The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About2009-05-05 Board of Selectmen Packet°NofiRTown of Reading _ .f 16 Lowell Street Reading, MA 01867-2685 7NCOSi1~~ FAX: (781) 942-9071 Email: townmanager@ci.reading.ma.us Website: www. readingma.gov MEMORANDUM TO: Board of Selectmen FROM: Peter I. Hechenbleikner DATE: May 1, 2009 RE: Agenda - May 5, 2009 Steve Goldy will have office hours at 6:30 p.m. TOWN MANAGER (781) 942-9043 3a) The Town Accountant will be in with the auditor to review the audit for 2008. Please bring this with you - it's a set of two blue covered white spiral bound books. 3b) Dianne Luther, our Nurse Advocate, will be in to review the status of the Nurse Advocate Program under the Highlights section of the meeting. 3c) As follow up to the Nurse Advocate Program, representatives from Mystic Valley Elder Services will be in to review the Project Safe Program and its progress. 3d) As part of the Munis utility and other billing conversion, the forms and nature of our bills have changed. Treasurer/Collector Nancy Heffeman will be in to review with you the forms and formats of the new bills. This will be part of the education process for the community. 3e) I am recopying to you the status of progress on Town Manager's goals for 2009. These were handed out at the last meeting. 3f) Code of Conduct - This is on the agenda in the event that the Board has any further input. 3g) Correspondence from Congressman Tierney's Office Re: Transportation Projects - I copied this to the Board and you might want to have some discussion because one of the projects listed is the Route 128/I-93 Interchange. 3h) Attached are draft regulations on outdoor sidewalk dining. The proposed regulations are modeled on the Andover regulations. Irene Collins from the Reading/North Reading Chamber of Commerce sent these along to me. I have modified them and tailored them to be in the same format and address local issues related to Reading. I am in the process of getting feedback from staff on the draft regulations and wanted the Board to see an early draft. Reco' 0~ ed to.. C erfifl-Cate b A..ard is -lere y is Certificate a-g Lk -p,krf RI rf roop 10 rd for his B®y Scout arl e ~Sc°ut NNW • the t is the c°ns ve • • of AChlevin, llow scouts laced in fi eco4nltion f e er e the numb ex ~n R • of ,~uidin his ses which ing • e ce o-project 21 bat hou thus lower of Pes Serve tallati°n tion areasi the aluouut °s uitoes and ins recrea nd resucin? control the l • opulated ea, a effort to heavy p oes in the ar use in an 9 Of mosquit forced to us day Of may200ev t the ~o,~rn is ~iveu this 16th ~oard ®f ~eleCtim tha Bly he Reading 2(19 APR 1 5 AM 11: 03 April 2, 2009 Reading Town Manager Peter Hechenbleikner 16 Lowell Street Reading, MA 01867 Dear Mr. Hechenbleikner, am writing this letter on behalf of Patrick J. Gildea, age 18, who will be presented with his Eagle Rank in Boy Scouts of America on Saturday, May 16, 2009 at 5:00pm at the First Congregational Church in Reading, Massachusetts. Patrick is a Life Scout in Boy Scout Troop 704, Reading. I am sure you know that the rank of Eagle is the highest rank in Scouting. Not every boy who joins a Boy Scout troop earns the Eagle Scout rank; only about 4 percent of all Boy Scouts do so. Patrick has lived by the Scout Oath and has shown exemplary leadership and a genuine desire to help both his troop and his community. Another of the many requirements for Eagle Scout was the planning and execution of a service project for his community. Working closely with the Town of Reading Conservation Commission, Patrick was project leader, guiding his fellow scouts in the construction and installation of twenty one bat houses. These bat houses were placed in five heavily populated recreation areas, thus lowering the number of mosquitoes in the area and reducing the amount of pesticide that the town is forced to use in an effort to control the mosquitoes. We in Troop 704 are proud of Patrick's achievements. In addition to the honor of being presented his Eagle rank, I believe a personal message from you, his Governor, would truly make the event memorable. Patrick's future plan is to attend the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, College of Engineering in the fall of 2009, where he will study Civil Engineering. Respectfully, Kenneth Charest Scoutmaster, Troop 704 11 Elliott Street Reading, Massachusetts 01867 L2r-7 q& g C~ a:2-- FINAL DRAFT Town of Readinq GOALS 2009 Development 1 Complete Downtown Streetscape project Excellent pro,cress - at this rate the proiect should be completed ahead of schedule 2 Complete Downtown Parking study, and implement elements that can be implemented on a priority basis Study completed - needs to pet back on the Board of Selectmen agenda for decisions 3 Complete Downtown 40R study and determine how to proceed; and or amend the downtown mixed use regulations Good progress - aimina at a September special Town Meetinq 4 Review sign sections of Zoning bylaw and get the proposed amendments before Town Meeting Good progress - being done by EDC with agreement by CPDC. 5 Develop design standards for South