Proposed changes to the number of Town committees and their appointing authority

[Matt]

Town Meeting Members,

At this Monday's Select Board meeting, there is an agenda item that may be of general interest to Town Meeting regarding proposed changes to the number of Town committees and who authorizes the appointment of members to committees.  The memo from the agenda packet is linked/attached below for your reference, and in the memo the Town Manager proposes that:

• 20% of existing Town committees should be be dissolved (14 of 70) for various reasons
• 77% of the committees that the Select Board is currently the appointing authority for should be changed to appointment by the Town Manager (Select Board 43 to 10, Town Manager 11 to 30, includes dissolution)
• Institution of term limits on committee chairs should be considered
• Additional open meeting law, ethics, DEI, and/or other related trainings for committee members should be considered

I hope this summary of the proposed changes is helpful for those who may be interested in the topic.

Very respectfully,

Matt Daggett

Precinct 2

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https://lexington.novusagenda.com/AgendaPublic/AttachmentViewer.ashx?AttachmentID=11304&ItemID=7306

[Meg Muckenhoupt]

I'm missing some context here. Could someone with a deeper knowledge of town political history than I possess explain the rationale for why some committees are *currently* appointed by the Town Manager? What's the difference between those committees and the committees appointed by the Select Board?

I can see that some committees' selection processes are determined by law or by the terms of a gift to the town.

Thank you,

Meg Muckenhoupt

Pct 1

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[Wendy Reasenberg]

Clearly, a lot of work has been put into this report. I do not recall us ever taking a look at this with such a comprehensive summary. I certainly appreciate the effort that went into it.  Whether you agree or not with any specific idea, this report is the first step in the analysis to make the committees more relevant to current needs.   

It does propose a shift a lot of committee powers of committee appointment to the town manager and as such also relieves some burden on the select board members..

I thought there were already term limits for the chairing of committees. I agree there should always be rotation. Rotation at the top prevents an ossification of ideas, and the dominance of any individual over a group..

Wendy Reasenberg

TMM Precinct 8

On Sun, Sep 11, 2022 at 9:30 AM Matt <ma...@mattdaggett.org> wrote:

[Glenn Parker]

On 11 Sep 2022, at 9:30, Matt wrote:
> 77% of the committees that the Select Board is currently the appointing authority for should be changed to appointment by the Town Manager (Select Board 43 to 10, Town Manager 11 to 30, includes dissolution)

The text of the memo and its summary table exhibit some ambiguity about whether the appointing authority for committees “could be changed”, or “should change” to the Town Manager.

The text of the memo only says “should change” for only one committee, namely Sustainable Lexington. The justification offered is that this is “mostly an administrative Committee” involved in work for which the Town has now hired professional staff. I expect this will be a matter of some debate.

For other committees, the statement is always “could be changed”. I’m not sure if this was simply a nuance that did not get transferred to the summary table, or if “could be” and “should be” are considered synonymous for the purposes of this discussion.

Glenn P. Parker, Pct. 3
glenn....@lexingtontmma.org

[Matt]

The text of the memo and its summary table exhibit some ambiguity about whether the appointing authority for committees “could be changed”, or “should change” to the Town Manager.

Glenn -- thanks for pointing this out.  There is a big difference in could and should with respect to a recommendation, and I "should" have been more accurate in my summary wording.

The text of the memo only says “should change” for only one committee, namely Sustainable Lexington. The justification offered is that this is “mostly an administrative Committee” involved in work for which the Town has now hired professional staff. I expect this will be a matter of some debate.

You raise an interesting point about the roles of committees and how they relate with the purviews of staff.  I just looked at the Sustainable Lexington committee webpage and its work sounds similar to other committees.  For example, below is a comparison of the same introductory bullets on the Sustainable Lexington page to those on the Economic Development Advisory Committee page:

Sustainable Lexington Committee	Economic Development Advisory Committee
Recommending sustainability goals, priorities for implementation, and implementing programs	Developing and recommending programs to the Select Board pertaining to economic development
Monitoring and measuring the effectiveness of sustainability programs undertaken by the town	Promoting streamlining of the Town’s regulatory processes as they relate to commercial development
Educating and raising awareness among Lexington residents regarding Lexington’s sustainability and resilience	Educating Lexington taxpayers about economic development issues Being a proponent for the current and prospective businesses in Lexington.

