In town government, one of our busiest times of the year begins next week with the start of annual Town Meeting on Monday, March 26 at 7:30 p.m. in Cary Hall. This annual event typically continues each Monday and Wednesday (except for school vacation week) until all of the business before Town Meeting is completed. Here are a few highlights, facts and previews of this year’s Town Meeting: There are 189 electedTown Meeting Members representing our residents, 21 from each of the nine precincts in town, plus eight at-large Town Meeting Members, who hold this position by virtue of another town …

  A number of years ago the Board of Selectmen created the Tax Deferral and Exemption Study Committee to advise them on options for reducing the tax burden on income restricted residents. That committee and the selectmen have worked hard to expand the range of tax relief choices, in some cases working with our state legislators to obtain special legislation to offer programs not otherwise allowed under state law.The town’s fiscal 2013 recommended budget provides funding for the following tax relief programs: Senior Service Program – Qualified property owners over the age of 60 can work for …

  Low Property Tax Deferral Interest Rate – The Town permits senior citizens with a gross income of $60,000 or less to defer paying all or a portion of their real estate or water/sewer bills. A modest interest rate is added to the deferred portion of the bill, which must be paid at the time the property is sold.  Each March the Town establishes the interest rate for the coming year for those seniors who choose to participate in this program.  The interest rate for FY13 will be .17 percent, simple interest. If you would like more information about this important program please contact our …

  Bridge/Bowman Schools Renovation Project – Last week the Town opened bids for the Bridge and Bowman schools renovation project. The low bid is right at the amount estimated. Work is expected to begin in April. Electric Vehicle Charging Station – On Monday, February 27 at 5 p.m. the Board of Selectmen hosted a ribbon-cutting for the new Electric Vehicle Charging Stations in the NSTAR parking lot, off of Grant Street and Edison Way.  There is no cost for a vehicle charge, but users well be responsible for regular hourly parking meter fees. MBTA Service and Fare Proposal – This week, Board of …

  Motor Vehicle Excise – Shortly, residents will be receiving their 2012 Motor Vehicle Excise bills. As the economy has stagnated, so has the income the town receives from this important revenue source. Perhaps we are seeing, however, the first signs of a return to car buying. Here is why I am mildly optimistic: The average excise bill in Lexington for 2012 is $129.61. Last year, the average excise bill was $125.85. The amount of the excise tax is tied to the age and value of the vehicle, so as residents purchase new cars, the amount of the average bill increases. Fire Chief Recruitment – …

  Conservation Commission Opening – This spring I will be filling a vacancy on the Conservation Commission. The commission administers and enforces the Massachusetts Wetland Protection Act and the town’s Wetland Protection Code.  The commission’s seven members are appointed to three-year terms. The vacancy is due to the "retirement" of Charlie Wyman. Charlie, like the other members, has been a tremendous asset to the commission and to the town, particularly in regards to land acquisitions. If you have a passion for land preservation, protecting our waterways and wetlands and educating the …

  There has been a lot going on this past week in Town Hall. Here is a flavor: Economic Development Director - Melisa Tintocalis, our new Economic Development Director, began work this past week. Melisa comes to us from the City of Somerville where she worked in their Economic Development Office the past four years. A resident of Arlington, Melisa also has economic development experience in southern California. Sale of Debt – In anticipation of our annual debt issuance this month Moody’s Investors Services has reaffirmed Lexington’s Aaa rating, the highest rating awarded to municipalities and…

  Electric Vehicle Charging Station – At the Indianapolis 500 race the call for engines to start is, “Ladies and Gentlemen, Start Your Engines!” This got me wondering what the announcer will say if we ever see electric cars racing. What does this have to do with Lexington, you may ask?  In the next few weeks Lexington will have its first public electric vehicle charging stations in town. They will be located in the town’s parking lot behind the NSTAR building off of Edison Way. The town received a grant from the state for four of these charging stations. In order to encourage this "green" …

