 Good evening everybody welcome to the Board of Selectment meeting for Monday April 7th It is 7 15 p.m. And I call the meeting to order I just want to remind everyone that this meeting is being cable cast by ACMI and may be recorded by other people our first order of Businesses an organizational meeting Mrs. Crabelka Okay, first out of a business tonight is to have an organizational meeting for the purpose of electing a chair and Vice chair and vice chair at this point. I would like to ask the board for nominations Mr. Greeley I Nominate that we mr. Steven Bern for chairman second I move to close nominations. Do I hear any other nominations? Second So we vote on moving to close I we're gonna vote now to move to close nominations Now we're gonna vote for cheer mr. Greeley. Yes, this is mine. Yes Mr. Dunn. Yes, mr. Burn. Yes, mr. Curell. Yes Hearing five to nothing and I have the nominations are closed for the Chairman's race now we need a nomination for vice chair Mr. I nominate Joe Curell second I move to close the nominations second all in favor. I Mr. Curell yes, mr. Yes, mr. Dunn. Yes, this is my hon. Yes, mr. Greeley. Yes So congratulations nominations have closed and we now have mr. Burn as a chair and mr. Curell as a vice chair Did you hear what she said Kevin? No, she didn't mean us Trying to get that it's closest to the eggs Thank you, mr. Chairman first thing mr. Chairman I would like to welcome back our two colleagues who were reelected and Look forward to continuing to serve with them. Mr. Dunn and Mrs. Mahan welcome back. Congratulations. Thank you With your permission, so I'd also like to take a moment to congratulate mr. Tosi Ms. Dunn and mr. Buckley Who fell just short of their elections, but it's it's citizens like that who want to participate in this process That really make a difference in this town. They all Served one heck of a race. I've heard a couple of comments since the election one is that all Those incumbents who ran were reelected and then the next person says just barely so how do we? How do we take that message? But you know a miss lucarelli was returned as clerk Mary when Stanley O'Connor was returned to the board of assessors Dan Brosnan was returned as a commission of the housing authority our two incumbents here mr. Gilligan was returned and two incumbents on the school committee and the third Miss Seuss was elected to the school committee because Leave a hymn and decided not to run again And she deserves a lot of credit for the service she provided to this town as well So would like to see more than 6,100 people come out and vote, but that's who came out and voted and so Again, congratulations to all and a lot of thanks to those who put you know losing isn't easy And they put a lot of time and effort into it Thank you, sir. Thank you. Mr. Greeley Anyone else? Let's get started for approval consent agenda Meetings of minutes for March 24th 2014 March 28th 2014 We have appointments of new election workers Jeannie Kazaza Lillian Christmas James Foren Rona Loog Elsie Murphy Beverly Smell ours Deborah Terzian Deborah West We have a request for a one-day all-alcohol license Five three fourteen for the annual fundraiser at Fidelity house We have a request for a one-day beer and wine license for four 2714 the Japanese sister city 30th anniversary celebration here at Robbins Memorial Town Hall auditorium We have a vote for the burial agent for the town of Arlington a Request for a permit for the Patriots Day Parade, which will be held on Monday April 21st 2014 Second Marie on both of the one-day alcohol licenses sometimes we get approval from the police That So part of the conditions is his approval, okay, thank you Okay, thank you Is anyone in the audience here to speak on any of these items? So yeah, thank you, mr. Chairman Just I want to take a moment to do a quick commercial For the request for one day beer and wine license for the Japanese sister city on Sunday night April 27th first of all at five o'clock There's going to be a dedication of a bench in memory of Dick Smith and the Arlington Nagoka Kio Sister City 30 year relationship that will happen at five o'clock out here on the side garden Very close to the cherry tree that was planted the blossom cherry blossom that was Planted by mayor Oda when he was here last at 6 p.m. There's going to be a dinner in the town hall After that the Japanese students are going to perform some dance and some singing of their From their culture and then we're going to repeat Part of the town hall one hundredth show which was done back in June of last year That got a screaming standing ovation do y'all remember that it I do But it's the memories of the town with Richard Duffy and then the music That we listened to for the last hundred years and that will be Sunday night if you're interested in tickets They're $50 each and you can get those through the selectman's office anywhere else. They can get them Marie Can we get them online through Patsy? I forget Okay, just so through the selectman's office. Thank you, sir Thank you, and we have a motion in a second. So all those in favor Moving on we have appointments our first is an appointment to the transportation advisory committee Jeanette Rebecca Good evening. Thank you for willing to serve you could just share a little bit about yourself while you want to be on Well, I'm a transportation planner by trade and I actually work in the neighboring community of Lexington Managing their Lex Brass bus and also staffing their transportation advisory committee So I feel like I have a lot of valuable experiences to share and look forward to serving our town Yeah, thank you very much for a bit volunteering and I when I read your resume this week And I was really excited about the Lexington connection because I think that really adds a lot And I want to put one particular bug in your ear is that you are going to position to uniquely to help us with regionalization Because you see the like, you know details that no one else is doing about both towns And so I would love it if you thought creatively about ways that we can do more Coordination with Lexington and other towns because you're going to see some things I think that we've never thought of before sure absolutely. Thank you Joe thank you and to that point am I gathering from where you were sitting that you do work with 128 business council as well So, yes, the town of Lexington is also a community member and we work closely with them. Fantastic. Great. Thank you service Yes, Jeanette. Thank you so much for your willingness to serve. Have you noticed already how much better the leadership is in Arlington than in Lexington? My vote depends on this answer Now, thank you very much excellent qualifications great Thanks, and I think that you'll find everyone else on attack to be really great to work with their very professional group And I really admire the work they do so Motion in a second so those in favor Thank you very much. Thank you. We have appointment Jeanine white from the conservation committee Did you share a little bit about yourself as well? Why you want to be on con con? Sure? I've been living in Arlington for a little over two years now. I just recently purchased a condo I work in south Boston at an engineering firm I've been doing civil design for about ten years now focusing in stormwater and Roadway and parking lot design and I'm just I'd like to use my expertise and give back to the community a little bit And get a little more involved Thank you very much I want to thank miss white Jeanine for our stepping forth and you have a very as the previous candidate impressive resume curriculum Vitae Really excited about your experience with mass DOT considering the projects we have coming forward as well as The drainage Experience that you have in terms of drainage reports and the like that you've contained in there Especially since we do have the ongoing issue of the CSO discharges that it still remain going into the al-wife as well As there's still the flood plain Map that's under consideration And so I know you're going to bring a lot of expertise to that and Compliment what's there, but I'm really excited when I saw all that because I think you're really going to round the group out And make it even more robust working group. So thank you so much for doing this sir Thank you very much. Thank you very much and you have a motion a second all those in favor, please say I post Thank you very much Next we have an appointment to the disability commission and that is dr. Burton Push unfortunately dr. Push isn't able to make it here tonight, but I'm I'm really impressed with his resume and I'm fine moving forward without his Attendance if everyone else is okay with that move approval, but it'd be nice to meet him at another meeting when he could make it Sounds good. So Introduce himself to us one night Thank you. I got to ask him what he thinks of the leadership of the town. That's completely understandable. I don't know why he's consistent guys So we're motion a second all those in favor. Hi Next we have citizens open forum Except in unusual circumstances any matter presented for consideration of the board shall neither react it upon No decision made the night of the presentation in accordance with the policy under which the open forum was established It should be noted that there's a three-minute time limit to present a concern or request Do we have anyone here for a citizens open forum? No Mr. Chairman bit Laurie did you want to speak on the parade and right, but I didn't know if you were here in time Yes, I'm Laurie Marshall the vice chair of the Arlington Patriots Day Parade Committee. I'm sorry. I missed the permit approval We have a lot going on the share we have the Shriners coming back We have nine ten bands a lot of community groups. We're really excited and we hope that all Community groups and town officials will make it and join us at 9 30 on Monday, April 21st Okay, citizens open forum is closed Moving on traffic rules and orders and other business We have a request for one handicap parking space in the Arlington Heights business district Rachel Bonapane from the commission on disability Oh Dan Dan's hand was up Dan. I was so based on the memos from Jack Jones and the Commission on disability I was going to move approval. So just to for so and the reason I'm supporting is because in the in the Heights, so Near the Park Avenue extension. We currently have a Handicap space in three locations on three of the Would I call them quadrants? And I think it makes sense to describe those quadrants and in particular There's no handicapped space in the quadrant that is Capri Pizza and Claffic Cafe down by the Dagestinos and so there's a space out in front of pensies So it's like farthest from not farthest but farther from the corner Which makes it across the street from Cambridge Savings Bank and so on so forth. So it made sense to me so based on that Based on the recommendation from our committee and our employees I move approval second Yeah, I feel comfortable also because it looks like they did take pains to try to separate a little bit from that bus stop That knocked out some of the parking in the Heights, so With a motion and second all those in favor I I post Next report on the amending of Lake Street signs Yeah, so I guess I'll say that Officer Rato's memorandum was particularly compelling to me so Currently you can't turn onto these streets during rush hour And so we'd had a request from one of the residents and I know that a lot of people are here to talk about it I'm very interested in hearing what they say, but I can tell you what my preliminary based on what I've read I still want to I want to hear but based on what I read I'm I would Suggest we don't do anything and the reason is spelled out by officer Rato and that it's simply Unenforceable is that if we made it a residence only right-hand turn it isn't something that they Because they there's no way to identify residents short of pulling everyone over and you can't reasonably just pull everybody over Who who does it so for that reason? I would move I guess no follow the follow the course of recommended no action Could I say is the speaker comes in the microphone one of my questions would be I know there was talk about a neighborhood meeting You could update us on the status So my name is Leslie Bennett, I put the original warrant article in And at our last meeting we discussed having a neighborhood meeting and getting community feedback I held a meeting on March 23rd at the Fox library There was about a half a dozen people who came and we sat and talked about what other Alternatives and what are the suggestions people had and you know whether there was support for the idea or what other people thought about the idea Generally speaking the response from the community is very positive I distributed more than 700 flyers in the community so that everyone knew about the meeting at the Fox All up Lake Street Mary Street Margaret Street Dorothy White Edith. I mean basically delivered by hand to the community notices about the Community meeting as well as a follow-up to let people know about this meeting and I also created a website Called www.lakestreetsigns.org So people could go online and they could they if this wasn't convenient they could find out a little bit about why they could you know Have a little bit of discussion about it make comments sign a petition on the website So I you know in talking with people the question about enforcement has certainly come up and one of the Ideas that I've heard is to have you know much like a resident parking sticker When people are allowed to park in a residence only area You'd have a sticker or a dot or a placard or some other kind of symbol to indicate that in fact You are a resident and it's plain to see you don't have to stop them You don't have to ask them And most of the people I talked to said they would be very happy to have a resident sticker or placard Sign on their dashboard sign on their back window. I mean wherever it would be most convenient You know, I've also heard a question about Constitutionality about whether it's actually Constitutional and I think if you take a look at the case line, Massachusetts that you know the question in a Constitutional analysis is whether it's rationally related to a legitimate state interest and here the state interest is as we all know The traffic on Lake Street is a problem. It's quite long That intersection was in the traffic design report of 2009 rated an F Because it's just not workable and while we understand that there are changes coming with the Mass Ave Corridor project that's a long way off and that's many many months to get to that point You know the the issue here is what can we do to allow people who live in the area to get off the main street? To have less cars in that area and also to stop the emissions I mean if you're sitting in traffic for 10 15 20 minutes Unnecessarily you could be home you could be reducing the amount of people that are on the road and you can turn your car off All of those things I think would be considered a legitimate state interest So the question is whether this provides an opportunity to actually accomplish that You know, there are other people who have comments, but I was able to collect, you know Probably about 80 signatures either on the petition or the website I'd be happy to provide those names or you know to provide a more comprehensive list of some of the other ideas that were discussed such as speed bumps along Mary Street such as Putting in more signs on Mary Street Restricting turning in the morning as well as in the evening because the morning commute is also a problem So there were many discussions and you know opportunities for people to brainstorm what other ideas are You know what other ideas they have I wasn't sure given the nature of this Forum whether those are even you know possible to discuss given there's actually one proposal before you Any questions from the board? Yeah, so in the morning, you're not allowed to come out Mary Street and take a left or right on Lake You yeah, I mean you can you can so in effect the no-right turn lane provides for people to not cut through on Mary Street right in the evening But in the morning you can do that It's that you're allowed to take that right and cut through Mary Street and the problem is That people go too fast and particularly in the morning There are kids going to school at 8 o'clock to get to Hardy So there's a lot of traffic during that commuting out those that that commuting time in Particular when you really don't want people going this under so much as 40 miles down, you know So that that's basically the the issue right is the trying to prevent people from doing that What may I ask was Corey invited to your was officer Corey invited to your neighborhood meeting No, I didn't I didn't extend an invitation to the police department I did talk to chief Ryan. I mean he did indicate You know the the question about enforcement And I think that you know enforcement light like we already have rules about I think this is analogous to parking You know if you're a resident you can park on a public street only during certain times But non-residents can't do that right if you're not a resident if you don't have a resident permit or you're not You know, it's a it's a similar kind of situation Treating a public street for a resident versus a non-resident treating those two classes differently In general, we don't have resident only parking. No, but in but in Jen in other places, right? I'm talking generally speaking when you treat two classes of individuals differently That's the question about whether you can or whether you're able to you know It's a it's a public street. Yes, and everybody pays taxes. Yes Why is it that only some people can do some things at some times because there's a legitimate state interest? Thank you very much in taking that action and treating those two classes differently. Thank you Anyone else in the audience please come forward Sure, I'm Jennifer Griffith. I live on Edis Street So I'm one of those people that has to wait all the way down you know to be able to get to my street and I am very grateful to Leslie for bringing this forward and organizing around this because it's been something that's been very problematic for a long time I've lived there for over 20 years and most of the time I take the tea to work, but I work downtown Sometimes I can drive all the way from downtown Boston to Lake Street in less time Then it takes me if I do the right thing and stay on Lake Street until I get to Birch where I can turn it's absolutely ridiculous So I'm all in favor of I've seen in other places. There's except residents on some signs and I think the problem is That it can't just be that it has to be hand-in-hand with Additional one or two stop signs on Mary Street, or I really like the idea of Speed bumps on Mary Street because then even if it's not enforceable and other people will also turn It won't be as attractive. They won't do it when they can't just speed down Mary Street and speed bump Couple speed bumps and at least one more stop sign would Also help in the mornings without having to put restrictions on turning in the morning But it would you know, it would make it much less attractive for people to cut through so I think a combination of letting us turn please and Because sometimes I'll go into Kelvin Manor and go around but those people don't want me driving through there Just so that I'm technically not taking you know a left turn into our right turn, excuse me so You know, I just think it doesn't It doesn't make any sense not to do it But it has to be combined with at least one more stop sign on Mary Street And I would it loves speed bumps because that really slows people down and the people that live in the neighborhood We don't care if we have to stop or slow down because That's our neighborhood and in them doing a stop sign and Speed bump would help in the morning as well because it is a problem. Thank you. Any questions from the board Hi, I'm Carol Phillips. I'm here with my husband and we are residents of Mary Street I wrote a letter so I'm just gonna and we were involved in the initial signage project and at that time the police Said the same thing that they can't enforce it And particularly what I recalled was it's an info that we're trying to use our police resources to enforce something for the convenience