A solution might be for CCBC to simply provide sources and links to its data.
What’s at stake is the credibility of the CCBC. I know the committee says that it welcomes questions and discussion. > On Sep 30, 2023, at 9:25 AM, Karla Gravis <[email protected]> wrote: > > I am not sure if the message is getting missed in my previous post so it’s > worth reinforcing. > > > > Tim says: “Karla Gravis suggests that the CCBC has used the ACS numbers for > other towns for its benchmarking exercise. This is incorrect. The CCBC has > used the Town Census numbers for every town, to ensure full comparability.” > > > > I have reason to be very skeptical of Tim’s forceful assertion, especially as > the CCBC does not provide any sources or links. Moreover, these are examples > of towns where the CCBC benchmarking is using ACS numbers: > > Concord > <https://data.census.gov/table/ACSDP5Y2021.DP05?q=concord,+Massachusetts> > Harvard > <https://data.census.gov/table/ACSST5Y2021.S0101?q=Harvard+town,+Massachusetts> > Weston > <https://data.census.gov/table/ACSST5Y2021.S0101?q=weston,+Massachusetts> > Acton > <https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/actontownmiddlesexcountymassachusetts,MA/POP645221>. > NOT town census. > > The CCBC is using ACS data for other towns but not for Lincoln. ACS is the > same data the town used last year in the STM. The only reason I can think of > for this change in plan and incongruity with other towns is that the town > census has 40% more (600) more seniors than the ACS. > > > > On Sat, Sep 30, 2023 at 9:09 AM Joanna Owen Schmergel <[email protected] > <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: >> Hear hear! >> >> >> Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone >> <https://mail.onelink.me/107872968?pid=nativeplacement&c=Global_Acquisition_YMktg_315_Internal_EmailSignature&af_sub1=Acquisition&af_sub2=Global_YMktg&af_sub3=&af_sub4=100000604&af_sub5=EmailSignature__Static_> >> >> On Saturday, September 30, 2023, 8:55 AM, Laura Crosby >> <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: >> >> Bravo, Tim! >> >> Sent from my iPhone >> >>> On Sep 30, 2023, at 3:39 AM, Timothy Christenfeld <[email protected] >>> <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: >>> >> >>> >> >> I’m impressed that Karla Gravis responded so quickly and forcefully to the >> CCBC FAQ, but perhaps she wouldn’t have been so forceful if she had taken a >> little more time. >> >> She finds it “remarkable” that the CCBC didn’t mention the ACS survey. >> Remarkable, indeed, because the FAQ does mention the ACS survey, both when >> it refers to the population estimates that the Census Bureau provides every >> year, and when it cites the current estimate (2022) that Lincoln’s >> population is 6,855. >> >> Further, Karla Gravis suggests that the CCBC has used the ACS numbers for >> other towns for its benchmarking exercise. This is incorrect. The CCBC has >> used the Town Census numbers for every town, to ensure full comparability. >> >> Karla Gravis also suggests that people continue to be listed on the Town >> Census for Lincoln even if they register in other towns or if they die. >> This is not accurate. People will be removed from the Town Census for >> either of those reasons (or when the RMV informs the town of a new address >> on a driver’s license). It takes longer to remove people from the Town >> Census if they move without updating their voter registration or their >> driver’s license, so we can’t assume that the Town Census is absolutely >> accurate, but there are still reasons to believe that it is more accurate >> than the estimate provided by the U.S. Census Bureau. >> >> Sent from my iPhone >> >>> On Sep 30, 2023, at 3:30 AM, Karla Gravis <[email protected] >>> <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: >>> >>> >>> I know some people will roll their eyes at me, but I think we need to set >>> the record straight when talking about population numbers. >>> >>> In the email below, it is said: "There are two primary sources for >>> information about who lives in Lincoln: the decennial U.S. census, and the >>> annual Town census." This is an inaccurate statement. There is a third >>> source: the ACS survey conducted by the US Census Bureau. There is a good >>> reason to to use the ACS: the decennial survey does NOT provide a count of >>> residents over 60. >>> >>> It is remarkable the CCBC fails to mention this third source given that it >>> is precisely this source that the CCBC uses for all TEN towns in their >>> benchmarking exercise except for Lincoln. The CCBC also used the ACS as >>> their source for Lincoln in the November 2022 Special Town Meeting >>> presentation. >>> >>> The email below also states: "[...] for comparisons with other towns, the >>> CCBC has opted to use the Town numbers rather than the federal numbers." A >>> reasonable person would assume that if the goal is to