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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1950-11-13 Board of Selectmen MinutesNOVEMBER The regularweekly meeting of the Board of Selectmen was he~d at 7:00 P.M. with Mr. Coffin and Mr. Finneran present. Weekly bills and payrolls :yore approved. POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS: ~ w~he Selectmen signed by John Will, Representative for the Police Department and Donald Thomson, Representative for the Fire Department, relative to a $1O per week raise. Mr. Willis and Mr. Thomson were present at the meeting . Mr. Coffin moved that the communication be taken under advisement since all members of the board were not present. Mr. Willis s~ated that three other departments were supposed to petition for a special town meeting and the police and fire departments wanted to be included in this pay raise. Mr. :¥illis thought the problem was how to get it. Mr. Finneran thought the problem was how to pay it. Mr. Willis mentioned that wages might be frozen before too long and he also men~ioned that the cos~ of living had risen drastically. Mr~ .Willis said. "We are absolutely without r~presenta- tion. We can't take strike action, we are strictlyat the mercy of the tax payers. We are particularly interested in a procedure. ~'~ould you gentlemen recommend that we wait until the first of the year, continue on the way we are, or wai~ until the' annual town meeting?" Mm. Finneran stated that if a special town meeting were called, the needs of these two departments would be considered as well as those of the:.rest of the ~own. Mr. Coffin stated tha~ the Board would receive this communication and discuss it further with a full board. Mr. Finneran said the Board would try ~o have an answer next Mondzy night. Mr. Willis also stated that although it was not his place to do so, he would suggest the town building employees be considered as he had talked with then 'and .they were very' much interested in being considered also. BOARD OF HEALTH: ~~on received from the Board of Health reminding the Selec~msn of a .vacancy on the Board of Health caused by the death of Dr. E. W. A. Holt. The Board voted to meet with the Board of Health on 11/20/50 at 7:45 P.M. (if this is convenient) to discuss this vacancy. DAMAGE CLAIM: ~ostello informed the board that she ha~ fallen on 11/8/50 on Main Street crossing from the Methodist Church. She stated that the immediate cause of her ~fal¢ was d~e ~o the defective condition of the sidewalk az this point. She is asking $32.45 to cover actual expenses. Th~ Board voted to refer this melter to the Police Department. ~ETING - DUTCH EL~! DISEASE -'-ommunication received from County Commissioners relative to meeting tQ be held at Essex Agricultural School, ~o discuss and take action concerning the ravages of Dutch Elm Disease. Board voted to refer this to the T~ee Warden. REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ABOUT' TOWN: · ec4uest rece red from George 'n- strom, Kenosha, Wisc.~ who is eleven years old, re- questing information abou: the town. Board voted to refer this ~o Mr. 0'Brien. POLES AND WIRES: ~ht in some information for the Selectmen to read relative to town and city ordinances regarding poles and wires. The Selectmen fel~ this information might be used in connection with the meeting planned with the Board of Appeals on 11/20/50. RECREATIONAL COUNCIL: -otter received rom the Recreational Council informing the Board that ~wo new members . are needed to replace Myra Stillwell and George Lee. They also made the recommendation that the so-calle d Sand Bank Playground be named Waverly Park Playgromnd. The Board voted to take this letter under advisement. REQUEST FOR STREgT LIGHT: 'rt ur - r_, representing the T~initarian Congregational Church, contacted Mr. Finneran stating that they would like'~a~street light installed near the middle of the property on Cross Street. He asked that the Selectmen view this location sometime at their convenience. HEARING - ADJUDICATION 1 ~m}~o0K AND T~LER ROADS: ear~ g was e d relative to the a~ove mentioned roads at 8:00 P.M. Mr. John M~lott · had contacted Mr. Finneran and although he was no% able to be present at the hearing, he stated he is in favor of the adjudication and. commended that Selectmen and Mr. Cristaldi for doing a good Job. All conditions have been fulfilled, this has been advertised and abutters notifed. Mr. Coffin stated that no one was opposed and made the motion that the Board of Selectmen do now lay out as. public ways and adjudicate for such purpose Pembrook Road and Tyler Road in accordance with plans now filed in 'the .office of the Town Clerk. Mr. Finneran seconded the motion and Mr. Thomson had previously stated he was in.favor of this so it was a unanimous vote. It now must be presented at the annual zown meeting. 