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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1930-08-05ISELECTMEN'S MEETING AUG LST 5, 1930 A regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen was held at the Selectmen's_ Room Town Office Building at 7;30 P.M. Messrs. Burnham, tustance, Shannon, Trask, and Blake were present. The Supt. of Public Works and the Clerk were also present. Commitment for water rates for the third section of the town in the amount of #3005.63; commitment for serer rental charges for the third section in the amount of $187.74; and commitment for street betterment charges on Hill Top Avenue in the amount of 13,598.41, were signed by the Board. Frederick J. Spencer came before the Board and asked that the water be extended up East Street to give service to his house and the neighboring houses. Application has been made for service to the Carlson greenhouses. He stated that it would be approximately 4100 feet to go from where the water ' is now to the corner of Lowell Street, and that it would be about 3000 feet from Carlsonts. The Board were in sympathy with the needs of the persons in that territory for water, but were at a loss to know where they could find the money to make this extension. Mr. Custance also brought up the fact that if it is intended to relocate East Street, it would not be wise to install the water main until the lines were definitely laid down. The Board felt that the appropriation for installing the water main could be made next year, and as a temporary matter they would instruct the Supt. of Public Works to have a service pipe laid providing the abut tors pay their share of the cost, similar to the way it was laid for them last year. The Building Inspector, John F. Tibbetts, came before the Board together with Mr. A. Greenblott of Waltham. The Building Inspector gave Mr. Greenblott notice that he should vacate the premises owned _by Mr. Fleming on Ash Street on or before August 15, 1930s inasmuch as he was storing about thirty old cars in a residential district. Mr. Greenblott stated that he was simples storing ' the cars there, but that he was not doing any business from that location. Mr. Fleming stated that there was no repair work done on the cars on his premises except that done on his car, his wife's car, and the car belonging to j his two sons, and that the storing of the cars on the premises was not a business. Commitments Water,Sewer Hill Top Ave. Water, East Street. A. Greenblott violation of zoning lair. 246 The Building Inspector reported that when he went to the premises there was a man working there. Mr. Greenblott stated that the man was there to take the tires off the cars so that they would not be stolen. Mr. John Hossfield and Mr. Leonard Jellis were present to object to the nuisance being carried on in that vicinity. The Board decided to notify* Mr. Fleming and Mr. Greenblott that the section in which they were storing the cars is a residential district, and they must remove the storage on this property on or before August 15, 1930. George W. Emery, 42 Somerset Road, came before Emery the Board to discuss the Matter of branolithic Sidewalk. sidewal't in front of his premises. Mr. Emery stated that he would not be willing simply to have his lawn graded to the sidewalk, but insisted that the sidewalk be ral.sed so that it would not be lower than the street, and he thought that it could be raised 8" to meet the street. The Board after discussing the matter voted to have the sidewalk raised 4" in front of Mr. Emeryfs house. The Committee on repairs to the East Lexington Fire Station met with the Board, Mr. E. Lex. John Devine, and Mr. Edward W. Taylor being Fire Station, present, and discussed the bids received for repairs to the East Lexington Fire Station. Mr. Custance reported having been over the bids which amounted to $2,700. with a view to cutting out various work to bring the bids within the $29,000.. Mr. Taylor reported, however, that leaving out the various things that had to be left out would still leave the building serviceable for the men, and it would give them a bathroom, assembly room, and one room to sleep in, but they would have to leave out the other two rooms planned and the opening, and instead of having two wash bowles in the bathroom they could get along with one. Discussion was had as to whether the lally columns would have to be put in or not. Mr. Custance and Dr. Shannon expressed the view that they would rather expend this money toward a new building on the present site, but the Committee decided not to spend over $2,000. It was finally voted that the plans as drawn and submitted with the specifications as revised by the exception of two bedrooms be approved, and to accept the bid of Vernon C. Page for the plumbing and heating in the amount of $544., Sword Brothers for the electrical work in the amount of $165.,Daniel A. Gorman for the carpenter and repair work in the amount of 01,063. 1 1 1 A form was prepared to be sent to the owners of property making application for granolithic sidewalks in front of their premises calling attention to the changes that might be made in the engineeri s grades. This is done so that they may familiarize themselves with the changes that might have to be made in the grading of their lawn. It was voted to instruct the clerk to have some of these forms printed in red type on the application for sidewalks. Change in grades. . 