compare with other >>> towns, we should use the same source for all towns, not a different one >>> just for Lincoln. The practice in Lincoln for town counts has been to keep >>> people on the roll even if they do not return the form (they could have >>> moved, passed away or registered in other towns where they also have a >>> home). There is a good reason for keeping them on the roll from a voter >>> perspective, as we want to make sure we enable everyone to vote, but it >>> does render the town count data unreliable for statistical and comparison >>> purposes. This practice will tend to inflate the data. Towns do not report >>> such counts publicly, therefore comparisons on this basis cannot be >>> established. >>> >>> We need to be using the same source for each and every town in a comparison >>> exercise, and not switch to a different source just for Lincoln. This is >>> particularly true when the difference between town counts and the US Census >>> is 40%. I understand the CCBC may not like the comparison to Harvard, which >>> has approximately the same senior population as we do, yet they spent less >>> than $3M on their Senior Center, or to Wayland, which has almost three >>> times our total and senior population, yet they are spending $12M on their >>> community center. >>> >>> >>> ---------- Forwarded message --------- >>> From: Krystal Wood <[email protected] >>> <mailto:[email protected]>> >>> Date: Fri, Sep 29, 2023 at 18:26 >>> Subject: [LincolnTalk] CCBC FAQ's >>> To: Lincoln Talk <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>> >>> >>> >>> COMMUNITY CENTER BUILDING COMMITTEE: >>> FAQ >>> September, 2023 >>> >>> The vision: what is a Community Center, and why would Lincoln want to build >>> one? >>> A Community Center not only reflects the community at whose heart it sits, >>> it strengthens that community. A Community Center is a year-round, >>> intergenerational gathering place and activity center. A Community Center >>> is a locus for a wide variety of activities – health and fitness, social >>> services, learning, eating, socializing, creating, playing, participating. >>> A Community Center enriches the community by fostering organizational >>> collaboration and by housing an array of programs, for all ages. >>> >>> At its heart, the Community Center is a home for the Lincoln Council on >>> Aging & Human Services and the Parks & Recreation Department, both of which >>> do much more than most people realize, and both of which run constrained >>> programs in their current homes. The Community Center also provides a base >>> for 25 other community organizations whose work is critical to the quality >>> of life in Lincoln. But the vision of a Community Center on the Lincoln >>> School campus is of a building that exists not only to serve important >>> organizational needs and to optimize programming, though those might be >>> adequate reasons for building a new building, it is also of a building that >>> will attract residents of all ages to gather for coffee and meetings and >>> informal activities. >>> >>> Lincoln has a sense of community – we have impromptu encounters at the >>> transfer station and at Donelan’s, we have annual events like the Scarecrow >>> Classic, the Girl Scouts Pancake Breakfast, the July 4 parade, and we have >>> Town Meeting. But the everyday contribution of a Community Center to the >>> life of the community and to the sense of community can be far greater, and >>> the possibilities are exciting – because the number of people using the >>> Center will be so much higher, because the range of activities will be much >>> greater, because the opportunities for intergenerational interaction will >>> expand, because the provision of social services will be improved and the >>> organizations providing those services will be more robust. >>> >>> What is the CCBC – which stakeholders are represented, what are its tasks, >>> and how can >>> others participate? >>> We encourage questions, and have been asked for information on the >>> Community Center Building Committee (CCBC), including its role and >>> responsibilities. >>> >>> In March, 2022, the Lincoln Annual Town Meeting voted with near unanimity >>> to restart the Community Center planning and design process, and to request >>> that the Select Board appoint a building committee. (The specific motion is >>> appended below.) >>> >>> So the Select Board appointed a Community Center Building Committee (CCBC), >>> which started work at the beginning of June. (The membership list is >>> appended below.). The initial task of the CCBC has been to prepare an >>> initial funding proposal – if the Town approves this proposal, for up to >>> $325,000, at the Special Town Meeting on November 30, then the CCBC will >>> hire an Owner’s Project Manager and a project architect to prepare >>> schematic designs. The Town will have the opportunity to select its >>> preferred