Selectmen press school committee for outreach plan on $58.5M renovation

LINCOLN -- June 27, 2011, Lincoln selectmen press school committee on $58.5M project before July 11 preferred-option vote. School Committee Chair Jennifer Glass told the board the School Building Committee will recommend one of three fully developed options to the Massachusetts School Building Authority this summer, with state reimbursement of 40 to 45 percent and a town vote at March 2012 Town Meeting. Chair Sarah Cannon Holden and Selectman Noah Eckhouse, citing a June 19 letter, said cost figures only "became real" at the May 15 public forum, step 34 of the committee's 37-step timeline, and demanded a formal communications plan before fall State of the Town. Resident Buzz Constable said two-thirds of the town has not heard the rationale: "You don't want a difficult town meeting." Eckhouse and resident Marshall Clemens are developing a parallel repair-cost analysis with Skanska. The board also appointed Della Tingley to the Council on Aging to complete the late John Caswell's term and deferred a DPW contract vote pending Selectman Peter Braun's return.