of residents and we were giving the choice of Signs for everybody or no signs at all and given the choice I'm prepared to live with the inconvenience of sitting in traffic on Lake Street Which is horrific and maybe what we should be talking about about ways of dealing with the light or some other thing but I'm prepared to stand behind the signs and keep the signs as is rather than run the risk of losing them and having our Neighborhood once again overrun by bypass traffic. Thank you. Thank you Hi, I'm Joanne Kelly of us and I live at 18 neary Street And I live like would like to give you just two quick examples a number of years ago I did turn right at the beginning of Lake Street right off of route 2 I was coming from Cambridge actually from my office and I was stopped and The police officer wanted to give me a ticket and I told him I live the car my car was on Mary Street I said I live on Mary Street He said let me see your license. I showed him the license and he said you cannot turn right but I live on Mary Street and I happen to live further down on Mary Street from where I turned So he said there was no need for me to turn there He let me go and I came down Mary Street to the intersection of Birch and Mary and I live at 18 Mary and I'm on that corner of Birch and Mary Street Another police car came off of Lake Street and with this siren His light flashing and stopped me and pulled me over and he said, where do you think you're going? I said I'm going into my driveway Well, he didn't like that So I was only there briefly and he did not give me a ticket but more recently my husband passed away in October of 2010 and I was constantly going back and forth to the Brigham and women's and the Dana Farber and They were long drawn out days and we would get there oftentimes at 7 30 in the morning Be there all day for chemotherapy and all sorts of cat scans and pet scans and so forth By the time we came back it was supper time So we if it wasn't in the summer it was a good thing if it was we were fighting the Red Sox traffic getting out of that medical area in on Brookline Ave and Finally we would get to Lake Street and it would be bumper to bumper Not only was my husband thoroughly exhausted nauseous questionable other prob You know things that might occur and he wanted to get into the house and I was pretty exhausted myself But I couldn't turn right and I have to admit that there were times that I took the chance and I turned right Saying to myself if an officer stops me, I will tell him This is the reason this man who looks like he's 85 and is 61 years old Was just at the Dana Farber all day you want to give me a ticket give it to me So the third thing that I have to mention is that living at the corner of Birch and Mary Street? I am fortunate to see all the cars Coming down through that Intersection the stop sign is on Birch The stop sign is not on Mary now I sit outside. I have a little doggy. I walk him and I I See so many cars. They're not stopping and going into a driveway. They're cutting through I'm the one paying the taxes. I Do agree. I think although we're talking about we're getting a little off-topic with the traffic You know cutting through I think that that's kind of a different issue that well you discuss that out late time right now We're really just talking about you know turning the turning of the streets I was not traffic in the mornings, which I I'm not talking about the morning I'm just talking about the general traffic mostly in the evening and that is due to the people turning off of Lake Street and cutting through speeding down Mary Street to Margaret then they have to turn left to get back out on Lake No, I understand Okay, thank you. Thank you Hi, my name is Sally Harris are actually Sarah is legal name. I live on Mary Street Also, I live towards little John just beyond the little John Mary Street intersection And I have to say that the traffic is absolutely deplorable when people cut through So I'm all I'm for people being able to drive down the street But we need to slow them down because there have been two accidents. There was I think the most recent one was in 2012 and It wasn't horrible, but it I'm waiting for the time that it is really bad Because people have a blatant disregard for the stop sign Coming down from Wilson to towards little John on Mary Street and they bombed through and then I get to here They go home down 120 down Mary Street like they're on 128. So You know, I'm all for this but we need to do something to curtail them the speed that people choose to Utilize to get down to the industry to get back on Lake Street like the nice woman just said So if you can consider something like that, that would be great. Thank you I'm Susan Martin and I live on 79 Mary Street And I think you have to live on Mary Street to appreciate what the residents are going through Something has to be done and if it was me I'd I Don't know get a cadet police officer Have him right right tickets to the people that are turning the only way people are going to understand it if it hits their wallet And what's the use of having signed whether it's residents non-residents because people are not obeying That's really the issue And I would really really like to see the police down there ticketing It's bad. It's bad and if you have to live there come home after a long day in here They tone a 500 outside the window. It's You wouldn't like it. Thank you near Birch and Mary and I'd really like to see residents able to hang a right It takes me longer to go from route to to my house than it does to go from Burlington where I work To the route to Lake Street exit So, you know if residents had a sticker a sticker or something that would be great And I'm sure they would all be happy to you know pay for the printing of that sticker would save them a lot of time Thank you. I Agree with everything that she just said we formerly lived on Mary Street. We know I live on White Street What Mary Street has always been a problem as far as because the stop signs aren't facing the proper direction You should be facing Mary Street going down towards Lake Street Because they the people will go down there it's not the people who live the residents who live in the neighborhood who Speed down the streets because we live there. We know And we should be able to make a right hand turn and get home a little bit faster than sitting there and sitting there Likewise, I drive from a Hanscom Air Force Base and it takes me longer To negotiate Lake Street to my house where I can turn off on Birch Street Then it does to drive from Hanscom Air Force Base home Thank you. I have a question either for the current or previous speaker The traffic You were talking about getting police enforcement down there and we do have limited resource But right when a problem is identified is something we can definitely act on what my question would be is the Monday through Friday from 4 to 7 p.m. No, right here in turn and where you say they are going through and going through fast Do you know is it a particular day? Is it a particular time? Every day I'm sorry just the speaker at the microphone. I'm trying to help here guys It's it's it's it's every day. All right. It's scoff laws. They will turn anyhow, right? The police aren't there to enforce the no-turn On a daily basis. Okay, so I mean it's all the time. Yeah, they flip a coin. Thank you And then the summertime it exacerbates the problem because of the bike path The people that are right driving bicycles riding bicycles and walking the bike path Don't I don't obey any kind of laws but the bison is there's a stop sign there, but they don't stop So I just want to say about the bike path. I think that that's a really good point and I will say that there's the Transportation Advisory Committee is currently looking at Implementing other solutions at the bike path crossing to change the traffic pattern such that it would be synchronized with the light So that we would permit more through traffic on Lake and so that obviously isn't done yet And obviously the recommendations aren't out there, but we have members of the Transportation Advisory Committee here tonight So I know that they're listening that so I just want to on that particular point I want to say that that one is one that we've I personally have heard several times before and I'm and I've tracked down enough to Know that we're making forward progress on it though. I I understand that that's only part of what we're talking about If we're gonna talk we have to come to the microphone Next please Peter Fiori precinct to I live on Mott Street I'm a little vex that you you've already voted you've already voted no change, right? No, okay, you just voted to accept officer No, we haven't taken a load okay As far as his his report that they'll change a lot of residents only and I'm not standing here to advocate that necessarily Is that enforceable? I mean no no traffic laws enforceable unless the police spot check it speeding on Mass Ave Lake Street Mystic Street Intersections where people fail to stop I mean right now the police only spot check down there as it is So if they're down there spot checking to stop people from turning right Then I don't see any problem with them spot checking and pulling everybody over on a given day that they're spot Checking to make sure that that individual is a resident So I mean yeah, it is enforceable if you do pull everybody over on those days where you spot check I Come come with more questions and answers. I went to the meeting at the Fox I was up to 15 years ago with a group of citizens like this when people getting pulled over and actually ticketed and I guess I'm gonna fall back now to what I Said back then is I mean I'd like to try to get the police out of the equation since it's only enforceable if If they are down there if we want to kind of keep along the lines or the way that we have it now similar to what we have now Seems to me the intelligent Solution initially would have been to make it no, you know, it's no problem. Nobody turning right people turning right off a lake It's when they turn left on to Mary. So why aren't there signs that say no left turn on Mary four to seven? And and do that or the alternative I think and I'm sorry. This is what I said 15 years ago Keep my street of one way make Mary Street of one way from Margaret down Wilson and make Wilson do not enter Then you've removed the incentive for anybody to race up Mary Street I've always been in the opinion and unfortunately the more I drive the more that opinion erodes the people are less likely to go The wrong way up at one way and they are to turn right against a no right turn sign for seven That would still allow the residents to turn right at little John and go over to Dorothy and up Dorothy and to Parker and Birch so the folks on Mary Street could still get home without sitting in traffic But those folks that want to race up Mary Street to get up to Margaret and cut ahead of people and not wait in line Their incentive would be would be eliminated morning and evening. I Know I probably get neighbors here that hate me right now for stating that so I'm glad I was reelected the town meeting on Saturday Congratulations, thanks, but but that's that's what I have to say I I I hope if it stays the way it is so be it But I think there are probably better changes and furthermore while I'm on my soapbox There are a lot of traffic and parking issues in the neighborhood these days Folks race down Margaret and Birch to get the Thorndike field. It used to be a three season experience Now with a dog park is here around now that the bike path is is plowed in the winter You know the traffic problem. I think is exacerbated. I'm not complaining about those things but but there may be even better solutions to To to address some of those issues and maybe you make the neighborhood kind of a cul-de-sac and you close Margaret and Wilson Or I don't know. Those are just just random thoughts. I have right now, but Thank you, but anyway, thanks. Thanks Anyone anyone else in the crowd I Just have a question because we heard a lot of great things that aren't Exactly on this particular question that you're supposed to be contemplating. So how do we? Advance, you know, I love that one way one way thing. That's awesome. I hadn't thought about where actually I think we're going to discuss right now Oh, okay. So thank you Miss ma'am Just a few things if I could through the chair mass the town manager perhaps to briefly speak to the speed bump issue In terms I believe I'm sorry the speed bump issue on public ways So I won't speak for a member, you know as a member of tack or For the DPW director, but I'm certain their response would be that it's very challenging to do so because you can't plow the streets If there's a speed bump, I know there is some plowable speed bump technology But we've not yet taken that step in Arlington. So speed bumps would be a challenge for us in Arlington And then The only other two points would be first of all through the chairman and the town manager perhaps Consulting with the police chief about getting some more spot checks down Between four to seven when manpower people power allows and then in terms of the suggestions that sort of go beyond the scope Of what's before us as well as what's before us tonight. I know when this process Years ago. I wasn't quite on the board yet, but I was out in the audience. There was a massive neighborhood outreach in terms of Notifying people going door to door getting the two-thirds rule And I know you have I'm sorry you reference the meeting and but I think it was a dozen people or so came What I would say in answer to the query in terms of some of these other good ideas is probably twofold first of all What I'm hearing is a stop sign on Mary Street towards Lake and then The suggestion of leave modern one way make Mary one way and make Wilson a do not enter I think before any of that can happen with the exception of perhaps we could refer to the Officer or told the stop sign on Mary towards Lake Street But on the others that's where the neighborhood outreach needs to be done and then come back to the board And maybe we can get a sense of unless my colleagues can think of some other solution Before we make of you know a rat if we make any kind of change like that But in terms of what's before us here tonight I would and from what I'm hearing From the residents here as well as some residents who contacted me in person and from East Arlington I would go in concert with the recommendation that we have from officer at all right now You know I Don't know how long ago it was but a lot of these rules of regulations that have been put in place was because of the Neighbors coming to us begging us to not let cars take the right because they were charging through up to Mass Avenue And there were serious safety concerns and now you know And this is clearly not the only place we have traffic and parking issues there are around town And fortunately we're a we're a smaller town and while I'm hesitant to do this I think what we should do is let's refer this to tack, you know, there's a lot of ideas out there There's obviously a lot of neighbors is a lot of and I know we're hesitant to do that because tack is very That's our transportation advisory committee. They're very overloaded But they are very thorough in terms of their study But all of the neighbors have to be included including those up north of Hardy School if that would be north I forget but there was a much larger group here back then who were begging us to stop cars At night taking a right and then shooting through up to Mass Avenue so that they could avoid Lake Street. So We are never going to have a perfect solution in any neighborhood You know, I'm sorry, but we don't you know, we can't go on, you know, just wild ideas tonight We need to have a coordinated effort and as I say all the neighbors need to be included in this that live in that entire neighborhood Because they're all the ones that are suffering with this. Thank you. Mr. Don, I'm sorry miss it. We're discussing this now I'm I'm definitely I'm persuaded that the problem on Mary Street is something that we should be looking that we should try to figure something out about and I think that the transportation advisory committee is a probably a good place for this. I will say that Like sort of similar to what Kevin just said in some ways what we're the challenge here is It's like a bubble under a piece of plastic it's like when you push the traffic problem out of one place it pushes it into another and And we have and I see some head shaking, but I but I still believe that I Don't know that there is a perfect solution that actually solves the problem in East Arlington I just I think that it's a density and traffic problem That's going to be a challenge for us no matter what but that does not mean that there isn't a Provement possible because I do think that there isn't improvement possible So I would and I'm also particularly interested in seeing how some of the things that we're trying to do to relieve the traffic On Lake Street itself improve this because a lot of this is symptoms of this terrible traffic problem on Lake And if we can solve the root of the Lake Street problem that would that will go a long way towards Towards some of these other traffic problems we have so I Would be very interested. I think I would I would be interested in referring this the back to tech I know when we when we looked at when we looked at this a month ago We'd we checked when the last time tack had looked at this does any but I don't remember off to my head that what that was Does anyone happen to know? It was definitely it was within the last ten years, but it wasn't within the last four or something like that Yeah, I think it was their recommendations that Yeah, the no right turn so I guess that I would if with with Mrs. Mohan's permission, I'd like to amend my motion and refer the traffic problems on Mary Street to tack as well That's what I'd like to amend my motion with permission of the Would you consider Adding the language of the whole neighborhood not just Mary Street. Yeah, right there. Yes I'm looking at the whole neighborhood, but specifically with the center with the yes with an aim towards resolving The improving the Mary Street situation and but making sure that we don't tack is very good at making sure we don't mess with the rest Of the neighborhood as well. I agree Any further discussion We have a motion and a second and was there agreement in terms of the chair and the town manager referring the current Issue of possible Reminding me I'm sort of motion the second all those in favor. Hi all those opposed We want to find a solution this as well trust me. Thank you. Thank you Thank you everyone moving moving on we now have our warrant article hearings we'll start with Article 16 by law amendment 55 Venner Road removal of easement restriction Miss man. Thank you so this is a 10 registered voter article submitted by the property owners at 55 Venner Road and This is an issue that dates back. I believe to 2006 town meetings so there may be some familiarity with this issue and The the core of the issue here is in 1942 the town took what was called exterior lines, which would have allowed the town to I believe extend Spring Street Through this property They didn't actually take full the town didn't take full possession of the land But again rather this terminal terminology known as exterior lines and at that time the town paid the then property owner $2,161 for those exterior lines Time has passed the current owners bought the property. I believe in 1962 is that 62 the carers family? Who's here tonight? Marys here and Has lived there has lived in the property since And back in 2006 and again now the family has been petitioning the town to lift the exterior lines or to release Its authority to eventually extend a road Through through the property the town no longer has any need or desire to put a road through the property However in looking at the situation in the past and presently I've tried to approach this so that the town would be compensated for its initial investment As well as be compensated for tax revenue that has been foregone And that's because this sliver of land has been taxed at an unbuildable rate since 1942 and if the town was to release exterior lines it would become buildable and therefore have a higher value And not to get too deep