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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1923-11-13 104 z MEETING, NC'TEMBER 13 , 1923 . A regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen was held in the Selectmen' s Room, Town hall , Lexington . onmTueedbers of,the Board November 13 , 1923 at 8 P . m. were present, namely Meeere . ecamm,;n, Blake , Hutchinson, Burnham and Moulton, the Town Clerk, tee ' t Town Clerk and the Town Counsel were also prevent. Hearing wae held upon the application of Bion C . Merry of 21 Muzzey St. for permieeion to erect and maintain a garage at 21 Muzzey St. Mr . Merry appeared to speak for hie petition and no one appeared against . Ehe Building inspector informed the Board that the plane were in accord with the Building Lawe . The Board therefor voted to grant the licence . hearing was also declared open upon petition of Allister F MacDougall of 366 Mase . Ave . for permireion to erect and main- tain tain a garage of the third Clare . Mr . MacDougall appeared for the petition and no one appeared against. Upon being informed by the Building lnepector that the building would conform with the Building-Lawe , the Board voted to grant the license . A hearing wae aleo called upon the application of the New England Telephone & Telegraph Company for permission to extend the prevent line of poles on 'good Street to the residence of henry- P . Neville . Mr . hent of the Telephone Co . appeared for the petition. No one appeared against . The Board therefore voted to grant the petition . A hearing wae declared open upon the application of the Edison Company to erect poles on Lowell Street from East Street to Woburn Street . No one appeared against the petition, and the Board therefore voted to grant came . Mr . Harry A. Lowry and Mr. Cyruv daohburn came before the Board to talk on the subject of allowing basket ball played in the Town hall . Mr. Lowry reprerented the School Committee and Mr. 4aehburn the Legion. Mr . Lowry talked on the need of physical education for tyre children, and stated that it had been found that children derive more benefit from games than from gymnastics . He euggested that if the board felt there might be danger to persons working in the hall if the basket ball was practised there , it might be practised in the eveninig. The only objection the school depart- ment would have to that would be that they do not like to encourage children to be out nights and it would be very incon- venient to children living long dietancee away. Mr. Lowry felt that basket ball , although it might damage the plaeter , would not do any great harm to the frame of the building and urged that the game be allowed. 105 Mr. +gaehburn stated that he had been in to the State Building Inspection Department and was informed in there that basket ball would do no more harm, and in fact less hhrm,than dancing or public meetings in the hall . he therefore urged that the Board have an inspector from the state Building inspection department make a report on the condition of the building and whether or not basket ball will damage the building. The Board agreed to do this , and requested the Supt. of Public ,iTorkn either to call on the telephone or to write the State Department of Building Inspection asking their inspection of the Town Hall . Mr . hupert Stevene and Patrick J . Cronin of Utica Street came before the Board to request that they be given a two inch water pipe in place of the inch one now in Utica Street. Upon looking up the records of meetings it was found that the Board agreed and instructed Supt of Public dorke to install a 2 inch pipe for Mr . Stevens . The Supt . of Public +corks informed the Board that he did not imow whether they would have money enough or not to do this work, if they ran the department on the eaie basis as at present they probably would have . Mr . Moulton suggested then that as long as 11r. Stevens was promised thin pipe in the Spring he should have same and that the Supt. proceed as soon as possible to have pipe installed. Mr. Pitt F. Drew, President of the Middlesex & Boston St . Rey Company . came before the Board on the Board' s invit.iation informally ta talk over matters pertaining to the petition of the Middlesex & Boston St. Rwy Company for jitneys in the Town of Lexington. Mr . Drew explained that for a long time the company had been losing money on the Lexington division, that they had not been able . to pay their overhead charger , and that the time has come when it is impossible for then to run the care on this line any longer . Their power contract rune out in Lexington the 24rd of January ,1924 . and they do not propose to renew same . Upon inveetigatlon they found that they could probably pay their fixed cherges and overhead chargee by running motor b..ees , and that in why they proposed to do this business . Mr. Drew stated that , if they did not get the jitney license, they would not run the electric care any 'ay as they could not Efford to do no and lone money . Some of their electric care are twenty years old and it would cost a great deal to repair them and with the proceeds derived from the care they cannot afford to buy new ones . They would also have to lay new tracks if they continued in the business and that would be impossible. Last year they paid 2 + dividend on the stock of the company and the year before 1% . He stated that the line from Lexington Centre to the Heights paid but they would not continue that line . Theyimuld, however. continue the line to Waltham for certain reasons. In regard to the buses , they would Beat twenty five people and would make the same stops that are now made by the electric care I and would go on the same schedule at present, there would be no change of fares , and the school children would be allowed one half fare ae usual . Mr . Drew presented the regulations of the town of Billerica which he felt were very good and not unreasonable . He felt too that , if the Board inserted in the regulations "this license may be 106 .