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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1940-01-08 584 SELECTMEN'S MEEPING January 8, 1940. , 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, Rowse, Locke and Sarano were present. The Clerk was also present . Upon motion of Mr. Rowse, seconded by Mr. Locke, it was voted to grant the petition of the Boston Edison Co. and, the New England Tel . & Tel. Co. for a joint location Pole of four poles on Fallen Road, southeasterly from Marrett locations. Road, upon which hearing was held at 7 :30 P.M. At 7:35 P.M. hearing was declared open on the appli- cation of the Boston Edison Co. and the New England Tel. & Tel. Co. for a joint location of two poles on Bloomfield Street, southwesterly from a point approximately 160 feet southwest of Highland Avenue . Upon motion of Mr. Potter, seconded by Mr. Locke, it was voted to grant the petition. Mr. Carroll appeared before the Board for the drawing Juror. of a juror to serve on criminal business, first session, beginning at Cambridge, February 5th. Mr. Stephen D. Elyce, mechanical engineer, of 159 Shade Street, was the juror drawn. Upon motion of Mr. Sarano, seconded by Mr. Potter, it was voted to grant the following licenses : Licenses Herman H. Scheufele, Jr. , 344 Concord Turnpike, Methyl Alcohol; Colonial Garage, Inc. , 1668 Mass. Ave. - 1st Class Agents. Upon motion of Mr. Potter, seconded by Mr. Sarano, it was voted to adopt the following water main order : COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS Middlesex, ss. Town of Lexington WHEREAS, the Town of Lexington at a town meeting duly called and held on March 20, 1939, duly adopted under Article 16 of the Warrant the following vote : "Voted: That the Selectmen be authorized to install Concord water mains in such accepted or unaccepted streets, as may Ave. Water be applied for during the year 1939 in accordance with Main Order authority contained in the By-laws of the Town, subject to the assessment of betterments, and to take by eminent domain any necessary easements therefor, and for the purpose of said installation the sum of $4,000.00 be appropriated, this money to be provided by the transfer of $1,000.00 fromthe Water Assessment Fund and the transfer of $3 000. from the Water Department Available Surplus Account ' 585 AND WHEREAS, the Town of Lexington at a town meeting duly called and held on November 13, 1939, duly adopted 11 under Article 5 of the Warrant the following vote : "Voted: That the sum of $1,000.00 be appropriated for the Water Construction Sundry Streets Account, this amount to be transferred from the Water Assessment Fund, That an additional sum of $2,000 .00 be appropriated for Water Construction, Sundry Streets, this sum to be transferred from Water Department Available Surplus". VOTED: By the Selectmen acting as a Board of Water and Sewer Commissioners under the authority of the foregoing vote and of every other power them thereto enabling, that a water main be constructed in Concord Avenue from the present end a distance of approximately 100 feet northwesterly, substantially in accordance with plan of Joseph A. Ross, dated January 8th, 1940, and entitled, "Plan of Proposed Water Main in Concord Avenue, Lexington, Mass. , Scale: 1 in. - 40 ft . , Jan. 8; 1940, Joseph A. Roes, Supt. , Water Dept. " Betterments will be assessed for this improvement in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 80 of the General Laws. The area which it is expected will receive benefit or advantage other than the general advantage to the community from such improvement is described as follows : That portion of those properties on the westerly side of Concord Avenue beginning at the end of the present water main and extending northwesterly a distance of approximately 100 feet . The said area comprises the several lots shown upon the plan of Joseph A. Ross, Supt. , Water Department here- inbefore referred to Waich are designated in the schedule hereto annexed and made a part hereof. We estimate the betterments that will be assessed upon each parcel of land to be as shown in the schedule hereto annexed and made a part hereof. Witness our hands at Lexington aforesaid this 8th day of January, 1940. Archibald R. Giroux BOARD OF Errol H. Locke SELECTMEN A. Edward Rowse OF THE George W. Sarano TOWN OF William G. Potter LEXINGTON 586 COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS Middlesex, ss. Town of Lexington January 8th, 1940 II Then personally appeared the above named Archibald R. Giroux, William G. Potter, A. Edward Rowse, Errol H. Locke and George W. Sarano and severally acknowledged the fore- going instrument and statement by them subscribed to be their free act and deed and the free act and deed of the Board of Water and Sewer Commissioners of the Town of Lex- ington, before me, James J. Carroll Notary Public (Mar. 14, 1945) . SCHEDULE OF ESTIMATED BETTERMENTS REFERRED TO IN THE FOREGOING ORDER CONCORD AVENUE (From the present end a distance of approximately 100 feet northwesterly) . Owner as of January 1st, 1940. Assessment Lily C. Johanson / $90.00 Extra Letter was received from Metcalf & Eddy recommending work an extra work order on Contract #4, at a total cost of order. $310.07. Mr. Potter moved that the extra work order be signed. Mr. Locke seconded the motion and it was so voted. Deposits- Notice was received from the Lexington Savings Bank Trust advising that the balance on deposit on Oct. 29, 1939 Fund. under Trustees of Public Trusts, Cemetery Funds, was $24,485.00 represented by 187 separate accounts. Letter was received from A. P. Rounds, contractor on the North Lexington Sewage Pumping Station, stating that Rounds the completion date of his contract having been established contract. as of Dec . 