Lincoln boards defer Minuteman regional agreement vote to March 24

LINCOLN — March 10, 2014 — Lincoln selectmen and finance committee postpone Minuteman recommendation as agreement keeps changing. Meeting jointly Monday with Finance Committee Chair Laura and member Eric Harris participating remotely from Kansas City, the boards declined to take a position on proposed Minuteman Regional Vocational School District amendments and scheduled a second session for March 24. Town Administrator Tim Higgins said Lincoln's annual debt service share on a $120 million, 800-student replacement school would rise from roughly $60,000 to $110,000 a year — about $50 per average tax bill. A late-stage revision would raise Lincoln's voting weight from 0.98 percent to 3.62 percent. Superintendent Edward Bouquillon said the state has given a verbal commitment to authorize a long-sought non-member capital fee. Selectman Peter Braun objected to "corporate principles" in a "mission-driven organization"; Selectman Noah Eckhouse said he could vote yes with two contingencies.