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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1941-09-15SELECTMEN'S MEETING September 15, 1941. 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 pre- sent. The members of the Board were notified by letter dated September 11, 1941, of the time of this meeting. At 7:30 P. M. Messrs. Paxton and Wrightington ap- peared before the Board. Mr. Paxton said that the V. F. W. had requested that the use of Cary Hall granted them on November 25th be changed to November 18th. Mr. Potter moved that the re- quest be granted. Mr. Locke seconded the motion, and it was so voted. Mr. Paxton said that the Field and Garden Club had requested the use of Estabrook Hall on the following dates: October 7, January 6, March 3, April 7, May 5. Mr. Potter moved that the use of the hall be granted free of charge. Mr. Locke seconded the motion, and it was so voted. Mr. Paxton said that the Lexington Choral Society had requested the use of Estabrook Hall each Wednesday evening between now and December 3rd for rehearsals. Mr. Potter moved that the use of the hall be granted free of charge. Mr. Locke seconded the motion, and it was so voted. Mr. Paxton read a letter from Malcolm Bunker request- ing that the Minute Man Crafts be allowed the use of Cary Hall in the afternoon and evening the first weeliC of Decem- ber. They also wanted the use of Estabrook Hall for lec- tures during that week. It was decided to hold the matter over for one week. Mr. Paxton said that the following insurance policies on sprinkler leakage expired on October 27th: Town Office Building, $3,875.00; Town Office Building Contents, $2,400.00; Cary Memorial Building Contents, $3,400.00. Mr. Potter moved that the policies be renewed through the off ice of Elmer A. Lord & Co. Mr. Locke seconded the motion, and it was so voted. Upon motion of Mr. Potter, seconded by Mr. Rowse, it was voted that the following order be adopted:, "At a meeting of the Board of Selectmen of the Town of Lexington duly called and held on September 15, 1941, for the purpose of relocating a portion of the northwesterly driveway leading from Massachusetts Aveiue to the center i. 4q�1i° # Uses of halls Insurance renewed Poultry permit, EclBred St station of the Boston & Maine Railroad, sometimes known as �. Depot Square, it appearing that no land of any owners other than the Town will be taken for such purpose, upon consider- ation of the matter, it is ORDERED: that the Board of Selectmen is of the opinion that public necessity and convenience require that said way be relocated as follows: "Beginning at a point in the northeasterly line of Mass- achusetts Avenue, said point being the intersection of the northeasterly line of Massachusetts Avenue and the present northwesterly line of Depot Square, thence along the present northwesterly line of Depot Square, N440154711E distant 5.06 feet to a point, thence along a line parallel with and 5.00 feet northeasterly of the northeasterlyy line of Massachusbtts Avenue, S54o13'43'E distant 9.77 feet to a point, thence along the proposed relocated northwesterly line of Depot Square, N35046117"E distant 65.44 feet to a point in the present' - northwesterly line of Depot Square,, all as shown on a plan entitled, "Plan showing proposed relocation of street lines on Depot Square & Merriam Street Lexington, Massachusetts September 10, 1941 Scale 1" = 201 John T. Cosgrove Town Engineer". Archibald R. Giroux William G. Potter Selectmen Errol H. Locke of A. Edward Rowse LexingtD n . George W. Sarano Application for permission to keep one thousand poultry on Eldred. Street was received from Anthony Palhete and Hermon Bettencourt of Cambridge. Mr. Wrightington said that the Clerk had talked with him today about this application, and said that the men contemplated purchasing 5 3�4 acres of land from Neil McIntosh. The Clerk wondered if this would not be donducting a business in a residential zone, and Mr. Wrightington read a decision rendered some time ago on the same question in which the Town of Wakefield was concerned. Mr. Rowse thought it might be a good idea to have a hearing and see how the neighbors felt on the matter. Mr. Neil McIntosh appeared at 7:55 P. M. He said that two farmers wished to purchase about 5 3/4 acres of land from him off Bedford Street. There is only one house'within 300 feet, and. the rest are 500. to 600 feet away. The Chairman asked if this land had been farm land in the past, and Mr. McIntosh said that it had been farm land for over 200 years, but had not been farmed since he bought it in 1928. It was decided to hold the matter over for one week. Mr. McIntosh retired. The Board adjourned the meeting at 8:00 P. M. to go to the preliminary Town Meeting in Cary Hall. A true record Attest: • �J • 219 The Board returned to the Selectmen's Room at 10il5 P. M., and the following was dictated to the Clerk by the Chairman: The Board voted to protect the position of the Town