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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1957-03-25-BOS-min N CsJ SELECTMEN'S MEETING March 25, 1957 A meeting of the Board of Selectmen was held in the Selectmen's Room, Town Office Building, on Monday evening, March 25, 1957 at 7 :00 P.M. Chair- man James, Messrs. Reed, Maloney, Tucker and Mrs. Morey were present. Mr. Stevens, Town Counsel, Mr. Gayer, Superintendent of Public Works, and the Executive Clerk were also present. The Chairman read a letter from Francis L. ' Benoit, 2 Morris Street, requesting installation Morris of sewer, drainage, repairs to the street and ad- Street ditional street lights . The Chairman advised that this is an unaccepted street and he would so advise Mr. Benoit in a letter and explain what procedure he should follow. The Chairman read a letter from Grace L. Peabody, Chairman of the Adams School P.T.A. requesting speed and school zone signs to be placed on Massachusetts Avenue at Plesant Street and on Massachusetts Avenue Speed below Curve Street. He said that the proposed traffic signs light in the area should help the situation. Mr. Reed said that he thought signs had been erected and possibly Mrs. Peabody was not satisfied with the location. It was agreed to ask Mr. Gayer to have the signs placed if he has not already done so and if they are located, to check with Mrs. Peabody to determine the location she desires. Mrs. Morey said that she would like to have the Board re-appoint Mr. Stevens as Town Counsel and stated that she thought the appointment should Appoint- be made this evening. ments The Chairman said that several of the annual appointments could be made at the same time and upon motion duly made and seconded, it was unanimously voted to make the following appointments for terms expiring March 31, 1958: 341 ANNUAL APPOINTMENTS March 31, 1957 - March 31, 1958 Constable Charles E. Moloy Executive Clerk, Selectmen Hazel J. Murray Lockup Keeper John W. Rycroft Supt. of Insect Pest Control Charles H. Brenton Plumbing Inspector John J. Byrne, Jr. Public Works Superintendent Richard J. Gayer Public Works Superintendent Assistant John J. Carroll Town Counsel Harold E. Stevens Town Engineer Richard J. Gayer Veterans ' Agent Maurice Healy Sealer of Weights and Measures Ralph H. Chadwick Wire Inspector Robert K. Jeremiah Letter was received from the American Cancer Society with suggested endorsement of the Cancer Cancer Crusade in April, to be released to the local paper. Crusade The Board agreed to insert the suggested state- ment in the Lexington Minute-man. Form letter was received from the Department of Labor and Industtles together with a list of the Classifications and Minimum Wage Rates to be paid to mechanics, teamsters, chauffeurs and laborers Labor employed in water and sewer extensions. Rates Upon motion of Mr. Maloney, seconded by Mr. Tucker, it was voted to renew the following licenses: Walter W. Custance Auctioneer Margaret McLaughlin Auctioneer Letter was received from Haakon L. Nielsen, 170 Grove Street, requesting removal of a tree which he Tree claims will interfere with a driveway he proposes to removal construct. Decision on the request was held over pending receipt of a report from Mr. Gayer. 348 1.6 PJ Cs7 At 7 :35 the School Committee met with the Board. The Chairman ekplained that he suggested that perhaps the School Committee would like to meet with the Board this evening primarily because the Selectmen, after much discussion, has come to a unanimous agree- ment on the Junior High School and the agreement is disapproval of the $310,000 appropriation. He explained there are a number of reasons for this . The first is that the Board believes the confusion which will be caused over a long period of time in doing this work can be substantially avoided. The Board believes that the job, if it can be done with no children in the building dan be done at a much lower cost and more Junior rapidly. He explained that the Selectmen therefore High propose that an appropriation be made at this time just renovations enough to protect the investment as far as the outside of the building is concerned and to provide adequate lighting. lie said that the Selectmen approve an appropriation of $75,000 under article 41 to get complete plans and specifications for the new building end proceed as fast as possible with its construction. Upon its construction, the Board would propose that all Junior High s --dents be moved to that school and renovation of this building be started immediately even if it means two sessions for a short period of time. He said what the Board does not know is what amount of money would be required for adeouate lighting and to protect the investment on the outside of the building. Mrs . Marek said she didn't believe the School Committee agreed with the Board. She said that the Committee has spent a couple of years studying this and on the matter of confusion in the present building vs double sessions she would like to look at it this way. They are planning to proceed with the request for plans for a new Junior Hi School. They could not have a new Junior High//grge 1959. In 1958 they need two buildings; room enough for 1450 children. She said even if the buildings were ready they could not have two sets of teachers and September 1959 is the earliest possible date. She asked if the Board had thought of the confusion that would be caused by two sessions, and said it would mean 7:30 A.M. to 12:00 and 1:00 to 6:00. She asked what would happen to the teenagers who were not in school. They will have a half day when the parents will need to supervize them. She said it might be a very real problem, and could have quite an impact. She said there is one thing which has not been mentioned. In the long-range report, the 349 Committee asked for an elementary in 1958 and the next elementary rooms to be ready are in 1960. She said it is possible that they are going to need some elementary rooms in 1959. The Committee could keep the larger group in this building and put the other group in the other building. She said they were not planning toward that use but depending on the way the areas develop, it is a possibility. She said there is serious doubt in the minds of the Committee members that two sessions would be more desireable than having work going on while the building is being used. Either one is not going to be ideal and it will take carefull planning. She said the Committee 's thinking does not go along with the Board. Mr. Maloney said that the double session would only give the children one and a half hour time, and it is merely a difference of an hour and a half. Mr. Chapman said that is not as important as splitting the school hours . He said the Board felt it would be cheaper to renovate the building without the children and asked if the Board was familiar with the plans. The Chairman replied in the negative and said it is just basic principal. Mr. Chapman asked if the Board had taken into consideration the bus transportation. The Chairman replied in the negative and said it was just an assumption but reasonable to expect that a job that could be done