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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1936-09-2252 CD c� SELMCTM£N18 MEETING. SEPT. 22, 1936. A regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen was held in the Selectmen's Room, Town Office Building, Lexington,' at 7;30 P.M. Chairman Ferguson and Messrs. Potter, Clark' and Giroux were present. The Clerk was also present. Refunds Excise tax refunds in the amount of $99.87 were signed by the Board. Mr. Robert A. McAdoo of Conoord,-who now has the garbage contract, appeared before the Board. Mr. McAdoo said that there was considerable difference between his present contract and his new bid. His bid on the present contract was $3600..por year, and he relined after he had the job for only six weeks that he was going to lose.money. He spoke to Robert P. Trask, then Chairman of the Board, about it. Mr. Trask told him (he said) that the Board relined that he -never could do the job for the price he bid, but as he had signed the contract, he would have to live up to it. However, he suggested that he continue the work for a year, and if he was still losing money, to for. feit his contract. McAdoo told him that if he continued for a year, he would continue for three years, and that as the Town of Lexington felt that way about it, he Mould give the , Town the best service possible, even though he lost con- siderable money. Mr. Trask told him that there was no doubt that he would be given consideration when his present contract expired if he bid the new one. Mr. Giroux asked McAdoo how much money he had lost on the contract, and he replied that he had lost approximately $6500. in the three years, and that he had nearly lost his house. The only thing that saved him was his thirty-six COWS* Mr. McAdoo said that he had not intended to bid this contract, but he had thirty -six -letters asking him to bid that he had received from residents of the Town that were well satisfied with his service. He decided to bid only the Tuesday morning that the bids were due. Mr. McAdoo said that his men worked from 6;00 A.M. to 6600 P.M., and worked every holidy including Thanksgiving and Christmas. The men take only a half an hour for lunch. He pays his driver $27.50 per week. He said that he could not do thework with "green" men, as he had a great deal of trouble even now when a man is sick, as the substitutes do not know where the pails are, ate. His men have worked faithfully, and he thought that if he got the contract this year that he would pay them better wages. He works three men most of the time, but part of the time he works four men. Mr. Clark asked him if he employed Lexington men, and ' he said that he did not. He likes to have his men report at his yard in the morning and at night so that he can see them start out and return. 53 McAdoo said that there was too much ground to cover, and the houses are so far apart that sometimes it is impossible to ' make the collections with one truck. There are seasons of the year when it is absolutly necessary to have two trucks, He said that t kAs hsd to buy a new truck every pear, and he now has a truck 11 months old that needs new tires all around. He said that one truck would never do the work now, that a second truck was needed. If only one collection a week in the winter was required, perhaps you could get along with one truck, but could not do so with two collections per week. The work is much harder in the winter, as the men have to dig the pails out of the snow, do a lot of walking, *to. Mr. McAdoo figures that his trucks cost him $4.00 a day. A truck burns from ten to fourteen gallons of gasol3me a day, and there is the insurance and wear and tear to.think of. Every truck depreoiates.500. per year, so he figures that $4.00 per.day is not too much to figurs for the trucks. The Chairman asked McAdoo how much he thought the pick- ups had increased. He replied that when he started work here there were 1400 houses,, and now the Town Report states that there are 2300 houses. When he bid the job, he knew nothing about Workmen's Compensation Insurance or about a bond. He pays about $145.00 per year for pails. The Bond costs 11% of the contract. He did notthink that a bonding company would give a three-year bond. Mr. Potter asked McAdoo if he would consider a lower ' figure than $29,500. He said that he would, if he could work under the same conditions as he is now, but not with an 8 -hour day. He figured that he would need five men in the winter and two trucks if.held to an eight hour day. The Chairman asked McAdoo what he thought he could do McAdoo re; it for if"he was allowed to work under the same conditions Garbage as he is now, and he said that he could not say just then, Contract that he would have to figure it again. Mr. Potter asked McAdoo if he could continue to colledt the garbage after October 1st if the Board had not seen fit to award the new contract by that time. He replied that both his bond and his insurance expired on October 1st. If the insurance could be care of, he would be willing to work a week or two longer. He repeated that he had given good service even though he was losing moneyo as he thought he would be given consideration when the new contract was let. The Chairman asked McAdoo if he had ever collected garbage before he got the Lexington contract, and he said that he had not, but that he had fed a great deal. The Chairman asked him how soon he could determine what he could do the work for under the same conditions as at pre sent , and. he said that he probably could submit a new bid by next Tuesday morning. Mr. Giroux moved that Robert A. McAdoo be authorized to continue the collection of garbage until such time as the Board of Selectmen awarded the new contract. Mr. Potter seconded the motion, and it was so voted. McAdoo agreed to this, and retired. The Clerk was instructed.to invite Mr. Bieren, the low bidder, to appear before the Board next Tuesday evening. 