Main Street and get necessary amendments to Zoning bylaw before Town Meeting First chances are on ATM warrant - for reducing setback. Other design standards to be considered after 40R issues for Downtown are completed 6 Complete permitting of AWP site once a completed application for the site is received At a standstill until the economic conditions improve 7 Explore resources available to review and revise the entire Zoning Bylaw No progress to date Finance 1 The overriding issue will be how to manage our budget to implement our highest priority services, programs, and projects in a time of declining resources Excellent budget process to date. Use of reserves for 2009 and 2010 is less than anticipated. Some "cushions" are built into the 2010 budget to allow us to deal with a final State budget when it is adopted. 2 Prepare for potential Federal Stimulus package benefits to Reading resources We were able to submit an initial package to the Lt. Governor's office as requested. The regulations are slow coming out. We continue to be involved on several levels to follow though. Operations 1. Manage next steps in implementation of technology improvements including the MUNIs software and Records Management: • Train users on the intricacies and detail of the new MUNIs software and the volume of information available to the end users. Extensive. and on-aoinq. Transitions to date have been successful 3 Implement Phase 2 of the new financial software. Real Estate, Personal Property and Motor Vehicle Tax Billing will be implemented in the Collectors office. Utility Billing will be implemented in DPW. General Billing will be implemented for Ambulance and Extra Detail Billing in the Public Safety Departments. Utility billing rolls out in June. and tax billing shortly after. I have scheduled the Treasurer/Collector to come in on May 5 to present to the Board of Selectmen and the community the new billing formats and chances. We will be doinq additional public outreach. • Complete parcel renumbering scheme for MUNIs. DONE • Begin first phases of Records Management project Just being started this week in the Town Mana.aers and Clerks offices. and in the RMLD. 2. Implement DPW Management Study: • Hire a replacement Director following the retirement of our current Director DONE • Succession Planning • Address short term vehicle maintenance with contracting • Address long term vehicle maintenance through regional program or adding facility • Address project management through planning and tracking software • Begin pilot Performance Measurement 3. Institutionalize the BCC Chair/Vice Chair training 4. Public Safety • Expand and Improve Public Safety programs i. We participated in the development and implementation of a regional technical rescue team. The Essex County Rescue Team has gone throuah two rounds of training and will complete all training in the fall of 2009 with an operational Goal of Januarv 1. 2010. ii. We are participating in exploring the feasibility of a reaional dispatch center. This process is in the preliminarv stage. iii. Lieutenant Jackson has also become involved in school safety initiatives. He is a member of the NEMLEC (North East Metropolitan Law Enforcement Counsel) Stars Pro,aram. This program is designed to assist school svstems to prepare and respond to a wide variety of threats to the school environment. iv. We are participating in the school safetv Grant program. Captain Marchetti is the Department's representative. v. In an effort to test our plans and workina relationships the Town of Readin.a participated in a Mvstic Regional Emeraencv Planninq Committee functional exercise on Tuesdav, Mav 6. 2008. We had representatives from the Department of Public Works. Police. Schools. Public Health. Fire and Cedar Glen. The exercise was designed and facilitated by a consultant that was paid for by our Homeland Security region (NERAC). At the drill the participants from Readina were reauired to develop logistical plans on how we would transport and shelter approximately 100 people on very short notice. z 3e vi. The police department had used state funded grant monev to augment traffic enforcement programs. These programs are still being assessed, but preliminarily appear to have been effective in reducinq traffic crashes in some areas. vii. Police patrols around the schools at morning and afternoon drop and pick-up times have been instituted and appear to be effective alleviatinq traffic and safety issues. viii. Continuing work on Safe Routes to Schools. all schools are currently, particinatinq to various extents. Expand the level ALS level of care to the community by placing ALS equipment on the Ladder truck • DONEr.` (We ;-have. full.;AL'S capabi i i on the 'West Side Fire'. Engine and partial..;.ALS_;eauipment'at the Main Street Fire Station Engine: and. Ladder :2; lead :lefibrillator.;monitor_fo these Truck..