Accountant if his services are required by the armed forces of the United States, and to insert an article in the Warrant for the- next Town Meeting to confirm this. The Board pre- Accts. ferred that, in the event of Mr. Russell's absence, a State position auditor be appointed by Director of Accounts Waddell and protected thlat he be paid by the Division of Accounts and the expense charged back to the Town in the Auditing Assessment. The Chairman informed the Board that the estimate for moving the equipment in the Fire Department shed located on Scott's property was 4500.00. It was voted to request Funds for the Town to appropriate 500.00 under Article 10 of the Fire Dept. Warrant for the September 22nd Town Meeting. The Chairman asked the Board if it wanted to ask':the Town to appropriate an additional $584.96 for Fire Depart- ment Expenses to cover the amount by which the cost of repairs to the East Lexington exceeded the estimate. He said that an article had been inserted in the Warrant to cover it, but that the Board had not had an opportunity to No approp. discuss it. for E. Lex. The Board felt that Chief Taylor should make every Fire House effort to keep his expenses down so that his $584.96 could repairs be covered by his appropriation, and decided to move for indefinite postponement under Article 20 of the Warrant. The Chairman read a letter dated August 26th from Dr. Roy F. Feemster of the Mass. Dept. of Public Health ad- vising that a rabid dog had disappeared from Malden and five days later was discovered in Concord, and that un- doubtedly he passed through Lexington at some time. Dr. Feemster said that the Board should be alert to learn of possible cases of rabies in dogs and other animals so that they would be restrained, and that it should inform the Second rabie residents of the Town of the situation. He said that it clinic might be necessary for the State to recorvmend the restraint of all dogs which have not been inoculated against rabies. He recommended strongly that the Board give consideration to holding another rabies clinic. The Chairman said that on September 11 Dr. Getting of the Mass. Dept. of Public Health called and urged that the Board hold _another Rabies Clinic. Acton, Concord, Belmont, and Maynard have held second clinics. Only about one third of the Lexington dogs were inoculated at the last clinic. It was decided to request the Appropriation Committee to transfer the sum of $450.00 from the Reserve Fund so that another Rabies Clinic might be held, and to order all dogs restrained for a period of sixty days, if they have not been inoculated. 20 It was further voted to instruct the Dog Officer to pick up all dogs after the clinic that have not been inoculated. Mr. Potter t r informed the Board that he had note suc- cessful in getting anyone to serve as Chairman oftheCommi- ('Defense ttee on Defense Savings. It was decided to request Mr. Carl G. Vienot of 15 Vaille ;Savings Avenue to serve as the Chairman, and to appoint two other persons to serve on the Committee. Letter was received from Mr. Garrity informing the Board that Edison the Boston Edison Company had asked permission to bring in a utility tree trimming crew for trimming the purpose of clearing their lines. Mr. Garrity said that for the trees past two years Mr. John Pollard had been in charge of the crew. It was voted to grant permission to the Boston Edison Company to bring the tree trimming crew into Lexington pro- vided Mr. John Pollard was in charge of the that crew and Mr. Garrity supervise the work. The Board discussed the matter of additional compensa- tion for the Building and Plumbing Inspectors. It was voted Add'l. to request the Appropriation Committee to transfer the sum Comp; for of 0150.00 from the Reserve Fund for the Plumbing Inspector Inspectors as extra compensation for 1941, and $300.00 from the Re- serve Fund for the Building Inspector. Water abatements amounting to $3.06 were signed. Commitments of water house connections, sewer house connections, and water miscellaneous charges were signed. The Chairman said that Neil McIntosh, Republican, of Neil 8 Hancock Avenue, had agreed to serve as a Deputy Inspector McIntosh in Precinct Three for the ensuing year. It was voted to Deputy appoint Mr. McIntosh as a Deputy Inspector in Precinct Three. Insp. The record of the meeting held on September 8th was declared approved. A long discussion was held on the question of the Water Department. It was voted to terminate the services of William O'Connor, an employee in the Water & Sewer Depart - Dismiss ment, as of September 30, 1941. employees Continuing on the matter of the Supt, of the Water & Sewer Department on which subject a number of informal dis- cussions have previously been held, the Board, after lengthy deliberation voted to terminate Mr. Joseph A. Ross's services as Supt. of the Water & Sewer Dept. of the Town of Lexington effective as of October 15, 1941. A true record, Attest: Chairman •