elections

In a very close race for Planning Board, incumbent Lynn DeLisi and challenger Bob Domnitz won the two open seats, ousting Rick Rundell, who has been on the board since 2012. Domnitz previously served on the board from 2003–15 but himself was beaten by Gary Taylor in 2015 by a margin of 481-441 (click on ballot image). 

In the June 15 election, residents could vote for two of the three candidates. Domnitz, a Mill Street resident, beat Rundell in Precinct 2 (northern and eastern Lincoln), 459-412, but came in third in Precinct 1. DeLisi garnered the most votes of the three candidates, but Domnitz’s margin in his home precinct was enough to allow him to finish in second place overall, beating Rundell by 47 votes. A total of 806 ballots were cast in the election for a turnout of 17% of registered voters (the Planning Board was the only contested race).

The race was the focus of much townwide debate and campaigning. Over the last year, the board has been at the center of  controversial proposal (since shelved) by one of the South Lincoln Planning and Implementation Committee’s teams to relax some of the zoning rules for the Lincoln Station area and give the board more power to approve projects that might otherwise have had to go to Town Meeting. 

In the June 11 candidate forum, DeLisi and Domnitz roundly criticized the proposal by SLPIC. But Rundell pushed back, noting that the board could not change its decision-making scope without approval at Town Meeting. The SLPIC proposal was originally on the docket when Town Meeting was scheduled for March but were withdrawn before the meeting was rescheduled due to the pandemic. SLPIC then planned to bring a revised proposal to a Special Town Meeting this fall but subsequently shelved the plan entirely. 

During the forum, Rundell characterized himself as a “forward-looking candidate” and said the board’s role should not be “fossilizing the town in a certain state.” 

Ironically, Rundell said in March that he was recruited to the Planning Board shortly after arriving in Lincoln by Domnitz because he felt the board lacked a professional architect. 

The Lincoln Squirrel will interview all three candidates about the results and hopes to publish a story on June 16.

Earlier this year, the Lincoln Squirrel asked candidates running in the annual town election (then scheduled for late March) to discuss their experience and the important issues they thought would face their board or commission in coming months and years. The Squirrel published responses from candidates for the Water Commission and the Planning Board (the only contested race this year) earlier this spring, as well as three new pieces by Planning Board candidates Lynn DeLisi, Bob Domnitz, and Rick Rundell. See the full slate on this specimen ballot. Here are the responses from the remaining candidates.

Manley B. Boyce II

Cemetery Commission (22-year incumbent)

Hard to believe that I have been on this commission since 1998. Before being on this commission, I spent three years on the Emergency Fund with the Council of Aging under the direction of the Board of Selectmen.

Although some of the land formation has changed, the direction of the members of the Cemetery Commission has not. We have always, as a commission, been united in our mission to support our townspeople with a beautiful and restful sanctuary to respect and honor our friends and family members.

If reelected to this position, I would strive to be a part of this commission to continue to oversee and orchestrate the tranquil presence of our cemeteries. This requires funding and land expansion that is needed now and will be required to accommodate future generations.

As our cemetery expands, we find we now need a full-time custodian to oversee the preservation of the cemetery land and for the ongoing burials. Funding is imperative to achieve this goal. A second and crucial funding need is for a mini-excavator to reach our hard-to-access lots. This mini-excavator would be shared, used, and maintained by the Highway Department;

Jonathan Dwyer

Board of Selectmen (three-year incumbent)

Having finished one term on the Board of Selectmen, I am running for reelection. A key BOS responsibility is to ensure the town’s government is responsive to residents. I consistently hear concerns about the cost of living in town, the need for expanded social services, and desires for developing a more diverse tax base. Residents want a community center, a vibrant town center, greater town commitment to net-zero living, and improved transportation infrastructure supporting multi-mobility and safety for all roadway users. Voices also call for more diverse housing, expanded conservation of land, and greater investment in our historic structures. 

Considering that big projects like the town office renovation and athletic fields expansion are done, the new school project is underway and Oriole Landing is on course to meet our affordable housing goals, I think it is time to discern the town’s current priorities and update its 11-year-old Comprehensive Long Range Plan. I would be honored to serve another term on the board to listen and to lead in partnership with colleagues Jennifer Glass and James Craig.

