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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1978-01-03-BOS-min 98 SELECTMEN'S MEETING January 3, 1978 A regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen was held in the Select- men's Meeting Room, Town Office Building, on Tuesday, January 3, 1978, at 7 30 p m. Chairman Battin, Mr Bailey, Mr Busa and Mrs Miley; Mr Hutchinson, Town Manager; Mr Cohen, Town Counsel; Mrs McCurdy, Execu- tive Clerk, were present 1978 Chairman Battin read applications for renewal of licenses for Licenses 1978 Upon motion duly made and seconded, it was voted to sign the following licenses expiring December 31, 1978 Common Carrier Birmingham Bus Service, Milford. Innholder W H H Inc d/b/a Battle Green Inn Class I Auto Lawless Mawhinney, Inc ; Auto Engineering, Inc Class III Auto John P Carroll Co , Inc Appt. Chairman Battin read a recommendation from Mr William R. Page to appoint Mr Hugh Kent as student representative on the Lexington Forum on Aging Upon motion duly made and seconded, it was voted to appoint Mr Hugh Kent as student representative on the Lexington Forum on Aging Committee Governor's Chairman Battin read a letter from the Governor's office regarding Town Meet an open Town Meeting on Wednesday, January 11, in Cary Memorial Hall Cary Hall Governor Dukakis will meet with the residents of Lexington and Concord in open forum to answer questions and listen to their concerns Upon motion duly made and seconded, it was voted to approve the use of Cary Memorial Hall for the Governor's Open Town Meeting on January 11, 1978 Minutes Upon motion duly made and seconded, it was voted to approve the minutes of the Selectmen's meeting held on November 14, 1977 Middlesex For the information of the Board, Chairman Battin said that the County Middlesex County budget, which the Middlesex County Advisory Board Budget tried to cut by $6-800,000, was voted by the legislature at the full amount Governor Dukakis planned to veto it today but due to pressure by the House leadership, she did not know the outcome Over the week- end, officers of the Middlesex County Selectmen's Association had tele- phoned all Chairman of the Boards of Selectmen in Middlesex County to urge them to contact their representatives Mrs Miley said that she was appalled at the increase in the bud- get including forty new positions, thirteen of which were with the Commissioners and twenty-seven with the Committee and County 99 Selectmen's Meeting January 3, 1978 Mr Hutchinson discussed a policy concerning Town vehicles, which Vehicle Policy he had filed previously with the Board, and after questions raised by Mr Busa it was agreed to consider clarification of the policy concern- ing the use of vehicles by daytime personnel and a decision of the Board will be made at the next meeting Mr Hutchinson informed the Board that the Senior Citizens Club is Senior Ctzns working with the Council on Aging regarding Revenue Sharing funds Rev Shar Mr Hutchinson requested approval of the Board for transfers to Transfers the Planning Board and Police and Fire Medical Account. Planning Board Upon motion duly made and seconded, it was voted to request the Fire & Police approval of the Appropriation Committee for transfers from the Reserve Medical Fund to the following accounts Planning Board Account #1650 in the amount of $1,825 50; Fire and Police Medical Account #1125, in the amount of $7,800 Mr Hutchinson recommended that the Selectmen's hearing on Revenue Revenue Sharing Funds be held on January 23 He reported that the Town Mena- Sharing Funds ger's hearing had been held on December 19 at 7 00 p.m. and it is anticipated that $550,000 would be received by the Town this year Appropriate interest groups were notified of the hearing and eleven citizens, including representatives of the Council on Aging, the Senior Citizens Club, and the Ad hoc Human Services Committee, were present Mr Tropeano had requested that the Town fund recreation activities of their group with these monies Mrs Davison of the Human Services Committee asked that specific consideration be given to (1) A multi-purpose community center for all age groups (young and old) ; (2) Emergency center for troubled adolescents (runaways) ; (3) Emergency assistance for the elderly; (4) Survey for better identifying needs of elderly people; (5) financial counseling service for the el- derly; (6) Future hiring of human services coordinator Professor Weinstein of the Council on Aging did not support a multi-purpose cen- ter but recommended a separate senior citizens center, and the Town should move forward on a location for a building Mr Hutchinson said that he had received correspondence from the Council on Aging, Senior Citizens Club, American Association of Retired People and the Jewish Leisure Group in support of a senior center The Board agreed to schedule the Selectmen's hearing on Revenue Sharing funds at the Selectmen's meeting on January 23 at 7 30 p.m. The Board also agreed to schedule a meeting with the State Bureau of Solid Waste on Monday, January 30 Chief Corr met with the Board to discuss the Police operating bud- Police Account get, which had increased from $135,325 to $140,525 since originally #3800 submitted $1,000 had been added to line item 525, new total of $34,500, for the purchase of a motor vehicle $4,200 had been added 100 Selectmen's Meeting January 3, 1978 a to 315, total of $15,200, for the teletype system Chief a Corr explained that he had received a call from the state notifying him to be prepared for $4,000+ increase in our teletype budget as the regional communica- tions system is being updated by the addition of a computer readout This would give the state and various police department a more sophisti- cated system of receiving information The teletype system is a most important part of our system Police Radio Chief Corr informed the Board that a major expenditure in the police System radio system is forthcoming He had received a