� revoked (it any time" , if the jitneys were not run to the entire �- satisfaction of the Board, they could revoke the license and 'TJ for that reason he did not believe that the Board should require a large bond to be filed by the Company. If any accidents occur they desire to settle all claims because they would have to Bell all their property if they did not settle . It was decided to have a public hearing upon this petition and the Board therefore passed the following vote: ,'hereae , the Middlesex & Boston Street Railway Company has presented to the Selectmen its petition For a license to operate motor vehicles upon public ways in the Town of Lexington for the carrying of passengers for hire , in much a manner ae to afford a means of transportation similar to that afforded by it upon its street railway cars , indiscriminately receiving and discharging passengers along t..e route on which the motor vehicles may be operated, and transporting passengers for hire as a business between fixed and regular termini , in accordance with the pro- vieionr in Section 45 of• Chap' �ter 1519' of the General Laws , and Wherean Section 46 of said chapter provider that no such license shall be granted until orders , rules or regulations shall have been adopted by the selectmen: NOW , 'THEREFORE , Be it Voted, that Friday, November 23 , 1923 at 8 P . M. be the time and the Town hall , Lexington be the place for a public hearing before the Board of Selectmen upon the following matters : (1) Whether any orders , rules or regulations shall be adopted by the Selectmen with respect to granting such licensee , (2) What orders , rules or regulations . if any, shall be so adopted by the Selectmen , and Be it further Voted. that notice of said hearing be published in the Lexington Minute-man and the Lexington Times . 1'er Order of the Board of Selectmen, .rthur W . Hatch, Town Clerk . Letter was written to ter . F. L. Emery stating that the work of finishing Zuzzey Street Extension had been completed and that the deeds which he had been holding in escrow had not been filed, and asking that he file same . Letter was received from Mr . Emery in which he called attention to the fact that the work of Dying out the Building Trust property on Bedford St. had not been done as aprroved by the Board. The Board called the attention of the buildtag Trust to this fact by letter and aeked that they file their plane in accord- anus with the plan which the Board tentatively agreed to approve . A request for water on ++atertown Street was received from ,+ . K. Iiutchineon and was turned over to the Supt. of Public 1®7 Works for hie attention. The Town Counsel repooted that he had been to see Mr. Aldrich, about the alterations on the barn on Waltham otreet , which was formerly the Holmes Hstate , and that Mr. Aldrich would agreed to carry out the Building Regulations . The Chairman of the Board called attention to the fence along Waltham Street near Allen St . The Carrolls complained that their cows got out from their property and on to the street owing to the fact that this fence is down. The Ulerk was req,eeted to look up the matter and see if the records show whether the fence was to be maintained by the town or not. The Lexington Tire aervice and the Mohawk Filling Station were granted permits to sell Alcohol . Notice was received from the Speaker of the House of Represen- tatives in which he called attention to the fact that a change in the rules of Procedure of the General Court has taken place whereby Bills may be filed on or after December 15 . Meeting adjourned at 12 50 P. M. A true record, Atteet C "&,,L-e Clerk. 108 MEETING, NOVr`lti".BER 13, 192g . A regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen was held in the Selectmen' s boom, Town hall , Lexington . on Tuesday, November 27, 1923 , at 8 P. M. The following members of the Board were prevent, namely: Meeere . Scamman . Blake, Hutchinson. Burnham and Moulton, the Town Clerk, Asn' t Town Clerk and the Town Counsel were also present. Mr . August Young came before the Board and stated that he was ready for Federal Inspection and wanted to obtain a Slaughter License . The Board informed him that he could have a license for $25 and the Town Counsel agreed to get in touch with the U. S. Inspector at the Custom House to see if everything was all right before granting the license . Timothy H. O' Connor came before the Board to find out when work would be resumed on the installation of water pipe in Grant St. He etatEd that the work was started and then stopped and the excuse was that the department had no pipe . Now the pipe has been standing in the 'depot yard for two weeks and no work was done on Grant Street. he stated that he got no satisfaction from the Supt. of Public Works and as he wan building houses he would have to stop if he did not get water . The Supt. of Public corks stated that a lot of cervices needed to be connected and that is why nothing can be done on Grant St. Supt. Rose , over the telephone , informed the Chairman that the work would be started about Dec . 5th. This seemed to be satisfactory to Mr. O' Connor. Town Counsel rendered the opinion that the Selectmen's Salaries could be paid up to September 14th, the time that the By-Laws went into effect. In renpense to Mr. Emery' s letter in regard to the signs at the corner of Lowell & lapel Streets , the Board invited Mr. Emery to come before them to talk over the matter, as suggested in hie letter . Owing to the fact that there was eo ae question as to whether t.le offices of School Physician, Lown Physician and Health Officer should be aonsolidated, Lr. W. L Barnes did not receive an appoint- ment. The Board therefore voted to appoint Dr . Barnes ae Health Officer for the year ending March 31 , 1924 . John Laurie of Concord Avenue was appointed Measurer of Sood, Bark and Manure for the year ending March 31, 1924 . Permission was granted to the Edison Electric E' 1 . Co . to attach its wires to one pole of the Middlesex & Boston St. Rwy Co. on Maes . Ave . near Curve St. 109 In regard to ieir. Carroll's request that the town rebuild the fence along Waltham St. near Allen St. the tiler k reported that IIthere was nothing in the records that stated that the town should maintain the fence . It was therefore decided to request i.r . Carroll to come before the Board on December 11th to talk over the matter. Request for the installation of the water main in Bertwell Road in accordance with the vote of the town was received. Bonds required were signed by William H. Burgess and Jay 0 . Richards . rhe letter of the Building Trust was turned over to the Supt of Public Works with the request that he attend to sage . The Chairman reported that the Edison Company desired to have an electrocal display in the Town Hall the week of December 10. 