I respectfully ask that you make me the last “Selectman” to run for office in Lincoln (there is a citizen’s petition to rename BOS to “Select Board” at a future Town Meeting yet to be scheduled).

Harold Engstrom

Lincoln-Sudbury High School District Committee (first-time candidate)

While I have helped on boards around Lincoln before (Codman, soccer, etc.), I haven’t run for nor been elected to any position anywhere. In the three-year term I’m running for, probably the most important part of the job will be helping to select new leadership for L-S because the current superintendent will come to the end of her tenure. My motivation for running for L-S School Committee is very general: provide responsible stewardship and help our community maximize the potential and development of all students and staff at L-S. I expect that my approach will be to (1) first understand how the L-S school committee currently functions and why it functions that way, then (2) understand what the currently stated guiding principles and currently approved plan for L-S is, and then (3) work to execute duties as decided on by the committee. It is possible that I may not agree with the majority sometimes, but that will not keep me from working constructively to do what we vote to do. Our public schools are our biggest and most important ongoing community project.

I was asked to run and I also feel that giving back is important. My sons graduated from L-S and my daughter graduates this spring. Helping to keep L-S a great place for others, and possibly helping to make it even better, would be a privilege.

Derek P. Fitzgerald

Commissioner of Trust Funds (six-year incumbent)

The town’s trust investments have had a good run over the last several years as the markets have gone up significantly. The immediate task is to keep a good monitoring program in place and to avoid unneeded risks and complexity. At some point the markets will turn and trusts need to be positioned to minimize risk to capital yet still earn a reasonable return on investment. I believe the Lincoln trusts investments are well positioned, but this is an on-going process. 

In the last year, the board directed our portfolio managers to minimize the trusts investments in the fossil fuel industry in pursuit of the ESG goal of supporting a greener planet. Lincoln didn’t have much exposure to begin with so the impact has been minimal on the investment holdings and performance.

Less glamorously but perhaps just as importantly for the prudent management of the trust, the board updated and adopted a new investment policy to direct our portfolio managers in the oversite and allocation of the town trusts.

Adam Hogue

School Committee (one-year incumbent)

The biggest challenge facing us currently is the current pandemic. My goals on the committee is to keep our budget fiscally responsible to the town and also be an advocate for our students to give them the best education possible.

Sarah Cannon Holden

Town Moderator (12-year incumbent)

I am running for my fourth three-year term as Lincoln’s Town Moderator. My prior experience includes six years on the Finance Committee, two years on the Community Preservation Committee, nine years on the L-S School Committee, and six years on the Board of Selectmen. In each position I have learned a little bit more about the town (and probably myself), and I cherish the friendships that I have made while serving the town.

My interests in civics, politics, and service led me to law school 20 years after I graduated from college. I have had an active and interesting career in labor arbitration and mediation. It was interrupted briefly in 2001-02 when I ran unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor as a qualified Clean Elections Candidate. My role now as moderator seems to fit in with this background. I certainly enjoy the role and the challenges that it poses. I hope always to conduct a fair, open and respectful meeting, and to be receptive to new ideas for making the meeting run efficiently without sacrificing the robust and complex essence of democracy.

My three children attended the Lincoln and Lincoln-Sudbury Public Schools.

This year’s Town Meeting will be a new experience for all of us. It will be in a tent on June 13; it will be a very abbreviated meeting with all presentations having been done online in the weeks and days beforehand, and it will include a comprehensive consent calendar with only three other articles for our consideration. Our primary concern is the health of all in attendance. With that in mind, I believe that it is important for us to work through the agenda carefully and as efficiently as possible.

I will do my best to lead us through the meeting after so many volunteers and staff have done the work to get us prepared. Please check in early on June 13 so we can get started at 9:30 a.m.

I ask for your vote on Monday, June 15. The polls at the Hartwell School parking lot will be open from 12–4 p.m. Thank you.

Fred Mansfield

Board of Health (20-year incumbent)

Important issues for the upcoming year(s) include:

• Infectious diseases and the town’s response, e.g. EEE, Covid-19, West Nile, tick-borne disease
• Water quality
• Natural gas leaks
• Town nurse coverage for elderly and disabled
• Immunization advocacy: measles, flu, Covid -19
• Issues around control of nicotine and cannabinoid distribution and use

Ellen Meadors

Board of Assessors (18-year incumbent)

The main goals of the Board of Assessors are to:

• Provide fair and equitable assessments based on true market values
• Meet with citizens and citizen groups to discuss their assessment concerns
• Propose and support tax relief measures for those who need them
• Coordinate with and support other departments, boards, and commissions
• Incorporate new technologies to improve assessments, enhance services and reduce costs.

