SOTT offers updates on several town topics

Residents heard updates about the community center, road projects, the two school committees, and other topics at the State of the Town meeting that preceded the Oct. 24 Special Town Meeting.

Finance Committee

FinCom Chair Paul Blanchfield outlined the town’s cash reserve and debt capacity in the context of the accompanying library HVAC funding request that was eventually defeated, as well as a $46 million list of capital projects on the horizon for the next eight years. The cost for some of those projects will be mitigated to some extent by grants, state aid, and other funding sources, “but the pipeline is real and we want residents to plan accordingly,” he said.

Blanchfield also reported that:

• The town used $3.2 million in reserve funds to achieve a zero tax increase last year.
• Tax increases have been below the inflation rate for the past three years, and Lincoln’s median single-family tax bill is lower than that of other area towns, though at $20,737, second-highest among area towns after Weston.
• Two FinCom seats are expiring in March, and new or returning members will be appointed by Town Moderator Any Payne right after Annual Town Meeting in March.

Community center

The project is on budget but slightly behind schedule; it’s now slated to open in the spring rather than December 2026. Rough plumbing and HVAC ductwork are complete, the terra cotta siding is almost done, and rough electrical is at about 80%, Community Center Building Committee Chair Sarah Cheter reported.

The Select Board will form a subcommittee a few months after the new building opens and its usage has settled down to plan the future of Bemis Hall, which will not be closed. “We have reaffirmed that Bemis Hall will be available for their needs,” Select Board member Kim Bodnar said she told a group of 15-20 users of Bemis Hall (including some who use the building only for storage) in June.

Water main project

Phase 1 from the Bedford Road hill to Ballfield Road is complete, and Water Department Superintendent Rick Nolli said that a curb-to-curb repaving of Bedford Road was expected to happen this fall. Mains for phase 2 from Hallfield Road to Route 117 have been installed aside from the piece under the railroad tracks, which is slated for this winter. Lincoln Road may be limited to one lane during this work, which will take place both during the day and at night, but the road will not be closed at any time and MBTA service will continue as usual, he said.

The department is now connecting residential service lines to the new main and doing pressure testing and temporary trench paving. Lincoln Road will be repaved in fall 2027, he said.

Town-wide paving

Based on data collected earlier this year and reviewed by consultants, a town-wide repaving project will cost about $20 million over five years, it was reported last week. Town Administrator Tim Higgins showed a possible five-year spending plan generally divided among main and neighborhood roads, though that could change; the town might instead do a two-year project and then “pump the brakes and do an assessment.”

The last large repaving project was done in 2008-09 for $5.5 million and focused on main roads, with neighborhood roads intended to be maintained through annual Chapter 90 state grants, which confers a 15-year life cycle for those roads, “so it’s time to refresh the system,” he said. The Ballfield Road refurbishment and Lincoln Road repaving will be paid for with existing Chapter 90 funds.

School Committee

Lincoln School Committee Chair Matina Madrick reported that:

• Teachers and administrators now use five standard questions to ask when considering when and how to use AI in teaching.
• This is the second year of the new English language arts curriculum. Two new math curricula are being piloted and one will be chosen this winter.
• Enrollment as of Oct. 1 is at 1,033, up from 982 a year ago, but is expected to drop slightly next year after a large eight-grade class graduates in June.
• Doherty’s is now using four electric school buses and a fifth will soon be added to the fleet.

Lincoln-Sudbury School Committee

LSSC Chair Cathie Bitter reported that:

• Buses have been rerouted since the beginning of this school year in anticipation of the closure for repairs of the bridge on Sherman’s Bridge Road.
• The high school added no-school days on Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, and Diwali and added early dismissal on Lunar New Year.
• The regional district agreement was updated for the first time since 1988.

Communications

Select Board member Jennifer Glass encouraged residents to subscribe to SelectConnect (which now has 272 subscribers) and use the Inhabit app (366 Lincoln subscribers thus far) to keep track of town meetings and other events. She also noted that the board approved a social media policy for elected and appointed officials in September.

Open Space and Recreation Plan

The OSRP is being updated using the latest property parcel and population information and there will be public forums on the draft in January, Select Board Jennifer Glass said. The current plan running from 2017-2024 includes the recent trail use and signage updates as well as the Wang property and the new boardwalk behind the Lincoln School.