Your link to Lexington news, information, events, and more!

On Monday, November 14, the Select Board will hold two public hearings; one is a continued public hearing for the Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) water and wastewater rates, and the other is on the FY23 property tax rates.

See the Select Board's agenda for November 14.

Water/Wastewater

Revised rates are proposed to increase 4.2% on a combined basis, reflecting a 0.8% increase in water rates and a 6.0% increase in wastewater rates. This rate increase will translate to approximately $39.90 for the average household in FY2023. 

Proposed rates are based on budgeted expenses and the Town’s estimated water consumption and wastewater flow for FY2023. If approved, updated rates will be reflected in the Town’s upcoming billing cycle. 

See additional details on the FY23 proposed water and wastewater rates.

Property Taxes

The Select Board will consider four classification options that may impact the tax rate including the selection of a residential shift factor, open space discount, residential exemption and small commercial exemption. 

On average, residential property values have increased 11.9% in FY2023 compared to FY2022, and the average single family home has increased in value from $1,192,240 to $1,334,950. If the current classification options remain unchanged, the residential tax rate is proposed to be $13.00 per $1,000 in value, and the commercial rate is proposed to be $25.72 per $1,000 in value. This will result in a tax increase of approximately 5.5% on the average single family home. 

Proposed tax rates are based on the Town's annual budget as voted by Town Meeting and the Town’s assessed property values for FY2023. 

See additional details on tax classification options, assessed values and proposed rates. 

We are extremely excited to announce that the Center Streetscape Project is complete and has finished on-schedule! We want to acknowledge and thank our business owners and residents for their continued patience and positivity during the design and construction process. We look forward to watching how this transformation will continue to shape our community!

A substantial undertaking bringing accessibility, usability, and enhanced aesthetics to our town, this project marks a new chapter for Lexington. With many stakeholders and contributors to thank, we would like to take an opportunity to appreciate all who supported this great project including:

• BETA Group, Inc - Designer 
• I.W. Harding - Contractor 
• Environmental Partners Group, LLC - Construction Project Manager 

We also want to thank the many Town departments who contributed to the successful completion of this project, including the Engineering Division, the Department of Public Works, and Town leadership.

Our consultant captured some excellent drone footage of the project in its entirety, documenting the conclusion of more than a decade's-worth of work:

Fall Ducks at Arlington Reservoir

Saturday November 19, 9-11:00 am

Join local birder John Andrews to explore the autumn variety of ducks and other waterfowl that may be found at the Arlington Reservoir, which straddles the Arlington/Lexington border. In addition to migrant duck species, there may be migrant sparrows to find at the pond’s border with LexFarm.

More than light rain will cancel the walk. Meet in the reservoir’s new lot on Lowell St.

Leader: John Andrews, jandrews166@gmail.com, 781-382-5658

Turkey Trot at Willard’s Woods & Chiesa Farm

Saturday November 26, 1-3:00 pm

Walk off some of those Thanksgiving calories with a tour of Willard’s Woods and Chiesa Farm. Meet at the Willards Woods parking lot on North St. opposite 38 North St. The route will wind through the meadows and woodland on the Willards Woods property, through the Diamond Middle School parking area, and then through Chiesa Farm before looping back to the starting point. Steady rain cancels.

Hiking poles maybe useful for some, especially if the ground is frozen.

Leader: Keith Ohmart - kohmart@verizon.net, 781-862-6216

MBTA to Hold Additional Community Meeting on Nov. 14 for Bus Improvement Project

Due to overwhelming interest, the MBTA’s Bus Network Redesign community meeting last Wednesday was oversubscribed.

The MBTA has scheduled an additional meeting to accommodate those who were not able to attend.

The meeting will be on Nov. 14 at 6 p.m. Register here.

Town Manager's Office Available Remotely During Office Renovations

Due to HVAC work being done in the office, staff in the Town Manager's Office will be working remotely between November 9-16. 

For assistance, contact staff by calling 781-698-4540 and leave a voicemail, or via email. Both will be monitored frequently during regular office hours.

Staff in other departments in the Town Office Building will also need to work remotely in the coming weeks as HVAC improvements are made to their offices. We will post that information in both the news section (here) and on the department's webpage.

Thank you for your patience!

Findings from the Lexington 2022 Town Wide Survey will be presented by Drs. Marian Cohen & Ruth Remington, Directors of the Center for Social Research, on behalf of the Vision for Lexington Committee at an upcoming public meeting. The results have also been presented at two previous public meetings in October and November.

• November 15, 7:30 PM - Hastings Elementary School (cafeteria), 7 Crosby Rd.

View the 2022 Town Wide Survey Report

The Survey is conducted once every five years and is used by Town Boards, Committees, Departments and Town Meeting to guide decision-making for the future of the Town.

Learn what you, your friends and neighbors had to say about the state of Lexington today and visions for the future.

Please share with friends, family, and neighbors!

Vaccine Clinics Available to Lexington Community

Flu and COVID-19 vaccine clinics are available throughout the rest of the year. The clinics are open to the Lexington community and are being offered by the Lexington Public Schools.

Upcoming clinics will be on:

• November 17
• November 22
• December 2
• December 16

Details on how to register, as well as frequently asked questions, are available through the Lexington Public Schools.

For questions, you can call the Lexington Public Schools' Central Office at (781) 861-2580.

Wondering what you could be doing to keep your trees healthy? When to call an arborist, and how they can help? What to do if you’re concerned that a tree is threatening your house? Join us for a wide-ranging conversation with two experienced arborists, Stephen Vernon of Harrison McPhee and Greg Mosman of Barrett Tree Service East, to discuss what every homeowner should know about their trees.

We’ll save some time at the end for a period of audience Q&A. If you have trees on your property, or are thinking of planting one, this program is for you.

Monday, November 14

7:00 PM - 8:30 PM

Virtual

Register and find more information.

Co-sponsored by the Lexington Tree Committee and Lexington Friends of Trees.

The Lexington Office of Public Health will update weekly COVID-19 case numbers each Friday. The data represented on the dashboard DOES NOT include at-home test results. The data only represents results of PCR and antigen tests verified through the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

View Lexington’s case numbers

View the State’s COVID-19 dashboard

Test Kits Available

Free at-home rapid COVID-19 test kits are available at Town buildings across Lexington.

You can pick up a test at the following locations:

• Town Office Building (Health Office) - 1625 Massachusetts Avenue
• Fire Department - 45 Bedford Street
• Police Department - 173 Bedford Street
• Community Center - 39 Marrett Road
• Visitors Center - 1875 Massachusetts Avenue
• Public Services Building - 201 Bedford Street

Test kits are available during regular business hours (Police Dept. open 24/7) while supplies last.

For questions, contact the Office of Public Health at 781-698-4533.

JOBS

• Arborist
• Heavy Equipment Operator
• Engineering Assistant
• Municipal Account Assistant (PT)
• Director of Senior Services 
• Temp. Public Health Nurse 
• Facilities Engineer 
• Recreation Supervisor
• Residential Analyst/Inspector
• Senior Civil Engineer NEW

Visit LexingtonMA.gov/jobs for more information.

CALENDARS

Was this email forwarded to you? You can sign up for Link to Lexington on our website.