Re: [LincolnTalk] Radical change in Lincoln

[Sara Mattes]

You are correct- this issue comes up every time there is a hot issue(s) on the Warrant.But, to date, no one has done the serious work to explore options.We are are a town of volunteers, so I urge all who are interested to explore the state constitution and all Town legal docs to see if and how you could achieve these goals.Create a 21st century League of Women Voters, which, in Lincoln always included men.Have a great holiday.Dig into turkey, the dig into the research.And then, let’s talk turkey!Sent from my iPadOn Nov 21, 2023, at 4:59 PM, Michael Dembowski  wrote:Andy-THANK YOU - I wholly applaud your email and thoughts here as many Lincolnites would welcome such changes.Town Meeting is archaic to the point of being exclusionary and disenfranchising - as many point out, it is not in step with modern life. In our household, work and family commitments on Town Meeting Days prevent participation by necessity. A refresh on the format would reinvigorate the forum, allowing for the possibility of much broader participation.Imagine no postings, discussion or suggestion that decisions were made by the select few who could be physically present for such a length of time.This can't be the first time these ideas have been raised. What has prevented action in the past and how can any proposed suggestions gain traction and then be implemented?Michael DembowskiConant RoadOn Mon, Nov 20, 2023 at 11:57 PM Andy Wang  wrote:Unfortunately, there are specific rules that govern an Open Town Meeting like Lincoln that do not allow for matters that are decided at Town Meeting to be replaced by a traditional ballot vote. Given that the March 2024 meeting will cover two "Hot Topic" Issues, the bonding for the Community Center and the HCA rezoning, this one I assume is going to be a doozy.  And that's on top of all the other typical yearly business of the town (presentations, budget, etc).I believe there is a possible mechanism to be more inclusive, if the Town and Moderator decide to:I propose that we hold Town Meeting in two sessions. Session A: Presentations, Debate & Amendments only.  Views are presented, debate to be had, and any amendments are to be discussed and voted on.  The meeting would be live, streamed, & recorded.  The recording would be made available for download after the meeting so people who were not able to attend could catch up on all of the debate, or just educate themselves on the issues that are of import to them. The moderator could then simply adjourn the meeting without vote (on the actual question).  They have this power in general for cases when meetings run late and can re-convene at a later date, provided that date is before the ballot vote.Caveats: - Anyone attending on-line would NOT be able to pose questions / make statements, this violates the rules of Town Meeting, you must be present to be recognized - Anyone not attending in person would not be able to vote on any amendments- All questions would need to be called, which closes debateSession B: Voting.  This would occur on the last Saturday before the last Monday in March as required by the town by-laws.  Assuming people have been to Session A or downloaded and reviewed the material that is relevant to them, we now have a population of well-informed voters who can come in and just knock out the votes in succession (the question would have already "been called" in Session A, which closes further debate).  This format would be much easier for parents to allow a smaller fixed period of time to vote on issues and anyone else with a busy schedule.The actual text of the by-law timing is here:"The Annual Town Meeting shall be held on the Saturday before the last Monday in March in each
year at 9:30 A.M. for the transaction of all business except that the election of officers and the
determination of such matters as by law are required to be elected or determined by ballot shall take
place on the last Monday in March, when the polls shall be open from 7:30 A.M. until 7:00 P.M., or
to such later time up to 8:00 P.M. as the Moderator may determine, provided, however, that whenever
the date for the Annual Town Meeting, as hereby established, falls on the Saturday before Easter
Sunday, the Annual Town Meeting shall be held on the preceding Saturday, although the Election and
ballot questions hereinabove described shall still be held on the last Monday in March."Not covered in this:- Military / Reserve duty votes are still not able to be counted- Foreign nationals that live in town, and even those that live in town and own property that would be impacted can not vote- Proxy voting is not allowedUnfortunately, those would require many more changes, but I believe we can do a two session Town Meeting under current guidelines.  Of course, Town Council would have to review, but I believe this is in the realm of the possible. NH has specific rules that allow for this, but I do not believe that there are rules that preclude it in MA. And if 

Re: [LincolnTalk] Radical change in Lincoln

[Michael Dembowski]

Andy-
THANK YOU - I wholly applaud your email and thoughts here as many
Lincolnites would welcome such changes.
Town Meeting is archaic to the point of being exclusionary and
disenfranchising - as many point out, it is not in step with modern life.
In our household, work and family commitments on Town Meeting Days prevent
participation by necessity.
A refresh on the format would reinvigorate the forum, allowing for the
possibility of much broader participation.
Imagine no postings, discussion or suggestion that decisions were made by
the select few who could be physically present for such a length of time.

This can't be the first time these ideas have been raised.
What has prevented action in the past and how can any proposed suggestions
gain traction and then be implemented?

Michael Dembowski
Conant Road

On Mon, Nov 20, 2023 at 11:57 PM Andy Wang  wrote:

