HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-01-06 BOS-min
Selectmen’s Meeting
January 6, 2020
A meeting of the Lexington Board of Selectmen was called to order at 7:00 PM. on Monday,
January 6, 2020 in the in the Selectmen’s Meeting Room, Town Office Building. Mr. Lucente,
Chair; Mr. Pato; Ms. Barry; and Mr. Sandeen were present, as well as Mr. Malloy, Town Manager;
Ms. Axtell, Deputy Town Manager; and Ms. Katzenback, Executive Clerk.
SELECTMAN CONCERNS AND LIAISON REPORTS
Mr. Pato announced that voter registration drive is being held on Thursday, January 9, 2020, 1:00
p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Friday, January 10, 2020 2:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Rancatore’s Ice Cream
and Yogurt store located at 1752 Massachusetts Avenue.
Ms. Barry congratulated the Estabrook School’s fourth grade students on their publication called
Lexington, the Massachusetts Edition.
Ms. Barry asked to place an item on an upcoming agenda for Board discussion of scheduling
th
considerations of events for the 250 Anniversary of the Battle of Lexington - 2025 Patriots Day
weekend.
ITEMS FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION
1. 2020 Annual Town Meeting
A list of approximately 50 proposed articles, including 28 financial articles, 9 general articles, and
13 zoning articles for Annual Town Meeting 2020 were reviewed. The Board will continue to
discuss the 2020 Annual Town Meeting warrant at subsequent meetings and the warrant is
anticipated to be voted on at the January 27, 2020.
2. Approve Nursing Services Agreement with Belmont
Mr. Malloy said the shared services agreement between the Town of Lexington and the Town of
Belmont to provide public health nursing services through a shared Public Health Nurse expired
in 2019. Mr. Malloy stated a proposed agreement has been reviewed and approved by the Belmont
Board of Selectmen with changes made by Town Counsel with review/input from the Assistant
Town Manager for Development and Town Manager. Mr. Malloy highlighted the following
substantive changes from the previous agreement:
Changed the signatories from the Boards of Health to now be the Boards of Selectmen.
Added a provision to alter the schedule of the Public Health Nurse and correspondingly the
payment allocation.
Removed language which referenced the agreement as being the first intermunicipal
agreement for these services between Belmont and Lexington.
The proposed agreement is for five years, and also allows for subsequent renewals for up
to 25 years. Provides some additional financial review.
The proposed agreement includes an indemnification agreement for both Towns releasing
each other for various work done under the auspices of the other community while the
Public Health Nurse is working in that other community. It also provides an indemnity to
Belmont for any employment claims arising out of Lexington being the primary employer
and any actions Lexington may take related to employment laws.
The last four paragraphs (6-9) are legal language included in an intermunicipal agreement.
Wendy Heiger-Bernys, Board of Health, expressed concern that the Board of Health was not given
an opportunity to review the updated agreement before it was presented to the Board of Selectmen
for approval.
John Flynn, Board of Health, stated he felt the proposed nursing services agreement should be
presented to the Board of Health for their review and comment prior to the Board of Selectmen
vote its approval.
The Board of Selectmen concurred to put this item on a future agenda to allow time for the
agreement to be presented to the Board of Health for review and comment.
3. Draft Action Items from Selectmen's Goals
Mr. Lucente said he, Ms. Barry and Mr. Malloy drafted a preliminary list of action items related
to the FY20 and FY21 Selectmen goals to serve as a jumping off point for the Board’s development
of dynamic list of measurable actions.
Mr. Sandeen noted that some of the wording in the draft action items may need to be updated to
reflect the changes to the Selectmen goals document discussed at the October 7, 2019 Board
meeting and that the Board should endeavor to adopt measurable goals.
Mr. Pato suggested to reword the objectives to identify the goals which are specific to the Board
of Selectmen versus those goals that fall under the responsibility of the Town Manager and Town
Staff and that the Board’s priorities should include measurable goals.
The Board agreed to individually provide feedback directly to Mr. Malloy to be incorporated and
in an updated list action items.
4. Discuss Committee Charge for Historic Districts Commission - Nominating Bodies
Mr. Lucente said the Historic Districts Commission (HDC) is seeking to amend their enabling
legislation (Chapter 447 of the Acts of 1956) to change the nomination body from the Lexington
Arts and Crafts Society, Inc. to the Lexington Chamber of Commerce. He explained that as such
an update would need to go to Town Meeting, the only action at this time would be to get Board
consensus to move forward to Town Meeting.
Mr. Sandeen asked why the HDC would like to change the nominating body.
Mr. Pato explained that historically the Lexington Arts and Crafts Society (LACS) felt it difficult
to fulfill their obligation as nominating body and had requested to be released from this
responsibility. Mr. Pato added that he recently spoke to the new president of the Lexington Arts
and Crafts Society who indicated the LACS is looking to get more involved with the community.
Mr. Pato said he felt it would be worth further investigation if LACS still wants to be removed as
a nominating body of the HDC.
Ms. Barry stated she would follow up with Ms. Eccles, HDC Chair, to get confirmation if LACS
still wishes to be relieved from the nominating body duty and if the Chamber of Commerce still
has an interest to accept the responsibility.
Ms. Dawn McKenna, 9 Hancock Avenue, expressed concern that she doesn’t feel an article to
amend the HDC legislation to be included at the 2020 Annual Town. She said she feels a change
to the nominating bodies is not necessary and LACS should remain assigned as a nominating body
of the HDC.
5. Discuss and Approve Formation of Committee for 250th Anniversary of Battle of Lexington
Mr. Lucente said that one of the Board's goals this year is to establish a committee to evaluate,
make recommendations and coordinate Town wide activities commemorating the 250th
Anniversary of the Battle of Lexington (2025). He said the committee will be known as the
Semiquincentennial Commission (Lex250).
General Board discussion ensued. The Board was in agreement that the chair of this committee
should be a voting member; there be 9 members (including the chair) plus 5 liaisons, and to update
the deliverables to include the following: investigate potential for permanent memorial and
commemorative memorabilia.
Mr. Lucente said an updated charge will be put onto the January 13, 2020 meeting for review and
approval.
6. Annual License Renewal
Upon a motion duly made and seconded, the Board of Selectmen voted 4-0 to approve and sign
the license renewal for Chef Louie’s d/b/a the Hangar located at 113 Hartwell Avenue.
CONSENT AGENDA
1. Approve One-Day Liquor Licenses
Upon a motion duly made and seconded, the Board of Selectmen voted 4-0 to approve two One-
Day Liquor Licenses for Spectacle Management to serve beer and wine in the lobby of Cary
Memorial Building, 1605 Massachusetts Avenue, for the purpose of two events on the following:
Lexington Chamber of Commerce Gala, Thursday, January 30, 2020 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.; and
Mo Rocca Lecture, Friday, January 31, 2020 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Upon a motion duly made and seconded, the Board of Selectmen voted 4-0 to approve a One-Day
Liquor License for the Cary Memorial Library Foundation to serve beer and wine for the purpose
of their Library After Dark Event to be held at Cary Memorial Library, 1874 Massachusetts
Avenue, on Saturday, March 28, 2020
ADJOURN
Upon a motion duly made and seconded, the Board of Selectmen voted 4-0 to adjourn the meeting
at 8:58 p.m.
A true record; Attest:
Kim Katzenback
Executive Clerk