The January 5 article headlined “Race for local elected office kicks off” contained incorrect deadlines. The last day to obtain nomination paper is Thursday, Feb. 6. The deadline for submitting papers with signatures for certification to the Registrars of Voters is Monday, Feb. 10. 
The original article has been updated.
government
Race for local elected office kicks off
Nomination papers are now available for the following local offices, which will appear on the March 30, 2020 town election ballot. Candidates must obtain the signatures of 35 registered Lincoln voters. The last day to obtain nomination papers is Thursday, Feb. 6. The deadline for submitting papers with signatures for certification to the Registrars of Voters is Monday, Feb. 10.
For additional information, please contact the Town Clerk’s Office at 781-259-2607 or email Valerie Fox at foxv@lincolntown.org.
| Board or Committee | Openings/terms | Incumbent(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Board of Assessors | One for three years | Ellen Meadors |
| Board of Health | One for three years | Frederick L. Mansfield |
| Board of Selectmen | One for three years | Jonathan Dwyer |
| Cemetery Commission | One for three years | Manley Boyce |
| Commissioners of Trust Funds | One for three years | D. Paul Fitzgerald |
| Housing Commission | One for three years | Bijoy Misra |
| Moderator | One for three years | Sarah Cannon Holden |
| Lincoln-Sudbury Regional District School Committee | Two for three years | Candace Miller, Patricia Mostue |
| Parks and Recreation Committee | One for three years | Margit Griffith |
| Planning Board | Two for three years | Richard Rundell, Lynn DeLisi |
| School Committee | Two for three years | Tara Lynn Mitchell, Adam Hogue |
| Trustees of Bemis | One for three years | John MacLachlan |
| Water Commission | One for three years, one for two years, one for one year | Ruth Ann Hendrickson (other two seats are open) |
Barrett, Stanley address Lincoln issues at meeting
Lincoln’s representatives in the state legislature, Sen. Mike Barrett and Rep. Tom Stanley, updated residents and town officials about locally issues important including transportation, housing, and sustainability.
At their December 16 meeting, selectmen asked about $500,000 that was allocated in a state bond bill for designing improvements to Lincoln’s commuter rail station. Although the bill passed in 2018, the money has yet to be released. This has been a source of frustration for Lincoln officials, who hope to upgrade the station as part of a larger plan to rezone South Lincoln to allow more mixed-use development, making it more attractive for commuters, residents and businesses.
“Is it worth the time and effort to continue to push in this direction, or start to make some noise in another direction?” Selectman James Craig asked.
“I understand some things are really riding on this… that’s good for us to know about,” Barrett said. “It’s not a good idea to plan on the assumption that that money is going to be available in the next two years… [but] it’s worthwhile pushing hard and asking us to push hard.”
Both legislators were optimistic that the state will authorize spending to address the Boston-area traffic and transportation crisis, which could encompass public transportation improvements such as those sought in Lincoln. “I believe in the next 24 months, serious money will be made available for transportation projects. Certainly the demand is there. It’s approaching anger,” Barrett said.
One avenue being pursued is the Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI), a regional effort to institute a carbon cap-and-trade system that would also raise gasoline prices. “The particulars are gnarly, but if this is put in place, it would generate a huge amount of money,” Barrett said.
Stanley has also introduced legislation that would study the potential for a mileage-based fee to replace motor fuel taxes. The two proposals work in different ways to achieve the same goal: increasing revenue from gasoline while also driving down greenhouse gas emissions.
“Legislators are in the habit of putting in play many more projects that can be actually launched and funded,” Barrett said, referring to the stalled Lincoln MBTA funding, “but with TCI fnds, the odds change and many more projects become financially viable.”
Housing
Another important regional issue is the housing crunch. To make it easier for housing developments to win local approval, the proposed Act to Promote Housing Choices would lower the requirement for town-wide approvals from a two-thirds supermajority to a single majority. This would affect projects that require Town Meeting approval such as Oriole Landing, a mixed-income project that Lincoln voters approved in 2018.
