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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1948-02-14256 • SELECTMEN'S MEETING February 14, 1948 • A special meeting of the Board of Selectmen was held in the Selectmen's Room on Saturday morning, February 14, 1948 at 10:00 A.M. Chairman Paxton, Messrs. Locke, Emery, Gay and Driscoll were present. The Clerk was also present. The meeting was called to order and the following members of the Board of Assessors met with the Select- men: Chairman Steeves, Messrs. Emery, Burnham and Spencer. The Chairman said that, as he recalled, the Assessors were going to check up on some of the localities where the George B. Horan Company has done appraising work in an effort to determine whether or not their work was satisfactory. It was also understood that a representative of the company would be sent to Lexington and have a firm bid before the Town Meeting. DIr. Steeves said that his Board has not heard anything from the Horan Company. He said -that he learned they have only done small towns and his Board has not done anything. Mr. Leland Emery stated that the bulk of Horants work has been with towns the size of Carlisle, and he personally thought his work is in towns where some- thing must be done and done'in a hurry. Mr. Spencer said that the Assessors have gone over every street in Lexington and checked every car and the Board will not find a house in .Lexington that is not assessed, The Chairman said that the fact remains, whether the Assessors approve of an outside group coming in or not, there is an article in the warrant and citizens have requested that it be inserted. If the Town Meeting members vote for it, it is beyond the control of the Board of Assessors or theBoard of Selectmen and will have to be done. He said that if it has to be done, it should be done by the best organization that can be obtained. The Chairman said that the Board must go on the assumption that the Town Meet- ing will approve having an appraisal made and if the Board is not prepared, it will be very'embarrassing. 257. The Board of Assessors afireed to obtain information on the subject. Er. Locke asked if the Horan job of X25,000 was what the town wants or will they ask for an X80,000 job. He asked if the Boards were going as far as to ask one of the well known high-grade appraisal concerns, *to submit figures for town meeting. Mr. George :mery suggested that a representative from the National Appraisers meet with the Boards. The Chairman asked the Assessors to check with the National Appraisers and find out if they do this type of work and if so have a representative meet with the Board on a Monday night or a Saturday afternoon. The Chairman said that the Selectmen understood the Assessors were going to prepare specific qualifications on the type of man they wanted as Assistant to work under Mr. Spencer and asked if the qualifications had been worked out. Lir. Locke asked if they advertised. Mr. Leland Emery said that they had a couple of letters trying-, to coax out some youngster. Mr. Spencer said that he has about a dozen applications and several fellows spoke to him but he does not know what to tell them until after Town Meeting. He said the first question they ask is about the salary. Mr. Leland Emery said that before Town Meeting, the Assessors will have made up their minds as to the top two or three applicants. Mr. Locke asked if they had anyone in sight and Lir. Emery said that they have no one right off hand. The Chairman asked. what particular qualifications were written up and ur. Steeves said that the man must be a high school graduate, able to type, and who could ;et along with people. Lr. Leland Emery said that the assistant would have to be someone wiling to study law and engineering. Iir. Steeves said that Er. Worthen had aproached him and given him the name of a, gran whomhe' thought should have the job. Lir. Leland Emery said that whoever may be.hired will have to learn all he could from Lr. Spencer and as the town is growing he would have to do outside travelling around, study and know more about law and accounting. The Chairman said that, in other words, he must have es a fundamental requirement the capacity to learn; * Mr. Leland Emery said that the Assessors would obtain full information. 