54 Roache re: extra time. Harry Burgess, James Roache, and Anthony_Kenego appeared before the Board. Roache stated that -when he was working on the E.R.A.' about,a year ago, a digger became stuck below Bow Street,'. and he was put to work by Burgess to take.it out. He was working two days a week for the E.R.A. and received his pay for the two dgys. Burgess gave him extra men and he worked three days extra each week, and worked a total of fifteen' days extra, besides his E.R.A. time. The wages for the extra time pat in could not be collected from the E.R.A. and he had not.keceived his money. Mr. Giroux asked if the Supt. of Public Works authors. ized Burgess to put the men to work, and Burgess stated that Mr. Trask authorized him to work Roache and the men the -extra time. Burgess said that he took the matter up with Mr. Trask, and Roache did also, and Mr. Trask told Roache to,' collect the money from Burgess. Burgess said that Mr. Scamman was working on the E.R.A. or W.P.A. at the time, and he also authorized him to take the digger out. The Chairman asked if Mr. Trask authorized him to do'the work as an individual or as the foreman of the job. Burgess said he received the authorization as the foreman of the job. The Chairman asked Roache what he was being paid at the time this happened,, and he said that he was earning $1.30 per hour as a mason, and that he had 105 hours' pay coming to him. The Chairman asked Roache why he let the matter go so long, and he replied that he had taken up the matter several times with O'Connor, Trask, and Beach, but that nothing had been done. He said that he thought the W.P.A. would pay him. The Chairman asked him what gave him that impression, and he said that Mr. Beach had. The Chairman said that if Roache was working for the Town that he should have been put on the Town payroll. Mr. Giroux said that he recalled that there had been a run-around back and forth between one department and an+ other as to which one wqs going to pay this bill. Mr. Clark stated that if the time was put in, and the man was entitledto his money, that he would receive it. Mr. Roache stated that he worked on Nov. 14, 150 16, 21, 22, 23, 27., 29, and 30 of 1935 and Dec. 40 5, 11, 12, 18, 19, of 1935. Kenego stated that he had been working seven hours a day, three days a week for the B.P.A. in 1938. Mr. Burgess, the foreman on the Mill Brook project, asked him to take a form down, and he worked extra time doing it. He said that when he was working on the W.P.A. and worked extra time, he usually took the time off to make up for it. He took the time off, but did not receive his money. He worked 21 hours extra. He went in to the Boston W,P.A, office to see if he could get his money, and was told that he had worked his quota and could not be paid for the 21 hrs., that the Town would have to pay him. He worked 7 hours each day on November 21,22 and 28, 19350 a$ $1.17 per hour, as•a 1 carpenter. Mr. Burgess said that he had authorized the ' work as he was in a hurry_to get the form off, and Kenego was the only derpenter available. Mr. Trask visited the job.and knew irhat was going on and thought it was all right. Burgess said that -Mr, Scamman could give the Board all the details. The Chairman told the men that the Board vn uld look into.the matters, and they:.retired. 1 1 The Supt. of Public Works stated that the tent cater- pillar situation was getting very serious, and that he felt that the time_had come to advise the property owners in the Town that if they did not clean up their trees and bushes that the Town would go in and do it and charge them for it. To make this legal, it will be necessary to notify, the property owners either by written notice, or by advertising three times in the paper. He said that he would report further on the matter next week. 55 Tent cater- pillars. The Supt. of Public Works re minded.the Board that the agr"eemeant between the Boston & Maine R.R. and the Town re: signal lights at Pletcher Avenue states that the Town shall submit a sketch showing what the Town proposes to do. Mr. Fletcher Raymond had received a letter from Mr. Morrill of the B.