government

Who’s running for town office in March

February 5, 2019

Here is a list of those who have filed appears with the Town Clerk to run for office in the March 25 election. Click here for links to the web pages for these boards and committees, which list current members. Candidates have until February 20 to withdraw in time to have their name not appear on the ballot.

Board or Committee	Openings/terms	Candidates
Board of Assessors	One (3 years)	Laura Sander*
Board of Health	One (3 years)	Steven Kanner*
Board of Selectmen	One (3 years)	James Craig*
Cemetery Commission	One (3 years)	Conrad Todd*
Commissioners of Trust Funds	One (3 years)	Douglas B. Harding*
DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park Trustees	One (4 years)	Linda Hammett Ory*
Housing Commission	One (3 years)	Keith Gilbert*
Lincoln-Sudbury Regional District School Committee	Two (3 years)	Kevin J. Matthews,* Cara Endyke-Doran
	One (1 year)	Candace Miller*
Parks and Recreation Committee	One (3 years)	Anita Spieth
Planning Board	Two (3 years)	Margaret Olson,* Stephen Gladstone*
School Committee (PreK-8)	One (3 years)	Trintje Gnazzo**
	One (2 years)	Susan Taylor
	One (1 year)	Adam Hogue**
Town Clerk	One (3 years)	Valerie Fox**
Trustees of Bemis	One (3 years)	Sara Mattes*
Trustees of Lincoln Library	One (3 years)	Dennis Picker
Water Commission	One (3 years)	Heather Ring

* incumbent running for reelection

** previously appointed to fill vacancies in 2018 (Trintje Gnazzo replaced Jena Salon and Adam Hogue replaced Alvin Schmertzler; Valerie Fox replaced Susan Brooks)

Town Meeting article list approved

February 3, 2019

The Board of Selectmen has approved the following articles for the Annual Town Meeting on Saturday, March 23. They’re scheduled to vote to sign the warrant with descriptions of each article on February 11. Keep reading the Lincoln Squirrel for more in-depth coverage of these items in the coming days and weeks.

NOTE: Articles 27–33 are proposed zoning bylaw changes and thus require a two-thirds majority to pass.

#	Article
	STANDARD TOWN MEETING ARTICLES
1	Election ballot:
2	Vote for committees, and other elected officers
3	Accept reports of town committees and officers
4	Set salaries of elected officials
5	Hear a report on property tax relief
6	Senior tax work-off program: vote to renew
7	Veterans tax work-off program: vote to renew
	OPERATING BUDGET
8	Town operating budget
	CAPITAL ARTICLES
9	Cash capital expenditures (detailed project list will appear in motions)
	COMMUNITY PRESERVATION
10	Community Preservation Fund (CPA) (detailed list will appear in motions)
11	Community Preservation Fund (CPA) (athletic fields)
	ROUTINE BUILDING MAINTENANCE
12	Annual classroom maintenance: $45,000
13	Town buildings maintenance: $111,363
14	Library maintenance: $50,000
	OTHER APPROPRIATIONS
15	Debt stabilization fund: appropriation to increase fund balance
16	OPEB trust fund (Town of Lincoln): appropriation to increase fund balance
17	OPEB trust fund (LSRHS): appropriation to increase fund balance
18	State roadway funds (chapter 90): annual vote to accept state highway grant
19	Lincoln school budget supplement: SpEd Medicaid reimbursement
20	Annual Bright Light Award
21	Revolving funds: annual vote to reauthorize existing revolving accounts
22	Cable television revolving fund: required annual appropriation
23	Transfer from cemetery perpetual care and/or sale of lots
24	Water Department: authorize bond for capital improvements to the water treatment plant (detailed list in motions)
25	Water Department: vote to appropriate and transfer to support the FY19 budget
26	Free cash article: annual article to balance budget/reduce tax rate
	GENERAL AND ZONING BY-LAWS
27	Section 13.6.3(a) solar energy systems general standards bylaw amendment
28	Section 4.1(c) non-conforming lots amendment: regarding land takings
29	Section 4.1(e) non-conforming use or structure amendment
30	Create parking benefit district
31	DeCordova: amend bylaw governance
32	Historic district bylaw amendment: Modernist homes
33	Demo delay bylaw amendment
34	Proposed general bylaw: use of leaf blowers
	CITIZENS' PETITIONS
35	Proposed general bylaw: ban on e-cigarette sales
36	Resolution in support of changing the state flag and seal of Massachusetts

Group to study property taxes in Lincoln

January 28, 2019

The $93 million school building project has many residents worried about whether they’ll be able to afford the inevitable higher property taxes in Lincoln, so the town is forming a Property Tax Study Committee to see what financial tools the town has available to shape tax policy and promote economic diversity.

