The Lincoln Squirrel – News, features and photos from Lincoln, Mass.

conservation

Energy-efficiency amendments among zoning proposal at Town Meeting

Five zoning measures — including a more energy-efficient town building code and a rule that would require new buildings and major renovation projects to be fossil fuel free — will be up for votes at the Annual Town Meeting on March 25.

Article 30 will ask Lincoln to adopt the new Specialized Municipal Opt-in Code released by the Department of Energy Resources in September that includes building performance standards designed to help the state meet its goal of 50% greenhouse gas emissions reduction from the 1990 baseline levels by 2030. Adopting the code is optional for Lincoln, which otherwise will be governed by an updated version of the so-called “stretch code” that took effect here in January.

The stretch code requires new buildings to be more energy-efficient and includes incentives — but does not mandate — that they be all-electric. The Specialized Code would go further by increasing those incentives and allowing an effective date about six months sooner. In either case, fossil fuels could still be used if the structure meets even stricter energy efficiency requirements.

Article 31 would build on the Specialized Code but go further by generally removing the option to use fossil fuels. If approved, it would let Lincoln participate in the state’s Fossil Fuel Free Demonstration Program. As such, the town could require all new buildings and major renovations to be fossil fuel free for building permits issued starting January 1, 2024.

The term “fossil fuel free” means that the entire building or condominium unit does not utilize coal, oil, natural gas and similar natural and synthetic hydrocarbons for heating, cooking, gas fireplaces, and other indoor systems after construction is complete. However, backup electric generators and outdoor gas grills that use propane tanks would still be permitted.

Another measure aims to encourage more accessory apartments in Lincoln. Article 26 would allow accessory apartments by right within the principal dwelling unit. It would also streamline the permitting process for an accessory apartment in an accessory structure by no longer requiring the Planning Board to make a recommendation on each application to the Zoning Board of Appeals. The Planning Board will hold a public hearing on the proposal on Tuesday, Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. Click here for the Zoom link (passcode: 062640).

Other zoning matters on the agenda at Town Meeting:

  • The current zoning bylaw requires those proposing a cluster development to give the town and/or the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust interest in land as part of the approval process. An amendment up for a vote would revise the language to a second option: having the land subject to a use restriction enforceable by the town or a nonprofit organization whose principal purpose is the conservation of open space (details here).
  • A change to bring the town’s zoning requirements in line with federal law by allowing modifications or additions of wireless equipment that qualify as “eligible facilities requests” (details here).

The Planning Board will hold a public hearing on those two proposals on Tuesday, March 14 at 7 p.m. Click here for the Zoom link (passcode: 362874)

  • Adding 58 Bedford Rd. to the town’s Historic District.

My Turn: New group focuses on soil as part of climate emergency response

By Robin Breen Dobrusin

I’m happy to introduce Lincoln Common Ground, a subgroup of Mothers Out Front Lincoln. We seek to educate, connect, promote and advocate for realistic solutions to create a livable future for people. We focus on returning the excess carbon above our heads to its original home in the ground beneath our feet through natural processes as a tool to mitigate the worst effects of global heating, also known as climate change. Visit lincolncommonground.com to learn more.

Like many of us, the looming climate disaster is on my mind, and I think about the world we and our future generations will experience. I admit I have spent too much of my time doom scrolling through the onslaught of information about the dangers we are currently facing, and the expanded ones we will face. Doom-scrolling is not productive for the cause or my mental health, and that’s why I am happy to say I’m inspired by the ambitious work Lincoln Common Ground is doing to build an inclusive, intersectional platform to invite us all to make positive change

Why soil?

Why does Lincoln Common Ground focus on soil as a solution to the climate emergency? The emissions humans create through burning fossil fuels and other processes generally take carbon from where it previously was safely locked in the ground and pumps it into the atmosphere. The additional carbon in the atmosphere traps heat from the sun and contributes to the greenhouse effect that heats the Earth’s surface. This effect is further exacerbated by deforestation and the general move to replace the native plants and trees in many areas with invasive plants or no plants at all.

