Lexington Select Board advances waste reduction rules, approves utility box mural

LEXINGTON — June 23, 2025 — Lexington Select Board moves toward a two-bin trash limit and a 2026 pay-as-you-throw rollout. Sustainability and Resilience Officer Maggie Peard presented findings from a waste bin survey of more than 1,400 households showing that 98.6 percent of residents already put out two bins or fewer, bolstering a proposal to cut the current six-bin maximum to two and position the town for a hybrid pay-as-you-throw system by summer 2026 — with a bylaw amendment and appropriation request targeted for the 2026 annual town meeting. The board also heard from Paul Gromer of Peregrine Energy about a new state mechanism that could cut electricity rates for low-income community choice customers from 14 cents to 10 cents per kilowatt hour, funded by a 40 percent share of an estimated $250,000 annual SMART program solar incentive. Select Board member Mark Sandin, who brokered the connection with the solar developer, cited an ACEEE study finding that low-income Boston-area residents spend a median 14 percent of income on energy, saying "four cents is a big issue here." The board unanimously approved a Lexington Council for the Arts request to paint a Lincoln Park utility box after its October 30, 2025 warranty expires.