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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1928-03-29218 REGULAR MEETING, MARCH 29, 1928. � A regular meting of the Board of Selectmen was held at the Selectments Ofiice at 7:30 P.M. Messrs. Burnh,^m, Cust,nce, B�.11ard, Robertson and Chamberlain wee °resent. The Supt. of Public Worms ' and the Clerk were Iso present. In regard to the organization it was decided not to carry the organization out as in former years, and therefor, it wls toted: That on and after M rch 29, 1928, the Selectmen will discontinue their former practice of assigni.hg to individual members definite responsibility'or the riork of the various departments. That hereafter the Supt. of Public Works will, subject to tha direction of the Selectmen undertake full res)onsibility for the following departments, Street - Water - Sewer - Engineering - Parks - Public Buildings - Inspectors, Building, Plumbing, and Wiring. That he will, as soon as possible, present -in person to the Selectmen, at their meetings on Tuesday nights, a brief written report of the progress of his work during the.last_calendar week, and.his plans and recommendation for work to be commenced in the succeeding calendar weeks, together with such other matters as he feels may require the approval of the Selectmen or may be essential in determining a definite policy for the conduct of the department. In regard to the signing of schedules, it was decided that the Chairman should sign all the schedules for bills _:sayable for the Board. Bids were received on the $150,000. loan in anticipation of ' revenue dated April 2, 1928 and payable November 26,`1928 as follows: Old Colony Corp. 3.725 Lexington Trutt Co. 3.68 Bank of Comm_rce-& Trust Co. 3.695 Atlantic-Merrili Oldham Corp. 3.70 First National Bank of Boston 3.71 prem. 4.00 The bid was awarded to the Lexingt=_Trust Company. Letter was received from the Town Accuntant calling attention to the fact that only $1700 remained in the water construction account, and th@r4for he thought that a request for bids should be made on the authorization voted at the Town Beeting, March 12, 1928. It was therefor voted that they issue bonds for wat,sr construction in the amount of $31,000. for 15 years. Hearing was declared open at 8 P.B. upon the application of Neil McIntosh for approval of plans of streets upon the property formerly known as the Warren Davis property on Bedford Street. The Board felt that if the Planning Board and the Acting Town Engineer approved of the plans, they would be willing to sign the same. ' It was undarstond from a letter from the Planning Board that they were in favor of the layout and the Acting Town Engineer felt 1 1 that the clans ware reedy for eppr:val and the Board therefor signed Fame. It was voted to approve bills for the Town Counsel in 'the pig case of John M. Miskell in the amount of $787.35, and of Ballou in the amount of $58.90. In regard to the appointments it was decided to take up the nominations on Tuesday evening next. However, it was decided to nominatO Ezra F. Breed as Plumbing Inspector. Mr. John F. Tibbetts, Building Inspector, come before the Board together with lir. Frank Perkins who hrs started an automobile repair shop at 26 Parker Street.- rlr.-Tibbetts stated that the owner of th:� building, 'fir. James A. Bean, believed that he had a right'to operate an automobile repair shop, inasmuch as a blacksmith shop had been located in this place 10 years previous. It was decided that the Chairman take the matter up with the Town Counsel to find out if this automobile repair shop could be operated in a residence district under the Zoning Law. The Building Inspector reported that he did not believe the grand stand at the Par4er Field is worth being repaired. Mr. Custance, however, made a written report to the Board that he felt that the grand stand could be repaired, and it should be done for approximately $60.00 and recommended that DeVeau Brothers be requested to give a figure on the same. . It was decided that fir. Custance together with the Supt. of Public Works should see to it that the necessary repairs were made to the grand stand before the 19th of' April. The sewer orders for installation of sewers in.Independence Avenue, Robbins Road, Glen Road, Locust Avenue, Tower Straet, Smith .venue, and Upl.nd Road, which were prepared by the Clerk, were handed over to the Supt. of Public Works to await application for sewerrfrom Robbins -& Smith in the several streets on their property. The Chairman brought up the fIct ttYat he felt that Robbins & Smith should -i l'ay the entire cost of --he sewer -.t one time without having the same api)ortioned over a number of years, inasmuch as it was a direct benefit to their property. The Supt. of Pubic Works was requested to take up this suggestion with Robbins & Smith when they apply for the sewer. In regard to the installation of sewer in Lincoln Street, it was suggested that the Supt. of Public Works have the Engineering Department make a study of the storm drainage and underdrain in connection with the installation of the sewer. It was also voted that the grade of the sewer in Lincoln Street from a point 250 feet westerly beyond Audubon Road be raised to approximately 5 feet above the McClintock and Woodfall grade in.I,accordance with the profile made by the Town Engineer dated March 29, 1928. The Edison Electpic IlL. Co. was granted a wire attachment to poles, of the N. E. Tel. & Tel. Co. on Fletcher Avenue on fourth pole south of Hayes Lane. The Board