We must stop emitting carbon, and we must deal with the legacy load of excess carbon in our atmosphere that is contributing to the greenhouse effect we are all experiencing. Lush native forests and meadows can help to draw down the carbon in our atmosphere and return it to the ground we stand on. 

Personally, I’ve drawn great inspiration to “kill” my traditional lawn that requires so much water and maintenance and turn it into a beautiful and edible landscape for both me and the creatures we depend on. The native plants I am using to replace my imported grass will help to sequester carbon in their vast root systems in the soil. I’m proud to focus my attention and energy with this fabulous group of scientists, farmers, gardeners, and parents on real and accessible solutions for all to take part in to create a more livable future.

Join us

We are proud to have over 20 members so far! If you are curious about topics like composting, drought resistant yards, eco gardening, supporting pollinators, and learning actions you can take toward keeping Earth habitable, then we invite you to review and subscribe to the free resources on our website and join us in our mission. Email Emily Haslett at emhaslett@gmail.com or visit lincolncommonground.com/contact for more information.

“My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their letters to the editor or views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnites. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.

Electricity rates to go up for everyone

Electricity rates will rise for everyone in the coming year, but the hike will be a bit more modest for Lincoln Green Energy Choice (GEC) customers, even those enrolled in the program’s “100% Green” option.

Because of the war in Ukraine and other global factors, “there will be a significant increase in electricity bills in January whether or not you’re in program, but green electricity costs will hold steady,” Paul Shorb, chair of the Lincoln Green Energy Committee, said at the second State of the Town meeting on November 15.

Earlier this month, Eversource announced that its residential rate for the first six months of 2023 will be 25.649 cents per kilowatt hour — a jump of 30% over the 17.871¢/kWh for the current six-month period. Before that announcement, Lincoln GEC signed a new one-year contract, setting 2023 prices for its three program tiers — all of which are lower than the coming Eversource rate. The new GEC rates will be 21.206¢/kWh for Basic, 22.316¢/kWh for Standard Green, and 24.018¢/kWh for 100% Green.

Eversource adjusts its rates twice a year, while the GEC’s rates will be fixed for all of 2023, so it’s unclear what the price differential will be for the second half of the year. However, for those who sign up for the Lincoln program for the first time, there’s no risk.

“People are free to drop out of our program at any time, such as if the relevant Eversource rate then drops below ours,” Shorb told the Lincoln Squirrel. “I don’t think Eversource has beaten us on rates yet, but it could happen. Even if it does happen sometimes, we hope people will stay in our program, recognizing how much it reduces their personal contribution to the climate crisis that is now in progress.”

The GEC program tiers are priced according to the proportion of clean energy they provide. The state already requires that at least 20% of a utility’s energy supply come from renewable sources. Lincoln Basic adds another 2% to that, Lincoln Standard Green adds another 20% for 47%, and Lincoln 100% Green customers get all of their power from renewables.

Shorb noted in a November 27 LincolnTalk post that some have asked why a spike in fossil fuel prices would affect even the 100% Green option, which is based entirely on wind power. “That’s a great question with an interesting answer that I will unpack in a separate post,” he said.

More than 10% of Lincoln households have enrolled in the 100% Green option, and program customers have collectively saved more than $1 million since its inception, Shorb noted at the SOTT meeting.

Town meeting proposals

To further the goal of weaning the town from nonrenewable energy sources, the Green Energy Committee will propose two measures at the Annual Town Meeting in March. The first will ask voters to approve adoption of the new Specialized Municipal Opt-in Code released by the Department of Energy Resources in September that includes net-zero building performance standards and is designed to help the state meet its goal of 50% greenhouse gas emissions reduction from the 1990 baseline levels by 2030. The code is a third option beyond the basic code and the optional “stretch code” that’s already been adopted by most Massachusetts cities and towns.

