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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1942-02-04• 0 SELECTMEN'S MEETING February 4,1948 A special meeting of the Board of Selectmen was held in the Selectmen's Room, Town Office Building on Wednes- day evening at 8:00 P.M. Chairman Giroux, Messrs. Potter, Rowse, Locke, and Sarano were present. The Clerk was also present. The Board was reminded of this meeting by the Chair- man on January 19th and the Clerk telephoned the members on February 4th to remind them of it. The Appropriation Committee, Library Trustees, and School Committee were present. The Chairman called the meeting to order at 8:10 P.M. He said that this'meeting had been called to explain the position of the Board of Selectmen in relation to this year's budgets and also and more important - their attitude toward a general policy which they hope the Town, through the Town Meeting, will adopt during the period of the war. The Selectmen believe it is essential that they plan in all cases so that the Town will go through the war with a sound policy, as much so as possible; and after» ward, that we may come out of the war so financially sound that we can go ahead with the work omitted during the war years. He said that we were going on what may be said to be a strict maintenance policy — without construction - unless It is something that cannot be avoided. It may be necessary this year to purchase some highway trucks and other equip- ment, the cost of which would come out of the Road Machinery Fund. The reason for purchasing this year is that some of the equipment is almost obsolete, and we may not be able to purchase any later on. A maintenance policy should give us a somewhat lower tax rate this year, and that is what we want, as against the Massachusetts Taxpayers Association's prediction of a probable $4.00 average increase by 1943. If we can attain this year something somewhat lower than our present tax rate, then it becomes also just as important that we arrange our finances so that we can stabilize that rate during the war years. Our policy has been to transfer some funds from the Excess and Deficiency Account, but we shall not do tt this year for two reasons: 1. It shall be held as a Reserve for emergencies, and we shall discourage any requests that we call special town meetings for transfers during the year unless the Selectmen and the Appropriation Committee deem it absolutely necessary. 5p '40t Munroe School sprink- lers Mr. Houghton said that the School Committee was generally in accord. One thing that came to his mind however, was the sprinkler proposition for the Munroe School. His Committee met with the Appropriation Com- mittee a number of weeks ago and the latter seemed to be in favor of the sprinkler installation. He said he didn't know if the program just outlined would eliminate that or not The School Committee would like to complete the installation. The arguments for finishing are that it is the only building left without sprinkler protection, and it is a question of protedtion for the children. There is the added fact that the schools are being used consider- ably for Civilian Defense purposes. The installation would cost $81,000.00. The Chairman asked Mr. Houghton if he had any reason to believe he could not have the work done now and Mr. Houghton said he thought the school could get a priroty rating for the work. Munroe School is a two-story building with two doors in the front and one at either end, and no exit from the rear. • • 2. If we arrive at a somewhat lower tax rate this year, that we may be in a position in 1943 and subsequent years to have funds available for transfer to stabilize the tax rate. We should also discourage any recommendations calling for bonding during these years, unless it is an extreme*- emergency. The reason for this is that we want the bonded debt to practically disappear during the war years, leaving us in a position at the end of the war to borrow funds for construction, and to provide employment. Our Board will recommend such a program strongly, and hopes that the Town Meeting will see to it that it is carried on`through the war years. The Chairman said that he understood from Mr. Sheldon that the reasoning of the Appropriation Committee follows about along that"line of thought. Mr. Sheldon said that that was correct. The Chairman said that the Board urged that consider- ation of the salary problem be approached with these facts in mind, and not to forget that while people in municipal employ face higher taxes and increased cost of living, so do all of our people; and he believes that the great majority of people in Lexington are not receiving more in- come because of the defense program. Mr. Sheldon said that his Committee followed that line of thought, and are in accord with the Selectmen, particularly about transfers from Excess and Deficiency. The Appropriation Committee feels that this account should • be allowed to accumulate. They also feel that a lower tax rate can be achieved and still preserve the Excess and Deficiency Account. Mr. Sheldon said that he believed there would be very little difference between the two Boards at the time of the Town Meeting. Mr. Houghton said that the School Committee was generally in accord. One thing that came to his mind however, was the sprinkler proposition for the Munroe School. His Committee met with the Appropriation Com- mittee a number of weeks ago and the latter seemed to be in favor of the sprinkler installation. He said he didn't know if the program just outlined would eliminate that or not The School Committee would like to complete the