LINK TO LEXINGTON
Your link to Lexington news, information, events, and more!
Review of Police Department Policies and Practices Final Report Now Available
After an extensive review of the Lexington Police Department’s (LPD) policies and practices, Town Counsel (Anderson Kreiger, LLP) has submitted their final report to the Select Board. Carmen Ortiz, former US Attorney for the District of Massachusetts, took the lead on this work.

Following the national dialog on issues of social and racial equity in the summer of 2020, the Town Manager began a formal process of examining the Town’s policies, procedures, and practices as they relate to municipal operations, beginning with the Police Department. The intent of this review was to identify any unintended bias or discriminatory language in LPD policies and procedures and to make recommendations to the Town Manager.


Next Steps
Moving forward, Town Manager Jim Malloy will be working with Interim Police Chief Mike McLean to develop an implementation plan based on this report.
COVID-19 Vaccine Update, Week of May 3-7
This week, the State announced walk-in appointments will begin at all Mass. vax sites, except Gillette Stadium, starting on Monday, May 10. This includes:

  • Hynes Convention Center, Boston
  • Reggie Lewis Center, Roxbury
  • DoubleTree Hotel, Danvers
  • Natick Mall, Natick
  • Former Circuit City, Dartmouth
  • Eastfield Mall, Springfield

Pre-Register or Sign-Up for an Appointment

  • Preregister at VaccineSignUp.mass.gov to be notified when it's your turn to schedule an appointment at one of 7 mass vaccination locations: Hynes Convention Center, Gillette Stadium, Reggie Lewis Center, DoubleTree Hotel in Danvers, Eastfield Mall in Springfield, Natick Mall and former Circuit City in Dartmouth.

  • Use VaxFinder.mass.gov to search for appointments at pharmacies, health care providers, and other community locations
Seats Available for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Virtual Community Workshops May 13 & 27
As we continue with our diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) work, our DEI consultant, All Aces Inc., will be offering two virtual workshops to the community.

These workshops are open to all Lexington residents. You can sign up for just one, or you can take both if you’d like.

The workshops are capped at 100 participants per session.

**As of May 7, we still have some seats available for these events

Once you’ve registered, a Zoom link will be sent to your email.

Dignity Activity
May 13, 6:30 PM - 9:30 PM
A knowledge-building experience that will recreate conditions of oppression to facilitate a more complex understanding of these systems of oppression.

History in Context
May 27, 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
This experiential activity will provide an engaging way to test our knowledge of history and align historical context with present day realities as it relates to racial equity.

Questions? Contact Sean Dugan in the Town Manager's Office.

What You Should Know About Running Bamboo in Lexington
At the 2020 Fall Special Town Meeting, Town Meeting voted to amend the Town’s General Bylaws to prohibit the planting, replanting, transplanting, installation, or reinstallation of Running Bamboo on any property in the Town of Lexington.

Following its passage at Town Meeting, the bylaw is awaiting approval from the State Attorney General’s Office. We still recommend following the bylaw.

What is running bamboo?
Any monopodial (running) tropical or semi-tropical bamboo grasses or bamboo species, and any other species of bamboo that is found to have encroached upon any property other than the property on which it was originally planted, including Town-owned property or a Town-owned right of way.

Penalties
Any Running Bamboo Owner that is in violation of this bylaw may be fined $100.00 per day for each day that the Running Bamboo remains unconfined on the Running Bamboo Owner's property, or is in violation of any other provisions of this chapter.

Enforcement
The Town Manager, or their designee, will be the enforcement agent for this bylaw.
Information on State's Relaxed Face Coverings Order
Governor Charlie Baker recently issued an order relaxing the requirements for face coverings outdoors in Massachusetts.

The Town of Lexington is following the State’s requirements that went into effect on April 30, 2021.

Face coverings will only be required outside in public when it is not possible to socially distance, and at other times required by sector-specific guidance.