The second measure will ask Lincolnites to go even further by asking for the state’s permission to ban fossil fuel hookups in new construction or major renovation projects. The home rule petition, if approved, will let Lincoln apply to join a pilot program as one of 10 Massachusetts municipalities to institute this requirement. Only cities and towns who’ve met the state’s 10% affordable housing target can qualify, and the requirements won’t apply to health care facilities and science labs, as explained by WBUR.

If approved, the new town bylaw will still allow standby generators that run on fossil fuels to be used in case of power failures, Shorb said.

State of the Town, community center discussions on tap

The two community center options chosen in 2018 (click to enlarge).

The proposed community center, which is headed for a town meeting vote later this month, will be one of the topics discussed at the first of two State of the Town (SOTT) meetings on Monday, Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. Click here to register for the first night and get the Zoom link.

At a Special Town Meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 30 at 7:30 p.m., residents will decide whether to spend up to $325,000 to develop preliminary schematic design options for a new community center, which would be built on the Lincoln School’s Hartwell campus. The Community Center Building Committee has compiled a list of FAQs and is posting them in segments on its new website at lincolncommunitycenter.com. You can also use the site to ask a question and get on the mailing list using that page, which will be updated with more background soon. The town’s official CCBC page with the March 2022 Town Meeting presentation, list of members, agendas, etc. can be found here. You can see also Lincoln Squirrel stories about the history of the project here.

Both SOTT meetings will feature presentations, Q&A sessions, and breakout rooms. Also on the SOTT agenda Monday night: 

  • Council on Aging & Human Services
  • Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, & Anti-Racism (IDEA) Committee
  • Lincoln Public Schools
  • Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School 

The agenda for the second night of SOTT on Tuesday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. is below. Click here to register and get the Zoom link. 

  • Green Energy Committee/Climate Action Lincoln 
  • Conservation
  • Bicycle &Pedestrian Advisory Committee
  • Housing Commission
  • Lincoln Land Conservation Trust/Rural Land Foundation
  • Planning Board

News acorns

Covid-19 regional vaccine clinic

There will be a Covid-19 vaccination clinic sponsored by the Town of Lincoln/Great Meadows Regional Public Health Collaborative on Friday, Nov. 18 from 4–7 p.m. in the Brooks gym at the Lincoln School. Primary and booster doses for those 6 months and older will be offered. According to the CDC, everyone 5 years and older should get an updated booster if they have completed their primary series, and if it has been at least two months since their final primary dose or last booster. Register online by clicking here. For assistance, call 978-793-5663 or email duffL@sudbury.ma.us.

Mystery-comedy: “The Alibis”

When eccentric billionaire J. Leslie Arlington is murdered, a clueless detective finds the suspects are all reluctant to admit their alibis… because they were all committing other ridiculous crimes at the time. Written by different playwrights, “The Alibis” features seven characters each telling the story of their absurd alibi in ten-minute plays. “The Alibis” will be performed by middle-school students at the Lincoln School on Thursday and Friday, Nov. 17 and 18 at 7 p.m. in the Donaldson Auditorium. With a cast of 22 and a crew of 21, more than a quarter of the students in grades 6-8 are involved in the show.

Tickets ($10 for adults, $5 for students/seniors/Lincoln Public Schools employees) will be sold at the door starting 30 minutes before showtime. Cash or check only. Production budgets are entirely funded by ticket proceeds.

Talk on Columbus and Thanksgiving by Claudia Fox Tree 

Claudia Fox Tree

Missing information, inaccurate stories, and stereotypes perpetuate myths about Columbus and Thanksgiving. Lincoln School teacher and social justice activist Claudia Fox Tree, a Massachusetts Center for Native American Awareness board member, will give a talk on “Settler-Colonist Ties to Thanksgiving & Columbus: Taking Back the Narrative” on Monday, Nov. 21 at 7 p.m. She will explore this colonial system through primary sources and examine how language perpetuates invisibility and how we can dismantle oppression to bring accurate counter-narratives to life.