= Because :we do:, nof. ;,4,',I, fruckswe cannot~pu~.'rnetlicatwns4:onb'oar-d • We provided traininq to all paramedics and received state approval to administer Fentanvl for pain management. Zofran for nausea. Magnesium Sulfate for asthmatics and conducted research into selecting medication for acute cyanide poisoning. Acute cyanide poisoninq can occur to victims of structure fires who are suffering from smoke inhalation. • Enhance the Town of Reading's Emergency Operations Center. We need to run phone lines and ldentifv computer equipment to use for the Departments. We have used the Laramie Proiect which was larc►ely a Police incident to pull together all the traininq the Police. Fire DPW and Schools received over the last several vears. All the components that were used at the NEMLEC Command Truck would have been used at our emerbencv operations center. • As a result of the Laramie proiect we were able to identifv areas that need improvement and are working on those issues. 5. Library • Extrapolate short-tern goals from new Library Plan of Service 2009-2014; Done - working on six goals for 2009 • Establish work teams; Done • Lay groundwork for longer-term goals. For example, seek additional funding for Local History digitization project; plan outreach to new residents, etc. We presented results of digitization proiect in Feb and are working on grant applications now Services 1. Determine what options exist to move forward with the local van service under the Suburban Mobility grant 2. Implement additional technology and web page improvements including: 3 4e,3 • Customer Request module • Town Manager Blog • Customers electronic interaction • Library - Launch new website Done • Add web-based Suggestion Box/ Library Director's blog option to supplement in-house Suggestion Box Policies and procedures 1. Revise and finalize clear Donations and Gifts Policy & Procedure and Donor recognition and create brochure and online process for all Gifts 2. Fully implement the Petroleum By-law. We may be recommending the rescission of the bylaw. pendinar the evaluation of new state regulations that address the same tOpt g 3. Establish ad hoc Community-wide building committee to address present and future program needs of town facilities; . • Work with Library Trustees and Facilities Department to implement recommendations of Building Assessment and establish a process for long- term facility improvements OFIR? M a OJSJ8+INCOR4~RP~ Code of Conduct ("corrections" made to address comments attached) Every member of every Board, Committee, or Commission (B/C/C) who has been appointed by the Reading Board of Selectmen to that position is expected to comply with the following Code of Conduct. Responsibilities • Realize that his or her function is to follow the mission statement of the B/C/C. • Realize that he or she is one of a team and should abide by all decisions of the B/C/C once they are made. • Be well informed concerning the duties and responsibilities of the B/C/C. • Remember that he or she represents the entire community at all times. • Accepting the role of a B/C/C member is a means of unselfish service, not to benefit personally or politically from his or her B/C/C activities. Laws and Regulations Governina Action • Abide by the ethics guidelines established by, the State. • Abide by all applicable state statutes and General ;Laws, Reading; Home Rule Charter, Town Bylaws, and all applicable policies estabIished'p,y;the Board of Selectmen, especially the email communications policy. Decision Makinq • Request assistance from Town Staff or consultants only through the staff person assigned to the B/C/C. If no staff person is assigned, go';through the Town Manager. • Not make statements or promises of how he or she will vote on matters that will come before the B/C/,C until -he or she has had an opportunity to hear the pros and cons of the issue during; a''public meeting of the. B/C/C. • Make decisions only after all facts on a question have been presented and discussed. • Refrain ,from communicating the position of the B/C/C (as opposed to your personal position)','to reporters or state officials unless the full B/C/C has previously agreed on both the position' and the language of the position conveying the statement. Treatment of Public. Staff, and Other Members • Treat with respecfal(rnembers of the B/C/C, all applicants to come before the B/C/C, and all staff and consultant's'working with the B/C/C, despite differences of opinion. • Never Do not publicly sritisize disparage an employee of the Town. Concerns about staff performance should only be made to the Town Manager through private conversation. • Insure that any materials or information provided to a B/C/C member from Town staff should be made available to all B/C/C members. • If circumstances change so that meeting attendance on a regular basis becomes difficult, the B/C/C member will offer his or her resignation to the Board of Selectmen, so that someone who can regularly attend meetings can be appointed by the Board. Adopted by the Board of Selectmen 3~► Comments Received from B/C/C The 4th item under Decision Making - "Refrain...." -could be interpreted as a gag order. This could be used to prevent minority positions from reaching the public. It needs greater wording so that minority position could be expressed. It also could be interpreted to be an anti "whistleblower" policy. The 2nd item under Treatment - "Never...." This is too broad. I understand what is being attempted here but if I stand up at any meeting and say a plan that is proposing does not work that remark would be in violation of this policy. It needs to be narrowed. 