Face coverings will still be required at all times in indoor public places. They will also continue to be required at all times at events, whether held indoors or outdoors, when held in a public space, except for when eating or drinking.

Given how busy some of the parks and playgrounds are in Lexington, as well as areas like Lexington Center and the Minuteman Bikeway, the Lexington Board of Health recommends having a face covering readily available for proper use when outdoors and are unable to socially distance, or upon entering any indoor area.

Per Mass. Department of Public Health regulations, the face covering requirement for schools has not changed. Masks are still required outside for all students and staff.

Town staff and the Lexington Board of Health will monitor the rate of COVID-19 infection in Lexington and across Massachusetts, in the event more restrictive face covering measures are needed.
'My American Story', AAPI Heritage Month Virtual Event on May 20
In celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, members of the Asian American community in Massachusetts will share their personal American stories.

Thursday, May 20, 7:30 PM 

The stories will be followed by a segment for questions and answers.
Noise Advisory Committee Seeks Input on Bylaw to Limit Noise From Landscape Equipment
The Noise Advisory Committee is working on a Town bylaw to limit noise from landscape equipment, particularly gas leaf blowers (GLBs).

Other local towns have passed laws putting seasonal limits on the use of GLBs and limits on the hours and days when they can be used. The Committee is considering proposing similar laws.

Please submit your comments and suggestions on these limits by June 2, 2021. This will allow the Committee to meet deadlines for a potential Special Fall Town Meeting.

The Committee is also considering a gradual phase-out of the commercial use of GLBs. These laws would not apply to electric-powered blowers.

The Committee needs your comments and suggestions on this possible phase-out by August 31, 2021.

You can submit your comments and suggestions to the Committee’s contact form.

The Committee will hold a public meeting to discuss comments and suggestions about seasonal limits and limits on hours on Tuesday, June 8, at 7:00 PM. The link to this meeting and an agenda will be posted on the Town Public Meeting Calendar prior to the meeting.
Bike, Walk, n' Bus Around Lexington and Beyond! Many Events Coming Up in May
There are a number of ways to get around Lexington without needing a car. Biking via the Minuteman Bikeway, walking the ACROSS Lexington trail network, and taking Lexpress bus service, are just a few of the ways to get around without a car.

We have a number of events coming up to get you ready for the warmer weather, and to






Contact the Transportation Services Division at 781-861-1210, or send them an email.
Join Us For 'How to Find Peace in Times of Uncertainty', Virtual Event on May 11
May is Mental Health Month, and the Mental Health Task Force is sponsoring a virtual event: How to Find Peace in Times of Uncertainty

May 11 from 6:30 - 8:00 PM

*As of May 7, seats are still available!

Presented by Mike Veny, International Mental Health Speaker and Bestselling author of 
Transforming Stigma: How to Become a Mental Wellness Superhero 

What you will learn: 
  • How to function in a world of stress, anxiety & loneliness
  • Actionable steps to improve your mental well-being
  • How negative emotions, e.g. anger, grief and fear, can benefit you

For more information, contact Sharon Gunda in the Human Services Department.
Help Us Better Understand the Mental Health Needs of Our Community
The Town of Lexington's Mental Health Task Force, in partnership with the Center for Social Research at Framingham State University, has developed a mental health questionnaire to assess the needs of the Lexington community.  


We Want to Better Understand
the mental health status and needs of Lexington community members aged 18 and over, as well as any potential barriers to accessing needed services. Your feedback will help us guide this important work.

If you are unable to complete the online questionnaire for any reason, please contact us at 781-698-4840 for assistance.

This questionnaire is confidential, anonymous, and should take less than 15 minutes to complete.

The questionnaire is open from now until May 31, 2021

The questionnaire is made possible through the support of:
  • Lexington Select Board
  • Lexington School Committee
  • Town Manager’s Office
  • Community Health Network Area 15 (CHNA 15), our grant funder
COVID-19 Data
Our Office of Public Health compiles COVID-19 data for our community and it is available on our website at LexingtonMA.gov/COVID19data
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