into that argument But in that case the property owners would have had the benefit of a large yard taxed at a lower rate And then the next day if the lines were released have the benefit of a buildable lot and its value The other remaining point or point from 2006 that still remains today is the concern of a butters And if the town did decide to release these lines, what would the impact on a butters be? And the property owners have negotiated with the most immediate a butter To sell a piece of the property if the town was to release the exterior lines to create a buffer zone So that any potential future development on that lot would be buffered between the a butter and this lot So working with the family's attorney attorney Leonie as well as in discussing the family today We have reached actually just a few hours before the meeting reached an agreement whereby the I would propose to the to the board of select when who would thereby proposed a town meeting release of the lines for Financial compensation and that compensation would be a total of sixty five thousand dollars And that would be representative of the present value of the 2161 for which the Exterior lines were originally taken in 1942 and that comes out to just about thirty thousand dollars And then the remainder of that sum would come from looking back and we could call it a rollback tax Looking back 15 years worth of taxes and you can see I we've the assessors have done an analysis the amount that would have been charged had The lot been buildable in what the lot or that piece of the lot had actually been paid for During those years and that difference comes out to approximately thirty five thousand dollars We picked a 15-year window Looking at Another not like but similar general law whereby a use of a property was changed General law speaks to rollback taxes that have a certain finite amount So some could say why don't you go all the way back to 1942 and the lines were taken? But based on what seemed to be somewhat of a precedent in Mesh general law that seemed excessive So again in conversations With the family and with attorney Leonie. We've seen that It at least appears that the butters who may have the most concern have been satisfied through this potential land deal And we've come to a financial agreement that I can Sincerely recommend to the board as being I think a benefit to the town and right, you know properly and rightly compensating the town but also being a fair for the property owners and I'll let them speak for themselves But that's what my what my recommendation is to the board here tonight Any questions Just recommend favorable action Mr. Leonie and I live to hear you sir. There's something you want to add I'm here with Denise long and her mom America Karris and Dan long Marys lived at Adam's since the 60s the house isn't It's you can picture it an upside down house the kitchen bathrooms and main bedrooms on the second floor Mary needs to move she's been trying to sell the house, but we can't sell it because of the lot lines So after about $15,000 of other lawyer fees the title company said no way I can sell it Which is what brings us back to town meeting this time we we tried in 2006 and it didn't work This time we have spoken to the rents We've gotten a written agreement with them to transfer 2500 square feet Which would serve two purposes it gives them a nice almost 50-foot buffer One more between their house and any potential house that could be built and it will limit Mary's lot to two buildable lots instead of three Which you know Dan and Denise live on the other side of the rent so they're interested Yeah, the other bars so they're interested in keeping the neighborhood less dense and not squishing three houses in so I think it's a win for the town getting Rid of that getting some reimbursed for the ones they put in Get two lines and it's gonna help Mary get out of the house and move into a she wants to move to a condo in Arlington So she wants to stay with us. She doesn't want to go away Which is that we won't hold her to that I think she's not going after teaching in the high school all those years. She doesn't want to go anywhere So I think for all of us Longs miss go cares the rents that and the town. It's a good good solution and finally get rid of one of these problems It's been nagging just to make it clear. I'm gonna step down on this article I've been Dan and Denise and Mary's friends for 20 something years So that's why I'm helping them out and I can't do both so I'll step down and have my assistant Take care of it Tom meeting So if you have any other questions for us Glad to go ahead There's there's no particularly delicate way to phrase this but I would love to hear the rent Like can you tell me more about the rents with us Joe Joe? Oh? Perfect is here and Joe Fahey's who's been helping me come to an agreement with them. Good evening. I Joseph Fahey I represent Donner and Christopher Ren. Thank you. I think it's I'll be happy to entertain your questions. Mr. Dunn my only question is is I just want to I want to understand that That you that you're you all you really agree are happy with this plan going forward I think the best way to describe the situation is is the The acrimony result of the last time this matter was presented to the town Denise Long reached out To my clients in an effort to address this before it get to this stage my clients aren't here to advocate that the town Agree to any particular compensation package or Advise anyone to tell meeting how they ought to vote on this matter what they recognize was if this were to pass as This town warrant is currently constructed Any ambitious developer may attempt to shoehorn three homes into this lot And they thought it when in their interest to purchase this enough land So that would that effort would be inhibited And the they would preserve the character of the of the neighborhood and the land adjacent to the allot Because this is just contingent on favorable action being taken on the article the other Item I think got to be brought to the town's attention is the amount of property being acquired by the rents if this were to proceed Would not be such that it would enable them to develop a lot they have no development the ambitions themselves up there and Their their interest is just in sincerely preserving the general character of the neighborhood that they moved into when they bought Thank you. Thank you So Hi, Denise long. I just wanted to add a couple of things. I think the issues have been fairly well laid out Originally when my parents approached the selectmen and town meeting their original Interest objective if you will was to build a handicapped accessible lot on the other section of their property but that didn't pass as town manager indicated because of An inability to come to an agreement on the compensation issues this time around however since my dad has passed away and my mother has a Bad back. I mean she's not looking to develop the property But we're well aware that that could happen and so in the past we were also trying to prevent there from being more than the existing house and one additional one and This compromise agreement would accomplish that it would limit any future owner if they wanted to do something with it to Just the existing house one additional lot and then there would be a 2,500 square foot buffer Which the rents would acquire that would not only benefit them But the neighborhood as a whole to preserve the character of the neighborhood not only for everyone, but also, you know For anyone, you know in the greater Reaches there. Thank you Just say thank you to everybody for working on this This is one of these issues where I was looking looking at it with some dread Expecting it could be filled with some, you know, acrimony and complexity and everything to see everything You know nicely negotiated Essentially delivered to us to in a form that I think I can comfortably support Thank you. I do appreciate the civility that was used throughout this process I am I know that can be not very easy at times and I commend everyone involved So that we have a motion a second all those in favor Congratulations to you too. Thank you Moving on Article 24 endorsement of CBBG application Mr.. Dunn so I don't think we're actually asking for the board's endorsement tonight What I think we should do is Make a will report and so I move that we make a motion of will report what you do have on your Table is it was on our desk The subcommittee met this morning at eight o'clock And we did come to a draft budget that we more or less agree on but obviously this board needs more time to digest It before it actually approves it just a couple notes on the What we're doing that are significant There is one new public service like totally new public service that we haven't supported before which is The I can't shine learn to bike program, which is something that happened in the town I think it was last year with corporate donations and we're not fully recommending it be supported But we are trying to give it $2,000 of support or almost $2,000 of support The Another important one I think is under public facilities and improvements $80,000 for historic preservation for the Jason cutter and 23 maple Street And the other one I wanted to talk about oh was the Housing Authority life and skills center building Life and life and skills center building the housing authority like you know like many groups submits more than you know We can meet and in the end after a Steve in particular had conversations with them that led us to focus on supporting the life and skills center building And one other note that I'll make on this is The we were able to fund see if you see the bottom right the draft budgets is 1.476 million Two hundred and seventy odd thousand of that is one time money So our actual annual number which is consists of the amount that the federal government gives us Plus program income that comes in is what adds up to the I'm sorry. Did I say 2.1? Thank you. Good. All right. Yeah the 1.2. Sorry And So that 270,000 of one-time money comes from we went through and we cleaned up a bunch of projects that had money Outstanding that had been rolling over and rolling over but the project either we were all able to say you know If they actually want to do this they're gonna have to come back with another funding And there's a couple that we just said you know your time has expired on these so That that two extra 270 or extra so to speak Largely benefited the housing our linked to housing corporation and the our linked to housing authority And so we just have to be smart in our conversations with them that there was a lot of one-time money in there So I think we do know will know or will report then we can vote in the center The next perhaps next week's meeting and then we can put on the chairs If I could sort of a segue into that mr. Chairman just to Through the chairman in the town manager I know that when we look under public facilities and improvements and the only part that I think it could be applicable Obviously to be G monies for the North Union Park and Spraypool. I know that the Park and Rec Commission I believe they've held two public meetings And had two or three draft plans out there I would just ask the chairman and the town manager when it gets to the point that We're ready to say let's go I know I was contacted by one of the Park and Rec commissioners and I spoke to the town manager who said you know the process Wasn't that far along but whenever it is deemed the appropriate time Just sort of as an FYI, and I know we'll be done. Anyways, whatever is the soonest that you the Park and Rec and town manager Mr. Conley are comfortable that the board could get a copy of the actual Proposed plans for North Union in the Spraypool. Yeah, we actually have an awarded contract So I can provide that to the board just so we're well versed with it because I know a select man People will ask us what's going in as well as maybe if you could just provide a small paragraph Just sort of summarizing that and I'm just doing this from memory And I could be incorrect that there were two public meetings that the Park and Rec Commission has had it on their agenda You know just sort of a compilation so people could say well, what happened here, you know, was there public outreach? It's just a short little Yeah, so I just wanted to ask Dan so the Housing Authority Life and Skills Center they requested a hundred thousand. Yep And we give them 200,000. Yep It's I can So they So the the cost of the thing of the building is 400,000 and in a previous year they requested all 400,000 and then this year they only requested 100,000 They also requested 500,000 for Drake Village and they requested More money for an affordable condo and so on and so forth and I think that when When conversations with Steve had conversation with them saying, you know, you need to focus a little bit more and help us prioritize They said well What we really really want to do is the Life and Skills Center and we're going to be able to get some matching money Especially if we can demonstrate that we're serious about it And so that was how that is so they are revising Before we finalize this we will ask them to revise their request. So it's not make-up money You know, they actually they asked for the 400 before They asked that 100 here. I understand they did but if I can your chair you get to yeah No, I I spoke with Mr. Griffin and he is going to send over a revised Number and I think that I I'm not speaking for him But I would assume that when anyone's putting together CDPG applications and they're already asking for a lot of A lot of money for one program and two programs And then what we see is that a lot of groups tend to like to stockpile Funding from year to year and I think that might have been the strategy With this life and skills center building That being said I am more than comfortable awarding this because it is a phenomenal program it will Go a long way for the home and not any manner and what I think in as part of an overall strategy It will be incredibly beneficial You know, I'm sure that as I believe every one of these will be incredible and deserve funding I would be far more comfortable if we gave them the hundred thousand They originally requested and give them just a hundred thousand towards affordable housing up top where they asked for two hundred thousand This negotiating with them. I'm not really overly comfortable with if we give you 200 where do you want it kind of but but This board is well aware. I have always been uncomfortable with us a board of select when a local agency Taking federal money and giving it to a state agency. However, and you've heard me sing this song before If this is what my colleagues come and recommend, I will always support my colleagues But I just want to state I would be much more comfortable with a hundred thousand towards affordable up top and Give them the hundred they requested under the others and I understand we're saying no to five hundred thousand But you know that they've requested from us eight hundred thousand dollars of a little over a million I mean, you know How realistic are they now that each year that they're they're increasing significantly what they're asking us for and so we end up with Well, we can't do all of that, but we'll give you two hundred. So Not to poke the bear, but there is an element that I forgot Hold me back The one of the other things that we did as a part of this is is that last year this board voted $50,000 is towards item number three, which is the affordable that condo and part of what we're part of the request for this year Is going to be repurposed that 50 from last year towards the life science So they really are putting so we're putting like all of their eggs from this year and last year in one basket Which is the life science life skills building, but would you let him know next year? I'd appreciate that that's what they come here with. This is what we'd really like funding for This money should be our priorities not not Report we have a second all those in favor All those posts Then we have final votes and comments Rule of approval article 8 by law amendment second Article 8 by law amendment regulation of outdoor lighting starts by law article 21 amendments to the district agreement of the Minuteman regional vocational school district We have a motion of second any further discussion Chair and to the town manager that the answer is probably no, but the notice that Town manager has provided us regarding the meeting at Westin Town Hall and that member community Would the result of any vote coming out of that effect? Thank you No, no that Monday that meeting Monday is really to garner support for other communities to take a similar action of the Boards taking thank you all those in favor. I oppose number 11 update from the root 128 business council So it was just about a year ago that we officially introduced the board to the root 128 business council in the town joining the council as it's I think second municipal member and we thought it was right time with some of the progress that's been made by the Council for Monica and Patrick from the council to update the board on the work They've done and the plans they have for continuing to work with Arlington going forward So we have Monica Tibbets and Patrick Sullivan Thanks for bearing with us tonight. I've been here all night. Thank you. It's totally okay So in front of you you have kind of an axe I have a cough So in front of you have a project update So the first thing that we did is we went through and looked at all of the data that we could find on the town So we use the most recent town census We contacted Ctps the central transportation planning staff to get their transportation data on Arlington We also work with the MBTA to get their ridership statistics on the town of Arlington kind of looked at a little bit of everything Because initially, you know, we've been asked to look at you know, maybe looking at shuttle service Maybe look at this maybe looking at that But what we want to do is get a very good understanding from a data standpoint What the existing conditions of the town were? And so in looking at that you have a pretty decent amount of public transit service I mean, we can argue whether everyone is happy with that but just looking as compared to other Communities you have a pretty decent Supply of public transit at this point and you have pretty decent usage of that public transit And so at that time we did not recommend doing any shuttle service I think that Looking at this now, I'm not saying that that wouldn't change in the future But I just think that that money would be better allocated other places and so what we did look at is what can we improve? What can we do here? So the first thing we looked at is trying to better move people through the community Especially when it comes to weekend night traffic and things like that So we've been working with the Economic Development and Tourism Committee to come up with the tourism map That was one of the first things we took on after doing the data analysis This is a previous draft of the tourism map and right now what we're doing is working with the committee to add Descriptions to this to describe each of the historic sites that they had outlined And we're also putting this in a web format because one of the things we looked at is it's a very large map And it would be very expensive to print and so what we're doing right now is we're putting it into a web format Where it would be an interactive web map so people could go on it look at the entire community But also look at specifically the tourism sites descriptions about it Google Earth shots of it and really kind of work with the map And so the target of deadline to finish that is probably the end of this month We're gonna have the next draft of this probably within the next week or two For the committee to also then comment on so I'm very optimistic. We're gonna definitely get this out before summer And we also deal with the marketing for that as far as getting the word out through the town's website and other avenues the other thing we're looking at is Bike week that is one of the more immediate things that coming up I don't know if you guys are familiar with bike week may is the annual celebration of biking in Massachusetts Bike week is a really big deal in the Commonwealth We've been