government

By Alice Waugh

The president of the company in charge of tree removal for the Route 2 project said on May 31 that no trees were removed unnecessarily and that his workers cut down only those they were asked to remove.

Lincoln residents near the highway construction site, especially in the Brooks Road vicinity, have complained about what they say is excessive tree removal among other issues related to the work, and the Board of Selectman has named a Route 2 Oversight Committee to gather more information (see related story).

[Read more…] about Company says no trees were removed unnecessarily

By Alice Waugh

Lincoln has formed a new Route 2 Oversight Committee to coordinate the town’s actions in response to problems arising from the Route 2 construction project.

Residents who live near the construction areas have complained repeatedly to the Board of Selectmen and Lincoln police about issues including alleged traffic violations by construction equipment, disruptive night work and the visual impact of tree-cutting near the highway. At the May 23 selectmen’s meeting, a coalition called the Brooks Road Abutters Group (BRAG) presented selectmen last week with a memo containing photos and a demand that BRAG and the town be “compensated for the unnecessary removal of these trees with additional replacement trees over and above those shown on the contract drawings, with species, size and location determined by the abutters.”

[Read more…] about Town forms Route 2 oversight panel in response to complaints

By Alice Waugh

The death of Sean Collier, an MIT police officer who was killed by the alleged Boston Marathon bombers, hit home at the Lincoln Police Department, where he had worked intermittently as a special-duty officer for two years. Now the Lincoln Police Association is creating a permanent memorial to Collier in the lobby of the town’s Public Safety Building.

Lincoln police were also heavily involved in the effort to apprehend the suspects in Watertown on April 18, and the Board of Selectmen thanked eight of the officers in person at the board’s May 6 meeting.

[Read more…] about Lincoln police memorialize Sean Collier

The Lincoln School Committee is responsible for appointing a member of the Lincoln Public Library Board of Trustees and is currently seeking applications from those interested in filling this three-year commitment. The committee seeks candidates who are users of the library and committed to further strengthening the connection between the library and the Lincoln Public Schools.

The library board meets monthly, with additional subcommittee and/or liaison meetings including technology, budget, buildings and grounds, capital planning, DeCordova, Friends of the Library, various ad hoc task forces that work on the Library’s strategic plan, the annual reports needed for the Finance Committee and Town Meeting, and occasional event planning. The trustees also oversee and sponsor events that require a member to attend.

If interested, please submit a letter of interest to Jennifer Glass at schoolcomm@lincnet.org.  Submissions are due by May 30.

By Alice Waugh

Residents who live just north of Route 2 pleaded with the Board of Selectmen this week for help, saying their lives have been disrupted even more than they’d expected by the massive construction project.

[Read more…] about Route 2 neighbors upset about tree-cutting

Are you a Lincoln resident with an interest in planning, zoning and land use? The Board of Selectmen and Planning Board invite you to apply before May 24 for one of two vacancies on the Planning Board.

Interviews will be conducted during a joint meeting of the two boards to fill one elected position (until the next annual town election in March 2014) and one associate position. Submit a letter of interest together with a completed application form (click here to download a form) to one of the addresses below by Friday, May 24.

For more information about the work of the Planning Board, please see the Planning Board website or contact Chris Reilly, Director of Planning and Land Use, at 781-259-2610. Interested residents are also encouraged to attend Planning Board meetings to learn about the board’s work.

Applications via email:
Selectmen’s Office, attn.: Debra Parkhurst, Administrative Assistant
parkhurstd@lincolntown.org

Applications via U.S. mail:
Office of the Board of Selectmen
Hartwell School Complex (Pod B)
Ballfield Road
Lincoln, MA 01773

Do you have household chemicals or environmental poisons you need to get rid of? While the Lincoln transfer station does not accept hazardous waste, Lincoln residents may drop off materials on one of eight days this year at the Minuteman Hazardous Products Facility at 60 Hartwell Ave. in Lexington—but they must first pre-register and to fill out a form with the Lincoln Board of Health in person or by calling 781-259-2613.

Lincoln items will be accepted in Lexington from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the following dates (almost all on Saturdays): [Read more…] about Dates set for dropping off household hazardous waste

Greening Lincoln invites residents to take a survey that will help the group learn what measures people in town now use to save energy and protect the environment and what additional sustainability information and services they’d like to see. Click here to take the online survey.

Greening Lincoln also offers information about Water Department rebates for residents who buy water-saving toilets and washing machines, as well as other topics including solar panels and household energy assessments. The program, which started in January, offers rebates of $75 for WaterSense-labeled toilets and $200 for WaterSense washers. According to the Greening Lincoln website, which also has details on the terms of the rebates, WaterSense toilets use about 4.8 gallons per person per day vs. 18.2 gallons for old-style toilets, while WaterSense washers use 15.4 gallons per person per day vs. 7.7 gallons per day.

Residents can see the terms and conditions for the rebates on the Greening Lincoln website. To obtain a rebate form, call the Water Department 781-259-8997.