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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1938-04-20318 SELECTMEN'S MEETING APRIL 20, 1938. , A regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen was held in the Selectmen's Room, Town Office Building, at 7:30 P.M. Chairman Giroux, Messrs. Potter and Rowse were present. The Clerk was also -present. Mr. Raymond appeared 'before the Board. He asked if Gas main the Board wished to discuss the matter of gas mains locations. permits. Mr. Potter moved that Mr. Raymond be'given authority to issue permits for gas main locations, provided he reported same at the next meeting of the Board. Mr. Rowse seconded the motion and it was so voted. Mr. Raymond said that a couple of weeks ago he read a letter from the Superintendent of the Highway Department relative to increasing the automobile_ allowance to the O'Connor's Assistant Superintendent. He said that 060.00 was left car intact, he thought, in the Highway Department budget for allowance. this item. The Town Meeting cut the total appropriation to 036,000. but he did not know if anything had been done about this car allowance. The Chairman stated that i►hen the appropriation was out down it meant that certain construction jobs could not be done, The Board felt that inasmuch as ' the $360,00,had not been reduced by the Selectmen, that O'Connor should be given the increased car allowance. Mr. Potter moved that the sum of $30.00 per month be approved. beginning April lst, 1938. Mr. Rowse seconded the motion and it was so voted. Mr. Raymond reported that'he wanted to buy 3000 feet Copper of one inch and 1000 feet of 3/4 inch copper tubing at tubing. a cost of approximately $680.00, the expense'to be charged to the Water Stock Account. 'Mr. Rowse moved that Mr. Ray- mond be given authority to purchase this stock. Mr. Potter seconded the motion and it was so voted. Mr. Raymond reported that the Cemetery Department Cemetery wanted some of the welfare men to clean out the brush and work. leaves next to the cleaned up portion of Westview Cemetery, The Board felt that this would be all right when Mr. Ray mond did riot need the men. Letter was received from Alfred L. Short of -1034 Short re Waltham Street requesting that welfare mem be allowed to flooding clean out the brook which passed through his property. of land. Mr. Short said that this was a natural waterway and due to its clogged condition, his land was flooded. Mr, Raymond said he thought that there was water from 'Town , highways going down into this brook and that welfare men could clean it out. Mr. Rowse thought that this might 319 be establishing a precedent and asked if it would be much of a job. Mr. Raymond thought it would only take three or four days to do the work. Mr. Potter moved that Mr. Raymond be given permission to use welfare men for this work. Mr. Rowse seconded the motion and it was so voted. Mr. Raymond reported that certain repairs were needed to the flagpole on the Common and new flags were also needed. The estimated cost of the repair work and' new flags is $191.34. He said that there was $394.14 in the Flag pole George W. Taylor .Flag Fund and asked if the Selectmen and desired to request the Trustees of Public Trusts to make flags. this money available for the repairs and new flags. Mr. Rowse moved that the Trustees of Public Trusts be'requested to make the money available for this purpose. Mr. Potter seconded the motion and it was so voted. The Board discussed the condition of East Street. Mr Rowse said that it was in extremely bad condition and asked if some patching could be done. Mr. Giroux said that he explained to the Town Meeting that if the Highway Department East appropriation was cut, work on East and Spring Streets and Street Percy Road could not 'be done, but still the appropriation was out. Mr. Raymond said -that he was going to ask the Board if they would approve putting up Pass at your own Risks signs on East and Bridge Streets within a short time. He ' said that he had already instructed Mr. Paxton to patch East Street. Mr. Raymond presented W.P.A. form #308 relative to the sewing project. This form called