249 Proclamation was received from the Highway Safety Comittee of the State calling attention Safety Week. to Safety Week. It was decided to send this to the local paper to be printed. In response to the request of the Board that the local agents holding the compensation Mutual insurance come before them to discuss placing insurance. the compensation insurance in the Liberty Mutual Insurance Company. Mr. Edwin B. Worthen and Mr. Willard C. Hill came before the Board. Information was gathered by the clerk from various towns make an appropriation insuring ' themselves for compensation insurance. Most of them have a compensation agent who reports the cases which are forwarded to the Town Counsel for settlement. This also necessitates having a town physician who can be depended upon to check the cases for the town. Mr. Worthen stated that inasmuch as the insurance company holding insurance on the Water Dept. had a loss ratio of 179? the town certainly could not insure itself at less money, and further- more he did not believe that the Board of Selectmen would want the responsibility of settling the claims themselves which they would have to do if this arrangement was made. He felt too that the Liberty Mutual Insurance Company would not want to carry on the insurance at a loss, and they would probably want to drop it if the losses continued, and then the Board would have difficulty in placing the insurance. Both Mr. Worthen and Mr. Hill agreed -that if the insurance was placed in the Employers' LMability Assurance Corporation of which Mr. Edward C. Stone is the United States Manager, that the town would get all that was due them for their money spent, Mr. Stone being a resident of Lexington and the brokers holding the insurance being residents of the town. He also pointed out that in a settlement of a claim rhw broker may intercede for the town, while a mutual company makes its settlement as they see fit. Mr. Hill felt that his company has probably made 250 money on the class of compensation that he carries under his policy, inasmuch as the work is not hazardous, and it would even things up if all the compensation was placed ' in one company. The Board after discussing the matter, decided to renew all the policies in the Employers' Liability Assurance Corporation. Application was received from W. V. T. Hinckley Hinckley of Marrett Road for the placement of town application insurance. Mr. Hinckley was informed that for ins. his application would be placed on file until such time as the Board placed additional insurance on the town schedule. Win. -Lex. Notice wis received from the County proposed Commissioners that a hearing would be held on highway. Sept. 2, 10 A.M. on the proposed highway from Winchester to Lexington. Letter was received from. Hobeft-iii ,H61t; Attotney° foie Gborge,.A. Woods -:of Bloomfield Stwy. Woods claim. in which he stated that Mr. Woods might consider settlement of this claim against the town if the town would install the sewer making the connection in the back of his property, plus the attorneyts Fees., The Board instructed the Supt. of Public Works ' to bring in the figures on the cost of installing the sewer. Mr. and Mrs. James Ball, 41 Banks Ave., came before the Board and reported that Mr. John F. Heaney, Heaney 47 Chase Avenue, had not removed the garage which Garage. he remodelled on his premises and was ordered to remove by the Building Inspector. The Board voted to instruct the Town Counsel to carry out the order of the Building Inspector given to Mr. Heaney or bring suit against him for violation of the Building Law. The Clerk was instructed to get further Police information regarding the light post to be light. located to designate the entrance to the Police Station. The weekly report of the Supt. of Public Works is as follows: For the week ending August 2, 1930. Highway Department. Excavation and fill at Clarke Street has ' been finished and fifty-two feet of 48 inch culvert laid. i 251 To complete the work, it is'necessary to grade and roll in crushed gravel and cover with ' asphaltic oil and pea stone. Tree on Mass. Avenue was removed and edge - stones reset in front of Viano property. Catch basins and gutters cleaned and surface patches made in several streets. Next week the construction work in recently accepted streets will be done and regular maintenance. Moth �k Shade Tree Dept. Trees trimmed in Hastings Park, Lincoln Street and school grounds. Next week the department will be occupied with the care of trees. Park Department. Regular maintenance work and filling and grading Hastings Park. Next week the department will attend to the regular maintenance. .Water & Sewer Department ' Water Maintenance We have installed a service for Rice on Bedford Street and a 2" service for Baskin on East Street. A break in the 4" main in Mass. Avenue was repaired after midnight. Water Construction. We have laid approximately 2001 of 1211 pipe in East Street. We have been working on the new 16" main in Mass. Avenue and a total of 14701 of pipe have been laid to date. This morning the water was turned on in the 16" main from the Arlington line to Charles Street. Sewer Maintenance. We have installed a service for Shea on Mass. Avenue and one for Cushman on Chase Avenue. The work contemplated for the week ending August 16th is as follows: Mass. Avenue main; Pottler Avenue sewer. Engineering Department. Highways. Grades for granolithie sidewalks. Line and grades for Clarke Strut Extension. 252 Reset Winthrop Road stone bound. Reset Follen Road stone bounds. Staked out relocation of Valley Road. Sewers Study of Bow Street vicinity proved that this section should not enter existing outlet. Continued study of entire town. Water 1 man (full time) with Mass. Avenue 16" main. Miscellaneous. Tracing block plans. Plot Burlington Street Survey. Figured areas in Hillside section of Westview Cemetery. Yours very truly, William S. Scamman Supt. of Public Works. The meeting adjourned at 11 P.M. A true record, Attest: Clerk. J 1