Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout1979-02-12-BOS-min 1/.(h SELECTMEN'S MEETING FEBRUARY 12, 1979 A regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen was held in the Select- men's Meeting Room, Town Office Building, on Monday, February 12, 1979, at 7 30 P.M. Chairman Battin, Mr Busa, Mrs Miley, Mr Kent and Mr Crain; Mr Hutchinson, Town Manager; Mrs Banks, Assistant to the Town Manager; Mr Cohen, Town Counsel; Mrs McCurdy, Executive Clerk, were present Chairman Battin opened the hearing upon the petition of the Boston Conduit Edison Company to install underground conduit in Summer Street Notices Bos Edsn of the hearing were sent to abutters and also filed with the Public Summer St Works Department Mr Stephen Kane, representative of the Boston Edison Company, in- formed the Board that this installation was requested by the Metropolitan District Commission to provide electric service to a water meter A report from Mr Empey, Acting Director of Public Works/Engineering, recommended that the petition be approved No one appearing in favor or in opposition, Chairman Battin declared the hearing closed Upon motion duly made and seconded, it was voted to grant permission to the Boston Edison Company for the following location of conduit Summer Street, westerly approximately 88 feet northwest of the Lexington-Arlington town line, a distance of about 4 feet - conduit Chief Corr introduced four new Police Cadets Paul Jenkins, Police George W McCravy of Bedford, John Gregory Smith, and John Richard Cadets Sullivan The Board welcomed the cadets and wished them success as new members of the Police Department Mr James Reilly, Chairman of the Solid Waste Advisory Committee, Articles met with the Board Landfill- Chairman Battin said that we have four problems that we will have Recyclables to act on 'eventually; collection, transfer, hauling, and final disposal Mr Hutchinson said that it is our intent to continue to pursue the Northeast project, and they are in a position at this time of waiting for towns to commit their tonnage or allowing the governing bodies to do that We have received correspondence from Commissioner Kendall strongly urging communities to move forward on resolution of their solid waste problems We are in the process of completing specifications regarding mandatory recycling/trash collection and, before we go out for bid, we will list all the options in the speci- fications to get a broad range of comments The Article permits the capability to commit the town's tonnage to an appropriate resource recovery facility; Northeast is the only one that ties in with our timetables As for a transfer station, a lot of towns are in our posi- tion and, once you know the tonnage of the town, then it can be decided •Selectmen's Meeting - 2 - February 12, 1979 where transfer stations are going to be built We have $40,000 ap- propriated for the design, plans and specifications towards a trans- fer station and it still remains possible that that money would have to be utilized once a decision is made or, if possible, it could be returned to E & D if there is going to be a transfer station built somewhere else Chairman Battin said that the Article would not be a commitment to Northeast but would be an enabling act By the time Hartwell Avenue closes, if that is not open, we could go into the Newton/Wellesley transfer station for a year or so Mr Reilly said that, in the coming year, we hope to produce alternatives in case we have six months to a year hiatus between the closing of the dump and the Northeast project In terms of curbside recycling, we have had 20% participation in 1978 and we need 75% We recommend an educational program and, if higher participation, we are at least beginning even with the recovery costs; if 75%, it would be cheaper He sees growth and response to the educational program. Mr Crain talked about the Governor's capping proposal and the effect on the town, and he did not think we could afford it Mr Busa agreed He questioned an analysis by the Solid Waste Committee that the figures would be increased when those presented show less than 23% participation Mr Kent commented that the existing program has turned out to be an expensive business He asked Mr Hutchinson if consideration is being given to the possibility of not permitting the indiscriminate mixing at the landfill of recyclables and non-recyclables; Mr Hutchin- son agreed to investigate it Mrs Miley expressed her disappointment in the Selectmen's non- participation in the recycling program as they had not pushed it to be successful Chairman Battin said that she will be responsible for the landfill Article;. Mrs Miley the recyclable Ard*c1m, and reports will be pre- sented to Town Meeting She thanked Mr Reilly for the work involved in the Committee's excellent study, and Mr Reilly retired from the meeting Abatements The Board approved a request to sign abatements Street- Upon motion duly made and seconded, it was voted to abate the Sewer - following betterment assessments on land acquired by the Conservation Water Commission. Street. Moreland Avenue, owned by Daisy Wilson, $373 80 Sewer MealOw Brook Avenue-,: owned by Frank J & Charlotte Sanderson, Lot 298-$321 48; Lot 299-$687 97 Blossomcrest Road, Lot 289-$436 14; Lot 290-$356 03; Lot 291-$169 10; Lot 292-$338 20; Lot 293-$338 20. Blossomcrest Road, owned by Richard Johnson, Lot 283- $213 60; Lot 284-$213 60; Lot 285-$104 40; Pt Lot 286- $184 68; Pt Lot 287-$140 88; Pt Lot 288-$176 16 4456 Selectmen's Meeting - 3 - February 12, 1979 Water Blossomcrest Road, owned by Frank J & Charlotte Sanderson, Lot 289-$169 50; Lot 290-$90 00; Lot 292-$66 00; Lot 293- $66 00 Blossomcrest Road, owned by Richard Johnson, Lot 288-$30 18 Mr Kent recommended approval of a resolution, prepared by the Mass County Municipal Association, for local control over County budget expenditures Budget Upon motion duly made and seconded, it was voted to sign the resolu- Resolution tion that municipal officials urge the members of the