HomeMy WebLinkAbout1939-06-14328
8ELE CTMEN T S MEETING
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JUNE 14th, 1939.
A special meeting of the Selectmen was held in the
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Selectmen's Room, Town Office Building, at 5x30 P. M.
Chairman Giroux and Messrs. Potter, Locke and Sarano were
present. The Clerk was also present.
The Chairman said that he had called the meeting to '
tell the Board that he had overstepped what the Board author-
ized him to do on the Ryder cases. R. L. Ryder telephoned
him on Tuesday afternoon and said that -he was very much
surprised at the attitude of the Board, and felt that it
had not taken all the facts into consideration. He thoug�t
the Selectmen had told him that they did not want to take
his property away from him,'and the Chairman told him than
that was true. He told Ryder that the Board had acted the
way it had because he was so unreasonable. He said that he.,
Ryder as well as some of the other members of the Board, had al�vayA
cases, fought for the Vine Brook project, which was a definite
help to the Ryders and doubly, because that project was wider
construction, the Board felt that he was unreasonable, "
was going to fight -with him. The Chairman told Mr. Ryder
that if he would settle for $40,000.00 he would call a
meeting of the Board of Selectmen this (Wednesday) mornin'
at 8;00 A.M. to see if the Board would go through with it.
Ryder said that he would think it over and call him back, '
but he did not call.
He called the Town Counsel after having talked with
Ryder, and repeated his conversation with Mr. Ryder. Mr.',
Wrightington said that he was worried about the situation'
because he had talked with Owen, and Owen was very sure of
himself and said that he -was not afraid to fight the thing
out. Mr. Wrightington-was'worried about the Land Court
situation this morning, also. The matter stood that way.'
"Mr. Giroux agreed to be at the Land Court this morning
and invited George Emery to be there to represent the Approp-
riation Committee. Ryder sat beside Mr. Giroux, and said',
again that he thought that his case was good, and he was
going to fight it. He said he had not had an opportunity
this time to talk to the Board and go into details, but if
he had, he thought that he would convince the Selectmen. 11
He said that he wanted at least $42.,500.., -and would then-oall
the thing off. -The Chairman -told Emery" and Wrightington.,' and
they -made no remarks. He talked with Ryder again and took
a chance and told him that if he would take $41,000., the'
Board would go along with the Town Counsel for a reasonable
extension of time on the Land Court cases. Ryder .finally
came back and said that he would settle for the $41,000.
That is, he would accept $6,000,00 in cash plus the cancella-
tion of his tgxes: The Chairman told Messrs.`Umery and
Wrightington this, and they thought it was the thing to dpi, '
The Judge agreed to an extension on the tax titles of'one
week from June 15th. Mr. Wrightington said that he would
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draw up the agreement at once, and send it to Ryder to look
over over the weekend, and then submit it to the Selectmen
Monday evening. The Chairman said that the whole thing did
not commit the Board, as the settlement was subject to its
approval and the approval of the Town Meeting. He said
that he hoped the Board would approve of his action in in-
structing the Town Counsel to give Ryder a reasonable ex-
tension of one week. Mr. Sarano moved that the Chairmlin►s
action in this respect be approved. Mr. Potter seconded the
motion, and it was so voted.
The Chairman said that he believed that it was unnecessary
for the Board to act on the proposed settlement of $41,000.00
until it had seen the agreement.
Mr. Sarano moved that the Chairman's actions in the
whole matter be approved. Mr. Locke seconded the motion and
it was so voted.
The Chairman said that the Town Counsel called him and
said that the Building Inspector told him that a steam
shovel was up on the land taken by the Menotomy Trust from Loam
the Ryders, and was stripping loam. Mr. Wrightington called stripping
Mr. Bailey at the Bank, and he was very vague, and questioned
whether or not the Town could stop the stripping., but ad-
mitted that they were hurrying to get the loam before the
Town took the property. Mr. Wrightington went into Court
and got an enjoining order, and will go to Court tomorrow
to try to get an injunction. Mr. Wrightington thinks that
we have a legal right to stop it. He wanted to know if the
Town would provide a bond to take care of the contractor if
the Town did not prove its case. Mr. Potter moved that the
Town Counsel be informed that the Torn would provide a bond
if the town did not prove its case. Mr. Locke seconded the
motion and it was so voted.
The meeting adjourned at 6:00 P.M.
A true record, Attest:
Clerk.