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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1935-10-01 79 SETRCTMEN'S MEETING OCTOBER 1st, 1935. A regular meeting of the Selectmen was held in the Selectmen 's Room, Town Office Building, at 7:30 P.M. Messrs. Ferguson, Gilcreast, Lyons and Potter were present. The Clerk was also present. Letter was received from the Secretary of the Appropriation Committee inviting the Board to attend a meeting of the Association of Town Finance Committees to be held on Oct. 8th, 1935, at 6 P.M. at the Boston Meeting. City Club. Inasmuch as none of the members of the Board were able to attend, the motion was duly made and seconded that Mr. Trask be requested to attend the meeting, and it was so voted. Mr. Gilcreast reported that he had received an Meeting invitation to attend the 50th anniversary of the Episcopal date, Church which is to be held on Tuesday evening, October 8th, next 1935. He stated that he believed all of the members Monday. of the Board were to receive invitations . In view of this fact and the fact that Mr. Trask is to attend a meeting of the Town Finance Committees on the same evening, the Board voted to hold the meeting next week on Monday, October 7th, instead of Tuesday, October 8th. Letter was received from the Secretary of the T.O. & Appropriation Committee advising the Board that the Cary Mem. Appropriation Committee had voted to make a transfer of Account. $300. from the Reserve Fund to the Account for Town Offices and Cary Memorial Building, and that the money was available for use. The Board voted to approve the salary of the Town Town Physician in the amount of $187.50 for the months of Physician. July, August and September, 1935. Letter was received from Arthur McCarthy, Secretary Pro-tem of the Executive Council of Massachusetts, which is an organization to be composed of thirty-nine mayors Executive of the State and the Chairmen of Boards of Selectmen from Countil the principal towns within the Commonwealth. The letter of Mass. , stated that there would be a meeting of the Council on Meeting. Saturday afternoon, October 5th, 1935, to elect officers, appoint committees, etc. The Board voted to take no action on the matter. Communication was received from T. B. Parker, Acting State Director, P.W.A. , stating that the town's application Grants, for a sewer and drainage project had been approved for a P.W.A. grant not to exceed $76,500. and the application for a Projects. new high school had been approved for a grant not to exceed $184,050. Mr. Parker requested that a Town Meeting 80 al C 4-4 be called immediately to appropriate funds and authorize the necessary borrowing, and that authority to accept formal government offer of grant when received, should be delegated. He stated further that the Town should contact his office for assistance in drafting of the warrant and votes and that immediate action was imperative to maintain the schedule set by the President requiring all contracts to be awarded on or before December 15th. He requested that he be advised of the earliest date that construction drawings, specifications and contract documents would be submitted for approval prior to advertising for bids. Mr. Lyons suggested that the Chairman talk with the Chairman of the School Committeeto see what that Committee wished to do in regard to the High School project, and if the School Committee was not interested that the Town should have the right to vote on the project just the same. It was also suggested that the Chairman talk with the Chairman of the Appropriation Committee with regard to calling a town meeting. However, if the Chairmen of both of these committees objected, the Board felt that the meeting should be called anyway due to the fact that the Town had been offered grants in the above amounts and that the Board of Selectmen had taken the initiative in submitting the projects in the first place and that they cou1d now take the initiative in calling a Town Meeting. Town The motion was duly made and seconded that a Town Meeting Meeting be held on Monday evening, October 21st, 1935, called. and that a Warrant be prepared for same, and it was so voted. At 8 P.M. hearing was declared open on the application Johnson of HarryE. Johnson for permission to maintain w a a two car Garage garage under the house at lot #36 Taft Avenue. Mr. Hearing. Johnson appeared and presented plan of the proposed garage. No persons appeared in opposition and it was voted to grant the permit subject to the approval of the Building Inspector. At 8:05 P.M. hearing was de.clared open on the Johnson application of Harry E. Johnson for permission to main- Garage tain a one car garage under the house at lot #8 Taft Hearing. Avenue. Mr. Johnson presented plan of the proposed garage. No persons appeared in opposition, and it was voted to grant the permit subject to the approval of the Building Inspector. At 8:10 P.M. hearing was declared open on the Johnson application of Harry E. Johnson for permission to main- Garage tain a one car garage under the house at lot #40 Taft Hearing. Avenue . Mr. Johnson presented plan of the proposed garage. No persons appeared in opposition and it was voted to grant the permit subject to the approval of the Building Inspector. 