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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1939-10-23472 et SELECTMENtS MEETING OCT. 23, 1939. ' A regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen was held in the Selectmen's Room, Town Office Building, at 7t30 P.M. Chairman Giroux, Messrs, Potter, Rows.e, Sarano and Locke were present. The Clerk was also present. Mr. Morse appeared before the Board relative to Welfare Welfare. matters. . Letter was received from the Town Counsel stating that Mr. Grindle asked him to collect a bill of $18. for damage to the Hancock School fence in a street automobile collision Zeparo on May 26th, in which one Zeparo collided with a Mrs. Hager. settlement.The bill is $18.00 and Mr. Wrightington arranged with the two insurance companies to pay $9.00 apiece. An agreement was received from the Standard Accident Insurance Co. in the amount of $9.00 in full settlement of the claim of the Town against Rocco Zeparo, Mr. Wrightington requested the Board to sign the agreement and return it to him. Mr. Rowse moved that the covenant be signed. Mr. Potter seconded the motion and it was so voted. The Warrant for the Town Meeting to be held on Nov. ' Warrant. 13th was signed. The Clerk informed the Selectmen that the amount to be paid by the contractor for the collection of garbage under Section 9 "Improper Work" of the contract, had not been Garbage agreed upon. This is the amount that the contractor agrees contract. to pay the town for garbage on top of the cost of collection in case of improper work. Mr. Potter recommended that the price of $6.00 for ten cord feet be agreed upon. Mr. Rowse moved that this price be inserted in the contract. Mr. Potter seconded the motion and it was so voted. Mr. Potter moved that Connors Brothers certified check of $100. be returned to them, Mr. Locke seconded the motion and it was so voted. Application was received from the Salvation Army for Tag Dag permission to hold a Tag Day on Saturday, Oct. 28th. Mr. Potter moved that such a permit be granted. Mr. Sarano seconded the motion and it was so voted. Letter was received from Metcalf & Eddy advising that the gmestion had arisen as to the surplus earth from the Vine Brook drain excavation between Vine Brook Road and Winthrop Road - whether it should be used in filling; privately -owned land or land acquired by the Town by foreclosure of tax titles. d 1 Im Earth from Vine Brook Contract in duplicate for Chapter 90 maintenance work Chap. 96 in 1939 was signed by the Board. Contract Request was received from the Church of Our Redeemer Men's Club for the use of Estabrock Mall on Wednesday, October 25th, for the production of a play. Mr. Rowse Use of moved that this be approved subject to a fee of 48.00. hall Mr. Locke seconded the motion and it was so voted. Extra work order #1, Bedford Street, was signed. Statement of expenditures under Agreement #6682 between the Town and the State Dept. of Public Works was signed. At 8:30 P. M. the Board of Assessors and Mr. Rob- ert C. Merriam, Chairman of the Appropriation Committee, appeared before the Board. The Chairman told the group that the purpose of calling the meeting was to discuss the re -assessment of the town. He said that he got consider- able criticism because of the inequality of assessments and several people have the feeling that the town should be assessed on the basis of low values even though it causes an increase in the tax rate. Mr. Steeves said that this year, Commissioner Long required the insertion with the tax bills of a small slip advising that persons must request an abatement before a certain date or else lose the opportunity. This brought the matter of abatements to the attention of persons who never thought of such a thing before. Work order Agreement Reassess- ment the private land consists of four lots adjacent to the drain, and fronting on Vine Brook Road, one of which is owned by Eamna T. Pring and three by the Lexington Real Estate Trust and the Lexington Estates Trust. The letter said that if the surplus material was placed on town land, part of the low land would be raised in elevation, but there was not sufficient material to fill the entire area. If it is placed on the private property on Vine Brook Road, all of the low land will be raised and perhaps some material can still be used on town land. The Clerk reported that it had come to Mr. Raymond's attention that Salvucci was going to use the surplus earth to fill in some of the Ryder lots and the Pring lot, and he questioned Salvucci's