Selectmen close warrant with $5.8 million town offices debt-exclusion question

LINCOLN -- February 14, 2011, Lincoln Selectmen close Town Meeting warrant around a single $5.8 million debt-exclusion question for town offices. The Town Offices Study Committee, chaired by Selectman Noah Eckhouse, presented a 15 percent schematic design pricing the gut-renovation of the 103-year-old Lincoln Road building at $6.8 million total, including $1 million tentatively committed by the Community Preservation Committee. Construction would run about 12 months in late 2011 to 2012, with town government relocated to the Hartwell pods. Finance Committee Chair John Koenig said the project would be financed on a 30-year hybrid bond and noted Lincoln's capital spending has fallen below 4 percent of operating budget, under the band rating agencies expect for triple-A towns. Selectman Sarah Mattes pressed on contingency: "I'm a little nervous that we don't have a lot of wiggle room there." Earlier, Rural Land Foundation Chair Dan England told the board Donelan's will be closed "for some time" after two roof sections collapsed at Lincoln Station.