Lexington Select Board Accepts Monroe Center Arts Addition Report, Sets Town Meeting Positions

LEXINGTON — March 27, 2025 — Lexington Select Board accepts Monroe Center arts addition update and sets positions on four Town Meeting articles. The four-member board, meeting without Mark Sandin, voted unanimously to accept a construction report from Director of Public Facilities Mike Cronin and Jones Architecture's Greg Bruchard showing the Monroe Center addition on track to go out to bid in April and begin construction in early May, with the 95 percent construction documents cost estimate still pending. The board approved a 2 percent outdoor dining permit fee increase — the first since the COVID pause — bringing the base fee to $104 per year for establishments with fewer than 10 seats. On Article 26, local voting rights for lawful permanent residents, Vice Chair Jill Hay and Vanita Kumar both shifted to abstentions after reviewing Town Meeting member feedback, leaving the board's position at three yes votes and two abstentions. On Article 28, accurate reporting on lithium-ion battery trade-offs, the board reported four yes votes and one no — the no from Sandin, communicated by email, who argued the article falsely implies town boards had called batteries simply "green, clean, or healthy."