Here are highlights of some of the measures that were approved at the March 26 Annual Town Meeting. See previous Lincoln Squirrel stories about the fossil-fuel restriction proposal and the community center votes.

IDEA Committee

A report from Lincoln’s Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, & Anti-Racism Committee, which was created in the wake of George Floyd’s murder, noted that the group is focusing on town government, public policy, and civic engagement as it moves from planning to action. It will apply federal Covid-19 relief funds allocated to the town (see below) to hire a consultant for one year to begin building Lincoln’s diversity program. Those federal funds will also be used to create an AIDE (antiracism, inclusion, diversity, and equity) faculty residency for the schools to develop teacher training, help teachers develop materials and methods that address those goals.

ARPA funds

Town Administrator Tim Higgins reported on how the town will spend $2.06 million in Covid-19 relief funds from the federal American Rescue Plan Act. Those funds can by law be used to defray costs incurred by the public health emergency, premium pay for affected workers, loss of town revenue, and some narrowly defined infrastructure purposes. A working group studied the regulations and requirements and recommended a slate of projects totaling $1.68 million. Of that total, $1.3 million will go towards Water Department projects (see below). The $386,420 remainder will be set aside for any future public health needs.

Water Department

Voters approved $142,500 for three Water Department capital spending items: $80,000 for a replacement roof for the water treatment plant, $40,000 for an electric truck to replace a 12-year-old vehicle, and $22,500 for an asset management plan, which will include a risk-based capital plan and funding analysis. The last two expenses will be paid from the department’s retained earnings while the roof will be funded by bonding.

Last year, voters approved spending $480,000 to replace the Tower Road well and $39,000 to study options for the Bedford Road storage tank, whose cover had deteriorated. Those appropriations will be rescinded at next year’s Town Meeting, because the new federal ARPA funds will cover both the well (now $600,000) and $500,000 to repair the tank cover. ARPA will also cover $200,000 in distribution system repairs.

Miscellaneous spending

Seventeen appropriations totaling $621,094 by the Capital Planning Committee included $60,000 for roof repairs to two of the Hartwell pods to keep them structurally sound until the fate of the pods is determined by a soon-to-be-named community center building committee, and $20,000 for a new rug at the Pierce House.

A late-breaking expense that was not in the published warrant was $200,000 for a new lighting control system for the recently refurbished Brooks portion of the Lincoln School. The company that installed the brand-new system was sold and the new owner is not supporting the system, said CPC Chair Audrey Kalmus. The company is providing a new system free of charge but Lincoln is liable for labor costs amounting to $200,000.

The original plans called for the same lighting systems to be used in the Smith and Brooks school sections, but the problem was caught early enough to specify the change now rather than having to make it later.

The town also approved spending $350,000 to remove the modular classrooms and restore the ballfield after the school project is finished this summer. That cost as well as the ballfield restoration will be offset by proceeds from the sale of the modular classrooms.

Among the items approved for Community Preservation Fund spending:

• $310,000 to improve the drainage at the athletic field behind Town Hall
• $205,000 for the third and final phase of a project to repair the library parapet
• $15,000 for a bathymetric survey of Pierce Pond as a first step in restoring the pond from its current cattail marsh condition. The study will determine how much dredging is needed and whether the sediments are contaminated to the point that disposal would become cost-prohibitive.

Tables showing line items for the town budget, CPC, and CPF can be found here.

Right-to-farm bylaw

Voters approved a new requirement that property buyers must be notified by sellers or their agents about Lincoln’s right-to-farm bylaw. Agricultural Commission member Louise Bergeron explained that the commission would discuss the requirement with real estate agents “to avoid surprises” among potential buyers, but that agents would not be forced to disclose the bylaw. “It’s not an obligation per se — it’s a promotion,” she said.

Among those who voted against the measure were Select Board members James Craig and Jonathan Dwyer. “While I fully support the fact that we are a right-to-farm town, my objection to this article was based on the fact that as a real estate lawyer, I am not in favor of imposing additional obligations on people selling their homes above and beyond what is legally required,” Craig said in an email after Town Meeting. “I believe the Agricultural Commission could get the word out in a manner other than imposing an obligation on a homeowner to do so.”

Dwyer said the Select Board didn’t take a position on the issue before Town Meeting. ”I was thinking this sounds pretty straight-ahead and was a small change to improve the bylaw, so we didn’t bother scheduling an interview” at which the Agricultural Commission would have presented their proposal to the board, he said. “We just assumed this was relatively inconsequential.”