3. On the draft code of conduct, please pass along the comment from me that the 2nd bullet under "Responsibilities" can conflict with the fourth bullet. If each appointee is supposed to represent the entire community it will mean there are times when they should' speak up about a decision made by the majority of their committee. Not all the time but sometimes. The word "criticism" should be defined - is disagreeing with someone considered criticism? Perhaps a different word should be used. 5. What happens if the "Code of Conduct" is violated? 6. Allow full public participation to debate, comment, and present the facts on issues before the B/C/C. Under the decision making section, the first' item say's to go through the staff person assigned to the board with requests for assistance from other staff members. What about boards that do not have an assigned staff person, such as the Trails Committee? (One way to handle this would be to have a policy that,every board is assigned a staff person.) ~l Under "Treatment of public, staff and other members" I have a concern on the second bullet: - Never, publicly criticize an employee of the Town. Concerns about staff should be ONLY be made 40" the Town 'Mahager through private conversation I think I understand the intent of the bullet; but I don't think that the way it reads is how a B/C/C conducts business!' !For instance, as you know, we now have a "For Your Information" document. 'I'll attach one'[that I've started to write regarding Swissbakers. In our Committee we discuss, m a, public forum, concerns (which can be interpreted as criticisms) and we created the For'Your Information document as a way to address these concerns. With the intent that this input could address rumors, and perhaps make recommendations for change based on the discussion around a concern. 9. Why is this code necessary? 3 ~2 Transportation Bill Schena, Paula From: Hechenbleikner, Peter Sent: Friday, May 01, 2009 2:35 PM To: Schena, Paula Subject: FW: Transportation Bill Page 1 of 2 From: Hechenbleikner, Peter Sent: Thursday, April 30, 2009 1:13 PM To: Cormier, Jim; Hechenbleikner, Peter; Lee, Michael; McIntire, Ted; Zager, Jeff; Zambouras, George Subject: FW: Transportation Bill From: McCabe, George [mailto:George.McCabe@mail.house.gov] Sent: Thursday, April 30, 2009 12:34 PM To: Amesbury-Thatcher Kezer; Andrew Maylor; Bedford-Richard Reed; Beverly-Bill Scanlon; Boxford-Alan Benson; Burlington-Robert Mercier; Danvers-Wayne P. Marquis; Essex-Brendhan Zubricki; Georgetown - Steve Delaney; Gloucester- C. Kirk; Groveland; Hamilton-Candace Wheeler; Ipswich-R. Markel; Lynnfield-Bill Gustus (E-mail); Manchester-Rosemary Cashman; Marblehead-Anthony Sasso; Merrimac-Carol Mcleod; Middleton-Ira Singer; Nahant-Mark Cullinan; Newburyport-John Moak; Newbury-Richard Joy; North Andover-Mark Reese; North Reading-Thomas Younger; Peabody-Michael Bonfanti; Town Manager; Rockport - Mike Racicot; Salem- Kim Driscoll; Salisbury-Neil Harrington; Saugus- Andrew Bisignani; Topsfield - V. Wilder; Wakefield; West Newbury- Marge Peterson; Wilmington-Michael Caira Cc: Barrett, Gary; McDermott, Kevin Subject: Transportation Bill Good Afternoon: Congressman Tierney has asked that I write to let you know that the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is rapidly moving forward with drafting a transportation reauthorization measure that will replace SAFETEA-LU. As part of this process, the Committee is accepting projects to be considered for inclusion in this measure. We have been working with the state, regional planning organizations and other local stakeholders on priority projects to be submitted to the Committee and we present them below for your comment: ® Blue Line Extension to the City of Lynn ® Blossom Street Ferry Tenninal Project in the City of Lynn ® Blaney Street Ferry Terminal Project in City of Salem ® Intermodal Station Improvements in the City of Salem 39 5/1/2009 Transportation Bill Page 2 of 2 ® Border to Boston Rail-Trail Project ® Wakefield/Lynnfield Rail-Trail Project ® Ipswich Center to Crane Beach Rail-Trail Project ® I-93/I-95 Interchange Improvements (Reading, Wakefield, Stoneham and Woburn) m Intermodal Station Project in the City of Newburyport Garage Route 128 Improvements (Peabody and Danvers) ® Whittier Bridge Improvements ® Rockport Commuter Station Improvements Noting your interest in transportation concerns, Congressman Tierney wanted to make you aware of this process and the foregoing projects. If there is a project that you believe should be added to this list, please contact ire immediately as the Committee's deadline for projects is Friday, May 8, 2009 and there is an extensive form which must be completed before then. Please feel free to contact myself or Gary Barrett at 978-531-1669. Thank You. Sincerely, George McCabe U.S. Rep. Tierney 