The Board of Selectmen is drafting the list of warrant articles for the Annual Town Meeting (ATM) on May 15, though it’s still unknown which items will be grouped into the single-vote consent calendar.
This year’s ATM has been postponed from the usual March date until May, though the town election is scheduled for March 29. The abbreviated 2020 Annual Town Meeting, postponed several times as the Covid-19 pandemic wreaked havoc a year ago, had only four votes: one on the 19 articles in the consent calendar and three others on spending measures.
More information on various budget requests will be posted in the Lincoln Squirrel in the coming weeks.
Among the items postponed from last year’s ATM in the interest of time were several citizens’ petitions. Six of the seven proposed for last year will be on the May 15 agenda (the status of the seventh is still unclear).
This year’s deadline for submitting new citizens’ petitions is Monday, March 22 at noon. Residents who are considering sponsoring a Town Meeting petition are strongly urged to contact the Town Clerk’s Office (781- 259-2607 or foxv@lincolntown.org) for information about the process. The 2021 Town Meeting warrant will include the petitions that were deferred from last year as well as any new petitions that are received prior to the March 22 deadline.
Although the warrant will be expanded this year to include citizens’ petitions, officials will again adhere to meeting efficiency measures in an effort to keep Town Meeting less than three hours long. In light of this goal, residents are being asked for careful consideration before suggesting additional petitions this year.
| Standard Town Meeting articles | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Vote for committees and other elected officers (e.g., Fence Viewer, Measurer of Wood & Bark) |
| 2 | Vote to accept reports as printed in Annual Town Report |
| 3 | Vote to fix salaries of elected officials |
| 4 | Senior Tax Work-off Program: vote to renew |
| 5 | Veterans Tax Work-off Program: vote to renew |
| Operating budget | |
| 6 | Town operating budget (line item detail appears in Fincom report as Table 1) |
| Capital articles | |
| 7 | Cash capital expenditures (detailed project list will appear in the motion) |
| 8 | Debt exclusion: public safety radio system |
| Community Preservation Act | |
| 9 | Community Preservation Fund (detailed list will appear in motion) |
| Routine building maintenance | |
| 10 | Annual classroom maintenance |
| 11 | Town buildings maintenance |
| 12 | Library mtenance |
| Other appropriations | |
| 13 | Annual Bright Light Award |
| 14 | Debt stabilization fund: appropriation to increase fund balance |
| 15 | OPEB Trust Fund (Town of Lincoln): appropriation to increase fund balance |
| 16 | OPEB Trust Fund (LSRHS): appropriation to increase fund balance |
| 17 | State roadway funds: annual vote to accept Chapter 90 state highway grant |
| 18 | Lincoln School budget supplement: special-education Medicaid reimbursement |
| 19 | Cable Television Revolving Fund: required annual appropriation |
| 20 | Free cash article: annual article to balance budget/reduce tax rate |
| Water Enterprise Fund | |
| 21 | Water Department: slate of capital projects (preserve option for bonding as well as transfers; items in motions) |
| 22 | Water Department: Vote to appropriate and transfer to support the FY21 budget |
| Town board-sponsored bylaw amendments | |
| 23 | Amend General Bylaw: change name of Board of Selectmen to "Select Board" |
| 24 | Proposed BOS resolution: urge BOS to take steps towards gender-neutral bylaws, regulations and policies |
| 25 | Amend General Bylaw: change name of Council on Aging to "Council on Aging & Human Services" |
| 26 | Amend General Bylaw: create MS-4/Stormwater Bylaw |
| 27 | Zoning bylaw amendment: accessory apartments |
| 28 | Historic District Bylaw amendment: add Old Concord Road property to district |
| 29 | Historic District Bylaw amendment: correct clerical error |
| 30 | Historic District Commission: add new property to Brown's Wood District |
| 31 | Amend General Bylaw: process for raising fees |
| Miscellaneous town board-sponsored business | |
| 32 | Property tax relief circuit breaker: home rule petition |
| Citizen petitions | |
| 33 | 8th-grade civics petition: resolution in support of Parkland School students' efforts to end school shootings |
| 34 | Resolution: Urge action at federal and local level on climate change |
| 35 | General Bylaw amendment: restriction on sale of polystyrene products including styrofoam |
| 36 | Home rule petition: Seek state authorization to require retailers to charge a fee for any non-reusable bags |
| 37 | General Bylaw: prohibition on disposable plastics (straws & stirrers) |
| 38 | Resolution: request for report on status of community center planning |