Significantly larger so-called 40B affordable developments are looming in several towns bordering Lincoln that aren’t meeting the state requirement that 10 percent of their housing be affordable. The housing choice legislation, if approved, could result in even more projects.
However, that proposal is now being targeted for amendments from two differections. Some say the bill takes away too much local control, while others want it to go even further in relaxing requirements for developments. Meanwhile, Springfield and Needham are asking that they and about 70 other towns (including Lincoln) that already meet the 10 percent affordable-housing requirement would be exempt from the law, if passed.
Because of all the proposed changes, “the central idea is in danger of sinking,” Barrett said. “Already the idea is being slow-walked, and no one is really eager for that discussion,” especially heading into an election year, he added.
Dover Amendment
Selectman James Dwyer asked the lawmakers if there was any possibility that the Dover Amendment requirements might be somehow “capped” for towns like Lincoln. That state law allows educational and religious institutions to bypass some local zoning rules and also have those parcels be exempt from local property taxes.
Lincoln’s tax revenue is limited by a combination of a small commercial tax base and a significant portion of state and federal land, such as Minuteman National Historic Park, Hanscom Air Force Base (where children of military retirees who live in tax-exempt base housing attend public school), and various nonprofit institutions. More land was lost to the tax rolls when McLean Hospital recently won a legal battle to create a tax-exempt residential treatment facility on Bypass Road.
“I like the Dover Amendment, but is there ever a limit as to how much a town could bear?” Dwyer asked.
Stanley said he was willing to work with the town on this issue, although changing the Dover Amendment is “very controversial,” he cautioned. Many other communities including Boston and Cambridge (with their universities and hospitals) and western Massachusetts with its many state parks and forests also lose out on some local tax revenue. “Lincoln has a case to make, but these other places would come forward with a surprising diversity of cases of their own,” he said.
Property taxes
Selectman Jennifer Glass noted that Lincoln is working on a proposal to limit the impact of rising property taxes on needy seniors with a local version of the state circuit-breaker program (a move that would need legislative approval even if Lincoln residents vote in favor). Lincoln hopes to expand the state criteria to include eligibility for renters as well as homeowners in town, she said.
“I think a home rule [petition] is the way to go, and I would be prepared to be very supportive,” Barrett said.
Letter to the editor: Abrams inspires support for voting rights organization
To the editor:
The right to vote is a nonpartisan issue. It represents the “voice” of the electorate and is a right of all citizens — except that, in reality, it is not. Stacey Abrams, however, is doing what she can to ensure that everyone can exercise the right to vote.
More than four hundred concerned and enthusiastic voters, including voters from Lincoln, attended a meeting sponsored by Force Multiplier in Wellesley on December 4 to meet Stacey Abrams, the founder of Fair Fight, the nonprofit organization established to fight voter suppression in Georgia and in the nation.
Fighting for fair elections — and fighting against voter suppression — is the key mandate of Fair Fight, and an issue on which we can all come together. Abrams asserted that many problems prevent fair elections — foreign intervention, lack of uniform federal voting standards, corruption, and disinformation — exist, but we can’t overcome all of them immediately. Fair Fight’s immediate aims are practical and on the ground: train poll watchers to oversee the elections, assure accessible polling stations, provide aid to voters, have lawyers on call, and give reliable information to voters ahead of time.
Following the 2018 race for governor of Georgia, Abrams, the Democratic candidate who lost by 55,000 votes, led efforts to study the role of voter suppression in the election. She and other analysts learned that 1.4 million people were removed from the list of registered voters, including 570,000 people who were purged in one day. They were removed because they had not voted in recent elections and were considered “not to exist.” Abrams asserted that the “sacrosanct” right to vote must not be sacrificed to assure the election of those who want to stay in power.