  One of the challenges of managing a small community or even a mid-sized town like Lexington is that all towns, regardless of size, have the same legal and regulatory responsibilities but not necessarily the resources of a larger community like Boston, Cambridge or Newton. As a result, smaller towns frequently cannot afford to hire the staff expertise that is sometimes necessary to fulfill their legal requirements. One strategy used by some municipalities is to retain consultants to help fill this ‘knowledge gap.’ In other cases, by partnering with our neighboring communities towns can …

  As I was driving to Town Hall this morning, the temperature was 11 degrees, there is bright sunshine and, oddly enough (at least that is what my daughters think) I am thinking about trees. Although we are barely a month into winter, I am already longing for spring, and with spring comes the beauty of the flowering trees. More importantly, however, I am thinking of Lexington’s incredible Tree Committee that quietly and behind the scenes is making sure our community retains its beauty for generations to come. The role of the Tree Committee is to promote the preservation and protection of …

For the past two months, I have been working closely with staff on preparing our fiscal year 2013 budget. One part of the budget that requires us to use our crystal ball is the amount we should budget for snow removal. Last year, we had 80 inches of snow in Lexington and exceeded our budget by almost $600,000, spending approximately $1.7 million. This year, except for the freakish October storm, there has been no snow, so far. It is the little things like this that make a Town Manager happy! 1.) Lexpress:  With the news this past week about the MBTA considering an increase in fares, it is a …

  With the New Year upon us, here are my top 10 suggestions for Lexington residents to get involved, stay informed or simple enjoy our wonderful community:  Visit www.lexingtonma.gov, the town’s website, for a wealth of information about your town government. Visit the Cary Library. There are many fabulous programs there every week. Sign up for any of our e-government subscriptions at http://www.egovlink.com/lexington/subscriptions/subscribe.asp  to receive timely emails on everything from road closures to parades and other events in town. Register on Lexington's CodeRed emergency …

This past Saturday, I attended the first performance of the newly formed Greater Boston Asian-American Youth Symphony Orchestra, which took place at the National Heritage Museum. The Orchestra’s mission is to promote the values of cultural diversity and community service through music education and outreach performance. The founder and conductor is Lexington resident Jie Yang. Prior to coming to Lexington, Yang served as the program director and conductor of the Dallas Asian-American Youth Symphony Orchestra. This Satudray's performance featured 7-year-old Estabrook School student Alex Yin, …

  There is never a shortage of interesting work going on at Town Hall, but my short report below should be of interest to all of our residents. 1.) Tree Trimming –NSTAR has contracted with Asplundh Tree Service to prune street trees on approximately 70 streets in town. Given the recent outages from the past storms, NSTAR’s contractor will be using a 10-foot by 10-foot by 15-foot clearance around the wires. The specific streets where work will be done have been posted on the town website. The work will take approximately 3 to 4 weeks. Residents with questions can contact Public Grounds …

I was away last week for the Thanksgiving holiday visiting family, so am a bit late with this week's report. On a personal note, our Thanksgiving get- together included the wonderful news that my older daughter and her boyfriend are engaged and will be getting married next summer. As a town manager I am supposed to provide advice. As a soon to be 'father of the bride' I need advice, so any help will be appreciated. Now, for this week's report. 1.) Jere Frick – Last week, I mentioned how blessed Lexington is with its many talented and dedicated board and committee members. Some of you may have…

Part of what makes working in local government so interesting is working with talented staff and volunteers. Today I have lots to say about Town employees. In an upcoming Town Manager's Tuesday I'll talk about our equally talented board and committee members. 1.) Let it Snow – Effective Dec. 1, the Police Department will begin enforcing the town’s bylaw, which prohibits all night parking on Town streets. The purpose of this bylaw is to keep streets relatively clear during snow events. Warning cards were issued beginning on Friday, Nov. 18 to motorists parked on the street overnight. The bylaw…

With the worst of last week's storm mostly behind us, I can return to some other important events going on. 1.) Emergency Alert System: At 2 p.m. this Wednesday, Nov. 9, for the first time ever, the Emergency Alert System will be tested nationwide. Virtually all broadcast and cable programming in the United States will be interrupted at once with that alert tone we are all so familiar with. What is the big deal and why do we need to be made aware of this? Can you imagine the calls that will be received from all those citizens who are not aware of the test, change their radio or cable channel …