& M. Avenue R.R..requesting the sketch. Mr. Raymond submitted to,the Agreement. Board the sketch which he had had prepared. The Chairman stated that the proper way to do the work would be to widen the road over the railroad right of way, and asked Mr. Raymond what harm it would do if this.was not done. Mr. Raymond stated that he thought that the lights could be installed just the same. The Chairman add that there were no funds available for the widening at the present time, but he could see no harm in submitting the plan con- taining,the widening, and getting the approval of the rail- road. He did.not think that the Town would be obligated to do the widening even though the plan was submitted showing it. He suggested that Mr. Raymond talk with Mr. Morrill on the matter, and Mr. Raymond agreed to do this. Mr. Raymond brought up the W.P.A. proposal #17, which Is to establish a community center for youthful people. The name of the sponsor's agent was on the projedt as that of W.P.A. Mr. (brindle, but Mr, arindle had not signed it. Federal Project, funds in the amount of $1350, have already been allotted #17 for the project. Mr. (brindle said that he was not especially Interested in the project, but thought that Mr. Potter knew all about it. Mr. Potter said that he thought that the project referred to the community classes held at the high school last winter. Mr. Clark moved that the matter be deferred one week, and that in the meantime Mr. Raymond contact Mr. Grindle on the matter. Mr. Potter seconded the motion, and it was so voted. Mr. Raymond read a letter which he had received from R. H. Stevens stating that on account of Ch. 461 of the Acts of 1935 being enforced, he was forced to pay higher wages to 56 r� his men working on Lincoln Street. This means that he will have to pay his men $11,00 more per day, in wages. He ' asked if the Town would pay him more money in proportion to what he had to pay, as he had not figured on paying the higher scale of wages when he figured the work in the spring. R.H.Stevens He receivds $40.00 per day for his shovel, and $2.75 per Res Ch.461, ftw for his trucks, Mr. Raymond stated that he would have Acts of 193525 or 30 more days work for the shovel, plus an equal number of days for the trucks, Mr, Clark--slsked' what' p*rticulatI classes of labor this act referred to, and Mr. Raymond said that it referred to truck drivers, the firemen, and the shovel operators. The Chairman stated that perhaps the Town could hire other shovels at the same .rate we are paying Stevens. Mr. Raymond said that Stevens would be willing to accept an adjustment of $5.00 per day on the shovel, The Chairman asked if he would be willing to forget it for the balance of ;this year in view of the amount of work he. -gets in the town. Mr. Raymond said that he did not think he would do it willingly, but he probably would do it as he could not eery well do otherwise. The Chairman said that if there was any money left in the appropriation when the job was completed that perhaps he could be paid some more money. Mr. Clark moved that Mr. Raymond talk with Mr. Stevens on the matter and report to the Board nest week. Mr. Potter seconded the motion, and it was so voted. Mr. Raymond said that the Town would start work on the ' Ch. 4611, 1936 contract for Lincoln Street next week, and would be re - Acts of quired to pay wages in accordance with Ch* 461 of the Acts 1935, re: of 1935. This means that the Town will have to pay $1.00 Lincoln St. per hour for the roller operator, 75� per hour for the. grader operator, 75¢ per hour for the jackhammer operator, 75y per hour for the compressor operator, etc., as compared with 600 55, and 50 cents per hour. It will mean an in- crease of about $500, in the Lincoln Street expenses. Mr, Raymond said that as far as he could see, there was no way out of it and the Town would have to pay the wages in accordance with the State Law. Mr. Raymond informed the Board that he had succeeded in having the State Engineer make a change in the ledge and Lincoln drainage work in Lincoln Street, and thought that the new Street. may Would be much more economical, He could not tell exactly how it was coming out, and could not do so until a schedule had been worked out. He said that he thought that the job was being run very well. If there is not sufficient money in the appropriation to complete the job, perhaps a portion of the road will not receive the final surfaee,but might be handled under Highway Maintenance ne* year, � ' Mr. Raymond stated that he needed excavation done on Mill Brook and had tried to locate a shovel man around Town 57 but had been unsuccessful. He would like to try dynamite m Mill Brook. The dynamite expert thinks ' that with favorable DynamitinE winds and light charges that the job can be done. The of Mill DuPont power man would do the job. It would be _much more Brook, economical doing it this way. The Board agreed that it would be all right to do the work by dynamiting. u Mr. Raymond said that he had completed working up the P.W.A. Vine Brook project, and the total was $1082300. It is set up so that the Town will request a Federal grant of $47,e00, and will furnish funds amunting to $58,300, of which several thousand dollars have already beets provided, including surveys, engineering work, etc. He stated that the funds will be provided by the sale of twenty year interest bonds, and thought that it would take about eight months to complete the work. This project will take the culvert Vine Brook from about 100 feet beyond Vine Brook Road to about 680' ?,W.A. this side of Haynes Lane, and a 21" sewer. will be laid in Project. the same trench with the drain. The sewer will be low enough to take the system over to the Farmcrest Avenue section (eventually), and will take card of every lot the way the Town has planned for Zoning, and is in accordance with Metcalf & Eddyts survey. The open channel will start from where the closed conduit ends this side of Hayes Lane. Mr. Raymond stated that there should be some start made to take care of the water near East Street and Bowser's culverts. Mr. Clark asked if it would be necessary to stick to the 20 year bond issue if tt::was gdund