design, and then it will have the additional opportunity to vote >>> on funding for the construction of the Community Center. (The specific >>> charge of the CCBC is appended below.) >>> >>> The CCBC will be building on the work of a series of town committees that >>> have developed the concept and parameters for a Community Center in >>> Lincoln. The CCBC will refine the concept, incorporating lessons from COVID >>> and from the school building process, continuing the search for cost >>> savings, and incorporating input about programmatic priorities. >>> >>> The CCBC and its subcommittees hold open meetings and invite public >>> participation. The schedule of those meetings is available on the town >>> website, and the CCBC will use other forums to inform residents about >>> upcoming meetings and their agendas. We particularly urge residents to look >>> for information on the CCBC website (https://lincolncommunitycenter.com/). >>> >>> Members of the CCBC: >>> AT-LARGE MEMBERS: Sarah Chester, Chair; Timothy Christenfeld; Alison >>> Taunton-Rigby; Krystal Wood >>> BOARD REPRESENTATIVES: Jonathan Dwyer, Select Board; Rob Stringer, Parks & >>> Recreation Committee; Susan Taylor, School Committee; Ellen Meyer-Shorb, >>> Finance Committee; Dilla Tingley, Council on Aging & Human Services >>> BOARD LIAISONS: Kim Bodnar, Select Board; Lynn DeLisi, Planning Board; >>> Andrew Glass, Historical Commission; Steve Gladstone, Water Department; Roy >>> Harvey, Green Energy Committee; Indrani Kharbanda, Library Board of >>> Trustees; David Levington, Friends of the Lincoln Library >>> EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS: Abigail Butt, COA & Human Services Director; Jessica >>> Downing, Parks and Recreation Director; Timothy Higgins, Town >>> Administrator; Brandon Kelly, Facilities Director; Daniel Pereira, Asst. >>> Town Administrator >>> >>> Motion approved at Town Meeting, March, 2022: >>> >>> That the Town provide the Select Board with a sense of the meeting as to >>> restarting the Community Center planning and design process, and, if such >>> sense of the meeting is in the affirmative, to request that the Board >>> appoint a building committee, by whatever title, to review the results of >>> previous planning efforts and to present its findings in an expedited >>> manner so that a request for funds for planning and design services could >>> appear on the warrant for a fall 2022 Special Town Meeting. >>> >>> The official tasks of the CCBC: >>> 1. Review and become familiar with previous plans and existing materials. >>> 2. Create a plan for gathering stakeholder input, and for regular >>> communication with, and input from relevant Town boards, committees, and >>> the community. As appropriate, this will require collaboration with the >>> School Committee and/or Building Committee. >>> 3. Work with the Town Administrator to ensure that the process for >>> contracting with an Owners’ Project Manager (OPM) and project Architect are >>> carried out in compliance with state law and with an emphasis on diversity. >>> 4. Review the program again, taking care to consider how COVID experiences >>> and lessons might inform programs, interior space layout, outdoor >>> amenities, and design, and the role the new and renovated school spaces >>> might play. >>> 5. Review the two CCBC design concepts and schematics to identify >>> opportunities for improvement, including potential cost savings that may be >>> achieved through re- evaluating the project scope or by other means. >>> Develop the schematic designs to the extent required to ensure reliable >>> cost estimating. >>> 6. Lead the public engagement process which will culminate in a Town >>> Meeting vote to select a preferred design concept and budget. >>> 7. Once funds are approved, oversee the process for finalizing the design, >>> bidding, >>> contract award and construction, including repaving of Ballfield Road and >>> any new paths serving the Community Center. Lead public engagement process >>> as necessary for input into value engineering. >>> >>> Why would Lincoln build a new Community Center rather than use existing >>> buildings? >>> For over 10 years, Town Committees have studied and evaluated options for a >>> Community Center, and have consistently concluded that it is inappropriate >>> for COA&HS to continue to offer activities and services under the existing >>> conditions of Bemis Hall, and that the Hartwell Pods, built as temporary >>> classrooms over 60 years ago are no longer acceptable for the programs and >>> activities of PRD. Other existing town facilities do not offer a solution >>> to the problem. If Lincoln wants a Community Center, then building a new >>> one is the most efficient use of town resources to solve these and several >>> other challenges. >>> >>> These are the relevant findings about the COA&HS at Bemis Hall, from a >>> series of town committees: >>> • A 2008 needs assessment “determined that Bemis Hall not be the long-term >>> home for the COA.” (Since that assessment, the Lincoln senior population >>> has increased by 50%.) >>> • In 2012, the Community Center Feasibility Committee (CCFC) concluded >>> about Bemis Hall that it was “not built to be a modern senior center with >>> myriad programs and services.” >>> • The CCFC reiterated in a 2013 follow-up that Bemis is “not well suited >>> for a senior center.” >>> • In February, 2015, the Community Center Study Committee (CCSC) reported >>> that, “compared with neighboring towns, the quality, size and condition of >>> Lincoln’s COA facility is vastly inferior, and its physical deficits limit >>> the programs and services which can be offered to elders.” >>> • The CCSC provided additional detail about the shortcomings of Bemis Hall: >>> “the interior space does not allow for congregate meals, a significant >>> drop-in area, adequate and confidential office space for staff and >>> volunteers, private restroom locations, or all programming needed to meet >>> the needs of Lincoln’s growing population of older adults.” >>> • In 2018, the Community Center Preliminary Planning & Development >>> Committee wrotemore broadly that: >>> Doing nothing to provide adequate facilities for the COA, PRD [Parks & >>> Recreation Department], and community organizations is not an option. The >>> physical plants of both Bemis Hall and the pods continue to age, and it >>> makes >>> no sense for the Town to continue to expend scarce tax dollars to fix up, >>> patch >>> up and make do with facilities that do not suit their purpose. Just as >>> important, >>> every year that these departments and organizations are not able to provide >>> the >>> range of activities and programs that are standard in other towns and are >>> located in buildings that discourage residents from making use of their >>> services >>> means that opportunities to improve residents’ quality of life are lost. >>> >>> In 2012, the CCFC studied other town facilities, asking whether any >>> existing building could serve as a better home for the COA&HS than Bemis >>> Hall. The CCFC concluded that no other existing building could serve the >>> needs of the COA. Pierce House, for instance, has two assets – a good >>> location and plentiful parking – but fails on every other criterion as a >>> potential home for the COA&HS: the spaces in the existing building do not >>> match the programmatic needs, the possibilities for extensive expansion or >>> reconfiguration are very limited, and Pierce House could not accommodate >>> the Parks & Recreation Department (PRD). >>> >>> Why would the Community Center be on the Hartwell campus? >>> >>> If Lincoln decides to build a Community Center, that Center is expected to >>> be on the Hartwell Campus, adjoining the Lincoln Public Schools. There are >>> several reasons for this determination, but it is worth highlighting two of >>> them here: >>> >>> First, there is a set of practical reasons, having to do with the inclusion >>> of the Parks & Recreation Department (PRD) in the Community Center. It is >>> much more efficient to build a Center that houses both the PRD and the >>> Lincoln Council on Aging & Human Services, because almost every space in >>> the shared building would be a shared space. And because it is very >>> important for the PRD to remain close to the Lincoln Schools, so that the >>> schoolchildren have easy access to the PRD after-school programming, it >>> makes sense to locate the Community Center where there is space on the >>> school campus. >>> >>> Second, the Community Center is expected to be at Hartwell because that is >>> the clearly stated preference of the residents of Lincoln. For instance, at >>> the State of the Town Meeting on November 15, 2014, 350 residents expressed >>> their preferences for a Community Center site, with a very large majority >>> choosing the Hartwell site, among five options. The Community Center Study >>> Committee therefore concluded: >>> The overwhelmingly favored choice for a location by Lincoln residents is at >>> the Hartwell complex, where it would help to anchor an entire “community >>> campus” consisting of the Community Center, the Lincoln Public Schools, the >>> Town playgrounds and playing fields, and the Codman Pool. >>> >>> >>> >>> Public feedback on the preferred site for the Community Center (State of >>> the Town, November, >>> 2014) >>> >>> What is the recent history of official discussion of a Community Center in >>> Lincoln – what questions have previous committees asked and what answers >>> has Lincoln given to those questions? >>> >>> In 2012, the Select Board appointed a Community Center Feasibility >>> Committee to evaluate existing and future space needs of the Council on >>> Aging & Human Services (COA&HS) and the Parks & Recreation Department >>> (PRD). The Committee concluded