HomeMy WebLinkAbout1932-07-19SELECTMENIS MEETING
JULY 19, 1932
' A regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen was held
in the Selectmen's Room, `Down Office Building, at 7:30
P.M. Messrs, Trash, Custance, Gilcreast, Ferguson and
O?Connell were present. The Supt. of Public Works and
the Clerk were also present.
J
�J
Mr. Wyman came before the Board and stated that in
5eptmeber 1929 he bought a place on Locust Avenue. At
that time his Attorney went through the records and found
no lien on the property. It appears, however, that
there - is a dewer as far as Robbins Road. On the 27th elf-
December he received a letter from Mr. Bernard, from
whom: -he purchased the property, enclosing a bill, dated
Decber 17th from the Town for a sewer betterment
481
assessment. He communicated with Mr. Custance and Mr. Mr. Wyman,
Scamman within a few days and they both told him that re sewer
Mr. Bernard would pay the bill. There was a clause in it betterment
which allowed him to make an application for ten years assessment.
payment. He was told that it it would help matters if
he would pay the $294. The matter went on and he spoke
to Mr. Scamman and Mr. Bernard came back from California
in December 1931, He went to his home at 1234 Beacon Street,
Brookline and Mr. Bernard refused to pay the sewer bill.
Later some of his friends informed him that they had
seen his place in the paper advertised for taxes for
the non-payment of the sewer tax. He was very much
annoyed but he payed the bill to the Town. He felt that
inasmuch as this was a gentlemen's agreement that Mr.
Bernard should be made to ppy the bill which he suffered
hAmiliation for by having his pr&perty advertised for the
sewer tax.
Mr, Custanee agreed to communicate with Mr.
Bernard as soon as -he was informed of his address in an
endeavor to collect the amount of the bill.
Mr. Wyman also wanted to speak about the matter of sidewalk
in front of his premises. He desired `to have a sidewalk
put in along his premises and he wanted to change the grade
and he applied to the Public Yorks Dept. and was informed
that there were no funds at that time but that if he
would put in the sidewalk, the Town would reimburse him
one half the cost. As het he has not received one half
of the expense inasmuch as he was informed that there
were not funds in the Department. He felt, the rtfor,
that he had been treated unfairly.
The Board informed him that the 1931 funds are
almost exhausted but if he would send in a copy of the
receipted bill for the work done, he would be reimbursed
for one half the coat,
Mr. Benjamin Santosuosso came before the Board and
stated that as a res-&itodf a notice to him that he would
have to turn in the number plates of his car and of any
Mr.Wyman re
sidewalk.
482L,,bor
�oven
of is family owning a ear, he sold his on car for
he that his
He a stated that understood son,
ny, turned 7in his number plates on the 22nd of the month
and they cancelled his'insurance. Mr. Santosuosso asked
that he be given more work.
The Board informed him that they would check up
in regard to the car and consider whether or not they would
give him any further assistance,
Unemploy.
Mr. Thomas Ryan of 17 Grant Street came before the
ment
Board and stated in regard to the notice h&nteeelledt,
relative to his son turning in.his number plates if
he was to obtain work., that his son was of age and
that he bought this automobile and he says if he has
to turn in the number plates he will go and board
out and he will then lose $10, a week board. The
car is a 1928 Dodge car, the Excise Tax costs him
$2.99 And the car itself is not worth very mzzvh. Mr.
Ryan has worked only two days this month, but he has
had work in the past,
Mr, Manuel Moniz came before the Board and was
informed that inasmcuh as he was not a citizen, he
would have to apply to the Welfare Dept, for assistance
if he needed it.
Mr. Fred Modoona came before the Board relative
to the notice sent to his father relative to turning
in the number plates of the cars owned by his two sons.
He stated that he had a Ford car which was not as
yet paid for. He gets $4, a day and works six days a
week. There are ten in the famlly.at home. He had
a great many bills in the vicinity of $500. that
were not paid. He paid about $100* on his car and
pays something each month. The insurance also is
not paid up. The car was registered in the name
of John Modoona., his ounger brother. He gives into
the family each week 13. towards the support of the
family. Sometimes he gives in $5. Mr. Modoona stated
that his father also owned what was formerly the.Hughes
house from which he gets $25. per month when he gets it.
the Board informed him that they would take the
matter under consideration., but they felt that he should
give more into the family for support than he was now
giving.
