Select Board recommends town meeting authorize sale of three Bemis Hall paintings

LINCOLN — March 19, 2012 — Lincoln Select Board sends Bemis Hall paintings to town meeting and discloses $500,000 town offices overrun. The board, in Chair Sarah Mattis's final meeting after 12 years, voted to recommend that Saturday's Annual Town Meeting authorize sale of three Julian de Cordova paintings, with proceeds to flow through new special legislation into the underfunded Bemis Trust. Member Noah Eckhouse disclosed that bids on the town offices renovation came in roughly half a million dollars over four independent cost estimates, drawn from a field of more than 120 firms that pulled the package. Member Peter Braun reported that the Finance Committee and Capital Planning Committee have endorsed hiring an independent school-building consultant at an estimated $100,000, with a mid-September deliverable before the November 6 ballot. The board also unanimously appointed 10-year call firefighter Michael Gassararo to a full-time vacancy; Fire Chief Steve Carter quoted him telling a lieutenant, "I'm too old for stepping stones."