The February 27 story headlined “Leaf blower forum on Thursday” inaccurately said that the First Parish in Lincoln had endorsed a proposed bylaw placing limits on leaf blower use. The Leaf Blower Study Committee on Thursday clarified that, contrary to their statement at a February 25 Board of Selectman’s meeting, the church as a whole has not taken a position, although some church members have expressed support for the measure. The story has been updated to reflect this correction.
FinCom releases tax hike figures for school project
A table showing the tax increase for the median taxpayer with a tax bill of $14,008 in fiscal 2019, compared to earlier projections (click any image to enlarge).
The tax impact until fiscal 2024 under three borrowing scenarios.
The tax impact of all the borrowing for six different property values.
Once all the borrowing for the school project is done, Lincoln property owners will see a tax increase of 14.5% compared to fiscal 2019—significantly less than the 20% that some had feared.
As announced on February 26, winning bidder Citibank offered an interest rate of 3.379% on the $80 million bond. The Finance Committee had been using sample interest rates of 4% and 5% in projecting the tax increases from the $93.9 million school project. But as the town solicited bids on the bond, “we definitely benefited from the equity market volatility that happened in December,” FinCom chair Chair Jim Hutchinson said at Wednesday’s School Building Committee meeting.
From this $80 million bond alone, the median property tax bill would have increased by 14.5% next year. But the fiscal 2020 budget coming up for a vote at Town Meeting is “lean and mean” and, if there were no borrowing, would actually result in a 1.7% tax decrease, Hutchinson said. Taken together, the bond and the budget decrease will mean a $1,780 tax increase (12.7%) tax on the median tax bill.
In about two years, the town will do a “cleanup” bond of up to $8.5 million for the remaining expenses. That will mean another tax increase of about 1.8%, for a grand total increase of about $2,000 or 14.5% compared to the bill for fiscal 2019, Hutchinson said.
Leaf blower forum on Thursday
Residents can make their feelings known about the proposed leaf blower bylaw ahead of Town Meeting at a public forum on Thursday, Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. in the Town Office Building.
The Leaf Blower Study Committee (a subcommittee of the Conservation Commission) wants to limit the use of gas-powered leaf blowers because research has shown they can cause health problems from their noise, exhaust, and the airborne pollutants they stir up.
If approved on March 23, the bylaw proposed by the Leaf Blower Study Committee (LBSC) would regulate the use of leaf blowers as follows:
- Gas-powered leaf blowers may be used during specified weeks and times of day for spring and fall cleanups.
- Electric leaf blowers may be used during the spring, summer, and fall.
- No leaf blowers may be used during the winter.
After the Board of Selectmen urged the group to do more public outreach, members gathered signatures at the transfer station and Donelan’s on a petition supporting the measure, as well as an online petition that had been signed by 203 people as of February 27. Town groups including Mothers Out Front and the Green Energy Commission have also endorsed it, LBSC member Robin Wilkerson said.
At the selectman’s meeting on February 25, residents asked questions about the exact definition of a leaf blower and whether the measure would apply to tractors or lawnmowers used to mulch and blow leaves, or machine that vacuum up leaves rather than blow them.
“You’re going to get more questions than we can think of” at Town Meeting, Selectman Jonathan Dwyer said.
LBSC members assured selectmen that the group would not be returning later with more proposals for leaf blowers or other types of noisy yard equipment.
“People are very worried that we’re going to take away their lawnmowers and chainsaws. We have no designs on other equipment at all,” Wilkerson said.
“Is the ultimate goal of this committee to ban leaf blowing, period, and this is sort of the first stage of that?” Selectman James Craig asked.
“Not at all,” Wilkerson said. “This is a group that will not be continuing to meet after Town Meeting.”
Addendum
Background information on funding for the school project has been added to the February 26 story headlined “Town gets good news on school borrowing costs“:
Voters in December approved borrowing a total of $88.5 million for the school project, which will cost a total of $93.9 million. The initial bond is for $80 million; the rest of the funding includes $4.4 million from the town’s debt stabilization fund and $1 million from free cash.
Council on Aging activities in March
Trad jazz concert
March 1 at 12:30 p.m.
No need to travel to New Orleans or New York when what you’re looking for is to be found right here when the Lincoln Traditional Jazz Band is in the house at Bemis Hall on Friday, March 1 from 12:30–1:30.
Lincoln Academy with Bijoy Misra: nature and spirituality
March 4 at 12:30 p.m.
