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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1927-01-04 REGULAR VT TING, January 4, 1927. A regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen was held at the Selectmen's Office, at 8.15 P.M. Messrs. Custance, Burnham, Miles, Robertson, and Ballard were present. The Supt. of Public Works and the Clerk were also present. The records of last meeting were approved. Mr. F L. Emery, Mr. W D Milne, and J Henry Duffy came before the Board to discuss the matter of engineering services. The Board replied to their letter advising the employment of a chief engineer at a salary of $4,000 to $5,000 a year, and two or more field men, that they felt the Planning Board should request an appropriation for engineering services for their own department. The Planning Board did not feel that this arrangement would be proper. They expressed the view that the present engineering department was inadequate , and that the Town is at the stage where studies should be made of all plans of sewer, water, and street construction for ten years to come. They felt that the salary paid to a high grade engineer would be saved many times over if proper preliminary studies were made of all town con- struction work. They did not feel that the Planning Board should ask for a separate appropriation for engineering services, and asked that the Selectmen reconsider their appeal. Letter was received from Mr. Fenton of the Office of the Director 111of Accounts, State House, giving the opinion of that office on the proposed bill of the Legislature regarding the assessment of better- ments for the extension of water mains Their office objects to betterment assessments and feels that special committee of the Legis- lature should study the question of assessments. Outside Aid committment to the amount of $237. 50 also Sewer Frontage committment to the amount of $281.94 were signed by the Board. Letter was received from Albert B. Tenney in regard to bill of Weston and Sampson amounting to $258.40 for expert testimony and services in the McCaffrey suit. Mr. Tenney felt that this bill should be paid inasmuch as the services were rendered, and were incurred by the Water and Sewer board in 1922 He also called attention to the bill of $44.90 also of Weston and Sampson which he himself paid and for which he felt he should receive reimbursement. The Board considered. the matter and decided to ask the Finance Committee to make a transfer of the amount of both of these bills so that the;, may be paid this year, and so notified Mr. Albert B. Tenney. The Board voted to appoint Osborne J. Gorman, Supt. of Moth De- partment for the ensuing year, subject to the approval of the State Department of Conservation. A list of probable sewer abatements were discussed. The plane of the location of the sewer were viewed, and it was found that the parties owning property on Bloomfield Street were assessed for the same lots on the rear of the property on Rowland Avenue. The Board therefor, did not feel that it was fair to make the double assessment, and voted to abate the following assessments Helen M. Little 13,130 sq. ft. $148.08 George A. Woods 13,130 " " 148.08 George L. Goulding 26, 250 sq ft . $296.04 ' Thomas S. Grindle 12, 500 " " 140.97 Henry C . Rowland 17 ,840 " " 201.19 William T Crowther 32, 030 " " 361.22 (Has connected to Rowland Ave. Sewer. ) I Breck-Robinson Nursery Go. 105,940 " " 1194.75 Class 1 Agents license was granted to Fred N. Viano to do business at 400 Mass . Ave. , and Colonial Garage. Class 2 Agents license was granted to William G. Murphy to do business at 25 Massachusetts Avenue. Letter was received from the Liberty Mutual Ins. Co. requesting further consideration on their proposition of workmen's compensation insurance. No action was taken on the matter. Letter was received from the Animal Inspector in regard to quarantine of dogs . He stated that a rabied dog had been in contact with several of the dogs in Lexington, and he felt that an order re- straining dogs should be passed. The Board therefor voted to restraiw the dogs for 90 days and sent the following notice to all dog owners and published same in the local newspaper. Lexington, Mass. January 6, 1927. Dear Sir: - For the safety of the public and until all danger from rabies is passed, the Board of Selectmen hereby order that all dogs be muzzled or restrained from running at large for 90 days from date unless this order is sooner revoked. Please see that your dog is kept under restraint or properly muzzled, for after Wednesday, January 12, 1927, orders will be issued to kill all dogs found running at large in Lex- ington. Per Order, Theodore A. Custance Selectmen Charles H. Miles Albert H. Burnham of James G .Robertson William H. Ballad Lexington Letter was received from the Town Accountant calling attention to the fact that it was necessary to transfer from the Reserve Fund the sum of $225.00 for the Police Department, and $75.00 for the Town Hall Account to pay the bills for the year 1926. The Board therefor requested the Appropriation Committee to make these transfers. Letter was received from George C Neal, State Fire Marshall, enclosing copy of the Delegation of Powers to the Chief of the Fire Department. In connection with this matter it was decided to notify the Chief of the Fire Department in writing of all gasoline permits which were granted so that he may approve the same. William Roger Greeley came before the Board and showed plans of the office building as suggested by Mr. Ballard. The plan showed a building which would not cover so much ground space and which would 3 economize to the extent of $4,000 or $5,000 but which would not give offices as well lighted as his original plan of the building. He Istated that he did not favor