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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1955-11-14-BOS-min 242 cn cw) CL SELECTMEN'S MEETING November 14, 1955 A regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen was held in the Selectmen' s Room, Town Office Building, on Monday evening, November 14, 1955 at 7:30 P.M. Chair- man Bateman, Messrs. Gay, James and Maloney were pres- ent. Mr. Burns, Superintendent of Public Works, and the Clerk were also present. Mr. Burns referred to the Chevrolet half-ton truck Half-ton used by Mr. Charles Brenton and explained that if it is truck to be continued to be used there is approximately $400 worth of work necessary on it. He stated that there is a little over $1,000 balance in the new equipment account and explained that when the budget was prepared the quoted prices were used. However, competition has been so keen prices have been reduced. Mr. Maloney questioned the judgment of spending $400 to repair a piece of equipment five years old. Mr. Burns said that the truck has been driven about 70,000 miles which includes many miles on snow removal work. Upon motion of Mr. Maloney, seconded by Mr. James, it was voted to authorize Mr. Burns to obtain bids on a half-ton truck to replace the one now being used by Mr. Brenton. Mr. Burns explaire d that Donald Miller, a meter li D. Miller' s reader has polio and will not return to work for at sick leave least another three weeks. He has used up all his sick leave and had one week' s vacation before he was stricken. He asked if the Board wanted to continue to carry him on the payroll. Mr. Maloney asked how long he had been in the employ of the Town and Mr. Burns replied two years. The Board was unanimously in favor of continuing Mr. Miller' s salary during the period he is out with polio. The Chairman inquired about the number of decals Decals in stock and said he thought all Town cars, including regular cruisers should have decals and the Board agreed. Donnelly claim Letter was received from Joseph C. Donnelly, 48 for Forest Street, stating that he never had any water in damages his cellar until September, 1954 when the Vine Brook 243 IIbacked up and flooded the street in front of his house. In August, 1955 the brook again backed up and flooded the street at which time the water came up over his lawn and into his cellar. Mr. Donnelly stated that he believes he is entitled to recover damages from the Town and enclosed a copy of letter he wrote to the Board of Assessors requesting that his 195h taxes in the amount of $312.80 and his 1955 taxes in the amount of $326.40 be abated and refunded. Mr. Burns said that Mr. Donnelly is talking about floods from the hurricanes at which time Vine Brook did back up over the streets. The Chairman was authorized to advise Mr. Donnelly that the matter is being referred to Town Counsel for an opinion. Mr. Stevens arrived at the meeting at 8:05 P.M. The Chairman read a letter from Henry A. Nalkasian, 10 State Street, Boston, attorney representing Alex- Nahigian ander Nahigian, 31 Middleby Road, in regard to damage claim for by water which he claims is due to a nuisance created damages by the town. Mr. Burns explained that the culvert is not higher than the bed of the stream, this is a private street not accepted by the town and the culvert was put in about seven years ago as a courtesy. The Chairman was authorized to forward a copy of the attorney' s letter to• Town Counsel for a reply. The Chairman read a letter from Chester E. Earle, 29 Tower Road and R. L. McQuillan, 35 Tower Road in re water on their property. Tower Road Mr. Burns reported that he had told both indi- drainage viduals he would try to work out a temporary solution. To permanently correct the situation involves an ex- pensive drainage project which he has included in his budget for a number of years but which- has never been approved. At present he is working on a temporary solution which Involves obtaining permission from Mr. Earle to lay a pipe through his land, and he hopes to have it taken care of before the end of the year. The Chairman read a letter from Alfred P. Tropeano advising that he now represents Herman B. McKay in his McKay claim resulting from the Town' s taking by eminent do- property main proceedings, his land with building at 35 Waltham Street. A copy of the letter is to be sent to Town Counsel. 244 CD co.) The Chairman read a letter from Alfred P. McKay Tropeano advising that he has been informed by Mr. property McKay that he has removed his personal property from the building at _b5, Waltham Street. The keys to the property were delivered with the letter. A copy of the letter is to be sent to Town Counsel. Upon motion of Mr. Gay, seconded by Mr. Maloney, License it was voted to sign a Sunday Movie License for the Lexington The atre, Inc. Messrs. Burns and Stevens retired at 8:25 P.M. Mr. Charles E. Thompson, 57 Tarbell Avenue and Mr. John L. Thompson, 62 Tarbell Avenue, met with the Complaint re Board. prowler Mr. Charles Thompson said that there has. been a prowler around his house for three years. He looks through the windows, runs around the house and twice gained entrance to the back entry. The neighbor across the street has chased him from Mr. Thompson' s yard twice at three o' clock in the morning. He was down there again this evening at quarter past six. Mr. Thompson said he has discussed this with the Chief of Police who stated that he cannot atationcd man in the area. The cruisers have been down but the police have never been able to find him. Mr. Thompson suggested that the Chief assign one of the detectives to the job. The Chairman said he would discuss the subject with the Chief tomorrow. Both mentretired at 8:50 