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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1951-04-02 Board of Selectmen MinutesAPRIL T~e regular weekly meeting of the Board of Selectmen was held at 7~:00 P.M. with all members present. Weekly bills and payrolls were approved. POPPY DAY VFW Raymond Re~udoin came before the board to ask for a license to sell Poppies on Ma~ 26, 1951 and the board voted unanimously to grant this request. STEVENS HALL: Raymond 2eaudoin asked for permission to use Stevens Hall on April 28, 1951 and this is for the VFW'. 'The board granted permission pending approval from Mr. Hayes. Mr. Hayes informed Mrs. Dearden that hall is available that evening. F~EST STREET: John Wilcox and Fred Rabs came before the board to represent a delegation from Forsst Street. Mr. W~lcox informed the board that they had gone to Beverly and talked with /r. Ford of the Board of Public ~¥orks to see what could be done about Forest Street. Mr. Ford advised them to go to the Selectmen and suggest that they write to the County Commissioners since this is a county road and they would probably get some help next year from Mr; Ca"ty under ChapterPO. Mr. Wilcox stated that the road fs in poor condition and the school bus has to go over it every day and it is very dangerous and so narrow that another car or truck couldn't pass the school bus in certain sections. He felt it should be repaired from Boxford Street to Ingalls Street. He said there is a 300' stretch and a nmdhole there about four feet deep and the c~ildren could be kil.led~ if the bus went over the side. Mr. Catty stated that he could bulldoze down there now and it would be better than it now is. Mr. Thomson stated that he could see no reason why we can't suggest that this street be one to be considered under'Chapter 90 work. Mr. Coffin"then made a motion that the Selectmen ask the State Engineer~, Board of Public ~'~orks hud the County Commissioners to. make a survey of Forest Street this summer and report back to us, having in mind the probable use of Chapter 90 for repairing this street... CHAPTER 90- Great Pond Road.: Mr. Cart~ requested the Selectmen to write a letter to Mr. Fritz and Mr. Ford and inferm them that Mr. Carry will not do the work this year and that it should be let outon bids, Mr. Coffin made a motion that the Board of Selectmen send a letter to the Department of Public ,~'orks and they be' requested to let the work out for con- struction 'on Route 133, Great Pond Road. DISCUSSION' ON ARTICL~ VOTED UPON AT ANI~JAL TO~N MEETING: Mr. Elwyn 'King came before the Board and said that Mr. Carty ~ad asked hi"m t0 come to the Selectmen to gem a figure for the bond as required under the article for sewer and water on Sawyer Road. ~. Catty stated that the amount of the bond in question was $3500. Mr. King said he had talked with Mr.. Catty who thought that he would get a different figure if he came to the Selectmen. He referred to another bond for similar work on Putnam Road which was only $100 and he assumed the reason f or the small bond was caused by.eliminating sidewalks w~ich .are not there anywa~ and putti, ng the street back in the same condition as it now is. In view.of this, ~ Mr. King feels that his bend(his client.s) should be less than $3500. He felt it ~ ~i should be figured onthe same computation as the other one. Mr. Carry said there was no comparison as Sawyer Road was a mudhole. He said there were raised sidewalks on Sawyer Road and he felt the Selectmen~ should set the bond. Mr. King mentioned to Mr. Carty that the To~rn Meeting r~quired him to do something and that the article couldn't be~changed without a special town meeting. ~. ~ho~on inquired if they could tell them how much of the $3500 was allocated to sidewalks and Mr. Ralph Brasseur stated that no sidewalks were figured in that amount · In answer to Hr. King's question as to whether the $100 bond included sidewalks on Putnam, Mr. Brasseur said that on Putnam Road there is only 125 feet while on Sawyer Road you have to go the whole length of the street. He said Putnam Road is in' much better condition than Sawyer Road and that makes a big difference. Mr. Brasseur s~ated that the matter of drainiage was important -nd would have to be put in the %~ole length as was voted at the town meeting. In answer to Mr. Thomson's .question as to whether 'or not the repairs on ~a, wyer Road would be useless without drainage and drainage can't be put in unless it is installed on Pembrook Road, Mr. ~rasseur said that there is no way to drain Sawyer noad unless through Pembrook Road and no request has been made for drain- age on.?embrook Road this year. He said that as a result of this, the petitioner is being asked to do something which cannot be done properly at this time. He said that if Sawyer Road should come up for acceptance at a later date, there must be drainage. ~ 2, 1951-continued ~r. 