81 At 8:15 P.M. hearing was declared open on the application of the Medway Savings Bank for permission Medway to maintain a one car garage of second class construction Savings at lot #11 Lockwood Road. No persons appeared to Bank, Gar- represent the petitioner, nor did anyone appear in age hearin@ opposition. At 8: 30, however, the representative of the Medway Savings Bank appeared and presented the plan of the proposed garage, and the Board voted to grant the permit subject to the approval of the Building Inspector. At 8:20 P.P . hearing was declared open on the application of Charles G. and Anastacia Richards for Richards permission to maintain a two car garage of wooden con- Garage struction at 101 Grant Street. Mr. & Mrs . Richards Hearing. appeared and presented plan of the proposed garage. No persons appeared in opposition and it was voted to grant the permit subject to the approval of the Building Inspector. At 8:25 P.M. hearing was declared open on the application:of Helen G. and Charlotte L. Murphy for Murphy permission to maintain a one car garage of wooden con- Garage struction at 299 Marrett Road. The Misses Murphy and Hearing. Randall Richards appeared and presented plan of the proposed garage. No persons appeared in opposition and it was voted to grant the permit subject to the approval of the Building Inspector. Letter was received from the Town Counsel stating that he had received a letter from the Attorney for the Boston & Maine Railroad with reference to the closing of the Fletcher Avenue crossing. He stated that the Railroad was apparently entitled to close the property if it saw fit to do so, but that it did not wish to do so until the town had had an opportunity to make other Fletcher provisions for the traffic. Mr. Wrightington said Avenue, that the Attorney would be content to wait if he could Railroad be informed officially that the Town was making progress crossing toward the elimination of the crossing. The Board discussed the matter with Mr. Trask, and the Chairman suggested that inasmuch as the Town had erected a barrier as suggested by Mr. Flynn, that the Town Counsel be written a letter to the effect that the work had been done in accordance with the instructions of the Boston and Maine Railroad engineer. Mr. Trask stated that he thought that this would not be quite fair to Mr. Flynn as he had stated that he was merely going to report that the Town of Lexington was going to erect a barrier and let it go at that. Mr. Trask stated that the railroad wished the crossing closed as it would be responsible for anyone getting hurt on its right of way. The Board voted to write the Town Counsel and inform him that the Town had done the work at Fletcher Avenue. 82 Letter was received from the Town Treasurer to which Tax was attached a list of the properties which were fore- Title closed through the land court as of August 28th, 1935, Property. and which are now properties owned outright by the Town of Lexington which may be sold at any time. Letter was received from the Federal Emergency Relief Report . Administration requesting a special financial report, and the Board voted to request the Town Accountant to furnish the report. The following licenses were granted: Licenses . August Young - Laconia Street - Slaughter license. Arthur B. Field - 851 Mass. Ave . - Alcohol (Methyl) . Bean, The Board voted to approve the application of George Sunday W. Bean for a license to operate a Golf Driving Range on Golf. the Sundays in October, 1935, the dates being Oct. 6, 13, 20, 27, 1935. The Chairman reported that he had talked with the Appropriation Committee with regard to the purchase of Depot the railroad property at Depot Square. The Appropriation Square, Committee was of the same opinion as the Board of purchase Selectmen, that is, that there was no need of haste now, of land. but when the Town was considering appropriations for the coming year, if it were felt that the Town could afford $3000. or so for the purchase of the land, that the matter could again be considered. Letter was received from Mr. Theodore N. Waddell, Request for Director of Accounts, requesting that certain information information with regard to municipal salaries and motorized equipment be furnished him. The motion was duly made and sedonded that the matter be referred to the Supt. of Public Works, and it was so voted. The Supt . of Public Works stated that he had noted that the Board had voted to refund the money paid on Arnold account of the Arnold water guaranty to Mr. Francis J. Water Kelley. He stated that Arnold held a receipt signed Guaranty. by Byron C. Earle showing that the water guaranty had been paid and that Arnold did not believe that the money should be refunded to Kelley and stated that he was willing to talk with him and make arrangements to pay the account some time. The Chairman suggested that a letter be written to the Home Owners Loan Corp. or Kelley requesting the return of the receipt and informing that body that the money would be refunded after the receipt had been returned. 