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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1939-01-28in SMECTME ►S MEETING JAN. 28, 1939. A special meeting of the Board of Selectmen was held in the Selectmen's Room, Town Office Building, at 1:30 P.M. Chairman Giroux, Messrs. Potter, Rowse and Clark were present. The Clerk was also present. Mr. Malcolm Clifford, Mr. Leon Truesdell and Mr. Jane's J. Carroll of the Board of Registrars appeared before.the Board. Mr. Clifford stated that although he was Chairman of the Board, he was the junior member and was not pre- pared to explain the budgets to the Board as he had believed Mr. Lowe, the other member, would do so. He stated that the Registrars were asking for $1000. for personal services. Regs. of Mr. Clifford said that the Board had based this estimate Voters on the amount of work they will be required to do because budget of the change in the Statute. The Chairman asked how often it would' be, necessary to meet from now on, and Mr. Clifford said it would be necessary to meet at least once a week. Mr. Carroll said that Chapter 427 of the legislation which was passed last year called for the re -registration of every voter in the Town, and with some 5600 voters, that means that the Registrars will have to be here a great deal. Mr. Clark asked if this re -registration would occur ' annually, and Mr. Carroll said that at the moment the Act was good for this year only and they did not know what would happen next year. Every voter has to come in and register just the same as if he were registering for the first time. Mr. Carroll said it was a foolish thing, but it was the law and would have to be done. The Chairman asked if they would plan to hold a meetinU one night a week for registration and Mr. Carroll said that probably they would, but they could not tell when the people would come in to register but the Board would have to be on the job anyway. Mr. Carroll said that there would be a great deal of clerical work to be done and he would have to do it. Mr. Potter asked him why he had to do all the clerical work when there was _$120. in the Expenses account for clerical work. Mr. Carroll said that this $120 was to pay a clerk now working on the registration cards to complete the job. The Chairman asked why $50. was included under Personal Services and $120 included in the Expenses account for Personal services. He wondered why money should be required in both budgets for the same thing. Mr. Carroll said that his work was split up into eight different accounts, He said he had made a proposition to the Appropriation Committee whereby if he was given another girl, the extra clerical itEms would be cut out. If he ' gets the additional clerk, the $170. for clerical assist- ance on both of these budgets will be eliminated. He said 142 Net all the clerical items in his budgets could be eliminated. Mr. Clark asked how mangy* budgets they would find clerical items in. He wondered what the total amounted to. Mr. Carroll said he was spending over 400. for extra help now and he would pay the new girl '12. per week. The Chairman asked if he would advise the Board if the Appropriation Committee approved the new girl so that the extra clerical items would be taken out, and he replied in the affirmative. Under the Expenses account, the item of $175.. is for the listing of persons twenty years and over, formerly included in the Assessor's budget. Mr. Potter asked why the postage item was $20. less than last year, and Mr. Carroll said that was because there was to be only one election this year. Mr. Potter asked what he was going to do about sending out notices f;or re -registration, and Mr. Carroll said he did not intend to notify each voter, but was merely going to advertise the dates of registration in the paper. . Mr. Carroll said that the Selectmen had full power to state the salary of the Board of Registrars, and the Town Clerk is automatically the clerk of that Board. When he first came to work here, there was no salary for the clerk but about three years ago, the Selectmen approved $50.00 for him, but the appropriation Committee deducted it from the Town Clerks salary. Mr. Carroll said it was only fair on account of the large amount of work, that if an increase was given the Board that he should be included ' and that said money should not be deducted from his salary a as Town Clerk. Mr. Clifford said that the Board of Registrars felt that Mr. Carroll was entitled to an independent sum for his work for the Board of Registrars. The ChAirman said that the Selectmen had no jurisdiction over the salary of the Town Clerk. Mr. Carroll said that the salary of the Town Clerk was established by the Town Meeting Members. There being no further questions, the group retired at 2:05 P. M. It was the feeling of the Board that because of the large amount of work required of the Board of Registrars this year they should be given extra compensation. How- ever, it was felt that inasmuch as the members of the Board