Lincoln Select Board reviews Halloween storm response, criticizes NSTAR coordination

LINCOLN — November 14, 2011 — Lincoln Select Board picks apart NSTAR's storm response and pursues a $330,000 multi-year CPC ask. Police Chief Kevin Mooney, Fire Chief Arthur Cuneo, DPW Superintendent Chris Bibbo and COA Director Carolyn Bottum walked the board through the Halloween storm response, noting NSTAR declined to stage crews in Lincoln, leaving the town reliant on a FEMA-bunker liaison and on flagging crews in the field. Storm costs are running about $135,000, with roughly 75 percent expected from FEMA; Town Administrator Tim Higgins said non-reimbursable costs from Irene and Halloween combined could already reach $50,000 to $100,000. Selectman Peter Braun reported a working group's consensus to ask CPC for roughly $330,000 a year — full debt service on the town offices project — as a multi-year commitment. Selectman Noah Eckhouse called the CPC's reserve philosophy "lunacy," saying, "I think we get the money out of CPC and pay off our debt."