>
> Unfortunately, there are specific rules that govern an Open Town Meeting
> like Lincoln that do not allow for matters that are decided at Town Meeting
> to be replaced by a traditional ballot vote. Given that the March 2024
> meeting will cover two "Hot Topic" Issues, the bonding for the Community
> Center and the HCA rezoning, this one I assume is going to be a doozy.  And
> that's on top of all the other typical yearly business of the town
> (presentations, budget, etc).
>
> I believe there is a possible mechanism to be more inclusive, if the Town
> and Moderator decide to:
>
> I propose that we hold Town Meeting in *two* *sessions*.
>
> *Session A: **Presentations, Debate & Amendments only. * Views are
> presented, debate to be had, and any amendments are to be discussed and
> voted on.  The meeting would be live, streamed, & recorded.  The recording
> would be made available for download after the meeting so people who were
> not able to attend could catch up on all of the debate, or just educate
> themselves on the issues that are of import to them. The moderator could
> then simply adjourn the meeting without vote (on the actual question).
> They have this power in general for cases when meetings run late and can
> re-convene at a later date, provided that date is before the ballot vote.
>
> *Caveats:*
> - Anyone attending on-line would NOT be able to pose questions / make
> statements, this violates the rules of Town Meeting, you must be present to
> be recognized
> - Anyone not attending in person would not be able to vote on any
> amendments
> - All questions would need to be called, which closes debate
>
> *Session B: Voting. * This would occur on the last Saturday before the
> last Monday in March as required by the town by-laws.  Assuming people have
> been to Session A or downloaded and reviewed the material that is relevant
> to them, we now have a population of well-informed voters who can come in
> and just knock out the votes in succession (the question would have already
> "been called" in Session A, which closes further debate).  This format
> would be much easier for parents to allow a smaller fixed period of time to
> vote on issues and anyone else with a busy schedule.
>
> The actual text of the by-law timing is here:
>
> *"The Annual Town Meeting shall be held on the Saturday before the last
> Monday in March in each year at 9:30 A.M. for the transaction of all
> business except that the election of officers and the determination of such
> matters as by law are required to be elected or determined by ballot shall
> take place on the last Monday in March, when the polls shall be open from
> 7:30 A.M. until 7:00 P.M., or to such later time up to 8:00 P.M. as the
> Moderator may determine, provided, however, that whenever the date for the
> Annual Town Meeting, as hereby established, falls on the Saturday before
> Easter Sunday, the Annual Town Meeting shall be held on the preceding
> Saturday, although the Election and ballot questions hereinabove described
> shall still be held on the last Monday in March."*
>
> Not covered in this:
> - Military / Reserve duty votes are still not able to be counted
> - Foreign nationals that live in town, and even those that live in town
> and own property that would be impacted can not vote
> - Proxy voting is not allowed
>
> Unfortunately, those would require many more changes, but I believe we can
> do a two session Town Meeting under current guidelines.
>
> Of course, Town Council would have to review, but I believe this is in the
> realm of the possible. NH has specific rules that allow for this, but I do
> not believe that there are rules that preclude it in MA. And if there are
> rules, I would propose that we change the by-laws to support this
> structure.  I believe this would make town meeting more accessible to a
> wider range of town people and more representative of the desires of the
> Town.
>
> Sorry...that ended up longer than I intended.  I'll save my musing about
> electronic voting and other efficiencies for another opportunity
>
> - Andy
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

Re: [LincolnTalk] Radical change in Lincoln

[Margo Fisher-Martin]

Hi,

I think Andy’s idea is a good one. It’s not a democratic process now - when
NOT everyone can attend and therefore not everyone can vote. Is ballot
voting not democratic? Our antiquated town meeting process does not work
for many people- for many reasons.
For example, at last year’s meeting at this time, both my husband and I had
COVID, ( we were among many others who were sick) so we couldn’t attend,
and many people we know left BEFORE the vote, since they could not keep
their eyes open  - after sitting through MANY hours of a dragged out
process. It got extremely late. People with young children had to leave
before the vote…. and so on.
As for the town officials, I DO appreciate the many hours they put in, and
I know it’s challenging, but they also control all of the meetings and
therefore pretty much have the “floor.” The suggested meeting process would
offer more people the opportunity to vote.

Sincerely,

Margo Fisher-Martin







On Mon, Nov 20, 2023 at 6:52 PM Adam M Hogue  wrote:

> Well it’s not true inclusion since I have military training and can’t
> attend town meeting.  But hey who cares right. Don’t change how we have
> done things for over 300 years.  So the few people that don’t have
> commitments on a Saturday morning can attend and decide for all of us.
>
> *Adam M Hogue*
> *Cell: **(978) 828-6184 <(978)%20828-6184>*
>
> On Nov 20, 2023, at 6:35 PM, ٍSarah Postlethwait  wrote:
>
> 
>
> As far as I understand it, only measures that involve funding end up on a
> paper ballot. Even the school had to pass town meeting before it could be
> sent to a paper ballot.
>
> But I could be wrong, and I personally would love if town meeting could by
> a hybrid meeting for debate, followed by a formal ballot vote the following
> Tuesday.
>
>
>
> On Mon, Nov 20, 2023 at 5:51 PM Margo Fisher-Martin <
> margo.fisher.mar...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Hi All,
>>
>> I also agree that this should be a ballot item. If we can vote for a new
>> school by ballot, why can’t we use the same process to vote for other
>> extremely important town changes - ones that will impact our everyday
>> living here and our taxes?
>>
>> Respectfully,
>> Margo Fisher-Martin
>>
>>
>> On Mon, Nov 20, 2023 at 5:22 PM ٍSarah Postlethwait 
>> wrote:
>>
>>> A town wide secret ballot would be a great idea to make sure a wider
>>> audience gets their voice represented.
>>>
>>> I also encourage anyone not familiar with the proposed rezoning options
>>> to visit this website to gain a better understanding of the magnitude of
>>> the proposed changes and Lincoln’s uniquely impacted position.
>>>
>>> LincolnHCA.org
>>>
>>>
>>> Sarah Postlethwait
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Mon, Nov 20, 2023 at 4:17 PM Tom Kennedy 
>>> wrote:
>>>
 Part of the discussion at last weeks planning board meeting is
 noteworthy, but has not been mentioned here.
 There was substantial discussion, maybe even consensus, on a none of
 the above option. Even a planning board member and some of the “working
 group“ were in favor.
 Yet when the vote came up for a warrant article, that was not mentioned.
 Another part of the discussion was the fact that town meeting
 determination is “skewed“ by attendance and timing. I have observed this to
 be absolutely true.
 It is my belief that something which will so radically transform our
 community should be voted on in some form by secret ballot. It is also my
 belief that that will never happen.
 Tom Kennedy
 --
 The LincolnTalk mailing list.
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 Browse the archives at
 https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/.
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 https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln.

 --
>>> The LincolnTalk mailing list.
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>>> 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 Lincoln@lincolntalk.org.
> 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 Lincoln@lincolntalk.org.
Browse the archives at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/.
Change your subscription settings at 
https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln.

Re: [LincolnTalk] Radical change in Lincoln

[Caitlin Hogue]

Andy's idea is a good one. Who gets to make that decision?