General Court to enact legislation in this session to grant control over County budgets to County Advisory Boards made up of local officials A copy of the signed resolution is to be sent to the Governor and the Mass Municipal Association Chairman battin urged Board members to attend the joint legislative Mass Munic conference of the Mass Municipal Association to be in Boston on Assoc Confer Saturday, March 10 Seh recommended that Representative Cole and Senator Rotondi be invited as guests of Lexington The registration fee is $22 for Selectmen and $15 for guests Upon motion duly made and seconded, it was voted to invite Representa- tive Cole and Senator Rotondi to attend the joint legislative conference of the Mass Municipal Association on March 10, 1979 Mrs Battin is to contact Arlington and Winchester relative to sharing the registration fee for Senator Rotondi The Board accepted Mr Hutchinson's recommendation not to consider Precinct 3 changing the Precinct 3 polling place from the Bridge School until after Polling the Town Election on March. Place Mr Hutchinson discussed the original and alternative designs of the Waltham St sewer on Waltham Street between Grapevine and Wachusett Drive and it was Sewer Design agreed that representatives of the Engineering Department meet with the Board to present additional information on the cost differences Mr Temple Scanlon, Director of the Lexington Housing Authority, met Hous Auth with the Board to request formal support of LHA's application to HUD for Application assistance for sixty units under the Public Housing Program to HUD Upon motion duly made and seconded, it was voted to sign the follow- ing resolution 1 That there exists in the Town of Lexington a need for such low-rent housing which is not being met by private enterprise; 2 That the application of the Lexington Housing Authority to the Government for a preliminary loan in an amount not to exceed $12,000 for surveys and planning in connection with low-rent housing projects not to exceed approximately 60 dwelling units is hereby approved Selectmen's Meeting - 4 - February 12, 1979 Human The Board discussed the Human Services Report submitted by the Boston Serv- College Interns ices Chairman Battin said that there are four issues to be acted upon by the Town Meeting that are addressed in this report - transportation, services to the elderly, housing, and the funding of existing human serv- ices We have to provide a broad overview, ensure an ongoing needs assessment, and provide for coordination and evaluation of services as well as planning and policy development Mrs Banks suggested one committee to look at broader issues and determine one answer Now, we have the Senior Center Site Committee looking at the issue of developing a senior center, an Ad Hoc Committee looking at the Forum on Aging recommendations; the Council on Aging, and the Youth Commission Regarding the methodology used by the B C Interns, Mrs Swanson stated that the School Committee's problem was that we disagree on how the report was handled; we had no input at all Dr Cosgrove, Chairman of the Board of Health, felt that the Mystic Valley Mental Health Center and Re-Place show an overlapping of services Mrs Friedman of the Human Services Advisory Committee urged the Selectmen to act to appoint a formal group with a clear charge (1) looking at town policies for the consideration of the Board of Selectmen, Town Meeting and the public in general; (2) writing an annual report - the committee to review the previous year and budgets of last year; (3) make recommendations on the human services article As it begins, it should focus on beginning a process of evaluating services Mr Rosenberg said that the committee should be a broad committee to the Board of Selectmen; the Transportation Advisory Committee would like to have some central place to get information After much discussion, including the lack of agreement on a defi- nition of human services, it was agreed that Chairman Battu} an$$1� Mr. Crain are to work on the development of a Human Services Advisory oc I` e?to be well mapped out); define the human services problems as the Selectmen see it; look at the town's role, which may be carried out by the committee, and what the town's goals should be Powder Mr W. Francis Smith, potential developer of the Powder Horn Golf Course Horn located on Walnut Street, met with the Board to request consideration of Condo- an extension of the sewer line from Concord Avenue to service the develop- miniums/ ment A citizens' article is to be presented to Town Meeting for a zoning Sewer change to permit condominiums Mr Hutchinson advised the Board that the Concord Avenue sewer project is now scheduled for FY 81 and, in his opinion, it should be considered for that year After discussion, it was agreed that Mr Hutchinson is to ask the Planning Board whether any other proposal coming into this year's Town Meeting requires a sewer It was decided not to hold any hearings prior to Town Meeting as this could be misconstrued It was the sense of the Board that there would be further considera- tion of Mr Smith's sewer request if the Powder Horn proposal passed Town Meeting *.(8 Selectmen's Meeting - 5 - February 12, 1979 The Board discussed the proposed tax limitations and the effect on the town, and the loss of home rule Mr Hutchinson commented that it is inconsistent if the state budget is going to increase while everyone else is frozen Chairman Battin recommended further discussion with our legislators Upon motion duly made and seconded, it was voted 5-0 by roll call Executive vote - Mrs Battin, Mr Buss, Mrs Miley, Mr Kent and Mr Crain - to Session go into Executive Session, with no intention of resuming the open meeting, for the purpose of discussing strategy with respect to liti- gation and collective bargaining After discussion, it was voted to go out of Executive Session Upon motion duly made and seconded, it was voted to adjourn at 10 45 P.M A true record, Attest �/ III )j Executive Clerk, Selectmen si I