes  Support was requested by Pam Lyons, liaison for Transportation Advisory Committee, for the Bus Shelter and Lexpress Passes. She requested that the Commission send a letter to Causeway Development, who is building affordable housing on Parcel 68-44 Lexington MA on Lowell Street. The letter should support the request for a bus shelter on the property as well as to furnish each tenant Lexpress passes in perpetuity. Pam will research if CPA funds can be used for bus shelters and Lexpress Passes. The group voted that Victoria will write the letter of support. The following link will take you to an article about the site: https://lexobserver.org/2024/04/05/town-meeting-approves-plan-to-seek- affordable-housing-developer-for-unused-property-owned-by-the-town/ Update from Dana Bickelman, Human Services Director, on Business Accessibility Workshop Interest Survey  After talks with MassAbility, the second round of the survey was improved.  Melissa will help with the analysis.  Dana talked about the workgroup for employers through the Community Wellness Collaborative plans. She will contact Olivia Bliss who works with the schools and MassAbility for community-based opportunities that include students with disabilities. John offered to coordinate an introduction regarding employee- employer businesses Discussion about citizen’s petition for zero waste:  While the Lexington citizen was unable to be at our meeting, Victoria shared their proposal that you can “Skip the Waste” from restaurants by asking them not to give you napkins and utensils that they usually provide when ordering take-out in person or online. This way customers can opt out of what they do not need. Update on proposed bathrooms at LHS:  Victoria spoke with Joe Pato about bathrooms in the new high school. There will be some all-gender bathrooms and some gender-specific. The bathrooms will be designed to have a partial privacy wall when approached from the corridor instead of heavy doors. Victoria mentioned to Joe that previous complaints from the current high school set-up were that there were not enough accessible bathrooms close to the classrooms. Update on bakery at 46 Massachusetts Avenue:  Dave Pinsonneault from DPW has not gotten back to Jim Kelly about ramping the sidewalk as a solution to make the entrance accessible. This was deferred due to snow and DPW needing time to get ready for Town Meeting. Update on Universal Design Resolution – Article 33 in the TM Warrant:  The presentation and video are done. The last piece is to add the audio. It was suggested to add more references. New business -Trash Articles on Town Warrant  John Rossi – Trash Referendum – John expressed concerns about the town's proposed waste reduction initiatives, arguing that the current tax levy system is fairer than a fee-based system and questioning the effectiveness of waste reduction efforts given market-driven recycling practices. He planned to vote against the proposed articles and suggested that the Commission on Disability should be involved in these discussions.  Dana agreed to follow up about recording the upcoming waste reduction event on March 19th, which Victoria noted would be during lunch time, and suggested allowing people to submit questions or comments remotely. John agreed to attend on March 19.  The Commission discussed the need for a liaison to represent them at community meetings regarding trash and recycling issues. Sue proposed a motion to appoint him as the Commission's liaison due to his nuanced perspective on disability and poverty-related concerns. The Commission agreed and voted unanimously to support John in this role, acknowledging his expertise and ability to avoid potential conflicts between conservationists and people with disabilities. New business -Lexpress buses  Susan Barrett, Transportation Manager, has resigned and Mel Novner, Department Assistant, will take over in the interim.  The new Lexpress buses are replacing the old fleet with improved accessibility features. Dana explained that the buses now have better visibility for passengers and are designed to be more inclusive, with "public transit" signage to clarify their purpose. The upgrades include forward facing wheelchair accessibility and electronic features that support other languages and low vision. Pam will see what month Mel Novner can present the changes to the Commission. Adjourned 7:31 pm by unanimous vote Minutes prepared by Sue Cusack and Victoria Buckley