Under the rubric in the memo, "could" the EDAC also be also considered for dissolution since we have an Economic Development Office and director?  Currently it is noted as "No change proposed" in existence or appointing authority.  

To be clear, I'm not suggesting that either of these Committee's be changed, but it does raise questions about the methodology whose detail and supporting justification are likely beyond the scope and depth of what is represented in this memo.

[ajfr...@aol.com]

Wendy, I agree with you that the a lot of work has been put into the report but I do find much of it problematic.

  

Let me preface this by saying I think Jim Malloy's doing a wonderful job managing the town.  However, I think Jim comes from a town that hasn't and doesn't have the kind of community involvement that Lexington does.  

Do we have a plethora of committees, yes, but we have so many incredible people offering their expertise in serving on committees and they're vested in the process.  As Suzi Barry said at a Select Board meeting (and I paraphrase) "If we had to pay for the volunteer expertise we have on committees we'd be spending a fortune."

 

I absolutely do not agree with some of the committees being dissolved.  Having a town staff person handling a specific area does not mean a related committee should cease to continue.  For example, I highly doubt we would have gotten the creativity offered in articles related to Hartwell Ave. and residential fossil fuel building codes were this responsibility of one staff person.  Additionally it's important to understand the history of some committees/commissions.  Having served as Lexington's rep. to both the Hanscom Field Advisory Commission (HFAC) and HATS for years, both are absolutely relevant and needed.  The HFAC, having been established by the legislature, is the mechanism through changes at Hanscom Field are monitored by the surrounding towns and through which complaints are made to Massport.  HATS also is involved in this monitoring but is also the committee which worked so hard to keep the air force base at Hanscom when it was listed on the base relocation and closure (BRAC) list.  This can still happen again.

 

While I highly respect Jim, I do not agree with his being the appointing entity for many of the committees.  While it may be a burden for the Select Board members, it is they who know the individuals volunteering to serve or are serving on committees.  I've consulted to communities considering changing their form of governance from representative town meetings (RTM) to cities.  One of the things I've said is that I think RTM is the purest form of governance and the thing that concerns me is putting so much power in such a small group like the mayor and city council, you just won't get the same kind of discussion.  It's the same kind of thing here.

 

Andy Friedlich   

https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/lextmma/CADxhVgoi%3DgUTnKGJaW8-S9CSWr%3D8q3nZjfr6s-izP8ebtBjYsw%40mail.gmail.com

.

[Ruth Thomas]

Human Rights, Arts, History, Sustainability, Noise, Trees. Transportation, Bicycles, Taxes, yes. even Fences, impact, determine, and ensure (or not) the quality of life in Lexington and should be under the aegis of an elected body, i.e., the Select Board, that is accountable to and responsive to the Town residents its members opted to serve when they ran for office.  Transferring a proposed 30 committees out of a proposed 56 grants too much power to a single individual in shaping our Town now and for the future.  Likewise, justifying the transfers by classifying most of the committees as solely "administrative" seems fairly questionable.

I urge Select Board members to carefully and thoughtfully weigh the Town Manager's recommendation as it proposes a significant shift in control that is to a large degree incompatible with the Town's representative government.

Ruth Thomas, 4

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[Valerie Overton]

Hi all,

Since we're on the topic, below is a letter I wrote to the Select Board.

Valerie Overton (she/her)

Precinct 1

Dear Select Board members,

After reading the meeting packet for tomorrow's Select Board meeting, I wanted to express some reservations about the Town Manager's memo on town committees. I know he stated that this is a "provocative" set of recommendations meant to spur brainstorming, but I do feel concerned about this being part of a larger pattern of consolidation of power in the Town Manager.

Over the past couple of years, it seems that more and more functions previously performed by the Select Board are one by one being transferred to the Town Manager. I think it would be useful for the Select Board to talk about this larger picture -- and what you think philosophically about division of labor and power, especially as it relates to decisions that impact community engagement, input/feedback, transparency, and accountability.

In general, I think that residents observe less transparency and accountability for decisions and actions taken by appointed managers/staff than with elected officials -- including, very much so, in Lexington.

More specifically, the combination of transferring committee member appointments and oversight to the Town Manager plus dissolving several committees could have a substantial impact on community input and transparency/accountability of town government.