participating in it for almost the entire 20 years It's been going on and we've also worked with the town of Lexington as far as setting up their bike week activities So this year we're actually gonna have a bike breakfast in Arlington. We're working with the kickstand cafe They're gonna be hosting it. It's tentatively scheduled for May 9th And from about 6 30 a.m. To 9 30 a.m. We are going to be putting on a breakfast for all the commuters coming through the bike path And through the area also during that we will be Registering people for bike week, which is a competition Between all the local businesses in the Commonwealth different communities in Commonwealth Colleges universities and we'll be able to register people on site for that in addition to giving out bike week t-shirts and kind of All the other kind of a kutramon that goes with doing bike week So I would say that's probably the more immediate thing we're doing right now And then the other two things we're looking at is we put together draft survey Which you have in front of you and this is very much so in draft form we've gotten initial comments back from the planning department and What we're doing is trying to understand beyond the data that we had existing kind of filling in the holes And a lot of that is understanding a little bit deeper how people are commuting and what different modes they're using and kind of How better we can steer that and make some mode shifts And so that survey basically captures that and what also looks at how people are interacting with bike sharing Things like hubway and zaks are within neighboring communities and also understanding how people are carpooling and using more non Traditional modes of commute within the community So obviously we'd love you to take a look at that draft and get any comments back because this is something we would like to get Out I would probably say within the next Several weeks maybe a month Get this out to the community and really start getting some of these answers back because this is looking at things That have not traditionally been asked building off of you know The town census building off of the data that mass dot keeps and really kind of going kind of three more levels down to really understand If you have money where can it better be targeted if you don't have money What slight changes can we make to kind of shift these modes to you know relieve congestion and help people better commute within and Outside of the community So it's kind of like a very quick and dirty Overview of kind of what we're up to so I'd welcome any questions or comments secure. Thank you very much I first wanted to say that Monica has been working with a Ted and running that the versions of tourism map map past a number of Representatives from a Ted so I appreciate that and it really does look great when you get we can see it closer and on the Screen, I mean I think you get get the sense and there there are a number of Locations that I had never heard of There are a number we had never heard of and we're like whoa, that's really cool So thank you for the work on that I've had how do I say that how do I say this stuff? I've had occasion to be standing in the center for hours on end during rush hours and weekends the last couple weeks and To see the number of bikers I don't know See the number of bikers who have been been coming through you really get a sense of you know They're really our clusters. I mean it's not just onesies twosies. We have real clusters of bikers coming through that particular location and Reading your Commute-to-work statistics. I'm really wondering who the hearty soul is who rides their bike to Wilmington That seems like murder especially this winter One question I had is you're recommending in here is that if we Go the route of bike sharing that we look at Zagster It was just this is just this was a preliminary discussion And that and one of the things that we had opted for is trying to look at cost benefit Hubway obviously would be the obvious choice I mean if you're going to go with the grade a best possible option That would be it because you can connect to the other communities that are already using it the biggest issue there is the cost And I'm not saying that it's not worth it It's just more we want to give you other options and the town planning committee I've already been looking the planning department already been looking at hubway So we wanted to present another option that I think that they had maybe not looked at and Zagster is one of those options and it just is an example of one of those options and it's basically It's a smaller version of hubway instead of the locking mechanism and the system being built into the actual station It's built into the bike and so it's a much more cost-effective way to do bike sharing But you don't get the connectivity that you would with a system like hubway This is more kind of one-off and it's mainly been utilized by universities Different property developments apartment complexes things like that and the main reason I brought it up is I think people often get very Focused on just hubway like it as if it's the only option and it is a fantastic option And I think if money wasn't an issue that would be what I would recommend Before anything else, but with that we were just these are some other options that if bike sharing is something that the community wants to do There are different ways that you can do it at different price points, and that's kind of where the zagster came into play Okay, that's what I was curious about that because it does seem that with something like hubway the connectivity is a big deal Yeah, you can't we're talking about commuting. So yeah, you cannot compete with that at all. Yeah. Yeah, and I the only other question I had is This is very interesting this Program in Kansas that you that you focus on are you aware of anything like that's been tried in other Regions of the country. I'm just I'm wondering if there's a more trusting culture maybe in the It's coming. It's in New Jersey right now New Jersey is just now piloting it there and there are no statistics and no data from them at this point I think they've maybe had it in place three or four months because I knew that question is going to come up because there's a very big difference between Kansas and here But yeah, basically I've been working with the research department that has been overseeing this Because it did come through Apta and that's how I became aware of it is I sat on a review board that they presented this research I was like, oh, it's really interesting So they are piloting on the east coast right now I would say we'd probably have some data on that maybe the end of the summer as far as acceptance rates Also the police strategy how the police were involved with trying to enforce it and things like that Great. Thank you. Mr. Greeley Marie is the heat on and will you please put on the I'm about to crack and take off my jacket like I am seriously It's just so hot we can't turn on AC see what we ran for Sorry and nice work. Thank you very much Can I ask this this the age of people in Arlington and the age of those who use the MBTA, right? So 21% are under 18 But only 5% under 18 actually use the MBTA. Yes, sir So kids are being driven all over the place And probably not biking I would guess no, sir, you know when I was in Paris a few years back I couldn't get over those, you know the rent a bike pick it up one place and drive it and return it another place the car Method and what's the bike one at Brattle Street? What's that bike? Oh But I think they're doing outside I noticed outside on Saturday They have like 10 bikes lined up that are the same type of bike with baskets and stuff Quad cycle, right? Yeah, so I'm just wondering whether that's what they were doing and stuff But I'm trying to get more and more into biking So I hope to show up on May 9th for you, but we will be very happy to have you give me a lot of room as I approach the table That's all that I'm going to tell you. I'll walk it in. Okay. Just appreciate that Thank you for your work. I got a few questions So in terms of like looking at the part where we talk about what how people commute So sometimes I bike to a wife and sometimes I drive to a wife Am I a biker a driver or a commuter and how or a public transporter and how does that show up? You're counted as all okay. Yes, basically anything you mark down you will be counted as such Which is the same as how we're doing the draft survey We want to understand every single mode that people are using so we don't you it's you don't get restricted from using Other we don't have to pick a primary We just need to know all of the different ways that you're commuting okay And then this one towards the end of this one was this just population or is there something else on this side and understand? It says like 20 to 40 residents 40 41 to 60 residents Is that just that's of people or what's that that's actually of the works that codes that we have those those are the places That those people are working This is where Arlington residents are working. Yes. Oh, okay. I Could not put that together Okay, and and then this one what was this responses? The response rate for that one like what's what was you said so we got a draft survey We've got this thing which is total responses. What's what those are from the town census? Yeah, that's from the 2012 town census and this is again where this is where they're working I have yes This is just the the destination information of residents within Arlington. Thank you And that was basically just to give us an idea of are the commuting in the corridors that we think that they are commuting and they were But we wanted to make sure which is something that we would also be gathering again with this new survey So we would be able to take that and you could also put that with all the previous town census information Okay, I apologize. I was totally struggling with it. It's a lot of information jammed into a really small space It's nicely shown You're good One more sorry, sorry sometimes No, I'll thank you. I'm gonna stop back Mr. Dunn kind of segwayed into it because I was looking at the Data collected and it was from the 2012 Town survey. Yes, and if you look at the responses compared to residents in the town and because perhaps we didn't put a focus on that we were gonna Really be seeking this information to input into this I think what I'm hearing from you is that in order to supplement the limited information in terms of number of respondents This is the reason for the draft survey final survey that will give us a better Sort of framework of what Arlington resident and what I'm saying is when we did the 2012 census You know, we didn't have the crystal ball to know that you always been doing this in 2014 And maybe I might have left and really encouraged people, you know Can you make sure you fill out that part or maybe vision 2020 did that? But what I think I'm hearing from Mr. Dunn's question is that that's what this draft survey is going to Supplement it's yeah, it's very targeted. It's transportation and commuting and it's all forms of transportation So we're not even just asking about like how your work commute goes We're also asking recreationally and all of that information and having a full understanding of all their Transportation needs concerns and also current conditions. That's fine because I was saying relying on the responses from this I would be a little nervous, but with the draft survey and on that. Oh No, I was waving at Steve. I'm sorry Not my sure anymore keep forgetting that I just put these Towards you all and if anything is redundant. I didn't see it or not appropriate. Please feel free. Okay Just in terms of the draft survey What I would like to see I know we ask about Runching bikes acts or hubway could we include include on the transportation vehicle side if they use a zip car? Yes, I'm formation around that And if any of my colleagues, you know for some reason do you think I'm going off base? Just please tell me The second thing is if this is something we could do Just sort of dealing with it in a different way Could we gather any data on we talk about how many individuals in your home and sort of the makeup of them? And you know race and that and other things can we ask how many disabled? Children slash adults in your home. Can we ask what forms of? Transportation do you use dial a ride? Family friend Contracted service with the state just to get where you know, we're trying you know Encompass everybody would that be appropriate? Yeah I mean we can definitely add a section on accessibility and I have to say it's honestly something that just didn't occur to me at the time We'd written it and this is a first draft But yeah, we can basically do maybe five or six questions all focused on accessibility Right because I'd like to get a sense of how many disabled children and adults are out there and how you know They're getting and I don't know you have to define it work versus school whatever You know, I just like to get a sense on that and what transportation that they're using Come out and I guess what you would do is For certain questions that some people may be like you're gonna use the phrase eology open-ended or something like that Whatever which means, you know, you can skip over that if you yeah, we wouldn't require that I mean I think as we go to build the survey the only required things we would have are probably zip codes Just because we really absolutely have to have those but anything that can be viewed as more sensitive is always optional And I know the Commission on disability would probably be interested in that Yeah, and what we can do is we can actually just run it past them run the set of questions to make sure we didn't miss anything Okay, and then my last and it's just my curiosity and if it's really an undue exercise I would be curious if I know you have in here when you talk about people. What time do you leave for work? What time do you get home and you? What time do you pop your work or school to go home and you have after 7 30 p.m. I'd be kind of interested in with the MBTA increasing Late-night service to different forms of the team that being the L wife I would be curious if maybe you could add What time do you just pot for home? Maybe add? I don't know what time that service technically starts Maybe you know 12 midnight on or something like that I'd like to get a sense of how many Arlington residents are and I know the businesses and restaurants You know that probably would be helpful to them also how much they're actually use utilizing the Extended hours offered by the cheek is the red line is one of the services and I believe the route 77 bus is one of the services Yes, yes, would that be appropriate? Yeah, I think it would be yeah, that would be interesting Those would be my just because you said and then we'll see the final draft draft on you Yeah, we'll definitely add something about late-night service and we can also maybe draw that whole section out a little bit I think that's traditionally kind of the hours that we've asked, but I think dealing with the community that maybe has different Service industries that might be better to extend that out and really kind of capture as much of the work days We possibly can the reason I asked that is like for the businesses if they see there really is you know Quite a few people that night that might affect. Maybe some events that they have they can say well. I obviously have Interest and you know, I might not be up at 1231, but somebody else might so and anyways, thank you very much. Thank you So I'm still I still think there's something weird here, okay, so the it couldn't be If you add up Drive bike and public transportation it adds up to the number that says total responses The total responses maps over here to the total residents So either so for instance I work in Boston and I drive and I bike and I and I use public transportation The according to the definition we just talked about but I'm getting counted as three people in the residents So when you go to the map that is that is just the work zip code. That's not taken into account Let me see how to phrase this basically they're not repeated It's not taken in the total when we're looking at that We're looking at just that work zip code and we know individually who is going across the line This is a very Simplified version of those results, but you're not being counted more than once and that works zip code Okay, that is just to do the page that has the table is just drawing that out to give you a better idea of the top Communities can you send that along then because I confessed it right now. I need to see it to believe it Yes, I think Yes, I could send you the full data. Thank you. I'd really like that. I can do that instead of you know If pointing the map if we could take this I'd love to see that I can just yeah I mean I can just give you the full extrapolated version of it. I'd love that. Thank you Oh, I just had one small question. You said it's zip codes that are driving this I'm just wondering if there isn't a transmuted number here I see Hansen hanging out there way on it's on its lonesome and I know that that's a small bedroom community so I'm wondering if maybe It's possible that a digit on a zip code got got transmuted as far as Actually representing another community. We basically what I'll do is I will go through and just send you excluding the map I will send you just the full data Thank you Just on that so this would mean nobody in Ellington works in Worcester, for example, it's 20 or over so it's the under 20 Residents and also your responses to your census were maybe like 6,000 people this is not representative I you couldn't we do not have a large enough sample to extrapolate this So I mean I am positive there are plenty of people working many more communities But just with the data that we were given that's all we can give you great Just sort of housekeeping Is this something that do you all have a really good memory in terms of the questions that I asked that be included? Or is this something I need to communicate with you offline? I got you got it. Thank you. No, I was I know what I wasn't looking for a writing pen over there Okay, I'm sorry. No, I just because I was gonna say if you wanted me to forward it I will but the town manager. No, I mean I do have a really good memory oddly when it comes to surveys and basically what I'll do is every section Basically, they brought up we will just go back through and go through all of them beyond even the questions that you asked We will go through and exhaust every possible option Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much. I think you know, I did have some questions But I think we did cover them all tonight. So thanks for all your hard work on this I would be interested in seeing the data on the car sharing program for you know, of course Moving forward with that. I think but I find all this very interesting outside of the box Which is very cool to me. So thank you very much Oh, and also if you guys ever have any questions beyond the questions that we will get back to you on If you let Adam know we can get that information to you very very quickly So if anything kind of comes to your mind, they're like, oh, I'd like to know a little bit more about that Just let us know and we can put something together Move receipt and appreciation Second we'll put All those in favor I Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you Moving on two minutes for technical setup. Yeah, of course We're gonna take a two-minute break Okay Thank you very much for bearing with us for that little break everyone and Moving on We have a presentation of the parking study. Mr. Chaplain. All right. Thank you very much, mr. Burn so tonight we're joined by our Consultants from Nelson and I guard to talk about our Arlington Center parking management study So we're joined by Lisa Jacobson and Ralph DeNiscoe They've been working very long and hard with our parking subcommittee who was made up of a number of people who I believe are listed in the memo Or excuse me in the actual study that was provided to you And I know we're here Laura's here tonight Howard's here Marie served on the committee I went to some meetings ones that I couldn't be at Andrew was that So as you all know, there are a lot of issues Regarding parking in Arlington Center And I have