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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1934-10-29-STM-min 117 SPECIAL TMN MWTING I LD OCTOBER 29, 1934 The meeting was called to order by the Moderator, Robert H. Holt, at 8:08 P.M. There were one hundred forty-five Town Meeting Members present. Town Clerk, James J. Carroll, read the Warrant for the meeting until further reading was waived. A unanimous vote. Town Clerk, James J. Carroll, read the Constables re- turn of the Warrant. Selectman Mr. Trask moved to take up Article 1. Under Article One Mr. E. H. Locke , Chairman of the Salary Adjustment Committee , read the following report: TO TtE TOWN' I, ETING MEMBERS OF LEXINGTON: By vote of the Town Meeting on March 26, 1934, you instructed the Moderator to appoint a committee of seven, composed of the Chairman of the Board of Selectmen, the Chair- man of the Appropriation Committee, the Chairman of the School Committee, and one Town Meeting member from each of the four precincts to make recommendations to the Town Meeting con- cerning the restoration of the salary cut which became effec- tive July 1, 1933, and to report at some time during the current year. The committee so appointed offers the following report: Preliminary disucssion of the question indicated that without knowledge of certain facts and figures not avail- able at this time the Committee should not try to reach a majority recommendation even though the members might hold individual opinions as to whether the time had come to make a restoration of pay in whole or in part. It is our belief that the majority of the Town Meeting members voted infavor of the 15% reduction for one or more of the following reasons : Be- cause other towns were reducing salaries ; because of ,reduction in the cost of living; because the Town Meeting members and the taxpayers almost without exception had had their salaries and income reduced; and because in the face of high taxes and particularly the increasing cost of welfare work they believed that it was reasonable to expect Town employees to share in this added burden. It is entirely impossible for this Committee to secure accurate estimates of income and expenses for the next year and so indicate what the trend of our tax rate may be. The complete restoration of the pay cut would add ap- proximately $2 .00 to the tax rate, other figures remaining the same. The cost of welfare work appears to be particularly important and yet indefinite. Large amounts of Federal funds are being allocated to Lexington, which at the present time will reduce the assessed cost of our welfare work. But when these funds are no longer available an increased burden will fall upon the taxpayers, which may add several dollars to the tax rate. The certainty of changes in the cost of living, the cost of materials, the value of the dollar, and particular:y the cost of welfare work convince this Committee that no specific recommendations can be made at this time and we have voted so to report to this Meeting. Respectfully submitted, October 26, 1934 . E. H. Locke, Chairman 118 Selectman Mr. Trask moved that the report be accepted as a report of progress and the me of duration of the Committee be extended for the c, : 'ent year. Carried unanimously 8 :15 P .M. Under Art5_cle One Mr. Edwin B. Worthen, Chairman of t'Placing the German Field Piece Committee" read the follow- ing report: Because of the plans and preparations the local Legion were making towards securing a permanent home he offered the above be accepted as a report of progress until some future date. As a motion it was seconded and carried unanimously 8 :16 P .M. Under Article One Mr. Randall B. Houghton, Chairman of the School Committee, offered the following motion: VOTED: That the moderator shall appoint two additional members to serve on the Committee on Increasing High School Accommodations . Carried unanimously 8 : 17 P.M. Under Article One Mr. A. Edward Rowse, Chairman of the Appropriation Committee offered the following report of appropriations approved: Appropriations approved by Appropriation Committee at a meeting held October 25, 1934. Art. 2 . 5400.00 to be transferred from 'xcess & Deficiency Acct. Art. 5. 8. 17 to be transferred from Excess & Deficiency Acct. Art . 6. 100.00 to be transferred from Excess & Deficiency Acct. for Assessor' s Dept. 600.00 to be transferred from Excess & Deficiency Acct. for Collector' s Dept. 600.00 to be transferred from Excess & Deficiency Acct. for printing and publishing Revised Town By-Laws. 2000.00 to be transferred from Exeess & Deficiency Acct . for Water Maintenance. 6000.00 to be transferred from Excess & Deficiency Acct. for Public Welfare Dept. 600.00 to be transferred from Excess & Deficiency Acct. for Soldier' s Relief. 100.00 to be transferred from Excess & Deficiency Acct . for Other Finance Offices & Accounts. 50.00 to be transferred from Excess & Deficiency Acct. for Street Signs . 