The important numbers to be concerned about are realizing a Community Center
is used by all ages, COA is just part of the programs. LEAP, Magic Garden as
well as Parks and Rec programs which can be provided at a community center
base.
I have heard the talk about the cost and the burden is due to the School
Project, replacing the school was needed. It is important to remember that the
original cost from Lincoln was rejected on a Town vote which included @50% from
the State, it would have been an out of pocket expense of @$25 Million. It then
re-applied and was rejected and eventually cost the Town @$93 Million of a well
NEEDED school. So when saying a school is the reason why the Town cannot afford
a Community Center it is actually the vote to reject State subsidized financial
aid.
This financial aid would be to replace a school that was not functional for
education and hazardous to the children and staff who had leaky ceilings,
overflowing toilets, an outdated infrastructure, systems and layout for
education where the Town of Lincoln pays one of the highest amounts per
student. Building the school makes the Town of Lincoln more attractive to new
buyers who want things like a functioning school and things like a Community
Center.
Please see the below from the Lincoln Squirrel to document the school debate:
Four years earlier, the MSBA offered to pay $21 million toward a new school
costing $49 million if residents agreed by a two-thirds majority to fund their
share. But the margin at a Special Town Meeting in November 2012 was 370-321
votes (54 percent to 45 percent), so the funding offer was withdrawn and the
town had to begin the process all over again. The MSBA also declined to offer
funding in 2013 and 2015. At Town Meeting in March 2016, residents
overwhelmingly approved the latest application to the MSBA.
In 2014, consultants Dore and Whittier determined that the school needed
immediate work costing $8.4 million including a new roof for the entire
building, a new exterior wall for the Reed Gym, and a new boiler room and
pumping equipment for the Smith building. However, even if residents approved
funding for that work, the town would have to spend several million dollars
more, because by state law, when school renovation costs exceed a certain
percentage of the building’s assessed value, the building must also be brought
up to current code for handicapped accessibility. For the Lincoln School, the
trigger point in 2014 was about $6.5 million.
Meeting only the immediate and near-term facilities needs of the school with no
educational improvements or cafeteria would cost more than $27 million, the
consultants said, while a comprehensive project meeting all facilities and
educational needs would cost almost $60 million.
State says no to Lincoln school funding for the third time
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State says no to Lincoln school funding for the third time
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Thank You,John Gregg
On Thursday, September 21, 2023 at 04:46:32 PM EDT, Colleen Katsuki
<[email protected]> wrote:
The COA has given the town maximum and minimum numbers for elder uses
of the current programs, but this really tells us nothing. We need mean
or average uses for these programs. Otherwise we are basing substantial
town financial decisions on an unknown.
As an elder, I am only able to afford to stay in Lincoln by renting
rooms and teaching piano. The town needs to be frugal after the
profligate school expense.
Colleen Katsuki
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