The committee will be appointed by the Board of Selectmen in February and get to work right away, presenting an update at the March 2019 Annual Town Meeting. They will make recommendations to the board by the end of September and will report at the 2019 State of the Town Meeting and/or at a concurrent Special Town Meeting to vote on any proposals.

Members will study tax relief programs such as the extended Circuit Breaker Program currently under consideration at the state level, and the residential exemption that cities and towns can use in setting their local property tax rates. They’ll also seek community input to gauge the appetite for such programs in the context of other town priorities, and work with town agencies and residents to decide how private fundraising efforts could be best utilized to soften the economic impact of successive building projects (the school, and a community center to follow after that project is complete).

Residents interested in serving as one of the four at-large members should send a letter of interest to the Selectmen’s Office (elderp@lincolntown.org) by Thursday, Jan. 31 or call 781-259-2601. The committee’s complete charge can be found here. A description of tax relief programs already in place in Lincoln can be found here.

Public hearings coming up

January 27, 2019

L-S School Committee

The Lincoln-Sudbury School Committee will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, Feb. 5 at 7:30 p.m. in Conference Room B at the high school regarding (a) the FY20 school budget and (b) school choice.

Updated L-S FY20 Budget Presentation at the Lincoln Finance Committee’s second budget Workshop (1/23/19)
LS FY20 Proposed Budget Book (1/22/19)

Historical Commission

The Lincoln Historical Commission will hold two public hearings on Tuesday, Feb. 5 starting at 7:30 p.m. in the Donaldson Room to consider the following applications

Lincoln Public Schools, to demolish more than 25 percent of the Smith School on Ballfield Road.
9 Lewis Street Realty LLC, to demolish the entire front structure and more than 25 percent of the rear building at 9-13 Lewis St.

Conservation Commission

The Lincoln Conservation Commission will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, Feb. 6 at 8 p.m, in the Lincoln Town Offices. This is in response to the Notice of Intent filed by Peter Blackler of Valley Pond Corp. for the management of seasonal algae blooms within the swim pond within the Valley Pond property.

Letter to the editor: Susan Taylor running for School Committee

January 13, 2019

Dear neighbors,

I ask for your vote on March 25 for the two-year position on the Lincoln School Committee. With your support, I hope both to bring the perspective of my years in Lincoln community service and to pay forward the great benefit that Lincoln’s commitment to education has given to my now-adult children.

My husband Gary and I have been active in the Lincoln community since we moved here in 1990. I now serve on the Scholarship Committee and as a trustee of Farrington Nature Linc (a children’s program based in Lincoln). I’ve been a Lincoln Public Library trustee and president of the Lincoln League of Women Voters. When my children were students here, I served on the Principal’s Council, the METCO Coordinating Committee, as a Girl Scout leader, and Sunday school teacher, and as active supporter of Lincoln sports, drama, outdoor recreation, and music for children.

I believe that as technology and cultural diversity broaden and challenge the ways we provide education, community engagement and critical thinking become even more valuable. All of us are needed to provide the inspiration, guidance, experience, financial oversight, safety and affection our children should have from their home town and school.

I can think of nothing more vital to Lincoln than the strength of our schools, and I look forward to working with you for all our children and for “the village” that loves them.

Sincerely,

Susan Hands Taylor
2 Beaver Pond Rd., Lincoln

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.

Upcoming opportunities to discuss, participate in government

January 10, 2019

Forum on widening participation in town governance

The Special Town Meeting in December has led to conversations about how to diversify the group of residents involved in Lincoln’s governance, as well as how to increase voter participation. There will be a forum to discuss these issues on Saturday, Jan. 26 from 10–11:30 a.m. in the Community Room at Lincoln Woods, 50 Wells Rd. (please park in unmarked spaces).