Come to Bemis Hall on Monday, March 4 at 12:30 p.m. when Bijoy Misra discusses “Nature and Spirituality.” Is nature spiritual? Does nature thrive on struggle for existence or provide a room for all? Are all objects equal in their existence? If an object in nature is equal to another object, then why does one survive not the other? Misra will examine these age-old questions from the perspectives of our own life and experiences. He will examine traits in humans as to our own nature and our own built-in spirituality. He will look through the philosophers and the scriptures for their insight into equality. He will examine whether spirituality lives in our own perception of the other object. The COA provides beverages and dessert. The lectures last about an hour, including a question and answer period. Participants are welcome to stay after the program to continue their discussion. All ages welcome.
Artists’ coffee with the Lincoln Quilters
March 5 at 2:30 p.m.
Join the Lincoln Quilters on Tuesday, March 5 at 2:30 to celebrate their exhibit in the Bemis Hall Gallery in March and April. The Lincoln Quilters are nine Lincoln women including Anne Crosby, Nancy Constable, Tricia Deck, Linda MacNeil, Lucy Sachs, Kate Sacknoff, Jane Solar, and Dilla Tingley. Drawn together by their shared interest in quilting and fiber arts, they began meeting monthly five years ago to inspire each other, share their creations, share suggestions on personal projects, and develop new pieces as a group. They generally have a group project going that stimulates and challenges each member and her creativity. Besides donating quilts for fundraising events, they have made quilts for organizations in need such as Camp Sunshine. They recently had a show at the Lincoln Library gallery where eight quilts were auctioned to benefit the charity of choice of the successful bidder. Many of the pieces in the show at Bemis will have Lincoln themes. Proceeds from the sale of these quilts will be donated to the Lincoln Food Pantry.
The many faces of sadness
March 7 at 10 a.m.
As we age, we may experience sadness in many forms. It may be due to the loss of loved ones, changes in our activity patterns, and for some, isolation which can increase our vulnerability to depression. Claire Gerstein, LICSW, will facilitate a group to give people the opportunity to talk about these issues in a supportive environment. The free six-week group will meet Thursdays 10-11:30 starting March 7 at Bemis Hall. [Read more…] about Council on Aging activities in March
Town gets good news on school borrowing costs
The stack of bonds awaiting selectmen’s signatures at their meeting on Monday.
The impact on property taxes from the school project won’t be quite as bad as many had feared. The interest rate for the lion’s share of the bonds that the town will issue to fund the project is 3.379%, compared to the 4% and 5% projections outlined by the Finance Committee in November.
The town received eight competitive bids and a glowing bond-rating report, Town Administrator Tim Huggins reported to the Board of Selectmen on Monday night. The town will also retain its AAA bond rating, which he added is unusual for a town taking on this level of debt.
“The property tax impact will be significantly lower than the most conservative of our forecasts were showing,” Higgins said. Officials had been predicting a tax hike of 18–20%, but it now looks like it will be more in the 14–16% range, depending on the interest rate for a second, relatively small “cleanup” bond that will be issued towards the end of construction once the exact final costs are known.
Voters in December approved borrowing a total of $88.5 million for the school project, which will cost a total of $93.9 million. The initial bond is for $80 million; the rest of the funding includes $4.4 million from the town’s debt stabilization fund and $1 million from free cash.
A back-of-the-envelope calculation by Selectman Jonathan Dwyer indicated that the 3.379% interest rate could save the town half a million dollars a year compared to the higher rates that were projected earlier.
The favorable interest rate is largely due to the prudent financial management and planning efforts of current and former town officials, selectmen agreed. “We know [the debt is] going to be burden that all of us have to take on, but it could have been a whole lot more painful. Kudos to all those before us who paved the way,” Selectman James Craig said.
The Finance Committee will present revised tax-impact figures at the School Building Committee meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 27 at 7 p.m. in the Hartwell multipurpose room.
Letter to the editor: come to Saturday event on climate action
To the editor:
Climate change is a matter of grave concern. I applaud the work of Sen. Markey and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in their efforts to jump-start a bold response to global warming with their Green New Deal. The proposal still lacks metrics and clarity and is not likely to be approved by this Congress, but it’s making an important contribution by bringing climate change — as if wildfires, hurricanes, drought, and rising sea water are not enough — into the public discussion.
We citizens need to put pressure on our president and our Congress for effective action in reducing carbon and creating a clean energy economy. We also need to focus on what we can do within our own local communities and in our own state. What steps will enable Massachusetts to have a green, carbon-neutral energy system? What organizations can we work with to increase our knowledge and our effective advocacy in regard to climate change?