for the expenditure of $15,207.60 of Federal Funds and $5857.40 of Town Funds. Mr. Raymond said that the proportion of Town funds was larger than ever before. Mr. Rowse asked how long this was for and Mr. Raymond said he thought it was for 8 months, but he was not sure. Mr. Giroux signed the form. Mr. Raymond asked if there was any objection toopen- Ing up the Shade Tree project. The Board felt that it would be best to let this project go until there were no other projects ready. Mr. Raymond said that there were two or three men that Mr. Beach had planned to put on this project and that if they were not put to work, theywould have to go on Welfare. Mr. Potter moved that the matter be held over for one week. Mr. Rowse seconded the motion and it was so voted. Mr. Raymond asked if the Board would approve the location of a gas maim in Reed Street for a distance of 216 feet to Candlewick Close. Mr. Potter moved that the location be approved. Mr. Rowse seconded the motion and it was so voted. Sewing project Shade Tree Project. Gas Main 320 Letter was received from the Chief of Police advising that Patrolman John M. Barry had performed 82 hours of his punishment duty. He suggested that the remainder be Fli 1 Mr. Raymond read a letter from Elmer A. Lord & Co. to the effect that a decision had been made in which it was Insurance held that a W.P.A. employee at the time of an injury, even for though paid out of Federal funds, was an employee of the W.P.A.men. Town. It.was ruled that the compensation insurance company was liable. The Chairman suggested that Mr. Willard Hill be invited to appear before the Board to discuss the matter, but Mr. Raymond suggested that the matter be turned over to the .Town Counsel for his opinion first. The Board requested Mr. Raymond to take up the matter with Mr. Wrightington. Mr. Raymond requested permission to purchase approx- Water imately 850 feet of 8 inch water pipe for Cottage Street pipe. at a cost of $1.27 per foot. Mr. Potter moved that Mr. Raymond be authorized to purchase the pipe. Mr. Rowse seconded the motion and it was so voted. Mr. Raymond reported that he had received sealed bids for granite curbing and that Arthur DeCateret of Tyngsboro, Mass. was the low bidder. The bids received were as follows; Name 7x18" 7x18" 5x16" 5x16" 7x18" Curb 5X16" Str. Curv, Stb. Curt. cor. In- C r. Stones lets Ponds ones pd- Arthur DeCar- N iulI Bids teret - Tyngs- $0.78 $0.88 e0.58 $0.68 $3.50 $7.50 $2.75 on Curbing. boro, Mass. H.E.Pletcher Co. - West Chelmsford 0.79 0.99 0.62 0.79 3.70 8.95 2.99 Morris Bros. No. Chelmsford 1.00 11.20 .0.70 0.90 5.00 9.50 4.00 (Dis. 10 days ' 2p) Mr. Potter moved that the bid be awarded to the low bidder. Mr. Rowse seconded the motion and it was so voted. The Board discussed the application of the Colonial Colonial Garage, Inc. to maintain gasoline pumps in the capacity garage of 100000 gallons at 1686 Mass. Avenue, the hearing on gasoline which was held on March 29th. The Clerk reported that the permit. Board of Appeals had granted permission to the petitioner to change the location of the tanks. Mr. Potter moved that the petition for permission to store the gasoline in the tanks be granted subject to the approval of the Fire Department. Mr. Rowse seconded the motion and it was so voted. Letter was received from the Chief of Police advising that Patrolman John M. Barry had performed 82 hours of his punishment duty. He suggested that the remainder be Fli 1 321 omitted. The Chairman recommended that the rest of the Police punishment duty be dropped. Mr. Potter moved that the duty. suggestion of the Chief be approved. Mr. Rowse seconded the motion and it was so voted. Letter was received from the Town Counsel stating that the printing costs in the Ryder Drainage Cases was over :600.00. The brief would run 000.00 more and Mr. oYrightington recommended that 61500.00 be provided for the expense of taking the cases .to the Supreme Court. Mr.Rowse said that in discussing these cases with various people, it seemed to him that a great many of the people in Town would like to see these carried to the higher Court and the Ryder only real doubt seemed to be