Seth, I don't believe the numbered items you listed below are 'undisputed' facts, mainly cause I'm going to dispute some of them and clarify some others in which I think the statement is a bit misleading (though feel free to indicate where my dispute is incorrect)
First, for reference, this is the current wording on the Warrant Article that we are voting on for the Special Town Meeting: "To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate by taxation, by transfer from available funds, including stabilization funds, by borrowing or any combination thereof, a sum of money to hire the necessary project management and design consultants to develop schematic level design plan options and cost estimates for the proposed Community Center; with the intent of presenting said choices at a fall, 2023 Special Town Meeting for a vote on a preferred option; or take any action relative thereto." [reference: https://www.lincolntown.org/1373/2022-Special-Town-Meeting] I will point out that the wording is fairly generic and I believe this is intentional to give the Community Center Building Committee some flexibility in what they are doing. I will dispute the individual points below. I originally wrote this with considerable more commentary, but decided that a more concise dispute / clarification would be more easily digestible. 1) this vote will ONLY authorize work to develop two similar $25m concepts > (not including ongoing operating costs) at a cost of $325k. > The vote provides funds for professional services to develop plans and cost estimates on a community center on the Hartwell site, it doesn't stipulate what is being developed. What is generally assumed is that they will develop the two existing concepts. The committee could add in stipulations, though they are not bound to in any way to do so. 2) The presumption is that an analysis of needs has already been completed, > is sufficient, and has weighed alternatives. This is not a vote to go back > to the drawing board or develop a new plan. It’s a vote to move forward on > the existing $25m plans. > The vote is to provide funds to move forward on plans for a community center on the Hartwell site. It does imply that the case for renovating Bemis / renovating the pods / using Pierce House as the solution is off the table. It does NOT require two $25m plans to be developed. 3) this project does not incorporate a new facility for LEAP. > The project allocates funds for renovation of the pod that currently houses LEAP, but LEAP itself is not intended to be housed in the Community Center in any of the current plans. 4) the output of the project will be a better estimate of costs, which will > vary and can be optimized. However given that the input is two specific > designs, it is not accurate to suggest that materially cheaper alternatives > would/could be the output. One should not expect a $15m solution or a > needs analysis to be the output. > This is not necessarily a given, the architects work at the direction of the committee. Can they shave a sufficient amount off? I think that's for the professionals to decide. > 5) the vote to proceed requires a 2/3 majority. That means every NO vote > is particularly powerful, as it offsets two yes votes. > This is true! So EVERY vote counts, not only because it's a 2/3 majority, but also to make sure your opinion is given...but also so people don't complain later that which ever way it goes was decided by a small number of people. So whether you are for or against, come vote. I will add here some other 'undisputed' facts (though please fact check me as well...) A) This will cost the property owners: Property tax WILL increase due to debt service (the cost of the loan to construct the building). Property tax CAN increase due to operating cost. There are staffing costs, operations, and maintenance associated with the building, but some of that is already in the budget to maintain/operate the existing buildings. Estimates for this have not been provided. B) If the vote is a 'no', there are no funds available to determine options for construction of a community center. Doing so would require funds allocated for professional services to develop plans, which would require another vote to allocate those funds. C) The planning committee has interest in building a Community Center on the Hartwell Site. They are going to put forth the best plan they can in order to get the town to build it, which would require ANOTHER 2/3 vote at a later date. D) A 'Yes' vote would provide the CCBC with the funds to hire professional services needed to bring the project to the next stage. It does not obligate the town to build the Community Center. E*) Folks need to either trust that the CCBC is operating in good faith and assessing the options fairly and being able to separate out 'need' from 'want', or just assume that they never are, in which case you're not trusting them to do anything and you'd vote no regardless. *admittingly this one is a bit more subjective, though I believe it to be true. (..did anyone actually make it this far in this email?) - Andy But voter turnout in Lincoln is a major challenge - regardless of how you > feel, please show up and vote! > > Hope to see all my neighbors regardless of their position, and grateful > for the dialogues! > > Seth > > > -- > The LincolnTalk mailing list. > To post, send mail to Lincoln@lincolntalk.org. > Search the archives at http://lincoln.2330058.n4.nabble.com/. > 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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