necessary to bond only a part of the money, and Mr. Raymond said that he did not believe so. The Board approved Mr. Raymond's submitting the project as explained at this meeting. Mr. Giroux stated that last year it was requested that two or three shelters be provided for children at outlying points, and wanted to know if this could be done under a Shelters W.P.A. project. Mr. Raymond said that Mr. Ross had spoken for School to him six weeks ago about this, and had told him persons children. to contact on it. The School Dept. has Informed Mr. Raymond that it is not interested until complaints are received, and the bus drivers state that they have had no such requests. The Chairman said that he thought that this was a School Dept. matter, and that if the Selectmen did receive any such requests, that they could refer them to the School Department, Mr. Raymond stated that the Supt. of the Park Departtent had requested that two men in the Moth Dept.,_J'ohn A. Ferry, and Henry J. Nutt, receive an increase in pay. There are sufficient funds in the appropriation. In 1921, Ferry .received $27.00 per; week and 'Tutt received $30.00, and now they are both earning 22.00 per week'. Garrity recommended that both men be paid 24* per week for a 40 hour week. Mr. Giroux mo ved that the recommendation be approved. Mr. Potter seconddd the motion and it was so voted. It was voted to grant a license for an overhanging sign to Eugene Derby at 11 Waltham Street, subject to the approval of the Building Inspector. Salaries, Moth Dept Overhang- ing Sign. 58 cri c.� x Mr. Raymond stated that th&WsP.A. was bothering him, He said that Mr. Beach was putting in a lot of overtime and was doing a lot of work, and should receive more , W.P.A. money. Also, OtConnor should be back With the Highway salaries. Department to help Paxton. He said that there was an item of $1325. in the appropriation of $80000. just approved, which was for office expenses, and this included O'Connor's salary, which is now being paid from Highway Maintenance. There will be about $380, in the Highway Maintenance appropriation left because O'Connor's salary was paid from the W.P.A. appropriation for a time. He suggested that this be transferred at a later Town Meeting. There would be more money available if OtConnor was paid out of Labor and Materials, and he is really working for the W.P.A. now. Mr. Clark moved that OtConnorts gages be charged to the rublic Works., Labor & Materials Appropriation beginning Sept. 28th. Mr. Giroux seconded themotion, and it was so voted. Mr. Giroux moved that the Chairman write a letter t -o Officer the Chief of Police commending the action of Officer Barry, Barry who submitted to a blood transfusion for a man Who was injured in an automobile accident. Mr. Clark seconded the motion, and it was so voted. Letter was received from the Town Treasurer advising ' that he had accepted in the name of the Town. of Lexington Loan the bid of the Lexington Trust Company of one per cent discount on a loan of $10,000., dated September 16, 1936, and payable within one year. Letter was received from the Lexington High School Use of Football Injury Fund Committee requesting the use of Cary Cary Hall. Memorial Hall on November 27th for a dance, the proceeds to be used for the medical care of the football squad. Mrr. Giroux moved that the Committee be granted the use of the hall free of charge. Mr. Potter seconded the motion, and it was so voted. Request was received from the American Legion Aux. Use of iliary for the use of Cary Memorial Hall on Friday,, Cary Hall. November 13th, from 200 P.M. to 10:30 P.M., for a fair and bridge. Mr. Giroux moved that the American Legion .auxiliary be granted the use of the hall at a cla rge of $15.00. Mr. Potter seconded the motion, and it was so voted* Letter was received from the Supt, of thePark Depart— ment stating that he did not believe that there was Concession sufficient demand to warrant granting a concession for the at sale of refreshments at the center playground, He said ' Playgrounds, that it had always been the policy of the town to keep venders of all kinds from the playgrounds in order to keep the grounds in a clean and healthful condition. Mr. Garrity did not believe that the $25.00 compensation would C� 1 59 any more -than pay for the cost of _cleaning up after the games. Dir. Grindle agreed with Mr. Garrity, Mr. Giroux moved that the request of the Simco Trading Co, of Mattapan for the concession at the center pi.ayground be denied. Mr. Potter seconded the motion, and it was so voted. Letter was received from the commission on investigation of salaries of judges of probate and insolvency stating that the Commission would hold two public hearings which the Hearing. Board was invited to attend. No action was taken on the matter. Letter was received from the State Department of Agri- culture stating that it was sponsoring State-wide mosquito control, reclamation and drainage projects, in co-operation with the W.P.A. Mr. Potter moved that the matter be re- ferred eferred to the Supt. of Public Works. Mr. Clark seconded the motion, and it was so voted. Letter was received from Doris Dalrymple stating that she wished to tender her resignation as Water Registrar, effective.September 26, 1936. The Welfare Agent discussed Welfare matters with the Board. The meeting adjourned at 10:40 P.M. A true record, Attest: Clerk. Mosquito control Resignation Water Registrar.