258 Hathaway Assessment that running a typewriter was only something that would help out but not a requirement for the job. Mr. Steeves said that that is correct. I:Ir. Leland Emery said that he would like to see a G. I. with moderate disability get -the job. The Chairman said that there is only. one value in putting a man in the office at the present time and that is to obtain frorn Mr. Spencer the benefit of his experience of a period of years, and if he does not have the right.attitude-the man will'not.learn anything. The Chairman asked if there were any further questions and there were none. The Chairman suggested that the Assessors make a list of the requirements for the position of Assistant Clerk and t ubmit them to the Selectmen. The i.ssessors retired at 10:40 a.m. and Mr. DeFoe met with theBoard. The Chairman read a letter from the Town Counsel as a result of a communication received by'him from J. Donald Sutherland, attorney rep- resenting Donald D. and Ruth V. Hathaway of 84 Shade Street, regarding water betterment assessment bills sent to his clients under date of December 22, 1947 for X53 on Lot No. 233 and X52 on Lot No. 234. The dwelling on the Hathaway lot was build in 1933 and from that time the building has been supplied with water. The Hathaways purchased the property in 1946. According to information obtained by theTown Counsel from the Engineering Department, the water main on Shade Street did not service the Hathaway land. However, when the construction was started, it was discovered that the end of the water main was approximately 225 feet northwest of the point shown on,a plan and the water main actually extended beyond the Hathaway lot. Mr. DeFoe said that the plan showed the water as he thought it was, but he found that it was much further along. Mr. Emery inquired as to who made the plan and Er. DeFoe said it was made by the Town. He presented a sketch showing the two lots in question with relation to the water main. The Chairman explained that the Hathaways are requesting an abatement 'because the main was installed .in 1933 even though the assessment was not charged, rind trieTown Counse;., in his letter, recommended abatement. Upon motion of I:Ir.. Emery, seconded by P:Ir. Locke, it was voted to abate the entire assessment on both lots and to so advise the Town Counsel. DeFoe reported to the Board that he has conferred with Mr. Luke May relative to the sewer betterment assessment on his Woburn Street property, and even if the amount is reduced he does not feel that he should have to pay it. IJr. May told Mr. DeFoe that he could bill him with the understanding that. it will be paid if and.ihen he builds a house on his Woburn Street property. T.Ir. DeFoe said that he has discussed with Lr. LIay the location of the sewer which is proposed to go through his nursery property, in an endeavor to ;et the least expensive easement. The Chairman said that if the Board charges an assessment for the Woburn Stteet sewer, Mr. iday may be difficult to deal with when the town has to obtain an easement through his other property, and it might be well to abate this present charge. Mr. Emery said that if Er. Iiay is willing to defer the present assessment he thought it would look better to defer it than to abate it. He asked if Mr. May would be provoked to have a bill payable if and when he builds. Mr. DeFoe said that he did not believe he would be provoked, but it might "leave a better taste" to abate the sewer assessment. TheChairman said that there is a question in his mind as to how long it will be before Lr. flay builds. lie said that knowing Mr. May, he thought he would be disturbed about having to sign an agreement. Upon motion of Lr. Cay, seconded by Lir. Driscoll it was voted to abate the entire sewer betterment assessment levied against I.Ir. Lay's property on Woburn Street. The Chairman read two letters from the_Chainber of Corurierce relative to the lighting in Lexington 259 ; Luke May sewer assess- ment 260 School Lunch Room Stamp Machines Civil Service App't. Square, Waltham Street and all night lighting in Lexington Center. Similar letters were received and answered in December, 1947. Mr. DeFoe retired at 11:55 A.M. The Chairman read a copy of a letter written .by the Board of Health to the School Committee relative to conditions existing in the High School cafeteria which the Board of Health allege to be most unsanitary. The Chairman informed the Board that several complaints have been received inasmuch as citizens of the town have placed coins in the postage stamp vending machines and received neither stamps'nor coins back. The Clerk was instructed to write Lir. Caldwell and request that this situation be rectified at once. The Chairman read a letter from the Division of Civil Service advising that the Division is unable to extend the certification of names for Sergeant to the Police Department until April 15, 1948 and is, therefore, cancelling the certification of names. When the Board is ready to fill the positions a new requisition blank will have to be filed. The ClerIc was instructed to contact the Super- visor of Certification and find out whether or not Officer Smith will have to take another examination and also to find out if an appointment could be made now effective in April contingent upon Town Meeting appropriating the money. Letter was received from the Town Clerk with reference to lots 483 and 484 Ames Avenue. Mr. Carroll advised the Board that when a foreclosure takes place all charges are eliminated and the property taken out of taxation. Therefore, no amount is due. The Clerk was instrudted to advise Mr. McDonald, who offered t50 for the lots, that the Board will entertain an offer 00120 for both lots. The meeting adjourned at 11:44 a.m. A true record, Attest: 1.4 Sag