this plan. Town Counsel, Sydney R. Wrightington , came before the Board to discuss the so-called Shaler case. This was a claim made by said Shaler for accident claimed to be due to a defect in the highway on Waltham Street which caused his car which was being towed to run through a fence into a field. This case has been pending for some time, and a new attorney has been engaged by said Shaler. This attorney has offered to settle thecase for $100.00 otherwise he states that he will have to mark he same up for trial. Town Counsel y , advised that it might be possible that the case would io to jury trial and a verdict awarded, consequently, he felt that a settlement of $100.00 should be made. The Board authorized Town Counsel to make settlement for an amount not exceeding $100.00. Town Counsel was requested to draw up the articles for a Town Meeting presumably to be held on January 24, 1927, the articles to contain provision for the acceptance of the memorial building to be located upon the Blake-Plumes lot on Mass . Avenue, also for appoint- ment of committee to Consider the location of a municipal building upon the same lot and the sale of the old town hall building and lot or repair of the same. The Supt. of Public Works was again requested to present in detail all committments which are presented for their signature. The Supt. of Public Works was also requested to secure the further information from Grant Street water extension which was requested some time ago. department The Board discussed the schedule presented by the engineer/charg- ing the time for engineering .service to the different departments. The Board decided to request the Engineering Department to keep track of all time beginning January 1, 192@S and also to charge cost of materials to different departments. Miss Eleanor Lowe of the Water Department requested an increase in pay. It was decided to leave this matter for discussion when salaries are discussed generally. The Board signed an abatement for the Water Dept. $494.27, and for the Sewer Department $62.58. The meeting adjourned at 12: 00 Midnight. A true record, Attest: -/' 2 -Q """"l Clerk. REGULAR MEETING, January 12, 1927. C7 A regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen was held at the Selectmen's Office at 8:00 P.M. Messrs, Custance, Burnham, Miles, Robertson, and Ballard were present. The Supt. of Public Works and the Clerk were also present. The records of last meeting were approved. The State Aida roll was signed for the month of January to the amount of $32.00. g y Letter was received from the Lexington Civic Association in- viting the Board to be present at a meeting to be held on the 13th inst. at Emerson Hall at which time Mr. John B.Lovell of the Lovell Bus Line, Inc. was to talk on bus service. The Chairman agratd to attend the meeting and the Civic Association were notified to this effect. Letter was received from H. Dudley Murphy of Summit Road in which he informed the Board that the value of the picture of the Battle of Lexington, was $250, and that the value of the picture in Cary Hall was about twenty-five dollars. He stated also that Mr. Frank W Bayley of the Copley Gallery in Boston, also concurred with him in his opinion. The Board directed a letter of thanks to be written to Mr. Murphy for giving his time and advice. 'Phe Board voted to transfer the sum of $50 from Sewer Assessment Fund to Sewer Construction Fund. Letter was received from the Massachusetts Agricultural College of Amherst in which they informed the Board that they felt that the Board of Health Regulations in regard to the keeping of pigs that were in force in Lexington were very good and they had no suggestions to offer as to new methods of feeding garbage. It was felt that certain other regulations should be revised at this time. Therefore the Board of Health regulations were not officially approved, but action will be taken on the revisions at a later date. Mr. Ballard reported the conference he and Mr. Robertson had- had with Mr. Keniston, of the Metropolitan DIatrict Commission. He stated that Mr. Keniston informed them that the town engineer or any of the Town Officials could place before the Metropolitan District Commission any of their plans and they would be glad to offer any suggestions or help in any way possible and furnish what information they had on hand. He also made the suggestion of lowering the minimum amount of water to be used quarterly by water takers, but increasing the rate, and he felt that additional revenue would hereby be gained. The Board felt that this should be mentioned in their report published in the Town Report. It was decided to secure a copy of Public Document #92 of the State Treasurers Report on Aetropolitan District Commission, as Mr. Keniston referred to same at the conference. 5 Mr. Scamman was requested to find out how the skating rink at Jamaica Plain was laid out, so that the information may possibly be used in obtaining a rink for Lexington. The Board approved the letter drafted by Mr. Ballard to be sent with the Isaac Harris Cary Educational Fund report to the citizens. This letter is to be circulated with the Warrant for a Town Meeting to be held on January 31st, 1927 at 8 P.M and reads as follows To the Citizens of Lexington We enclose a warrantfor the Town Meeting to be held on Monday, January 31, 1927, at eight P.M. , to consider the enclosed proposal of the Trustees of the Isaac Harris Cary Educational Fund to present a Memorial Building to the Town. This proposal we recommend for your favorable consideration, since we are convinced, after careful study, that it would be for the best interests of Lexington for you to accept the gift of this Memorial Building. You are all familiar with the first proposal of the Trustees made to the Town of Lexington on