that Bemis was not well- suited for use as a >>> senior center, and that the Hartwell Pods, home to PRD, were long past >>> their life expectancy. The Committee recommended that the Select Board lead >>> a public process to assess the Town’s interest in a new community center >>> and to study potential sites. >>> >>> In 2015, the Board appointed a Community Center Study Committee to >>> determine the Town’s desire for a community center and to examine sites. >>> The Committee concluded that COA&HS’s needs are acute and immediate, and >>> that PRD’s needs are significant. After extensive and multiple >>> opportunities for public participation and input were provided, the >>> “overwhelming” choice for location, among five site alternatives, was the >>> Hartwell Campus. >>> >>> In 2016, the Select Board and School Committee jointly appointed a Campus >>> Master Planning Committee to determine whether the Ballfield Road Campus >>> has the capacity to absorb additional uses, including a community center. >>> The Committee concluded that there is no engineering or regulatory reason >>> precluding a community center on the Ballfield Road campus. >>> >>> In 2018, the Community Center Preliminary Planning and Design Committee >>> (CCPPDC), the most recent Community Center planning Committee, issued its >>> report. CCPPDC advanced the process to the point that we now have two >>> conceptual design options for a new Community Center in the Hartwell area >>> of the Ballfield Road school campus. CCPPDC’s contributions include: >>> further definition of the program; development of a range of site plans; >>> preliminary design development for two building concepts; and more refined >>> cost estimates. CCPPDC’s work culminated in a Special Town Meeting >>> presentation on June 9, 2018. In the end, both CCPPDC and Town Meeting felt >>> that both conceptual designs that were presented (i.e., a new building >>> concept that was titled “Central Secondary Green”, and a plan to repurpose >>> the pods titled “Infill of Pods”) were equally worthy of further >>> consideration. What will the operating costs of the new Community Center be? >>> >>> The short answer is that we can’t know the operating costs of a building >>> that we haven’t designed yet. However, we can specify some parameters which >>> would help to narrow the possible answers to the question: >>> The Town already pays the operating costs of a set of buildings that house >>> the Council on Aging & Human Services (COA&HS) and the Parks & Recreation >>> Department (PRD), specifically Bemis Hall and two of the Hartwell Pods. So >>> the appropriate question is not what the operating costs of the Community >>> Center will be, but how those costs will be different from the current >>> costs. >>> >>> The Town will continue to pay operating costs for Bemis even if the COA&HS, >>> moves out (though it is likely that those costs will diminish as the >>> intensity of use diminishes, and the Town’s expenses are likely to be >>> increasingly offset by rental income and fees from community >>> organizations). But most plans have at least two of the Hartwell Pods >>> disappearing -- demolished or integrated -- with the construction of the >>> Community Center, so the appropriate focus here is on the net change in >>> operating costs for the Hartwell Pods versus the Community Center. >>> >>> The Hartwell Pods are very inefficient buildings, while the Community >>> Center would be a very efficient – probably net-zero – building, so there >>> would be a large savings in utility costs. That savings might be offset by >>> an increase in custodial costs. The Pods currently have part-time custodial >>> support (carried on the school budget), while the Community Center would >>> probably have a full-time custodian. (Additional personnel expenses, such >>> as staffing for a reception desk, are very hard to model at this point, >>> because we don’t know if those tasks will be necessary, or if they might be >>> performed by volunteers or rotating staff or seniors working >>> for tax abatements.) For planning purposes, it is reasonable to expect that >>> any net change in operating expenses from a new Community Center – a >>> decrease in utility costs offset by a possible increase in custodial costs >>> -- would not have a discernible impact on property tax bills. >>> >>> When will town residents have decisive input in the Community Center >>> planning process? >>> >>> December 2, 2023: >>> The CCBC will present comprehensive design and budget options at a Special >>> Town Meeting, and town residents will select the preferred option. >>> >>> March, 2024: >>> At Town Meeting and in a subsequent ballot vote, town residents will vote >>> to authorize the financing for the construction of the Community Center, >>> based on the design and budget selected in November. For approval, the bond >>> vote requires a 2/3 majority at Town