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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1973-04-23-BOS-min 114 SELECTMEN'S MEETING April 23, 1973 A regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen was held in the Selectmen's Meeting Room, Town Office Building, on Monday, April 23, 1973, at 7;30 p.m. Chairman Kenney, Mr. Bailey, Mr. Buse, and Mrs. Riffin; Mr. O'Connell , Town Manager; Mr. Cohen, Town Counsel ; Mrs. McCurdy, Executive Clerk, were present. At the request of the Town Clerk, six jurors were drawn as follows Jurors Beverly L. Grant 166 Lowell Street David M. Dixon 64 Harding Road Allan P. Sherman 16 Balfour Street Paul J. Valihura 67 Grassland Street Florence F. Viano 17 Buckman Road Daniel A. Lucas 3 Tower Road Mr. O'Connell distributed information to the Board regarding the proposed acquisition by Boston Gas of the Lynn, North Shore and the Mystic Valley Gas Company. Congressman Harrington stated his opposi- tion to this merger at a recent meeting held at the Peabody City Hall Gas because he feared that a monopoly would be formed, rates would increase Company and, also, there would be no way of measuring price rates. He re- Merger quested the support and authorization to represent the Towns and Cities affected by this merger at the forthcoming Securities and Ex- change Commission hearing on May 7, 1973. Chairman Kenney indicated that this is a one-sided presentation and this Board might want to get the recommendation of the other side. He felt there was no obligation to give an opinion. The Board agreed. School Comm. Mr O'Connell gave the Board members copies of the School Commit- Budget tee's budget which had been approved on November 7, 1972 Mr. O'Connell informed the Board that bids had been opened on April 10, 1973 for sanitary sewer construction, Contract 72-7-E. The three lowest bidders were P. Gioioso & Sons, Incorporated, $114, 183.75; Award Bertoldi Contractors Incorporated, $121 ,300.00; Grandview Contracting, 72-7-E Incorporated, $125,095.25. Mr. McSweeney recommends, and I concur, Sewer that the contract be awarded to the lowest bidder, P. Gioioso & Sons, Construc- Incorporated, in the amount of $114, 183 75. tion Upon motion duly made and seconded, it was voted to award Contract 72-7-E, sanitary sewer construction, to P. Gioioso & Sons, Incorporated, in the amount of $114, 183.75, as authorized under Article 20 of the 1972 Annual Town Meeting. I 115 Selectmen's Meeting April 23, 1973 Mr. O'Connell recommended that the Board vote to approve the in- creased benefits on the Town insurance plan as funds have been appropriated under Article 4 of the 1973 Annual Town Meeting to cover the Town's share of the additional premiums. Upon motion duly made and seconded, it was voted to accept on Maximum behalf of the Town of Lexington Maximum Level Hospital Medical Insur- Insurance ance coverage available under Chapter 32B, as established by the Group Insurance Commission, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and as adopted by the County of Middlesex Employee Group July I , 1972. The effective date of this increased coverage is April I , 1973. The Board discussed the reconstruction of East Street Mrs. Lois W. Brown, Chairman of the Planning Board, and residents of East Street were present. Chairman Kenney read a memo from the Director of Public Works stating that his department had reviewed the proposed design by the Mass. Depart- ment of Public Works and was in agreement with this proposal , with the exception of the removal of four trees. The saving of these four trees is due to a shift in the horizontal alignment near Maureen Road and the meandering sidewalk between Vine Brook and Grant Street. It further re- duces the amount from 30 to 26 trees within the limits of the project. If the Board concurs, it is proposed to post the trees on April 24 tree hearing to be held on April 30th and vote of the Board on April 30th. The Board has previously voted the intent to take slope easements. The East St. contract can be bid and awarded by July I , 1973. Chairman Kenney The Street Advisory Committee is in agreement, with the exception of the four trees near Grant Street. I discussed this with Mr. McSweeney and, by constructing a meandering sidewalk, we were able to save three of the four trees. The one which directly abuts the O'Brien driveway at 99 East Street will have to be removed and, at this point, Mr. O'Brien is agreeable to the necessity of that as the roots are growing out of the ground. There is a question on the tree at the corner of Maureen Road, and we can possibly save this. The problem is if we put the sidewalk behind the tree, it would be up at too high a level because of the slope ease- ment. In discussion with Dr. Dratch, it was felt we should post the tree and when the final grade is done, a final decision would then be made. Dr. Dratch, 2 Maureen Road That is something for discussion. Chairman Kenney The State has specifically informed us that the required width for East Street, under the Chapter 90 plan, is 30 feet and the Board feels this is the proper width. Mrs. Crothers If this were to be a scenic road, it was my under- standing from Town Meeting that neither the Planning Board nor the Selectmen were the official bodies to make this decision. 