In some cases, as when committees haven't met in years, it makes sense to dissolve committees. In other cases, though, when committees are active and make substantial contributions to the town, it's hard to see any justification for dissolution. In that respect, I strongly oppose dissolution of the Sustainable Lexington Committee.

In short, I hope you will discuss the philosophical and strategic underpinnings of decisions about town committees:

• Discuss the big picture of Town Manager versus Select Board responsibilities/powers in the context of community engagement and transparency in addition to efficiency and effectiveness of municipal operations.

• Discuss the purpose of having the Select Board or Town Manager appoint committee members and oversee committees. Just because authority could be transferred doesn't necessarily mean it should be. These decisions should be grounded in purpose, not convenience.

• Discuss the role of committees versus staff. To me it doesn't make sense to dissolve a committee just because we have paid staff who work on the topic. Rather, the question is whether the committee adds value by offering a greater variety of community perspectives, values, and solutions -- and whether the committee functions as a vehicle for broader community input and transparency. For example, it is difficult to understand why the Town Manager would suggest dissolving Sustainable Lexington but retaining the Economic Development Committee; we have professional staff in both areas, but only one of these two should be dissolved?

On the other hand, I support the "Other Considerations" in the memo related to:

• Onboarding
• Term limits
• Charges

Thank you,

Valerie

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From: lex...@googlegroups.com <lex...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Ruth Thomas <rth...@bu.edu>
Sent: Monday, September 12, 2022 10:23 AM
To: ajfr...@aol.com <ajfr...@aol.com>
Cc: lex...@googlegroups.com <lex...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: [LexTMMA] Proposed changes to the number of Town committees and their appointing authority

 

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[Jodi Finnagan]

I don't think one man should determine the committee and it's content, period.

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[Betty Gau]

Well said Ruth and Valerie.  I also strongly oppose the proposed dissolution of our town's Bicycle Advisory Committee.  Here are some highlights of the Bicycle Advisory Committees' accomplishments this past year.  We are a committee of dedicated residents who are passionate about safe cycling in town and sustainable initiatives.

Thank you.

Betty Gau

Precinct 8

Bicycle Advisory Committee Year 2022 Highlights

·       Advised the Select Board and Town Manager to develop a Bicycle/Pedestrian Transportation Plan with the goal to make biking safer on every street in Lexington.  We provided a list of benefits based on municipal research.   A bike/ped plan was voted in by Town Meeting spring 2022.

·       At Spring Town Meeting the Committee endorsed Articles 12 B, Townwide Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan, and 12 N: Battle Green Streetscape Improvements.  We recommended to the Select Board that it vote to approve these two warrant articles. Article 12 N contained the Hancock Street Roundabout that the Committee researched and promoted.  Once the two articles were both passed, the Committee worked with Planning Department to provide a framework for an effective Bike/Ped Plan and provided samples of local Bike/Ped Plans with an analysis of benefits and effective goals.

·       Proposed to the Select Board to add a high school age student liaison to the Committee.  The request was granted and the Student Liaison position was added to the charge. A student was appointed to a one-year term and they surveyed high school students regarding their interest, ability, and concerns about bicycling to and from school.

·       Recommended to the Select Board that it endorse Bill S2309 that clarifies the definition of electric bicycles (e-bikes) within Massachusetts General Laws.

·       Urged the Select Board and Town Manager to ask MassDOT to reconsider the current design plan for the Route 2A resurfacing project.  The current plan does not address safety of bicyclists using this roadway. We asked the Select Board to appeal to MassDOT with the recommendation to reduce the speed limit on 2A and increase shoulder space at proposed traffic islands.

·       Discussed with the Select Board issues concerning Minuteman Bikeway safety and signage.

·       Worked with the Town Manager’s office to improve the event permitting applications for the Minuteman Bikeway. The Committee reviewed several applications and provided safety guidelines to permit applicants to ensure safe events on the bikeway. 

·       Participated in meetings and provided liaisons to the Transportation Safety Group, the Greenways Corridor Committee, the Planning Board and various DPW projects involving bikeways and streets in town.  Also participated in quarterly meetings of the Tri-Town Minuteman Bikeways Committees with Arlington and Bedford.