February 15, 1924, the appointment of a Committee of eleven at the Town Meeting in March, 1924, their report made to the Town under date of March 13, 1925, and the subse- quent action of the Town on June 25, 1925, declining to accept the 111 first proposal of the Trustees. Your Board of Selectmen were approached by many citizens of the Town with requests that they endeavor to secure another proposal from the Trustees for consideration by the Town, and they prepared and circulated, in January and February, 1926, the following petition which was signed by more than seven hundred voters of the Town,-- "Trustees of Isaac Harris Cary Educational Fund, Gentlemen "The Board of Selectmen of the Town of Lexington and the other undersigned citizens of Lexington hereby inform the Trustees of the Isaac Harris Cary Educational Fund that they believe it would be for the best interest of the Town of Lexingtonthat the Town should accept from the said Trustees and agree to maintain the larger of the two buildings described in the letter of the said Trustees to the Town dated February 15, 1924, to contain a public hall suitable for customary town meetings; and they there- fore respectfully request the said Trustees to prepare definitive plans and specifications for the erection of such a building and submit the same, together with- such agreement, to the voters of the said Town in town meeting for their consideration. "We are confident that the vote taken on this subject at the comparatively small meeting in June 25, 1925 was not fairly representative of the sentiment of the Town And that the decision will be reversed by an emphatic vote if definite plans and speci- fications are put before a future meeting "It is understood that if the Trustees shall comply with the present request, the plans and specifications submitted will be for a building located upon the lot formed by a union of the Plumer C.7 and Blake estates, extending in the northeasterly side of Massachu- R' setts Avenue from Vine Brook to the estate of Dr. Barnes.tt In response to this petition, which was delivered to the 2rus- p i tees on March 5, 1926, complete plans and specifications for a Memorial Building were prepared and bids were secured for erecting the building which can be accepted up to and including March 1, 1927. The site selected for the Memorial Building is on Massachusetts Avenue between the estate of Dr. Barnes and Vine Brook. We believe that the Trusteest proposal which we submit herewith for a Memorial Building as described, to be placed on a specific site on Massachusetts Avenue, answers all of the doubts and questions which arose during the consideration of the proposal made by the Trustees to the Town on February 15, 1924, which suggested an un4escribed building to be located at an indeterminate point. The site which is offered contains 126,706 square feet and is adequate not only for the Memorial Building which will be placed on lot X,-- the central portion,-- but for such additional buildings as the Town may, in the future, wish to erect adjacent to the Memorial Build- ing on lots W and Y. This will make it possible for the Town either now or at a later date to consider the erection of a Town Office Building perhaps on lot Y between Vine Brook and the Memorial Build- ing. The provision in the Trusteest proposal, page 5, paragraph 4, and the Draft Form of Vote, page 13, suggest a practical way to over- come the objection previously raised as to the use of any portion of the site for a Town Office Building or other Town Buildings. When you have accepted the Trusteest proposal, we recommend that a Committee be appointed to advise the Town as to how soon and in what manner it would be best to proceed with the erection of a Town Office Building on lot Y and if this is recommended, what action the Town should take in respect to the sale of the present Town Hall property, or if the Committee does not recommend the erection of a Town Office Building, and the sale of the Town Hall Property, to recommend what action should be taken in respect to repairing and remodelling the present Town Hall Building. Repairs on the present Town Hall have been postponed so many times that a decision should be made before long as to whether permanent repairs should be made at a cost of probably $25,000. These repairs consist of rebuilding the roof and repairing the outside of the building, trefinishing the entire interior of the building, providing adequate toilet facilities and storage vaults and various other changes and improvements. We think if you decide either now or within the next few years to erect a Town Office Building adjacent to the Memorial Building, that the cost of maintaining and operating both the Office Building and the Memorial Building will, for the first few years, be no greater, and over a period of years, probably less than the cost of repairing, maintaining and operating the present Town Hall Building. You should also consider that if the Town continues its rapid growth, presently more office space will be required than will be available in the present Town Hall Building. While the income from the rental of the Memorial Hall will be modest at first, as the Town continues to grow this income will increase subatantially. As an appreciation of the proposed gift by Mrs . Eliza Gary Farnham and Susanna E. Cary, we hope there will be an- unusually large attendance at the Town Meeting and a unanimous vote of the Citizens of the Town to accept the Memorial Building. Theodore A. Custance Albert H. Burnham Charles H. Miles James G. Robertson William H. Ballard Selectmen of the Town of Lexington. The Board signed the Warrant for the Town Meeting to be held January 31, 1927. Meeting adjourned at 10:30 P.M. A true record, Attest: s-J4/4„, (&44../Arim.---- Clerk. 1 . I