p.m, Mrs. Edmund B. Morelli, wife of Officer Morelli, Mrs. Morelli met with the Board, and said she would like answers re: Sergeant to the questions in her letter of November 14th. appointment The Chairman asked if her husband knew about the letter and Mrs. Morelli replied in the affirmative. She said they did not want to jeopardize his job so she wrote the letter. The Chairman said that Mrs. Morelli had no reason for concern as her husband' s position was not in jeopardy, he is a very fine patrolman and anything skid this evening would not affect his position. The Chairman explained that, in re the system used in the recent appointments, is the same system that every other appointing authority uses. He said that if any one of the men at the top of the list were not qualified the Board could then, with proper reason and definite explanation, skip over them. He explained that, according to Civil Service, any man 245 11 who is eligible, and all those who took the, examina- tion were, is eligible to fill the position. He explained that is something over which the Selectmen have no control, He said that one question asked was in regard to length of service and explained that length of service is one of three factors taken into considera- tion when the marks are determined. He said veterans' preference is one factor, longevity is another and the third is experience. He stated that all those things are taken into consideration by Civil Service in ar- riving at the final mark. Mrs. Morelli said that the Chairman did not go into detail as to what he did in the Army. The Chairman said that perhaps he served two years, perhaps six. He did not know how Civil Service arrives at its rating. He said he would assume that a man who had been a Military Police would be given credit for experience that might not be given to a man who was a bookkeeper. The Chairman said that the Board felt the three men who were at the top of the list were very fine men. Officer Morelli is also an excellent officer and the Town is proud of him but he did not receive as high a mark as the others. He asked what the Board could say that would be fair to the number one, two and three men. Mrs. Morelli said that other towns skip the top men and a three-year man would not be allowed to take the examination. The. Chairman explained that the Board works en- tirely under Civil Service regulations. Mrs. Morelli asked why it was the policy of the Board to select those men and the Chairman stated that the item in the paper to which she referred was in- serted without authority from the Selectmen and she could call Mr. Adams if she wished toi Mrs. Morelli asked who was responsible for the notice and the Chairman replied that it was a news- paper reporter, had nothing to do with the Board, did not come from the Board and that Mr. Adams was criticized by the Board. Mrs. Morelli asked if the Chairman thought it was fair to appoint the young men and he replied in the affirmative. Mrs.. Morelli presented the following statements which she said have been expressed to her husband: 1. Well, you got a raw deal. Doesn' t experience count any more? 2. What' s the matter with the Selectmen, putting those young fellows in: 3. Didn' t you have the money to pay off? 246 z 4. You have to learn how to back down and say yes. 5. What incentive do you have now? 6. I guess you don' t fit. Mrs. Morelli said that when people say things likd that there is something in the wind. The Chairman said that the Selectmen do their job as best they can and one of the things they have to learn to take is criticism, good or bad. He asked how Mrs. Morelli would feel if the situation were re- versed and her husband was one of the young men at the top of the list. Mrs. Morelli said that her husband has been eligible more. than once, and that the young fellows have plenty of time. She asked if the Board felt what it did was fair and honest and good for the moral of the police. The Chairman replied in the affirmative, and Mr. Maloney said he did not think the Board would have made the appointments any other way. The Chairman asked if she felt Officers Woodward, Dooley and Furdon had bad characters. Mrs. Morelli said that she felt all the men in the department are disgruntled about this. The Chairman said that one. earns the appointment or does not get it, and Mrs. Morelli said that her husband earned it. Mr. Gay explained that the Chairman meant it is earned by the mark received on the. examination and the Board has no criticism of her husband. Mrs. Morelli said that Civil Service said that the Board did not have to give a reason for skipping a man at all. The Chairman said that the Board could not criti- cize Paul Furdon and his work at any time. Mrs. Morelli asked if the Board couldn't have said that he had plenty of time and said that no one had talked to her husband and said they were sorry r, about how he feels. The Chairman explained that he had talked to her husband yesterday and twice previous to that and was given the impression that he understood the situation. Mr. Gay said that he did believe the Board had to give a reason to the Civil Service but he did not know what action Civil Service would take.. The Chairman read the following statement from the Civil Service Certification and Report Form: 'In each instance when the appointing authority ap- points or promotes, as the case may be, any person other than the person whose name appears highest on a list certified to him or it by the Director for a 247 position, the appointing authority shall forthwith deliver to said Director a written statement of his or its reason for so appointing or promoting the person so appointed or promoted and no appointment or promotion of any person other than