·       Working with the non-profit organization Friends of Lexington Bikeways, the Committee:

 

o   Hired a contractor, paid through donations, to plow the Lexington section of the Minuteman Bikeway during the winter months.

o   Held the annual Bikeway spring clean-up in May 2022 with over 45 volunteers participating.

o   Installed Minuteman Bikeway safety signage in the form of “Burma Shave” lyrics.

o   Undertook the annual Minuteman Bikeway count of weekend and weekday users in May 2022 as part of a regional MPO effort to document users of shared use trails and paths.

o   Hosted a “Light the Night” bike lights giveaway in November 2021 as part of a regional MassBike event.

o   Partnered with town staff to offer a variety of public events during Bike Walk and Bus month in May 2022, including a Bike Smart class, and Bike Rodeo and the annual Commuter Breakfast held on Bike to Work Day. Also hosted a Winter Cycling Workshop open to the public.

o   Participated in the annual Lexington Discovery Day in May 2021 where the Friends fit and distributed free bike helmets to children through a helmet donation from Breakstone White and Gluck LLC.

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[Meg Muckenhoupt]

On Mon, Sep 12, 2022 at 10:23 AM Ruth Thomas <rth...@bu.edu> wrote:

Human Rights, Arts, History, Sustainability, Noise, Trees. Transportation, Bicycles, Taxes, yes. even Fences, impact, determine, and ensure (or not) the quality of life in Lexington and should be under the aegis of an elected body, i.e., the Select Board, that is accountable to and responsive to the Town residents its members opted to serve when they ran for office.  Transferring a proposed 30 committees out of a proposed 56 grants too much power to a single individual in shaping our Town now and for the future. 

Why do we need 56 separate volunteer committees for a town of 35,000 people? 

Cambridge (pop. ca. 118,000) has 47 boards and commissions.

https://www.cambridgema.gov/iwantto/applyforaboardorcommission

 Do we trust our town employees to do their jobs? If not, why are we paying them? 

Meg Muckenhoupt

Precinct 1

 

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[Meg Muckenhoupt]

cities.  One of the things I've said is that I think RTM is the purest form of governance and the thing that concerns me is putting so much power in such a small group like the mayor and city council, you just won't get the same kind of discussion.  It's the same kind of thing here.

Precinct 1 turnout for Town elections hovers around 10% when we're not voting on a Presidential primary or leafblowers, "Representative" town meeting represents a pretty small pool of voters. How do you feel about those voters having so much power?

Town-wide elections could increase turnout simply because a mayor would have to campaign across the entire town on issues that affect the entire town.

Meg Muckenhoupt

Precinct 1

 

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[andrei rădulescu-banu]

I would caution that people commenting on the mailing list may not have the full context of the Town Manager's request.

The Town Manager would not bring up this thorny issue if there wasn't dysfunction he and the Select Board were trying to address. The memo indicates this has been a continuing discussion for several years. 

What dysfunction? "For those Boards/Committees that I have included for the appointing authority to be changed from the Select Board to the Town Manager, these are administrative Boards/Committees and not policy setting
or adjudicatory Boards/Committees and/or they have no legal restriction on whom the appointing authority that is required."

That, to me, stands out.

Administrative functions should indeed fall under the Town Manager. Policy setting functions fall under the Select Board, which can delegate that function to an appointed committee - however! - "the Town should ... develop a policy or timeline for reviewing board and committee charges. This could be done annually or every two years. Reviewing charges will remind current members of what their charge is so they don’t expand their reach."

Some committees don't function at all, while others function so well that they exceed their charge. So, I would say, this is a welcome review initiated by the Town Manager. I would encourage the Select Board to use this effort to hear Mr Malloy out, and address the dysfunction he has observed.

Which committee is policy setting, vs administrative - this needs to be clarified.

Andrei Radulescu-Banu, Pct 8

[Dinesh Patel MD]

Hellow

  This is very interesting discussion and deserves lots of thoughts

Looking at overall interest in Lexington --Voting statistics for elections being low for highly educated and professional town we should avoid dissolution of the committees or transfer powers to( well meaning and knowledgeable staff)  town manager or else we should try to motivate the members of the committee and citizens to participate more. Participatory democracy works to maximum benefit if we allow citizens to participate — may be inspire more or empower more or what ever - may be select new and change members((if members are not attending meetings)) - may be have term limits or what ever.