of Assessors receive only $200. a year, it would not be fair to allow the Registrars more than that. •It was further felt that it would be wiser to divide the com- pensation so that the personal services budget would show for salary of the Regiztrars only $,200., or the same amount -as was paid last year. Mr. Rowse moved that the Board of Registrars be requested to submit a separate budget to the Board in the amount of $600., this to be for "extra fees" for 1939 on account of the extra work required because of the change in the Statute., Mr. Potter seconded the motion and it was so voted. ' Mr. Rowse moved that the Expenses appropriation be approved as requested in the amount of $520.00. Mr. Potter seconded the motion and it was so voted. Park, Moth and Shade Tree budgets Mr. Garrity appeared before the Board. The Insect Suppression, Wages & Expenses account, was discussed. Mr. Garrity had reduced this budget to 43533.25. It was necessary to let a man go in order to accomplish this. He said he had sent a letter to the State requesting that it approve this amount and he did not know what action would be taken. He requested $900. for a new truck and said this would take the place of a truck purchased in 1920. Iie said that this truck was used at all times during the year. Mr. Rowse asked if he meant that they kept a moth crew going all year, and Mr. Garrity said that the truck was busy on moth and tree work and was used con- tinually. Mr. Rowse asked if it was costing much for repairs, and Mr. Garrity said that it was not the repairs, but it was the inconvenience. When a man went up in the morning at 7:45 it was very often 8;30 before he got the truck out because of the battery, etc. There was no question on the Insect Suppression, Personal Services account. There was no question on the Shade Trees, Wages and Expenses account. ' The Parks and Playgrounds, Wages -and Expenses' budget was submitted in the amount of $10,930.00. Mr. Garrity -said that there was $350.00 allowed- to re -surface two tennis courts at the center playground. He said that the cracks were better than one half inch apart now and some- thing should be done this year. If they are re -surfaced in 1939 they will not have to be touched for ten years. Mr. Garrity said he had taken out the item of $150. for painting the swimning pool, but he would not want to let it go another year. The Chairman asked if not doing the work this year would be taking a gamble, and Mr. Garrity replied in the affirmative. Mr. Rowse said that the Board did not want to be faced next year with any major repair jobs and if the work should be done this year, it would be foolish economy -not to do it. He asked if it was going to cost extra money if the work was not going to be done until 1940. Mr. Garrity merely replied that it was a gamble not to do it in 1939. Mr. Rowse asked if he would know before June whether or not it had to be done this year,, and Mr. Garrity said he would. Mr. Rowse suggested that he advise the Board so that if necessary, the Appropriation Committee could be requested to transfer sufficient funds from the Reserve Fund to do the work. Mr. Rowse moved that the following budgets be ' approved: Insect Suppression, Personal Services $300.00 11 it Wages & Expenses 3533.25 Shade Trees, Wages and Expenses 2448.70 Parks & Playgrounds, Wages & Expenses 10930.00 Mr. Potter seconded the motion and it was so voted, Park, Moth and Shade Tree budgets "A Supt's. budgets Town Office and Cary Mem. Bldg. budgets Mr. Rowse moved that the Insect Suppression, New Equipment budget be approved in the amount of $900.00. Mr. Clark seconded the motion and it was so voted. No action was taken on the Parks and Playgrounds, Personal Services, account. Mr. Raymond appeared before the Board. No action was taken on the Public Works, Supt's. Office, Personal Services account. The Public Works, Supt's. Office, Expenses budget was approved in the amount of $390.00. No action was taken on the Town Office and Cary Memorial Building Personal Services account. The Town Offices and Cary Memorial Building Expenses account was submitted in the amount of 06900.00. Mr. Raymond said that if one of the outlay items was approved such as the Electric Meter Combination, he could take $100 off the light and power item. There is a possibility that the Fuel item can be reduced just before the Town Meeting. He said if the Welfare and W.P.A. paid theik own telephone bilis,.