Meeting and a simple majority at the >>> ballot. >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> What comparable facilities exist, or are being created, in towns similar to >>> Lincoln? >>> • Dover (population 6,180, seniors 1,489) is rebuilding its Caryl Community >>> Center. The new design involves the demolition of the 1971 and 1931 >>> additions to the original 1910 Caryl School. The new building complex will >>> be ~ 18,400 sf and will focus on the creation of a new pavilion addition to >>> support congregate dining, small performances, presentations, and >>> theatrical rehearsals. The other addition will be the Recreation Room which >>> will be half the size of a regulation basketball court, but lined to >>> support pickleball, elementary school level basketball, and a regulation >>> half-court (for team practices or adult games). Town funds of $25.4 M were >>> approved in June 2023. Ground was broken in August 2023. >>> • Harvard (population 6,829, seniors 1,435) has a new 5,400 sf senior >>> Center, built in 2022/2023 by partial renovation of an acquired 1995 >>> existing medical building. The town PRD has administration in the town >>> offices, and activities in a number of >>> locations. The cost of the Harvard senior center was $2.86 M. >>> • Stow (population 7,210, seniors 2,164) renovated an existing 33,000 sf >>> building in 2016 to house a Fire Dept location, shared storage, and the >>> COA. Estimated space for the COA is 1/3 of the building (~11,000 sf), cost >>> details not found. Rec administration is in the town center, with >>> activities in many locations. >>> • Weston (population 11,806, seniors 3,045) built a freestanding 22,500 sf >>> Community Center in the style of a New England Barn in 2001. The building >>> contains activity rooms and administration space for both COA and Rec, and >>> the 2 1⁄2 story Great Room (~3,200 sf) for large events, performances, >>> receptions, dinners etc. >>> • Wayland (population 14,325, seniors 4,323) is developing an existing, >>> never- >>> occupied, 10,500 sf, building shell as a Community Center, to house COA >>> admin and activities, and Rec activities. The Rec administration is >>> remaining at the Town >>> Building. The finished building will be 12,900 sf, and the interior >>> construction and >>> with parking/landscaping is expected to cost $11 M. Funding was approved >>> late June 2022. The construction documents are expected to go out to bid in >>> late 2023. >>> • Bedford (population 13,631, seniors 4,180) has an ~18,000 sf building in >>> the Town Center that houses the Health Department, Recreation Department, >>> Youth & Family Services, and the Council on Aging. The Rec dept also has >>> facilities in an extension building, with the Bedford Kids Club, and has >>> activities in many locations. >>> • Concord (population 18,424, seniors 4,975) has the Harvey Wheeler >>> Community Center in West Concord for the Council on Aging/Senior services. >>> It is in a repurposed, unused school building (2007) in West Concord, and >>> includes space for the COA admin and activities. The Rec dept has a number >>> of facilities including the Hunt Recreation Center (which includes Rec >>> admin) at Emerson Field, the Beede Swim and Fitness Center, and multiple >>> school playing fields and playgrounds, >>> • Sudbury (population 18,709, seniors 4,722) is currently rebuilding/adding >>> to the >>> multipurpose complex at Fairbanks, which houses school space, Rec admin and >>> facilities (including gym and pool) and CoA admin and activity space, and >>> shared >>> space. Size is about 42,575 sf and town has approved funding of $27.5 M. >>> • Acton (population 23,829, seniors 5,004) has separate locations for COA >>> and Rec dept. >>> • Wellesley (population 29,266, seniors 6,739) built the 12,400 sf Tolles >>> Parsons senior center in 2017. Wellesley has also renovated its recreation >>> center. >>> >>> How will COA&HS and PRD use other town facilities? >>> COA&HS currently runs many programs in facilities other than Bemis Hall, >>> and PRD runs many programs in facilities other than the Hartwell Pods. The >>> Directors of COA&HS and PRD have, as part of the planning process for the >>> new Community Center, invested considerable time in developing a plan for >>> dispersed programming, so that it will not be necessary to build a new >>> facility scoped to accommodate all programming. >>> >>> Based on the current programming, PRD expects to run at least 19 programs >>> outside the Community Center. The locations for the dispersed programs >>> include Bemis Hall, Pierce House, and the school buildings. COA&HS expects >>> to run at least 16 programs outside the Community Center. The locations for >>> the dispersed programs include Bemis Hall and Pierce House. COA&HS also has >>> six programs that have moved online since the beginning of COVID, and that >>> could continue to operate