83 The Supt . of Public Works reported that there were two houses on Lowell Street in Lexington which are being supplied water from Arlington at the present time. The house just over the line in Arlington has a meter in it and a service direct from the street, but the water to the two houses in Lexington is taken from this first house. One of the property owners in Lexington has not paid his bill, but the Arlington Water Dept. does not wish to Water Ext. shut off the water in the main house as it will cut off Lowell St. the supply to all three houses. The Water Registrar of Arlington has requested that the Town of Lexington do whatever possible to help out in the matter. Mr. Ross has estimated that an extension from the present end a distance of 1800 feet to take care of the houses would cost approximately 33500.00. Mr. Geary, Water Registrar of Arlington, had suggested that the Town of Lexington might bill the people and turn the money over to Arlington. The Board decided not to bill the people or to get mixed up in the matter in any way. It was felt that it would be unwise to supply people who did not pay their water rates in Arlington. The Supt. of Public Works submitted the following b' proposed amendment to the traffic rules and orders which he requested the Board to approve and sign so that a hearing might be held on the same : NO HEAVY THROUGH TRUCKING ON CERTAIN STREETS. No person shall operate a motor vehicle, other than a school bus which, with or without its load, weighs more Traffic than four (4 ) tons, upon any of the following streets or Regulation parts of streets, except in the case of an emergency or ex- cept when used for the purpose of making deliveries of goods, materials or merchandise to or sithilar collections from abutting land or buildings , or in connection with the construction or repair of said streets or parts of streets, or of underground structures or structures of public corporations therein or except when driving to or from a garage or place of storage abutting thereon: Hancock Street from Bedford Street to Adams Street. Adams Street from Hancock Street to the Burlington Line. The Board voted to approve the amendment and signed the same. The Supt. of Public Works reported that it would soon be necessary to purchase snow fence and snow plows and that there was only eighteen cents left in the appropriation. Snow IIHe stated that he would like to have the approval of the Plows board for the purchase of three snow plows as if the order is placed immediately, there will be a saving of ten percent. The Board voted to grant Mr. Trask the authority to place the order for the three plows subject to an 840.3 cr cn 1-4 appropriation being made for same at the next Town Meet- ing, and to request that delivery be made after the Town Meeting. The Chairman suggested that it might be a good thing if the Town went onto the Kinneen property now and cut the Kinneen brush at the pond so that it would not be sticking up property. through the ice when winter comes . The Town has not as yet received title to the prop- erty and the Board therefor instructed Mr. Trask to ask Mr. Kinneen for permission to go onto the property to do this work. The Chairman asked Mr. Trask if money would be needed in the Insurance Account and Mr. Trask reported that it would be needed but that he did not know how Insurance. much, and hewould report to the Board next week the mmount needed. The Chairman stated that the Water and Sewer Dept. paid its compensation insurance from its own appropriation and suggested that if there was money enough in the different departmental accounts that each department should pay its own compensation insurance. Mr. Trask reported that it would cost the Highway Dept. approx- imately $2000. for this insurance and that he had figured that this would be about the amount of money that would be left in the appropriation at the end of the year. The Board felt that it would be better to pay the insur- ance from the Highway Account rather than to return the money to the Excess and Deficiency Account at the end of the year, and instructed Mr. Trask to this effect. Mr. Trask reported that he had received a letter Water from Mr. Ross , Supt. of the Water Dept. , stating that Liens, Section 42B of Chapter 40 of the General Laws has been Act. amended so that a water lien shall continue for two years from the first day of October next following the date of filing instead of one year. Mr. Ross requested that an article be inserted in the Warrant for the next Town Meeting so that the Town might accept the act. The Board voted to insert such an article in the Warrant. The Supt . of Public Works reported that he intended to recommend the following Chapter 90 work for 1936 : Completion of Lincoln Street and a substantial appropria- Chapter 90 tion for maintenance to be used on Waltham Street on Work, 1936. either side of the new bridge. This part of the road is to be