signed the lease to DLniel J. OrConnell of the property 220 iocaten at the rear of 4`7, 4'9, 431, 433, 435 ;pias venue to- oether r.ith the a e of the `:3 foot ,.4geay= frompus:= avenue between 415 :=.nu 4e!5 Lis_-. avenue for the i)�e of the 1F,ater and Sexier Lepartments for storage of their _"a.terial. . Approval of nomination of the Slaughter Inspector was received from the State rept. of Public Health and it was voted to appoint , George A. Warner as Slaughter Inspector. In rogard to the appointment of two _diitional police officers for the Police Department, letter was seeived from the Chief of Police stating that he would advise the appointment of George E. Stith, 8 Independence Road, and David MCPeake, 2 Chandler Street to the positions. i-fter some discussion as to the qualifications of the four men on the Civil Service list, it was decided to leave the matter with the'Chairman to take up with the Chief of Police the-­ matter of qualifications and report at the next meeting. In regard to the verbal option given by Mr. Harry M. Aldrich on the triangular lot situated at Woburn Street the price of which was $10,IJ-00. the Board decided to release Mr. Aldrich from the option. The nomination of Dr. Chester L. Blakely as Animal Inspector was approved by the State Director of Animal Industry, and it was therefor voted to appoint Dr. Blakely as Animal Inspector. Letter was received from the Supt. of Public Works giving estimate of cost of installation of water main in Mass. Avenue from the Arlington line to Oak Street as $16,000., and in mass. Avenue from Oak Street to Pleasant Street a cost of $5,000. In this connection the Supt. of Public Works was instructed to get information in regard to larger ,pipe which might be constructed instead of the Mass. Avenue water main. He was also requested to get a schedule of the water mains as they now exist, and to get estimate of the cost of the 12" pipe from the junction of Bedford Street and Elm Avenue down Mass. Avenue to Waltham Street; and Mass. Avenue from Waltham Street to Slocum Road. It was also suggested that Mr. Scamman make a study of the water main in Lowell Street, East St., and through the Deihl development to North Hancock Street. .Letter was received from the Supt. of Public Works suggesting that a larger lamp, namely, 250.c. p. -be placed at the corner of Elm Avenue in place of the present one and an additional lamp be placed on the_ opposite side of 250 c. p. The Board authorized the Supt. to carry out the suggestion. In this connection the Supt. was also requested to place a. warning sign on Bedford Street to slow -traffic approaching Elm Avenue. Letter was received from the Supt. of Public Works in which he advised abatement of sewer tax amounting to $160.76 on -property of H. L. Coolidge $9-0.46, S. J. Dolan $30.93, and F. J.. Clare $49.73. This is owing to the fact that the houses had been connected with the main sewer in the rear for about five years, and it --was thought best to assess betterments on the property when the sewer was laid i:: front of the property. It was voted to abate the assessments in accordance with the ' advice of the "_'u,t. of Public Works. Letter was received from Frederick L. Emery in which he asked whether or not the Board desired to have the $1500., appropriated at the Town Fleeting, expended under the direction of the Planning Board. It was decided to ask the Planning Board to present .to the Selectmen the form of contract that they intend to make with Metcalf and Eddy for doing further work. In regard to the application for a water service from Roger W. Brown, it wasdecided to.authorize the Supt. of Public Works to proceed to install same 60 feet from Bertwell Road in Fuller Road. Letter was received from the N. C;. Tel. & Tel. Co. giving be cost of the install tion of switchboard system in the new Town Office Building. After discussion on the matter, it was decided to request the Supt. of Public Works to get figures on the cost of the preant telephone bills. Letter was received from Rubin & Seligman to regard to the use of the sheds in the rear of the T -:awn Hall to store the tanks for the fire alarm apparatus, stating that they would be glad to enter into an agreement with the Town whereby the Town can have the use for a period of two ye-:rs, rent free, of all but four stalls of theYn shed loc^ted on the rear portion of the town hall lot, provided that the Town of Lexington will vacate the town building and deliver up full possession of the entire premises on or prior to May 1, 1928; and prolvided further, that said Town shall abate the taxes on so much of ' the rear portion of said Town. Hall Lot, so called, as may be included within the area commencing at a line parallel with and twenty feet distant from the fr-.nt of said shed across the entire width of said lot, and extending along the side lines thereof to the property of the railroad. After discussing the matter, the Board requested the Supt. of Public Works to look into the matter of ,etting the tanks in the building to be leased'fob-the us, of the Water Department. It was thought that possibly the tanks could be hung on the side of the wall. The matter was therefor laid on the table until Tuesday evening. Mr. Custance br:sught up the matter of locating a new street from Waltham Street to Clarke Street almost opposite Vine Brook Road thereby making an outlet near the center of the town. It was decided to lay this matter on the table for the present._ The meeting adjourned at,11:35 P.M. A true record, Attest: Clerk ,