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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1938-08-23 478 SELECTMEN 'S MEETING AUGUST 23, 1938 . ' A regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen was held in the Selectmen's Room, Town Office Building, at 7 :00 P .M. Chairman Giroux, Messrs. Potter, Ross, Clark, and Rowse were present. The Clerk was also present. At 7:00 P.M. the Town Treasurer appeared before the Board. Bids were opened on a loan in the amount of $ 50,000. in anticipation of revenue. The following bids were received: Lexington Trust Co. - .12% dig. R. L. Day - .20% Loan. Second National Bank - .15% dis. plus $7. New Eng. Trust Co. - .12% die. West Newton Savings Bank - .30% dis . Boston Safe Deposit & Trust Co.-.10% die . plus $1. Mr. Clark moved that the bid of the Boston Safe Deposit and Trust Co. be accepted, the notes to be dated August 24, 1938 and payable January 27 , 1939 . Mr. Rowse seconded the motion and it was so voted. Mr. Raymond appeared before the Board. Mr. Raymond said that he had sent a copy of the proposed contract with Metcalf & Eddy for engineering services in connection with the Vine Brook P.W.A. project to the Town Counsel. Mr. Wrightington asked if the compensation fOr Metcalf & Eddy's opinion to the Town of Burlington with respect to the Butterfield's Pond drainage and flowage was to be included in the provisions specified in the paragraphs headed "Compensation". He also thought that the phraseology with reference to the extra compensation for testimony in Vine Brook Court should be more specific. Mr. Raymond said he told Contract. Mr. Wrightington that Metcalf & Eddy would make no charge for the opinion to the Town of Burlington. Mr. Raymond said that he had rewritten the clause of the contract with ref- erence to extra compensation in connection with litigation and services of the engineers and had sent the re-draft to Mr. Wrightington. Mr. Wrightington proposed a paragraph reading a little differently which provided that for expert testimony in litigation or opinions prepared in preparation for litigation, a specified amount per day or part thereof would be paid. He said it was for the Selectmen and not him to decide what bargain they would make with Metcalf & Eddy. Mr. Raymond said that the usual charge for such services was $50. per man day. Mr. Rowse moved that Mr. Raymond be instructed to change the second last paragraph in the contract to read in accordance with the suggestions of the Town Counsel in his letter of August 23, 1938 with the provision that the charge of $50.00 per day shall specifically apply to the members of the firm of Metcalf & Eddy. Mr. Ross seconded the motion and it was so voted. 479 Mr. Raymond asked who the Board wanted to have con- No. Lex. tatted in the matter of engineering proposals if the North Sewer Lexington sewer project was accepted by the Town Meeting Project. on Thursday. Mr. Ross suggested that Whitcomb & Howard and Metcalf & Eddy be contacted. Mr. Raymond said that he had made a study of the traffic conditions at the corner of Adams and Hancock Streets and he reported that the trouble there was excess- ive speeding and nothing else. He had two suggestions for Traffic- remedying the situation. One is to make Adams Street a Adams stop street coming into Hancock Street. He thought that Hancock perhaps the people living on Adams Street about one-quarter Sts. of the way from Hancock Street would object to that. The other suggestion would be to put a red danger button on the island and a button sign "Slow - Curves". Mr. Potter suggested that the buttons be tried out. Mr. Ross moved that the matter be left to Mr. Raymond's discretion. Mr. Potter seconded the motion and it was so voted. Mr. Raymond said that he had received a letter from Mr. F. D. Sabin of the State Dept. of Public Works ad- vising that there would be a hearing on the Chapter 90 program for 1939 soon and requesting that the towns be prepared with estimates. Funds were provided this year for a portion of Bedford Street and Mr. Raymond thought Chapter 90 the town should plan to finish the street next year. In streets - the Selectmen's Records for 1937 in beply to a request of 1939. J. Willard Hayden's, it was stated that Weston Street would be requested as a Chapter 90 project for 1939. If we shift over to Weston Street, it means that Woburn Street may have to be left out. He asked what streets the Board would like to have him work out. Mr. Rowse suggested that the three streets be put in anyway. Mr. Ross moved that the Supt. be instructed to work upprojects for Weston, Woburn and the completion of Bedford Street as the Chapter 90 program for 1939 . Mr. Rowse seconded the motion and it was so voted. Mr. Ross stated that the Governor's bill for highway relief had been signed and that Lexington's allotment was Highway $16,700.00. Mr. Raymond said he talked with Representa- allotment tive Crosby and asked if that money could be used as the town's contribution on a W.P.A. street program and Crosby thought it could. Mr. Rowse stated that the suggestion had been made to him that the town put all men now on W.P.A. to work at 25¢ an hour on a town payroll. The men would work a whole week and would