-the Telephone item could be reduced by $500.00. It was decided to charge the telephone bills for these departments to their own appropriations. The budget *as then approved in the amount of $6300.00. The Town Offices and Cary Memorial Bldg. Outlay budget was discussed next. Mr. Raymond said at the present time in the Cary Memorial Building, there were two meters on the "A" rate and one on the "F" rate. He advised that this new meter combination be put in so that our consumption would be on a lower rate. Mr. Rowse asked why the Town had to pay for this work and Mr. Raymond said because it was a connection from a manhole which was on town property. Mr. Rowse moved that the Electric Meter Combination be approved in the amount of $250. Mr. Potter seconded the motion and it was so voted. The item of $250 for partitions and railings is to pay for necessary work on the second floor in order to provide a new office for the Town Accountant and to rearrange the set-up of the other offices. Mr. Rowse moved that this be approved. Mr. Potter seconded the motion and it was so voted. The third item on the budget was $360 for a boiler room drain. Mr. Raymond said he would just as soon wait another year on this, but felt it was something that should be done some time. No action was taken on it. The fourth item was $100 for shelves and closets for the Town Clerk. Mr. Raymond said that the Town Clerk had requested this. He had money in the 1938 appropriation to do the work, but the Board thought it best to let it go and request it in 1939. Mr. Potter moved that this be approved. Mr. Rowse seconded the motion and it was so voted. The fifth item was $300 for a partition and furniture for a women's rest room. Mr. Raymond said this probably would not cost as much as 6300 but if the engineers' instrument room was to be used for the rest room, it would be necessary to build a small room in the Engineers' office for their 1 1 J ffll� equipment. He thought the item could be out to $250 and ' with this he would pay for chairs, cot, mattrass, etc. The Outlay account was finally approved in the amount of $850. The Garbage Collection budget was next discussed, and Garbage Mr. Raymond requested $5000 for this. The contract for budget 1939 (to Oct. 18), amounts to 03990. Mr. Rowse moved that $4800 be approved for this budget, the amount of $810. being provided for the balance of the year from Oct. 18th on the basis of $4000 per year. Mr. Clark seconded the motion and it was so voted. The next budget discussed was Traffic Reg. & Control, Traffic Improvement to System. Mr. Clark said he would like to Reg: & have an estimate of the cost of a push botton system at Control Bedford Street and Harrington Road. Pio action was taken on this budget. Street Lights appropriation was next discussed, and Street was approved in the amount of $23,380.00. lights The next budget discussed was the Public Works Build- ing Wages and Expenses account, submitted in the amount Pub. Works of 18663. Mr. Raymond said he did not think this item Building should be cut any with the exception that a couple of hundred dollars might be taken off if we had a mild February. Mr. Rowse moved that the budget be approved in the amount of $8663.00. Mr. Potter seconded the motion and ' it was so voted. The sum of $600.00 was requested for a pick-up truck under the Public Works Building, Special Equipment account. There was considerable discussion on this item, and upon motion of Mr. Rowse, seconded by Mr. Potter, it was finally voted to approve a sum of 0300 for a second-hand truck. Mr. Clark voted in opposition, stating that he felt that if any truck is to be purchased, it should be a new one. The next item discussed was Public Works Building, Improvement of Building and Grounds, in the amount of $965.00. The Chairman asked what part of this work was vital this year. Mr. Raymond said that $450 was for ledge excgvation in order to stop the dampness on the side of the building. Mr. Rowse moved that the budget be approved for $450.00. Mr. Potter seconded the motion and it was so voted. The Insurance budget was submitted in the amount of $7890.00. Mr. Rowse moved that it be approved as sub- Insurance mitted. Mr. Potter seconded the motion and it was so voted. Drainage was next discussed. The total program amounted to X17,200. Mr. Raymond said that all of the projects could be done under the W.P.A. if the Town would ' find the funds for them, with the exception of the drain at Marrett Road and right of way to the Reservoir which would not be a good W.P.A. project. The amount approp- riated for Drainage last year, exclusive of Charles Street, 146 was x;3800. and the Chairman suggested that 04000 be met, providdd for Drainage this year and included in the W.P.A. Drainage Labor and Materials appropriation, and that Mr. Raymond decide what projects should be done with the money avail- able. Mr. Rowse moved that the suggestion be approved. Mr. Potter seconded the motion and it was so voted. The Curbing budget was submitted in the amount of Curbing $9500. Mr. Clark moved that the whole budget be dis- approved. Mr. Rowse seconded the motion and it was so voted. The Clerk was instructed to write the abutters on Mass. Ave. Mass. Avenue near the Catholic Church that requested curb - Curbing ing and advise them that in view of the financial situation, the Town was unable to sponsor any curbing projects and that if they desired, they could request that an article be inserted in the warrant, and they could sponsor it themselves. The meeting adjourned at 5;15 P. M. A true record, Attest; Clerk 1 1