Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout1967-04-03-BOS-min 5r RIO 11 SELECTMEN 'S MEETING April 3, 1967 A meeting of the Board of Selectmen was held in the Selectmen's Room, Town Office Building, on Monday, April 3, 1967, at 7:00 P.M. Chairman Cole, Messrs. Cataldo and Kenney were present. Mr. Gray, Executive Assistant, Mr. Carroll, Superintendent of Public Works, and Miss Murray, Executive Clerk, were also present. Messrs. Legro and Burnell arrived at 7:30 P.M. Mr. Sumner Perlman, and two oth:,r gentlemen, met with the Board. Mr. Perlman said he would like to talk about the Laconia Street article. He said he would like to have it inserted in the June Town Meeting. The Chairman said this was a possibility. He ex- Laconia plained there would have to be a hearing and the Board Street would have to decide quickly because of the time element involved. Mr. Gray reported he had talked to Town Counsel and there is time enough but a decision will have to be made very quickly, and if not tonight, certainly by next week because of the legal notices required. The Chairman said if the Board could wait until next week, he would prefer it, when all members of the Board would be present. Mr. Cataldo said there was an agreement that the June Town Meeting was to be a zoning meeting unless on an emergency basis. He said his feeling would be not to establish a precedent going against it, although he fully agreed Laconia Street should be constructed. He said he thought it would be a lot better for all con- cerned ±f Mr. Perlman came in with 100 signatures. The Chairman said this should be in by next Monday night. Mr. Kenney asked if there would be any problem pro- viding the money. Mr. Gray stated the warrant closes on April 24, 1967. He said, accoring to Mr. Legro, the hearing could be the last week of April or the first week in May. Mr. Perlman said he did not think there would be any problem getting the signatures. Mr. Gray reported receipt of bids on police cruisers as follows: Rowe Chevrolet, Inc. $7,483.40 net Lexington Auto Sales, Inc. 8,181.36 net Police cars Upon motion duly made and seconded, it was voted to accept the low net bid of $7,483.40 for six new 1967 556 N C] Chevrolet police cars as per specifications submitted by Rowe Chevrolet, Inc. Mr. Gray said he received a reply from Town Counsel in regard to the letter from the Fire Commissioners rela- Agreement tive to a proposed Agreement between the Town and Local #1491. The Chairman asked to have a copy of the reply mailed to each member of the Board before any action is taken. Mr. Gray said a Mr. Buse is requesting to purchase a piece of land on Bow Street. He said he checked with Mr. Zaleski, Planning Director, and that Board has no objection to the sale of the land. He said he also Tax title checked with Mr. Cronin who said this is tax title and could be sold. He checked with Mr. Carroll because there is a sewer easement involved and he has no objection. He said people are parking here all day and creating problems. Mr. Buse would like to own it for parking and control it. Upon motion duly made and seconded, it was voted that a proposal to sell this lot be advertised in the Lexington Minute-man and that further consideration be given the offer at a later meeting. Mr. Carroll referred t o reconstruction of Massachu- setts Avenue and said the 500-foot section which the Board authorized him to have engineering plans and specifi- cations worked up on and advertised --. He said he was looking at Whitman & Howard' s proposed contract and then he looked at the article on Chapter 90 and the motion says the sum of $95,000 for all or any part of Massachusetts Avenue under Chapter 90 highway construction and payment be provided by the transfer of $60,000 from the Excess and Deficiency Account and by appropriation of the sum of $35,108.86 received from 'the State under Chapter 679'of the Acts of 1965. He said this means, he has talked to Mr. Legro, the only way he can rebuild any part of Massa- chusetts Avenue and use any money from that article is if it is done under Chapter 90 and that means either the project is done under Chapter 90 and the tree goes, or wait until the June Town meeting and appropriate the neces- sary money and do the work himself as he hoped he could do. Mr. Kenney asked if Mr. Carroll was talking just about the 500 feet. Mr. Carroll replied in the affirmative and said this 500 feet cannot be tied into the contract. If it is done under Chapter 90, the State will insist that the tree come down. Hesaid he had not followed up and really gone after t his man and tried to get the tree even under Chapter 90. II The Chairman said this is Mistretta whose superior is Horgan whose superior is Ribbs . 