Katy

On Tue, Nov 21, 2023 at 7:02 AM Sara Mattes  wrote:

> Multiple Town Meetings were not uncommon many years ago.
> We could also have different topics in different meetings so as to ensure
> maximum participation in debate prior to voting.
> I have often found that the vote I thought I was going to cast changed
> when I listened to my neighbors varied questions and points of view.
>
> We are a smart bunch, and we can teach each other, we can learn…if we go
> with an open mind.
>
>
>
> Sent from my iPad
>
> On Nov 20, 2023, at 11:56 PM, Andy Wang  wrote:
>
> 
>
> Unfortunately, there are specific rules that govern an Open Town Meeting
> like Lincoln that do not allow for matters that are decided at Town Meeting
> to be replaced by a traditional ballot vote. Given that the March 2024
> meeting will cover two "Hot Topic" Issues, the bonding for the Community
> Center and the HCA rezoning, this one I assume is going to be a doozy.  And
> that's on top of all the other typical yearly business of the town
> (presentations, budget, etc).
>
> I believe there is a possible mechanism to be more inclusive, if the Town
> and Moderator decide to:
>
> I propose that we hold Town Meeting in *two* *sessions*.
>
> *Session A: **Presentations, Debate & Amendments only. * Views are
> presented, debate to be had, and any amendments are to be discussed and
> voted on.  The meeting would be live, streamed, & recorded.  The recording
> would be made available for download after the meeting so people who were
> not able to attend could catch up on all of the debate, or just educate
> themselves on the issues that are of import to them. The moderator could
> then simply adjourn the meeting without vote (on the actual question).
> They have this power in general for cases when meetings run late and can
> re-convene at a later date, provided that date is before the ballot vote.
>
> *Caveats:*
> - Anyone attending on-line would NOT be able to pose questions / make
> statements, this violates the rules of Town Meeting, you must be present to
> be recognized
> - Anyone not attending in person would not be able to vote on any
> amendments
> - All questions would need to be called, which closes debate
>
> *Session B: Voting. * This would occur on the last Saturday before the
> last Monday in March as required by the town by-laws.  Assuming people have
> been to Session A or downloaded and reviewed the material that is relevant
> to them, we now have a population of well-informed voters who can come in
> and just knock out the votes in succession (the question would have already
> "been called" in Session A, which closes further debate).  This format
> would be much easier for parents to allow a smaller fixed period of time to
> vote on issues and anyone else with a busy schedule.
>
> The actual text of the by-law timing is here:
>
> *"The Annual Town Meeting shall be held on the Saturday before the last
> Monday in March in each year at 9:30 A.M. for the transaction of all
> business except that the election of officers and the determination of such
> matters as by law are required to be elected or determined by ballot shall
> take place on the last Monday in March, when the polls shall be open from
> 7:30 A.M. until 7:00 P.M., or to such later time up to 8:00 P.M. as the
> Moderator may determine, provided, however, that whenever the date for the
> Annual Town Meeting, as hereby established, falls on the Saturday before
> Easter Sunday, the Annual Town Meeting shall be held on the preceding
> Saturday, although the Election and ballot questions hereinabove described
> shall still be held on the last Monday in March."*
>
> Not covered in this:
> - Military / Reserve duty votes are still not able to be counted
> - Foreign nationals that live in town, and even those that live in town
> and own property that would be impacted can not vote
> - Proxy voting is not allowed
>
> Unfortunately, those would require many more changes, but I believe we can
> do a two session Town Meeting under current guidelines.
>
> Of course, Town Council would have to review, but I believe this is in the
> realm of the possible. NH has specific rules that allow for this, but I do
> not believe that there are rules that preclude it in MA. And if there are
> rules, I would propose that we change the by-laws to support this
> structure.  I believe this would make town meeting more accessible to a
> wider range of town people and more representative of the desires of the
> Town.
>
> Sorry...that ended up longer than I intended.  I'll save my musing about
> electronic voting and other efficiencies for another opportunity
>
> - Andy
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On Mon, Nov 20, 2023 at 9:07 PM Caitlin Hogue 
> wrote:
>
>> Also, I apologize for writing students instead of kids in a sentence
>> below — my work brain was apparently still functioning!
>>
>> Katy
>>
>> On Mon, Nov 

Re: [LincolnTalk] Radical change in Lincoln

[Sara Mattes]

Multiple Town Meetings were not uncommon many years ago.We could also have different topics in different meetings so as to ensure maximum participation in debate prior to voting.I have often found that the vote I thought I was going to cast changed when I listened to my neighbors varied questions and points of view.We are a smart bunch, and we can teach each other, we can learn…if we go with an open mind.Sent from my iPadOn Nov 20, 2023, at 11:56 PM, Andy Wang  wrote:Unfortunately, there are specific rules that govern an Open Town Meeting like Lincoln that do not allow for matters that are decided at Town Meeting to be replaced by a traditional ballot vote. Given that the March 2024 meeting will cover two "Hot Topic" Issues, the bonding for the Community Center and the HCA rezoning, this one I assume is going to be a doozy.  And that's on top of all the other typical yearly business of the town (presentations, budget, etc).I believe there is a possible mechanism to be more inclusive, if the Town and Moderator decide to:I propose that we hold Town Meeting in two sessions. Session A: Presentations, Debate & Amendments only.  Views are presented, debate to be had, and any amendments are to be discussed and voted on.  The meeting would be live, streamed, & recorded.  The recording would be made available for download after the meeting so people who were not able to attend could catch up on all of the debate, or just educate themselves on the issues that are of import to them. The moderator could then simply adjourn the meeting without vote (on the actual question).  They have this power in general for cases when meetings run late and can re-convene at a later date, provided that date is before the ballot vote.Caveats: - Anyone attending on-line would NOT be able to pose questions / make statements, this violates the rules of Town Meeting, you must be present to be recognized - Anyone not attending in person would not be able to vote on any amendments- All questions would need to be called, which closes debateSession B: Voting.  This would occur on the last Saturday before the last Monday in March as required by the town by-laws.  Assuming people have been to Session A or downloaded and reviewed the material that is relevant to them, we now have a population of well-informed voters who can come in and just knock out the votes in succession (the question would have already "been called" in Session A, which closes further debate).  This format would be much easier for parents to allow a smaller fixed period of time to vote on issues and anyone else with a busy schedule.The actual text of the by-law timing is here:"The Annual Town Meeting shall be held on the Saturday before the last Monday in March in each
year at 9:30 A.M. for the transaction of all business except that the election of officers and the
determination of such matters as by law are required to be elected or determined by ballot shall take
place on the last Monday in March, when the polls shall be open from 7:30 A.M. until 7:00 P.M., or
to such later time up to 8:00 P.M. as the Moderator may determine, provided, however, that whenever
the date for the Annual Town Meeting, as hereby established, falls on the Saturday before Easter
Sunday, the Annual Town Meeting shall be held on the preceding Saturday, although the Election and
ballot questions hereinabove described shall still be held on the last Monday in March."Not covered in this:- Military / Reserve duty votes are still not able to be counted- Foreign nationals that live in town, and even those that live in town and own property that would be impacted can not vote- Proxy voting is not allowedUnfortunately, those would require many more changes, but I believe we can do a two session Town Meeting under current guidelines.  Of course, Town Council would have to review, but I believe this is in the realm of the possible. NH has specific rules that allow for this, but I do not believe that there are rules that preclude it in MA. And if there are rules, I would propose that we change the by-laws to support this structure.  I believe this would make town meeting more accessible to a wider range of town people and more representative of the desires of the Town.Sorry...that ended up longer than I intended.  I'll save my musing about electronic voting and other efficiencies for another opportunity- AndyOn Mon, Nov 20, 2023 at 9:07 PM Caitlin Hogue  wrote:Also, I apologize for writing students instead of kids in a sentence below — my work brain was apparently still functioning!KatyOn Mon, Nov 20, 2023 at 7:49 PM Caitlin Hogue  wrote:Babysitting has been offered recently.Respectfully, however, it’s not something that all parents can utilize. Not all kids will be comfortable in a large group babysitting setting where they don’t know the adults/babysitters. It’s not a great setting for babies/toddlers who are napping (if they even take babies — I think 