In Georgia, the contested race for governor was not “called” by the networks for 10 days because of irregularities. After the elections, 50,000 voters called the hot line to try to understand why they were told they did not “exist.” Abrams herself, when she went to vote, was informed that she had already voted. A Yale-trained lawyer, with cameras from CBS, NBC, Fox News and other networks observing the exchange, Abrams prevailed and cast her vote for governor.
Abrams, a charismatic speaker and passionate advocate for fair elections, received at least three standing ovations for her words and her work. She answered numerous questions from a well-informed and concerned audience. When asked about the Electoral College, she asserted that the Electoral College itself creates voter suppression and ought to be eliminated. “It’s not about giving Idaho an equal chance to elect the president,” she said.
In response to a question of how we in Massachusetts could help, Abrams suggested we go to the organization’s web pages at www.fairfight.com and fairfight.com/fair-fight-2020. The former fosters voter education and advocates electoral reform at all levels. The latter is focused on the upcoming election and will fund, staff, and train voter protection teams in 20 battleground states. These team members will be hired locally so they’ll know the vulnerable communities they’re trying to protect.
We are co-chairs of the Lincoln Democratic Town Committee. We strongly believe that the right to vote should be supported by all of us, whether Democrats, Republicans, independents, or otherwise. In her newly established organization, Stacey Abrams offers us an opportunity to make a commitment to this right of citizenship.
Sincerely,
Joan Kimball and Barbara Slayter
Co-chairs, Lincoln Democratic Town Committee
Letters to the editor must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Letters will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Letters containing personal attacks, errors of fact or other inappropriate material will not be published.
Public hearings coming up
Tree removal by DPW
On Tuesday, Dec. 3 at 7 p.m. at the Lincoln DPW Office (30 Lewis St.), a public hearing will be held by the Tree Warden, Deputy Tree Warden and/or their designees to consider the removal of the trees listed below that are in the public right of way. This meeting is consistent with the requirements of the Shade Tree Act (MGL,c.87) and Scenic Road Act.
The trees have been marked with a hearing notice and are being considered for removal because they are dead, in decline, or otherwise posing a safety or operational hazard. The trees are marked as to size and type along the following roads:
- 10 Old Sudbury Rd., 20″ pine
- 251 Lincoln Rd., 30″ oak right of drive
- At Town Hall, 24″ hemlock
- Baker Bridge Field South, between poles 49 and 50, 12″ maple
- Baker Bridge Field South, between poles 48 and 49, 12″ maple
- Baker Bridge Field South, between poles 47 and 48, 12″ maple
- Baker Bridge Field South, between poles 46 and 47, 8″ maple
- Baker Bridge Field South, between poles 45 and 46, two 12″ maples
- Baker Bridge Field South, between poles 44 and 45, 12″ maple
- Baker Bridge Field South, between poles 43 and 44, 8″ maple
- 53 Lincoln Rd., 20″ ash
- Lincoln Road across from Pierce Hill Road, 24″ ash
- Across from 94 Lincoln Rd., 20″ ash
- Ridge Road opposite pole 35/1, two 14″ maples
- Ridge Road, between and opposite poles 35/1 and 35/2, two 14″ maples
- Anyone with questions may call the DPW at 781-259-8999.
Zoning Board of Appeals
The Zoning Board of Appeals will hold a public hearing on Thursday, Dec. 5 at 7:30 p.m. in Town Hall to hear and to act on the following petitions under the Zoning Bylaws:
- 9-11 Lewis Street Realty LLC, 9 Lewis St., for extension of original special permit for continued uses of 9, 11 and 11A Lewis St.
- Rosamond and Francois Delori, 44 Tower Rd., for a special permit for an accessory apartment in loft above an existing garage.
- Christopher Kalisch and Lindsay Norris, 158 Bedford Rd., for a special permit to replace an existing garage with a new garage and office above.