At Town Meeting, however, a real estate agent questioned how the requirement would be enforced and at what stage of the property sale process. Dwyer said he voted no (though without discussing it ahead of time with fellow board members) due to that “uncertainty in the process” and the fact that “I didn’t get a sense there was a problem.”

The third Select Board member, Jennifer Glass, said, “I voted yes as I saw this as an effort to be transparent about the bylaw so that there are fewer surprises for new and current residents.” 

Bright Light award

Jim Cunningham was recognized for single-handedly launching and maintaining Lincoln’s local cable TV program, as well as filming and producing  hundreds of meetings of towns boards and committees for viewing online — all without pay. He’s been on the Cable TV Committee for 20 years (most of that as chair). “He’s saved the town thousands and thousands of dollars,” Select Board member Jonathan Dwyer said.

Historic districts

The home at 26 Winter Street will be added to one of the town’s existing historic districts, while 7 and 10 Twin Pond Lane will be the first homes in the newly created Twin Pond Lane Historic District.

Property tax relief

The town had hoped to enact a Property Tax Circuit Breaker program that residents approved a year ago pending action on a home-rule petition to the state legislature, but the legislature has not yet acted on that petition, so the item was passed over at Town Meeting.

• In the March 27 story headlined “Fossil fuel measure stirs debate at Town Meeting,” a speaker was misidentified. It was Fred Hopengarten, not Mike Frankston, who attempted to submit an amendment to the fossil fuel motion. 
• In the March 27 story headlined “Town to move ahead on community center, which could open in 2026,” Select Board member Jonathan Dwyer’s first name was written incorrectly as James. Both stories have been corrected.

(Editor’s note: this story was updated on March 28 with a correction in the last paragraph.)

Although the measure passed with only a handful of “no” votes, a first step toward limiting fossil fuels in new construction attracted the most attention and debate out of the 40 warrant articles at the Annual Town Meeting on March 26.

The “yes” vote on Article 31 directs the Select Board to seek a home-rule petition from the state legislature that would (if granted) allow Lincoln to craft a new bylaw that would prohibit using fossil-fuel technology in new or substantially renovated homes. As originally proposed several weeks ago, the warrant article also included some suggested language for that bylaw, but the Green Energy Committee removed that part after pushback from the Select Board.

Any new bylaw will be written from scratch and must be passed by a two-thirds vote at a future Town Meeting. A home-rule request is required to allow that step because towns are not allowed to pass building codes that are more restrictive than the state’s. Brookline, Acton, Arlington, Lexington, and Concord have filed similar home rule petitions but the legislature has not acted on any of them yet. 

Gov. Baker signed a bill last year that aims to fight climate change by making state buildings net-zero in energy use by 2050, and Lincoln has a similar measure with a 2030 deadline for town-owned buildings. “The window to act is closing fast,” said Trish O’Hagen of Mothers out Front.

GEC Chair Paul Shorb noted that, if Lincoln is permitted to write its own bylaw, that bylaw can include exceptions for things like generators, gas fireplaces and other equipment. Wood pellet stoves would also be permitted since wood is not a fossil fuel. “That’ll be sorted out in round 3” after action by residents on Saturday and then the state legislature.

In contrast to the Select Board’s earlier objection, Barbara Low said she would be more comfortable voting yes if the specific bylaw language was discussed ahead of time. “There’s too much unknown to be going to the state for permission to do something,” she said.

Lincoln ultimately didn’t do that “mainly because of urgency” in starting the process now, Shorb said. “We didn’t think of it sooner and we’re sorry.”

Mike Frankston noted that because countries including China and Indonesia are responsible for much of today’s growing greenhouse gas generation, “why would this help in the least? It puts an expensive burden on the people of Lincoln but does nothing measurable to what greenhouse gases do.”

“I’ll turn the question back to you: how will we make any progress if no one takes a first step?” Shorb replied.

“We can blame other countries that are developing, but we should look at ourselves first,” said Alex Chatfield.

Frankston and others at Town Meeting also objected to the “coercive” nature of the proposal. “Why is this not voluntary if so many people want to do this?” he said.

“It’s not fair to depend on volunteers to cure this worldwide problem,” Shorb said. There are already many other requirements and restrictions in place to keep people safe, including drinking-water regulations and seat belt laws, he added.

“This is a one-size-fits-all solution that is short-sighted,” another resident said. “To demonize fossil fuels is really not addressing the problem” when the electric grid has vulnerabilities of its own.

Shorb agreed that the electricity generation and supply system, which itself relies heavily on fossil fuels, also needs to change. “We have to work these paths in parallel; we can’t pursue one and not the other,” he said. 

Although climate change is happening more slowly than sudden emergencies such as a house fire, “We need to deal with it immediately as an emergency… we need to make this as a first step of many others.”