Mr, Russell I. Prentiss., Health and Milk
Inspector., came before the Board and presented samples
taken of the milk in July to show the work done by
him on the milk tests. He also sent in a report in
Health
regard to the water in the Lexington Reservoir which
matters.
proved to be satisfactory for bathing purposes. He
also reported on the swimming pool. He reported that
it cost five dollars to I -ave the water analyzed. The
Board discussed whether or not it might be advisable
to turn the Metropolitan water into the Lexington
Reservoir, but it was felt that it would take
considerable water to raise the height of the water
in the pond, Mr. Prentiss stated that he would make
another examination of the water in the Reservoir
the first of the month. He stated that last year
the water in t he swimming pool showed hardly any
contamination and they took eight samples during
the season*
. In regard to'the letter to Mr*Prentiss relative to
I
his absence from his duties of the Town, he stated that
this is.the first time in.nine years that he has been
away any lentth of time. If he was away for three or
four days a week, he would always be horn on the week-
end to attend to the business at that time. He stated
that in 1924 he became Milk Inspector and later Mr.
Miles of the Board of Selectmen came to him and informed
him that he had had the Chief of Police acting as -Health
Officer and that it had not been satisfactory and asked
him if he would take on the work. His first duty was the
inspectionofthe piggeries and at that time there was
considerable trouble with piggeries, and the cases were
brought to Court and he made a great many inspections.
After that he also had the inspection of cesspools and
any complaints that were turned in. He later began
inspecting stores, barber shops and beatrty parlors. He
rewrote a good part of the Health Regulations. Part of
this work he has taken on himself without any instructions
from the. Board inasmuch as he felt it should be done.
he stated that while he was away he started to work early
in the morning,and did not get through until ten at
night and therefor'did not have a very good opportunity
to communicate with the Board and he also had to work on
Sundays.
The Board discussed the matter and felt that
Mr. Prentiss had taken care of all the matters thathad
been hanging over during his abseense and also felt thst
his salary is by the year and they would not make any
reduction for the loss of time.
' It was voted to grant the petition of the N. E. Tel.
& Tel. Co. and the $. E. i. Co. for location of one pole
on Concord Avenue approximately 30 feet southwesterly of
the -Lexington -Lincoln line.
Mr. Edward Ballard came before the Board and present-
ed a proposed perspective of the layout of the grounds
around the Public Works Dept. Building. He suggested a
thirty foot roadway going into the building and that this
roadway be laid out all around the building. He suggested
that in the center of the .roadway, directly ini'front of
the building, an island to indicate that the persons should
either park in front or drive around the building. The
second sketch showed the planting with suggested trees
around the entire road and in the front, suggesting a
section screened by trees which might later be sold to a
private party. He suggested that the cheapest kind of a
treeefdrothe plaft - in the back of the road might be
willows, but ofcourse they would not be a screen for
411 months of the year; also that if maples are planted,
that the gravel will have to be removed so that the roots,
can go down far enough to get moisture. Instead of arbor
vitae in front of the building, it was d1tAgasted that red
cedars might be planted, they being less spWsticated.
' He stated that he would be glad to bring in a planting plan
and felt that the trees in the Park land should be used
wherever possible inasmuch as the Town could grow trees
from seeds. Hes tated that in ordinary planting, he
would figure on shrubs from three to four feet high,
but it might be possible in this instance to put in
shrubs from two to three feet high that would be less
Pole
location.
Publ is
Works
Dept.Bldg.
grounds.
484
expensive, He also suggested that locust trees might
be planted along the line of the M. & B, St, Rwy. Co.
property.
The Board instructed the Town Engineer to go forth
with the laying out of the entrance to the building on
the lines laid down by Mr. Ballard in his plin and
Mr, Ballard agreed to bring in the planting plan at an
early date.
Letter was received from Mr, caul Bowser, in which
he stated that he would like to construct approximately
six or seven hundred feet of Grant Street running from
Bowser
his new garage twward East Street, this to be done in
request
accordance with the Towns specifications, and he asked
to con-
if when the Town decided to put the street through, he
struct
would be given credit .for the number of feet constructed,
Grant St,
The Board'agreed that Mr. Bowser had made
considerable improvement on his premises; that he had
built a.garage with an apartment overhead that was of
considerable value and inasmuch as he intends to build a
home ,that will bring considerable taxation, they felt that
the courtesy should be extended to him of allowing him
to build this street, and to allow him credit for the portion
of the street built by him based upon the cost of construction
at the time the street was built.
Attention of the Board was called to the fact
that a hearing will be held on the relocation of East
East
Street next Tuesday evening. .The Board viewed the.plan
St.hear-
presented by the Town Engineer and felt that there should
ing,
be no claim for damages from any of the abuttors.