In the next few years, we expect to be incorporating new technologies into our assessing process. In particular, our assessing contractor, Regional Resource Group, is finding it more and more challenging to do the yearly periodic re-inspections of properties. Qualified assessing staff is getting more and more difficult to find and some homeowners feel it‘s an invasion of privacy to have people walking around their house measuring the exterior. We are hoping to be able to use high-definition aerial images and image processing software tools to do detailed exterior inspections via computer that are sufficiently accurate to meet State requirements. The Board will be working with RRG to define a new process and get State approval.

Tara Mitchell

School Committee (three-year incumbent and current chair)

There are so many exciting aspects of working with the school district at this point. The new primary and middle schools at Hanscom and the Lincoln campus renovation project is allowing our district to advance into 21st-century education. Teachers at both schools are building skills, honing techniques, and collaborating to help better prepare students for the challenges they will face in the future. Lincoln staff have started to reimagine how they use spaces and how they work with students and colleagues now and in the future.

As a school committee member, I’m excited to support the district’s strategic plan, which focuses on professional development, elevating instructional practices within all classrooms, and providing deeper learning for all students. I look forward to communicating how this vision is becoming a reality and ensuring the policies and budget recommendations continue to support the district’s goals. 

Rob Stringer

Recreation Department (first-time candidate)

No previous government offices held, but I am a soccer coach, baseball and basketball assistant coach, and I’m on the PTO.

There are a few things I’m very interested in helping the Rec Department deal with in the next few years: how to handle the adjustments to our yearly program of events due to the school building work (Fourth of July, parking for the pool, use of fields) and how can we build on the work to leave a legacy that makes us stronger. Look for new ways to engage Lincoln residents and surrounding communities using the wonderful parks and people we have. 

I enjoy working with the communities I’m already involved in (PTO and local sports) and thought it would be another way to stay involved as my kids age out of my ability to coach them.

The Lincoln Squirrel is gathering statements from the candidates in the town election that takes place March 30. First up: the three candidates who are running for two seats on the Planning Board, which is the only contested race this year: incumbent Lynn DeLisi, challenger and former board member Robert Domnitz, and incumbent Rick Rundell.

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Lynn DeLisi

South Great Road

I am running for re-election to the Planning Board of our town and I would like to tell you why.

Like so many other people, we decided to purchase a home in Lincoln several years ago because we fell in love with the picturesque vistas of wide-open spaces with nighttime stars in the sky, fields of wildflowers, organic farms and wild-life of all kinds safely roaming conservation land. The zoning for one residential home per two acres appealed to us, along with the many mapped walking paths and scenic ponds. We were amazed that we could carry our canoe to the Sudbury River and see blue herons, and yet attend a concert at the BSO only a 30-minute drive from our house.

Not even a month after we moved into our new home, however, we received a letter by registered mail from a neighbor whose property we abutted on three sides. He included a diagram of a dozen dense structures on the acreage surrounding our lot with a letter informing us that a developer in Concord was interested in buying his land and placing several groups of condos in an L shape surrounding our new home. The letter further stated that “The Planning Board was very interested in having this done.” I cried a lot after receiving that letter and the stress of this crisis was tremendous. We had just purchased a house we loved with a beautiful view in a town we thought was unique for the reasons I mentioned, and now we were about to be surrounded by dense dwellings and more people, cars, and noise than we thought could be possible in this quiet, environmentally sensitive community.

Not long after receiving this letter, I saw there was a vacancy on the Planning Board, expressed my interest, and was appointed. Once on the board, I became aware that what my neighbor wanted would need to go through zoning changes and site plan reviews and be approved by Town Meeting. It still could have happened, but this neighbor’s plan never came to fruition simply because we managed to purchase that extra lot surrounding us to preserve our view, our favorite wildlife, and quiet.

I realize, however, that not everyone in town can stop the development around them as we did. If someone convinces the Planning Board and the town of the need to rezone a neighborhood for new housing or something else, what almost happened to us could be reality for others. They need someone on the Planning Board who will listen to them and look out for their interests.