Lincoln Dems say climate change is the #1 issue for 2020
By Joan Kimball and Barbara Slayter
Lincoln Democratic Town Committee
Over 40 enthusiastic Democrats attended the Lincoln Democratic Town Committee (LDTC) at a November 16 meeting that defined strategy and goals for the group in the 2020 elections.
Lincoln Democrats voted climate change as the overwhelming #1 issue. Identified as “very important” were gun control, health care, and immigration. As the group looked ahead and discussed goals for 2020, they also reviewed fall activities, including collecting signatures to get ranked-choice voting on the ballot.
Kate Kavanagh and Denise Gieseke, co-founders of Concord Indivisible, shared how individuals can work with their group to promote voter engagement, election integrity, and causes. Everyone is invited to write postcards, text, call and canvas voters around the country and participate in registration drives and rallies.
Barbara Slayter described the work of Force Multiplier (FM) a volunteer group that focuses on raising funds for outstanding Democratic House of Representative candidates in swing districts. A recent Metrowest FM event in Lincoln drew almost 150 people to hear Democrat Abigail Spanberger, who is seeking re-election in Virginia’s 7th district. The event raised over $17,000 for Spanberger.
Joan Kimball, coordinator of the Grandmothers for a Brighter Future, described the postcard writing that Lincoln volunteers have done. In 2016, the Lincoln Grandmothers for a Brighter Future sent out 5,000 postcards for senate races in three states. Anyone over age 10 is invited to write postcard either separately or in groups. The goal for 2020 is 5,000–7,000 postcards. For more information, email Kimball at selenejck@gmail.com.
All interested Lincoln residents are invited to the next LDTC meeting on Saturday, Jan. 11 from 9–11 a.m. in Bemis Hall.
News acorns
Dems host strategy session for 2020 election
Join the Lincoln Democrats’ planning session on Saturday, Nov. 16 to “get fired up and ready to go” for 2020. Hear about the work of Concord Indivisible from co-founders Kate Kavanagh and Denise Gieseke. Share your thoughts on getting out the vote and communications. Explore the critical issues ahead and determine which Lincoln Democrats will prioritize for action. Coffee and pastries starting at 8:30 a.m.; meeting starts at 9.
Bluegrass gospel band at First Parish
On Sunday, Nov. 17 at 10 a.m., the First Parish in Lincoln welcomes Dover’s Pilgrim Bluegrass Gospel Band, who (together with choir director Ian Watson) will share their music as they perform a variety of traditional and contemporary songs to complement the order of service. Band members are Michele Sauter on mandolin and vocals, Geoff Sauter on five-string banjo and vocals, Bob Cocks on guitar and vocals, Francesca Wier on vocals, and Greg Algieri on upright string bass and vocals.
Old Town Hall Corp. meetings
The Annual Meeting of Members of the Lincoln Old Town Hall Corporation will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 20 at 6:30 p.m. at the Lincoln Town Office Building. The agenda will include the election of trustees for the ensuing year, as well as financial reports and a review of the past year’s activities. The Annual Meeting of Trustees will immediately follow, and will include the election of officers and the conduct of such other business as may be brought before the meeting. All members are urged to attend.
Jamming for L-S school in Cambodia
Former students and musicians from Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School will get together to jam and support their sister school, Memorial School in Cambodia, on Friday, Nov. 29 from 7–11 p.m. in Bemis Hall. Likely performers will include Chris and James Nifong, Eve Elkort, Nick Smith, Madelyn Paquette, Nate Gerry, Sam Pace, John and Molly Roach, Nora Telford, Kerry Kittelsen, and Lauren Weintraub. Tickets are$10. Food will be sold at the event. Send RSVPs and any questions to danielle_weisse@lsrhs.net.
Lincoln grapples with growth within and outside its borders
By Alice Waugh
As the population in the MetroWest area keeps growing, Lincoln will have to decide how to allow more housing and businesses — or whether it even wants to.
