1949-11-14-STM-min - Laserfiche WebLink

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84 SPECIAL TOWN MEETING HELD NOVEMBER 14, 1949 r7:1 Meeting called to order by the Moderator, Charles E. Ferguson at 8:02 P.M. There were 147 Town Meeting Members present. Town Clerk, James J. Carroll reads the Warrant for the meeting until motion made and seconded that the reading be waived. Town Clerk, James J . Carroll reads the Constable ' s return of the Warrant 8:04 P.M. Unless otherwise noted all Articles presented by George W. Emery, Chairman, Board of Selectmen. Article 1. Howard A. Patterson, Chairman of the Appropriation Committee presents Appropriation Committee's report of the meeting, which was voted to be accepted and placed on file 8:04 P.M. Article lb. VOTED : That a committee of 5 , consisting of the Town Clerk and one resident from each of the four Town precincts , be appointed by the Selectmen to review the boundaries of the four Town precincts , and submit a report in writing to the Board of Selectmen with recommendations as to whether the boundaries of any or all of said precincts should be wholly or partly revised or the number of precincts changed under the provisions of Chapter 215 of the Legislative Acts of 1929 not later than March 1 , 1950. Carried Unanimously 8:08 P.M. Article 1. REPORT ON LOSS OF TWO IMPORTANT TOWN OFFICIALS 1. Fred Spencer reached his 70th birthday within the last few days and has now retired under the Town Retirement system after 38 years as full-time worker in our Assessing Depart- ment. His invaluable experience and background is of course irreplaceable and we shall feel his absence very drastically. It would not be appropriate to let a man who has given all the working years of his life to the town' s service retire without public acknowledgment and tribute to him. We wish him the best of luck and many years of pleasant living in retirement . 2. The other serious loss is our very able Town Counsel , Mr. Lynch. Mr. Lynch told Mr. Driscoll and the Chairman a week ago last Sunday that he had definitely decided that he could no longer afford to take the necessary time from his private practice and from his family to continue as Town Counsel after December 31st . His formal letter of resignation was received this weekend and the Board of Selectmen have , with deep regret within the last hour, accepted his resignation on that basis. Mr. Lynch will be badly missed by all town Boards , Committees and officials with all of whom he was always cheer- fully ready day or night to confer and advise. The present Chairman of the Board of Selectmen will un- doubtedly miss him most of all --- bath as an invaluable ad- visor and helper --- and as a very close personal friend. This may well mean the end of an era --- an era during which the Town had the good fortune to find among its public spirited citizens talented attorneys who could and would give the very substantial time in their office , at the Town Offices , and evenings at home to the town' s business --- and all for what I consider little more than a token remuneration. Almost every phase of municipal activity involves legal problems and with the growth of Lexington , the necessary work for our Town Counsel is far beyond what the average citizen would realize. From my experience on the Board during the past three years , it is my conviction that Mr. Lynch has been definitely underpaid ever since he became our Town Counsel. In pre- paring our Legal Department budget for 1950 we shall have to be very realistic. The Town owes a real debt of gratitude to Dan Lynch and the Board of Selectmen is privileged to see that it is here- with so recorded. 8:10 P.M.