It is certainly  very timely that Town manager and select board are welcoming thoughts for action.They must have thought about this for a while any how.

Personally I am in favor of term limits not just chair  but members as well — as staggered or else but getting fresh ideas and inclusion of new innovative ideas will further create excitement for Citizens of lexington and may be participate more. 

There is just so much wealth in Lexington - let us try to unearth those hidden talents and spirits for common good .

I think Town manger and select board have always encouraged citizens to apply for memberships   for boards and commissions so thank you but there is some thing lacking and I do not understand — let us think more before actions are taken for dissolving committees, or transferring the tasks to town or what ever .

Thank you town leadership for bringing this topic 

Dinesh Patel 

Precinct 6 tm

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[Salvador Jaramillo]

I agree with Meg’s line of thinking. We must also consider how volunteer committees and even Town Meeting skew towards those who first have the time to devote to these bodies and second the knowledge that they even exist; so I would question their true representation of all or even most Lexington voters/residents. 

It also raises the question of accountability: the simple fact is that the significant majority of voters are not paying attention to what Town Meeting and these committees are up to - it’s hard enough even as a Town Meeting member to keep track of everything that is going on. It is here that a consolidation of responsibilities and executive decisions actually help promote the democratic process by keeping smaller elected bodies and individuals accountable to voters at the ballot box.

I agree that committees play an important role in our town and do not believe we should consolidate more power to an unelected official without ample justification, but I do think we definitely need to think more about how we should streamline committees and their charge. Having too many cooks in the kitchen can and often does bog down actual progress and completion of projects.

Salvador 

Precinct 5

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Salvador A. Jaramillo

Harvard College | Class of 2024

sjara...@college.harvard.edu

[Richard Canale]

Most of these Town Committees have both policy and administrative functions. 

The Select Board have Policy roles; theTown Manager has Administrative roles. The Select Board sets Town Policy; theTown Manager implements the policy through budgeted staff which he “alone” supervises and controls.

When such Committees have both policy and administrative roles, conflicts can arise when staff are members or liaisons to a Committee. Presently staff are generally stretched thin with multiple work roles and assignments. Both staff and Committee Chairs are not able to understand how much or what kind of support staff should or can provide to Committees.

That articulation between policy/administrative roles and staff assignments needs to occur by each party no matter who appoints, and who “controls”.

Richard Canale

On Sep 12, 2022, at 11:15 AM, andrei rădulescu-banu <bitdr...@gmail.com> wrote:

... "For those Boards/Committees that I have included for the appointing authority to be changed from the Select Board to the Town Manager, these are administrative Boards/Committees and not policy setting

[Albert Zabin]

To: :My fellow citizens, the Select Board and Town Manager,

There are, in my opinion, issues of equal or greater importance than perceived dysfunction of any particular committees insome particular point of time.  

I think that Andrei’s letter over simplifies the the distinction between “administrative committees and policy making or influencing committees.  Administrative decisions often have significant impact on political  or policy choices. 

For example, the U.S, Supreme Court voiding a rule of the EPA governing the emission of carbon compounds was an “administrative’ decision holding the EPA exceeded its authority.  (Congress fixed the problem)  Decisions of the Planning Board and Board of Appeals affect substantive rights or obligations, even though they may be procedural or administrative…  Another important consideration is the importance of citizen participation in the functioning of town government. I believe that the great civic problem of the day is not Trump, but lack of participation (particularly voting) by citizens. 

I fully understand how a Town Manager appointed committee (or a Select Board committee can be a real pain when the committee takes positions that the Town Manager considers unwise and create messy decision making.  As many thoughtful persons have observed. Democracies are often far less efficient than dictatorships.  That is both a fault and a virtue , in my view. Our governments at all levels are loaded with checks and balances.  Yes, checks and balances cane abused, but for the most part, they work well when measured by ultimate results, even (perhaps particularly) when they slow the journey to a conclusion.

Albert P. Zabin, TMM Pct. 1

1 Page Road

Lexington, MA 02420

ajz...@gmail.com

(339) 927-6956 (C)

(781) 861-0956

On Sep 12, 2022, at 11:15 AM, andrei rădulescu-banu <bitdr...@gmail.com> wrote:

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[Ruth Thomas]

"Precinct 1 turnout for Town elections hovers around 10% when we're not voting on a Presidential primary or leafblowers, "Representative" town meeting represents a pretty small pool of voters. How do you feel about those voters having so much power?"