Jackie Lenth described the substantial investment she recently made to improve her older home’s energy efficiency. Prohibiting fossil fuel heating systems for new houses “would be doing a huge favor for people building in the future, since it costs so much to make these changes after the fact,” she said. “If you make changes in the code from the beginning, they don’t have to go through the headache that some of us are going to have to go through if we really want a greener climate.”

Fred Hopengarten tried to submit an amendment to the motion but the question was called before he could submit it. Residents voted to cut off further debate, though Hopengarten protested that he was trying not to interrupt Town Moderator Sarah Cannon Holden. “Am I to be punished for my courtesy?” he asked.

To all concerned Lincolnites:

It’s been two years since we voted together to elect Bob Domnitz to the Planning Board, something we should all be proud of.  

He’s doing a great job, the best he can given the circumstances. The problem is that there’s still a majority among the five Planning Board members who believe the town needs more development, no matter the cost or impact on the town’s character.

Given their way, they’d add hundreds of more units of housing to the area around the Mall and train station, and spend millions of taxpayers’ dollars to do so. Remember, it was just two years ago that the Planning Board wanted to be able to make development decisions without Town Meeting approval. Without Town Meeting even having a say.

This is the year we can ensure that Town Meeting doesn’t lose its vote. We can let town officials know that decisions impacting the rural character of Lincoln can only be made by town residents. Not ideologues on any Town board.
 
We can do this by re-electing Ephraim Flint to the Planning Board. [Editor’s note: Flint is not running as an incumbent in this election.]
 
Eph served previously for five years and understands the workings of that Board. And why not? He grew up in Lincoln and knows the town and its history better than anyone running. He learned from his father, Warren Flint Sr, who was a Selectman and Planning Board member while many of us were attending elementary schools. Remember, it was Eph’s dad who was one of the leading proponents back in the 1950s of the 2-acre zoning regulations and conservation land purchases that define our town now.
 
Ephraim is thoughtful, experienced and collaborative.  He’s the best person to heal the mistrust that has developed between residents and the PB. A mistrust caused by those members who have dissembled in their communications with, and not listened to, town residents. He’s committed to Town Meeting having the final say.
 
Maybe it’s just me. Maybe I’m the only one who cherishes Lincoln as it is and wants the town to retain its current rural-like feel and atmosphere. But I don’t think so!
 
So, I’m asking you to bullet vote for Ephraim Flint and to tell your neighbors and friends to do the same The best way to ensure Ephraim’s elected is to vote only for Ephraim. Let those other two candidates duke it out over the remaining seat. Please let me know if you have any questions or comments. I hope to see you at Town Meeting Saturday or at the polls on Monday.
 
Always thinkin’ of Lincoln,

Neil Feinberg
104 Concord Rd., Lincoln

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“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.

Check-in begins at 8 a.m. on Saturday, March 26 for Annual Town Meeting, which kicks off at 9:30 a.m. Some notes and reminders from the Lincoln Public Health Team:

• Although the location of the auditorium has not changed, the school renovation has reconfigured the entrance. Click here for a map of the new entryway.
• The new school spaces will be open for viewing before the start of the meeting.
• Officials strongly encourage residents to test themselves for Covid-19 before and after the meeting to reduce any chance of transmission. The town has free at-home test kits available to all residents that can be picked up at the Select Board’s Office, the Council on Aging & Human Services, and the Public Safety dispatch window.
• The Board of Health has lifted the indoor mask mandate but continues to encourage individuals who are at increased risk of severe Covid-19 disease because of age or medical conditions, or who have a household member at such increased risk, to wear masks when indoors. All members of the community are encouraged to wear masks based on their personal comfort level.
• Masked individuals can choose to sit anywhere they like, but there will be a section of seating in the auditorium that will only be for people wearing masks. This location will be closest to the entry doorway and will be marked A map of the room can be viewed here.
• Attendees are asked to leave two empty seats between parties while inside the auditorium. Please work with others in your row to maximize safe seating opportunities.
• The meeting will be broadcast live to the Reed Gymnasium for those who would like greater social distancing. Those in the gym will be able to view, listen and vote, but they will not be able to make comments. To comment, they will need to come to a microphone location in the auditorium.
• Officials are making full use of the “consent calendar” to expedite the voting process and have posted all presentations and meeting materials in advance on the Town Meeting webpage. Presentations on Saturday will be brief to allow the meeting to focus on discussion and help reduce the overall length of the day.  
• For those unable to attend the meeting in person, there will be a live feed through cable TV (Verizon Channel 33, Comcast Channel 8) and on the Town Meeting webpage.