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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1937-02-12 291) SPECIAL MEETING FEBRUARY 12, 1937 A special meeting of the Board of Selectmen was held in the Selectmen' s Room, Town Office Building, at 2:30 P M Chairman Ferguson, Messrs Potter, Giroux and Ross were present The Clerk was also present The chairman informed the Board that he had talked with Calvin W Childs who said that he did not care whether a service pipe was laid across private land or the water main was extended as long as he got water, and Childs ' he understands that he will have to pay a betterment water main assessment It is estimated that a water main extension would cost $2100 and a service pipe would cost about $450.00, but when the water main was extended in Water- town Street eventually, this service pipe would be use- less Mr Giroux moved that an article be inserted in the Warrant to see if the Town would vote to extend the eight inch water main in Watertown Street approximately 700 feet subject to the assessment oV betterments. Mr. Potter seconded the motion and it was so voted. The Supt of Public Works appeared before the Board and budgets were discussed as follows: Retirement Act The Chairman said that he thought the sum of $500. Retirement should be provided for Retirement Act expenses Mr. Act Giroux moved that an article be inserted in the Warrant to cover this expense Mr Potter seconded the motion and it was so voted. Planning Board The Chairman said that he understood that it was the intention of the Board to insert an article in the Planning Warrant for the provision of a map for the use of the Board Town Meeting Members Mr. Giroux moved that an article be inserted in the Warrant to cover this purchase Mr . Potter seconded the motion and it was so voted. Jackson Court In view of the fact that a petition was received Jackson for the construction and acceptance of Jackson Court, Court. Mr Ross moved that an article be inserted in the Warrant for the construction and acceptance of the street Mr. Potter seconded the motion and it was so voted Mr Raymond said that some of the expenditures he had asked for could be very properly financed by a bond 296 issue. The Chairman stated that he was not in favor of a bond issue for these items inasmuch as the Town was faced with the problem of doing Vine Brook Drainage, and that would no doubt have to be bonded Mr Giroux said that he was not in favor of bonding any yearly work and in view of the fact that there are so many able- bodied men on welfare and with the thought that the W P1A. would be stopped soon, he thought that the Board should take a stand on the need of borrowing money for Vine Brook Drainage and the North Lexington Sewer Pro- ject He said he would like to see the Board take a stand on the Town Hall floor on the question of a large borrowing to begin our major problems The Chairman asked him if he thought the Town should begin borrowing for these major projects this year and Mr Giroux ans- wered in the affirmative Mr. Ross asked if it would not be a good idea to have another project in line in the event that Vine Brook Drainage was thrown down Mr, Question of Raymond said that Vine Brook Drainage would not help the borrowing - welfare situation a great deal, but a sewer proposition Vine Brook would. He thought that Vine Brook Drainage ought to be Drainage & a contract job but did not feel that the sewer job should Sewer Pro- be Mr Ross asked how a P W.A projedt would work out ject for the sewer job, and Mr. Raymond said that it would be all right He said, however, that he did not believe the Government would commit itself until the Town had appropriated some money It was decided to call a special meeting at one of the adjourned Town Meetings to act on Vine Brook Drainage if the Committee submitted a favorable report Mr Giroux suggested that Mr Raymond get some figures together on a project to take the place of the Vine Brook Drainage project if this was not recommended. by the Committee The Chairman said that that would be agreeable to him Mr. Raymond said that the only thing he could submit would be North Lexington Sewerage. Mr. Giroux moved that the Supt. of Public Works be instructed to prepare such estimates as will enable the' Board of Selectmen to recommendto the Town all or part of the North Lexington Sewerage project in the event that the Vine Brook Drainage project is not submitted at the adjourned Town Meeting. Mr. Potter seconded the motion and it was so voted Mr Raymond said that he should have authority to put on another engineer as he thought the engineering costs on this job would amount to about $250.00. Mr. Giroux moved that the Supt. of Public Works be empowered to employ the necessary engineering help to make the Sewer study Mr Ross seconded the motion