make more that. way than on the three days per week on W.P.A. This would eliminate dissatisfaction among town men on rates of pay. He wondered if the suggestion would be practicable. Mr . Raymond said Rates of ' he thought it would be necessary to pay the prevailing rate Pay for work done with this money . The Chairman asked how much it would cost to enploy men at this rate in comparison with 480 the amount of money appropriated by the town and conmm - tributed by the Government on. W.P.A. Mr. Potter said he doubted if the scheme would be practical. The Chair- man suggested that Mr. Raymond make some study of the matter and report to the Board at a later meeting. Mr. Raymond reported that he had written Arlington, Gen. Letter Reading and Concord relative to the W. P.A. General Letter #184. #184. Arlington and Reading replied stating that be- cause of the vacation season, no definite action had been taken as yet. Mr. Raymond said he had received a letter from Mr. Wrightington relative to the proposed agreement between Sewer Arlington and Lexington in the matter of sewer connections Connections. between the two towns at various points. He had been unable to contact the Town Counsel of Arlington so it would be impossible to take action on the matter at the present time and therefor it would be necessary to move for indefinite postponement on the article in this warrant. Mr. Raymond reported that the Appropriation Committee had voted to make no funds available from the Reserve Fund for Charles Street sidewalks. He wondered if the Board would approve substituting Charles Street sidewalks for Merriam Street sidewalks on the W.P.A. sidewalk project. This can be started probably the week of Sept. 6th. He wondered if the Board wished to have a notice inserted in the paper and a date set for a hearing on various groups of streets to see if the people did or did not want the sidewalks. This project is for bituminous or gravel side- Sidewalk walks. The gravel walks will have enough of a gravel base project so that it will be possible to put in granolithic or bit- uminous later on if desired. It will take about $1600. for this sidewalk project from September to the end of the year. Mr. Raymond thought it would be best to have the abutters pay a portion of the cost of the sidewalk in Charles St. Charles Street. Sidewalks. The Chairman read a letter from the Appropriation Committee advising that that body had voted to disapprove the transfer of funds to pay for sidewalks on Charles Street. The Committee felt that it was good business to construct sidewalks under the Betterment Act but in view of the fact that the charity accounts are going to be short, it felt that it would not be wise to take any money from the Reserve Fund at this time . Mr. Potter movedthat the Charles Street sidewalks be included in the W.P.A. project in place of Merriam S;reet . Mr. Rowse seconded the motion and it was so voted. Mr. Raymond said that he would insert a notice in the paper to the effect that sidewalks would be built in cer- tain streets at no cost to the abutters unless real objection was received so that the people would know that sidewalks were to be constructed. 481 Letter was received from the Appropriation Committee advising that that body had voted to disapprove the transfer of x$''900.00 from the Reserve Fund to the Charles Charles Street construction account. The reason was that it Street felt that sufficient money was not available in the construction Reserve Fund. The Chairman remarked that nothing could be done until a later Town Meeting when a request for a transfer from E. & D. would be made if there were funds available. George Fuller appeared before the Board. He said that he wished to discuss the dog pound in the rear of the Public Works Building. The people on Bedford Street are not bothered as much as the people on North Hancock Dog Street. The dogs make a great deal of noise and it is Pound. very annoying. Last week he had to call the Police Depart- ment at 2:45 A.M. and ask them to go up and quiet the dogs. Fuller made the suggestion that the sum of $50 . be added to the salary of the dog officer and that the total of y$100. be given to Dr. Blakely and that he be allowed to take care of the stray dogs . Fuller said he thought the Police Dept. should water and feed the dogs properly. The Chairman told him that the matter would be discussed further and he retired. Mr. Potter moved that Chief Sullivan be requested to take steps to see that the dogs are fed and watered properly and that his attention be called to the fact that complaints have been received. Mr. Ross seconded the motion and it was so voted. Mr. Ross said that he had received a telephone call from Mr. Draper of the Belmont Springs Country Club re- Closing questing that he be given permission to close off Water- off street town Street to the Concord Turnpike during the golf tournament next week. Mr. Potter moved that permission be granted. Mr. Ross seconded the motion and it was so voted. Mr. Raymond said that Mrs. Goodrich of Lincoln Street Prop. on was complaining of weeds growing on the lot owned by the Lincoln town. He told her that tax title property did not come Street under the Supt. of Public Works but under the Board of Selectmen. Mr. Potter moved that no action be taken on the matter . Mr. Rowse seconded the motion and it was so voted. Mr. Raymond asked if it would be all right to start the sidewalk and curbing projects on Sept. 6 . Mr. Potter W.P.A. moved that the projects be started on that date. Mr. Rowse seconded the motion and it was so voted. Mr. Raymond asked if the Board would approve having Map. colored strips of paper pasted on the largd map used at Town Meetings to show the location of the proposed sewer. The Board instructed Mr. Raymond to do this . 