1949-Annual Report - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

w Robert H. Watt Frederick D. Wells George L. Wal lace John P. Whalen TOWN OF lEXINGTON 1 30 Bedford Street 58 Prospect Hi ll Rood 2 1 Vo ille Avenue 11 Ha rrin gton Rood 17 1950 1952 195 1 195 0 18 ANNUAL REPORTS REPORT OF THE BOARD OF SELECTM~N December 3 1, 1949 T o the Inhabitant s of Lexing t on: In submitting our report for the calendar year 1949, may we at the outset list those Departments and Boa rds over which t he Boord <>f Selectmen has either direct control or appointing author ity. The Boord has under it s definite ju risdiction and control the Police Depa rtment, Accounting Department and Public Works Deportment-wh ich Iotter includes the following divisions: H igh- ways, Water, Sewer, Parks, Bui lding and Plumbing, Wiring and Engineering. Over this group the Board of Selectmen exercises direct control and its policies a re carried out by officials reporting -di rectly to the Boord of Selectmen. The Board of Selectmen appoints the following: Boord of Pub- l ic Welfare, Board of Health, Board of Fire Engineers, Boa rd of Assessors, Boord of Appeals and part of the Recreation Committee Personnel. It should be noted, however, that although the Boo rd of Selectmen appoints these Boards, they function as independent -entities, formulate their own policies and make their own decisions. The Boord of Selectmen also works with other elected groups to attain a co-ordinated program of municipal management and development. Although the Board's activities a re primarily policy making and of an executive nature, it nevertheless handles many ·current matters of miscellaneous or emergency character. The phenomenal expansion of Lexingt on both in and within new home areas is more than obvious . Since the end of the war 947 permits have been issued for single family dwellings. Of these, 223 were issued in 1949. In 1945 the assessed valuation of the T own was about $22,237,264. and as of January 1, 1950 the assessed valuation may well exceed $30,000,000. Whether the pace of new building has reached its peak cannot be foreseen , but indications for 1950 point to the construction of a record number of new homes . At this wr iting the subdivision of the Whipple Estate on Lowell Street and a section of the Simonds Farm on Grove Street are presently before our Plann ing Board . T hese t wo ·projects alone contemplate the need in 1950 of over three miles of water pipe. Such growth in Lexington affects di rectly every phase of m u nicipal activity and facility-Fire and Police protection, Schools, Board of Heal t h, water, sewer, drainage, streets, e t c. A ll of the