1 116 Selectmen's Meeting April 23, 1973 Mrs Brown We had a memo from the Department of Community Affairs, dated March 13, 1973, that the bill on scenic roads approved on March 6, 1973 and effective June 4, 1973, states that it is possible for a Municipal Planning Board to designate a road as a scenic road. The De- partment of Community Affairs believes that if a municipal Planning Board recommends to Town Meeting, and Town Meeting so designates, it can become a scenic road. This Act makes it possible for a municipal Planning Board to veto the removal of trees or stone walls in certain road projects otherwise under the jurisdiction of Town officals or agencies. Whether the Act applies only to accepted Town ways or also to private ways in public use and wholly private ways is not expressly stated. The implication is that only publicly owned roads are covered. County roads seem to be included, It points out that enforcement pro- cedures are not spelled out, so Town Counsel would have to be consulted about this. Mr. Wathan-Dunn The Act was signed on March 6th without a pre-, amble. We are in the process of preparing a letter to the Planning Board suggesting the problem of what streets in Lexington become scenic roads. We are attempting to get the idea of who sponsored this in the House, and what constitutes a scenic road, in order to save the work for the Planning Board. Chairman Kenney The Board is doing this because we feel it is correct and justified. If you look at Maureen Road, it is 30 feet wide and built according to the subdivision regulations of the Town. We are going to go forward and when the project is completed, you will have a safe street and a sidewalk These will represent major improvements. Upon motion duly made and seconded, it was voted to approve the Massachusetts Department of Public Works plan for the design of East Street, with the deletion of three trees 36 + 02 left 23" 0, 36 + 38.5 left 31" M, 36 + 74 left 30" M. Mr. McSweeney is to be instructed to make arrangements to post the trees on East Street on April 24 and to hold tree hearings on April 30, 1973. Mr Stephen Politi , Chairman of the Youth Advisory Commission, met with the Board to request changes in the By-Laws of the Commission by having the appointments made by the Selectmen in June of each year, Youth instead of April , for a term of office from July I to June 30. Also, Commission by reducing the size of the Commission from 28 to 22 members, by the deletion of the Clergyman, Recreation and School Committee, having I teacher instead of 3; 7 members from organizations of and for young people, instead of 10 members. Mr Politi This reduction is necessary to make meetings more manageable and to allow a chairman to get to know everyone in a way that is necessary in order to get things done. Attendance seems to drop off with very large committees 117 Selectmen's Meeting April 23, 1973 Mr. Buse I believe in the inception of an Ad Hoc Committee. One of the main points brought out is that we should have a number of youths on it, not adults. We should have a member of the Recreation Committee and a member of the School Committee, so that if there were any youth activities or information pertaining to the school , the school would have a direct line. Originally, the Clergyman was put on just as a religious background, and we never found a minister to serve on it. I strongly recommend an Ad Hoc Committee and keep a Recreation Committee and a School Committee mem- ber and the students will still outnumber the adult population. Upon motion duly made and seconded, it was voted to amend Section 2 of the By-Laws for the Lexington Youth Advisory Commission. For the record, the complete By-Laws are as follows BY-LAWS FOR LEXINGTON YOUTH ADVISORY COMMISSION Section I. The Town shall have a Youth Commission which shall make recommendations to the Board of Selectmen on matters pertaining to the youth of the town which the Commission selects and on such matters as the Board of Selectmen may request, and shall make recommendations on all proposals and requests for appropriations by the Town for youth ser- vices and facilities, excluding only those proposals presented by the School' Committee. Section 2. Members of the Commission shall be appointed in June each year by the Board of Selectmen for a term of one year except that members shall continue in office until their successors have been duly appointed and qualified. Members of the Commission shall be as follows a member of the Board of Selectmen, a member of the School Committee, a member of the Recreation Committee, and the Chief of Police, or their designee; one from the Executive Board of the Town Meeting Members' Association; one Lexington Public School teacher; nine Lexington Public Schools students; seven from among nominees received by the Board of Selectmen annually from organizations of and for young people, no more than one member to be appointed from any one organization. Section 3. The Commission shall , as soon as possible after the annual appointment of new members to the Commission, meet for the purpose of organization The Commission shall slake rules for` the conduct of its business and shall keep accurate records of its meetings and actions which shall be reported in writing to the Board of Selectmen The Coommrission shall elect a seven-member Executive Commrittee, which commit- tee shall carry on the day-to-day business of the Commission The Commission shall elect its Chairman from among the members of the Execu- tive Committee, who shall also serve as Chairman of the Executive Committee. The Commission may hold public meetings and' invite any town officer, employee, citizen or person to attend and to give such informa- tion as he may have which will assist the Commission upon any public matter coming before it for consideration. 