101 NOV-EMBER 13,1950 (continued) DEPARTMENT. OF EDUZ~ION: -ommunication received from Dept. of Education, Div. of Vocational Education that the application of Richard Paul, 22 Annis Street, has been approved. He is a%tending Haverhill part-time App. School, machine related course, and tuition is 205 per hr. for non-resident pupils at this school. GENERAL RELEA~E: General release, properly signed, was received from Wm. Gordon Means, County Road, Essex, Mass. for demages in.the amount of $1%.69. BUS STOP: ~'~as been writeen toE astern Mass. requesting a bus stop at 466 Mass. on the petition of'Mrs. Maria Mammino. Ave. PE~MBULAT~0N OF BOUNDS: bn October 27, 1950, the bounds were perambulated between Haverhill'and North Andover by the North Andover Selectmenand the Haverhill City Engineer. On November 8, 1950, the bounds were perambulated between Lawrence ~.,ldmNorth Andover by the North Andover Selectmen'and the Lawrence $ity Engineer. ~OVEMBER 20~ 19%0: . ~ne regular weekly meeting of the Board of Selecunen was held at 7:00 P.M. with all members present. ~eekiy bills and payrolls were approved. ~ - DISCUSSION OF SALARY INCREASE: Frank Wallwork and James Maker came before the board with respect ~o salary increases. Mr. Wallwork asked if there was anything a department head could do, although he was of the opinion that nothing could be done. Mr. Maker mentioned Chapter '44, Section 108 which he thought fixed the salaries of the department head and his employees and Mr. Thomson referred to this, but could ~ind nothing in this par- tioular~section relative ~o this. Mr. Thomson s~a~ed that a department.head,s salary is fixed or set by a town meeting but tha~ the head of the department has the righ~ te set the salary of his employees. Mr. Wallwork sta~ed that he had no available frauds and asked if he should go to the Advisory Board relative to this matter. Mr. Thomson advised him that the request ismmde ~o theSelectmen and gees through the Selectmen ~o the Advisory Board. Mr. Maker stated that the same condition existed in his department as far as not having any available funds and he felt that there was Jus~ nothing that could be done 'about giving a .raise~ at this time. Mr. Thomson stated that the only recourse would be a transfer from the Reserve Eund, if obtainable, or a special town meeting. Mr. Wallwork said he wouldn't think of a to~u meeting a~ this time and it was Just unfortunate the~ way it happened. Mr. Thomson stated that it was th e intention of ~his board to call a meeting of the department heads and adopt a procedure which"mi~ght .be generally acceptable mo the department heads. However, that is not .in or'der now. Mr. Wallwork asked if he would be "ou~ ef order" in petitioning the Advisory Board at this time and Mr. Thomson said he would not say so under the ciruumstances and in view of what other department heads have done. Mr. Wallwork said. he was on the fence about this and he thought the clerk had a legitimate claim. Mr. Coffin stated that the Selectmen didn't know a thing about the other departmer~t,he~ds- · ~iving a raise. He s~a~ed that certain departments had money.but other departments did not. Mr. Maker inquired about the police and fire departments and Mr. Thomson told Mr. Maker that a meeting of t~he two chiefs had been schedutedj.£or tonight but had been postponed for another week, due to the illness of the fire chief and because of this, the police chief felt as though he w~mld rather wait and come 'in w~th the fire chief. Mr. Wallwork sta~ed that this puts a fellow who submits'a close budget "on the line." Mr. Thomson stated, he had heard ~ome interesting'remarks on the budgets for 1951~ Mr. Coffin felt he would like to have counsel's.advise on this matter. Mr. Wallwork requested forms for reques~ of transfer from Resettle ~EE REMOVALHEARING: A hearing was held ou the request of Charles Morgan, 36 Milton Street, for .the removal of a tree. By a unanimous vote of the board, it was vo~ed to instruct the ~ree warden ~o remove this tree. A hearing was also held on the request of Annie Sanforn, 4~ Third Street, for the removal efta tree. By a unanimous vo~e of the board, it was voted to instruct the. tree warden to remove this tree. INC~REASE IN SALARY FOR'NOTHDEPARTMENT: Mr. Conners bsme before the board to state that he would like ~o give'a raise in salary in this depart~nent and wondered if he shouldhave the sanction of this board. He stated they have money available. Mr. Thomson felt that this 'beard would not be required to give their approval since they.only nominate Mr. Conners subject to approval by the state (actually appointed b% the state). Mr. Thomson felt this matter was up to Mr. Conners.