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Meeting of the Appropriation Committee, Monday, May 20, 1968, 7:30 p.m.
Present: J. Blaisdell; L. Burnell; E. Furash; R. Gary; D. Grant;
R. Perry, Comptroller; Donald White; L. Zehner; R. Souza
Committee Organization
The following members were nominated, the nominations seconded, and,
there being no further nominations, the secretary was instructed to
record a unanimous vote for:
Donald Grant Chairman
Robert Gary Vice-Chairman
Ruth Souza Secretary
Ad hoc Committee on data processing Chairman will appoint one member
to serve on this committee. Ed Furash and Lou Zehner have some
knowledge in this field; but already have additional assignments. He
1-1 will inquire whether Dick Blomfield has experience in data processing.
U Equalized valuations - letter received from state tax commissioner
notifying us of a hearing April 17 on the proposed equalized valuations.
These determine not only the amount of money to be received from
the state but also now determine the debt limit. Lexington's proposed
equalized valuation is 234 million dollars (includes real estate and
metor vehicles)
Budget Forms subt}itted as modified last week. Dick Perry will try to
include a spare column at the right for notation.
Conservation Article, Article 16t
Bill Smith has told Don Grant that the Somerville church has voted to
authorize the sale of 10 A at $2300 per Acre and to give a formal
option at that price. This should be signed by June 3. The church
is unwilling to wait until next March; the option will expire by Jan.
15 if it is not exercised. Conservation Commission estimates that it
will take almost until Jan. 15 to get state and federal approval,
without which they do not intend to exercise the option.
The Baskin land, which the Commission anticipated would be given to
the Town, may not be owned by Mrs. Baskin. Mr. Legro wishes to clear
up the ownership before the town accepts or takes it.
Art. 19 - Old Reservoir - Conservation Commission has no idea how
much money is involved in making this a swimming area. $12,000 is
the only figure mentioned. They feel this is a very tentative phase,
that access from Bridge School parking lot should be explored.
Meeting with Selectmen
Present: Selectmen Cataldo, acting chairman; Mabee; and Kenney;
Capital Expenditures Committee; Town Engineer McSweeney.
Art. 2 $17,000 requested for the following people:
Asst. Town Engineer $4712 (college grad. but not reg. eng. )
Senior Engineer 4322
Junior Engineer, inspectn 4076 (not college grad, )
Sr. Student 2860 coop plan, Northeastern)
March budget reduction 1030 (overtime? )
IIis stelff now consists of:
Town Engineer (McSweeney), the only registered engineer in dept.
1 Jr. Engineer
2 draftsmen, 1 working full time on town maps, betterments etc.
1 available for eng. dept. work
2 men on inspection
The greatest need is for additional inspection, both in the field and
200
in the office. Now there is 96ne with time to examine plans and
specifications submitted by the consultants to see that they do
indeed conform with the requirements of the Town. McSweeney stated
that we now pay $131,000 for consultants. The Town may also have
to pay for repairs where it is impossible to fix responsibility for
failures; for example, the Philip road sewer has sunk, and it is
not yet agreed whether the sewer contractor or the road contractor
is at fault. He feels that with adequate Town inspection this could
have been determined or prevented.
Art. 5 — Selectmen voted to allot chis year's Chapter 90 funds to
Lowell St. (from Maple to Woburn St. ) and to use any extra money to
construct some part of Worthen Rd. on town—owned land. The Ch. 879- (7 et
money allocated to Lowell St. can be used later for another street;
the town won't lose it. It will lose Ch. 90 money if not voted by
Town Meeting now.
Art. 8 Lateral sewers
• Woburn St. $40,000 State will reconstruct street
Hartwell Ave. 12,000
Worthen Rd. 10,000
$62,000
Unless Woburn St. sewer is put in now, dry, Town will not be able to
put it in for five years.
Worthen Rd. sewer will involve one cut across Worthen Itd. from pumping
station, then along Worthen Rd. through private property in an easement.
Hartwell Ave. and Worthen Rd. are subject to betterments; Woburn St.
not until made an active sewer.
Art. 9 $45,000 for 10.9 A, Utica Street. This is the same price per
Acre as the Conservation Commission agreed to for the rest of the land.
This request is for general purposes "street, playground, and recreation".
Art. 12 $1000 for design of memorial. Selectmen wish to hire someone
to propose what it should look like and where it should go.
Art. 13 34600 for CD, same as March
Art. 14 H.S. Parking Lot — figures will be available Thursday. More
borings of the area have been taken. Preliminary design and cost estimates
will be ready Thursday.
Art. 15 3765 for Cemetery. Letter from Mr. Sherman says this is for
overalls and work clothes. Selectmen's position is unchanged.
Art. 16 $23,000 plus $1,000 for appraisals and acquisition costs.
Bill Smith, Conservation Commission, stated that this is the parcel
between Grove and Bedford streets. The adjoining ehanciker land was
$1600 per A. This land is higher, a little better. Sewer goes by the land.
Art. 19 — Old Res — Citizens' Article. Meeting on this at 8 a.m. Fri.
Art. 20 Leash Law — Citizens' Article. Recommended budget will be
arrived St by Al Grey and Chief Corr.
Requests total $214,365 plus money for Art. 19 and Art. 20.
E & D now has $250,103
Assessors will be requested not to set tax rate until after June T.M.
() 1
Meeting of Appropriation Committee, May 20, 1968, continued
Committee Recommendations
Art. 2 $11,000 for Asst. Town Engineer and Jr. Eng. for inspection.
tax levy
Art. 5 Ch. 90 $60,000 tax levy
Art. 8 Sewers $62,000 E & D
Art. 12 Memorial $500
^—I Art. 13 C.D. Unfavorable Action
'J
Art. 15 Cemetery Unfavorable Action
Art. 16 Conservation. Discussed; no decision
School Committee Chairman, Logan Clarke and Superintendent Fobert
discussed Article 14. Mr. McInnes and Mr. McSweeney are working on
this.
School Buses discussed. Logan informed us that a new 3—year contract
had just been signed with the present carrier, the sole bidder. This
contract will cost $35,000 more per year than the former contract.
He suggests that the Appropriation Committee study the problem of
school transportation and recommend, within the next three years,
whether the Town should buy buses or continue to let contracts for
busing. Mr. McInnes has considerable information on present costs
and requirements.
Planning Board came to request funds for advertising from the Reserve Fund.
Chairman Natalie itiffin stated that the Planning Board, in a letter
to the Selectmen Dec. 11, 1967, informed them of their intention to
recodify the zoning laws and asked that the Selectmen allow money
in their budget for printing these in the warrant. The Planning
Board had intended to give notice of the required hearing in the
Minute Man, referring to the text published in the Tarrant and on
file with the Town Clerk. They did not feel it was necessary to
publish the whole text twice in the newspaper. However, Mr. Legro
decided that it was preferable and perhaps necessary to print the
text. Therefore they did so at a cost of $689.50 each time. The
bill to date is $$1,379100. If Town Meeting passes the Article,
this will have to be printed twice more, for an additional $1,379.
Don Grant requested that the bills be paid now (to obtain the discount),
and that the Planning Board write the Selectmen requesting a transfer
from Reserve Fund for whatever part of this sum they cannot spare
from their expense budget.
Next Meeting Monday, May 27, 7:30 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Ruth F. Souza, secretary