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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1929-09-17 3 60 �- r SELECTMEN'S MEETING - SEPT. 17, 1929. The regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen was held at the Selectmen's Room, Town Office Building at 7:30 P.M. Messrs. Burnham, Custance, Blake and Shannon were present. The Supt. of Public Works and the Clerk were also present. At 7 :30 P.M. Mr. James A. Peirce of Marrett Road, came before the Board and presented to the Board Mr. Peirce's a letter giving the facts of his case in detail relative case of to his Airdale dog that had developed a case of rabies damages, re to which he called Dr. Blakely. After Dr. Blakely dog bite. had tried to get the dog to quarantine him, the dog broke away and they called the Police Department, at about 8 o 'clock P.M. Officer Barry brought the riot gun, fired at the dog and missed him. The dog ran away and did not return. Later the Police Department called Mr. Peirce and informed him that his dog had been killed in Belmont by the Belmont Police after he had bitten two people. Mr. Peirce had received a claim of $350. against him for dog bites to the persons bitten in Belmont, and he felt that the Town was partly responsible inasmuch as he did his part in calling. the Police and trying to protect the public in having the dog shot, and he thought it was negligence on the part of t)a4. Police that they did not shoot the dog. Mr. S. R. Wrightington, Town Counsel, was present and Dr. Blakely came in later at the conference. Mr. Wrightington felt that the Town was not respnnsible in any way inasmuch as the Law clearly states that the owner of the dog is respnnsible . Mr. Peirce stated that he understood that in the City of Newton there was a similar case, and the City in that instance, paid the damages on the claim. Mr. Wrightington stated that he could not obtain any information from the City Solicitor of Newton on the case inasmuch as he did not know the name of the person having the claim, but he would be very glad to receive any information that Mr. Peirce might secure for him, but as far as he could see the law clearly stated that Mr. Peirce was responsible. The Board after hearing the evidence presented informed Mr. Peirce that they would take the matter under advisement. Later after discussing the matter, the Board decided to notify Mr. Peirce that inasmuch as the Town Counsel advised them that the Town was not responsible in this case, they did not feel they could do anything for him. Mr. F. C. Duntlin of the Apex Exterminator Extermina- Company, 44 Bromfield Street, Boston, came before the ting rats . Board together with Mr. Kennedy who acts as Advisorary Expert to the Exterminator Company. Mr. Kennedy explained that he was the official exterminator of rats for the City of Boston_. He also did work for various other parties , wuch as DeBlois & Maddison, 361 Corporation Counsel Hill and the City of Malden. He sited various experiences with rats in places where there are various dumps and offal material which drawn the rats and explained that this Company that Mr. Duntlin represented hnd a form of inoculation that to his mind was the best thing that he knew of. He stated that in the City of Malden the rats were so bad in the Tennis Courts that the women were driven into their homes and could not use the Tennis Courts. In many instances in the City of Boston, the rats climb upon the fire escapes and go in the apartments and bite the fingers and faces of children. In some places he stated that the rats could not be thoroughly exterminated, but they could be kept down by inoculation. He believed that if the Board didnot have a very serious condition, that it might be well to keep them down before they get so bad that they become a menace. Mr. Custance explained that there had been complaints already of rats coming from the Town dump, and he felt that something should be done. It was finally decided to ask Mr. Duntlin to look at the Town Dumps and also at the Highway stable and inform the Board what the cost would be to exterminate the rats. Hearing was declared open upon the application H.A. Flint of Herbert . Flint, 10 Carville Avenue, for per- garage mission to erect a private garage. Mr. Flint was application. present at the hearing. No persons appeared to object, and it was voted to grant the permit. Mr. Morris A. Page, 15 Independence Avenue, Tin building. appeared before the Board and presented a letter infgrming the Board that under date of Sept. 11, 1929 he had received a letter from the Building Inspector advising him to demolish the tin building on the property purchased by him .from the Town under tax title deed. Mr. Page stated that he did not know what the bounds of the property were, and he was not sure that the building was on his property. For that reason he desired to have the Town Engineer establish the bounds, and if the building was on his property, he would be glad to do anything to cooperate with the Board in taking it down. The Board decided to request the Town Engineer to establish the bounds on the property in accordance with the tax title deed rendered to Mr. Page by the Tax Collector. Hearing was declared open on the petition of the E.E.I.Co. and the N.E. Tel.& Tel. Co. for joint Joint location location of one pole at the corner of Spring Street of one pole. and Mafrett Rodd. No persons appeared to object, and it was voted to grant the location order. 