Re: [LincolnTalk] Radical change in Lincoln

[Margaret Olson]

The other possibility is switching to representative town meeting, with one
representative for every 400 voters ( the minimum precinct size). It would
still be a subset of voters, but at least an elected subset.

Margaret
On Mon, Nov 20, 2023 at 11:56 PM Andy Wang  wrote:

>
> Unfortunately, there are specific rules that govern an Open Town Meeting
> like Lincoln that do not allow for matters that are decided at Town Meeting
> to be replaced by a traditional ballot vote. Given that the March 2024
> meeting will cover two "Hot Topic" Issues, the bonding for the Community
> Center and the HCA rezoning, this one I assume is going to be a doozy.  And
> that's on top of all the other typical yearly business of the town
> (presentations, budget, etc).
>
> I believe there is a possible mechanism to be more inclusive, if the Town
> and Moderator decide to:
>
> I propose that we hold Town Meeting in *two* *sessions*.
>
> *Session A: **Presentations, Debate & Amendments only. * Views are
> presented, debate to be had, and any amendments are to be discussed and
> voted on.  The meeting would be live, streamed, & recorded.  The recording
> would be made available for download after the meeting so people who were
> not able to attend could catch up on all of the debate, or just educate
> themselves on the issues that are of import to them. The moderator could
> then simply adjourn the meeting without vote (on the actual question).
> They have this power in general for cases when meetings run late and can
> re-convene at a later date, provided that date is before the ballot vote.
>
> *Caveats:*
> - Anyone attending on-line would NOT be able to pose questions / make
> statements, this violates the rules of Town Meeting, you must be present to
> be recognized
> - Anyone not attending in person would not be able to vote on any
> amendments
> - All questions would need to be called, which closes debate
>
> *Session B: Voting. * This would occur on the last Saturday before the
> last Monday in March as required by the town by-laws.  Assuming people have
> been to Session A or downloaded and reviewed the material that is relevant
> to them, we now have a population of well-informed voters who can come in
> and just knock out the votes in succession (the question would have already
> "been called" in Session A, which closes further debate).  This format
> would be much easier for parents to allow a smaller fixed period of time to
> vote on issues and anyone else with a busy schedule.
>
> The actual text of the by-law timing is here:
>
> *"The Annual Town Meeting shall be held on the Saturday before the last
> Monday in March in each year at 9:30 A.M. for the transaction of all
> business except that the election of officers and the determination of such
> matters as by law are required to be elected or determined by ballot shall
> take place on the last Monday in March, when the polls shall be open from
> 7:30 A.M. until 7:00 P.M., or to such later time up to 8:00 P.M. as the
> Moderator may determine, provided, however, that whenever the date for the
> Annual Town Meeting, as hereby established, falls on the Saturday before
> Easter Sunday, the Annual Town Meeting shall be held on the preceding
> Saturday, although the Election and ballot questions hereinabove described
> shall still be held on the last Monday in March."*
>
> Not covered in this:
> - Military / Reserve duty votes are still not able to be counted
> - Foreign nationals that live in town, and even those that live in town
> and own property that would be impacted can not vote
> - Proxy voting is not allowed
>
> Unfortunately, those would require many more changes, but I believe we can
> do a two session Town Meeting under current guidelines.
>
> Of course, Town Council would have to review, but I believe this is in the
> realm of the possible. NH has specific rules that allow for this, but I do
> not believe that there are rules that preclude it in MA. And if there are
> rules, I would propose that we change the by-laws to support this
> structure.  I believe this would make town meeting more accessible to a
> wider range of town people and more representative of the desires of the
> Town.
>
> Sorry...that ended up longer than I intended.  I'll save my musing about
> electronic voting and other efficiencies for another opportunity
>
> - Andy
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On Mon, Nov 20, 2023 at 9:07 PM Caitlin Hogue 
> wrote:
>
>> Also, I apologize for writing students instead of kids in a sentence
>> below — my work brain was apparently still functioning!
>>
>> Katy
>>
>> On Mon, Nov 20, 2023 at 7:49 PM Caitlin Hogue 
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Babysitting has been offered recently.
>>>
>>> Respectfully, however, it’s not something that all parents can utilize.
>>> Not all kids will be comfortable in a large group babysitting setting where
>>> they don’t know the adults/babysitters. It’s not a great setting for
>>> babies/toddlers who are 

Re: [LincolnTalk] Radical change in Lincoln

[Andy Wang]

Unfortunately, there are specific rules that govern an Open Town Meeting
like Lincoln that do not allow for matters that are decided at Town Meeting
to be replaced by a traditional ballot vote. Given that the March 2024
meeting will cover two "Hot Topic" Issues, the bonding for the Community
Center and the HCA rezoning, this one I assume is going to be a doozy.  And
that's on top of all the other typical yearly business of the town
(presentations, budget, etc).