17 Peabody Sq. Peabody, MA 01960 3,q I-- 5/1/2009 DRAFT Section 3.10 - Reeulations for Outdoor Dinins Licenses utilizing Public Sidewalks The Board of Selectmen desires to encourage outdoor dining on public sidewalks in a safe and orderly manner. These regulations are adopted pursuant to Section 5.2.1 of the General Bylaws of the Town of Reading, which provides in part that "No person shall place or cause to be placed any obstruction in any street, public place, or private way in the Town without permission of the Board of Selectmen...." The following regulations shall apply for Outdoor Dining Licenses: 1. Each application will be dealt with on a case by case basis. These guidelines are not intended to be a full list of issues to be dealt with by the Board but are guidelines to the Applicant. 2. Outdoor Dining Licenses shall be issued only to Innholders and Common Victualers and will be issued only within a commercial or industrial zoning district within the Town, unless such a business shall exist and has pre-dated zoning, or has been granted a variance to do business in a location that is not in a business or industrial zoning district. ' 3. Applications for Outdoor Dining Licenses utilizing public sidewalks shall be made to the Board of Selectmen by submission of an Application Form. The application will include the name, address, email address, and telephone number of the owner of the building, proof of ownership, a lease, or written approval of the property owner (if other than the applicant) for the use of the premises for the license period. The application shall be signed by the owner of the restaurant and shall be accompanied by a copy-of the current Permit to Operate a Food Establishment issued by the Board of Health. 4. The application shall also include 10 copies of a professionally drawn plan and all supporting documents containing the information required in order to be able to make a decision as to the license, and shall also include a plan for outdoor lighting if any is proposed. 5. Prior to the issuance of a license for outdoor dining on public sidewalks, the Board may require a review by the Community Services Director, Health Services Administrator, Police Chief, Fire Chief, Town Engineer, and the Building/Zoning Inspector and proof that all necessary approvals, permits, and other licenses needed to operate have been issued. 6. If the license is approved by the Board of Selectmen the owner and operator of the restaurant shall sign a License Agreement and shall provide a Certificate of Insurance as required and shall pay the License Fee before issuance of the License and before commencement of any activities under the License. 7. It is the policy of the Board of Selectmen that Alcoholic Beverages cannot be served on public property. Nor may a patron bring his/her own alcohol to be consumed on a premise licensed for Outdoor Dining.. Therefore, an Outdoor Dining License shall not be construed as nor shall it permit an alteration or extension of premises where alcoholic beverages are served. The serving or consumption of alcohol on any public property that is the subject of an Outdoor Dining License is expressly forbidden. Applicants who hold an alcoholic beverages license shall provide a detailed alcohol control plan/strategy as part of their Outdoor Dining License application packet. The 30 alcohol control plan shall include what steps the manager shall take to ensure alcohol remains only on the licensed premises and not in the sidewalk area, including signage, staff instructions, monitoring of the outdoor dining area, etc. The applicant shall also submit the TIPS or alcohol server training certificates for all managers and servers as part of the application packet. 8. Due to the seasonal and temporary nature of an outdoor dining area, the seating within an outdoor dining area will not be considered an increase in the number of seats serving a restaurant or eating establishment and will not be counted toward any off-street parking requirement 9. Outdoor dining areas shall be considered as part of the restaurant and shall comply with Board of Health Regulations. In addition to any other requirements, smoking is prohibited in seasonal outdoor dining areas per Board of Health regulations. 10. The licensee shall provide, maintain, and empty as needed, outdoor trash receptacles during the times that the licensed premises are open for business. 11. Outdoor dining areas containing nine or more seats shall be separated from their surroundings by a perimeter fence or barrier. No such fences or barriers may damage the public sidewalk. Perimeter treatments, umbrellas, furniture and trash receptacles shall be supplied by the applicant and shall be maintained in a safe and sanitary manner by the applicant. All trash receptacles shall be covered and trash removed nightly. All perimeter treatments, umbrellas, furniture and trash receptacles must be removed at the end of each season. 