Fox Tree has also taught professional development and social justice courses at the college level for Initiatives for Developing Equity and Achievement for all Students (IDEAS) and presented about decolonizing anti-racism initiatives at national and local conferences. She is currently a doctoral student at Lesley University. Click here to register for the Zoom link. Sponsored by Belmont Against Racism and the public libraries of Belmont, Brookline, Chelmsford, Lincoln, Maynard, Natick, Norwood, Stow, Watertown, Wayland, Wellesley, and Weston.

Holiday Wreath Happy Hour at Codman Farm

Join a wreath-making class in Codman Community Farms greenhouse on Saturday, Nov. 26 from 2–4 p.m. Using fresh evergreen branches, Codman grown dried flowers, seed pods, fruits, and foraged elements, you’ll learn how to design and make an all-natural wreath to decorate your home for the holidays. All course materials and tools provided, plus some delicious treats from our farm and local vendors. Bring a beverage of your choice. Cost: $95; click here to register. Masks optional. Questions? Email jess@codmanfarm.org.

Librarians offer kids’ book gift ideas

Do you need holiday gift book suggestions for the young readers in your life? Join the Lincoln Public Library children’s librarians on Thursday, Dec. 1 at noon as they review their favorite new books of the year as well as some perennial favorites. The event is open to all adults (feel free to share with grandparents and relatives near and far). Email dleopold@minlib.net for the Zoom link.

Program on biodiversity and climate change

The Lincoln Land Conservation Trust will host a virtual program on backyard biodiversity, climate change, and solutions to a looming ecological crisis on Thursday, Dec. 8 from 7­–8:30 p.m. Headlines about global insect declines, the impending extinction of one million species worldwide, and three billion fewer birds in North America are a bleak reality check about how ineffective our current landscape designs have been at protecting the plants and animals that sustain us. The night’s focus will be on how to create backyard biodiversity in Lincoln, connect habitats throughout town, and increase resilience against climate change. A Zoom link will be sent to all participants who register here.

Tallamy is a Professor of Agriculture in the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware. His award-winning books include Bringing Nature Home, Nature’s Best Hope, and The Nature of Oaks.

Flashlight candy cane hunt

Grab your flashlight and search for hundreds of candy canes hidden around Pierce Park on Friday, Dec. 9 from 6–7 p.m. Participants will start off the event by decorating a candy cane bag while music and hot cocoa are available. Then we’ll get our flashlights and head into the park to hunt for candy canes. Keep your eye out because you may even find a special candy cane with a prize-winning ribbon! Bring your own flashlight. Free, but online preregistration with the Parks and Recreation Department is required.

Steve Hoffman

Hoffman tapped as CEO of Rova

Lincoln resident Steve Hoffman has been named CEO of Rova, an on-demand delivery platform that connects drivers to businesses. Hoffman was the initial chair of the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission from 2017 to April 2022. He has also served as the CEO of two venture capital-backed technology companies, a Senior Vice President at CSC Index (Computer Science Corp.), and an Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer at Sapient.

State of the Town meetings look to the future

There will be a two-night State of the Town meeting via Zoom in mid-November with an overarching theme: “What should Lincoln be like in 2050?”

“Lincoln’s boards and committees are focused on work that will have long-term implications for and impacts on our town. There are conversations about housing, education, human services, multi-modal transportation, diversity and equity, land use, and climate change (to name but a few),” the Select Board said in their most recent newsletter. “Many topics are interrelated and require us to think about our values, envision the future, and weigh (sometimes difficult) tradeoffs. We need your ideas, insights, questions, and dreams to guide our work as we draft the plans, policy proposals, and budgets that you will vote on at subsequent Town Meetings.”

Residents are invited to read and respond to a “Letter to Our Grandchildren” by the 1971 Planning Board excerpted in the Select Board newsletter that outlined issues of the day including zoning, housing prices, roadside paths, and even trash (“We wonder whether you will have solved the problem of solid waste? Maybe our best hope is that you will be wise enough to produce less of it…”).

