HomeMy WebLinkAbout1941-02-24J
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SELECTMEN'S MEETING
February 24, 1941
A regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen was held In
the Selectmen's Room, Town Office Building on February 24,
1941 at 7:30 P. M. Messrs. Potter, Rowse, Locke, and Sarano
were present. The Clerk was also present.
In the absence of Mr. Giroux, Mr. Potter acted as Chair-
man.
Chief Edward W. Taylor of the Fire Department appeared
before the Board at 7:30 P. M.
The Chairman told him the Board would like to hear what
he had to say about the purchase of the resuscitator. The
Chief said that the Department had an inhalator now which had
done very good work but was now almost obsolete. The resusci-
tator is the only thing he knows of that,will do the work the
inhalator can do. This equipment would do away with the prone
pressure work that has to be done now on people who are non -
breathing cases. If you have a breathing case, the inhalator
It' fine, but it will not work in a nonbreathing case. It is
difficult for a person administering aid by the prone pressure
method to have his strobes coincide with the number of breaths
per minute that the person is taking. The resuscitator'auto-
matica119 takes care of this. Also with the inhalator, they
have now may of knowing whether or not the person has anything
in his throat, and the resuscitator tells immediately whether
or not there is something in the throat.
Mr. Potter asked how many men in the Department could
handle this equipment and Chief Taylor said that everyone
could use it. Mr. Rowse asked if the inhalator would still
be kept in the Department and the Chief said it would. The
Chief said the resuscitator would be kept in the station and
taken out only when needed.
Mr. Potter asked the Chief how he felt on the question
of civil service for the men. Mr. Rowse said he understood
the Chief used to be against it. Chief Taylor said he was
against it at one time because a man from any part of the
State might be qualified to work in Lexington and it was his
belief that only Lexington men should be employed by the
Lexington Fire Department. He said he understood now that
he would not have to take men from out of town. Mr. Potter
asked if the call men would come under this and he replied
in the negative. Mr. Rowse asked if the Chief felt he would
have as good disciplinary control with civil service and he
replied in the affirmative. He said he was confident he
would have no trouble. *Mr. Rowse said he believed it was
only fair for the Fire Department to have this program as
long as the Police Department has it.
543
Resus ci tatoi
Civil Service
Fire Dept.
544
Mrs. John Fitzgerald appeared before the Board.
She said she wanted to renew in person her request for
Mrs. some insurance business. She said she was interested in
Fitzgerald those policies placed through agents who have left town or
req# ins* who have retired. Mrs. Fitzgerald said she had lived in
Lexington 37 years and last year received her broker's
license I
He said however, he felt it would be better for the townspeople,
to think it over for awhile. His idea would be to have a
committee appointed at this Town Meeting and have a report
submitted at a later Town Meeting. ,He said it would be too
bad if it were turned down at this Town Meeting for lack of
information. Chief Taylor said it would be better to have
a committee appoixited to study the matter. He said the first
time it came up in Arlington it was turned down.
The Board then discussed the matter of salary with Chief
Taylor. Mr. Rowse said that everybody wanted him to stay on
the job and felt that he wanted to stay. Chief Taylor said
he didn't know if he was very keen about staying. He became
Chief in 1913 and has remained, in office for 28 years. He
Chief
said the job took a lot of time and he would be better off
Taylor's
if he didn't have it. Mr. Rowse asked the Chief what he
salary
would be satisfied with and he said he would be satisfied with
his present salary plus what he would get if he retired. He
�•
said he thought this was reasonable and would, stay, but if
he did not get it, he would not stay. He said he could make more
money attending to his own business. Mr. Potter said that
there was a difference of opinion between the Selectmen and
the Appropriation Committee and he asked if the Chief would be
willing to stay if both Boards came to an agreement. The
Chief said if the proposition was attractive to him he would
stay. Mr. Rowse told him that the Appropriation Committee had
approved salary on the basis of $1500.00 per year.
Mr. Potter told him that the Board understood he made
a request for additional men. The Chief said that his De-
paptment was inadequately manned, particularly during lunch
More men
periods. For instance, if a call comes in to East Lexington
for Fire
for the ambulance during lunch period, two men have to go out,
Dept.
leaving on@ man on duty. The Selectmen felt it would be too
bad to have to put on additional men just because we have an
ambulance. The Clerk was instructed to bring this matter up
next week when there will be a full Board present.
Chief Taylor.retired at 8:05 P. M.
Mr. Rowse moved that the salary of the Chief of the Fire
Increase;
Department,be increased from $1,000.00 to $1500.00 per year,
Chief
starting April 1, 1941. Mr. 3arano seconded the motion, and
Taylor
it was so voted.
Mrs. John Fitzgerald appeared before the Board.
