1968-01-29-AC-MIN.pdf - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

Meeting of the Appropriation Committee, January 29, 1968, 7:30 p.m. ,Present: F. Parrish, Chairman; J. Blaisdell; M. Bretscher; L. Furash; R. Gary; D. Grnt; G. Kolovson; R. Perry, Comptroller; L. Zehner; R. `'ouza Moderator, Robert Kent attended the meeting to discuss the question of whether the budget for Article 4 read et Town Meeting should be that proposed by the Selectmen or by the Appropriation Committee. Iie said that Mr. Stevens, former Town Counsel, had looked into the legal background of this question when it was raised some years ago. He had found that in most towns the rinance Committee made the motion; however noone in the state house felt there was any legal compulsion for it to do so. Iiis decision was to continue Lexington's present system. Basis is the idea of giving operating committees 117D the opportunity to present their budget proposals and let the Finance Committee move to change the figures where they see fit. This opinion Bob Kent tends to agree with, assuming that the Board of Selectmen use the figures which come from the operating departments. He said he was reluctant to unilaterally change a procedure which has worked well. However, he pointed out that there is no compulsion to do it the present way; if the boards in town got together and requested a change, he would consider it favorably. Police Budgets discussed with Chief Corr. #3750 Five additional men requested and one additional traffic woman. 0800 Cruiser expenditures have increased. We now have five vehicles in use around the clock. The town has been divided into quadrants; one cruiser patrols each quadrant and one is used by the patrol superviser and one policeman. Next year he will request another cruiser in order to divide the town into six sections and have one car per section. Uniforms for five new men 5500 account for $2500 of expense budget; Uniforms for five cadets (requested in an Article) @ $200 amount to $1000. He is requesting medical examinations for all policemen and ha$ allowed $15 per man (an amount agreed upon with a Lexington doctor) under account 340 for this. Under 545, Educational::;;- equipment, he requests about $1500 for a video tape replay system to use in the Inservice training ;program. He also requests an additional radar at $1,395. The present radar has been replaced once about 4 or 5 yea s ago; it may need to be replaced in 4 or 5 years. Communications equipment, account 530 — $1400 is requested for a. two—way radio to be used as standby and for two monitors at police station. The standby radio is needed because a cruiser radio often has to be taken to Boston for repair when it breakd. down. Cruisers now have radios on private line. Out—of—state travel— includes $2,700 for sending four officers to Northwestern Univ. This will finish training for superior officers. Babson may have an equivalent program. If any of these officers can attend .Babson instead of Northwestern, the amount would be reduced. Respectfully submitted, Ruth F. ";ouza, secretary