Discussion questions for today include:

  • How would you describe Lincoln in 2022? (housing, transportation, human services, education, diversity & equity, town governance, land use practices, energy consumption, etc.)
  • What is your vision for 2050?
  • What would you include in a new “letter to our grandchildren”? What actions do we need to take to fulfill your vision? What are your top priorities?

Send a few words, a few paragraphs, photos, poetry or whatever conveys your ideas using this form. The deadline is Tuesday, Nov. 1.

The State of the Town schedule and topics of discussion are listed below. The links can also be found on the town’s SOTT web page.

Monday, Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. — Night 1 (Zoom event — register here)

  • Community Center Building Committee
  • Council on Aging & Human Services
  • Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, & Anti-Racism (IDEA) Committee

Tuesday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. — Night 2 (Zoom event — register here)

  • Planning Board
  • Conservation, Rural Land Foundation/Lincoln Land Conservation Trust
  • Green Energy/Climate Action
  • Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee

News acorns

Public forums scheduled on Bicycle & Pedestrian Master Plan

The Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee is hosting four virtual public forums to review the Bicycle & Pedestrian Master Plan draft and collect feedback to improve the plan. There will also be a short presentation about the master plan at the State of the Town meeting in November.

The master plan, which was drafted by BPAC in consultation with the Planning Department, the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, and other town committees and departments, aims to make Lincoln to be more safe, green and accessible for residents and visitors traveling by foot and bike.

The public forums each focus on one region of Lincoln, but the BPAC will review the overall plan at each forum and are happy to discuss any region of town at any meeting if participants desire.

  • Thursday, Oct. 13 at 7:30 p.m. — North Lincoln (Route 2 and north). Zoom link.
  • Thursday, Oct. 20 at 7:30 p.m. — South Lincoln (Route117 and south). Zoom link.
  • Wednesday, Oct. 26 at 7:30 p.m. — East Lincoln (east of Lincoln Road/Bedford Road, south of Route 2 and north of Route117.) Zoom link.
  • Wednesday, Nov. 2 at 7:30 p.m. — West Lincoln (west of Lincoln Road/Bedford Road, south of Route 2 and north of Route117.) Zoom link.

More information:

Watering restrictions still in effect

With the continued Stage 3 drought, the state requires maintaining water use restrictions. To comply, the Lincoln Water Commission voted unanimously to extend water use restrictions in Lincoln beyond the traditional stop date of September 30. When drought restrictions are ended, a posting will be made on the town website and via other means. Don’t hesitate to contact the Lincoln Water Department if you have any questions (781-259-2669 or lafalamd@lincolntown.org).

During Stage 2 and above, Water Department staff monitors all sprinkler use in town and will stop to remind residents of the restriction policy. A first offence will result in a $100 fine, and subsequent violations will result in a $200 fine. For more information, see this Restrictions, Conservation & Water Use page and the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs’ drought page.

Film screening: “After Life”

The Lincoln Library Film Society will screen “After Life” (1998) directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda on Thursday, Oct. 20 at 6 p.m. If you could choose only one memory to hold on to for eternity, what would it be? In Japanese with English subtitles. Free and open to all.

Walk to benefit SVdP food pantry

Join a walk to benefit the Society of St. Vincent de Paul of Lincoln and Weston, which operates the food pantry for the two towns, on Saturday, Oct. 22 at St. Julia Church (374 Boston Post Rd., Weston) along Weston’s rail trail (approximately 2.2 miles). Check-in/same-day registration begins at 9 a.m. and the walk at 9:30 a.m., with an ice cream social at 10:30 a.m. Pre-register by October 15 to receive an SVdP gift. Suggested donation: $10 per person/ or $25 per family. Click here to register and/or donate. For more information, email svdplincolnweston@gmail.com.