I believe there is a possible mechanism to be more inclusive, if the Town
and Moderator decide to:

I propose that we hold Town Meeting in *two* *sessions*.

*Session A: **Presentations, Debate & Amendments only. * Views are
presented, debate to be had, and any amendments are to be discussed and
voted on.  The meeting would be live, streamed, & recorded.  The recording
would be made available for download after the meeting so people who were
not able to attend could catch up on all of the debate, or just educate
themselves on the issues that are of import to them. The moderator could
then simply adjourn the meeting without vote (on the actual question).
They have this power in general for cases when meetings run late and can
re-convene at a later date, provided that date is before the ballot vote.

*Caveats:*
- Anyone attending on-line would NOT be able to pose questions / make
statements, this violates the rules of Town Meeting, you must be present to
be recognized
- Anyone not attending in person would not be able to vote on any amendments
- All questions would need to be called, which closes debate

*Session B: Voting. * This would occur on the last Saturday before the last
Monday in March as required by the town by-laws.  Assuming people have been
to Session A or downloaded and reviewed the material that is relevant to
them, we now have a population of well-informed voters who can come in and
just knock out the votes in succession (the question would have already
"been called" in Session A, which closes further debate).  This format
would be much easier for parents to allow a smaller fixed period of time to
vote on issues and anyone else with a busy schedule.

The actual text of the by-law timing is here:

*"The Annual Town Meeting shall be held on the Saturday before the last
Monday in March in each year at 9:30 A.M. for the transaction of all
business except that the election of officers and the determination of such
matters as by law are required to be elected or determined by ballot shall
take place on the last Monday in March, when the polls shall be open from
7:30 A.M. until 7:00 P.M., or to such later time up to 8:00 P.M. as the
Moderator may determine, provided, however, that whenever the date for the
Annual Town Meeting, as hereby established, falls on the Saturday before
Easter Sunday, the Annual Town Meeting shall be held on the preceding
Saturday, although the Election and ballot questions hereinabove described
shall still be held on the last Monday in March."*

Not covered in this:
- Military / Reserve duty votes are still not able to be counted
- Foreign nationals that live in town, and even those that live in town and
own property that would be impacted can not vote
- Proxy voting is not allowed

Unfortunately, those would require many more changes, but I believe we can
do a two session Town Meeting under current guidelines.

Of course, Town Council would have to review, but I believe this is in the
realm of the possible. NH has specific rules that allow for this, but I do
not believe that there are rules that preclude it in MA. And if there are
rules, I would propose that we change the by-laws to support this
structure.  I believe this would make town meeting more accessible to a
wider range of town people and more representative of the desires of the
Town.

Sorry...that ended up longer than I intended.  I'll save my musing about
electronic voting and other efficiencies for another opportunity

- Andy

























On Mon, Nov 20, 2023 at 9:07 PM Caitlin Hogue 
wrote:

> Also, I apologize for writing students instead of kids in a sentence below
> — my work brain was apparently still functioning!
>
> Katy
>
> On Mon, Nov 20, 2023 at 7:49 PM Caitlin Hogue 
> wrote:
>
>> Babysitting has been offered recently.
>>
>> Respectfully, however, it’s not something that all parents can utilize.
>> Not all kids will be comfortable in a large group babysitting setting where
>> they don’t know the adults/babysitters. It’s not a great setting for
>> babies/toddlers who are napping (if they even take babies — I think it may
>> be school-age only). I also assume there is no medical staff so students
>> requiring a nurse can’t go (I may be wrong on that one).
>>
>> As a working parent who works in a public school and ends up at lots of
>> night meetings, I don’t want to spend my whole Saturday away from my kids.
>> Although these meetings are not that often, it actually does feel more
>> often than I would have expected. With a 

Re: [LincolnTalk] Radical change in Lincoln

[Caitlin Hogue]

Also, I apologize for writing students instead of kids in a sentence below
— my work brain was apparently still functioning!

Katy

On Mon, Nov 20, 2023 at 7:49 PM Caitlin Hogue 
wrote:

> Babysitting has been offered recently.
>
> Respectfully, however, it’s not something that all parents can utilize.
> Not all kids will be comfortable in a large group babysitting setting where
> they don’t know the adults/babysitters. It’s not a great setting for
> babies/toddlers who are napping (if they even take babies — I think it may
> be school-age only). I also assume there is no medical staff so students
> requiring a nurse can’t go (I may be wrong on that one).
>
> As a working parent who works in a public school and ends up at lots of
> night meetings, I don’t want to spend my whole Saturday away from my kids.
> Although these meetings are not that often, it actually does feel more
> often than I would have expected. With a military partner, we often can’t
> even send one of us to these meetings without paying for a private
> babysitter (if we can find one).
>
> I share all this just to point out that this kind of babysitting isn’t
> necessarily a solution for all and there are many of us who want to
> participate but can’t given the length and timing of these meetings. Given
> this, any votes that happen at these meetings likely are not representative
> of the town as a whole. I realize that town meeting structure is a state
> issue, not something that we can change on our own, but I think it’s worth
> noting.
>
> Also — I’ve seen many people tout the benefits of hearing the discussion
> at town meeting before a vote. Given that’s it’s 2023 and we can all share
> our thoughts in advance online, in videos, and via email, I don’t think
> that’s a key outcome (for me at least) anymore.
>
> Best,
> Katy Hogue
>
> On Mon, Nov 20, 2023 at 6:58 PM Joan Kimball  wrote:
>
>> It always has been hard for people with young children. They used to have
>> babsitting. Do they still?
>>
>>   It is a big chunk of time.  But it's not that often in  comparison to
>> the hours and hours that volunteer town officials put in.
>>
>> Guess it can be seen as the price of democracy?
>>
>> Joan (former LWV president)
>>
>> On Mon, Nov 20, 2023, 6:28 PM Rob Haslinger 
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Being new to town I’m not terribly familiar with the town meeting
>>> process. I will note however that for those of us with time consuming
>>> responsibilities (in our case small children) it may be challenging to
>>> attend a lengthy meeting despite caring deeply about the issues and doing
>>> our best to stay informed.  Just a comment, I may be missing something
>>> about how this works.
>>>
>>> Best regards to all
>>> Rob Haslinger
>>> S Great Road
>>>
>>> On Mon, Nov 20, 2023 at 5:53 PM Margo Fisher-Martin <
>>> margo.fisher.mar...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
 Hi All,

 I also agree that this should be a ballot item. If we can vote for a
 new school by ballot, why can’t we use the same process to vote for other
 extremely important town changes - ones that will impact our everyday
 living here and our taxes?