350 Mass is a Massachusetts-based, grassroots climate movement supported by the Better Future Project, a Cambridge-based nonprofit organization. It aims to address problems of climate change in the context of creating a more live-able world for all of us. 350 Mass engages in political advocacy, direct action, and creating alliances. It is gaining widespread recognition throughout the state for its work addressing climate issues.
This Saturday, March 2 at 10 a.m. in Bemis Hall, the Lincoln Democratic Town Committee has invited Andrew Gordon, the legislative coordinator with 350 Mass, to lead us in considering how we can most effectively amplify our voices to support effective policies on global warming. Lincoln, with its approved plan for construction of a net-zero school, is in the vanguard of effective community action. Let’s find out what else we can be doing at the state and local levels, as well as to support our legislators in key national policy decisions. We invite you to join us for this discussion on Saturday.
Sincerely,
Barbara Slayter
Co-chair, 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.
Storm addendum
A tree down on power lines on Farrar Road. Photo by Martin Dermady.
The wind tore most of the plastic sheeting from this Lindentree Farm greenhouse. Photo by Moira Donnell.
Two more photos of storm damaged have been added to the February 25 story about the wind storm’s effects in Lincoln (“Wind storm causes power outages, road closures“).
As of 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Eversource reported that there are still 72 customers without power due to 19 outages.
News acorns
Register to vote by Friday for Town Meeting, election
Friday, March 1 is the last day to register to vote prior to the Lincoln Town Meeting on March 23 and the Lincoln town election on March 25. Click here to check your voter registration status. Click here to register online, or register in person at the Town Clerk’s Office during regular business hours (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. the office will have extended registration hours on March 1 from 4:30–8 p.m.
Rail commuters asked for feedback on survey
The South Lincoln Planning and Implementation Committee invites regular users of Lincoln’s commuter rail station to complete a short online survey. The town is trying to get a better understanding of how commuters are currently accessing the station, the current demand for commuter rail parking, and how station accessibility can be improved for commuters arriving by all modes. The survey is being conducted in conjunction with a parking study the town is completing with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council. Anyone with questions may contact Jennifer Burney, Director of Planning and Land Use, at burneyj@lincolntown.org.
L-S METCO hosts bingo night
Lincoln-Sudbury METCO invites residents to Family Bingo Night at the high school on Friday, March 1 at 6:30 p.m. There will be games, a raffle and food sales in addition to bingo. All proceeds benefit L-S METCO. For more information, email LSmetco.parentcommittee@gmail.com.
St. Anne’s services around Lent
Lent begins on Wednesday, March 6, and on that day, St. Anne’s Episcopal Church will offer services of Holy Eucharist with Imposition of Ashes at 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. Beginning March 10, the regular adult forum will be a Lenten book series focusing on Because of This I Rejoice: Reading Philippians at Lent. All are welcome at the men’s discussion group at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesdays, and the women’s bible study at 10 a.m. on Thursdays (no advance reading expected).
Conversation about changing views of masculinity
The Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable will host a facilitated conversation about the controversial Gillette video entitled “Is This the Best a Man Can Get?” on Tuesday, March 12 at 3 p.m. in the Community Meeting Room of the Wayland Public Safety Building (38 Cochituate Rd., Wayland). The event commemorates White Ribbon Day, a global movement of men and boys working to end male violence against women and girls and promote healthy relationships, gender equity, and a compassionate vision of masculinity.
Wind storm causes power outages, road closures
High winds caused a large tree to fall on this blue car parked near Donelan’s (click to enlarge). Photo by Joanna Schmergel
It was a winter storm without the snow or a hurricane without the rain, but even without any precipitation, Monday’s wind storm to tear down plenty of trees and limbs in Lincoln.
As of 5 p.m., Eversource reported that Lincoln had 347 customers without power due to more than 20 separate outages. In neighboring towns, there were 1,183 customers without power in Lexington, 953 in Wayland, 508 in Sudbury, and 517 in Weston. Downed trees, power lines and utility poles closed parts of Farrar Road, Old Concord Road, Macintosh Lane, Fox Run, Deerhaven Road and Huckleberry Hill, police reported.
A tree down on power lines on Farrar Road. Photo by Martin Dermady.
The wind tore most of the plastic sheeting from this Lindentree Farm greenhouse. Photo by Moira Donnell.
No injuries were reported, though a falling tree in the Donelan’s parking lot near Lincoln Woods damaged a couple of cars. Police Chief Kevin Kennedy said. Given the several hours of very high winds he noted that the damage would have been much worse if there had been foliage on the trees, or the storm had included heavy snow or ice, he added.
Because the Department of Public Works is busy clearing brush and trees from roads, the transfer station will be closed on Wednesday, Feb. 26.