and it was so voted. , 297 Mr. Raymond said that the Town was not going to get anywhere and was getting behind every year by approp- riating money from the tax levy only for drainage work. He said that he could not see how the Town was ever going to catch up on drainage without borrowing money for it. He said that there Wasa bad situation on Mass Avenue, another at Raymond and Muzzey Streets and several others Drainage in various parts of the Town. The Chairman said that the whole difficulty was that we had the sewerage problem, the Fire housing problem and the drainage problem and the question was what the most important one was He waid that he thought Vine Brook Drainage was the most important problem at this time Mr Raymond said that it would not be necessary to appropriate money for Vine Brook Drainage if money for some sewer and drainage projects was appropriated. Old Age Assistance Mr Giroux stated that Tax Commissioner Long thought that the towns would get some money back on Old Age Old Age Assistance, and Mr. Russell thought that $2500. could be Assistance cut from this appropriation and still leave anough money Mr Giroux moved that the appropriation for Old Age Assistance be set at $12,500.00 rather than $15,000 00 Mr Ross seconded the motion and it was so voted. Aid to Dependent Children Aid to Mr. Giroux moved that the appropriation for aid to Dependent dependent children be reduced from $7000 to $5000. Mr. Children: Ross seconded the motion and it was so voted. Highway Maintenance Mr. Raymond said that he was willing to take $1680. out of the 1920 approved for Oakland Street Mr Ray- mond said that if it was decided that the water in East Street could be taken care of with filter catch basins, he would be willing to reduce that appropriation from $2425 to $480.00. Mr. Raymond said that he would be willing to omit the Larohmont Lane appropriation of $242. Mr. Raymond said that he would be willing to reduce the Audubon Road appropriation from $600. to $105.00 Mr. Highway Raymond said that he thought it would be just as well not Maintenan::e to do the highway work on Mass Avenue from Parker Street to Clark Street as he believed that next year the Town would have to put drainage in this section This would make a saving of $1512.00 Mr. Raymond said that he would be willing to cut the Lowell Street appropriation by $702.00. Mr Raymond said that he would be willing to cut the appropriation for Grant, Sherman and Sheridan Streets from $552 to $64 00 Mr Raymond said 1 tat the only other place he could make a cut in his budget was from emergency work, and he hated to cut that. 298 CD x Mr. Giroux moved that the following amounts be deducted from the Highway Maintenance appropriation: Oakland Street $1680. East Street 1945. Larchmont Lane 242. Audubon Road 495 Mass Avenue 1512. Lowell Street 702. Grant Street, etc 488 Emergency Work 3000. Spring Street 2000. Percy Rd & Eustis St 2452. making a total of X614516. Mr Ross seconded the motion and it was so voted. The Highway Maintenance appropriation was thus reduced to $43,919.00. Curbing Mr. Giroux moved that curbing construction be re- Curbing duced from $2,000. to $1,000 Mr Ross seconded the motion and it was so voted Public Works Building Repairs. Pub Works Mr. Giroux moved that the sum of 4500. approved Building for making over the Highway Office in the Highway Repairs. section be eliminated. Mr. Ross seconded the motion and it was so voted. Drainage Mr Giroux moved that the drainage work in Mass Avenue, Percy Road and Eustis Street estimated at $6,000. Drainage. be eliminated Mr Potter seconded the motion and it was so voted. The Chairman suggested that the approp- riation for Mass . Avenue drainage in the amount of $6,000. be cut and just enough left in to do the drainage work in front of the Catholic Church It was decided to get an estimate of the cost of this work from Mr. Raymbnd. Welfare.. Welfare Mr. Giroux moved that the Welfare appropriation be cut from $55,000.00 to $50,000.00. Mr Potter seconded the motion and it was so voted. Park Department Park Dept. Mr Ross moved that there be no change in Mr. Garrity' s salary: Mr. Potter seconded the motion and it was so voted. Letter was received from the Veterans of Foreign Vets of Wars requesting that an article be inserted in the Foreign Warrant to permit time off for town employees to attend Wars Department and National Conventions of locally recog- nized veterans ' organizations without loss of pay 299 Mr Giroux moved that all veterans organizations be advised that the Board of Selectmen would recognize not over two town employees as official delegates to National and State conventions who shall be allowed to take time off without Loss of pay Mr. Potter seconded the motion and it was so voted The meeting adjourned at 5:00 P M. A true record, . test: Clerk. 1