In an effort to direct growth around the MBTA station in Lincoln, the South Lincoln Planning and Implementation Committee presented a draft of proposing zoning changes at the November 2 State of the Town meeting. Since Oriole Landing was approved, the town won’t face pressure for dense affordable housing developments for at least another decade — but several surrounding towns are not so lucky, Selectman Jennifer Glass noted in her “Setting the Context” presentation.
Neighboring communities are being forced to entertain 40B housing projects, which are allowed to circumvent many zoning restrictions for height and density in towns that have fallen short of state requirements for affordable housing. Hundreds of units (not all of them designated affordable) have been proposed or built in Sudbury, Wayland, Weston, and West Concord, Glass noted.
Already completed are the 250-unit Avalon apartment complex in Sudbury and the 56-unit Coolidge for residents 55+ in Wayland. For years, Sudbury residents fought Sudbury Station, a 250-unit rental housing proposal next to the cemetery at the town center. Last year, the town agreed to swap that property for another site on Route 117, where the developer has proposed the 274-unit Quarry North.
Weston has so many 40B proposals that it created a separate town web page on the topic. Among them: 180 rental units at 751 Boston Post Rd. just west of Weston Center; 150 rental units at 104 Boston Post Rd. close to the I-95 interchange; and 200 rental units on South Avenue near Weston High School. Sixteen rental units at 269 North Ave. just south of Dairy Joy and 10 condo units on Merriam Street are also being considered.
In Wayland, there are proposals for two major housing developments on Boston Post Road, one close to the Sudbury town line and the other on the site of the former Mahoney’s Garden Center.
Many of these proposals are tied up in court on appeals from either developers or residents, but eventually at least some of them will be built, and that means more traffic in and around Lincoln — as well as opportunities for local businesses. And South Lincoln may become more attractive because it’s one of the few towns in the area with a commuter rail station and commuter parking availability — hence the conversation around transit-oriented, middle-income housing.
“Adding some carefully planned mixed-use development near the station will help support the businesses we do have… and convince the MBTA that it’s in their economic interest to add more train service rather than slowly taking it away,” Glass said.
Lincoln is grappling with how to balance its desire for a sustainable, rural character and lots of conservation land vs. property tax hikes for the new school and other expenses down the road, including a possible community center. More businesses in South Lincoln could boost the tax base — but to encourage that kind of development, more housing is probably needed as well, which in turn costs money for schools and services. The State of the Town meeting touched on several of these interrelated topics: zoning, transportation, property taxes, the school project, and community choice electricity aggregation (now awaiting approval from the state Department of Public Utilities).
“This is an opportunity to reach out and collaborate and try to shape the coming changes to have a positive impact on Lincoln,” Glass said.
Changes in taxation, South Lincoln zoning debated at meeting
Should Lincoln try to ease the burden on taxpayers with a shift in property tax policy, and/or encouraging more commercial and housing development in South Lincoln? Residents got a chance at last week’s State of the Town meeting to discuss both ideas, and will likely have a chance to vote on then in the spring.
In the wake of the big tax increase resulting from the school project, the Property Tax Committee has been studying two ideas to help reduce the strain for some Lincoln homeowners: a local version of the existing state circuit-breaker program, and a residential tax exemption. Both ideas were also discussed at a public forum last month.
A circuit-breaker program would limit the percentage of income a homeowner would have to pay in property taxes based on their income, assets, length of time in town (10+ years), and age (65+). Funding would come from a small across-the-board tax rate increase. A residential tax exemption would exempt a certain percentage of the value of everyone’s property, meaning that the tax burden would shift toward those with higher-valued homes to benefit those with homes at the lower end of the range.
Under the local circuit-breaker scenario, “everyone pays a little bit more in order to provide significant benefits to those with identified need,” Selectman Jennifer Glass said at the November 2 town-wide meeting. Homeowners in Sudbury, which has a program like this, have seen an average increase of about $73 a year as a result, she added.
