HomeMy WebLinkAbout1968-01-29-AC-MIN.pdf 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