installation. The arguments for finishing are that it is the only building left without sprinkler protection, and it is a question of protedtion for the children. There is the added fact that the schools are being used consider- ably for Civilian Defense purposes. The installation would cost $81,000.00. The Chairman asked Mr. Houghton if he had any reason to believe he could not have the work done now and Mr. Houghton said he thought the school could get a priroty rating for the work. Munroe School is a two-story building with two doors in the front and one at either end, and no exit from the rear. • 407 The Chairman said that he assumed all Town Departments would want to approach the salary question on the same basis. He asked Mr. Houghton how the school budgets compared with last year. Mr. Grindle said the maintenance budget was about $4,000.00 more than in 1941 and this included the normal step -rate increases for the teachers. The Chairman asked for Mr. Houghton's opinion as to increased compensa- tion. He said that the School Department had always felt that it was in competition with other towns as far as teachers are concerned. Lexington, perhaps, does not pay as much as other towns around Boston and if other towns increase talaries and Lexington does not, there will be difficulty in getting teachers. That is bad for the schools as a whole. Mr. Brayton, Chairman of the Library Trustees, skid the cost of living had increased 10%, and it seemed to him that the Town would have to meet that increase. The Chairman said that it was the Selectmen's opinion that the majority of people in Lexington were not enjoying in- creased income because of the defense program. The ques- tion arises as to how much more the taxpayers should be asked to bear in order to help out a certain group within the Town, and how much the latter group should bear. Mr. Sheldon said that persons receiving a weekly salary were secure and he thought they should be willing to go along for awhile without an increase. He asked • what the position of the School Committee would be if the members of the Police and Fire Department were.to continue on the present basis. Mr. Houghton said that he was not thinking of the thing wholly from the angle of the good to the teachers. He said he was thinking of the benefit to the schools. He hated to see the spread between the compensation paid to Lexington teachers and that paid in surrounding towns get too large. He said that the best teachers would go elsewhere and Lexington would get those who were left. He said it was a good investment to maintain salaries at a level comparable to surrounding towns. The Chairman asked if Mr. Houghton believed that schools in other towns would go ahead with usual step -rate increases and he replied in the affirmative. The Chairmanasked if Mr. Houghton be- lieved the school teacherswould be willing to accept a policy of increasing persons receiving over a certain amount by a certain percentage. Mr. Houghton said that the stumbling block in that scheme was that if only those persons receiving over a certain amount are increased, the married teachers would be affected the most. They would be in a position of having to support their families on very little more than the unmarried female teachers were receiving. The Chairman asked the group to give the problem consideration according to the Selectments viewpoint and the group retired at 8:50 P.M. The Appropriation Committee remained. 408 Mr. Spellman said that more important than giving a salary increase in the way of a bonus was to guarantee the laborers a 40 hour week for 52 weeks per year. The Chairman said that Mr. Paxton had been instructed to keephis force down so that it would not be necessary to hire extra men, thereby giving the regular Town men more work. The two Boards then discussed the report of the Salary Committee. There was no opposition to grading the Clerks into Junior and Senior classes. There was considerable discussion on the matter as to whether or not to carry the report to the Town Meeting. It was finally decided to submit the report to the Town Meet- ing and to tell the group that the Board wished to adopt the recommendations contained therein, but that it did not know how the system would work out and that it might be necessary to make some changes next year. Most of the members felt that it would be better to have the Town Meeting members vote that it is the sense of the meeting that the report be adopted and carried out as rar as possible. Mr. Sheldon said that the appropriation Com- mittee approved of the salary increases recommended by the Salary Committee. Mr. Sheldon said that he would take up those budgets on which there was a difference between the selectmen s and the Appropriation Committeets recommendation as followsz Eleetion Ex enses-Selectmen The ppropriat on ommittee eliminated the items for food and constable services. There was considerable dis- Budgets cussion on the subject and the Chairman told the Appro- priation Committee that the Board felt that both of these items should be included. The Appropriation Committee finally agreed to approve $1686.00, the same as the Selectme]2,. Registrations -Expenses The Ap ropriat on Committee approved $600.00 as com- pared with 625.00 approved by the Selectmen. They re- duced the item for poll books from $175.00 to $150.00 and said that they had recommended to the Town Clerk that poll tax books be given only to Town officials entitled to them, and that any others be sold. The Selectmen agreed to ap- prove the same amount as the Appropriation Committee, $600. Fire Department -Personal Services The Appropriation -Committee approved $39,000.00 as compared with the Selectments $39,211.00. The Selectmen agreed to reduce their recommendation to the $39,000.00. 