1923 , the same to be open to the public with radia concerts and also orchestral music . Phe Board decided to allow the use of the Hall to the Edison Company for $100 for the week. The Board decided to place a forgery bond insurance upon the Town of Lexington for protection to the amount of $5000. Upon advice of Town Counsel , copies of the "pig regulations" ( amending the Board of health regulations) were sent to all owners of piggeries known to the Board of Health together with a letter requesting them to comply with the regulation before the permit can be granted. The Board discussed the matter of demolishing the house at 333 and 335 Mass . Avenue, now occupied by the Chapin and Taylor families, and decided that they would give the families one months notice to vacate . The house has been a bill of expense for repairs and very little rent has been received from same owing to the fact that the Chapin family did not pay their rent. Mr . Blake reported that he had interviewed the abutters along the proposed Forest Street Extension. He found that Mies Tucker and Lre . Powers were unwilling to give the land on Mass . Avenue but felt that they should be paid for came . lir. Blake figured the taxation which would probably be brought in if the land was opened, taking out the cost of building road, installing a sewer and storm drain and installing water , which would be approximately $16 ,130. Mr. Blake proposes to bring this matter up at a town meeting. It was reported that yrs . Anna Van Buskirk of cedar Street cannot obtain the name of guarantors and cannot stand the entire expense hereaelf of extending the water in Cedar Street , and therefore no extension will be made. The Supt. of Public Works read a letter from Col . Foote of the Dept. of Public Safety in which he stated that it was in the discretion of the selectmen as to whether they should allow basket ball in the Town Hall or not . The Supt. stated that in the inepection of the building the State Inspector would not give anything further the the fact that a certificate of inspection had been placed in 110 the fown Eall by their department w rating that the building was safe . Io decision was arrived at as to whether basket ball should or should ''z7 not be allowed. Kelsey Reed made the request through the 'upt.. of Put is +forks for two additional street lights on Merriam Street. The Board decided to have these lights installed the first of the year so that they would come on next year ' s schedule . The Supt. of Public dorke reported that it would cost approxi- mately $600 to take care of the surface drainage so that it would not flow on the land of Alfred E. Raynee and that he did not believe that there was sufficient approptiation to take care of same. The Board therefore informed Mr . haynee that the appropriation would not take care of t.:is work, but if the appropriation obtained next year would be large enough they would endeavor to do this work. It was voted to issue a note of $1750 to install water main in Grant Street in accordance with the vote of the town. It was decided to notify the Edison Elec . I11. Co. to resume the old schedule of street lighting in the morning. It was also decided to notify the :�dison Elec. Ill . Co. that the Superintendent of Public morke had authority to order the street lights on whenever necessity required. In giving the estimate of the work on streets the town intends to do this year the Supt. of Public Works was instructed to send to the County notice of probability of reconstruction of Lowell St. provided other towns through which the road rune will do likewise . The subject of reconstructing Concord Avenue was discussed but the Board decided not to give any estimate of intention to do work on this street . The Supt. of Puclic +orke reported progress on the work at the playground in preparation of the grounds for the 1925 celebration. The Board voted to grant a Junk License to Carl Simon of 51 Felton St. Waltham for the year ending May let, 1924 . Alcohol License were granted to the following • Exchange Tire Service , 448 Mass . Ave , Wilson' s Garage , 400 Mass . Ave . and Countryside Inc . cor Lowell St . and Noburn St. abatement of rent for the Chapin family to the amount of $90 was signed so that the accountant could take same off the books . Discussion as to whether or not a license would be granted to the Middlesex & Boston St. Rwy Co. to operate motor busses in Lexington was considered. Mr. seaman desired to be placed upon record as not voting upon this subject as he was employed by a company allied to the Middlesex & Boston Street Railway Company. The situation ie that afterJan. let no street care will be run by the Middlesex & Boston St . Rwy co . and the Street Railway has 111 applied to the Board for permission to run motor busses . rie suggested at the hearing in the Town Hall the Board decided to write the Boston Elevated to see whether or not they would be interest in the proposition of either running motor burees in Lexington or running street cars . In regard to the regulations to be drawn up the Town Counsel agreed to see the unairman of the Board of Selectmen of Concord. in which town busses are now running . and talk the matter over with him. The Board also agreed to have Mr. Drew come before the Board in an informal hearing to find out what he would agree to if the permit to run busses was granted. It was left with the Town Counsel to arrange an informal hearing with kr. Drew on Friday. December 7th. Meeting adjourned at 12 30 F. M. A. true record. Attest clerk . 04 1