“Opera for Everyone” series returns

The Friends of the Lincoln Library present their annual “Opera for Everyone” series on three Sundays from 2–3:30 p.m. at the library. Opera lecturer Erika Reitshamer returns to enlighten, inspire and entertain while passing along her vast knowledge of opera and opera lore to Boston’s educational institutions. Her last offering for Lincoln Library was a lecture on “It Takes Two to Duet,” just in time for Valentine’s Day on February 12, 2022.

  • October 23 —Donizetti’s “The Elixir of Love”
  • October 30 —  Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville”
  • November 6 — Rossini’s “The Italian Girl in Algiers”

Click here for plot details.

Family Halloween activities at deCordova

The deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum offers moonlit sculpture-building activities with deCordova faculty, self-guided mysteries to solve with friends and family, and a sweet treat or two along the way on Friday, Oct. 21 and Friday, Oct. 28 at 5:30 p.m. Cost is $35 per family ($28 for member families); click here to select date and buy tickets. For more information, call 781-259-3647.

Pumpkin Palooza for kids at library

The Lincoln Public Library will host Pumpkin Palooza on Saturday, Oct. 29 from 10:30 a.m.–noon. Wear your costume and join us on the library lawn for Halloween fun: pumpkin painting, activities, crafts, and more. Drop-in; best for ages 6 and under.

Purple lights highlight domestic violence awareness

Why are those buildings purple? Purple, it is said, is the color of courage, survival, honor, and hope. It is also the color recognizing Domestic Violence Awareness Month each October. For the past several years, the Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable, in collaboration with the Lauren Dunne-Astley Memorial Fund and First Parish in Wayland, has chosen to light the towns of Sudbury and Wayland in purple. They have lit numerous faith and public buildings in Sudbury and Wayland and have posted banners and signs in all three communities. The Roundtable invites local businesses and homeowners to join in by adding their own purple lights. Inexpensive 4.5 watt Feit purple LED Electric bulbs are available at Ace Hardware in Wayland and Aubuchon Hardware in Sudbury.

Solar array at landfill could be built starting next summer

The town has cleared a major hurdle in its years-long effort to create a solar photovoltaic array atop the capped landfill next to the transfer station.

The National Park Service owns the land along Route 2A and up the beginning of Mill Street, over which the town must create utility access to the site. The federal government was “vigorously protecting their rights” but recently came to an agreement with the town for an access permit, Town Administrator Tm Higgins reported at the September 12 Select Board meeting.

There will be an informational meeting via Zoom (passcode: 335408) on Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 7 p.m. to explain the project background and impacts to abutters and others. According to an FAQ document that’s been distributed to abutters, the only noise from the installation once it’s operable will be a low hum from the inverter when the sun is shining and HVAC equipment inside the energy storage system as a volume that will be “negligible” at the nearby transfer station.

The solar array is expected to generate about 1 megawatt of electricity, which will feed into Eversource’s distribution system via the utility poles and power lines along Mill Street and be used to power town-owned buildings. The town will receive financial credits from Eversource for the energy produced, as well as annual property tax payments.

In 2017, residents approved a “land swap” arrangement whereby some of the landfill property was taken out of conservation status in exchange for putting the same amount of land elsewhere into conservation. That land is part of the Wang property on Bedford Road that the town purchased, now the site of an athletic field as well as nine acres of conservation land.

The town hopes to issue a request for proposals in October 2022 and receive competitive bids from solar companies by mid-November. Construction lasting 4-6 months could begin in summer 2023.

It may also be possible to create a trail link during the process of creating access to the site, Higgins said.

Town gets grant to create Climate Action Plan

Lincoln will have its own Climate Action Plan next year, thanks to a recent $100,000 grant from the Baker-Polito administration that will fund a consultant to create the plan.

The municipal climate resilience grants administrated by the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) program support cities and towns in identifying climate hazards, developing strategies to improve resilience, and implementing priority actions to adapt to climate change impacts including sea level rise, inland flooding, storms, and extreme temperatures.

