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Budget board backs town match for Blue Street buyouts and approves Handy Pond Dam design spending
Summary
The board approved earmarking $700,000 as the town’s share (25%) for a proposed buyout program on Blue Street and approved funding for design work on Handy Pond Dam phase 2, both to be drawn from capital/open-space funds.
Lincoln — The Lincoln Budget Board voted to allocate the town’s preliminary share for a multi-property buyout on Blue Street and approved funding for design work on Handy Pond Dam phase 2, moving both items into the town’s capital/open‑space funding structure for subsequent action.
Board members approved an administration estimate that the town would pay 25% of the total cost for the Blue Street buyout program; the administrator’s estimate discussed at the meeting put the town share at $700,000, with the remaining 75% to come from an external grant. The board voted to record the town’s contribution in Fund 11 (open space), with the motion carried by voice vote (motion by Bob; second by Dave).
On the Handy Pond Dam project the board approved funding for phase‑2 design work and directed staff to move the line into Fund 11 as well. The motion to fund the design work was made by Bob and seconded by Dave and approved by the board; the transcript records the motion and approval, though the minute‑by‑minute exchange left the exact design-dollar figure conversational and not precisely stated in the record.
Why it matters
The Blue Street buyout would remove repeatedly flooded properties and convert the lots to open space or pond/trail uses, reducing future maintenance and emergency response costs; the town’s commitment of local match funds is a necessary step to secure the larger grant funding. The Handy Pond design work is a step toward addressing aging dam infrastructure and flood risk.
What the board directed
- Move the administration’s Blue Street buyout proposal forward with a town match of $700,000 (25% of the cited $2,800,000 estimate) and record the appropriation in Fund 11 (open space).
- Approve phase‑2 design funding for Handy Pond Dam and record the design line in Fund 11; staff to provide final design cost detail and scope to the board for record and further appropriation.
Ending
Board members said they would confirm fund balances and grant-match terms, and they asked administration staff to return with finalized figures and any legal language required for property buyouts before the next formal appropriation vote.