Run for town office

Are you looking for a rewarding if occasionally vexing way to feel more connected? Willing to undertake new challenges? Unafraid to speak up? Then run for local office! Nomination papers, which are available at the Town Clerk’s Office now, must be returned by 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 1. The annual town election will take place on Monday, March 25.

The following offices will appear on the March ballot:

Town Clerk (three years)
Board of Selectmen (one seat for three years)
Board of Assessors (one seat for three years)
K-8 School Committee (three seats—one for one year, one for two years, and one for three years)
Water Commissioner (one seat for three years)
Board of Health (one seat for three years)
Cemetery Commission (one seat for three years)
Planning Board (two seats for three years)
Commissioner of Trust Funds (one seat for three years)
DeCordova Sculpture Park and Museum trustee (one seat for four years)
Housing Commission (three seats: one for year, one for two years, and one for three years)
Parks and Recreation Committee (one seat for three years)
Lincoln-Sudbury Regional District School Committee (three seats — two for three years and one for one year)
Bemis Trustee (one seat for three years)
Lincoln Public Library Trustee (one seat for three years)

For additional information, please contact the Town Clerk’s Office at 781-259-2607.

Voting at the national level

Learn how ranked-choice voting, which aims to improve the fairness and effectiveness of elections, when Jim Henderson, a board member of Voter Choice Massachusetts, leads a session on Sunday, Jan. 20 at 3 p.m. in Bemis Hall (coffee and tea will be served starting at 2:45). (Coffee/tea at 2:45.) Henderson will present the case for ranked-choice voting and lead the audience in a voting exercise to find out how the process works. Click here for a recent letter to the editor on the subject.

Apply for bike/pedestrian committee

Lincoln is seeking volunteers to serve on the new Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee (see “New bike/pedestrian group seeks members”). Letters of interest are due by Tuesday, Jan. 15.

Letter to the editor: can ranked-choice voting strengthen our democracy?

January 8, 2019

To the editor:

The midterm elections of 2018 have sparked new interest in a process of voting for candidates known as ranked-choice voting (RCV).

An August 7 editorial in the Boston Globe asserts, “The Massachusetts legislature would be wise to adopt ranked-choice voting, coupled with a robust voter education campaign for statewide elections.” Massachusetts Secretary of State William Galvin has revealed that he is open to the idea of RCV. Some have suggested that RCV might be an appropriate issue for a ballot question. But why all of a sudden are we just now hearing about ranked-choice voting?

Interest is surging in Massachusetts because of two specific elections, one in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District and the other in Massachusetts’s 3rd Congressional District. Why Maine? In 2016, Maine became the first state to enact ranked-choice voting for statewide elections for governor, state legislature, and Congress. The state used RCV for the first time in November 2018 when the votes for the top two of four contenders in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District were too close to declare one a lawful victor. The process of RCV ultimately proved effective and efficient in determining the winner without resorting to a runoff.

Why is there now interest in the seat in the 3rd Massachusetts District, which Niki Tsongas held for a decade? There were ten individuals competing in the Democratic primary. Because of the distribution of votes among all ten, and since no candidate achieved a majority, a runoff was required for the top two. RCV would likely have resolved the election without a costly and time-consuming recount.

How does RCV work? Instead of picking just one candidate, ranked-choice voting allows you to rank the candidates on the ballot — as many or as few as you like — in your order of preference. If one person gets 50 percent of the vote, no further action is necessary. If no candidate gets 50 percent or more of first-choice votes, then the last-place candidate is eliminated and that candidate’s votes automatically get reallocated to the second choice listed on those ballots. RCV ensures that whoever wins has the support of the majority of voters and not just an electoral plurality.

Supporters believe that RCV frees voters from being pressured to choose between two or more preferences, and solves the problem of “spoiler” candidates who don’t actually reflect a majority of overall voter preference. According to Eric Maskin, a Nobel prize-winning Harvard economist, RCV gives all voters the opportunity to cast their vote according to their individual preference as well as a means to determine which candidate is most preferred by a majority of all votes cast. The method has been used by the Cambridge City Council since 1941 as well as in municipal elections in Memphis, San Francisco and Minneapolis and in parliamentary elections in Australia and Ireland, as well as in the recent midterm Congressional vote in Maine.