Lincoln is one of 73 projects to have received action grant funding in the latest round of applications. With this year’s awards, 97% of Massachusetts cities and towns, or 341 municipalities, are enrolled.

“This grant application was a monumental group effort, thanks in large part to the 27 letters of support we received from citizen groups, individual residents, and town officials and departments,” the Planning Department said in a statement.

Climate Action Lincoln, a subcommittee of the town’s Green Energy Committee, has been advocating for the development of a Climate Action Plan for several years. In 2021, Climate Action Lincoln conducted extensive outreach to 12 town boards and committees and presented at the State of the Town Meeting in November 2021 and at the 2022 Annual Town Meeting on the urgency to plan and prepare for climate impacts and mitigate carbon emissions. Lincoln residents responded by unanimously voting to embark on a process to develop a Climate Action Plan for the town.

The plan will build on the town’s 2019 MVP Community Resilience Building Workshop, which identified seniors, low-income residents, and people living alone as more susceptible to extreme heat and other climate risks. The workshop and corresponding data analysis also identified flooding, severe storms, and droughts as top hazards. The planning process will center on inclusive and equitable community engagement to identify priorities, goals, and strategies for the town to rapidly build community resilience, adapt to these climate impacts, and develop actionable strategies to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.

Anyone who has questions or would like to be included in the project’s mailing list may email ClimateAction@lincolntown.org.

“Where does it all go?” Part 5: The 5 R’s, and some numbers

By Alice Waugh

Editor’s note: A huge thank-you to Susan Donaldson, DPW office manager, for her prompt and helpful answers and explanations as the Lincoln Squirrel was researching and writing these articles.

Also in this series:

Lincoln’s recycling rate (the proportion of recyclables diverted from the trash) since 2012 has averaged about 40%, which is slightly better than the statewide average of 33% but well below the national leaders, San Francisco and Los Angeles, which divert about 80 percent of their waste from landfills. So there’s definitely room for improvement in both how much Lincolnites recycle, and how correctly they recycle by putting items in the correct bin at the transfer station. 

One method that some towns are using to encourage more recycling is “pay as you throw” (PAYT), where residents pay for trash disposal per unit of waste discarded rather than solely through a fixed townwide fee or tax. “It’s equivalent to putting a price tag on each container of trash that’s placed at the curb or taken to the landfill or transfer station for disposal,” notes a DEP implementation guide for starting PAYT programs. As of 2021, more than 150 cities and towns in Massachusetts had some type of PAYT program in place.

The Holy Grail of recycling and trash management is “zero waste,” where almost nothing goes in the trash and everything we use is subject to the five R’s: Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Rot. “Refuse” at the top of the pyramid means the first step is to say no to disposable single-use plastic, coffee cups, utensils, straws, shopping bags, food packaging, and anything else you could replace with a reusable or compostable option.

Meanwhile, at the transfer station, it’s often hard to know whether something is recyclable or not, so the DPW encourages residents to ask a staff member where things should go rather than just guess or “wishcycle.” “It makes you have to think,” noted Susan Donaldson, DPW office manager. 

The department will hold education days at the transfer station starting in September, and a short version of the new rules is being included with new transfer station stickers that residents get in the mail (they’re required as of September 1).

“We want to encourage people to read the rules and regulations because that tells you everything,” Donaldson said.

Resources

Lincoln’s costs to haul and process materials (January – June 2022)

MaterialCost
Trash$48,918
Single-stream recyclables$6,102
Glass$5,301
Metal$1,588
TVs$880
Black Earth Compost$4,524
Recycling rebate+$4,725
Textiles rebate+$1,321
Total costs (Jan-Jun)$61,267

Costs are fee per ton, less the value of materials.

Tons of material hauled in Lincoln (2012 – June 2022)

(Source for table and chart: Susan Donaldson, Lincoln DPW, and 2019 DPW presentation)

Notes:

  • Starting in July 2016, paper and cardboard were included in single-stream recycling.
  • In 2021, there were also 8 tons of mattresses recycled.