13th, 1939, he was claiming that the 33 days from Nov. 10 to December 13 were necessary because of inter- ference because of Contractor Hall. He said that all the work performed during the above period would have been completed previous to Nov. 10th had it not been for the order of the engineers not to lay the rubber floor until contractor Hall 's work was substantially completed. The following requests for uses of conference rooms in the Cary Memorial Building were received: Uses of Red Cross - January 16th; Committee on Plumbing Cary Hall Laws, January 16th; Committee on Fire Department Accommodations, January 10th. Mr. Potter moved that the uses be allowed. Mr. Locke seconded the motion and it was so voted. 587 Mr. Beach appeared before the Board to discuss his budget . He stated that the item of $1144. for extra clerical help pays for the additional man recently put on at $22. per week. He said that the $420 . requested for Automobile Allowance would take care of both his and the investigator's car. Mr. Beach's office now has to pay its own telephone bill and this amounts to $12. or $13. a month. The budget totaled around $50,000.00. The Chairman said that last year we asked for and received $20,000 . but had a balance of $5300. from 1938. This year the balance may be $500. The Chairman asked what the average quota was this year and Mr. Beach said that it was 145. He figured the 1940 budget on a basis of an average of 160 men. The Engineer for this district asked that 84 more men be put to work in Lexington. The Chairman asked how many of these persons would be eligible from the Welfare rolls and Mr. Beach said that only one would be. W.P.A. Mr. Rowse said that these people who would be assigned are budget not now receiving welfare, but if they go on W.P.A. , the Town will have to stand a certain expense as itsshare of the cost. Mr. Potter said that if the people were not on W.P.A. they probably would be on Welfare. Mr. Beach said that at least 20 men came in last week and applied for W.P.A. work. Mr. Beach said that if $11,500. (which is the cost of the Merriam Street sewer) was deducted from the $50,000. there would be enough work for the 160 men for the year. II Mr. Rowse said that in the past, we have been very free in certifying men for W.F.A. work when the need was not urgent. He thought it might be dangerous if a large number was added to W.P.A. because they might go back onto Welfare when W.P.A. work is completed. Mr. Potter said that if the Board con- sidered these projects worthwhile, the cheapest way of doing them was under the W.P.A. Mr. Rowse said he agreed on the worthwhile projects, but he did question whether or not a person would apply for Welfare the minute W.P.A. shuts down. Mr. Rowse asked Mr. Beach if he was careful enough in cer- tifying W.P.A. Workers so that he was absolutely sure they were urgently in need of work and Mr. Beach replied in the affirmative. Mr. Sarano wanted to know what the value of work per- formed would be if the Town spent $48,000. for Labor and Materials . Mr. Beach said the value would be approximately $170,000.00. Mr. Beach said that last year, 26 men worked in Acton and several more were on a State-wide project so that the money lasted, but if this had not happened, the money would have run out long ago. The matter of constructing sewers under W.F.A. and earmarking the funds receited for betterments to pay off the bonded debt was discussed. Mr. Beach was urged to find out as soon as possible whether or not the Liberty Heights sewer and Merriam Street sewer projects were going to be approved. The Town Accountant appeared before the Board. The Chairman asked him if there was any way that money could be earmarked in the Sewer Assessment Fund to pay off the debt 588 rA•l incurred by borrowing money to build sewers with the aid of the W.P.A. Mr. Russell said the only thing we could do ' would be to transfer the money each year from the Sewer Assessment Fund to pay off the the debt incurred by borrow- ing money to build sewers with the aid of the W.P.A. Mr. Russell said the only thing we could do would be to transfer the money each year from the Sewer Assessment Fund to pay off the bonded debt. Mr. Russell said that the Sewer Assessment Fund could be used for sewer maintenance, sewer construction or sewer debt. A special W.P.A. Sewer Project Account could be set up. Mr. Rowse asked if we could appropriate $5500. and borrow for any department, and Mr. Russell said that we had to appropriate for each department for which we wished to bond with the exception of the Water Department. Mr. Russell said that under Chapter 72 of the Acts of 