call from the Newton Proposal Police Department, whose headquarters is the basis of the upgrading of the Boston area police radio network, regarding a furthering of what is called the inter-city radio connecting 26 cities and towns from headquarters to headquarters If a communication were received from one police department to another, it was not possible to communicate from one police car to another if, for example, they were involved in a bank robbery and wanted to talk with a police car in another town; the only way it could be done was to go back to headquarters The original grant for the system came from the Law Enforcement Assistance and about three years ago they gave approximately one-half the cost to 26 police departments to put this radio network in place and it has just gone into the operational status The people who started it are looking to expand it to police departments outside the original team and, for it to be effective, they are going to invite, perhaps, all the cities and town in the north shore district Lexington is a peri- meter town and we are the next one in line on the north shore We received the official request to join at $70-80,000 Chief Corr did not think it fair to place a burden on the police budget at this time, particularly after the capital expense budget had been presented for this year, but he suggested that we ought to start looking at it but not come in with a figure for a year or two To have this system to be able to communicate from car to car would be the ultimate in a radio system. It would be a one-shot expenditure of approximately $80,000, and the present figure of $2,300 in the maintenance line item would not change too much Mr Hutchinson pointed out that the original cities and towns re- ceived the LEA grant but Lexington would not receive assistance Parking Parking Meter Account #3900 was discussed but no action was taken Meters on the figure of $7,550, which included conversion of parking meter heads for an increase in parking time to - 5 for 30 minutes; 10for 1 hour; 25c for 2 hours Also, metering the Cary Library parking lot Chief Corr retired from the meeting 'Budget Fire Chief Bergeron met with the Board to discuss the fire department Department budget, submitted at $74,225 but the Town Manager recommended $71,475 by cutting line item 257-lumber and wood products from $3,000 to $250 The amount was requested to provide for a classroom but Mr Hutchinson felt that existing areas could be utilized Increases included $5,000 101 Selectmen's Meeting January 3, 1978 for a new van for the fire prevention officer; a 1972 pickup truck would be transferred to the public works department Also, $6,000 for a new main radio console to allow handicapped persons to efficiently operate the communication center, and the replacement of an old mobile radio Mr Coscia and Mr Empey met with the Board to discuss the Public DPW Budget Works budgets Account #5000--Director of DPW/Engineering, $9,900 Account #5150--Engineering Division, $6,050 Account #5250--Maintenance of Town Office Building and Cary Memorial Building, submitted at $171,700 and reduced by the Town Manager to $148,200 Account #5400--Highway Maintenance, submitted at $123,600 and re- duced by the Town Manager to $68,800 Major reduction areas were, $30,000 for resurfacing, and $22,700 for sidewalk maintenance Account #5450--Road Machinery, submitted $165,450 and reduced by the Town Manager to $145,300 Major reduction areas were, $13,650 in automotive repairs; $5,000 for gas and oil; $1,500 for small tools Account #5500--Snow Removal, submitted at $132,650 and reduced by the Town Manager to $110,650 $22,000 reduction for hired equipment for snowplowing. Account #5550--Traffic Regulation Street Signs, $23,500 Account #5600--Street Lights, submitted $258,750 and reduced by the Town Manager to $215,000 as his estimated figure on rate increases Account #5700-Sewer Maintenance, $58,900 Account #5800--Garbage Collection, submitted at $78,000 and reduced by the Town Manager to 0 Mr Hutchinson recommended the elimination of garbage collection, subject to the Board instituting the proper regulations to allow garbage to brought to the landfill to be buried by the landfill operators The Board agreed to consider this proposal and make a decision at next Monday's meeting Account #5850--Sanitary Landfill, submitted at $103,750 and in- creased by the Town Manager to $118,750 to allow for additional fill Account #5900--Water Maintenance, submitted at $68,300 and reduced by the Town Manager to $48,300 $20,000 reduction in the request to replace water meters Account #6000--Park Division, submitted at $48,800 and reduced by the Town Manager to $40,050 The figure to update the playfields is to be $6,250 Account #6050--Insect Suppression, $10,500 Information from last year's discussions is to be given to Mrs Miley before a final decision is made by the Board Account #6100--Shade Tree Division, $9,600 Account #6150--Dutch Elm Division, $4,200 Account #6400--Cemetery Division, $10,800. Mr Coscia and Mr Empey retired from the meeting Mr Hutchinson agreed to submit additional information on the fire department console radio, vandalism at the DPW building, garbage collec- tion, and insect suppression 102 Selectmen's Meeting January 3, 1978 Hancock Mr Busa discussed the list of materials remaining in the Hancock School School All items that the Town has been interested in having been Material removed and stored in the Town Office Building, the public works' build- ing, and one desk sent to the fire department, and it is recommended that all other articles be given to the School Committee for an auction being planned in the spring to dispose of unwanted school property. Upon motion duly made and seconded, it was voted to return all of the material remaining in the Hancock School to the School Department Upon motion duly made and seconded, it was voted to adjourn at 10 00 p m. A true record, Attest ` ?)? C Nva ,� (� Executive Clerk, Selectmen 1