 Respectfully,
 Margo Fisher-Martin


 On Mon, Nov 20, 2023 at 5:22 PM ٍSarah Postlethwait 
 wrote:

> A town wide secret ballot would be a great idea to make sure a wider
> audience gets their voice represented.
>
> I also encourage anyone not familiar with the proposed rezoning
> options to visit this website to gain a better understanding of the
> magnitude of the proposed changes and Lincoln’s uniquely impacted 
> position.
>
> LincolnHCA.org
>
>
> Sarah Postlethwait
>
>
>
> On Mon, Nov 20, 2023 at 4:17 PM Tom Kennedy <
> t...@kennedygroupboston.com> wrote:
>
>> Part of the discussion at last weeks planning board meeting is
>> noteworthy, but has not been mentioned here.
>> There was substantial discussion, maybe even consensus, on a none of
>> the above option. Even a planning board member and some of the “working
>> group“ were in favor.
>> Yet when the vote came up for a warrant article, that was not
>> mentioned.
>> Another part of the discussion was the fact that town meeting
>> determination is “skewed“ by attendance and timing. I have observed this 
>> to
>> be absolutely true.
>> It is my belief that something which will so radically transform our
>> community should be voted on in some form by secret ballot. It is also my
>> belief that that will never happen.
>> Tom Kennedy
>> --
>> The LincolnTalk mailing list.
>> To post, send mail to Lincoln@lincolntalk.org.
>> 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 

Re: [LincolnTalk] Radical change in Lincoln

[Caitlin Hogue]

Babysitting has been offered recently.

Respectfully, however, it’s not something that all parents can utilize. Not
all kids will be comfortable in a large group babysitting setting where
they don’t know the adults/babysitters. It’s not a great setting for
babies/toddlers who are napping (if they even take babies — I think it may
be school-age only). I also assume there is no medical staff so students
requiring a nurse can’t go (I may be wrong on that one).

As a working parent who works in a public school and ends up at lots of
night meetings, I don’t want to spend my whole Saturday away from my kids.
Although these meetings are not that often, it actually does feel more
often than I would have expected. With a military partner, we often can’t
even send one of us to these meetings without paying for a private
babysitter (if we can find one).

I share all this just to point out that this kind of babysitting isn’t
necessarily a solution for all and there are many of us who want to
participate but can’t given the length and timing of these meetings. Given
this, any votes that happen at these meetings likely are not representative
of the town as a whole. I realize that town meeting structure is a state
issue, not something that we can change on our own, but I think it’s worth
noting.

Also — I’ve seen many people tout the benefits of hearing the discussion at
town meeting before a vote. Given that’s it’s 2023 and we can all share our
thoughts in advance online, in videos, and via email, I don’t think that’s
a key outcome (for me at least) anymore.

Best,
Katy Hogue

On Mon, Nov 20, 2023 at 6:58 PM Joan Kimball  wrote:

> It always has been hard for people with young children. They used to have
> babsitting. Do they still?
>
>   It is a big chunk of time.  But it's not that often in  comparison to
> the hours and hours that volunteer town officials put in.
>
> Guess it can be seen as the price of democracy?
>
> Joan (former LWV president)
>
> On Mon, Nov 20, 2023, 6:28 PM Rob Haslinger 
> wrote:
>
>> Being new to town I’m not terribly familiar with the town meeting
>> process. I will note however that for those of us with time consuming
>> responsibilities (in our case small children) it may be challenging to
>> attend a lengthy meeting despite caring deeply about the issues and doing
>> our best to stay informed.  Just a comment, I may be missing something
>> about how this works.
>>
>> Best regards to all
>> Rob Haslinger
>> S Great Road
>>
>> On Mon, Nov 20, 2023 at 5:53 PM Margo Fisher-Martin <
>> margo.fisher.mar...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Hi All,
>>>
>>> I also agree that this should be a ballot item. If we can vote for a new
>>> school by ballot, why can’t we use the same process to vote for other
>>> extremely important town changes - ones that will impact our everyday
>>> living here and our taxes?
>>>
>>> Respectfully,
>>> Margo Fisher-Martin
>>>
>>>
>>> On Mon, Nov 20, 2023 at 5:22 PM ٍSarah Postlethwait 
>>> wrote:
>>>
 A town wide secret ballot would be a great idea to make sure a wider
 audience gets their voice represented.

 I also encourage anyone not familiar with the proposed rezoning options
 to visit this website to gain a better understanding of the magnitude of
 the proposed changes and Lincoln’s uniquely impacted position.

 LincolnHCA.org


 Sarah Postlethwait



 On Mon, Nov 20, 2023 at 4:17 PM Tom Kennedy 
 wrote:

> Part of the discussion at last weeks planning board meeting is
> noteworthy, but has not been mentioned here.
> There was substantial discussion, maybe even consensus, on a none of
> the above option. Even a planning board member and some of the “working
> group“ were in favor.
> Yet when the vote came up for a warrant article, that was not
> mentioned.
> Another part of the discussion was the fact that town meeting
> determination is “skewed“ by attendance and timing. I have observed this 
> to
> be absolutely true.
> It is my belief that something which will so radically transform our
> community should be voted on in some form by secret ballot. It is also my
> belief that that will never happen.
> Tom Kennedy
> --
> The LincolnTalk mailing list.
> To post, send mail to Lincoln@lincolntalk.org.
> 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 Lincoln@lincolntalk.org.
 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 Lincoln@lincolntalk.org.
>>> Browse the archives at
>>> 

Re: [LincolnTalk] Radical change in Lincoln

[Joan Kimball]

It always has been hard for people with young children. They used to have
babsitting. Do they still?

  It is a big chunk of time.  But it's not that often in  comparison to the
hours and hours that volunteer town officials put in.

Guess it can be seen as the price of democracy?