Glass acknowledged that some residents are unhappy with the idea of another tax hike for some property owners so soon after the big increase, seeing it as a “bait and switch” move. The median tax bill in fiscal 2020 rose by 12.7%, and the tax rate went up from $14.03 to $15.36 per $1,000 of assessed property. Of that new total, $1.95 is earmarked for the school project, she said.
Neither idea will be implemented without a town-wide vote; “it’s too big a policy decision to make without consulting the town,” Glass said, urging residents to fill out a short survey to express their opinions.
Residents at the October 15 forum were open to the circuit-breaker idea but mostly negative about a residential tax exemption. Sentiment was much the same for the few residents who spoke last Saturday.
“A residential exemption would have been a great discussion three years ago and might have factored into the decision-making process” about the school, former Finance Committee member Peyton Marshall said. “Now we’re encountering buyer’s remorse [when] people who didn’t show up in December opened their tax bill.” As a result, the town is in a “period of disequilibrium” when some are thinking of selling their homes either soon, or after the school project is finished.
“We should consider all this in three to five years after people have made their housing decisions… It’s really explosive” to discuss it now, Marshall said.
South Lincoln zoning
In an effort to make Lincoln more attractive to residents and businesses and perhaps boost the tax base, rezoning part of South Lincoln around the commuter rail station was also discussed at an earlier public forum.
At the State of the Town meeting, Planning Board members presented the proposal to replace the B-1 and B-2 districts in South Lincoln and create a new South Lincoln Village District zone with two subareas: Village Business and Village Residential (VB and VR). Handouts included a draft of bylaw language (created with the help of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council) that will be up for a vote at the Annual Town Meeting in March 2020.
In both subareas, the proposal would allow (by special permit) multifamily housing, with a “density bonus” in return for amenities and affordable housing. It would also expand the parameters of projects that would be allowed by right, and would set out design guidelines for the Planning Board to apply when evaluating projects. Mixed-use buildings could be up to 2.5 floors high along Lincoln Road, with residential structures up to three floors father back from the road.
This development in West Concord was cited by Lincoln officials as an example of a good mixed-use village project.
A recently completed mixed-use project in West Concord is “something on the order of what we want to see,” Taylor said. That project includes 74 housing units and 36,000 square feet of commercial space, and is located very close to the commuter rail station, village center, and rail trails.
The rezoning proposals come from a subcommittee of the South Lincoln Planning and Implementation Committee. As detailed in this presentation by Planning Board chair Margaret Olson, SLPIC’s goals include promoting the area as a vibrant public gathering place; encouraging business and professional services; offering a broader range of housing options; and supporting more sustainable transportation through MBTA station improvements, better parking, and regional shuttle services.
Former board member Robert Domnitz worried that the changes won’t get Town Meeting approval if residents didn’t retain veto power over individual projects. However, the current path for getting town go-ahead is “a very cumbersome process that makes development a lot harder,” said board member Gary Taylor.
“It’s clear what we’re asking you to do is place some confidence in the Planning Board. It’s a more streamlined process and that’s intentional,” Taylor said. “It’s very difficult to shape projects on the floor of Town Meeting.”
One of the goals is to make South Lincoln more attractive as a place to shop for Lincoln residents and others who already drive through town without stopping, while also encouraging everyone to use the commuter rail and underground parking. However, some residents said there will be more cars and traffic in the area if more housing is available, regardless of whether the commuter rail is more heavily used.
“We’re not lowering traffic in the sense of absolute numbers, but there will be less traffic impact going forward than there would be otherwise,” Taylor responded.
Resident Sarah Mattes urged officials to expand and publicize the commuter parking that’s already available before considering “drastic zoning changes.” Others questioned where there was real demand for more commercial and transportation services in South Lincoln from residents who already live there.
Amid grumbling, voters approve another loan for Water Department
By Alice Waugh
The Water Department will be getting more oversight after its recent spending spree to fix a rash of problems with the water system.
