There are four important topics to be discussed at the State of the Town (SOTT) meeting on September 30, and the Select Board has devised a new way to help residents focus and give feedback on them.
Rater than one continuous meeting, there will be four 45-minute repeating rotating sessions in different locations at the Lincoln School. Attendees can choose any or all of the four topics in whatever order they wish. Each session will include a short presentation, smaller group activities, and feedback tools. Overview information about each topic will be available for pickup.
The topics are:
- Housing Choice Act zoning — discuss which of two zoning options that residents will vote on at Annual Town Meeting in March 2024. Rezoning to allow more multifamily housing is required in order for the town to comply with the state Housing Choice Act and remain eligible for various grant programs.
- Community center building project — offer input on the scope of a proposed community center that will be voted on at a Special Town Meeting on December 2.
- Climate Action Plan
- Green Energy Committee’s Climate Action Plan web page
- “Town unveils draft Climate Action Plan” (Lincoln Squirrel, June 28, 2023)
- Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, & Anti-Racism Action Plan
- IDEA Committee webpage with information about work by consultants Racial Equity Group/Elite Research including its town staff/board racial equity audit report, town-wide survey, and focus groups.
The schedule:
- 10–10:45 a.m. — Session 1
- 11–11:45 a.m. — Session 2
- 11:45 a.m.–1 p.m. — Community lunch available for purchase thanks to the Twisted Tree (cash only, please)
- 1:15–2 p.m. — Session 3
- 2:15–3 p.m. — Session 4
There will also be inflatable obstacle courses for kids aged 3–12 to enjoy with parental supervision. The SOTT webpage has maps showing parking, building entrances, and the rooms where the topics will be headquartered.
This is a very helpful article. I hope Everyone in town will learn about each topic and attend the STOT meeting. I am glad to see the map that shows the location of each topic. This is a creative and ambitious way of sharing important decisions that will affect Lincoln for years to come.