to say that the work that the committee did and that the folks from Nelson I guard did was really Exhausted at looking at these issues An incredible amount of public outreach. They'll talk about the public survey that was done a large number of public meetings One specifically tailored to the business community, which is obviously very important Arlington Center So I think you know the vast majority of opinions issues problems solutions have been tossed about have been listened to So we're very eager for you to hear the report tonight to hear about the study to listen to the Recommendations that they're making and then to get your feedback tonight. We are not making final recommendations and asking for the board's action Or anything we're talking about the draft recommendations We want to hear your response to those draft recommendations get your feedback And then come to you with final recommendations sometime in the next Next month or so and try to implement some of the things that we've talked about so with that I'll turn it over to Lisa Good evening. Thank you so much for having us here tonight. Thank you to the board selectman to the town manager and to the town and the Transportation Advisory Committee and we have done a lot of work on this parking study parking is tricky. It's personal. It's political But we we tried to make sense of a lot of information and distill it down here So that's what we'll talk about tonight what our process was for this study what the goals are for the study What our key findings are what what do we really hear and then our draft Strategies to hear from you all tonight and what you think are we headed in the right direction and what can we tweak and tinker with to Make it even stronger The process we started back in the fall. We did a lot of data analysis and real heavy data work I'm looking at the parking supply the number of parking spaces in Arlington Center and also the parking demand How many cars are parked in all of those parking spaces? We mapped them. We did a lot of this Excel raw data analysis work And we also looked at the pedestrian connections and some of the multimodal connections knowing that you don't just come to the You don't just drive to the center. We have t-axis of course great bike amenities and also pedestrian amenities To supplement all that hard data we talked to a lot of people We had over a thousand responses for the online survey that is phenomenal for a community of the size to hear from so Many people will go through some of those responses We also got several emailed resident comments and we had in January and early January an open forum Just downstairs. We heard from a great cross-section of residents employees Customers etc. We moved into phase two of the project right after the open forum where we started developing Strategies and looking at some best practices and forming some some Initial recommendations we when we formed those initial recommendations. We had a meeting specifically for the merchant community We had about 30 or 35 merchants come out early in the morning to hear all about parking for two hours We had great participation and then the following week We had a public meeting again downstairs where we presented these draft strategies and recommendations to hear directly from the public to hear The concerns after those two meetings We refined it a little bit and we put it into a draft document which you have here and and I'm going to present a summary of That tonight Yeah, about 35 or so Yeah, it was no great question Why are we here? Why are we doing this the town asked us to really take a deep look at evaluating the parking supply and demand Look at the different user this different preferences among different user groups throughout different times the day and day of week And come up with a suite of alternatives just one tinker is not going to solve the parking problem We need a suite of strategies here We went there a public process and of course we want to keep in mind that this should be a financially sustainable type of parking plan Our goals for the project are many First and foremost providing convenient and available parking for customers and clients. We want the the center to be Economic Have great businesses here. We want the business to thrive parking is an important piece of that equation We also need employees to find parking as they work at these businesses Improving signage regulations and information so people it's clear Well communicated people know where they want to go where they can be so they're not scared of getting that ticket And note of very important here investing in new technology making it really convenient and easy for people to use Just a quick note on the study area the white boundary is the initial study area that the town developed and collected Inventory and utilization data we wanted to expand that study area just a bit to really capture not just the heart of the activity But those few blocks right around it to see any spillover effects and what was going on in those adjacent blocks And I'm just going to jump right into really what we found First our first Finding was we went we spent some time in the field on the ground and collected We all of the parking inventory information, so this includes everything in the study area can see Massa running through Mystic Street. This is about 1700 spaces all of the colors on this maps are on this map is are all different Regulations as a when you're pulling up when you're driving here. It's confusing. There's a lot going on here There's a lot of different little segments and little parking lots, and it can be somewhat daunting But 1700 spaces are what exists today in Arlington Center The first key finding is that the current system is broken And it's broken because on Mass Ave today There's a mix of one and two hour regulations and what these one and two hour regulations are saying to a customer when they arrive in Arlington Center is saying thank you for coming. We'd love to have your business, but please don't stay for more than an hour or two This is not a very customer friendly policy Especially if you want folks to be able to have lunch and do some window shopping and pay their taxes and be on their way Often not enough time this one and two hours Some on-street regulations are not enforced There's some signs up saying no parking here But people park all day every day and those are not enforced really want to clean this up and have what's on the books What's on the street and what people do all in sync with each other? There's also some inconsistent signage is this from eight to six is this three hours is this permit parking? It's confusing When people need to know and feel comfortable when they're leaving their car that they're not going to get a ticket So or it's not or not get towed and then the kiosks back in the Russell comments letter They're unreliable. They're a bit difficult to use We've really found that people all across all the parking studies have done most people really don't mind paying a little bit If it's convenient and it's easy and it's fast and it's simple and they can just just dip their card in Another key finding are that customers and employees are frustrated with the system And when we asked people in the online survey, why do you come to Arlington Center? They say well, it's convenient to my home and I want to support local business Great, but when we asked them why don't you come here more often? They say that parking is inconvenient and that's really why we're here today is to to really try and get that one off the list When we asked folks, how long does it take you to find a parking space once you arrive on average or saying about five minutes? Whether actually takes five minutes or if this is perceived took me five minutes to find a spot It doesn't really matter. It's saying people are frustrated with the system It's taking a while to find a parking parking place But what they also told us in the survey is that customers employees and residents when they come to Arlington Center They're actually parking quite close to their destination Customers and employees about two out of three are parking within one block of where they want to go most importantly on the online survey employees reported that About half of them park on street when they come to work They part they're telling us on the server They're parking on Mass Ave and on Bedford Street whether they're rubbing the chalk off from their tire or Shuffling their car around employees. They're telling us and we've been observing that they are taking up valuable customer spaces And to park longer than three hours here You can park for three hours in the Russell common lot in the railroad that puts a park for longer than three hours You do need a permit in public parking areas There are a lot of private parking areas about 30% of the off-street parking is private says customer only it says resident only This is a lot of opportunity for some longer term parking The demand here is also unbalanced the way the regulations are set up There's some some very high pockets of activity and some lower pockets of activity the color scale on the bottom left The green is saying this is just about where we want to be there's some activity here But we're not too full once we get into the pinks and the reds it's saying whoa We have a problem here and if you look along Mass Ave all those on-street segments Those are all of our pinks and our greens This is saying it is really hard to find a space on Mass Ave That most of the lots have a little bit of availability. This is Thursday by the way and observed Thursday at 1 in the afternoon When we observed the same area on Thursday at 7 p.m There's actually an event going on at Arlington Catholic that night She gave us a good idea what happens on a event where there's an evening when there's an event here Which is often in the back of the Russell common lot is full. It's nearly impossible to find a parking space on street So this is that same data with This is on a Thursday from 8 in the morning really until 8 p.m The blue bars and the number of cars parked in Arlington Center in the beige Are the empty spaces so throughout the day in total of these about 700 spaces that were counted the spaces are about 70% full So there is some capacity here There's not a ton when there's an event at night a little bit less capacity But when we break that out looking at the on-street spaces and the off-street spaces We can see a clear pattern here that there's a lot more availability Off-street than on-street and I'll get to the punchline now that the on-street spaces are free and the off-street Paces spaces you are paying for them people are clearly self-selecting and circling around to to get in those free spaces In the back of the Russell commons lot where the permit permits area are want to really recognize that when there are events here This gets very full. There's there's no availability in the evening And this isn't just for Arlington Catholic But with the theater and other farmers market other events that happen. It gets really full back there The use of curbside space today is inefficient We have a limited amount of curbside space. This is your most valuable parking assets Today we have multiple taxi stands We've heard throughout the public process that these taxi stands are not well utilized that taxes often do not pick you up They're taking their lunch etc a great Sorry, there's three there three there. They might be taking passengers, but we heard time and time again that They were not picking up passengers There's another one or two around the corner exactly right around the corner. Yeah, yeah for a total taxi stands here Bus buses are a great thing to have in Arlington Center But where these buses are laying over where they're idling at this Plaza right at Broadway Probably not the best place for that pedestrian environment and to create some outdoor activity here and We need to really think about the best uses for this very valuable curbside space. Could it be bike parking? Could it be a parklet? Should it be more vehicular parking? but we really want to think about what's best for local business and really think creatively about using this limited curbside space and The last key finding is our connectivity connectivity needs a bit of improvement Every time somebody parks and gets out of their car. They're a pedestrian They need to use a sidewalk infrastructure the crosswalks and be able to get around Some of the walking connections here certainly needs some improvement After you get out of your car in a lot often a little bit daunting and not much infrastructure to support you walking around At night and this is taking with a flash It's dark and if you're a restaurant employee You may not want to park in the back when you're leaving at midnight with a bunch of cash in your pocket You might want to park on street because the pedestrian connections and the lighting are not really supportive So in summary of the current system is broken. We're telling customers to get out of here after a few hours Customers and employees are generally frustrated with the way the system has is is keeping up It's kind of made for that nine to five employee in Arlington Center is certainly changed The demand is unbalanced as some areas that are really really high demand others that are have have smaller activity The use of curbside space is is inefficient And we need to really think carefully about that valuable curbside space And some of our connectivity is particularly our pedestrian connections could use some improvements So on to the strategies So again our project goals Really creating availability for customers making the system work for the users of the system And I'm going to go through these one by one. I'll introduce them first Establishing clear priorities for regulations Why regulate parking with one or two or four or five hours? Really think about why we're creating the regulations and what they are set up to achieve We recommend flipping the pricing so right now our on-street Mass av Medford street Broadway parking is free our off-street lots cost some money We recommend really flipping that and making the on-street Parking costs more money than the off-street parking We also recommend creating additional long-term parking opportunities for part-time employees and full-time employees So you just don't have to buy a permit to be able to stay for the day or stay for more than three hours And the system needs to be supported with smart technology Great information both printed on the street and on the web And some good signage And there's a whole host of supporting elements that I'll walk through as well Establishing a clear priorities for regulations. The first is adopting a parking availability goal What we're really trying to achieve here is some available parking spaces on street and in the lots Not to charge three dollars an hour or 50 cents an hour, but having some availability So we recommend that the town adopts a goal of about one one empty space for about every seven spaces That's kind of the the national average. It's it's full here. There's stuff going on But I can still find a parking space and that would take some evaluation and monitoring We also recommend that the regulations are set up to achieve town goals Whether it's the upcoming master plan goals, whether it's supporting Local businesses supporting multimodal access not just parking and also being fiscally responsible with how the regulations are constructed Another is adopting a customer first policy and there's many ways to do this One is eliminating or extending some of the time limits we have today Another is having first 15 minutes free. I'm pulling up to mass av I'm going to grab a slice of pizza or go to the ATM not worry about putting money in the meter But just be able to be quick in and out Another is having a smart enforcement policy where it's less Ticket ticket ticket and and just having a one leeway just one get out of jail free car Just a good customer policy particularly for for this folks that aren't familiar with the area It's coming into town months or twice a year and we're seeing with the at the enforcement revenue that there's like $340,000 is coming from meter violations or violation traffic violations in in 70 per $70,000 coming from parking Meter revenue so a lot more is coming from violations in the actual revenue if we flip that Folks honestly don't mind paying that rather pay an extra dollar or two rather than risk getting a ticket I'm sorry. What did first ticket free me? First ticket free is your first ticket say of the calendar year would be free So if you would be ticket forgiveness, so Yep, you get a parking ticket. You stayed five minutes later your first one of the years Just a customer first policy The second strategy is flipping pricing So this is a map we a place to start It is it is quite detailed in a sense, but I'm looking for Wanted to explain the general concept of pricing mass av broadway medford street, etc potentially starting at a dollar an hour To help create that type of availability really get those Employees off the street into some of the lots and still keeping the pricing the same it is today off street at 50 cents an hour and The variety of side streets around the center have a whole host of regulations Including one into our parking and we're thinking of extending that to four-hour parking to allow a little bit of a longer stay A couple other changes here it would be to Extend the on-street time limits from one in two hours to four hours So letting folks have lunch do run a couple errands and then and then take off and also for off-street parking Extending that three-hour time limit and making it unlimited so people can pay to stay Um and the meter spans as well today. They go from eight to six We're not seeing a lot of demand at eight in the morning the the pricing and the span of enforcement should match Demand there's no reason to price if there's not enough demand There's no reason to a force if there's not a lot of demand so instead of going from eight to six We're recommending on-street going from 10 to eight and off-street going from 10 to four really after four o'clock unless there's an event There's not so much going on off-street and another good incentive for evening employees to park off-street because it's free after four Another strategy is creating additional long-term parking opportunities. There's a lot. There's about 300 spaces here that are privately owned And there's some potential here to share some of these privately owned parking areas Some might be during the day. Some might be at night. Some might be just during events And we haven't looked into all the details, but there are some ideas of how to Share some of these private parking facilities. It's been doing been It's happening in other communities We're working with lexington right now They have a couple of great lease agreements with churches with banks To utilize these underutilized parking spaces particularly either during the day or at night whenever those parking areas are not being used Updating our the permit program is another strategy to help create long-term parking opportunities Instead of selling so many permits in the rustle commons lot With having no time limits there we expect fewer people will buy permits and more just may pay especially if they're just a part-time employee Um, we are allowing long would like to allow longer term parking in some of these off-street Spaces and keeping the current permit price as it is today And then again a lot of these spaces these permit spaces would again be open up for the public after 4 p.m This system would would never work without good technology technology that's reliable It's easy to understand that takes credit cards and coins That is compatible with pay-by-sell So if you've parked in the lot now you can pay with your cell phone You're sitting at lunch and you get a text saying hey your meter's up in 10 minutes And then you can just extend it on your phone are really a customer-focused way to to handle things Of course, we want this to be compatible with the enforcement handhelds So all the data to monitor and evaluate this program is actually quite easy. It's all through this technology To start we would recommend At the top the single space smart meter. So every parking space does have an individual meter head Really convenient. You don't