resurfaced. The Waltham Street job would cost approximately :15, 000 and the Lincoln Street job would cost about $22,000. The Town would have to pay about 65000. for Waltham Street and about $7000. for Lincoln Street, making a total of $12, 000 for both jobs. Mr. Potter asked what the Tovm was going to do on Concord Avenue, if anything. The Board thought that 85 it might be a good idea to request that this street be resurfaced as a Chapter 90 job, and voted to submit this with the other two projects. The Supt . of Public Works stated that as far as he Stone could make out, the architect was never on the job at the Building. Stone Building. The Chairman stated that he would write to Mr. Eugene L. Morgan about the matter. Mr. Gilcreast reported that some boys between 17 and 25 years of age were bothering Miss Nichols considerably Damage b3 at the East Lexington Branch Library just before closing boys time in the evening. The boys run across the porch, bang on the windows, etc . and have broken quite a few windows in the rear of the Adams School that had to be replaced. Mr. Gilcreast felt that the matter should be brought to the attention of the Chief of Police so that the patrol car could stop there occasionally. The Supt. of Public Works reported that he had called on Warren Brothers and had investigated a new pavement. New called penolithic pavement which he would like to try out . penolith- Oil is sprayed on the stone so that the asphalt penetrates is pave- substantially more. The usual thickness of stone applied ment. is three inches and about one-half inch is saved under this new method and there is also a saving of asphalt. A heavier asphalt is used so that the work can be done in the winter. Mr. Trask suggested that the penolithic type pavement be used on that portion of Lincoln Street which is to be rebuilt this year, and the Board voted to approve his recommendation. The Supt . of Public Works reported that he believed that Dr. Edwin T . Sleeper of 39 Farm Crest Avenue would expect the Town to build him a wall on Farm Crest Avenue Farm as the road has been cut down considerably from his lawn. Crest It is possible that two or three houses on the other side Avenue . of Sleeper will also ask for walls . Mr. Trask stated that he believed that the Engineering Department should figure the cost of building streets under the Betterment Act in exactly the same way as they figure streets under Chapter 90 Work. The following commitments were signed Water Miscellaneous charges 1,33582.00 Commitments. Sewer " " 3855.00 Water rates and hydrants 8370.60 Water Department abatement in the amount of $517. 21 was signed by the Board. The Welfare Agent reported that he had received an application for Old Age Assistance from Mrs. Susanna Potter of 498 Waltham Street. Mrs . Potter's husband no longer Potter receives compensation from the insurance company. They case. have to pay the Home Owners Loan Corp. $21.67 per month. 86 cn N 1-4 Mr. Potter is not old enough to apply for Old Age Assist- 3� ance and the Welfare Agent recommended that he be aided from Public Welfare in an amount not to exceed 87.00 per week and that Mrs. Potter be given $7.00 per week Old Age Assistance and the -Board voted to approve the recommendation. The Welfare Agent reported that he had received an O'Neil application for Soldiers ' Relief from William O'Neil who case. has been living in Lexington almost all his life. Mr. Mitchell recommended that he be aided in an amount not to exceed $7.00 per week, and the Board voted to approve the recommendation. Mr. Mitchell stated that the Veteran's Corps -of the C .C.C. will accept O'Neil in a short while. Mr. Mitchell reported that he had been authorized to pay Genero Sanseverino $3. 00 per week supplementary aid in addition to the 512.00 per week he was earning on Sansever- E.R.A. ''he man has an injured back and is unable to do ino case. heavy work. The Chairman asked if Sanseverino might not be employed by the E.R.A. as a water boy or be given some other light work, and Mr. Mitchell reported that he had talked the matter over with Mr. Glidden, E.R.A. Administrator, who stated that there were no positions of this kind. The Board recommended that Sanseverino be given light work on E.R.A. if possible, and authorized Mr. Mitchell to pay him an amount which together with his E.R.A. wages, will not exceed $15.00 per week. Mr. Mitchell reported that Otis Lombard, who had been Lombard living in the Somerville Home for the Aged for the past case. seven or eight years, died on Sept. 18th, 1935. Mr. Mitchell made arrangements with A.A.Marshall & Son to bury Mr. Lombard and authorized payment of funeral expenses not to exceed $50.00. Mr. Mitchell reported that he received word today of C.C.C. a C.C.C. enrollment. Lexington has a quota of four and Can ps. the boys are supposed to go on October 4th, 1935. The Townof Lexington now has about twenty in the C .C.C. camps . The age limit has been changed so that boys between the ages of seventeen and twenty-eight are now accepted. The meeting adjourned at 9:45 P.M. A true record, Attest: Clerk.