118 Selectmen's Meeting April 23, 1973 Section 4. The Commission shall assume responsibilities such as, to: prepare a comprehensive town-wide inventory of youth programs, services and facilities and continually review this inventory; identify the problems and needs of the youth of the town; evaluate the capacity of the existing programs, services and facilities to deal with the chang- ing needs of the youth of the town; promote communication between youth, parents and groups concerned with youth; serve as an information source for all; provide an open 'forum for public discussion of new programs;, supply leadership for community needs which are not being met by exist- ing organizations; promote programs which are designed to stimulate understanding of the problems of youth; or other unspecified activities which may be significant for the youth of the Town. Section 5. The Commission shall prepare, publish and distribute to the Town Meeting each year a report of the activities of the Commission,add the Commission's recommendations on all proposals and requests for appropriations for youth services and facilities, excluding only those proposals presented by the School Committee. The Board agreed to inform the Ceramic Guild of the Lexington Arts Arts 1 and Crafts Society that it had no objection to the Guild conducting the Crafts annual pottery sale on May 12, 1973 from 10 00 a.m. to 5 00 p.m. on the front lawn of the Arts and Crafts Society property. Upon motion duly made and seconded, it was voted to authorize the I .D. Card Chairman to sign a Liquor Identification card for Nancy H. Sheffield, 13 Sherman Street. Cert, of Upon motion duly made and seconded, it was voted to certify the Incorp. character of Elihu Petnov, 73 Laconia Street, who has applied for Certificate of Incorporation "Alianza Mecanica Internacional Inc." Chairman Kenney read a report from the Director of Public Works stating that his department has taken care of the request of Mrs. DPW Martha Olson to clean up debris on Marrett And Stedman Roads. Mrs. Olson's request for traffic signs will have to be referred to the State DPMI as Marrett Road is a State highway. Sign Upon motion duly made and seconded, it was voted to sign Contract Contract 72-5-E, Sanitary Sewer Construction, which was awarded on April 2, 1973 72-5-E to Andreassi Bros., Inc. , West Roxbury, in the amount of $219,902.90. High The Board discussed a request from the School Committee to adopt School regulations governing parking and traffic of motor vehicles on High Parking School grounds. Regulations Upon motion duly made and seconded, it was voted to refer the request to the Traffic Committee for a recommendation. I 1 .19 Selectmen's Meeting April 23, 1973 Chairman Kenney read the certification from Secretary Davoren. of Lexington the total population of Lexington being 33,412 residents. Population Chairman Kenney read a request from the Director of Public Works for approval of hours at Hartwell Avenue Sanitary Landfill. Hartwell Upon motion duly made and seconded, it was voted to approve the Landfill request of the Director of Public Works for the hours of 8 00 a.m. to Hours 7:00 p.m. beginning April 30 through October 26, 7 days a week, at the Hartwell Avenue Sanitary Landfill. Upon motion duly made and seconded, it was voted to go into Exe- cutive Session for the purpose of discussing, deliberating or voting on matters which, if made public, would adversely affect the public Executive security, financial interests of the Town or the reputation of a Session person. After discussion of matters of financial interest to the Town, it was voted to go out of Executive Session and resume the open meeting. The Buckman Tavern Structural Renovations Committee met with the Board. Mr. O'Connell There were five bids received and the three low bidders were Thomas O'Connor and Company, Inc. , Cambridge, $80,994.00; Buckman R and M Wood Products, Inc. , Brighton, $91 ,350.00; Donald S. Tait Tavern ' Company, Inc., Belmont, $98,361.00. All of these contractors are con- Repairs sidered highly qualified. $5,000 would be added for supervision and Contract tests, and $15,000 for contingencies. This would be within the $120,000 appropriated at Town Meeting. Mr. G. Warren Butters, Chairman of the Committee Our Committee recommends that the contract for repair and control work at Buckman Tavern be awarded to Thomas O'Connor and Company, Inc. , in accordance with his bid. It was agreed to request the Architect, Mr. Muirhead, to schedule the work for the project as soon as possible. Upon motion duly made and seconded, it was voted to award the contract for repair and control work at Buckman Tavern to Thomas O'Connor and Company, Inc. , 238 Main Street, Cambridge, in the amount of $80,994.00. Upon motion duly made and seconded, it was voted to adjourn at 9.40 p.m. A true record, Attest Executive Clerk, Selectmen