have to walk Especially when the weather is bad and then looking at something like a pay-by-space system in the lot Which means that every space is numbered if you're parked in the back of the lot You kind of walk and hit one of these kiosks on your way out dip your credit card type in In space 106 and then you're on your way There's lots of different technology out here. We think this would be a nice place to start Along with technology having great signage and information is really important Signage and information before you arrive the Arlington center business community is a really small version of a postcard They've been working on at the top that could be expanded it can go online It could be clickable so you can click and get more information about each business It's great information if you haven't been here before Or to learn something new Information for cars when you are approaching the center, where do I go? Where do I enter this lot? So increasing where the signage is placed as a so you can see it as a driver And then also once you're out of your car, where do I go? How do I get back to that lot having pedestrian scale signage to know what destinations are in town But also how to get back to those parking areas And a few supporting elements Multimodal improvements really dovetailing off that the great presentation from the 128 business council Of course, there's a there's a lot of cyclists coming through here There's a lot of people taking the tea that you're already working on some great improvements in the center adding some more bike racks potentially adding an on-street bike corral and these pink arrows are Indicating where some of those pedestrian improvements would make a really big difference We also have some recommendations about some of the bus layover on-street areas how they can be shifted a bit to make Make that plaza a bit more livable Another supporting element is overseeing a parking program like this a smart mark parking management program We feel strongly that the town needs a parking champion So one that's going to get really excited about these parking efforts and really lead particularly in the monitoring Implementation monitoring and evaluation of a program like this This could be with a parking management Committee comprised not just of town staff but those that are really bought into a smart parking management system Some representatives from the merchant community And others in this committee will report directly to The tech and work with the parking clerk and with you all to really report and how this parking management program Could work or is working A few other supporting elements Events are really important here And that brings in a lot of people and want those people to have a really good experience We don't want them to leave Arlington center and say I saw a great show, but I got a ticket Well, we wanted to really work for them So thinking smart about when we have periods of peak demand Where we can use some private lots or lease some facilities to have that overflow parking Another is a parking benefit district Many communities are exploring this now. What this means is taking all of the revenues from the parking system Putting them potentially into a separate fund paying the Enforcement guys and the meter technology fees and those credit card fees and using the rest of that money To invest in those types of improvements. I was talking about pedestrian improvements Bicycle improvements are restriping whatever it may be. So really not going into the general fund But rededicating that money into the center Again, a lot of shared parking opportunities to some of these private lots, particularly after hours And there's also some opportunities again with some some money in the pot to redesign some of the lots To slow down cars a little bit in the lots and potentially restripe and maximize some of the supply there In the last is a transportation demand management program is really what those guys from the 128 business council We're alluding to not everybody drives here But having really good solid choices and options for people to get here and potentially even incentive programs So a T pass for town employees or one of the larger businesses in town to really encourage people That there's options here. You don't have to drive and you can get here other ways So everything I just spoke very quickly about is on this map, which is also in your packets And our next steps from here are our hearing from all of you And really trying to finalize this parking management plan And and eventually get it hopefully adopted for implementation So I thank you for your time Thank you Thank you very much for that presentation. That was great. Um, I'm sure we have some comments So excellent work if we did it all what would it cost? Is that if you did it all including all the pedestrian And honestly, I don't know the answer that because we didn't cost out some of those pedestrian improvements The short answer on the technology side is it costs less than you think? Um, because a lot of companies will lease you the equipment as opposed to you purchasing it And they'll just take a slightly larger cut of what those fees are to do it There are quite a number of parking technology companies that really want to you know I want to give you the equipment and they want to have a long-term relationship with you I guarantee you that you know if there's an article that goes out in the paper That says Arlington looking to purchase new meters Somebody here is going to start getting calls in the next couple of weeks from these companies I will say I actually already did So the short answer is it it costs less than you think I would say that the individual meters that we're suggesting from mass av Cost a little bit more because you have to put the poles in and they're all separate equipment But the reason that the committee is recommending those at this point Is that there's so many smaller parking areas? That it's a lot harder to you end up having to put almost as many kiosks out there So a meter is less expensive than the kiosks But um You know the multitude of them that you have to put out there would ultimately raise the cost a little bit I'm amazed at this be having lunch On my third drink of trist and myself my cell phone rings to tell me I saw you get really Appreciative of that I was referring to diacopes that my cell phone would ring and say your meter is going to run out in 10 That's phenomenal to me But so uh lisa you talked about event parking plans, right? So You've been There during the farmers market have you right in the russell lot right and we've gone to allowing permit permits is that But or for example town day when we have to close streets and stuff What does this mean? You know What does this mean change parking regulations for that day to make a better event? During during events to accommodate a lot of people some changes should be made It can be as simple as some sandwich talking with a landowner and getting some sandwich boards put outside St. Agnes or whatever other private lots during that particular event Time of day and day of week and time of year can be utilized for public parking These types of lease agreements really range in variety from from pretty simple, you know Just during the farmers market We're going to do this to a longer term lease agreement a real legal document That has has a lot more detail in it. But these are happening all over the place the usps and verizon and Agencies that you would never expect but share parking and have public parking after hours banks churches It's happening all over the country and it's a great use of Parking assets that exist but are being underutilized So when the system is really put under a big crunch during the farmers market or an event at the theater Thinking smartly about expanding the parking supply with really good signage and information, etc Would go would go ways of real ways here And I would add and it's doing it on a regular basis. So You know As an example, you know, we have to activate event plan a because There's there's a full, you know, there's a two week run of a show at the theater And we know it's going to be full for two weeks so that there's certain lots that we want to open up And what that really allows you to do is not just that you have that extra availability But you can do the advertisement for that availability so that it goes out what the notice is for that event Right, you know, Cory can set up the signs in advance and tell us folks how to do that I mean, it's it's it's all of those things working together Make sense I just have one more Because they'll all ask the intelligent questions When all the time you referred to employees customers and employees, right? The employees includes business owners, I assume right that that's one category Correct the way we did that real quick is and all those survey responses people self identify at the beginnings We could kind of parse out the information you identified yourself that you shop here down here versus that you work Worker own a business. Thank you You know I have about half a dozen questions So could I defer because I have a feeling perhaps some of my colleagues in this year and then I won't have to I feel like I always get first pass. I didn't ask any of your questions. Oh, I had I had 15 So I'll defer Well, thank you. I mean, I've had the good fortune to attend all three of your your presentations and and I think that After hearing the concerns of the public and the merchants brought I think that you've done an excellent job Of really, um, you know digesting the situation and incorporating the concerns that were brought in here I mean some things that I think that that we've just taken for granted going along is Of course parking regulations are eight to six But when you step back and really take a look For so many of the businesses that those aren't the operating hours I mean so many of them are opening at 10 And we do have some that are early morning early morning openers and we have to take that into consideration But I think just a change like that to to match the actual use is very important I like the demand management approach of making the more valuable parking more expensive and and making less onerous in the back and giving Employees and business owners who are here, you know throughout the week a choice now Whether they want to participate in the permit program Or particularly the part timers are only here a couple times A week it makes more sense for them to just be able to just pay as they go and there are no time limits Um, I am wondering how would that system work in those cases where there are um, you know employees You know or or students or or teachers or others Who do get into the center before 10 when the the meters are in effect in the lots Let's say they wanted to use the lots Would these systems typically operate where they would have to go back At 10 o'clock to to feed them or they would be able to pre feed them and i'm going to have a follow on Regardless of your answer It does depend on the meter technology as we've seen what's out there today Uh, well technology has improved a lot from what you have today And it does some technologies do allow for you to at 8 a.m You can pay for two hours in that last year till noon if that makes sense. Yeah Yeah, okay, great I mean, I I think that that's important because I'll even Without revealing where let's just say one of my children takes a class in the center right now at One of the establishments and sometimes I'll go to pick her up And I see the teacher walking down the street. I was like, whoa, am I late picking them up? Well, they have to go feed the meter and and I think that this this really addresses this Very well, but I think one of the questions that you're going to get is what is to prevent The commuters I'm coming in and and just leaving the car all day long and and skipping out of Arlington Especially if we do a great job in a multimodal improvements if if they're paying to stay if they know that they can pay and and Park here all day and jump on the bus and come into town go into town And then and then come back and stop and pick up dinner and get back in the car and go home That that to us is an acceptable use of the public parking here Um Yeah, and that's something I think we wanted to say the short answer is nothing Okay, except the price. Yeah, sure sure and the last thing I would say is is you know My my colleagues are sick of hearing we say this but I do meet regularly with the merchants in the center and we kind of did a A postmortem after the last Public meeting and I think one of the concepts that you laid out here that people were very interested in um was the um The parking benefit district and that's because there's so many great ideas about Wayfinding such that I hear from the merchants that people can't find our business We even we approved one when ted fields came in a couple a couple of months ago We came in with a sign for the mystic street shops But then finding the sources of funding to actually put those ideas into action Is always difficult and I think that this provides Potentially a way to fund some of the wayfinding and the business district improvements that benefit Those who are using the parking and then feeding the meters they derive a direct benefit as to as to the businesses there So I'd be very interested in finding out more about what the experience has been in other communities around that Thank you The experience has been very positive. I mean we spared you examples of other places that have implemented programs like this We certainly have made those available and can continue to One of the best things and you're absolutely right about the parking benefit district Is it also sort of takes the sting away? From thinking that you're charging Just to raise revenue you're charging to create availability on the street And revenue is a byproduct of that and the more that gets reinvested Back in the town center, you know what Communities that have done this have found is it's really been to the benefit of the businesses and the buy-in from the businesses Because they have a say in how that money gets reinvested in the center is just it's just enormous and continues over time And the things you can spend it on are almost limitless You know, you you certainly spend it on the technology on pedestrian improvements on the signage On special events on helping to Broke or some of those agreements for event management or anything like that, you know, it becomes this this resource That's available for all the other things you're trying to accomplish Thank you. Thank you. Mr. John Uh three questions, uh, I guess one first is like you mentioned lexington And the work you're doing there. I know you're being paid only once by us and once by them But at the same time, how much can we learn from what their study is saying? Where are you in that process and how much does it apply to lexington? In particular is is a funny case, but we're working on these I don't know half dozen of these parking studies all around the country right now And begging borrowing stealing from other communities certainly happens Concord for example has a 12 minute free button on their meters And that's something we're working with them on on upgrading their antiquated meters So you got to keep that 12 minute free button. So learning things from other communities Happens all the time and packaging them Correctly and in different ways for different communities. It needs to be tailored and work here lexington They have more complicated management problems or issues and challenges and particularly the shared parking opportunities Is something that is is top of their list How can we utilize some of these side streets for longer term apartment parking and how can we work with a lot of Churches and private entities to utilize some of their parking because they're really seeing a big parking crunch Okay, and you may have actually just answered my second question, which was I didn't The 15 minute free how that works by a button like I'm not again It depends it does depend on the meter technology You had something you recommended up there. So I'm assuming it matches that On the individual meters it can work that there's literally a button that you push that gives you the first 15 minutes free Yeah, so if you're thinking about somebody who really is just stopping and going to the atm They don't have to take any money out Otherwise you can hit that and then start putting your money in a bill So you'll pay for the you'll pay a dollar. You'll get an hour and 15 minutes for that. Okay. All right Um, my last one's probably as much common as it is question. But so under any recommendations you Pretty clearly and you emphasize that implementing one strategy without another will not likely have the same impact without implementing together And I definitely understand why there's a package here that makes sense And I'll tell you that the first four for me the clear priorities of regulation flip pricing create additional long-term parking an aid system of technology signage information Um, I'm pretty you've made a very compelling case for all four of those And so I now the the supporting elements is where they're less defined and frankly, I would get a little bit Um, I'm not as convinced on some of them and so I'm very curious I guess probably I just want to defer this maybe for your for your next report But how many of those supporting elements really are key? And um in in what ways so like event plan totally by that one It's funny that you brought it up joe, but the um The parking benefit district is one that I actually I'm struggling with and part of it is because I have a hard time mapping what the because one of the recommendations In particular you emphasize more in march than you did today and maybe that's because it went away Or maybe it just hasn't come through Well, you said we're going to change the park We should change the price on our parking such that we get to our goal Which is one out of seven if we're changing the price in our parking Then we don't know how much our revenue is going to be and if we don't know how much our revenue is going to be We don't know whether the parking district how much it can pay for itself So there's part so maybe it's I just need to know more about it. So I'm You don't have to answer this now, but I'm curious how many of the supporting elements you really think are Make and break in this package that what you're talking about And it's a really good question because that there's a we can do 40 slides on any one of these individual things I think one of the important things To think about is that the supporting elements, especially Can be implemented over time, right? I think it would be absolutely Responsible of the town if you said we like the idea of the parking benefit district and it's going to be Revenues over a certain point or you know after we've paid for The new technology and the new investment that we've made That when there is spill, you know when there's spill over dollars that those could become available I think those sorts of questions are absolutely things that you should be thinking of the governance structure is the same thing The first thing you should do is not the governance structure The first thing you should do is really start digging in on the first four recommendations that we talked about But over time How do you manage that you want to get past the point where This group has to meet every time you want to change a parking sign or you want to raise the rate to a dollar 10 Or something like that You want the committee to be able to have those conversations and not have to do that here So those are things that you sort of build Transportation demand management is another one you're working with the 128 business council In the longer term, that's absolutely the kind of thing you want to get to you want to One of the ways to get additional parking is to get less people to drive and more people to do something else So that's those are things you want to work on over time the lot redesigns Again, uh, some of the multimodal improvements. I think it's helpful to prioritize them You're already working to improve the main intersection here in the center. That's something that's going to happen soon I think and and and we all collectively think Some of the pathways to the garages, especially