Currently there is a controversy about whether or not significantly more dense housing units are needed in South Lincoln near the train station. Some people think we need to do our share as a town to alleviate the housing problem in Boston. Others do not agree and predict the changes to the town would be dramatic. Those most affected are those living there already and are the most vulnerable to the changes.

It’s difficult to know what the majority of people truly want for this district. I don’t think that gets answered by early-morning or late-weekday-evening public forums and meetings. Can all those who care attend these meetings and speak up to voice an opinion? Are these opinions being counted in some way? Do we need a scientifically and carefully constructed survey of the town to determine what the residents want? This may be the best way to hear all the views.

I know very well what the negative consequences of not carefully listening could be. I will always be questioning why, where, and what, and looking for ways to preserve neighborhoods and the interests of abutters while maintaining the uniqueness of Lincoln.

One of my past accomplishments on the Planning Board was my service on the Selectman’s fact-finding committee on the implications of the legalization of recreational marijuana businesses in the Lincoln. As a committee, we were very cognizant that we needed to put our personal views aside and recommend to the Selectmen a path to follow that the people of the town truly wanted.

In order to do that, I took the lead in conducting a survey of residents to hear their views on having marijuana grown, manufactured, and/or sold within our town. Based on that survey, a public forum, and extensive research on the facts, we brought to a Special Town Meeting a bylaw amendment to ban marijuana establishments in Lincoln, and this was passed by two-thirds vote and by subsequent ballot. I am proud to have contributed to this, knowing as I do (someone working with young adults addicted to marijuana) that we have taken a small step not to promote easy access to a harmful substance by the youth of our town. If, in the future, carefully controlled treatment trials show positive effects of cannabis products on an array of medical ailments, I will be happy to help reverse this town vote.

Another campaign of mine has been to help the residents of North Lincoln, who in my mind have suffered more than their share for the town. The Route 2 changes occurred before my time on the Planning Board and I have been dismayed with how they were handled and how residents of our town have suffered. I tried hard to minimize the effects of Minuteman Vocational High School on the residents of Mill Street. I believe it is a disgrace how the school officials handled this project, not collaborating with the neighborhood. They did not need the high tower for theater classes, or to clear out so many trees, or to build a highly lit stadium with a loud speaker system.

In addition, as a Harvard-affiliated psychiatrist who treats people with borderline personality disorder frequently, I knew that what McLean was doing to claim they were an educational facility was wrong. I spoke out against it orally and in writing. Unfortunately, this ultimately did not go in favor of the North Lincoln residents. Nevertheless, I will continue to speak out forcefully against anything that has a negative impact on the neighborhoods of North Lincoln and will of course rigorously support the positive.

In summary, I am for responsible planning, always in collaboration with the people in neighborhoods. I am for keeping the South Lincoln commercial district successful but not dense with new housing unless that is truly what the majority of residents want. I am for keeping North Lincoln residents free from any more adversity, which means keeping a DPW site out of North Lincoln.

I am for regulations that preserve Lincoln’s unique atmosphere, with nighttime stars and early morning wildlife grazing in open fields. I am for preserving the historical significance of some of Lincoln’s neighborhoods and the designated Historical Districts, the highest quality education available to our children in modernized facilities, a community center that serves our residents well, safe and supportive facilities for senior residents, keeping the availability of harmful substances away from our young generation, and most of all, keeping Lincoln safe.

If these are your interests and you want to be assured that you will have someone representing them, then vote in Lincoln’s election on March 30. I always have time to listen to people’s concerns and suggestions. You can email me at DeLisi76@aol.com or phone me at 781-257-5046.

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Robert Domnitz

Mill Street

(Editor’s note: Domnitz is a former member of the Planning Board who narrowly lost his bid for reelection in 2015.)

What is your previous experience in town government?

I served on the Hanscom Field Advisory Commission from 1985–1991. In Lexington, I was member/chair of the Lexington Planning Board from 1990–1995 and a Town Meeting Representative from 1986–1995. I was member/chair of the Lincoln Planning Board from 2003–2015

In the next few years, what do you think are the most important issue(s) facing the Planning Board, and how would you tackle them if elected?

The Planning Board has given top priority to promotion of increased business activity and housing in the Lincoln Station area. They are developing a complex revision to the town’s zoning bylaw which they believe will foster this development. A key feature of their proposal is that they — and they alone — will have authority to approve large-scale development proposals without review by Town Meeting. This is a dramatic departure from our traditional reliance on Town Meeting for major decisions.