She said she wanted to renew in person her request for
Mrs. some insurance business. She said she was interested in
Fitzgerald those policies placed through agents who have left town or
req# ins* who have retired. Mrs. Fitzgerald said she had lived in
Lexington 37 years and last year received her broker's
license I
545
Mr. Rowse asked her what companies she used and Mrs. Fitzgerald
said what policies she had placed, she had put through the
.American Eknployers. Mr. Rowse asked if she would submit to
the Board_�a list of the stock companies with whom she could
do business. She s1aid she would be pleased to do this and
retired at 8;20 P. Me
10-8-25 P. M., Messrs. Robert C. Merriam and William C.
Paxton *Lppeared before the Board to discuss the purchase of
the water pipe in Patriot4 Drive , from Mr. Merriam.
The Supt# of the Water Department made up an estimate
of the cost of construction which Mr. Merriam thought was
too low. He felt that there were certain overhead costs
which were not included in the estimate. He said he did
.not feel it quite fair to expect the result from the Nater Re: Purchase
Department you would expect to get from a private business. of water pipe
He said that there was a great deal of the work done in 1937 in Patriots
and he felt the average cost per foot was the figure that Drive
should have been used. Mr. Merriam said his average cost
per foot was $2.94 of which $1.01 was for ledge. Mr. Merriam
called the Boardfs attention to the fact that a sewer main was
laid in Mefason Street two years later and the same kind of
ledge was incurred and that year the Town's average cost per
foot was 65.69. He felt considerin the great amount of ledge
he had to contend with, the sum of.1,000.00 was a very reason-
able amount for the Town to pay. If the Board did not want to
pay him the $1,000.00 then he was going to move for indefinite
postponement of the article.
Mr. Paxton said the difference between the actual cost
given by Mr. Merriam and Mr. Rossi estimate depended on the
amount of trench ledge and trench excavation that was assumed
to be charged to water construction and the amount charged to
sewer construction. Mr. Ross felt that fifty percent of the
ledge and tranch excavation should be charged.to the sewer
constructions and therefore based his estimate on these
quantities. However, Mr. Merriam felt that a greater proportion
of ledge and trench excavation should be charged to the water
construction. Mr. Paxton also laid that each water job varied
and that extra fittings would have a great affect on the cost
per foot. I
.Mr. Rowse asked Mr. Merriam if he would be willing to
pay the betterment assessment if the two dead ends in the
street were tied in and he said he would expect to pay a
betterment assessment of about $99.00 although he did not
need the extension. The Board suggested that Mr, Merriam
discuss the matter with Mr. Ross and he agreed to do this.
Mr. Merriam retired at 8:50 P. M.
Mr. Paxton said he.did not believe this sortof a situa.
' tion should come up again on account of the Board of Suriaey
regulations,
546
to
c
He said that in Brookline, they get a statement of the cost '
from the builder or developer and then the Town examine his
books and pay him exactly what his cost has been. Of course
they satisfy themselves that the job has been done properly.
Mr. Paxton informed the Board that the Chamber of
Use of
80mmeree had requested the use of a conference room on
Hall
February 27th. Mr. Rowse moved that the request be granted.
Mr. Locke seconded the motion, and it was so voted.
Mr. Paxton said he contacted Mr. Custance with reference
to using a room in the Barnes' property, but they had not
had an opportunity to go d own and make a decision on the
matter.
Mr. Paxton said St. Brigid's Church had requested the.
use of Cary Hall on April 23rd for a Reunion from 8:00 P, M.
until 1:00 A. M. Mr. Rowse moved that the use of the bAll
be granted subject to a charge of $20.00. Mr. Sarano seconded
the motion, and it was so voted.'
Mr. Paxton said that the State Organization of DeNolay
had requested the use of the Center Playground for an athletic
day some Saturday in June. Mr. Paxton talked with Mr. Garrity
DeMolay req:
about this and Mr. Garrity said as far as the fields and
for use of
tennis courts are concerned, probably not much harm would be
Center Play-
done to them. He would not allow the group to use th6, pool,
ground
'
however. Of course he tries to keep this clean and it
would be necessary for all the people who were to use the pool
to be examined first. Mr. Paxton said the group had planned
baseball games, tennis, track, etc. There would be probably
about 600 people attend and they would like to hold a dance
in Cary Hall in the evening.
Mr. Saran moved that the request be denied, it being
felt that the playground was for the use of the townspeople
and that harm might come to it. Mr. Rowse seconded the
motion, and it was so voted.
Mr. Paxton read a letter from Supt Thomas S. Grindle,
stating that the School Committee felt that the cost of in -
Light at
stalling a light over the door at the Adams School should
Adams Sch.
be borne by the Selectmen inasmuch as the maintenance,of the
light would have to be paid by the School Committee, Mr.