557 Mr. Carroll said it looks like he was talking $12,000 plus the engineering. He said it would be $13,500 and the money would have to be appropriated in the June Town Meeting. The Chairman asked if it would be worthwhile to attempt to change their minds. Mr. Cataldo asked what would be gained. The Chairman replied getting it under Chapter 90, having it done all at the same time. Mr. Carroll said he would like to try Mistretta, but he would like to have someone with him. The Chairman agreed to accompany Mr. Carroll. The Chairman read a letter from Mr. Donald K. Irwin, Building Inspector, advising that Mrs. Ryder will be taking her vacation starting April 10 for two weeks. Hewasin- Vacation forming the Board that Mrs. MacDonald would substitute so the Board would be aware of this because the substitute will be charged to the Selectmen' s Clerical Labor Pool budget. The Chairman read a letter from Mr. Cornelius P. Cronin, Chairman of the 19th of April Committee, Lexington Chamber of Commerce, requesting a member of the Board of Selectmen to act as a judge for the float competition. Float Mr. Kenney agreed to act in this capacity. judge II Upon motion duly made and seconded, it was voted to approve the minutes of the Selectmen's Meetings held Minutes on March 20, 22, 27, and 30. The Chairman suggested that if Town Meeting is not completed this evening, that it be adjourned to Wednesday night. Town Mr. Burnell said he would not be able to attend. Meeting Chairman Sussman, Messrs, Ripley, York, Smith and Peckham, Conservation Commission, met with the Board, The Chairman said the Board was having this meeting and if there could be a meeting of the minds, it would be nice. If they are going in with differences of opinion, the Board should know what they are. The first article is the $2,000 Conservation Fund. He said he understood the Commission is going to amend this upward. Conserve- Mr. Sussman said they were going to move that it tion be taken up after Article 81. When they reached that articles number, he thought what the number is will depend on what has happened before, but it will most probably be $10,000. The Chairman said the Board discussed this with the Appropriation Committee and is committed to stay with the $2,000. 558 C4 CI The Chairman asked what figures the Commission was putting in for Whipple Hill. Mr. Sussman replied sixty-five off the tax rate with seven transferred from the Conservation Fund. He said they had not seen the appraisal, but he hoped it meets with the Federal and State requirements and can be backed up. He said the Commission does not intend to fight the motion downward, and would tell the Town Meeting what the asking price is. The Chairman said the Board was not against conser- vation but felt where the Town meeting is tax conscious this time and putting off items, cutting sewers, road machinery and a few other things, this is a postponable item. He said he did not know how the Board woull vote. Mr. Sussman said if the Board does vote not to support it, and it does decide to tell the Town Meeting that the Board of Selectmen does not support it, he hoped it would indicate that the Board is split. The Chairman said the Board always does. The Chairman referred to the New Amsterdam and Pihl land. Mr. Smith said $11,300. The Chairman said this Board has voted to take it by eminent domain and given it to Town Counsel who only has to make a final offer on Federal reimbursement. He said at the present time, it is in Town Counsel's hands. He said it comes to a question of opinion as what the value of the land is. Mr. Cataldo asked what has changed the position at this time and if there was any information the Board does not have . Mr. Sussman si .d the Pihls have agreed to drop their price to the same price of the New Amsterdam, $2300 per acre. That is why the additional $11,300 would give the Commission sufficient funds to consummate both. The Pihis dropped from $1$,750 down to $17,200 something. He said he has the appraisals and the approval of the House Urban Development to proceed based on this purchase price. The Commission also has approval from the State of its appli- cation. It does not have denial or approval from the Federal Government. The Chairman asked how the State and Federal funds were holding out. Mr. Sussman replied the State is just about out of funds but the application was in early enough to be approvel from existing funds. a said if this goes into an adverse eminent domain, ithe Town will have to accept whatever it pays or wait for the settlement. Mr. Smith siad under the Article of last year' s Special Town Meeting, the question of eminent domain, as he recalled it, was only upon written request of the Conservation Commission. ne asked if this was not the usual motion that the Selectmen may take it by eminent domain on written request of the Conservation Commission. 559 optiThe Chairman said the Board could not exercise the on. Mr. Sussman said the only evidence he has is the Board decided not to. He stated the Commission is unanimous in its feeling about this. It feels this is indeed a fair price and there being a concern about a difference in the price, the risk on the outside is far greater than the amount of money involved. Mr. Legro read the motion referred to by Mr. Smith and said he thought it came from Section 8c, if he was not mistaken. Mr. Sussman said he hoped the Board would decide to support the position of $11,000. The Chairman said he would check with the Board. The Chairman referred to the Kingston Homes and said the Commission 's price per acre on that is considerably higher. Mr. Sussman said, to protect the Town's interest, he would leave it to the Board whether this should be in Executive Session. The Chairman stated if it is not properly Executive Session, the Board can always purse the record. Upon motion duly made and seconded,it was voted to go into Executive Session for the purpose of discussing, deliberating or voting on matters which, if made public, Executive might adversely affect the public security, the financial Session interest of the Town, or the reputation of any person. Following discussion with the Conservation Commission pertaining to certain land acquisitions, it was voted to go into open meeting. Upon motion duly made and seconded, it was voted to adjourn at 8:00 P.M, A true record, Attest : 'grecufive erk, Selectm