Select Board hosts second diversity roundtable on town-government role

LINCOLN — October 15, 2020 — Lincoln panelists detail town-government levers on diversity ahead of November State of the Town. The Select Board's second diversity, equity and inclusion roundtable on Oct. 15 featured Town Administrator Tim Higgins, Planning Board Chair Margaret Olson, Assistant Director of Planning Paula Vaughn-McKenzie, Housing Commission Chair Alan Vandermeulen and Council on Aging Director Abigail Butt. Higgins announced a staff DEI curriculum team with the police chief, HR director and Butt, and said town recruitment practices are under review. Vandermeulen said the 15 affordable units at Oreo Landing required roughly $1 million in Affordable Housing Trust money and that Lincoln must add about 10 affordable units per decade to maintain its 10 percent state SHI threshold. Olson cautioned that walking away from two-acre zoning would require "a concerted effort across all of the entire town government." Findings will roll into the State of the Town meetings on Nov. 17, 18 and 19.