362 Sewer abatement in the amount of *74.98 Sewer on property owned by the Town of Lexington on za Abatement. Waltham Street was signed by the Board. Commitment. Commitment of sidewalk charges in the amount of *738.24 was signed. It was voted to transfer the sum of *5000. Transfer of from the Sewer Assessment Account to the Sewer *5000. Construction Account, notice having been received from the Town Accountant that the Sewer Construction Account was overdrawn to the extent of *88.38, and that there was available in the Sewer Assessment Fund *6400. Traffic Regulations to be adopted by the Board to Regulations. cover the control of traffic signals were received from the Department of Public Works of the State. The Board took a copy of the regulations to view then.. Application for sewer in Fattier Avenue was received from the residents of that street. Sewer, Fattier They desired to have the sewer pipes laid before Avenue. the street is constructed. It was decided to request the Town Engineer to gather the information of the cost of con- struction of the sewer and present same to the Board. Ryder Trial Notice was received from the Town Counsel that the Ryders Stock Farm Inc. case will probably come up about October 7, 1929, and that he will need the testimony of the Board of Selectmen at that trial. The Board received copy of the notice received by the Town Treasurer from Howard S. 0. Tower Park Nichols , Chairman, Trustees of Public Trusts, that Income. he was handing the Treasurer *140. which is the income from the Wm. A. Tower Memorial Park Trust Fund. Mr. Blake stated that he felt that the Trust Fund could be increased by more wisely investing the money, and he was going to inquire how the investment was made and suggest a change to bbtain better income. The Town Engineer promised to have the Hill Street. information on Hill Street ready so that a formal hearing could be held October 8, 1929. The Town Engineer brought up the suggestion Construction of building streets to their full width and of streets to putting in gravel sidewalks. their full The question arose as to whether or not. the width. Board should build the streets to their full width until they were accepted. 363 The bond of Constable James J. Sullivan was Constabletd bond. approved, it having had satisfactory surety. Letter wqs received from A. G. Frothingham York Street. of York Street relative to the condition of the street left after the Water Department put in the water pipe. Letter was also received from the Supt. of Public Works explaining the condition in which he found the street and stated that he felt that for the sum of $200. the street could be fixed up. The Board decided to leave this matter to the Supt. of Public Works. Auctioneer's License was granted to Mr. Herbits Auctioneer's to auction the premises known as the Paul Revere License. Tavern. The following renewals of insurance were ai thoriz ed for the balance of the year. Insurance Expiring in October, 1929. Renewal of A Insurance. E.A.Lord & Co. Schedule $10,000 Exp. Oct. 7, 1929 10,000 " Oct. 7, 1929 " 1919 Ford Omnibus School, Fire & Theft, $200. Exp. Oct. 28, 1929 R. Whittemore Schedule $10,000 " Oct. 22, 1929 Insurance Expiring in November & December, 1929. A.A.Marshall & Son. Moth Dept. Work Comp. Exp. Nov. 23, 1929 Moth Dept. Con. Public 0Liability Nov. 23, 1929 Robert Whitney Schedule $10,000 " Nov. 24, 1929 Neil McIntosh " 10,000 " Nov. . 5, 1929 A.A.Marshall & Son. 20,000 " Dec. 5, 1929 E. A. Lord & Co. r' 30,000 " Dec. 5, 1929 Robert Whitney " 20,000 " Dec. 5, 1929 The Board discussed various articles listed for consideration at the Town Meeting, and felt that a Articles for Town Meeting called for the purpose of having a Town Meeting. ballot on the Representative Town Meeting Act, would also have whatever business on hand in the same Warrant . The Board viewed the plan of the East Lexington East Lex. Meadows in which there appears to be approximately 380 Meadows. acres of land upon which there is nottaxes derived except about $300. received from the Town of Arlington. Mr. Blake agreed to see if anything could be done about establishing the rights of this property provided he was furnished with the information as to the assessment frcrri which the income is received. The weekly report of the Supt. of Public Works is as follows: 364 For the week ending Sept. 14, 1929. za Highway Department. Catch basins, gutters and streets were cleaned. Surface patches were made on Massachusetts Avenue, Wood Street and Bedford Street. Bow Street and Cliffe Avenue were treated with a seal coat of asphaltic oil and pea stone. A seal coat of asphaltic oil and pea sbne was applied to the surface of Simonds Road about one half the street being finished. The balance is to be done during the present week. Gravel fill has been made and graded at the cornet's of Taft Avenue and Charles Street and Taft Avenue, and Baker Avenue between Taft Ave. and Oak Street. Next week in addition to the regular maintenance, the department will construct Coolidge Avenue. Moth and Shade Tree Department. This department has been occupied with cutting and burning the underbrush and cleaning Belfry all. Next week it is intended to start treating the nests of the Gypsy Moth by the usual method of applying creosote. 1 ' Park Department. Regular maintenance occupied the time of the department during the past week and the same work will be attended to next week. Water Maintenance. Water services have been installed as follows: Molloy, Farmcrest Avenue ; Judkins, Robbins Road; Morash, Robbins Road, Norris, Bedford Street (renewal ; Morse, Vine Brook Road (renewal) . Water Construction. We have laid 175' of 6" water pipe in Shade Street . Moved back hydrant 15' at State Road and Waltham St. Sewer Construction. We have unloaded a carload of 6" sewer pipe and fittings. Sewer Maintenance. 'e have installed sewer services as follows : Judkins and Morash, Robbins Road; connecting services on Baker and Oak Streets. Five men have been flushing sewers. The work contemplated for the week ending Sept. 28 is as follows : water main extension on Spring Street, water and sewer services. Engineering Department. Sewers. Continued work on Town Study by making profiles of streets totalling 30,400 feet. Highways . Completed survey and levels of Coolidge Avenue from Adams Street to Hancock Street. Set line and grade stakes for 600 feet. Started survey of Hillside Terrace for construction. Miscellaneous. Completed three plans of Fattier Avenue for hearing Sept. 10. Completed plan of Clarke Street Extension for hearing Sept. 10. Started preliminary work for development of Golden Guernsey Farm which is now before the Planning Board. After comparing levels which were figured from this Sewer Study in the sections along Concord Avenue which nardrain to Hardy's Pond and to the Cambridge Basin. I went over this territory with Mr. Clarence Cutter of Concord Avenue. We believe the section now draining to Hardy's Pond may be diverted to the Cambridge Basin with greatly improved drainage results. Yours very triiy, William S. Scemman Supt. of Public Works The meeting adjourned at 10:55 P.M. A true record, Attest: Clerk.