In response to the funding crisis, a team of town officials — Town Administrator Tin Higgins, Assistant Town Administrator Mary Day, Finance Director Colleen Wilkins, and Finance Commission members Jim Hutchinson and Tom Sander — are now attending the meetings of the three-person Water Commission to oversee their budgeting and decision-making process.
The department needs to bond a total of almost $2 million after Superintendent MaryBeth Wiser discovered numerous problems shortly after she was hired in March 2018, Water Commission member Ruth Ann Hendrickson explained at a Special Town Meeting on November 1. With one “nay” vote, attendees approved borrowing $967,000 — just months after approving $1.01 million in borrowing at the Annual Town Meeting last March.
The Water Department is not funded by property taxes but rather by water rates assessed to Lincoln household who use town water. The latest expenditures will result in a rate hike of around 50%, on top of last spring’s 25% rate hike.
At the meeting’s outset, Town Moderator Sarah Cannon Holden warned the audience that “we’re talking about finances and not personnel and other kinds of issues,” a reference to controversy swirling around the Water Department’s management and staffing turmoil explored in an October 31 Lincoln Squirrel article.
Wiser was hired in March 2018 “and almost immediately realized many of the systems at the water treatment plant and well were showing signs of age and deterioration — they hadn’t been [properly] cleaned, maintained, and calibrated,” Hendrickson said. The new superintendent asked the Water Commission to hire a new engineering consulting firm, Tata & Howard, and we started getting a lot of suggestions,” Hendrickson added.
Concord and Wayland use the same firm and are “pleased” with its work, and its reports to Lincoln “are much higher quality than what we had been getting from our previous consultants,” Hendrickson said.
Meanwhile, the town’s water has for some time been showing borderline high levels of a chemical produced by chlorine reacting with naturally occurring organic matter. The organic matter content in Flint’s Pond is twice what it was when the plant was designed in 2002, Hendrickson said, necessitating $330,000 for equipment to perform coagulation pretreatment.
Other issues that led to the funding requests were uncovered by the state Department of Environmental Protection in its triennial inspection in August 2018. That inspection report listed 27 deficiencies and 12 recommendations, whereas the 2015 report contained only three deficiencies and four recommendations. Current and former Water Department employees told the Lincoln Squirrel that Wiser actually encouraged the DEP inspector to find problems.
Also in the latest spending package is money to pay an outside consultant to work in the treatment plant one day a week at about $1,000 a day. The department has been short-staffed for months, reflecting a statewide shortage of licensed water operators but also, former employees say, a toxic work environment.
After the latest improvements and repairs, “we will have a plant that’s been fully refurbished while we’re examining what we’re going to do for the long term… and we won’t have any more of these surprises,” Hendrickson said. Whatever path the town decides to take — making continual upgrades, building a new plant, or investigating having water supplied by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority — “will take a number of years to bring to fruition,” she said.
Residents at the town meeting were not happy with how things have been run. “We didn’t get an honest answer at the last Town Meeting. Can we have a real long-term plan for the department — an honest estimate audited by somebody outside the town?” one resident said. “I don’t like this crisis-style management.”
Higgins acknowledged that because the Water Department operates as an enterprise fund separate from the rest of the town’s finances, its budgeting process has not been overseen by the Capital Planning Committee (CapCom) or the Finance Committee in the past. The newest iteration of the Water Commission — which now includes Selectman Jennifer Glass and member Michelle Barnes, who were sworn in several weeks ago after the resignations of Bob Antia and Heather Ring — “is more receptive to participating in some of those processes,” Higgins said.
“I speak with a bit of frustration,” said Peter Braun, a former selectman and CapCom member. More cooperation with other town boards “doesn’t mean allowing someone coming to your meetings — it means dialogue, and it just wasn’t happening… there was stonewalling, basically… it’s time to change the dynamic and the paradigm here.”