When you ask me how I feel: this kind of sentiment about representative government saddens and, frankly, annoys me.

The point is every citizen has the right to vote and has the choice whether or not to exercise their right to vote.  By choosing not to vote, the non-voter sends the message they are satisfied with their representatives and the way their Town government is performing.  So, yes, the non-voter is content to yield to the "small pool" and save a trip to the polls.

Ruth Thomas, 4

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[Wendy Reasenberg]

I agree with you, Andy and I did not mean to imply that I necessarily agreed with the conclusions. I appreciated the work that was done to organize,and make transparent to all, the extensive overview of what we have now and what the TM was suggesting for the future. I think it is healthy to periodically review how we are doing things and I do not recall this ever having been done before.

The next question is how to proceed. My suggestion would be to have an extended thoughtful process. Step one might be to first focus on the committees that the TM thinks are obsolete. Have public comment period on these committees so the SB has some feedback and more background to decide. Actually a question I have is, "Who creates town committees? Is it the SB or will there be a warrant for Town Meeting?"

As to the question of who should select the committee members, each committee should be examined to balance efficiency of selection with plurality of views. In most cases, I would favor the views of the five different persons on the SB over the views of one person to foster diversity of opinion on the committees.

I agree that our committees and other groups have brought up ideas that at first seemed "radical" that are now mainstream.  As I recall, many years ago, it was the League of Women Voters that pioneered recycling.

Lexington is a very complex,multicultural town and we have to keep all voices in the conversation.

Wendy Reasenberg

TMM Precinct 8

[Nyles Barnert]

I agree with you that first we should carefully look at the potential elimination  of committees. For instance, I note that the Design Advisory Committee is such a candidate, although current ZBA procedures require applicants to consult with the DAC for special permits for signs. Removing the DAC would necessitate a modification to ZBA procedures.

Nyles Barnert

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[Bridger McGaw]

Dear colleagues,

After reading these notes and comments and the memo, and as a Vice Chair of a committee (speaking for myself), I am glad to see a discussion underway about clearing out old committee business whose work is completed, taking time to look at where new members can be placed and aligning committee expertise where it can continue to add value. But too much of this memo focuses on appointing authority rather on the policy outcomes the town is trying to achieve as an integrated team of the Select Board, Town Manager and Staff, Town Meeting, and advisory boards and committees. I’m glad to see it all in one place so the SB can evaluate it but I have concerns about it’s over centralized attempt at realigning authorities in the Town Manager role. 

Like others have mentioned today, I urge the Select Board to not give up their appointment authority and instead focus on improving the actual coordination and collaborative work of committees and staff on their priorities. For example, The Comprehensive Plan illustrates the challenges and opportunities ahead and putting our time and resources into that work is more than drawing a nuanced argument of policy vs administrate function as a basis for change in appointing authority. How will we implement the Plan? There is more value and impact to the town by leveraging the wealth of expertise and commitment by leaning into the opportunity the committees serve when appointed by the SB and the Town Manager directed to have Town staff work together in developing and improving programs and services in Town - not in competition based on who appointed them. I do think  that spirit can be aligned as this topic is discussed. 

I’m glad to see the discussion will be had, I hope it’s the first and, I would suspect it will not be the last. 

Bridger McGaw

Prct6

On Sep 12, 2022, at 7:42 AM, Jodi Finnagan <jlfin...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[Avram Baskin]

"Who creates town committees? Is it the SB or will there be a warrant for Town Meeting?

I’m not sure if this is the answer to the question Wendy asked, but here goes.  I asked Joe Pato. He told me that town meeting does not have a role in the decision making or approval process, other than submitting comments as residents.

Avram Baskin

Precinct 2

On Sep 12, 2022, at 2:10 PM, Wendy Reasenberg <wendy...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[Joe Pato]

To clarify slightly, Town Meeting may create committees to address an issue or pass a bylaw that creates a permanent committee. Any such action would require a warrant article at a Town Meeting.