to the russell commons lot from from medford street Absolutely should be one of the first things you do does that mean you can build it tomorrow? No, but you can start identifying what those improvements will look like and what the funds are for that Okay, I mean so these things They're all supportive. They're not they're very helpful and they'll build over time But I would think about those in those ways. Thank you I'll say thank you. Thanks Well, you know, I think that I share a lot of the same concerns as my colleagues. Um One have I didn't hear it throughout the study was dedicated employee parking when we're talking about dedicated spots Is that something that you know, you promote or you're against or what are your thoughts on it? So today we have dedicated permit employee parking in the back of the russell commons lot We recommend that having employee parking and dedicated employee parking in the back of the lot continues to make sense What we expect is that the number of permits in that area needed in the lot Would be able to shrink and kind of shift and keep it to the back Where but in the front of the lot in the entire lot any employee could purchase You know a pass or ticket for the day Pay to stay for the day at 50 cents an hour or whatever it is in the end to be able to park when they are there So keeping some dedicated employee parking certainly makes sense Monitoring it over time and seeing what happens would be a good idea But we think keeping that permit program in place for now Now, but did you and correct me if I'm wrong. Did you mention that a lot of the employees tend to park on the street? How would we go about reversing that to get them to go into the firm? Yeah, there's a couple of ways first Just increasing up price on street that is more expensive Then the off street parking is a huge motivator If someone's coming here five days a week or even four days a week a part-time employee that A dollar an hour versus a 50 cents an hour in the lot Really adds up over time people are going to do that math and figure out and self select where they should be going Employees right now unless they buy a permit They can't park in the russell commons lot because it's only three-hour parking And it costs them money. So that's why they're parking on street and doing the shuffle and doing whatever they do. So Adding pricing on mass av Evaluating this data. I mean i'm already getting excited about thinking about the data that it's going to really see the impact Because I really do think you're going to see an immediate change in increase of available spaces on mass av It's going to be a huge motivator for employees to self-select get off the streets and into some of these lots Thank you The other thing about the parking lot is when we're talking about firms as well Arlington catholic comes into the conversation, of course and um I I didn't actually go to Arlington catholic, but I we have a really good relationship them with the town And I I don't want to I think that You know, they could use that holes a lot if we let them and We don't but I don't want to see spots taken away from the school I think that the students really need them and I would argue that the Neighborhood Surrounding the school would agree with that because if you drive down there in the morning, say, you know all around Regardless, um, you know, and that's just a personal feeling if there's data, you know, it's shown me otherwise I could I may potentially reconsider, but that's on the Front of this that's kind of my initial gut reaction Um and that being said I um The only thing I wouldn't I guess the other thing is that with the actual If we do tend to go through with meters I really hope that they're not just ones that take quarters Fishing around for quarters is I feel like I've spent days off my life doing that in my car So I would appreciate um going for a different route Now all meters should take credit cards and not the meter cards that you have to sell especially Have them take the credit cards. It's so much easier It's the convenience factors which drives people crazy. Just as you're saying And plenty of places they're charging way more than a dollar and people are happily paying Because they don't have to find 12 quarters. You just put your card in and and you're able to do that If I can for a moment just address your question about Arlington Catholic Please do we did talk to the folks at Arlington Catholic. I believe they buy 50 permits today From the town I'm going to trust Marie over anybody I trust her just about everything so I recommend it And that's one of the reasons why we're not recommending completely eliminating the permit program because there are others that are like that But for some of those folks and some and you know, you may have other people students even that are purchasing those permits If you think about the choice that you make Once you've purchased a permit you have this feeling that I've already invested in this space for the month And now I'm going to drive every day because I've already done that I'm making those choices visible if some of those people some days Don't drive but take their bike or carpool or do something else Now you're freeing those spaces up for somebody else to use and One of the things we're typically saying across all modes is you want to make The cost of your choice visible to the person who's making that choice So if every day I have to spend Two or three dollars to do it even if it adds up to $50 a month, which is what the permit costs But I'm making that choice every day instead of once a month. There are going to be days where I don't do that Right. So that's part of it. So you want to have that opportunity for some of those folks and I guarantee some people Will not buy the permit and they'll drive three days a week or four days a week instead of five days a week Do you think that Conversely more people knowing that they don't have a permit and can risk it would Go and try to get there earlier and then cause more individuals to come in No, I mean, it's it's you'll still have the whole system You'll still need enforcement to back up the rules that you said in place One of the things that'll happen is the rules will be a lot clearer You look at the regulation and you saw some of the signs that are out there and actually I think there are worse ones um Here in Arlington center It's very much a stick approach right now And what the whole program is really recommending is to switch to more of a carrot approach You want to clearly show people here's what you can do. Here's where you can park It's going to cost you but and by the way, there's going to be free spaces that are a couple of blocks further away Whether they're on some of the other streets or they're in private lots that we've been able to make some agreement on So you'll actually open up more spaces So people who even don't want to pay at all will have a place to go right now There's very few places where you can go so The people that are here every day have figured out how to game the system They know when courier's people are out there. They know what time he does his shifts You know, they're they're moving their cars around what you want to do is find a situation where Here's where you can park. I'm telling you I want you to park in this place It's going to cost you this or it's going to cost you nothing over here And you can stay here for two hours for four hours for eight hours and you'll be fine Right, you still need enforcement to back that up You still need to make sure it's happening appropriately. You still need to enforce public safety violations But you want the whole system working together That's really what we mean when we talk about the supporting elements that we were right on those four things If all we did was price massive and didn't do anything else We're not accomplishing as much as we think we would you need all of those other pieces in place Thank you Diane if you don't mind can I just one thing comment and I did go to alton catholic But what I've always felt is that they should not have those first spaces as you entered the lot I feel you know those to me They're kids let them walk, you know I certainly didn't drive to school or have a parking space When I was in school walking barefoot through the snow, you know But you know what I mean it it's moved those spaces down and away and if we improve the entrance there It's the closest to the reach in theater, although that's not often affected by the school day I recognize that but the people coming in and wanting to walk up to the center That's the closest point in the center And I'm I just can't help but my father sat here and they discussed Do you know the apartment houses along the back of the russell common lot? The town almost bought those and tore them down So that they could build stores facing this way to the russell common lot And I can't help thinking today how things would be so different because it is Visitors to town. It's a maze to find their way into that park That's your gateway and I live in medford. I come in all the time. Yeah, and that's the gateway And that's the first thing but I I think they should have the permits I just wish we'd move them let them walk a little bit instead of you know others who want to shop and stuff. Sorry How many of your questions have been asked Well the first one which I think will help us because of And I just want to make make sure it's my understanding that you know you're coming here tonight We're not adopting or approving everything cut blanche Soup to nuts of what's before us because I do have some questions Comments and concerns and I think three of them also through the chair would also involve the tail manager So I think what you're going to ask us tonight is to receive this and say god bless go forth continue but come back So I'm sorry and in the spirit of that if I could just sort of just pose these questions and concerns to you all If there's something real quick and you're like, oh, that's that's an easy answer I can give it to you but recognizing we're going to be meeting again. That's fine Lord, uh, okay, um just to put it on the table in terms of The parking meter meters of the pay stations. Um, just knowing what's down in the municipal lot now In terms of disabled seniors or any other Issued to take into concern around that. I know when I go down the municipal parking lot I'm still too short at five six on three of them I have to get up on the curb as well as I know individuals and wheelchairs and I know you're going to address that and provide options on that the Other thing is the private lots That you were talking about going out to Verizon and others like that am I to understand that the town Through its parking revenues would pay that a partnership with businesses It can work both ways So the town could help broker agreements to open up more more public parking The town could could aid and help give examples that we're happy to provide to say Here you go bank and here you go restaurant You guys should talk and see if you can share some parking in the evening or during the day or what have you So can work it in a few different ways because I would lean more towards the special event parking that the businesses that will Benefit from it versus the town taking on the majority of the cost The other thing that you can define in the future because I see possibly some either competing interests or Who makes the cut and who doesn't defining the event criteria in terms of what event is it? I don't want a business to say you know what that thing's traditionally just for two or three different uses And it's not for you know a restaurant that's now staying open to one or something like that As well as and I know you have that group of individuals that I mean perhaps that you proposed in terms of For from the business community. Maybe that's what they also define a criteria when there's competing interests You know because hopefully the success of this will create issues like that and you know, how how do we address that? And I'll just leave that with you Um One of the things that I got concerned about and I would also um through the chair Also leave this with the town manager. What I gleaned from your presentation When you showed the three taxi cabs on mass av was that you May not think that that's a good use of space and to redefine it Which means the taxi cabs would probably go into the municipal lot I have great concerns with that I would like an opinion from the police department from the police chief and I'll tell you what my concern is Number one, we're encouraging events that go beyond midnight As well as we have that ill placed bus stop there But my concern is i'm coming out of Madrona tree or whatever i'm coming out of the region at one o'clock And you pointed out in your pedestrian connectivity and lighting If you're telling me that I have to walk at one o'clock one thirty in the morning down that long dock driveway To try to find a cab when i'm coming out of businesses I mean, maybe if you're coming out of the region, it's not as scary because you're closer to it But I don't want I don't want this Study to be defined I don't want any I wanted to make sure it's everywhere and we're talking broadway plaza And we're talking all the restaurants that are there and we're talking further down So I am not in favor of um, and that's just me one opinion I just want to tell you why i'm not and I would be interested in what the If uh, you don't mind me, um You're mentioning broadway plaza. That's out of the scope of the study though Oh, no, I mean people who might be for some reason staying late at broadway plaza at 12 30 They're coming looking to get a cab whether they're coming out of the I don't know the rest of the fusion taste You know what I mean, I just do you think that just the lighting aspect of the project would Fix that that we spoke about earlier. No only because I know, you know I've taken that long walk this unless there was something in the plan that redesigned that entrance into the municipal parking lot Because you could put lights down there like crazy, but there's still an awful lot of Setbacks and with the apartments on the left and you really I'm just thinking of myself as a woman coming out of a restaurant At one o'clock in the morning I'm not going to feel safe down So I just want to put that before you as well as if the police chief had any And I but you're not recommending we remove all taxi stands. Are you we If there's there's a lot of detail actually even in the report that looks at it So we're recommending moving some of the bus layovers and removing the taxi stands that are on medford street and on mass and Allowing the taxis to wait just as you said in the municipal lot and that's Based on what we've heard and we've asked this has been an issue that's come up throughout this effort And we've asked everyone that we've seen about this issue and i'm definitely open to to hearing other opinions I just don't think that's no, no, no the issue the issue is this We haven't heard that anybody Walks up to the taxi and gets into the taxi in the taxi stands. That may happen. That may happen. I've seen it I've been there, but that's I know someone's saying no, but I understand that some people want those parking spaces on mass I have for one use, but we have to think of you know, we do have taxi cabs We do have to make them available and especially where we're encouraging businesses to stay later and later open at night So they can make a profit We have to make sure and where the tea is staying open later. So that's I'm just I don't want to get into a debate And I know I can see lilyland's really getting But I have to you know, I have to represent of you in a viewpoint The other thing is I was concerned and again for the town manager I'd like to see an evaluation when we were talking about and i'm just going to use my verbiage and I apologize Flipping the fines versus fee for parking I do know that at town meeting a couple years ago I believe is one of the successful candidates on the school committee, but I don't want to quote that individual Town meeting had a very spirited discussion about increasing our traffic enforcement unit And one of the caveats was that it was also increasing revenues in terms of parking down there and one of the I think highlights or benefits that were Sold to town meeting and they adopted was that the traffic enforcement officers Because of the violations and parking enforcement that they would perform Not only pay for the job, but the town would get double if not more Back in revenue. So my question to you would be that if we did adopt that let's flip it the other way What does that mean in terms of the employment? You know, are we going to have to you know decrease the traffic enforcement unit? And I'd like to know that in advance And or if there was some other plan in place because before You know, I know it may only be one or two people, but you know, and that's your job That's like really important. So I'd like to see whatever you think on that And I don't mean to not let you talk. Okay. I'm sorry. I'm just because it's late and I know everybody's So well, of course we'll do that evaluation, but I think to the concept that Lisa and ruff we're talking about is You'd rather have a thousand people pay a dollar than a hundred people pay a ten dollar fine Because they'll be happy paying that dollar to park But a hundred people will be very unhappy paying the ten dollar fine So that that is the strategy not to put words in your mouth, but I think that's kind of the concept of flipping it That's quick math But I think the bigger issue is if you look at the Larger scope of what they're talking about and having specific four-hour free parking in the neighborhoods There's still going to be a great deal of need for parking enforcement officers The need just might be focused in different areas and I just get that more concrete. Absolutely Honestly, one of the selling points at town meeting was that it cost I can't remember forty thousand To for this person, but he or she's going to generate ninety to a hundred and ten under this that's before us I know you're saying that I just want to preclude possibly laying anybody off. So The other thing is I just want to put before when you were talking about lot redesigns Many many years ago when I first got on the board Dave Walkinshaw was chamber of commerce president Bill row and a couple of the other businesses in terms of trying to look to increase parking down there We had um begun to investigate and found that because there was a historic battle down there Samuel Whittemore I think he came out of the tavern and he killed seven people and some and he was killed or whatever I had done some investigation and senator haven also Was beginning the framework to get the state under a federal historic matching grant program that basically Um On the municipal lot, so I just would put it before you all since you're doing this as well as you're in lexington I'm on the lexington list as we all are and following that and I know there's some creative strategies there And it would deal with working with our legislators to apply to that program again and and get the matching funds But it was at the point for plans, but because there was a historic event there we could apply for these federal historic funds And basically what it did was where the municipal lot Goes down as you get to Chestnut Manor It created a green space it basically created a two level garage And it created a green space on the top that you would put the Samuel Whittemore memorial And then you have the Regular so that was a little raised and you had the street parking that was there And then you could put another level below and everything fit So I would just put that before you all in terms of thinking about You know because I was hearing there's no other way and maybe I'm mishearing to increase parking That still may be doable and it's similar to what they do in lexington So if you could just look into that and then My last thing would would just be to The town manager and I'm sure I want to applaud him on you've begun on snow emergencies Implementing a trial program in terms of People can park in the Russell common lot. I would just leave it to you in terms of whatever plans you have in the future To continue expand or whatever and and just to make sure whatever we do and whatever