Closer to home, a nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy organization, Voter Choice Massachusetts, is dedicated to educating the public and fostering legislative support for RCV. Supporters believe that RCV frees voters from being pressured to choose between two or more candidates, and solves the problem of “spoiler” candidates who don’t actually reflect a majority of overall voter preference.

Lincoln residents are proud of their grassroots politics, cherish their Town Meeting, and treasure their civic activism. On January 20, we in Lincoln have an opportunity to learn from a nonpartisan expert, Jim Henderson, board member of Voter Choice Massachusetts, the pros and cons of RCV and its relevance to Massachusetts. We hope you will join the discussion and help us all to reflect on the utility and value of RCV for statewide elections in Massachusetts on Sunday, Jan. 20 at 3 p.m. in Bemis Hall.

Sincerely,

Barbara Slayter and Gary Davis
Co-chairs, Lincoln Democratic Town Committee

News acorns

January 6, 2019

Public hearings coming up

The Board of Water Commissioners will hold a public hearing on Thursday, Jan. 10 at 5 p.m. at the Lincoln Town Offices on its plan to institute first rate hike since 2015 (see the Lincoln Squirrel, Jan. 6, 2019).

The Historic District Commission will hold a public hearing at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 17 to consider the approval of a report recommending (1) the addition, at the request of the property owners below, of the following properties to the Brown’s Wood Historic District, and (2) the preparation of a warrant article to approve the same for vote at Town Meeting on March 23, 2019.

8 Moccasin Hill Road (owned by Lewis and Rosemary Lloyd)
18 Moccasin Hill Road (owned by Neal and Kimberly Rajdev)

The Lincoln School Committee will hold a formal budget hearing on Thursday, Jan. 10 and is scheduled to vote on the FY20 budget on Thursday, Jan. 24. All meetings begin at 7 p.m. the Multipurpose Room, Hartwell building. Copies of the proposed budget are available for review in the Lincoln Public Schools Business Office, 2nd floor, Hartwell building.

Cabaret concert at L-S

The Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School Music Department presents its annual Cabaret Concert on Friday, Jan. 11 at 7:30 p.m. in the L-S cafeteria. The evening will feature contemporary, pop, Broadway, and jazz music performed by instrumental jazz ensembles and combos, and student vocal and a capella groups, including duets and soloists. Tickets are $5, with a $20 cap for families. Snacks and beverages will be sold by the L-S Friends of Music.

Find out about ranked-choice voting

Learn how ranked-choice voting could improve the fairness and effectiveness of elections when Jim Henderson, a board member of Voter Choice Massachusetts, leads a session on Sunday, Jan. 20 at 3 p.m. in Bemis Hall (coffee and tea will be served starting at 2:45). (Coffee/tea at 2:45.) Henderson will present the case for ranked choice voting and lead the audience in a voting exercise to find out how the process works.

Next up for play-reading group: “The Curious Savage”

The play-reading group at the Lincoln Public Library will read “The Curious Savage,” a 1950 comedy set in the living room of a sanatorium, on Tuesday, Jan. 8 and 15 at 11 a.m. All are invited to join the play-reading or just listen — no experience necessary. The group meets on every second and third Tuesday of each month at 11 am. For more information, call Sally Kindleberger at 781-799-4892.

Jazz night at deCordova

One of the photos by Larry Fink in the deCordova exhibition, Primal Empathy.

On Friday, Feb. 1 from 6–8:30 p.m., deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum will host a Jazz Night, featuring a live performance by the Patrick McGee Quintet in the Larry Fink: Primal Empathy photography exhibition gallery. As a special treat, exhibiting artist Larry Fink will play harmonica with the band. The event also features cocktails (one per ticket with more for purchase, art-making activities for all ages, and access to all exhibitions on view. Click here to buy tickets ($25 for nonmembers, $20 for members, $10 for college students with ID, $5 for kids 17 and under).

Water Department proposes rate hike

January 6, 2019

The Water Department will hold a public hearing on Thursday, Jan. 10 at 5 p.m. at the Lincoln Town Offices on its plan to institute first rate hike since 2015.