I revere our Town Meeting form of government. As a member of the Planning Board, I will work to ensure that Town Meeting continues to play a central role in Lincoln’s decisions about land use. I believe that the Planning Board’s effort to foster revitalization of Lincoln Station without meaningful participation of Town Meeting will be divisive and will fail. Conversely, with Town Meeting’s participation, we have the opportunity to welcome projects that appeal to neighbors, business owners, and the town at large. Again and again, we have proven that our Town Meeting can take decisive action when it’s needed. I will do my best to make sure that Town Meeting gets the balanced information it needs to make those bold, prudent decisions.

Why did you decide to run for the Planning Board again?

In recent years, many residents have become increasingly concerned as our Annual Town Meeting has turned into a mostly routine exercise that “rubber stamps” the proposals that are presented. Our boards and committees almost invariably present unanimous, seamless recommendations. If there is another side to the issue, it is rarely presented for our consideration.

The Planning Board’s current zoning proposal accelerates this worrisome trend. It authorizes the board to approve major projects in Lincoln Station without Town Meeting’s participation in the decision-making process. These projects can have profound impacts on virtually every aspect of Lincoln: finances, services, school population, traffic, and Lincoln’s overall character. I feel we should not rely on five future Planning Board members to make these important decisions. As a member of the Planning Board, I would work to preserve the vitality and relevance of our Town Meeting.

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Rick Rundell

Todd Pond Road

What background and experience do you offer?

I am a Massachusetts registered architect with over three decades experience in the building industry and a member of the American Institute of Architects. I hold credentials from the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards and the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program of the U.S. Green Building Council. I presently work in the software industry, where I lead innovation programs focused on architecture, engineering, and construction. I hold a master’s degree in architecture from Harvard University and a B.A. in engineering science from Dartmouth College.

My wife Virginia and I came to Lincoln in 2012 with our two children and small flock of chickens, drawn by its unique character, connection to nature, and the thoughtful planning of its beautiful neighborhoods. The children are now in college and the flock has flown—and meanwhile, Virginia and I have become deeply committed to the community, serving on several local volunteer boards and organizations.

I was recruited to the Planning Board shortly after arriving in Lincoln by then-member Bob Domnitz because he felt the board lacked a professional architect. I agreed, and since then I have brought the energetic perspective of an active, engaged professional to the board. I am a registered architect in the state of Massachusetts and the sole candidate for the board with an architectural background. I’ve served on the Planning Board since 2012, including as chair in 2015, and have been one of two Board members appointed to the Historic District Commission since 2013. I have also been president of the Todd Pond Residents Association since 2013.

Why are you excited about serving on the Planning Board?

We’ve seen tremendous changes in the Planning Board over the last few years. I am especially proud of the amendments to the Zoning By-Law passed by Town Meeting in 2018 as Article 27. This measure, by putting a five-year sunset on site plan review requirements, finally put limits on the creeping power of the Planning Board as property after property had become permanently encumbered under site plan review, with the obligation to bring even the most trivial improvements before the board. Changes that many residents could make as of right were closed off to property owners once they had fallen under site plan review. Though the article was opposed by a former board member at that Town Meeting, the measure passed resoundingly. That today’s board proposed a measure to so limit its own power made me proud to be a member, and proud of our Town Meeting process. It is also evidence of the change represented by today’s board that has benefited the citizens of Lincoln.

The challenges to Lincoln come largely from the world around us—changes to demographics, the economics of retail, the cost of public infrastructure, development in towns around us that impact our residents without benefiting them, and even the legalization of marijuana. With the newly professionalized board and Planning Department that is bringing hundreds of thousands of grant dollars to Lincoln for civic improvements, and with the level of civic engagement in the town, I see a tremendous opportunities to respond to these challenges in ways that continue to preserve and increase the health and character of the town.

The opportunities presented by having our own rail station, world-class cultural facilities, and spectacular rural landscapes in conservation allow Lincoln to punch well above its weight as a vibrant, diverse, and engaging community. My experience with Town Meeting since first attending on our arrival in 2012 leaves me with nothing but respect for direct democracy, and I have seen time and time again where authentic discourse has led to great results.