0 Fire De artment-Ex enses The Appropr ation ommittee approved $8565.00 as compared with the Selectmen's $9,000.00. Mr. Sheldon said that the Fire Department had more than an adequate supply of hose and should not buy any at all this year. The Appropriation Committee approved the sum of $8565.00 with the provision that no part of that amount is to be expended for hose. The Selectmen voted to concur with the Appropriation Committee. Building Department -Expenses The ppropr ation Committee approved $130.00 as compared with the Selectmen's $105.00. The Selectmen voted to change their recommendation to $130.00. Forest Fires -Personal Services ® Appropriation Committee approved $87.50 as com- pared with the Selectmen's $200.00. Mr. Sheldon said that this was based on a salary of $50.00 per year from April lst, plus the amount due on the old rate to April 1st. The Selectmen voted to concur with the Appropriat- tion Committee and voted to change the appropriation to 87.50. Forest Fires -Ex enses • heAppropriation Committee approved $750.00 as com- pared with the Selectmen's $1200.00. Mr. Sheldon said that that amount was approved with the provision that no hose and no supplies be purchased from this account after Town Meeting. The Selectmen voted to change their recommendation to $750.00 with the same provisions as the Appropriation Committee. Dog Officer -Expenses The Appropriation Committee approved $75.00 as com- pared with the Selectmen's $100.00. The Selectmen voted to reduce their recommendation to $75.00. Plumbing Department -Expenses The Appropriation Committee approved $178.00 as com- pared with the Selectmen's $105.00. Mr. Sheldon said that Mr. Lindstrom convinced the Appropriation Committee that he needed $73.00 for postage and supplies and they approved $100.00 for automobile allowance. The Selectmen voted to change their recommendation to $178.00. Highway Department -Drain Construction Mr. 5heldon said that the Appropriation Committee was recommending no appropriation for this budget whereas the Selectmen were approving a total of $2,000.00. He said there was a balance of $1400.00 carried over from 1941 and they felt that this should be sufficient. The . Selectmen voted to change their recommendation and ask for no appropriation. Highway Maintenance-Wa es & Expenses Mr. Sheldon said that the Appropriation Committee approved $36,000.00 as compared with the Selectmen's $379000.00. The Chairman said that the Selectmen had approved the extra $1,000.00 so as to provide for in- creased costs. The Appropriation Committee felt that $36,000.00 was adequate and the selectmen voted to concur with them. Park Department -Wages & Expenses Mr. 6heldon said that theAppropriationCommittee had approved a total of $10,270.00 of which $270.00 is to be transferred from -the Taylor Flag Fund and $350.00 from the Tower Fund. The amount to be appropriated is $9650.00. The Selectmen voted to concur with the Appro- priation Committee. Interest on Debt Both Board -s- approved an appropriation of $8305.75. Maturing Debt Mr. Sheldon said that the amount to be appropriated was $70,299.03 rather than $69,916.14. The reason for this is that the $382.89 which was to be transferred from P.W.A. Projects is not available. The Board voted to approve $70,299.03. Reserve Fund Mr. Sheldon said that he would not debate at the Town Meeting the amount of the Reserve Fund. The Appropriation Committee recommended $15,000.00. Mr. Rowse said he thought that was entirely too large an appropriation. The matter was discussed to some extent and both Boards finally voted to recommend an appropriation of 12,000.00 for the Reserve Fund. The Chairman said that the School Department felt that it could not allow the Town painter to work during regular school hours. He said that unless the Appropriation for Town the Town Offices was increased, it would be necessary to Painter- dismiss the Town painter. 'There is plenty of work for him to do however, in the Town Offices and the Cary Memorial Building. It was decided to increase the ap- propriation in the Town Offices & Cary Memorial Building - Personal Services from 6200.00 to $7000.00 thereby allowing an additional 800.00 for the Town Painter. Unemploy- ment Rel. Projects Mr. Rowse said that an opinion had been received from the Town Counsel to the effect that the unexpended balance in the W.P.A. sewer appropriation could be used for public welfare on unemployment relief projects. He said that Mr. Beach had worked up several projects for A • J • C] unem_plo;ment relief. He asked how the Appropriation Com- mittee felt on the matter. The Appropriation Committee felt that Mr. Rowse's suggestion was a good one. The Chairman told the group that the firemen had pre- sented a petition requesting an increase in salary and one day off in three Lather than one day off in four. He talked with Chief Taylor and asked him if the latter could be accomplished without an increase in the personnel and Chief Taylor replied in the negative. Mr. Spellman said that if the men did not go out to lunch, they could have one day off in three without adding to the personnel. The Chairman asked if the Town would be adequately protected with the men having one day off in three and both Mr. Hynes and Mr. Spellman said that it would. Mr. Rowse said that he thought this was a matter that should be handled by the new Board of Fire Engineers so it was decided to take no action on it. The meeting adjourned at 12:00 P.M. A true record, Attest: Clerk Petition from Fireman