482 1-0 Mr. Raymond read a letter from Mrs . Walter Eagleston ae of Milk Street requesting a street light and street sign and that the street be filled in. Mr. Raymond said the Request street light would require a vote of the Town Meeting re Milk St. and he questioned whether the town would be justified in paying for maintenance of a light for one house. As to the street sign, he thouit that might be all right if Milk Street were graded properly. He said, however, that no work could be done on a private street. No action was taken on the matter. Mr. Rowse called Mr. Raymond's attention to the crown Merriam of the road in Merriam Street near Robert Whitney's house. Street. He asked as to the possibility of painting a white line in the middle of the street or building the street up. Mr. Raymond said he would consider the matter further. Petition was received from the New England Tel. & Pole Tel. Co. for permission to remove five poles on Vine Street . Location. Mr. Ross moved that the petition be granted. Mr. Potter seconded the motion and it was so voted. Mrs. Leo Boynton appeared before the Board and asked why they always had to have people going down and in- vestigating complaints. She said the Building Inspector had been down there today because of a complaint that they were storing junk on Sylvia Street. Mr. Longbottom found Boynton that this was untrue. She wanted to know why they could not use the land anyway. She would like to know who made the complaint. The Chairman explained that when a com- plaint is received it is investigated and that it was the policy of the Board not to give out the nacre of complainants. She stated that they were contemplating building a single house on the lot in question and they naturally would have people coming in and talking business with Mr. Boynton and she wozed if there would be any objection to that. She stated that Hymen Weiss was sabring junk in the Aldreman Barn. The Chairman instructed the Clerk to have this investigated. She retired. Letter was received from the Mass. Dept . of Public Slaughter Health requesting that the Board sign the nomination Inspector. blank for Mr. Lamont to the position of Slaughter Inspector. Mr. Potter moved that the application be signed. Mr. Rowse seconded the motion and it was so voted. Letter was received from Albert V. LaBella, attorney Buse claim. for Angelo Buss., of Grant Street, who is claiming damages for alleged flooding of his land because of overflow of Vine Brook and deposits of water and sewage on his land. Mr. Ross moved that the matter be referred to the Town Counsel. Mr. Potter seconded the motion and it was so voted. 483 Letter was received from Robert L. Ryder, attorney, representing William Leary of Vine Street who claims Leary damages because of alleged flooding of his land from claim. overflow of Vine Brook. Mr. Ross moved that this be turned over to the Town Counsel. Mr. Potter seconded the motion and it was so voted. Letter was received from Senator David I. Walsh advising that W.P.A. Project for engineering survey in W.F.A. the amount of 014,428. had been approved. Letter was received from Senator David I. Walsh advising that W.P.A. project for Mass. Ave. curbing in the amount of $2141. had been approved. Letter was received from Senator H. C. Lodge, Jr. advising that he recdived a communication from the rep- Complaint resentative of a group of young men in Lexington com- plaining that the town would not give them work yet was keeping men who were continually drunk and not atwork every day. The letter said that there were a few people who were not citizens working for the town. They asked that all non-citizens be laid off and that all irresponsible men be laid off and that they be allowed to go to work in the places left open. Mr. Rowse moved that Senator Lodge be advised that these facts were not correct and that the Board would greatly appreciate having the complaint brought before the Board by the group. Mr. Potter seconded the motion and it was so voted. Letter was received from the V. F. W. requesting that the Selectmen endorse the drive to have the 1939 annual V.F.W. encampment held in Boston. Mr. Ross moved that the Drive. Selectmen endorse this drive. Mr. Potter seconded the motion and it was so voted. The Chairman explained that applicants for employ- ment in the Town Office Building filed their applications at the Selectmen' s Office but that the department heads Employment did not always consult this file when filling vacancies. file. Mr. Rowse moved that the heads of the departments be requested to consult the Selectmen's files *ten vacancies occur in their offices. Mr. Ross seconded the