'lhomson inquired if the road were to be put in good shape after the drainage had been blocked at Pembrook ~oad and if it were resurfaced fairly well, would it be in condition for acceptance. Mr. Brasseur said that the unfortunate working of the vote calls for condition for acceptance. Mr. Brasseur said he would favor ~ravelling the road and leave the drainage out but that Mr. Catty couldn't say it was ready for acceptance. Under the article you must certify that it is in condition for acceptance. Mr. King then said he couldn't see what would be gained by spending $1000 and 'have, the drainage blocked off, aZ Pembroo~ Road but ~. Catty said they may not put surface drains in there for five years. -Mr. Thomson then read the vote of the town meeting and said he thought it was so impractical and so ina~plica.ble that he would say forget the drainage and accept a bond of $1,000. ~. Coffin felt ~hat a Special Towu Meeting is the only honest way to ,~.ake care of this situation and have the vo~es rescinded, He ~lso suggested that there be a meeting with the Advisory Board before the town meeting and that Chapter 80 be used. He said he did not see how this board could ignore the wording of the articles snd the votes. Mr. King said the wording 'of the article is wrong and it is not fair to his clientbecause there would be a d olay and also there was no assurance that the town would vote favorably on rescinding these articles. He felt that .~ $1,000 would be a fiar figure for the bond but Mr. Carty ahd Mr. Brasseur would.not agree that the work could be done for this a~ount. Louis McAloon and Raymond Jenson were present am the meeting and they brought up the ~uestion of the bond required for articles 36 and 37 and the amount was set at $2,000. Mr. Brasseur informed them that the bond is given to assure the town that the street is in condition and if not approved by the highway surveyor then the bond would be used by him to pu~ the stree~ in condition. Mr. Jenson inquired if underground drainage was necessary and Mr. Carty and Mr. Brasseur agreed that the wording ,,necessary drainage" did not mean that. iS had to be underground dr ~ainage. Mr. Jensen then wanted to know the next step and was tnfor.~d that after the bond is posted the Selectmen will ~otify Mr. Dully that it has been filed and they should then contact Mr. Dully' and the work would be s tarred. ~r. King left the office with Mr. Catty and Mr. Brasseur and later Mr. carry informed t~e Selectmen that ,he would go along with the $3500 boud. oPEN CELLAR: ~Palmsr Long of Rosedule Ave. came before the board to say that there was au open cellar on this street and it is full of water and is a hazard as there are children who play there all the time. He said he would suggest that if- a ditch were dug to let the water run out that it would probably take care of the situation. The owner was found to be Francis Stapleton, 91 Tremont St. ,~.,aw~enoe · ' The Board voted to refer this to the chief of Police and do everything 'possible to contact owner andsee if something can't be done to correct this condition. The ~Board then voted to have the police .~ontact the owners of the open oel~ars on May St., Beacon Hill Blvd and Chadwick Street to see what can be done to aba~e these dangers. · Mr. Coffin mentioned that he had a cemolaint abou~ a hole at the old Union School and that it is 'dangerous to children. ' The board voted unanimously to contact the owner of this property ~and request th;t he fill in the existing hole. The owe. er was found to be Wasil }~ustchuck, 19~ Lincoln St. SaugUs$~ass. CoMPLkINT-~$~SS. AVE. Mr. Coffin mentioned a complaint he had received relative to wood and other debris at the southwest side of Mass. Ave. opposite the Town Line and adjacent to the Shawsheen River and tha~ this is a renewal of a complSi nt made about a .year ago. Mr. Thomson sta~ed he had also been contacted about ~his and asked the Chief to check it and that it v~as to be corrected. Mr. Coffin made a motion that we request the building inspector to make a check of the condition of these premises on the south side of l&ss. Ave. and make a report to this office. The motion was seconded and vo~ed unanimously but in view of the report from Mr. Thomson the chief will be requested to check further on this and see if the wood and debris ~is removed within e reasonable time. SPEEDING -M~IN STREET Mr. Coffin.stated that he had received a complaint about speeding on Main Street near ~aird Street and the board voted unanimously to refer this to-Chief McKee. STREET LIGHT REQUEST: ' A request for a street light has been received from Arthur Xent, 858 .Johnson Street and the board will view this location before taking action. R~2~0VAL OF ~REE: Mr. Thomson had a request for removal of a tree a~ Harold Street in front ef Gill property. The board voted to refer this mo the Tree Warden for his investigation and posting, if necessary.