online. There are many locations in town that >>> would be >>> suitable venues for these programs if the participants decide that meeting >>> in person would be preferable. >>> >>> There is a short list of programs that are currently operated outside the >>> core facility but that would operate more effectively in the new Community >>> Center. The most important one is Senior Dining, which is currently run in >>> the First Parish Church, but which could run more efficiently and more >>> often in the Community Center. There are also several exercise programs >>> that run outdoors at Pierce House in summer months that could be improved >>> by a move to the Community Center (because Pierce House does not have >>> accessible bathrooms, nor does it have an evenly paved area for the >>> classes). >>> >>> How many seniors live in Lincoln? >>> There are two primary sources for information about who lives in Lincoln: >>> the decennial U.S. census, and the annual Town census. Both sources rely on >>> citizens’ self-reporting, and so neither is completely valid. Every 10 >>> years, the U.S. Census Bureau invites all U.S. households to complete an >>> online survey, and then uses census workers to follow up with households >>> that fail to complete the survey (roughly a quarter of the total). For >>> intervening years, the Census Bureau issues population estimates. The Town >>> Census is conducted annually – residents >>> complete and return a form that they receive in the mail – and the >>> population count is based upon the returned forms, supplemented by >>> information from voter registration rolls, the Registry of Motor Vehicles, >>> and birth and death records. >>> Massachusetts General Laws require that cities and towns conduct an annual >>> census of its residents as of January 1 of each year. The local census is >>> used to maintain voting and jury lists as well as aid in school enrollment >>> projections, public safety, and senior citizens’ needs and for certain >>> privileges such as veterans’ benefits and proof of residency for state >>> colleges and universities. >>> For planning purposes, and for comparisons with other towns, the CCBC has >>> opted to use the Town numbers rather than the federal numbers. The U.S. >>> Census provides a useful picture of overall demographic trends, and allows >>> broader comparisons (with, for instance, localities that are not required >>> to conduct their own censuses). But, because the Town Census is conducted >>> and updated at the local level, it provides a more complete and verifiable >>> list of town residents. >>> >>> According to the most recent Town Census, the population of Lincoln is >>> 6,524. Of that total, 979 are residents of Hanscom Air Force Base, and 248 >>> are residents of The Commons. The number of residents aged 60 and over is >>> 2,181. While the population of Lincoln has been somewhat stable over the >>> last 10 years -- the Town Census reported a total population of 6,216 in >>> 2012 and of 6,730 in 2017 – the number of residents aged 60 and over has >>> been growing steadily. In 2012, 29% of the total population was age 60 and >>> over (1,814 out of 6,216), while in 2022 33% of the population is 60 and >>> over. >>> >>> For reference, the U.S. Census reported in 2020 that the population of >>> Lincoln was 7,014, and the population estimate for 2022 is 6,855. According >>> to the U.S. Census estimate, 23% of the population is over 60 (which would >>> be a senior population of 1,576). >>> >>> DOCUMENTS AND MATERIALS >>> Can be found on our website at www.LincolnCommunityCenter.com. >>> <http://www.lincolncommunitycenter.com/> You can sign up for our >>> notifications there as well! >>> -- >>> The LincolnTalk mailing list. >>> To post, send mail to [email protected] >>> <mailto:[email protected]>. >>> Browse the archives at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/. >>> Change your subscription settings at >>> https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln. >>> >> -- >> The LincolnTalk mailing list. >> To post, send mail to [email protected] >> <mailto:[email protected]>. >> Browse the archives at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/. >> Change your subscription settings at >> https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln. >> >> -- >> The LincolnTalk mailing list. >> To post, send mail to [email protected]. >> <mailto:[email protected].> >> Browse the archives at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/. >> Change your subscription settings at >> https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln. >> > -- > The LincolnTalk mailing list. > To post, send mail to [email protected]. > Browse the archives at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/. > Change your subscription settings at > https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln. >
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