Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout1965-12-04-min 417 SELECTMEN'S MEETING 1111 December 4, 1965 A special meeting of the Board of Selectmen was held in the Selectmen' s xoom, Town Office Building, on Saturday morning, December 4, 1965, at 9:00 A M. Chair- man Cole, Messrs. Burnell, Cataldo, Sheldon and Mabee were present. Mr. Gray, Executive Assistant, and Miss Murray, Executive Clerk, w re also present . Chief James F. Corr met with the Board to discuss 1966 budget requests. He presented charts showing population figures from 1954 to 1964 and asked the Board to make another attempt to make a difference in the pay scale of the Police and Fire Departments. He also submitted a valuation chart from 1955 to 1964 with figures of $45,000,000 for 1955 to $173,710,440; accident reports from 361 in 1954 to 1963, 926 in 1963, just automobiles; investigaticns of 2287 from 1955 to 4043 in 1964; offenses known to the Police Department, not including traffic offenses, from 361 to 450; burglary from 99 to 134; larceny from 199 to 222; auto theft from 57 down to 20; arrests from 399 to 1067. He said the department had 30 men in 1954 and 32 men in 1964. He stated the department strength should be 60.8 men on an national average. He submitted a proposed salary guide of seven steps and asked the Board to change the Chief' s classification from S-21 to S-23; Captain, S-21; Sergeant from 8-15 to S-17; Patrolmen from S-13-A to S-14, and one new Captain, S-21 The Czief said he was asking for one new Lieutenant. One will replace Lieutenant Corr and the other is to create a new position so there will be a Lieutenant in charge of each shift. If Lieutenant Furdon is promoted to Captain, the Chief said he still wants three Lieutenants. The Captain would be second in command and in charge of the criminal investigations. He said the two new Sergeants are only due to the fact the Sergeants would be the ones to be promoted. Mr. Burnell sugiested that Mr . Gray and the Chief go over the personal services ' budget reque. ts and make them conform to the Board' s directive, if it does not now. Mr. Gray advised that a new description would have to be written for the Dispatchers . The Chief said if he gets the additional men, he would like to create one more plain clothes man. The Chairman asked if the Board was inclined to go along with the dispatchers. Mr. Cataldo said he thought there should be $90 to give the Chief some leeway to hire someone. He said he thought the job description should be written and the classification left open. 418 cr ampC, The Chairman asked Mr. Gray to work this up with the Chief and to work on the basis of $90. With reference to the maintenance man, Mr. Gray said he gets 5% plus his increment. He explained next year Step 4 includes the 5% plus the increment. It does not bring him up to Step 5. He should be in W3-4 which would still be the same amount of money. Chief Corr suggested that the Inspectors should be in the area of the Dog Officer and said if the Board was going to be fair, he thought the $500 figure is too low. It was agreed to approve $750 for the Inspectors. Chief Corr retired at 10 50 A.M. The Board of Fire Commissioners met with the Selectmen. Mr. Bailey said the only departure in the Personal Services budget is the plea again for additional personnel. He stated over theears the department is absolutelygoing y P Fire Dept. to need additional men and five is nut going to be enough budget to bring the department up where it should be. Five addi- tional men will give the department fifteen men on duty all the time. Mr. Sheldon asked how many effective call men the department had and Mr . Fitzgerald replied night time is good, but day time is very poor. In the day the depart- ment can count on the Town employees plus four. Mr. Sheldon asked how many nights, and Mr. Bailey replied sixi seven or eleven . Mr. Sheldon asked how many men had been added during the last five years, and Mr. Bailey replied from thirty- eight to forty-eight. Mr. Sheldon asked how many were deducted for decreased hours, and Mr. ritzgerald replied five. Mr. Burnell asked how many men were at the Center station during the day, and Mr. Fitzgerald replied nine. Mr. Burnell asked how many men they had, actually fire fighters, not counting those on the ambulance, and Mr. Robbins replied six or seven. Mr. Burnell asked what equipment was sent out for a normal fire, and Mr. Fitzgerald replied two engines, ladder and rescue; four pieces of apparatus and six men, which means not one piece of apparatus is adequately manned. Mr. Sheldon asked how many applications the Commissioners had on their list, and Mr. Fitzgerald replied seven or eight. Mr. Bailey said they still want to have a third Deputy eventually, and Mr. Cataldo felt there should be three Deputies and the Chief should be a good administrator. Mr. Cataldo said the Board is prepared to approve three Deputies and if the Commissioners are going to have a third one, he thought he should be appointed the same time as the Chief is appointed. The Chairman said for too many years the Boapd has held the line in the interest of economy and has over- looked the fact the Town is growing and demands for services are greater. He said how he thought the services should be 419 provided. He said he would be in favor of the five new men and another Deputy Chief Engineer. Mr. Sheldon asked if the Commissioners intended to retain the call force if they get the five men, and Mr. Bailey replied absolutely. Mr. Sheldon suggested that the Board of Fire Com- missioners decide whether or not it wants to make a re- quest for the third Deputy and