12. In no event shall the placement of outdoor dining furniture, umbrellas, perimeter fences or barriers create a pedestrian or wheelchair passage width of less than four feet. Restaurants shall have an accessible path of travel through the dining area at least 36 inches wide. 13. Outdoor food preparation shall not be allowed unless approved by the Board of Health in accordance with their procedures and regulations. 14. The licensee shall be responsible for keeping the portion of the sidewalk subject to an Outdoor Dining License clean and free of dirt, dust, and other debris from April 15 through October 15 of each year. 15. The Licensee shall provide evidence of insurance as required by the Town Manager and by State Statute. Such insurance shall cover the use of all equipment related to the premises related to the Outdoor Dining License . The Comprehensive General Liability Policy shall insure against all claims and demands for bodily injury and property damage with respect to the sidewalk dining facilities and services, and the Town shall be named as an "additional insured" in all policies of such insurance. The Licensee (and their heirs, successors and assigns in interest) shall hold harmless, defend and indemnify the Town of Reading and its employees, and agents from any responsibility, liability and claims arising out of or related to the operations under the Outdoor Dining License. 16. The Outdoor Dining License shall be considered annually and every license shall expire on December 31 of each year, subject to renewal. No facilities or furniture shall be placed on the sidewalk as part of the license except for the period between April 15 and October 15 of each year. 17. Upon notification from the Department of Public Works that weather conditions or work to be performed on the property of the Town requires removal of the outdoor 3hz dining. furniture, the applicant shall immediately remove all of its property associated with the Outdoor Dining License from the public property. 18. The License is revocable at will by the Town for any reason whatsoever upon written notice to the Licensee from the Town. The.License Agreement shall stipulate that in the event of such revocation, the Licensee shall have no recourse or claim against the Town for such revocation whether by way of monetary charges, a suit in equity or otherwise. 19. The Licensee shall comply with all applicable laws (including the sign portions of the Zoning by-laws), rules, regulations, and conditions of other licenses and permits. 20. The license fee shall be $100 per year and shall be payable upon initial application for an Outdoor Dining License, and for renewal of the license. 21. In granting a Licensee, the Board of Selectmen may impose such additional conditions as it determines to be appropriate. Adopted -1-109 3-3 Z_/C aZ>S April 28,-2009 Board of Selectman 16 Lowell Street Reading, MA 01867 Dear Selectmen, Reading Coalition Against Substance Abuse For more information: Erica McNamara, RCASA Director 15 Union Street * Reading, MA 01867 Email: Emcnamara@ci.reading.ma.us Phone: 781.942.6793 Fax: 781-944-2893 Due to a commitment with the RMHS PTO, I will be unable to attend tonight's hearing. However, I would like to express support for the proposed physical design improvements for Washington Park. This location has been an area of interest for the Reading Coalition Against Substance Abuse (RCASA) due to neighborhood concerns regarding substance use in the park area. A key strategy employed by RCASA is to bring attention to the importance of physical design related to community development. Physical design changes have the potential to reduce risk and enhance protection while improving parks, landscapes, signage, and lighting. RCASA conducted two town-wide environmental scans in concert with the Reading Police Department in 2008 to surface potential concerns. The results of these scans including notes on the Washington Park, location were shared with the Washington Park, committee during the planning process. During both scans, the following concerns were noted: • Police records indicated high call volume to the Washington Park location (calls for service included possible drug use, underage drinking, needle encounters, noise complaints, and youths gathering) • Reports of drug use/possible dealing behind the stone wall towards the front of the property • Need for residents to feel safe in the park, particularly at night • No lighting at entrance or interior of park, • Resident concerns about trash left near wall area including used needles and empty alcoholic beverage containers • Lack of visible signage at all entrances' • Fencing should be checked periodically or substantially improved if possible • Edge of Washington Park is in drug enforcement zone/should be clearly marked (dealing within 100 ft of part, increases potential penalties) Upon reviewing the revised park diagrams, it is clear that the committee has developed a comprehensive proposal for improvements and tool, the above concerns into consideration. Substance abuse prevention is a commmunity challenge and these physical design improvements are needed to support real change. Thank you for your leadership and to the committee for their hard work. Sincerely, Erica McNamara, Director \ j q CAL,-