the person whose name appears highest on such list shall become effec- tive until such statement has been received by the Director. Every such statement shall be filed in the office of the Division, and shall be open for public inspection". Mrs. Morelli asked if that were so hard to do and the Chairman said that he happened to believe in young people. Mr. Gay said that he did not know ah at Civil Ser- vice would say, but he thought she should know what has to be done and that the Board is obliged to make a statement. The Chairman said he could understand her disap- pointment and could also see the angle if her husband were number three and number five were appointed. Mrs. Morelli said it is done day after day. The Chairman explained that the Board had checked with Town Counsel, who is also a M.D.C. Commissioner, the appointing authority for State Police. Mrs. Morelli asked if the Board thought the top man was the man to get the appointment and the Chair- man replied that he was unless there was some good reason for not appointing him. Mrs. Morelli said she thought a man' s qualifica- tions should be taken into consideration and the Chair- man explained that they had been. He said there is no question about her husband' s qualifications ana neither could anything be said about Paul Furdon except that he was young, but being young was not a crime. Mrs. Morelli said she thought the older men should be given a chance and so do many people in this town. The Chairman said that he would have disliked to appoint anyone but the first three on the list when they are as fine as these first three men are. Mrs. Morelli said that she was not convinced yet and retired at 8:20 P.M. Mr. Arthur Newell, owner of 98 Maple Street, now living in Medford; Mr. Quarndstrom, owner of 102 Maple St. Maple Street, now living at 6 Newport Reda, 'Medford Sewer and Miss Diana Grieves, 31 Commonwealth Avenue, Somer- ville , met with the Board. Mr. Newell said that he and Mr. Quarndstrom have built houses on Maple Street and were in the hopes to connect with the sewer so they could move in. He said that he saw Mr. Burns but he gave them no definite 24[$ C"") date as to when the sewer will be installed. He said he paid his deposit to connect in September or October. The Chairman explained that the contract has been let for the sewer. Mr. Newell said that the only hope they have of moving in'without the sewer is to put in tem- porary cesspools tnd that will be costly. The Chairman said that he did not know what the Board of Health would say about cesspools but they may make an allowance. He explained that cesspools do not come within the province of the Selectmen. He said that the contr ctor is presently working on Sherburne Road and having quite a time. He said that the least vital of all the sewer problems this year was down on Maple Street and that there are other sections in the town where the condition is actually a hei.1th menace. He said Mr. Burns' opin- ion today was that they might, only might, get to Maple Street some time before the end of the year. Mr. Newell said that the engineers upstairs told him last July that it was proposed this year and would start in a month or so. He said he met the surveyor in front of his house and he said definitely it would start in three weeks and said that he was more informed on some cases than Mr. Burns. The Chairman explained that the contract was not let until the latter part of August and was not signed until the first of September. He was then given a list of areas in town in order of their seriousness. From Sherburne Road he has to stop sewage running down on top of Massachusetts Avenue. The Chairman said he could not give a definite answer because if the ground should freeze up some of the work may be stopped. He said that the Board of Health might make some special concession but he did not know what they would do. Mr. Newell asked if the contract could be changed and the Chairman said that the contractor has just so many men working for them. If they hire more men they have to hire more equipment. Mr. Maloney suggested that the Chairman dis- cuss the problem with the Board of Health to find out whether or not some temporary solution can be worked out. The group retired at 9:35 P.M. Camp for Letter was received from C. W. Martel, 3 Police & Sunny Knoll Avenue, offering the use of his camp Fire Depts. 249 at Newfound Lake, New Hampshire to deserving members of the Lexington Fire and Police Departments during the periods from about May 1 to June 20. The Chairman was instructed to send a copy of the letter to the Chief of Police and Board of Fire Commis- sioners with instructions that the information be made available to the personnel and also that they confer with Mr. Martel re working out details. Letter was received from the Planning Board advising Baskin that Jahn Baskin has offered to give Lot 36, shown on Land offer of Court Plan 24306A by Miller & Nylander, dated April 26 and land 28, 1953 to the town as a recreation area. An appointment is to be made for Mr. Baskin to meet with the Board and discuss the subject in detail. Sealed bids for printing 500 copies of the 19514 Bids Annual Town Report, 200 copies of the School Department Report, and 50 copies of the Accountant' s Report were opened- by the: Chairman and read as follows : Atlantic Typesetting Company 500 copies $ 6.80 per page 200 school 123.60 50 accountant 64.80 Somerville Printing Company, Inc. 500 copies $ 4.55 per page 200 school 2.10 per page 50 accountant 2.10 per page Upon motion of Mr. Gay, seconded by Mr. Maloney, it was voted to accept the low bid submitted by Somerville Printing Company, Inc. The meeting adjourned at 9: 55 P.M. A true record, Attest: n / 7 S ectmdn 1