The Board of Selectmen, in consultation with the School Committee and Planning Board, created an Initiating Committee in 1998 to begin a comprehensive community-wide long-range planning effort.
Primary Objective
Develop the foundation for a community-based strategic goal-setting process.
Methods
- Organize into two subcommittees to accomplish the work:
- Citizen Participation Subcommittee
- Process Design Committee.
- Use a letter and survey, newspaper advertisements, and direct solicitation of volunteers to invite participation from a broad group of residents who adequately reflect the community's interests and perspectives:
- Letter to community
- Letter to Lexington High School students
- Letter to organizations
- Develop a process design flow chart detailing the project phases over the next 12 to 18 months.
Findings
- Past efforts have laid the groundwork for a Strategic Goal-Setting Process:
- Focus groups
- Community conversations
- Resident survey
- Lexington's process will be tailored to our community but be informed by lessons learned from strategic planning other communities.
- A comprehensive long-range planning effort will require involvement of all segments of the community, specifically including individuals not currently active in Town governance.
- There is sufficient community interest to move forward.
Recommendations
- Hire a consultant to provide expert insights and guidance to the process.
- Obtain assignment of a Town staff member to serve as Project Manager.
- Create issue-based Working Groups to discuss specific topics and prepare "green papers" for use in the final visioning document.
- Create a Stakeholder Group to provide feedback to the Working Groups and formulate them into a final vision report.
Final Report, March 24, 1999 (PDF)