motion and it was so voted. It was decided to hold the next meeting of the Board Meeting on September 6, 1938. The Board discussed votes for the Town Meeting. The matter of a transfer for Park Department clerk was dis- cussed. Mr. Raymond explained that Mr. Garrity needed a Park Dept. clerk full time. At the Appropriation Committee meeting, Clerk. the question was raised as to whether or not the Water Department clerks could not help out and Mr. Raymond told the Committee that he did not believe that they had any 484 prz me too much help. The other superintendents used the extra clerk in the Water Dept. a great deal. Mr. Ross moved that the transfer be approved. Mr. Potter seconded the motion and it was so voted. The Board discussed the article to transfer $100. from the Cary Library expenses account to Cary Library, Personal services. This is to pay Mr. Garrity for super- Library vision of the care of the Library grounds. Mr. Rowse transfer. moved that the previous vote of the Board approving this transfer be rescinded. Mr. Potter seconded the motion and it was so voted. Mr. Rowse moved that no action be taken on the matter. Mr. Potter seconded the motion and it was so voted. The Board discussed Article 2 of the Warrant. The amount of the town's appropriation is $84,700. but Mr. Searle believes that the amount appropriated should be $90,000.00. Mr. Raymond stated that the Appropriation Committee asked if this work could be done under W.P.A. and he told them that he thought it could and that the cost to the Federal Government would be more, perhaps $100,000. as ccanpared with $69 ,000 . and he thought the cost to the town would be the same . He called the Chairman of the Appropriation Committee this morning and told him that he thought the Government probably would not approve a W.P.A. project if the P.W.A. project was turned down. Sewer He talked to an official in the Boston W.P.A. office on Project. this and the man would not give him an answer . He thought that the chances of getting a W.P.A. project would be the same as P.W.A. The advantage would be that it would take care of a number of W.P.A. men for some months . This job is a machine job and if the W.P.A. insists that we use machines on it, not near as many men will be employed. He feltuite sure that theywould insist that machines be q used. If they insist that the work be carried on with the efficiency of P.W.A. work, the twenty-three months it would have taken for fifty men would be cut to 12 months. Mr. Raymond asked if the Board was or was not pre- pared to stop the abuse of the drainage system and the pollution of brooks in North Lexington. The people have made no ccncerted drive for the sewer because it means cost to them and they are getting away with the present conditions. Mr. Rowse said that if we were going to have W.P.A. right along , this would be the logical way to use the men. Mr. Raymond said that he expected that the P.W.A. was going to be used as a wedge to force W.P.A. workers to seek employment on P.W.A. The men have to re- register and seek work. When they appear on the job if they are O.K. they are put to work, but if not, the contractor can discharge them. Before they can get back on W.P.A. they have to have a letter from their previous employer stating why they were discharged. Mr. Raymond said he thought that P.W.A. would be the best way to accomplish this and would like to see the job done that way. He thought the Vine Brook project was large 485 enough in itself to do the trimming. Both of these pro- ' jeets have to be done in 18 months. The Chairman asked if the Board was prepared to take the stand that if a sewer went through it would compel the people to tie in where there was definite need for them to do so. Mr. Rowse said that the Board would probably take the stand that it was a health menace. The Chairman asked the members if each agreed that the Board would take the stand that there was a health menace, and they all did agree. Mr. Raymond said that the $84,700. was 55% of the estimated cost and Mr. Searle of the rivision of Accounts advised that we appropriate more than that as he says that no one ever had large enough estimates on P.W.A. Moreover, the studies on North Lexington sewer are very brief and Mr. Raymond also thought it would be good judgment to appropriate the larger amount. Mr. Ross moved that $90,000.00 be provided in the vote. Mr. Potter seconded the motion and it was so voted. The Board discussed the article on Public Works, Labor and Materials . Mr. Rowse said that $20,000 . would Labor & be maturing on the Vine Brook debt next year and with this Materials $13,000. , the bonded debt would be increased to $140,000, Approp. and would increase the tax rate materially. The Chairman said that he would discuss the matter with the Appropria- tion Committee Wednesday night and it was decided to meet at 7:15 P.M. on Thursday to discuss the matter further. Upon motion of Mr. Ross, seconded by Mr. Potter, it was voted to grant the following licenses: A. Mercadante- Lowell Street- Garbage License Licenses George Holman - Hill Avenue - Slaughtering Mr. Mitchell appeared relative to Welfare matters. The meeting adjourned at 10:35 P.M. A true record, Attest: Clerk. I