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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-02-25-NAC-min Town of Lexington Noise Advisory Committee(NAC) Minutes of Meeting February 25,2021 A meeting of the Noise Advisory Committee ("NAC')was held via Zoom videoconference on Thursday February 25, 2021 at 5:00 PM.A quorum of four members was present. NAC Members Present: Dan Koretz (Chair),Vicki Blier, Nick Afshartous, Stewart Smith Absent: April Wang (with regrets due to technical issues) Others Present: Cindy Arens (Sustainable Lexington),Jess Jenkins (Resident) Opening Remarks 1. Discussion of issues related to Complaints Received by the Committee in Advance of the Town Meeting. Dan updated the Committee on recent complaints received from several landscapers serving the Lexington Community.The complaints were raised to members of the Select Board including Suzie Barry and Joe Pato.The Chair also indicated that he had been in communication with Mr. Chris Stratford (a local landscaper)who indicated that he was attempting to consolidate support from a larger group of local landscapers in opposition to the proposed landscaping regulation. The general theme of the complaints was that landscapers had not been appropriately engaged in advance of the Town Meeting regarding the proposed regulation. Mr. Stratford, in particular, requested further time to coordinate a response among landscapers and asked that the regulation be indefinitely postponed until landscapers had sufficient time to more fully participate in the process. After discussing the complaints and the process at length and having weighed the comments received from members of the Select Board concerning the process to date,the Committee agreed that further time would be required to engage in substantive discussions with landscapers who would be impacted by the proposed regulation. MOTION Accordingly,the Chair moved,via roll call vote,to recommend to the Select Board that the proposed landscape regulation as presently constituted, be indefinitely postponed until the Fall 2021 Town Meeting. The Motion was carried unanimously. Next Steps The Committee then discussed how engagement with landscapers would proceed in the coming weeks. Dan identified that a significant problem had been the lack of a meaningful list of landscapers serving the Town. He noted that the list of contractors provided by the Town who avail themselves of dumping privileges at Hartwell was limited and not inclusive. He noted that it would be important to determine how the Committee might reach out to the largest number of landscapers.Then it would be necessary to have a rigid schedule of engagement and collected detailed notes of all such engagement. It was decided that engagement with all willing landscapers take place and not be restricted to only those who are Lexington residents. Vicki suggested that Select Board member Suzie Barry be asked whether she would be prepared to assist in contacting landscapers for feedback. Dan suggested that he would prefer to engage with Joe Pato first. Dan will also discuss the idea of engaging Suzie with Joe. Dan indicated that he would follow up on these matters and report back at the next meeting of the NAC. Stewart noted the importance documenting all engagement with landscapers carefully and completely given the potentially contentious nature of the expected discussions. He also reminded the Committee that in the event opposition to the regulation were to escalate, Committee work product may be discoverable. He asked that all Committee members be mindful of this. Next meeting The Chair indicated that he would reach out to Committee members to schedule the next meeting. Adjournment There being no further business,the Meeting was adjourned at 5:50 pm. Action Items Person Responsible Due Date 1. Review and update our list of towns that have Dan/Nick Ongoing regulated lawn equipment. Make calls to find success stories that can be presented to the Select Board and TM. 2. Reorganize and consolidate the information we have Stewart Complete collected over time on health effects, etc. 3. Craft one or more short blurbs and slide presentations Dan Complete based on#2,for use in approaching the groups noted below. 4. Contact the Board of Health to ask for support. We Nick(with assistance Complete should do this ASAP as soon as we have#2 done (as we from Mark S.) should reference specific studies on health effects in approaching Wendy Heiger-Bernays. 5. Request opportunities to present to Lexington civic Throughout groups, including: October and a. Sustainable Lexington a. Mark S November b. Lex GWAC b. Judith C. Citizens for Lexington Conservation c. Judith d. League of Women Voters d. Judith e. Lexington Mavens e. April f. Mothers Out Front f. Judith g. Lexington Green Teams (Cindy Arens) g. Judith 6. Create and distribute survey to collect usable data on Mark M In Progress GLB public opinion April 7. Decide whether to contact people who participated in Dan Pending earlier threads. Note that this is easier if we have something like a survey,which gives us a reason to contact them. 8. Obtain MA Medical Association resolution on leaf Stewart Completed blowers (Wendy Alker?) 9. Plan one or two virtual public meetings. Deferred Pending 10. Plan contact with TM members Deferred Pending 11. Do additional social-media work(not entirely specified Stella to assist Pending yet).