 

The topic for discussion at the Select Board meeting tonight mostly deals with advisory committees created by the Select Board. In a few cases, the committees in question have been created through bylaw or other legislative procedure like the Town’s charter or other special legislation. If any change were to be pursued for one of these committees, Town Meeting action would need to be taken in the future to either amend a bylaw or request a home-rule petition for legislative action.

 

- Joe Pato, Select Board Member

please use jp...@lexingtonma.gov for town correspondence

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[Tina McBride]

A mayor, while elected, is only voted for once every cycle. I do not think a mayor, even one I voted for, could represent my opinion on all issues. With Town Meeting there are a number of members in each precinct, more ideas and diverse perspectives to argue a position - majority rules and much more democratic. 

Additionally, the level of expertise we have at our disposal through volunteers and volunteer committees, far outweighs the politician who runs for office. Staff is awesome but we benefit from our wide berth.

Tina McBride

precinct 7

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From: lex...@googlegroups.com <lex...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Salvador Jaramillo <sjara...@college.harvard.edu>
Sent: Monday, September 12, 2022 11:50 AM
To: me...@post.harvard.edu <me...@post.harvard.edu>
Cc: ajfr...@aol.com <ajfr...@aol.com>; lex...@googlegroups.com <lex...@googlegroups.com>; ma...@mattdaggett.org <ma...@mattdaggett.org>; wendy...@gmail.com <wendy...@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [LexTMMA] Proposed changes to the number of Town committees and their appointing authority

 

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[Meg Muckenhoupt]

A mayor, while elected, is only voted for once every cycle. I do not think a mayor, even one I voted for, could represent my opinion on all issues. With Town Meeting there are a number of members in each precinct, more ideas and diverse perspectives to argue a position - majority rules and much more democratic. 

In 2018, the Town election in March had 9% turnout overall, with per-precinct turnout ranging from 6%-12% of registered voters.

https://www.lexingtonma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1780/March-5-2018---Annual-Town-Election-PDF

The 2021 election was slightly better, with 12% turnout, range 9%-19%.
https://www.lexingtonma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1799/March-1-2021---Annual-Town-Election-PDF

2022 had higher turnout (leafblowers! 27%) - but more than half of voters in each precinct left the Town Meeting ballots blank. 
https://www.lexingtonma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1782/March-7-2022---Annual-Town-Election-PDF

Whose opinions are being represented?
How low does turnout have to get before we call the process less democratic than a mayoral system? 

Additionally, the level of expertise we have at our disposal through volunteers and volunteer committees, far outweighs the politician who runs for office. Staff is awesome but we benefit from our wide berth.

Do we always benefit? Does "expertise" always result in effective and useful committees? Do we sometimes end up with professional staff being constantly second-guessed, making it hard for them to carry out the jobs they're trained and paid for? 

Meg Muckenhoupt

Precinct 1

 

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[Ruth Thomas]

In the 2022 Town Election, there were many Town Meeting uncontested races.  In Precinct 6's uncontested race, for example, 753 voters cast 3,137 TM votes and left 2193 blanks.  Many voters may have figured without a contest there was no reason to fill in seven circles.

Citizens can express and are encouraged to communicate their opinions to elected representatives at every level of local government. In Lexington it is very easy to do.

The system is democratic because it allows people to vote for whomever they want to represent them.  They can choose not to vote.  Their no-vote sends the message they are satisfied that their current representatives share and support their opinions and in TM vote accordingly. Inevitably, in elections and in TM there are winners and losers.  Losers. however, can still make their opinions heard.  In a mayoral/council system, citizens are quite removed from government whereas in a system such as ours, their TMM representatives can be their neighbors. Case in point: a few days ago, a constituent who is a neighbor emailed me asking when the felled pine trees that had provided shade in their backyard and protection from tennis court lights at night would be replaced. That's representative government at work!

Ruth Thomas, 4

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[Salvador Jaramillo]

I think we are making an assumption that most people in town understand or know about Town Meeting. As a recent Lexington graduate, I can tell you that we do not learn extensively about local government - not even Lexington’s Town Meeting. I would say the same for residents/voters who are originally not from Lexington or New England. Are we doing enough to educate voters of how they can exercise their civic responsibility at the local level? I would say certainly not. 