Joan (former LWV president)

On Mon, Nov 20, 2023, 6:28 PM Rob Haslinger  wrote:

> Being new to town I’m not terribly familiar with the town meeting process.
> I will note however that for those of us with time consuming
> responsibilities (in our case small children) it may be challenging to
> attend a lengthy meeting despite caring deeply about the issues and doing
> our best to stay informed.  Just a comment, I may be missing something
> about how this works.
>
> Best regards to all
> Rob Haslinger
> S Great Road
>
> On Mon, Nov 20, 2023 at 5:53 PM Margo Fisher-Martin <
> margo.fisher.mar...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Hi All,
>>
>> I also agree that this should be a ballot item. If we can vote for a new
>> school by ballot, why can’t we use the same process to vote for other
>> extremely important town changes - ones that will impact our everyday
>> living here and our taxes?
>>
>> Respectfully,
>> Margo Fisher-Martin
>>
>>
>> On Mon, Nov 20, 2023 at 5:22 PM ٍSarah Postlethwait 
>> wrote:
>>
>>> A town wide secret ballot would be a great idea to make sure a wider
>>> audience gets their voice represented.
>>>
>>> I also encourage anyone not familiar with the proposed rezoning options
>>> to visit this website to gain a better understanding of the magnitude of
>>> the proposed changes and Lincoln’s uniquely impacted position.
>>>
>>> LincolnHCA.org
>>>
>>>
>>> Sarah Postlethwait
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Mon, Nov 20, 2023 at 4:17 PM Tom Kennedy 
>>> wrote:
>>>
 Part of the discussion at last weeks planning board meeting is
 noteworthy, but has not been mentioned here.
 There was substantial discussion, maybe even consensus, on a none of
 the above option. Even a planning board member and some of the “working
 group“ were in favor.
 Yet when the vote came up for a warrant article, that was not mentioned.
 Another part of the discussion was the fact that town meeting
 determination is “skewed“ by attendance and timing. I have observed this to
 be absolutely true.
 It is my belief that something which will so radically transform our
 community should be voted on in some form by secret ballot. It is also my
 belief that that will never happen.
 Tom Kennedy
 --
 The LincolnTalk mailing list.
 To post, send mail to Lincoln@lincolntalk.org.
 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 Lincoln@lincolntalk.org.
>>> 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 Lincoln@lincolntalk.org.
>> 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 Lincoln@lincolntalk.org.
> 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 Lincoln@lincolntalk.org.
Browse the archives at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/.
Change your subscription settings at 
https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln.

Re: [LincolnTalk] Radical change in Lincoln

[Adam M Hogue]

Well it’s not true inclusion since I have military training and can’t attend town meeting.  But hey who cares right. Don’t change how we have done things for over 300 years.  So the few people that don’t have commitments on a Saturday morning can attend and decide for all of us. Adam M HogueCell: (978) 828-6184On Nov 20, 2023, at 6:35 PM, ٍSarah Postlethwait  wrote:As far as I understand it, only measures that involve funding end up on a paper ballot. Even the school had to pass town meeting before it could be sent to a paper ballot. But I could be wrong, and I personally would love if town meeting could by a hybrid meeting for debate, followed by a formal ballot vote the following Tuesday. On Mon, Nov 20, 2023 at 5:51 PM Margo Fisher-Martin  wrote:Hi All,I also agree that this should be a ballot item. If we can vote for a new school by ballot, why can’t we use the same process to vote for other extremely important town changes - ones that will impact our everyday living here and our taxes? Respectfully,Margo Fisher-MartinOn Mon, Nov 20, 2023 at 5:22 PM ٍSarah Postlethwait  wrote:A town wide secret ballot would be a great idea to make sure a wider audience gets their voice represented. I also encourage anyone not familiar with the proposed rezoning options to visit this website to gain a better understanding of the magnitude of the proposed changes and Lincoln’s uniquely impacted position.LincolnHCA.org Sarah Postlethwait On Mon, Nov 20, 2023 at 4:17 PM Tom Kennedy  wrote:Part of the discussion at last weeks planning board meeting is noteworthy, but has not been mentioned here.
There was substantial discussion, maybe even consensus, on a none of the above option. Even a planning board member and some of the “working group“ were in favor.
Yet when the vote came up for a warrant article, that was not mentioned.
Another part of the discussion was the fact that town meeting determination is “skewed“ by attendance and timing. I have observed this to be absolutely true.
It is my belief that something which will so radically transform our community should be voted on in some form by secret ballot. It is also my belief that that will never happen.
Tom Kennedy
-- 
The LincolnTalk mailing list.
To post, send mail to Lincoln@lincolntalk.org.
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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Change your subscription settings at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln.



-- The LincolnTalk mailing list.To post, send mail to Lincoln@lincolntalk.org.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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Change your subscription settings at 
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Re: [LincolnTalk] Radical change in Lincoln

[ٍSarah Postlethwait]

As far as I understand it, only measures that involve funding end up on a
paper ballot. Even the school had to pass town meeting before it could be
sent to a paper ballot.

But I could be wrong, and I personally would love if town meeting could by
a hybrid meeting for debate, followed by a formal ballot vote the following
Tuesday.



On Mon, Nov 20, 2023 at 5:51 PM Margo Fisher-Martin <
margo.fisher.mar...@gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi All,
>
> I also agree that this should be a ballot item. If we can vote for a new
> school by ballot, why can’t we use the same process to vote for other
> extremely important town changes - ones that will impact our everyday
> living here and our taxes?
>
> Respectfully,
> Margo Fisher-Martin
>
>
> On Mon, Nov 20, 2023 at 5:22 PM ٍSarah Postlethwait 
> wrote:
>
>> A town wide secret ballot would be a great idea to make sure a wider
>> audience gets their voice represented.
>>
>> I also encourage anyone not familiar with the proposed rezoning options
>> to visit this website to gain a better understanding of the magnitude of
>> the proposed changes and Lincoln’s uniquely impacted position.
>>
>> LincolnHCA.org
>>
>>
>> Sarah Postlethwait
>>
>>
>>
>> On Mon, Nov 20, 2023 at 4:17 PM Tom Kennedy 
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Part of the discussion at last weeks planning board meeting is
>>> noteworthy, but has not been mentioned here.
>>> There was substantial discussion, maybe even consensus, on a none of the
>>> above option. Even a planning board member and some of the “working group“
>>> were in favor.
>>> Yet when the vote came up for a warrant article, that was not mentioned.
>>> Another part of the discussion was the fact that town meeting
>>> determination is “skewed“ by attendance and timing. I have observed this to
>>> be absolutely true.
>>> It is my belief that something which will so radically transform our
>>> community should be voted on in some form by secret ballot. It is also my
>>> belief that that will never happen.
>>> Tom Kennedy
>>> --
>>> The LincolnTalk mailing list.
>>> To post, send mail to Lincoln@lincolntalk.org.
>>> 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 Lincoln@lincolntalk.org.
>> 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 Lincoln@lincolntalk.org.
Browse the archives at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/.
Change your subscription settings at 
https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln.

