LYNNFIELD — There may still be two full months until the end of the year, but, for Lynnfield Town Administrator Rob Dolan, it’s never too early to reflect on the good things going on in the community, while looking ahead to the challenges facing the town in the future, starting with the Nov. 5 election and the Nov. 13 Fall Town Meeting.
Dolan shared his thoughts with the Select Board, Finance Committee and School Committee at Monday’s joint meeting.
“As 2024 enters the final months, the next 16 days are going to be really important for our town and our country,” he said. “2024 has been a year in which local government, all the boards and community leaders, and citizens have worked together to develop responsible, long-term planning models for our town’s future.”
Among the models referred to by Dolan are a five-year capital improvement plan, which is set to be completed at the end of the year, and a three-year hazardous mitigation plan identifying at-risk areas. Dolan commended the Planning Board for coming up with a vision plan and the library for conducting a needs assessment report to help determine the future of the library. He noted that Planning and Conservation created an open space plan that maps out strategies for environmental protection and passive recreational uses of town-owned land and the Rail Trail has reached 75 percent design phase, which may trigger state funding in 2026.
Dolan said the town should be proud that it surpassed 10,000 registered voters for the first time. As of Oct. 28, 3,500 early ballots had been cast “which is also a new record.”
Veterans Day will see the official opening of the new Veterans Memorial. “It’s a decade in the making,” Dolan said.
The town’s MBTA Committee recently came up with a plan calling for the creation of three overlay districts to comply with the MBTA Communities Act, which Dolan described as “an incredibly important plan that complies with the law and truly protects our community in every way.”
Dolan noted the Recreation Board is bringing a fully-funded Field 1 replacement plan to Town Meeting and commended the volunteer library committee for devising a “responsible renovation proposal” that will also be voted on at Town Meeting.
Dolan said the Sagamore senior housing development project represents new growth that is needed in our town.
He also noted the important work being done by the new Traffic Safety Advisory Committee.
“The Police Department, the DPW, the citizens who serve on that board and concerned neighbors gathered together… to solve real neighborhood problems together,” Dolan said. “I think that’s how Lynnfield should work. The point of this is to say that important policy and community priorities are not met in a vacuum in Lynnfield. In fact, they are not made only by a few, and very few are made in this room. They are done by volunteers, and government elected officials, and employees of the town working together. So citizens of Lynnfield can serve their town in big and small ways, as big as drafting a citizens’ petition or volunteering on a board or committee to confront and solve crucial issues, or by simply showing up for a meeting and having your voice be heard, and most importantly, by showing up at Town Meeting to vote. All are welcome and we need everyone’s help.”
Dolan reviewed other major initiatives undertaken by the town recently, including the public safety buildings project, “which remains on target in all areas” to open in December 2025; the major water treatment facility improvement that will provide a connection with the town of Wakefield in 2025; the addition of two new firefighters; and the federal SAFER grant award, which will fund four new frontline firefighters over the next three fiscal years.
Dolan also commended the community’s efforts to secure the funding necessary to keep A Healthy Lynnfield viable for the next few years.
“We were at risk of losing our funding,” Dolan said. “Through the efforts of many, grants were secured to continue this lifesaving work.”
Dolan noted the “progressive” work of the Lynnfield Police Department culminating with the creation of a community outreach team that “focuses on quiet and important ways of helping people that are battling addiction and mental health, to support our citizens in crisis and to prevent potential crimes.”
Switching hats, Dolan then addressed the many challenges before the town including inflation, limited new growth, escalating healthcare costs, and the state’s failure to meet revenue goals.
“Double-digit inflation continues to be a burden and really do a number on all of our budgets in every department. The new growth is very limited. The Commonwealth is not hitting its revenue goals and has not for quite some time. That clearly will come home to roost sometime and will affect local aid for next year. This current fiscal year presented the largest rate increase in 15 years and nothing is stable in the healthcare market,” Dolan said, adding that with all town and school contracts expiring in 2025, another challenge will be collective bargaining negotiations.
“We have all seen the negative tone, the conflict of collective bargaining negotiations across Massachusetts in recent years. It is shocking,” Dolan said. “That has never been the Lynnfield way. It is my hope and I believe the hope of everyone in this room that we can work with our dedicated staff and union partners to negotiate fair contracts for all.”
Anne Marie Tobin can be reached at [email protected].
