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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1926-07-13 338 Meeting July 13, 1926. + : In A regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen was held at the Selectmen' s Office at 7:30 P.M. Messrs . Custance, Burnham, Miles , and Robertson were present . The Superintendent of Public Works and the clerk mere also present . Hearing was declared open upon the application of John J. McNeil of Hillside Avenue , East Lexington, for permission to erect a one car private garage on -his premises . No persons appeared to object, and it was understood from the Building Inspector that the building would comply with the regulations, and it was therefor voted to grant the permit. Mr. Jay O. Richards and Mr. Hallie C . Blake came before the Board in reference to securing their signatures upon plans of Blake Road and that of the general plan of lots of the entire layout of the Building Trust property. Letter was received from the Town Engineer in which he recom: ended that the Board sign the plan of Blake Road but that they do not sign the plan of the entire layout until such time as the plans of every street are on file in the Engineer's Office. Mr. Richards informed the Board that the Building Trust would guarantee that the individual plans of the streets on- the general blue print would be filed at a later date. He stated that if the Board re- fused to sign this plan which he had to file at East Cambridge that they would be held up on the sale of the lots. Under the circumstances, therefor, the Board signed both plans. Letter was received from the :Middlesex & Boston St. Rwy. Co. in answer to the Boards request as to the granting of a permit to any bus company to run busses over the State Road to the Arlington line. They stated, in substance, that they had no objection to the Boston & Maine Transportation Company, and were willing to cooperate with them if they desired to operate on the State Road. They did not feel, how- ever, that other permits should be granted. It was voted to lay the matter of action upon the applications of the Boston & Maine Transportation Company and the Lovell Bus Line, Inc. on the table. The Chairman signed the warrant directed to Patrick J Maguire as Dog Officer for the killing of all unlicensed dogs in the town. The Board signed the State Aid pay roll for the month of July. It was voted to appoint Lillian McClure as Measurer of Wood and Bark for the Town of Lexington for the year ending March 31, 1927. Roland E. Garmon, who lives with his father, the janitor of the Stone Building, verbally requested permission to erect a steel garage on the property of the town in the rear of the Stone Building. It was voted not to grant him permission to erect a garage. Letter was received from Walter E. Jones of Winter Street, in which he called attention to the fact that he called the Fire Departmen to a brush fire in Lexington Park back of his house, and one truck and one man responded. At 11 :15 P.M the fire got away again and burned over one-halt acre of his land. He called the department and told them the condition, and they informed him that they could do nothing. Twelve men and four women in the neighborhood then turned out and subdued the 339 fire in about one and one-half hours . It was decided to request the Chief of the Fire Department to make a complete report of the conditions to the Board so that they may report to Mr. Jones . A letter was received from Charles Callahan, Assistant Engineer of the Fire Department , in which he stated that he received a check from the Town Treasurer at the rate of $150.00 per year. He felt that there must be some mistake about the pay of the Assistant Engineers owing to the fact that the Chief is receiving a salary of $58.00 a month while the assistant chiefs receive $150.00 pet year paid semi-annually. Theopinion of theTown Counsel was received, and he advised that ou el as long as the Fire Engineers are appointed by the Board of Selectmen in his opinion their salary should be fixed by the Selectmen. It was decided to find out what the recommendation of the Appropria- tion Committee was in regard to the salaries of the engineers, before taking any action. The following licenses were granted Common Victualler Jack C Bell Hairdressing and Manicuring Hazel D. Brown Grace J. Stone , Mrs. M. M. Heath Public Carriage John Rose James F McCarthy II Hans Sorenson Arthur A. Marshall & Son John Leary The Board approved the application for license to peddle vegetables of Leslie E. Belcher. The Board considered the report of the Planning Board on the appli- cation of Ars . Ida H B Capper for a gasoline filling station at the 4inction of Waltham and Middle Streets, and the plan of the layout of the corners as proposed by the Planning Board. The only material difference in the layout as proposed by them is that the roadway into the filling station have a sidewalk on one side. It was proposed to take the matter of building a sidewalk and the general plan up with Mrs. Capper. Tax Collector, Byron C. Earle, presented the following articles to be inserted in the next town warrant: Art. 1. To see if the Town will vote to take $400.00 from the Gen- eral Revenue and Surplus Account and transfer it to the Tax Collector's Department. This amount to be used to meet the expense of a clerk