The question I would ask is could you list the twenty other Town Meeting members that represent your precinct by name? Do you also know their positions on important issues? Do you think that the average voter does? Why would voters vote for 7 Town Meeting members every election cycle whom they don’t know and what they stand for? At that point, why would they show up to vote? To my knowledge, we traditionally have only one forum for Town Meeting members every year with the Lexington League of Women Votersmand the turnout is abysmal to the point where even incumbent Town Meeting members do not show up. For precinct 5 at least, I recall everyone in our room actually being Town Meeting members. As a constituent who would want to express their opinion to just their precinct, I would have to attain all 21 email addresses or phone numbers from the TMMA or Town website, half of which are not updated by TM members and go straight to a dead line. 

I recently ran a town wide campaign: it required me to attend 10+ forums, put up a  website, knock on thousands of doors, send mailers out to voters, and put an ad in the local paper - none of which TM members or even incumbents at large-members regularly do. It forced me as a candidate to educate voters on my positions, not the other way around. This was the sentiment and frustration I heard from voters when I knocked on those doors this past winter/spring. 

My argument is that it is easier and more democratic as a voter and constituent to understand the positions of a smaller elected body at a local level than it does for 180+ Town Meeting members plus all the existing committees. I don’t understand why a different system would preclude us from having the same diverse conversations and ideas we have now, just as other communities who have open TM, representative TM, or the mayor-council system do.

I say this not as a dismissal of the great work our elected officials, volunteers, and staff do in Lexington, quite the contrary, but I do think it is something we must all think about. 

Salvador 

Precinct 5

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[Jessie Steigerwald]

Great food for thought - thank you.

I think we have the best opportunities to promote civic engagement if we consider it a community responsibility. I’ll get to the school part but agree with the bigger picture:

We each play a part.  

Years before children begin public school they - at least theoretically - have the opportunity to go to the polls with their parents or guardians.  They can hear people speak with excitement about voting.  Early voting now makes that more accessible for more people.  They can learn about the signs that pop up across town at special times of year. They can be taken along when candidates speak. Some help make (decorate) signs, and learn about the importance of voting before they learn to read. They can learn about who makes rules and decisions at home and in their community. Several people in Town Meeting today are people I met when their children were very very young - and were already listening at public meetings.

That is a cycle that is helpful - but we want more people to care and be involved. 

I also observe that some people find their core community in Lexington in another layer work - sports - clubs - faith-based organizations - they may know more about governance of their temple, than about the Town. Many have their hands completely full with caretaking responsibilities, including managing their own health. 

So…

When people move into town, landlords and realtors can provide a point of welcome and information about local government.

Homeowners who receive tax bills can receive annual inserts.

The Warrant that is mailed to all households could contain more information on the back cover - perhaps?  Or inside?

Social media could be promoted to engage people, and explain how government works…

On the schools part - does LPS really not teach at all? I don’t think so. 

Our public schools can build on an immersive community pride in promoting civic engagement.

But, the curriculum starts at square one for all students and does not assume that people have learned about local government outside of school. 8th grade Mock Town Meeting is just one single moment in one part of the 8th grade Social Studies curriculum that focuses on local and state government. Every local school system has to meet the state frameworks - and yes, meet the MCAS requirements.

The League of Women Voters - and especially Jackie Ward - organized the original 5th grade Mock Town Meeting. It dissolved - so to speak - when state frameworks shifted. Time was demanded for other topics that people felt were more important.

Teachers have been pressed (as many others have) into managing more “content” in less time - because we also value x, y, and x.

I’ve certainly seen many students in Lexington’s schools learn about local, state and national government. 

The curriculum now has a focus on specific topics in specific grades. So that is something to consider. If you only focus on US history in one grade out of four at the high school, what could be done to make sure each year there are discussions about local government? Health class?

Students who volunteer in the community are frequently tied into issues where they can learn about town government - I’m also  thinking about the students over the last few years who advocated to prevent gun violence, or who promoted anti-racism work, or who participated in the Climate Strike. Some of their work was about local change and some was working to reach out at the state level.

What more should be done? In which grades?  And, a realistic challenge when every minute is spoken for - what comes out of the day to make room for more instruction about local government?

Wouldn’t it be amazing if all high school students read the annual Warrant? And maybe write a letter to their town meeting members to express their views in that topic?

Jessie

Jessie Steigerwald

On Sep 13, 2022, at 2:03 PM, Salvador Jaramillo <sjara...@college.harvard.edu> wrote:



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