75.00 to be transferred from Excess & Deficiency Acct. for Elections and Registrations. The Appropriation Committee agreed to defer action on approving an appropriation for shingling a .house at Westview Cemetery until the Committee had an opportunity to make a personal inspedtion of the property, being agreed that rep- resentatives of the Committee would make the inspection on Sunday October 28, 1934 . Art. 7. $1000.00 to be transferred from Excess & Deficiency Acct. Art. 9. The Committee voted to recommend that no action be taken with reference to the destruction or the dunolition of the old concrete standpipe and that no further amount be appropriated for the standpipe project. 119 Art. 10. $1700.00 to be transferred from Excess & Deficiency Acct . Art. 11 1000.00 to be transferred from Sewer Constriction-- Trunk Line--Arlington Line. to Bow Street Account. Art. 12 4300.00 to be transferred from Excess & Deficiency Acct. Art. 14 7000.00 to be transferred from Sewer Construction-- Trunk Line--Arlington Line to Bow Street Account. A. Edward Rowse Chairman Appropriation Committee Selectman Mr. Trask moves to take up Article Two offering the following and voted uron in two Parts : Art. 2. Voted: That the Board of Selectmen be and they hereby are authorized to compromise the claim of Guiseppe Chiuccariello against the Town for damages alleged to result from certain takings of the land hereinafter re- fel-red to for highway purposes and for sewer purposes by the p -..i_en t ' to him of the sum of 400 on the conveyance by him to the Town after approval of title by the Town Counsel of Lots numbered 8, 9, 10, and 11 on a plan by Elliott dated August 10, 1918, and recorded with Middlesex South District Deeds, Plan Book 268, Plan 35, by quitclaim deed subject to the rights already taken therein by the said Town for highway purposes and for sewer purposes and subjecto taxes for the L current year together with a release by the grantor of all claims for damages resulting from the said taking, and that the Selectmen be further authorized to release any claim which the Town may have against the said grantor by reason of any assessment of betterments incidental to the said takings, and for the purpose of possessing said land the sum of $400 is hereby transferred from the Excess and Deficiency Account, and ( as first part) Carried unanimously 8:21 P.M. Further voted, that this Parcel of land be placed under the jurisdiction of the Board of Selectmen, acting as Park Com- . missioners. ( second part ) Carried unanimously 8 :22 P.M. Selectman M . Trask moves to take up Article Three offering the following: Art . 3. Voted: That the Town Treasurer, with the approval of the Selectmen, be and hereby is authorized to borrow money from time to time in anticipation of the revenue of the financial year beginning January 1, 1935, and to issue a note or notes therefor, payable within one year, and to renew such note or notes as may be given for a period of less than one year in accordance with Section 17 , Chapter 44, General Laws : any debt or debts incurred under this vote to be Paid from the revenue of the financial year beginning January 1, 1935 . Carried unanimously 8:25 P.M. Selectman Mr. Trask moves to take up Article Four offering the following: Art. 4. Voted: That the Selectmen be authoriz2d to install street lights in Fair Oaks Drive and Haskell Street. Carried unanimously 8 :26 P .M. Selectman Mr . Trask moves to take up Article Five offering the following: 120 offering the following: Art. E. Voted that the sum of $8.17 be transferred from the Excess and Deficiency Account to the Water Department Maintenance Account to pay a bill of the Lexington Plumbing and Heating Co. , Inc. , Frederick H. Chase, Trustee, incurred in 1933. Carried unanimously 8:27 P.M. Selectman Mr. Trask moves to take up Article Six. Mr . Wood, Chairman of the Cemetery Committee, under Article 6 moves that $200.00 be transferred from Excess & Deficiency . Account to Cemeteries Account. Motion as presented Lost unanimously 8:30 P .M. Selectman Mr. Trask offered the following which were presented and voted upon separately: to 'ae t,ra -sfe=ecf_ 171= Excess ana Defcoy -cco=ts . Assessors $ 100.00 carried unanimously 8:31 P . M. Collector of Taxes $600.00 carried unanimously 8 :32 P .M. Town By-Laws 3600.00 carried unanimously 8:33 P .M. Water Maintenance 82000.00 carried unanimously 8:35 P.M. Public Welfare $6000.00 carried unanimously 8:39 P.M. Soldier' s Relief $600.00 carried unanimously 8:40 P .M. Otter Finance Offices & Accounts $100.00 carried unanimously 8:41 P:M. Street Signs $50.00 carried unanimously 8:42 P.M. Elections & Registrations S75 .00 carried unanimously 8:43 P .M. Question by Mr. Hollis Webster as to the amount of money in Excess and Deficiency Account at the present time. Answered by Selectman Mr. Trask. Selectman Mr. Trask moves to take up Article Seven offering the following: VOTED: That the sum of $1000.00 be transferred from the Excess & Deficiency Account for labor and material on public works and for other expenses in connection there- with to be expended by the Selectmen for the aid of persons employed under Emergency Relief Administration within the Town. Carried unanimously 8:44 P .M. Selectman Mr. Trask moves to take up Article Eight offering the following: VOTED: That the Board of Selectmen be authorized