Art ., 2. To see if the Town will vote to appoint a Committee of three to study the duties and responsibilities in the Tax Collector's Departgtent I and recommend to the Town at some future Town Meeting what they consider a fair and just salary, also money sufficient to pay for a competent clerk. The Board voted to lay this matter on the table. The Board adopted the following regul tion for the sale by minors of post cards* M() ORDERED that hereafter the sale or barter by minors, other than guides licensed under Article XXI of the Code of by-laws of 1922, of post ".17 cards , pictures, books, pamphlets or souvenirs on the Battlegreen or vicinity thereof, or in the vicinity of any of the historical places in the town is hereby prohibited. The attention of the Superintendent of Public Works was called to the fact that the sidewalk work should be done at this time. The applications on hand at the present time are: Bedford Street in front of Phelp's garage; Massachusetts Avenue on the property of Nellie H. Viano and on Woburn Street along the property of Daniel J. O'Connell. Petition for the acceptance of Tower Street was received by the Board. It was decided to take up the petition of Barmcrest Avenue acceptance also. After considering the matter, the Board agreed to have the Town Engineer get the necessary data together so that the papers could be drawn up for the acceptance of the streets under the Betterment Act, and that the work required by the regulations for acceptance of streets can be carried out b, the abuttors if necessary. The Chairman reported that he had been working for a reduction on the insurance rate which had been increased from 1. 36 to 1.64 for a term of five years. This increase was namely on account of the New High School Building. Applications were made for the reduction of rates charged for non-combustible roofs on some of the buil3ins which have been fire proofed for three or four years past , and charge was being made for scenery in the Town Hall which has not been there for years As a result of these efforts the rate has been reduced from 1 64 to 1.56. It may also be reduced by the installation of approved fire extinguishers , and a list as followe was received from the New England Exchange, quoting reductions . Cary Library (East) 4 extinguishers .02 Adams School 9 " .01 Town Hall 8 " .02 Village Hall 2 " .02 Cary Mem. Library 4 " .01 It having been found that there were sufficient funds to purchase the extinguishers and inasmuch as the saving would be approximately $97. per year, it was voted to purchase the extinguishers at the reduced rate of $9 each. The report of Russell I . Prentiss , who was temporarily appointed as Health Agent on July 12, 1926was received. In view of the fact that the duties of Health Inspector were too numerous for the Chief of Police to carry out in connection T;ith his police duties, if was voted to appoint Russell I Prentiss as Health Agent tem- porarily. The appointment to begin from July 12, 1926. In this connection fir Prentiss agreed to secure evidence at the Mis- kell property by giving information as to how Mr. Miskell's property stood in reference to the conditions of the pig permit. Yr. Prentiss ' report is as follows: July 12, 1926. To the T4oard of Health, I herewith submit the following report on piggery Name W. J. Miskell Address Concord Avenue. 341 Conditions . 1. Pens . Dirty, garbage, refuse, manure. II2. Troughs . Dirty. 3. Platforms . Supposed to be cleaned? 4. Feeding places clean? No. 5. Do compost heaps comply with regulations? No. 6. Is garbage kept according to regulations? Yes. 7. Are swine kept in wet land? Land on above date dry. One exception. 8. When were buildings white-washed and how often is it done? Never. Russell I Prentiss , Health Inspector. General Remarks on condition of premises Dirty, unsanitary and offensive odors . Who witnessed conditions with you? W. J Miskell, Owner. What recommendations have you to make? Do not issue a permit. 1 Ie there a permit on the premises+? No. The garbage comes from Watertown and is fed fresh every day to 600 hogs. After consideration of the report of Mr. Prentiss it was decided that the exercise of the employment of keepin„ pigs by William J. Miskell is attended by noisome and injurious odors and is a nuisance and hurtful to the inhabitants of the Town, and it was therefor voted to pass the following order, copy of which is to be served upon Mr Miskell by a Constable. July 14, 1926. Order of Prohibition. "the Board of Selectmen of Lexington, acting as a Board of Health, under section 143, Chapter 111 , of the General Laws and of every other power them thereto enabling, hereby prohibit the exercise of the trade or employment or keeping swine upon the premises or william J. Miskell on Concord Avenue, Lexington, Mass. In accordance with the provisions of Section 148 of said Chapter, if the said Miskell shall appeal from this order in accordance with the provisions of Section 147 the exercise of such trade or employment is II hereby specially authorized by the Roard while such proceedings are pend- ing. Theodore A Custance • Board James G. Robertson of CharlesH 'Tiles Selectmen Albert H Burnham 342 An order for the sewer layout in Mass. Avenue to Highland Avenue was adopted by the Board. Z The meeting adjourned at 11:15 P.M. 021 it A true record, Attest, Clerk. I