Potter said that if the School Committee did not feel it
was going to get enough additional protection from the light'
to warrant paying for the installation, then there was no
need of it.
Mr. Rowse moved that the East Lexington Men's Club,
who made the request, be informed inasmuch as the Adams
School is school property, any action on the matter will
have to come from the School Committee. Mr. Sarano seconded
the motion, and it was so voted. I
' Mr. Paxton said he had received another letter from Mr.
Gleason who claimed that his automobile was damaged when it
went over a catch basin on which the cover had become loosened.
Mr. Gleason said that he felt that he should be reimbursed
$47.00 rather than the $25.00 approved by the Selectmen last
week. Mr. Paxton was instructed to contact Mr. Gleason and
make such settlement as he could.'
Mr. Paxton said that Mr. Garrity had requested the
Board to writea letter authorizing him to set out shade
trees on private property. He claims in the past the Select-
men had approved this. These trees would go in on the side-
walk. Mr. Potter said he could see trouble in this because
if the Town dug up a lawn and did any damage, it would be re-
sponsiblep and if the tree died it would have to be replaced.
Mr. Rowse thought it would be all right if the owners would
agree to indemnify the Town against any damages. It was de-
cided to have Mr. Garrity in next week to discuss the subject.
Mr. Potter asked Mr. Paxton about the Oak Street sewer
costs and he said he would bring in the figures next week.
.A letter was received from Mr. Roy A. Ferguson of 11
Berwick Road to which was attached a sheet signed by 17
' owners of property agreeing to pay their sewer betterment
assessments om that street. Mr. Ferguson said he belived
some action should be taken this spring. Mr. Paxton said
he knew of no reason why this extension should not come
under the W. P. A. project for the Manor Sewer, but he
doubted if the work would be done unti.l some time in 1942.
A letter was received from Mr. John W. Raymond, Jr.
advising he was leaving, February 22nd, for an indefinite
stay in Bermuda. He said last week he requested the
P.W.A. to consider an increase in the amount of grant for the
Vine Brook project. Also last week he explained to Mr. Paxton
his plans in connection with the raising of the dam on
Burnham's land and arranged with him to make certain tests
at the Public Works Building in order to work out the best
method.
He said he had talked with Messrs. Marston and Eddy of
Metcalf & Eddy and they agreed to furnish someone to attend
to any matters required to wind up the P.W.A. projects. He
said that Mr. Kilbourne Whitman of Metcalf & Eddyts staff
was qualified to handle the correspondence and act as P.W.A.
correspondent.
J The Board requested Mr. Paxton to cheep with Mr. Russell
on the additional grant and follow it up.
Gleason
claim for
damage
Shade trees
Bseawei ek a. Rd
sewer
Vine Brook
grant
F.W.A.
Correspond-
ent
548 ft -T
The matter of financing the cost of constructing Patriots ,
Drive was discussed. The total amount approved for highway
construction and reconstruction amounted to $24,500.00. It
was voted to raise $7500.00 from the tax levy and to bond
117,000.00, the latter to be paid as follows= 2 years at
40000.00 and 3 years at $3,000.00.
Mr. Morse appeared at 0:45 P. M. and retired at 10:03 P.Y.
A bond in the penal sum of $1,000.00 covering Mr, Gordon D.
Bldg. Richards as Building Inspectar was received. Mr. Looks moved
Insp. that the bond be approved. Mr. Sarano seconded the motion,
bond and it was so voted.
A letter was received from the County Cmmmi.ssioners
advising that House Bill #2042 relating to the apportionment
of the State and County tax had been submitted to the General
Court. Also the valuation of Middlesex County has been in -
House creased and the proportion of the State tax to be paid has
Bill been increased 1.247. In Suffolk County, the valuation of
2042 Boston alone has been reduced making their proportion of the
State tax 4.141% less.
The Clerk was instructed to write Representative Charles E.
Ferguson and inform him that the Board of Selectmen wished to be
recorded in opposition to this Bill.
The Plumbing Inspector submitted some proposed gas By-laws.
Gas By -The Clerk was instructed to forward them to Mr. Eugene L. Boor n
ga ,
Laws Chairman of the Plumbing By-law Committee and to request that his
committee study them in relation with the proposed Plumbing By-laws.
An abatement of $6.00 for the use of the ambulance was signed.
A letter was received from Mr. Giroux advising that the
Board of Selectmen had been appointed a committee in charge
of Patriotic exercises to be held in Cary Hall on April•18th.
Commitment of water miscellaneous charges in the amount
of $89.13 wan signed.
The meeting adjourned at 10:25 P.bi.
A true record, Attest:
-Clerk