that Mr. Wrightington should cases* have some advice from some expert in cases such as these. He would suggest that Mr. Wrightington have such an attorney go over the entire case with the idea of suggesting any arguments that might help the Town to win it. The Chairman said that the Selectmen had the power to approve extra legal advice. He felt that if the Town authorized the Selectmen to take the cases to the Supreme Court, the Board should suggest hiring outside legal advice to Mr. Wrightington. The Clerk was instructed to call the Town Counsel on Tuesday, April 26th and suggest that he secure outside legal advice from an expert along these lines provided the Town authorized the Selectmen to take the cases to the Supreme Court. ' Notice was received from the County Commissioners ad- Hearing vising that a hearing would be held on Friday, May 6th re at 10:00 A.M. relative to the relocation and repair of Bedford Bedford Street. Mr. Potter moved that the Supt. of Public Street. Works be requested to attend. Mr. Rowse seconded the motion and it was so voted. Letter was received from the Town Counsel advising that Thomas Carroll, who sued the Town on a garbage con Carroll tract and against whom he secured an execution for costs case, in the amount of $51.05, had moved to New Jersey and that there was no prospect of collecting the execution from him. Upon motion of Mr. Potter, seconded by Mr. Rowse, it was voted to grant the following licenses: Licenses Michael Grifore, 1766 Mass. Ave. - Overhanging Sion Don Yuen, 1734 Mass. Ave. Q it' E. M. Mitchell, 1736 Plass. Ave. - Intelligence Office Salvation Army - Lexington - Junk Collector's Adelaide Martin, Bow Street Sunday Sales Samuel'Staachi, Laconia Street Keeping of Swine Swenson Brothers, Allen Street - n r n E. K. Ballard, 148 Wood Street - n n n Carroll Brothers, Allen Street - ' Arthur A. Marshall & Son, 1844 Mass. Ave. - Undertaker's 322 Mr. Rowse moved that.the Supt. of Parks, the Chief of April 19th Police and the Chairman of the Patriots' Day Committee be' commended for the fine work done on the 19th of April. Mr. Potter seconded the motion and it was so voted. At 8:30 P.M., hearing was declared open on the appli- McKay cation of Herman B. McKay for permission to maintain a two garage car garage at 4 Vine Brook Road. Mr. McKay appeared and hearing. presented plan of the proposed garage. No persons appeared in opposition. Mr. Potter moved that the permit be granted subject to the approval of the Building Inspector. Mr. Rowse seconded the motion and it was so voted. At 8:32 P,M., hearing was declared open on the appli- cation of Charles R. Metchear, Jr. for permission to main- tain a two car garage at 30 Edgewood Road. Mr. Metchear Metchear appeared and presented plan of the proposed garage. Mr. garage Ronald D. Brown of 27 Edgewood Road was also present at hearing the hearing. Mr. Brown asked if the conveyancer called Mr. Metchear's attention to the restriction that the garage must have a set -back of fifty feet. Mr. Metchear did not know of the restriction and said that he would look into the matter. Mr. Potter moved that the permit•be granted subject to the approval of the Building Inspector. Mr. Rowse seconded the motion and it was so voted. Mrs. Annie Bornstein of Hibbert Street appeared be- fore the Board. She said that last week she forgot to tell the Board that Jake Bornstein, her nephew, had stored junk in her barn for the last seventeen or eighteen Bornstein years and therefor the present storage was a non -conforming junk use. For this reason she believed that she should be allowed to continue to rent her barn for the storage of junk. The Chairman asked if she could prove that and she said that her nephew always paid her in Bash and she didn't have any checks to prove it but thought that she could. The Chairman told her that the Board would try to get some proof on the matter. She ret1red. The Clerk was instructed to take the matter up with the Building Inspector and get a report on it. Mr. Mitchell and Mr. Morse appeared before the Board Welfare to discuss Welfare matters. The meeting adjourned at 9:20 P.M. A true record, Attest: \ �� Cerk.