let the Board know. The Chairman asked if the salary for a new Chief Engineer would be different. Mr. Fitzgerald replied they left it at the same amount of money. He explained the difference in the salary for the old Chief and the new Chief could be used for new men. The Chairman sug, ested that the ComAssioners make a decision on the third Deputy Chief Engineer and if it does request one , he thtught the Board would go along with it. He said this would have no bearing on the five new men. Mr. Fitzgerald said the Commissioners have always wanted a third Deputy but did not want it to affect the Board' s request for additional men. Mr. Sheldon asked how many limited duty men the department had, and Mr. Fitzgerald replied about five. The Chairman read a letter from the Fire Commissioners requesting an additional $976 for a new air tank at Cary Memorial Building. Mr. Gray suggested that the Appropriation Committee Transfer should be approached right away and advised that the money should be made available as soon as possible because of the insurance. The Chairman asked Mr. Gray to check with the Appropri- ation Committee and find out whether or not it will consider a transfer this year or if it prefers to wait until the 1966 budget is approved. The Chairman said there is some thought that the Fire Department and the Town might be better off if the central Fire Station on Bedford Street were sold and a new one built on Worthen Road. Fire Mr. Sheldon said the only reason to justify this is Station on the basis of two stations rather than three. The Chairman said he understood the Town would get a good price for the old station and the new one would be built on the Seth property. The Board of Fire Commissioners left at 12:05 P .M Mr. Donald K. Irwin, Building Inspector, met with the Board. The Chairman asked Mr. Irwin how much time the Clerk in his department devoted to taking dictation, and Mr. Irwin replied about 10% or 15%. The Chairman asked about the job description for an A-5 Clerk. Mr. Gray replied it would require that she spend more than 50% of her time taking dictation. C:W 420 cr ct a�. Mr. Irwin said if the department is to have an assist- ant, he would not need the item for a substitute during vacation period. The Chairman said supposing there is no assistant, and Mr. Irwin said he thought then the $300 should be put back in. The Chairman asked if the Board could expect enforce- ment of violations if the Department had amAssiatant Building Inspector. He said he did not think Town Counsel should be expected to follow up on all of these and in most towns a prosecuting officer prosecutes the case. Mr. Irwin said as these things occur they require investigation, examination and then counseling. The Chairman asked how many cases Mr. Irwin had to take to court this year, and he replied two. Mr. Sheldon said before Mr. Irwin went to the police and started legal proceedings, he wants to be sure he is on sound ground. He asked if, in view of the fact the Board has discussed this whole problem, there is any way Mr. Gray could work with Mr. Irwin to the end that Mr. Irwin gets some cooperation without bothering Town Counsel in every ease. Mr. Cataldo said there was supposed to have been a meeting with Mr. Irwin, the Chief and Town Counsel. He said a meeting should be arranged and see what is involved. The Chairman asked if there were not many times when Mr. Irwin would not have to go to Town Counsel. He asked why Mr. Irwin, in many instances, could not go to the police. Mr. Cataldo said he thought this would all be solved by a joint meeting. He asked if the Board appointed an assist- ant whether or not any of these part-time jobs cou'd be fulfilled by this man. Mr. Irwin said it depends on what this man is going to do. He asked if the man would be an electrical, plumbing and gas inspector or if he would work in the fields of Zoning By-Law. Mr. Cataldo said no man appointed would be familiar with Zoning By-Laws. He said if this person is good enough to be gas, plumbing or electrical inspector, he should be able to bring himself up to date on the By-Laws. He said the plumbing and gas inspectorsr jobs are done in three or four hours. He said he would like a report of what Mr. Irwin thinks could be done if the Board considers appointing an Assistant Building Inspector. Mr. Irwin said this is a solution that is adaptable. Mr. Gray said Mr. Irwin cannot give the type and number of inspections that should be given and fio what the Board expects him to do on zoning, etc. Mr. Sheldon said he thought it would make sense to have a full-time man, and a few calls could give the Board figures on this budget in some of the surrounding towns. Mr. Gray said he could obtain the figures. Mr. Sheldon said the main question is what one of these jobs can be absorbed. 42.1 Mr. Burnell said the gas and plumbing inspectors II have to be the same one; both jobs require a master plumber . The Chairman said the Board should get more facts and figures and see what the possibilities are. Mr. Irwin left the meeting at 12:30 P.M. Mr. Sheldon, with reference to the police budget, said the Board should decide what it wants to pay the police, decide what the job is worth, take a position and then say to the Town, this is what the Board thinks the Police Department should be paid. If the Town Meeting wants to pay the fttemen, all right. The Chairman said the Board has created a salary review beard and he was going to stay with the policy the Board has establidhed for 1966 of which notices were sent out. 40 The meeting adjourned at 12:45 P.M. A true record, Attest: - a®ive er , Select • ,- , 1 1 1 1 1 . I