Lincoln Select Board closes March town meeting warrant unanimously

LINCOLN -- January 26, 2026, Lincoln Select Board closes March 28 town meeting warrant, raises four concerns on Dark Skies bylaw. The board voted 3-0 to close the warrant and authorized Chair Jennifer Glass to deliver feedback to the Planning Board on a citizen-proposed Dark Skies bylaw at its Jan. 27 meeting. Town Administrator Tim Higgins reported a staff estimate of $200,000 to $300,000 to retrofit town-owned exterior lighting under the draft. Member Jim Hutchinson said he was "not comfortable moving forward on this particular proposal" while the general-bylaw-versus-zoning structure remains unresolved; Glass questioned exempting single-family homeowners, saying the bylaw should regulate "light, not type of resident." Comparative data showed Lincoln ranks last or second-to-last among seven adjacent towns in town, school and total expenditures. Bedford Road drainage repair, now estimated near $300,000, will likely fold into Water Main Phase 2 as a change order.