Lincoln Select Board previews $1.1 million in town-meeting capital asks, makes two appointments

LINCOLN — June 1, 2020 — Lincoln Select Board lines up June 13 capital asks for water plant and school project. The board on June 1 previewed a $270,000 Water Commission bonding article and a $828,945 School Building Committee free-cash request, and unanimously appointed Amy Gagné as Council on Aging assistant director and the Rev. Garrett Yates of St. Anne's to the Emergency Assistance Committee. Water Commission Chair Ruth Ann Hendrickson said operating costs have risen 30 percent year-over-year for three years and that the $270,000 includes $125,000 to close a bid overage and $45,000 for spare programmable logic controllers — replacing what would have been a $400,000 full PLC replacement. SBC Chair Chris Fasciano said bids came in $3.5 million over budget in December and the Finance Committee, citing pandemic finances, capped the restoration ask near $840,000. Member Jonathan Dwyer pressed on water investment ahead of a pending MWRA study; Hendrickson said the work "should carry us for another five years minimum." Public Health Nurse Trish McGeehan reported 36 cases and seven deaths, all at The Commons at Lincoln.