Re: [LincolnTalk] Radical change in Lincoln

[Rob Haslinger]

Being new to town I’m not terribly familiar with the town meeting process.
I will note however that for those of us with time consuming
responsibilities (in our case small children) it may be challenging to
attend a lengthy meeting despite caring deeply about the issues and doing
our best to stay informed.  Just a comment, I may be missing something
about how this works.

Best regards to all
Rob Haslinger
S Great Road

On Mon, Nov 20, 2023 at 5:53 PM Margo Fisher-Martin <
margo.fisher.mar...@gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi All,
>
> I also agree that this should be a ballot item. If we can vote for a new
> school by ballot, why can’t we use the same process to vote for other
> extremely important town changes - ones that will impact our everyday
> living here and our taxes?
>
> Respectfully,
> Margo Fisher-Martin
>
>
> On Mon, Nov 20, 2023 at 5:22 PM ٍSarah Postlethwait 
> wrote:
>
>> A town wide secret ballot would be a great idea to make sure a wider
>> audience gets their voice represented.
>>
>> I also encourage anyone not familiar with the proposed rezoning options
>> to visit this website to gain a better understanding of the magnitude of
>> the proposed changes and Lincoln’s uniquely impacted position.
>>
>> LincolnHCA.org
>>
>>
>> Sarah Postlethwait
>>
>>
>>
>> On Mon, Nov 20, 2023 at 4:17 PM Tom Kennedy 
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Part of the discussion at last weeks planning board meeting is
>>> noteworthy, but has not been mentioned here.
>>> There was substantial discussion, maybe even consensus, on a none of the
>>> above option. Even a planning board member and some of the “working group“
>>> were in favor.
>>> Yet when the vote came up for a warrant article, that was not mentioned.
>>> Another part of the discussion was the fact that town meeting
>>> determination is “skewed“ by attendance and timing. I have observed this to
>>> be absolutely true.
>>> It is my belief that something which will so radically transform our
>>> community should be voted on in some form by secret ballot. It is also my
>>> belief that that will never happen.
>>> Tom Kennedy
>>> --
>>> The LincolnTalk mailing list.
>>> To post, send mail to Lincoln@lincolntalk.org.
>>> 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 Lincoln@lincolntalk.org.
>> 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 Lincoln@lincolntalk.org.
> 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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Re: [LincolnTalk] Radical change in Lincoln

[Margo Fisher-Martin]

Hi All,

I also agree that this should be a ballot item. If we can vote for a new
school by ballot, why can’t we use the same process to vote for other
extremely important town changes - ones that will impact our everyday
living here and our taxes?

Respectfully,
Margo Fisher-Martin


On Mon, Nov 20, 2023 at 5:22 PM ٍSarah Postlethwait 
wrote:

> A town wide secret ballot would be a great idea to make sure a wider
> audience gets their voice represented.
>
> I also encourage anyone not familiar with the proposed rezoning options to
> visit this website to gain a better understanding of the magnitude of the
> proposed changes and Lincoln’s uniquely impacted position.
>
> LincolnHCA.org
>
>
> Sarah Postlethwait
>
>
>
> On Mon, Nov 20, 2023 at 4:17 PM Tom Kennedy 
> wrote:
>
>> Part of the discussion at last weeks planning board meeting is
>> noteworthy, but has not been mentioned here.
>> There was substantial discussion, maybe even consensus, on a none of the
>> above option. Even a planning board member and some of the “working group“
>> were in favor.
>> Yet when the vote came up for a warrant article, that was not mentioned.
>> Another part of the discussion was the fact that town meeting
>> determination is “skewed“ by attendance and timing. I have observed this to
>> be absolutely true.
>> It is my belief that something which will so radically transform our
>> community should be voted on in some form by secret ballot. It is also my
>> belief that that will never happen.
>> Tom Kennedy
>> --
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Re: [LincolnTalk] Radical change in Lincoln

[ٍSarah Postlethwait]

A town wide secret ballot would be a great idea to make sure a wider
audience gets their voice represented.

I also encourage anyone not familiar with the proposed rezoning options to
visit this website to gain a better understanding of the magnitude of the
proposed changes and Lincoln’s uniquely impacted position.

LincolnHCA.org


Sarah Postlethwait



On Mon, Nov 20, 2023 at 4:17 PM Tom Kennedy 
wrote:

> Part of the discussion at last weeks planning board meeting is noteworthy,
> but has not been mentioned here.
> There was substantial discussion, maybe even consensus, on a none of the
> above option. Even a planning board member and some of the “working group“
> were in favor.
> Yet when the vote came up for a warrant article, that was not mentioned.
> Another part of the discussion was the fact that town meeting
> determination is “skewed“ by attendance and timing. I have observed this to
> be absolutely true.
> It is my belief that something which will so radically transform our
> community should be voted on in some form by secret ballot. It is also my
> belief that that will never happen.
> Tom Kennedy
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[LincolnTalk] Radical change in Lincoln

[Tom Kennedy]

Part of the discussion at last weeks planning board meeting is noteworthy, but 
has not been mentioned here.
There was substantial discussion, maybe even consensus, on a none of the above 
option. Even a planning board member and some of the “working group“ were in 
favor.
Yet when the vote came up for a warrant article, that was not mentioned.
Another part of the discussion was the fact that town meeting determination is 
“skewed“ by attendance and timing. I have observed this to be absolutely true.
It is my belief that something which will so radically transform our community 
should be voted on in some form by secret ballot. It is also my belief that 
that will never happen.
Tom Kennedy
-- 
The LincolnTalk mailing list.
To post, send mail to Lincoln@lincolntalk.org.
Browse the archives at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/.
Change your subscription settings at 
https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln.