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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1958-11-18-CEC-min.pdf Nage MEETING OF CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COML. WITH ME. GAYER, PUBLIC WORc�S DEPT. November 18, 1958 A meeting of the Capital Expenditures committee was held with Mr Richard Gayer of the Public Works Department on Tuesday, Novemoer 18, 1958, at 8 DO p.m. in the town office building. Those Present were Rosemary Fitzgerald, Donald Noyes, Paul Palmer, Norman Royle, and Mabelle Tucker acting as secretary. Absent was Irving Mabee. Air. Gayer presented wach person with a summary of drain, sewer, street and water construction estimates for each of the next five years, and a mpp snowing the location of this work. Mr. Gayer said that the typed summary had been revised as follows Street construction 1959 omit School St. , add N. Hancock St. , 401 , 2320, X15.00, $34,800 making the total for 1959 $205,800 l 1960: omit Concord Ave. from Waltham St to Barberry Rd. , $36,000 making the total for 1960 $ 274,000 1961 omit Concord Ave from Barberry Rd. to Route 2, X37,500 making the total for 1961 $310,000 Sewer construction 1959 omit Marrett Rd to Shade & Weston St. , $140,000, making the total for 1959 :;363,000 Mr. Gayer then explained each item in the table and answered Questions. Drain construction: 1959 North Branch Vine Brook: This work is to lower the water table on the football field, draining the water into the existing brook at the culvert at Waltham St. The culverts at Muzzey and Clarke Streets will be lowered. North Lexington Brook. This item is in response to complaints from people in the area of Worth Hancock St. Sundry streets This item each year covers drain construction i on streets that have already been a -proved. 1961 Sickle Brook This item is for drain construction along the line of Emerson Road, wnicn will go through the back of Wilson Farm on Pleasant St. The trunk sewer along this line was approved by the town meeting this year. 1963 Clematis Brook. This item will provide drainage in the area near the mm end of Worthen Road. In answer to a guestion about Worthen Road tying in to Route 2, lar. Gayer said that if the town has Worthen Road laid out (not built) before the state reconstructs Route 2, then the state will build to it; it the road is not laid out there till be :io chance of its having access to Route 2. Page 2 MD ETI IG OF CAPITAL .EXPEZDITURES COMM. rITH MR, GAYER, DUBLIC WORKS DEPT. 11/18/58 In answer to a guestion from Mr. Palmer as to why drain construction was not included in the cost of street construction when a street was built, Mr. Gayer replied that it had always been a separate item in the budget. Mrs Fitzgerald pointed out that some drain construction is also done each year on existing streets. sewer construction: 1959: Marrett Rd. to Shade & Weston Streets this item has already been voted by the last special town meetings so it will not appear in the 1959 total. Wood St. area: this item is to service this area; money has already been appropriated to take the trunk line under Rt 128. 1960 From pumping station, along Rt. 128, to Westview St. to Itek, 013,000 was appropriated at the special town meeting for design of the sewer to Itek, but the town is holding up on the design work until it is certain that Itek is coming in. The site is near the intersection of Westview St. .nd the railroad track. Additional pumping station will not be required, since gravity will suffice, 1961 Clematis Brook to Waltham St. to Woodhaven will service an area which baaly needs sewers . 1962 Justin St. this will serve an area which can't now be served; the connection is already in under Route 128. Mr. Noyes saked how much money the town has already spent on sewers, and how much is planned for the future. Mr. Gayer answered that figures for previous years could be obtained from the town reeorts; however be didn 't have time to forecast more than five years ahead. Mr. Palmer asked why the t ren ._ithorities let people build homes in bad drainage areas. Mr. Gayer replied that the town does not, now; the Health Dept. now goes out and makes soil tests and withholds permits if the soil is not absorbent enough. The items for sundry streets under sewer construction each year are in response to petitions for lateral sewers on streets which can be served 16y existing trunk lines. These could be unaccepted streets as well as accepted. Some of the money appropriated will come back to the town, roughly one half. Mr. Gayer said that he had tried to plan a fairly regular amount each year for sewer construction; he had also tried to make the estimates high enough to cover the work, to avoid having to ask for more money at another town meeting to finish a job. Street construction In response to a question as to why the five year total in this new table exceeded last yearls estimates, Mr. Gayer answered that this summary is his estimate of that needs to be done and what people will ask for. Emerson Road has not been shown on the five year plan, with the exception of the section from Rte 2 to bass. Ave. , in 1961, because the rest of it is going through developmmnt land; the I'lanning Board will specify that the builder build part of the road at the time of development. The construction of this part Page 3 MEETING OF CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMM. WITH MR. GAYER, PUBLIC IVORKS DEPT 11/18/58 will depend on when the land is developed. A good deal of Dorthen Road will probably be built by developers also. The location of Emerson Road in relation to the Great Meadow is not known at presenti one group is interested in preserving the area as a bird sanctuary Also the legal status of the Great Meadow is uncertain; Attington owns a large part of it, and Harold Stevens, Lexington 's town counsel, is of the opinion that the Meadow is still in the watershed that goes down to the Arlington Reservoir, and therefore wtill tied in with their water system. The work on Mass. Ave, in 1960, 1961 tuft 1962 and 1963 would finish the resurfacing of Mass. Ave . which %ended at Woburn St several years ago. The work on Concord Ave. in 1959, as far as Waltham St , will be done, but the selectmen want to omit the proposed work on it in 196M and 1961 (Waltham St. to Rte 2) , in response to the pressure from residents who don't want it widened. Since Concord Ave. is a Chapter 90 road the town would have to bear only one quarter of its construction, and one third of its maintenance. Mr. Gayer would personally like to relocate Concord Ave. to tie it in to Spring St. , and blocking off its access to Rte. 2. Mr. Gayer thought people should notice when they bought property if it was on a main road connecting a highway with another town, and should exp ct traffic on it. In answer to a guestion from Mr Noyes as tq%hether a Chapter 90 road had to be one connecting two or more tom s Mr. Gayer said no, not necessarily, it also depended somewhat on politics. The work on Burlington St in 1962 will be under Chapter 94 and will require a layout by the county. The selectmen would like to do the work on the part up to Grove St sooner than 1962 because of the opening of the new Junior High school. Water construction: Mr. Gayer gave some background material on the water supply problem in Lexington. Prior to last spring the M D.C. thought that the water shortage in certain areas of town was Lexington's own problem Then Gayer got 0,000 for u water study, and M.D C hired consultants to study their phase of it Lexington hired Whitman and Howard to make their study, and last spring Whitman and Howard held up their report in order to take advantage of the M D C report. The M.D.C. found through their study that they had problems; they are now putting in a pumping station in Arlington to keep the reservoirs full, and are extending the main down Rte. 2 to Waltham St. to bring a t_zird supply line in to Lexington. (At the present time mains bring water in on Summer St. and Mass. Ave.) The M.D C wants Lexington to pay for the line down Rte. 2, and we want the Air_ Force to pay for part of it since they use a lot of the water. From Rte. 2 Lexington wants to carry a 24" line to the Lexington standpipe (in 1960 and 1961) , and then a 16" line from the standpipe toward the Bedford facilities, for Itek, etc. , in 1962. We want the Air Force to pay for part of this cross town line, also. Mr. Gayer is meeting with officials of the M.D.C. and Air Force this Friday to discuss the share which each will pay toward the cost of construction of each of these lines. The figures in the table on the 24" line are for the total cost; we will get something back from the m.D C. , Page 4 MEETING OF CAPITAL EXPENDITTUR.ES COMM. WITH. MR. GAYER, PUBLIC WORKS DEPT. 11/18/58 the Air Force, and Waltham taward this; we may not have to appropriate more than our own share of the cost. Mr. Gayer also pointed out that in the last 20 years the water system has not kept pace with the growth of the town Also, the mode of living has changed in that time and people are using more water per person Curves extended from 20-30 years ago don't apply any more The town must continually assess the problem and take steps t4leal with it. in 1959 the table calls for the Booster pump and the 1611 main down Lincoln St. and Mass. Ave. to the standpipe, both of which were turned down last year. Lincoln St. now has an 8 ' main, a reduction from 16n - and public works wants to increase it to 16" to fill up the standpipe Sidewalk construction: Mr. Gayer said that Bedford St and Simonds Rd. are the only town sidewalk construction projects Maple St and Rte. 2A. are state construction, but the town is paying for a good deal of it. The sktte pays for the base, but the town must pay for the surface, must get the slope easements, must hold the state blameless in land- taking suits, and must plow and maintain the walk. After the agreement had been signed by the selectmen the state announced that it was going to widen the walk and the town had to move the utilities. Mr. Noyes asked if the new Junior High school would cause sidewalk problems. Mr Gayer said yes, some; the school department wanted sidewalks on Hancock and Grove Streets. There is money left in the sidewalk funds w ich will be turned back this year. Incinerator Mr. Gayer said that an incinerator is very expensive and must have 24 hour a day, 7 days a week operation. He thinks that Lexington has enough dump sites; the present dumpwill last five years. Mr. PaMer said that he had heard that the Belmont incinerator was costing a million dollars; maybe we could buy into it later on. Mr Palmer also asked why the dump oould not be put under a contract - let it out to bid for a firm to do the picking. Mr. Gayer said that this had been done in Bangor Maine, but they still had town employees to supervise it. Rubbish disposal Mr Gayer put this item in last year, and it was taken out. He feels he has done his duty. Equipment Mr Gayer said that he had not gone over the equipment needs yet, but would soon. He then explained the operation of the Road Machinery Fund. The public works department charges the town for rental of road equipment; this rental includes a charge for gas and oil, which is paid into the pool which maintains the equipment, and a charge for depreciation (not overhead) , which goes into the rtoed Machinery Fund. hhen equipment needs to be replaced it is paid for out of this fund; theoretically a completely new item would be a capital expenditure. The department may need a new grader in a few years. He stated that the town had good equipment now, and that he had started a \.preventive maintenance program to keep it in good shape. The Road Machinery Fund is getting large enough now wo that pretty soon the rates charged the town may be cut. Yr Palmer asked if the town were not paying twice for equipment, but it seemed not, since the Page 5 MEETING OF CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMM. WITH IvLR. GAYS, PUBLIC WORKS DEPT 11/18/58 fund is used tojreplace equipment. The Road Machinery Fund is set un by state law. Yr Gayer then answered miscellaneous questiong Sewers Mr Noyes asked what qualified as a trunk line. .,[r Gayer said that a lateral goes up a residential street, and the town collects betterments on it. A trunk is the line required to service the lateral, and the town collects no betterments on it. On the question of how big to build the trunk lines, .v:r Gayer said that he tried to estimate from topographical maps how many people an area would hold, and build accordingly Mr Gayer listed the roads in Lexington which are state roads hale St. beyond the railroad bridge, Marrett Road (Ete 2A) , Bedford St. beyond the railroad tracks, Woburn St beyond Lowell St , and Lowell St. toward Arlington. Lowell St is a county road north of Mable St The meeting was adjourned about 10 00 p.m. (I think) Respectfully submitted, Mabelle B Tucker secretary