The. Board discussed the manner in which Pollen
Aoad was being constructed, and Mr. Custance stated that
the blue loam should not be left in the streeV. that
r'ollen Rd,
rough gravel should be put in on the sides of the street,
The Board also felt that.the Supt, of Public Works should
not hir& trucks from outside, that we had sufficient Town
trucks -to arrange to have them available for the work to
be done.
Mr. O'Connell reported lbaving seen Mr, Ross's
Trucks
truck hired for the work on Pollen Road while the Water
for work.
Dept, truck was laying idle all that day,
N
Mr, Ferguson also called attention to the fact
that the ParkDept, truck was laying idle for one hour in
the afternoon and he felt arrangements' could be made
whereby there could be trucks furnished for the work when
necessary.
Mr* Custance reported that Mr. Merriam had made
a request that Mr. George E. Pekins be appointed as
Special Police Officer. inasmuch as he lived on the
Special
Merriam property.
Police.
Mr. O'Connell abated thathesaw no necessity
of making the appointment; that Mr, David Murphy was much
more of a caretaker than Mr, Pekins was. It was stated
that Mr, Pekins has a badge and he felt he should turn the
badge in.
It was therefor decided not to appoint him its a
Special Police officer and to request him to turn in his
badge.
L
� a
Supt, was requested to have a shade placed on the
light on Audubon Road in front of the house of Hubert
Grieves.
The ' Supt. of Public Works reported in regard to Street the lights on Pinewood Street that one light should be lights.
placed on the pole half dray between Follen Road and
Summit Road and one light in Summit load directly
opposite Pinewood Street.
The Board instructed the Supt. of have the lights
installed when the appropriation would allow it, and
Mr. C. B. Van Wyck was so informed.
1
1
The Board voted to pass an order for the construction Side.
of a sidewalk on Muzzey Street in front df the propertyof walk.
Bion C. Merry.
- Certificate of Incorporation of the Lexington
Botanic Gardens with Stephen F. Hamlin, 45 Parker Street, Certificate
Helen N. Webster, 1916 Mass. Avenue' Marion G. Whipple, of Incor-
15 Belfry Terrace and Alice Manning,.50"Woodland Road poration.
as Directors was signed by the Board.'
Supt. of Public Works reported that he talked with
Mr. R. D. Brown of the Edison Company in regard to the
lighting of the Minute -Man from underneath rather than
overhead. Mr. Brown advised that the overhead lighting
from the flood light was fauch more satisfactory than
from below because there are fewer shadows cast from
overhead. Mr. Brown suggested that he talk with Mr.
Willard D. Brown about it inasmuch as he wgs on the
Committee the time the light was installed.
Mr. Custance stated that he would not go into
the matter any further inasmuch as Mr. Brown's opinion
was sufficient.
Supt. of Public Works reported that the rear of the
Shea property in East Lexington which the Shea boys asked
be filled in consisted of approximately 91,476 square feet
and would cost about $5000 to fill so that it could be
used for building purposes, Besides the filling, the
property should be properly drained. He felt that any
work done on the property would be a waste of money until
the brook nearby could be lowered and the property
properly drained. Ile stated that Mr. Shea had some work
done on the building and wanted to be allowed to make repairs
to use the building as a store.
Flood
light at
Statue.
Shea
property.`
List of outstanding water rates for section three
was presented. Mr. Custande called attention to the fact
that some of the unemployed should be allowed an extra
day to work out their water rates inasmuch as there were Water rates
several bills that have not been paid. He felt also that
an order should be signed by the unemployed giving authority
to the Treasurer to withhold some money each week toward
.the water rates. Mr. Custance also called attention to
the fact that the Water Dept, should notify the bank having
the mortgage on property where the water rates have run up
and have been uppaid so that the bank could give the matter
their attention.
486
Shirley St, The Board decided to lay the 'matter of the Shirley.
sewer. Street sewer over for another week. �C
Copy of the report of the analysis of the Algonquin ,
Springs was received and the report was not f avorable
inasmuch as the recommended no building bear the spring
Algonquin be used for habitation. The owner of this property
springs. recently requested permission to extend the business to
allow the making of carbonated beverages,
Drainage. The Town Engineer was requested to report on the
drainage near Hillside Terrace for next week.
Mr. Custance called attention to the fact that the
property at the cement block plant formerly operated by
Arley Bur ess of Woburn Street should be cleaned up,
t was decided to notify the Lexington Savings
Bank who hold the mortgage on the property that the property
has become a nuisance and should be cleaned up.
The weekly report of the Supt. of Public Works was
received.
The.meeting adjourned at 11:52 P.M.
A true record, Attest: -
Clerk, I