policies we put in place That that still allows you that opportunity to do that and that's it. Thank you. Thank you Kevin well just a couple of things have come up, but I'm curious about Your thoughts we make all Changes in Arlington center and you have certainly convinced me we should what does that mean for the rest of Arlington? in other words Don't we have to do this from the east of the heights? There may be other areas that you would want to consider a similar approach One of the benefits you have in Arlington center is you do have the two municipal lots. They're large So it gives you a little more Flexibility in how you How you manage parking here Um, I tell you I just love this the first 15 minutes free versus Designating 15 minute spaces that nobody pays any attention to And and we removed meters to try to increase business in the center to try and help people Come to the center and park and go into restaurants and and stores and stuff And now we're talking about putting meters back in which I agree with I think by the way especially with modern technology Which will have the same effect Uh You know what I mean the the idea of that flipping the long term into the Russell and on street I don't just there's a lot of stuff to think about here, but I have no idea how to get started One thing we haven't said Uh through this presentation, but we often say is that parking problems are a sign of health Right, if you have a parking, there's too many people that want to be here There's enough activity, you know You took the meters out at some point because you're trying to generate More activity, you've been successful and now you're trying to manage that and that's what you know that Pricing to create availability will help you And to what degree do you think that's because of the leadership of this thousand percent On that note, I was brief and I was brief with nine questions. Mr. Thank you. I just thought of one more thing There was one issue that came up in some of the public meetings that I I did not see addressed here Maybe it was here loading zones And I didn't know if you had thoughts thoughts on that. Um, it was specifically raised that um That some of the taxi stands and bus stops are being used as unofficial loading zones Whether there were thoughts about how to approach that problem And they do operate that way and and even moving some of the bus stops as we're showing You know theoretically that that helps because it's it's spaced that's empty I wouldn't say that you should load there, but it it definitely happens um The plan that we have doesn't specifically address loading zones But there's another level that you have to get to when you're looking at block by block how you implement this How you lay out the meters and and I know there were a couple of places that were identified as hotspots I think we'd want to look at those a little bit because I know I've been to some communities where parking is restricted during a set time period For loading specifically often the best way to deal with loading is to You know, for example Allow that loading to happen. Let's say before 10 a.m. So before those meters actually turn on and you can designate a few spaces for that It doesn't always work with the individual businesses different businesses Have different levels of control about when They're able to take their their deliveries because it's not it's not just specific for them Sure Thank you Um move receipt second second. Thank you very much for all your work, and um, we'll be seeing you again Thank you Those in favor Okay, moving on well You don't want to move on Well, I'm I'm wondering what we're going to do next. I would just kind of drop this completely No, they come Oh, oh, all right. That's what I was saying. You're going to come back again. It's not a cop launch approval. All right. Yeah And I'd like to hear from Howard Next time next time Yeah, about tack and the world tack might play We'll talk Howard. We're moving on uh future border selectman meetings Well, I guess we should say first of all we do have one 414 scheduled And uh next week. Is that the last is that the last do we have a later one in april or no Next one's a 28, which is time to tell me the 20 versus patriots say I think we're inside invited to what Oh So if we can but if we need to meet that night because of for any reason but We'd rather if we cannot meet before that first town meeting So we have to probably at least do the fifth unless that's a big no-no I can't do the fifth but that doesn't make it a big no-no for the rest of you But I'm worried to wait from the 414 all the way to the fifth before a meeting But we have no 21st is the holiday. We can't meet 28th is town meeting So the first time we can meet is May 5th So we have to Yeah, we could do that Well, I'll be here April 3rd, it's wednesday april 30th because we'll be there for town meeting Okay, I mean, I'm definitely open to doing that, but I'm just saying that's just another hour So with the fifth May 5th would only be an hour or two right unless we met at six o'clock on the 30th But again, if you all want to do the fifth it's just I can't but I'm fine with doing the fifth and Just the fifth not the 30th. I don't think We'd need both to you. So here's the though. I'm just talking at thinking a lot. I haven't If we have anything that we need to vote At the last minute before before town meeting Um, I guess the answer is so I guess the answer is we maybe with the answer is we do the fifth But mr. Chairman, you may need to call like something Depending what's going on. I am fine with that. Yeah, excuse me You're always in session during town meetings so that if you had to vote on something mondia wednesday night You have that it's been posted. Yeah Well, that's only if we have to take a vote on something that comes up on town meeting floor If it's board of selection business that doesn't cover that so we may so keep that 30th as a holder and let the chairman Okay, it's discretion. Can I also just suggest that does a calendar? You may want to counter it in advance what you'd have to do for posting for open meeting in terms of Right holding the 30th so if what Why don't we just schedule a meeting on the 30th then for an hour and I think that's the best way and then So we'll cancel if need be seven o'clock on the 30th and the fifth at seven So that's the the we could do This the 12th and 19th Good by me That will let kevin be there and then have the two meetings in may as well I'm sorry. So what days again the 12th and the 19th? Okay I don't have one on the fifth. Oh, you don't have one at the fifth And of course we'll be done by town meeting then Try and Okay, so the 19th and then I'll place my money that the 19th is our last night of town meeting. It's my only that's where I'm putting way So the 19th and then In june is when we get into one meeting Per month We do too in june But we do go to casual dress mr. Chairman with your permission. Well, everyone but you Casually Take my vote back So for june Because the I Can't do the 16th And I would rather avoid the second How about nine and 23? That makes me if it works for Guy Joe nine and 23rd Yep, and then july we go to May I be casual that month mr. Chairman? You may thank you, sir So july I'm I'm unavailable on the 7th and the 14th unavailable I'm unavailable on the 7th and the how about the 21st for everyone Steve um Dolly I have no idea I haven't played my my summer vacation. So I usually go away the third week in july but that it shouldn't rise or fall by me Then what about the 20th? I think that we can be flexible 20 the 28th. Oh 28th Does that work for everyone? Okay. Thank you as far as I know If you if we end up having to move that to the 7 the 14th just in the same sense with Diane can't do the 21st, you know, sorry. I haven't even been looking up that way. I tell you yeah You just speak up if you have any issues And then how about the 25th of august? Just to space them out about not good. I am I'll actually be away about the 18th that week I'll be away for that, but Andrew can be here in my stead It might be worth having Andrew come in for It's monday in august. I think we keep my toes Just ask the town manager. Um, do you have anything planned july august of When we do those meetings that I just So love, um, or we don't we we can forego those this year When we talk about board and goal setting, um, now we're gonna we'll we'll need to we'll need to pick a goal setting And traditionally the july of the august meeting If possible has been that goal setting meeting. So I was just asking you We've done we've done an extra meeting. Yeah, we've done a saturday morning Okay, all right, well then I'll leave I don't know if you want to talk about that now in terms of getting our But or if you want to work, yeah, well, we pick an august and then pick a june saturday. Yeah So did we say the 18th of august sounds good to me does that work for everyone? Yeah, not for adam No, not it's not but I don't do it on my I don't know if we want to go a whole month without seeing you adam What about to 11? It's just awfully soon after the july meeting. Yeah, okay 18th it is Maria you traveling with the boyfriend at all this summer Or you want to use the goals right so yeah, what do we think about a saturday for the goals? Let's nothing in august and june You want to do a saturday in june for the thing image so we go back to our june calendar? Yeah, okay Oh There's a tune normally we do that. I think we did in june the past two years Yeah, okay, but we might have done it in august last year, but I think june the first year What's best for you in terms of getting getting it done in june is probably Okay, so we're looking at a june and saturday. Can we do it in the morning and accelerate it so we're done by 8 to 11 Yeah, without a doubt Yeah, I am completely on board. Um the 21st or 28th were for me I prefer the 28th of those Okay, 28th Well, I have my golf league on saturday, but to sit and talk about adam's goals and objectives You pass up anytime. That is that is shooting birdies for me And what time mr. Chairman the 28th Do you want to Think we need four hours. Is that what it was? Did you say 8 to 11? We have to go a little say 8 to 11 and see how we do. Yeah, we have to go past 11 We're going to work on efficiency. So we yes I'll be go number one. So we'll try to do 10 30. We will score you on that All right, so we're good to go on that. Thanks for bringing that up guys That's just like thank you for bringing that up. Well, you know what? I don't I don't can't get this from the last minute Do we think we don't take a vote on that? Okay, uh moving on correspondence receive, uh laura lie Callig you issues regarding bright view and bill walsh to honor johnnie kelly Move receipt I did Speak with on the correspondence from laura lie Hegel, I'd call you. I did um speak with um rick gallagher Um concerning some of her if I'm remembering this right Does this have to do with the bright view in the skyline and I think she has concerns in there saying Things have been going well because the town has been a partner in it And she was concerned about what recourse she and her neighbors would have afterwards I did speak briefly and forwarded to rick gallagher. Um, but I didn't ask for an official response or anything like that I would ask the town manager The the email I believe was originally sent to rick as well So rick rick rick's fully aware of it working with laura lie a number of these issues were uh brought before the arb last week So they're being dealt with not all of them can be dealt with but I only re-forwarded because he Get so many and he wasn't required as soon as he started he saw that so There will be an answer to that. I'm anticipating what my question would be is that when um The project does close out close out. Does that mean no longer rick gallagher? Oh, absolutely. Yeah, I mean he's He's just I've heard such great things about him. Oh, he's been phenomenal, but Town can't support a liaison in perpetuity Um on the second one the boston marathon. I thought it was a great idea, but I also didn't know I didn't have I didn't have any inspiration about how to implement the idea So I don't know if anyone else on the board does or if there's a place to refer that to I think so do they do they deal with free forum requests like this one? Do you think If them better than any other committee, that's if they want to say no, um, we can readdress it. All right, so I just because so just for people anyone else who might have a thought Um, billy walsh suggested that we honor johnny kelly of the boston marathon fame And maybe there's a square or a track or something that we should name after him And I think that that's a great idea, but I also didn't know what to implement So I'd very personally very much welcome any other input that we have and I um take the chairman's suggestion and refer to the public memorial Committee, please second And I would just like to say that You know johnny kelly after he lived in You know, he grew up in ollington, but in later years he moved on my wife's hometown of denis They have a huge pack named after him down there. So I think it is fitting that we Acknowledge him in some way. Where do you live in ollington? Do you know? I don't know where Good question Yeah, we'll find that we'll find that out. Good question. That's good question. And could I just um through the chair ask mrs. Kruppalka Um, I believe the ollington town day road race is not ollington town day. Is it the boys and girls club? Who runs that event? That's about pock and wreck pock and wreck. Okay. So it does fall into that So we would coordinate with them just so that they're aware and thank you But I I'm sorry. I want to go back to the previous one just for a second to adam Based on the question diana asked which I was going to ask Which is her uh, this uh, lauralyze question once the town issues a final certificate Who is responsible for any problems that may occur have not been resolved. You said we can't keep wick on for A little while longer or whatever. So then who would be Is that all coming to you? Once the project is finished and Arlington 360 is fully operational bright view is fully operational I I guess I could work or other town departments could work to settle a neighborly dispute but as long as they are Within the law within the permits that were issued There's little that can be done So it would be if it's a concom issue if it's if it's a rb issue It's a noise issue. Yeah. Yeah the same people existing by existing bylaws need to be adhered to and maybe this is nothing We can do and and how soon do we think that final permit? Will be how close Weeks months Month to two months maybe sooner We're getting very close. Okay. Thank you I just want to note that there's a couple different layers to what's going on and hence the what issue A neighbor would seek to address. Yeah, there's the um Basically certificate of completion by the ARB Then there's the final certificate of occupancy, which is probably the most important thing in terms of retaining some sort of Leverage in the situation if people are unhappy But then there's also some other things. There's some bonds and other issues that are that exist for the purpose of addressing any issues that maybe seem like they're They're satisfactorily addressed, but maybe aren't for example like the um environmental certification About certain types of things. Yeah. Um, so there are a couple of different things that Address different types of issues that might have slightly different time from Thank you any other questions In the executive session, do we have a you should take a move the vote on the correspondence? Oh Good. Thank you. Do we do we vote on the move? Move a seat and we had a second if not perfect All those in favor. I I'm opposed Um motion the second motion to the public Consider I consider it all done And the motion includes referring that piece of correspondence to the public Okay, no executive session. So Do we have a motion to adjourn? Oh, new business. I am jumping the gun Marie skip new business I have nothing to report Judge nothing to report adam nothing to report I think kevin did the remarks at the outset and pretty much encapsulated and captured everything all the cap words In terms of the other candidates. I do want to say I am very grateful Not only to be returning to office, but honestly to be returning with these folks here When I was out on the campaign trail normally here I'm just worried about me getting in but when people pressed about, you know, what's your time like on the board? I have to say I'm enjoying the best times that I have In my tenure as a selectman. I think where we all meld well And when we disagree We do it respectfully and When we walk out that door, we go back to the business of ollie's and so Is equally thrilled as I am to get reelected Over 6,000 voters. I wish we'd gotten some more I really am happy to be back and and working with you all and I'm very excited about it And that's it for new business. Thank you I'm afraid my list is longer, but it shouldn't be too long. Uh, first I want to I I to thank the voters. I'm I'm really proud of the last three years and I'm really excited to be able to do it another three years And I sat down over the weekend and I made a list of all the things that I have left like and And I've got I seriously I have 18 items that I'm like and I keep adding to it of things Like oh, yeah, I have to file up with that. Oh, yeah, I have to finish that thing. So there's a lot of Stuff going to adam's inbox All right, um item number two Went a couple weeks ago their um district attorney maryon hardy had a presentation over at the senior center Oh, excuse me maryon ryan, excuse me. Uh, sorry, uh, I had a presentation over at the senior center about elderly safety But I thought was really good and very interesting and it was reminded of Um, both some of the challenges that you know, some of the elderly within town have but also some of the resources that they have available And I thought it was a really good presentation and well done Uh, I was very happy to see chief fred ryan there and some of his officers in the support they were giving our community there um Number two also police related I was delighted to see on twitter arlington m. A. P. D. So if you're following me Well, I followed them first so Hey, but they are following me now And uh, three hours ago arlington m. A. P. D. Tweeted follow arlington hhs for the latest on the town of arlington's department of health and human services So I know i'm jumping the gun because uh adam and his office haven't put that out yet But nonetheless, I was really, you know, it's Great, um, step forward and I was really happy to see that Uh, third item is, uh, I got unsolicited Praise from someone who I've described as one of arlington town government's harsher critics about the budget message That the town manager put forward on the town website and um, I So before you went away for your long weekend, you put up the town budget message And so I encourage everyone to go and check it out. It's you know, it's a it's a it's a really powerful document It really talks a lot about what we're doing So, um, it's also a good top bleed in for town meeting, of course Which is coming up But if you want to educate yourself about what we're paying spending and why and all that I mean that document is is really a great one All done secure Nothing no new business are you sure That was the only one I uh, I took my quota last time I I'll be quick. I I just want to thank my colleagues For tonight's vote. I am honored to be in this position and I look forward to working with all of you over the next year That's one two I This isn't very well marketed or but on friday night. I went to The kickstand cafe, which is actually called jam and java on the first friday Of every month and they had a open mic. That was phenomenal So I highly how did you do? I I'm not one I I didn't have the select tones I don't get up to on stage without the select tones, but um one of my college roommates actually played and uh He it was great and um highly recommended checking out. There was a good crowd. Um It's great coffee. Um, it keeps you up. It keeps you up late But it's a good excuse to maybe go to monotony or one of the other restaurants afterwards Um, but that being said, I just wanted to give it a little shout out. Nice. And um, There we go All those in favor