to deepen, widen and straighten Clematis Brook in accordance with the plan of Metcalf & Eddy and to expend the funds alloted to the town by the Emergency Relief Administration of the United States for that purpose. Carried unanimously 8:48 P .M. Selectman Mr. Trask moves to take up Article Nine offering the following: VOTED: That the Board of Selectmen be authorized to raze or demolish the old concrete standpipe on land of the Town near the new standpipe, as a part of the Project to con- struct a steel standpipe, Docket No. 2263, authorized by a town meeting held under date of August 14, 1933, under the National Industrial Recovery Act, so called, and Chapter 3€ 3 of the Acts of 1933, as amended , and for the purpose of pro- viding for the cost thereof, the sum of S6000. be and hereby is transferred from the Excess & Deficiency Account. Trask offered the following correction to the original 121 • as read, in place of "and hereby is transferred from the Excess and Deficiency Account" to read "be appropriated and the Town Treasurer with the approval of the Selectmen be authorized to borrow the sum of 06000.00 and to issue bonds or notes therefore payable in accordance with law." Remarks by A. Edward Rowse, Chairman of the Appropriation Committee. Questions and suggestions from the following: Messrs; Chamberlain, Ellis, Cutter, Sarano. Mr . Sarano makes motion that Article 9 be indefinitely postponed. Seconded. Indefinite postponement carried unanimous . Article 9 declared lost 8:58 P.M. Selectman Mr. Trask moves to take up Article 10 offering the following: VOTED: That the Board of Selectmen be authorized to install water mains , not less than six inches in diameter and subject to the assessment of betterments and to take by eminent domain the necessary easement therefor in the following unaccepted streets : Plymouth Road, from Robbins Road, in an easterly direction, a distance of approximately 75 feet; Carried unanimously 8:59 P.M. Robbins Road, from Plymouth Road in a southeasterly direction, a distance of approximately 105 feet; Carried unanimously 9:00 P.M. Pineknoll Road from the present end northerly a distance of approximately 100 feet; Carried unanimously 9:01 P.M. Chase Avenue from Bennett Avenue westerly, a distance of approximately 200 feet; Carried unanimously 9:02 P .M. and for the purpose of said construction and installation of water mains, the sum of $1700. be transferred from the Excess & Deficiency Account . Carried unanimously 9 :03 P .M. Selectman Mr. Trask moves to take up Article Eleven offering the following: VOTED: That the Board of Selectmen be authorized to install a sewer in an unaccepted street called Robbins Road, from Plymouth Road in a southeasterly direction a distance of approximately 105 feet, subject to the assessment of betterments and to take by eminent domain the necessary easement therefor; Carried unanimously 9 :04 P.M. VOTED: That the Board of Selectmen be authorized to install a sewer in an unaccepted street called Plymouth Road, from Robbins Road in an easterly direction a distance of ap- proximately 75 feet, subject to the assessment of betterments and to take by eminent domain the necessary easement therefor; Carried unanimously 9:05 P .M. and for the purpose of said construction and install- ation of sewers the sum of 01000. be transferred from the Trunk Line Sewer Account (Arlington Line to Bow Street) . Carried unanimously 9:06 P.M. 122 Selectman Mr. Trask moves to take up Article 12 offering the following: VOTED: That the sum of $4300 be transferred to the Water Construction Account from the Excess and Deficiency Account for the lowering of the water main in Pleasant Street and completing the Blossom Street water main extension, and doing other emergency construction work and installing water mains in streets where it becomes necessary. Questions by Messrs . Cutter, Hutchinson and Cutter. Motion made by Mr . Cutter that a Committee of three be appointed by the Moderator to investigate the matter of appropriations for water main construction, Pleasant & Blossom Streets extenstion. Above motion seconded. Above motion as presented declared lost unanimous 9:24 P.M. Original motion of Article 12 as presented by Selectman Mr. Trask put to a vote. Carried unanimous 9 :25 P .M. • Selectman Mr. Trask moves to take up Article 13 offering the following: VOTED: That the action of the Board of Selectmen in installing water mains, subject to the assessment of bet- terment- and taking by eminent domain, in Simonds Road, from the present end in an easterly direction, a distance of ap- proiimately 150 feet, and Blake Road, from Simonds Road in a southeasterly direction a distance of approximately 350 feet, be and the same hereby is ratified and approved. Carried unanimously 9 :26 P .M. Selectman Mr. Trask moves to take up Article 14 offer- ing the following: VOTED: That the sum of $7000 be transferred from the Trunk Line Sewer Account (Arlin:ton Line to Bow Street) to the Maturing Debt Account. Carried unanimously 9 :28 P.M. Motion made and seconded that the meeting be dissolved. Carried unanimously 9:29 P.M. A true record. Attest: /J Town(/ ,/Perk.