right to say what was to be done with the earth. He said that the material could be used to good advantage on town property. In the past, the town has al- ways refused to give excavated material to an individual. Mr. Potter moved that the earth excavated be used on such town property as Mr. Raymond may direct. Mr. Sarano seconded the motion and it was so voted. d 1 Im Earth from Vine Brook Contract in duplicate for Chapter 90 maintenance work Chap. 96 in 1939 was signed by the Board. Contract Request was received from the Church of Our Redeemer Men's Club for the use of Estabrock Mall on Wednesday, October 25th, for the production of a play. Mr. Rowse Use of moved that this be approved subject to a fee of 48.00. hall Mr. Locke seconded the motion and it was so voted. Extra work order #1, Bedford Street, was signed. Statement of expenditures under Agreement #6682 between the Town and the State Dept. of Public Works was signed. At 8:30 P. M. the Board of Assessors and Mr. Rob- ert C. Merriam, Chairman of the Appropriation Committee, appeared before the Board. The Chairman told the group that the purpose of calling the meeting was to discuss the re -assessment of the town. He said that he got consider- able criticism because of the inequality of assessments and several people have the feeling that the town should be assessed on the basis of low values even though it causes an increase in the tax rate. Mr. Steeves said that this year, Commissioner Long required the insertion with the tax bills of a small slip advising that persons must request an abatement before a certain date or else lose the opportunity. This brought the matter of abatements to the attention of persons who never thought of such a thing before. Work order Agreement Reassess- ment 474 Mr. Spencer said that he called Commissioner Long ' today regarding re -assessment of the Town and asked how he felt about it. Commissioner Long stated that this was the wrong time to do such a thing. He said that valuations were at rock bottom now and if the Town is re -assessed it will be necessary to have it done again in three or four years. Mr. Spencer said that experts should do the re- assessing but they will not come in unless the town is entirely blocked. Less than one-third of Lexington has been blocked and what has been done took three years to do at a cost of $9,000. The Chairman asked what the probable cost of a re -assessment was and he replied that he got a figure about seven years ago of $30,000.00. Mr. Potter said he did not believe the fact that the town was over -assessed or under -assessed was troubling, but it was the inequalities that hurt. He said it was the man who kicked continually who got an abatement and the one who did not kick did not get one. Mr. Potter said he thought the Board of Assessors themselves could do the re -valuing if they had the time, btLt it wodld take a whole year. Mr. Rowse asked if we had ever had a complete valuation of the Town and Mr. Spencer replied in the negative. Mr. Sarano asked if Mr. Long made any other suggestion besides waiting three years, and Mr. Spencer said that he did not. No further action was taken on the matter. , The Chairman said that he had had various complaints about the number of real estate signs in town, and he had taken up the matter with the Planning Board. Their reply was that they believed it would be impracticable to try Real Estate to legislate against this kind of advertising but believed the Selectmen could attain their end by persuasive methods. Signs Mr. Merriam said that then Mr. F. L. Emery was Chairman of the Planning Board, the real estate men agreed to take down their signs, but the feeling now was that this would be impracticable as some of the dealers do business from their homes and they would not get a fair share of the business. It was decided to have the real estate men in neat week to discuss the matter. The Board discussed the offer of J. A. Corbiey to purchase the back land of the former Ryder property on Woburn Street for $600. Mr. Corbiey said that he wished to have a poultry plant there and Mr. Potter said he did not think the offer should be accepted as if this was a fact, the front lots would not be of much value. Mr. Sarano moved that Mr. Corbiey be informed that the Board did not favor splitting up the parcel but that if he cared to make an offer for the whole piece, the Board would be pleased to entertain it. Mr. ' Rowse seconded the motion, and it was so voted. The meeting adjourned at 10:45 P. M. A true record, Attest: a c✓ c_ Clerk