Residents are charged quarterly for town water in a three-tiered system based on their level of usage (0–20,000 gallons, 20,001–40,000 gallons, and 40,001 gallons or more). The Water Department plans to raise the charges by 10 percent, 15 percent and 20 percent, respectively, while the base change for all users will go up by $5 per quarter, said Water Commission member Ruth Ann Hendrickson.

“We’re really focused on minimizing the impact on lower-level water users who are conservation mindful,” she said.

Part of the increased revenue will be used to pay off an anticipated bond of about $1 million. Investments are needed because the Water Department is now subject to Occupational Health and Safety Administration rules, and because of recent annual inspection of procedures and methods “with a new inspector who had a big long list of things we have to do differently,” Hendrickson said.

“Just to make a perfect storm, we had some big failures this [past] year,” she added. Those included a water main break outside the library, an acid sink, and a 3,000-gallon water heater used to clean the treatment plan filters.

The three-tiered pricing structure and quarterly billing were introduced in 2015 to encourage conservation with the goal of meeting water usage limits required by the state Department of Environmental Protection. Although its budget and revenue structure must be approved by the town, it is funded entirely by user fees, and its revenues are expected to meet or exceed expenditures on a year-to-year basis, with the difference held in reserve to fund emergency repairs and system improvements.

The department plans to apply for a state program that offers zero-percent interest on bonds, though it’s unknown whether it will be accepted, Hendrickson said. As part of the process for qualifying for bonding, the Water Commission has developed a long-term financial and capital improvement program.

If approved, the increased rates will become effective on all rates and charges on any bill for usage after January 1, 2019.

South Lincoln efforts continue with workshop for businesses

December 20, 2018

As part of a larger effort to revitalize the Lincoln Station area, the town is sponsoring a free workshop for Lincoln’s storefront business owners titled “Retail Best Practices: The Power of Presentation” on Wednesday, Jan. 9 from 8–9:30 a.m. at the Rural Land Foundation office at Lincoln Station (145 Lincoln Rd., second floor).

The session led by Christine Moynihan of Retail Visioning. Her program aims to help business owners improve the look and feel of their establishments as well as the customer experience and business planning and marketing in print and online. Attendees are also invited to participate in a private one-on-one free consultation with Moynihan in January or early February and could be eligible to receive a small grant to help implement recommendations made by the consultant.

For more information about the program or to register, contact Jennifer Burney, Director Planning and Land Use, at burneyj@lincolntown.org or 781-259-2684. Registration is not required but seating may be limited.

Funding for the workshop comes from a grant awarded to the South Lincoln Planning and Implementation Committee, which is steering several simultaneous projects aimed at revitalizing the area around Lincoln Station.

Other SLPIC projects

The MBTA subcommittee has recommended a list of improvements to the train station and commuter parking lots and expects to receive $500,000 from the state to pay for a study to design those improvements. The group is soliciting opinions as to whether the inbound and outbound train stops should be on the same side of the tracks, and whether non-Lincoln residents, or whether out-of-town commuters would be willing to pay for parking using a smartphone app. People can respond on the South Lincoln Revitalization Project website or by texting 781-702-3466.

Another SLPIC subcommittee is looking at zoning changes in South Lincoln that would encourage residential or mixed-use development in the area. The town hired Weston & Sampson more than a year ago to look at options for relocating and/or consolidating DPW operations on Lewis Street. Among the possibilities: moving the entire DPW to the transfer station, or co-locating some DPW functions on other land near Hanscom Field.

The study was expected to take only three months but is still not finished; the firm is expected to provide an update to SLPIC in January. “The work has taken longer due to the amount of parcels they had to review and apply the analysis to,” Burney said. “Unfortunately, projects often take longer than expected.”

Much of the study has consisted at examining and rating other possible DPW sites in town, as well as costs associated with any relocation. However, some North Lincoln residents have already voiced concerns about the idea of moving some or all of the DPW’s functions to the transfer station site.

With the help of grants, SLPIC’s Wayfinding Team has already installed wayfinding signs and a “pocket park” with a kiosk and bike repair station next to the railroad tracks. Among the items on the group’s to-do list for 2019: conducting a parking and sewer feasibility study, and seeking funds to spruce up the park-like area between Donelan’s and Lincoln Woods. A June 2017 report presented design ideas along with a cost estimate of $100,000.