1939, the Town had a right to borrow money for a period not to exceed 10 years for work to relieve unemploy- ment. In each other case, you have to appropriate 25,°6 for each $1,000. of valuation. Sewer and drainage work go together. Water is outside the debt limit so it excluded and the only other exclusion is a Federal aided project. Mr. Russell retired at 9:10 P.M. The Chairman suggested that the following vote be adopted: Voted: That for the time being, the Selectmen W.P.A. reco mnend an appropriation of $25,000.00 for Public Works, sewers Labor and Materials, with the understanding that this excludes the Merriam Street, Adams Street and Coolidge Ave. sewer, the Town' s share of which amounts to $11,116.00 and also included the Liberty Heights sewer, the Town's share of which is $10,508.00, with the understanding that in the event that these two projects are approved, the Town ' s share shall be bonded and the receipts under the Betterment Act from these two projects shall go into the Sewer Assessment Fund with the understanding that the said receipts will be used to pay off the bonded debt; and with the further understanding that if either or both of these projects becomes part of the program, that the $25,000.00 shall be reduced to $20,000.00. Mr. Potter moved that the vote be adopted. Mr. Locke seconded the motion and it was so voted. The Chairman read a letter from Mr. Beach showing that W.P.A. the total truck hire for 1939 was $5385.00. Mr. Beach request recommended that the Town purchase two used trucks at a cost for trucks . of between $750. and $800. If one truck was used continually for a year, it would work 1650 hours making a total cost of $1170.00 and the cost of operation would be $861. , leaving a savings of $308. per truck. Mr. Beach said that Mr. Raymond was very much in favor of this plan. Mr. Sarano said that the fact that people were kept off welfare because their trucks were hired by the W.P.A. was a factor to be considered. Mr. Beach said he checked with the Town Account- ant and was informed that these trucks could be purchased from the W.P.A. Labor and Materials appropriation. It was decided to discuss this matter further with the Supt. of Public Works. Mr. Beach retired at 9:45 P.M. 589 Mr. Morse appeared before the Board at 9:55 P.M. to discuss Welfare cases. Welfare. Mr. Morse discussed his budgets and said that he had made up a gross schedule of $134,500. for all forms of Welfare for 1940. From this can be deducted Old Age grants of 22,000. and A.D.C. grants of $4,000.00, leaving a net of 108,500. This is divided as follows : Public Welfare $55,000.00 Welfare A. D. C . 13,000.00 budgets Old Age Assistance 28,000.00 Soldiers ' Relief 10,000.00 Military Aid 1,000.00 State Aid 1,200.00 Soldiers' Burials 300.00 He said that Personal Services total $9245.49. He retired at 10:33 P.M. The Board discussed the matter of placing the Town Accountant under Civil Service in accordance with Chapter 183 of the Acts of 1939 . The Chairman said there would have tobe a petition signed by almost 1000 persons and there would have to be two articles in the Warrant, one to see if the Town.wants to put the position of Town Accountant under Civil Service and the other to see if the Town wants to place the present encumbent under Civil Service. If the Town votes in favor of this, then the present encumbent will have to take a non-competitive examination to see if he is fit to be the Town Accountant. Mr. Potter moved that the Board of Selectmen go on record as approving that the nec- essary steps be taken to submit to the voters of the Town, the placing of the position of Town Accountant and the placing of the present encumbent, James H. Russell, under Civil Service in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 183 of the Acts of 1939 . Mr. Sar ano seconded the motion and it was so voted. The report of the Appropriation Committee on the study of Town insurance was submitted to the Board. The members Insurance said that they would study the matter and take action on it study later. The Chairman said that Dr. Rochette came in and said Plowing that he had to do a great deal of night work and wondered physiciars if his driveway could be plowed out. It was decided to take drives. up the matter of leaving physicians' driveways clear with Mr. Raymond at the next meeting. It was decided to meet on Saturday, January 13th at 2:00 P.M. rather than on January 11th. Meeting. The Clerk was instructed to find out if the Town Town Accountant or Supt. of Public Works had any objection to Meeting. the Town Meeting being held on March 25th rather than on Marchl8th. 590 PV 0-4 The report of the committee appointed to study the Moth operation of the Moth and Shade Tree Division was received Committee and read by Mr. Rowse . Mr. Rowse moved that the Moth Report Committee report be included in the Town Report and that the Committee be extended a letter of thanks. Mr. Locke seconded the motion and it was so voted. Building The Clerk was instructed to insert an advertisement Inspector. in the paper advising that applications for the position of Building Inspector would be received. The meeting adjourned at 11:25 P.M. A true record, Attest : Ulerx. 1 1