in six months would be much less expensive than doing it in small pieces in a year or a year and a half. Mrs. Marek explained that the Committee has been told the woMk can be done in six months anyway because the work above the ground floor, there is not much that will have to be done before school starts . Except for the gym, the work would be limited to the ground floor. Mr. Chapman asked how many members of the Board had been through the building with plans in their hands. The Chairman said they had been through but not with plans in their hands. He asked if it was planned to take up part of the gym floor, Mrs . Marek said it would be necessary to find out what the trouble is . She said it appears to be a drainage problem because the floor is all right part of the year. Mr. Reed said that the floor has been that way since 1930. Mr. Smith reported that it has been repaired a couple of times, but does not last. Mrs . Morey said it was repaired, but it still goes up. 350 Del Mr. Chapman asked how the Board figured the bonding inside the debt limit for next year and the financial cost for years ahead. The Chairman replied that the Board has not con- sidered that and has not looked into the future. He said the fact of the matter is the Board believes this is a cheaper way to do it and will cause less confusion. Mr. Chapgian said the Board had not been through the building with plans in hand or considered bus trans- portation. The Chairman said that the statement was made by some member of the School Committee that this would take a year and a half. He said he also recalled a statement to the effect of the problem there would be in trying to lessen confusion while this was going on. Mr. 'Steele said he could see no serious problem. He said if it is a matter of a tax dollar then they start looking for reasons for thinking on those lines. He said he was amazed that one committee will say it knows more about this problem than the other although that committee has studied it day end night. Ile said one group will say they have not studied it as thorough as the other but its way must be Metter. The Chairman explained that the Board is not saying to the School Committee that it knows this is better. He said the Board is saying, as far as it can tell, the cost will be less and the confusion will be less. He reported that the Board has an informal opinion from an architect who indicated that if the building can be cleared out and the renovation done .at that time, the cost will be substantially less even with respect to the insurance. Mr. Smith said that one point is confusion which the Board says will exist. lie said he would think this wds an administrative problem and if there is confusion it will be, in a degree, the same as if they go into double sessions in another building. He said he could not argue the matter of cost, but if building costs in- crease the way they have, the amount saved would be wiped out. The Chairman said he might be right, but one of the important things was the fact that his renovation Mould be done with the children but in/six month period which would mean double sessions for three months. He said that a member of the Committee said before it would take at least a year. Mrs . Marek said that maybe something she said is what the Chairman was referring to, but she did not 351 remember that she said it. She explained that this Summer, before any contractors takes over, part of the redecorating will be done . The contractor will not be in before August so the renovation work would go from August to the first of the year, and the job will be broken into two parts . The architect gets paid only on general contract and the work he supervises . Mr. Chapman said that the Committee took out $140,000 worth of work and the Chairman said that would have to be done later. Mr. Smith said that an addition was put on the Fiske School ^nd onto the High School and one is being put on the Franklin School now. He said this is a more diversified type of renovation end he hoped the Committee would be smart enough to organize its program. The Chairman said that those are additions rather than work going on within the existing walls and he thought it quite different. Mr. Smith agreed, but said that with the size of the building they could cope with confusion and hold it to a minimum. Mrs. Morey said that no one has had the idea, but maybe next year the Junior High session could be run over in the Senior High. She explained that the. Committee ' would get more bids from contractors and would get a lesser bid if the contractor .does not plan his work in pieces but plans it in a whole . Mr. Chapman said that facts should be obtained and not just an informal opinion. He said more of the Selectmen should have gone through the building to know what they are talking about. Mrs. Morey said that there would be a new Building Committee to which this will be turned over. If they approach this with the idea of having a free building it may be different than if they approach it with a full building. She said she felt obligated to protect the tax dollar and explained that the Board plans to vote for the new Junior High School as soon as the Committee brings it g up. Mr. Tucker said that it has been known for years that something should be done but at the eleventh hour the Committee comes inwith an enormous appropriation. He said the first notice of the open house on Saturday arrived/TfUrsday. he said there have been plans for changing the Superintendent 's office to another building and many people feel that the Committee is going into this in too much of a hurry. Mrs. Marek replied that it is not something the Committee suddenly decided needed to be done . The elementary needs were greater and the High School needs were greater, 352 C" CrJ or it was so determined. Mr. Clarke said that no one was going to change their minds in a few minutes. The Chairman explained that the Board thought the School Committee should know how it feels. Mrs. Marek said the Committee does appreciate that. She said the last the Committee knew the Selectmen were going to vote as individuals. The Chairman explained that this position was de- termined Saturday afternoon. Mr. Steel said that the Selectmen ere somewhat in the position the Appropriation Committee was when they made their first report. They were not prepared to but in make that reportmeetingsSchool Com- mittee with the mittee they re-evaluated it and came up *ith a recom- mendation in the supplementary report as the more they studied the problem, the more they agreed. he asked if the Selectmen had an opportunity to study it or is it just that someone has ideas as to how it should be done. The Chairman said that the recommendation of the Appropriation Committee is far from unanimous. Mrs. Marek said that the School Committee recognizes the Board's right to its opinion and realizes that Mrs. Morey has a school background. She said they have had many discussions and just don't see the solution of the problem the same way. The School Committee retired at 7:50 P.M. and the meeting adjourned. A true record. Attest : may , �Execoontiv Clerl , Selecttmen fJ