HomeMy WebLinkAbout1952-05-12 Board of Selectmen MinutesMAY 12, 19%2-continued
OFFICER DAVID ROCHE:
He said he has a position in the office of the Registrar' of Probate in Salem
and he would like to %ry it for slx months. He planned to give Chief McKee
two td four weeks notice but would like to leave the lat~er part of'June.
He stated that he will do administrative work and if he likes it, would resign
from the police force.
Mr. Finneran made a mo=ion that the request of Officer David Roch& f6r a slx
months leave of absence be taken under advisement and inform him at an early
date what the decision of the board is.' Mr. Coffin seconded the motion and
the vote was unanimous.
TAG DAY REQUEST: ALDEN VOLUNTEER AMBULANCE CORPS:
Commander Dooley of the American Legion and Commander'Lenni of the V.~. W.
came before the board in response to' a letter received from the Board of
Selectmen relative to a tag day request by the above Corps.
Mr. Dooley stated' that the veterans in North Andove~ rec6ive excellent ambulance
service right in town and he believes that such a. tag day wouId interfere with
the tag days of the V.F.~. He wished %o register opposition to the granting
of any such tag day.
Commander Lanni said that his organization feels that they should be held off as
it' would definitely interfere with their Ta~ Day. He said they had wr!tten~in
to'Boston for imformation about the above Ambulance Corps but =o date had received
no reply.
MrJ Coffin then made a motion that the Alton Volunteer Ambulance Corps' be given
an opportunity to withdraw their request to hold a tag day on Ma~ 22 or
due. to the oppositio~ presented. A letter will 'be sent to them on this day.
PARADE PERMIT:
StY Michael's Church was granted permission to hold a parade on May 18, '1952
by unanimous vote of the board. Their May 'Procession will 'be held at th~'b-time.
STREET SIGN:
Mrs. William ~lson~ 137 Bay state Road requested that a street sign be installed
at' Bs~ State 'Ro~d on MassAchusetts side. She
it would be a ~greab help ~o many peopleif they couId have 6ne. The board referred
this request to. Mr. Ira D. Carty, Highway Surveyor. ·
COUNTY COMmiSSIONERS HEARING-PARKER STREET CLOSING: '
· Mr, Finneran informed the board that Mr. 'Barker talked with him last week amd
.... s~tated that an adjourned hearing was %o be held .in Sale~ on~ .May 13; at lO:OO A.M.
on the closing of Parker Street and he felt that at leastl one member of {h~e board
of Selectmen should be present. None of the members were sure that they could
attend the hearing and it was suggested that perhaps a member of the School
B~ilding committee could attand. Mr. Francis KTttredge was Called on the phone
and he. assured th.e board that some ~ember ~Ould attend .the hearing and represent'
the ~Selectmen at the'same time.
DEPARtmENT OF 'PU]~IC SAFETY:
Lu accordance 'with a letter received form 'the Department of PBblfc Safety, the.
Selectme~ ~voted to r~quest the Police Chief to have the various ~laces in the
.._town, who have Sunday entertainment, regarding their license to hold such. %n~er-
~'~ainment,~ as' required under Chapter.136, Section 4 ~nd'4 A of the General Laws. '
Chief McKee w~1~, be so notified, and asked to make a report to the b6ard.
BOSTON AND MAINE 'RAILROAD
Letter received informing the board that the request of this board to improSe
the-visibility at night ~at the gates at railroad crossings in North Andover
has been referred t8 the Division Engineer for investigation: signed by
S. G..Phillips, Chief Engineer.
LAWRENCE GAS & ~ECTRIC COMPANY:
Notice received that two 15,000 Lumen'Mercury Vapor lights have been installed
on poles 3~92 and 3593, Tarnpike Street on April 25, 1952.
KIMBALL ASSOCIATION:
A letter of thanks for the help given by the Selectmen. with respect to the
'use of the fire truck in this district, was received from Charlotte M. Foster,
Secretary. ~he final out, Come was the de~ision of the association to take no
action this year relative mo using' the fire truck in the country but will rely
on ~he Fire Department for prompt action in case of fire, since they now have
new equipment.
LETTER OF THANKS:
A letter of thanks for the courageous and prompt action of the Police ~ief in
taking care of the interest of John M. Barrell during the'fire on May 2, 1952
at 206 Johnson Street, was received. Chief ~cKee responded to' the fire at this
time and damage was kept at a minimum.
224
LAWRENCE GAS & ELECTRIC COMPANY:
In reply to our request for a survey to be made on the Bypass to determine
whether or no~ a light should be installed at the Loverinj property, as re-
quested, a letter was received explaining that for an additional $18.00 per
year the ~own could have four lights installed, making a string of ten lights
in this area whereas, if only one light is installed the cost per year would
be $36.00. The company recommends that four lights be 'installed at this location.
The board voted ~o requss~ a sketch sho~ing the location of the proposed 'four
new lights before making a decision. Mrd Frost will be contacted with respec~
to this sketch.
CHAPTER 80:
Mr. Ulysses DeRosa came before the board and informed that he had complied with
all the conditions required under articles 53,59,60 and 61 as voted at' the annual
~own meeting· of March 15, 1952. Article 59 is the only article under which Chapter
80 will be applied. Mr. ~DeRosa s~a~ed that he had filed the necessary bonds with
Mr. William B. Duffy.
Mr. Carry will be notified that the conditions of this recommendation have been
met and he can go along with the work to be done ~s requested in the article.
POLICE DEPARTW~ENT-RESERVE ~2~D SPECIAL OFFTCERS:
'Police Chief Alfred McKee ~and Special ~Officer John Donovan came before the board
as & result of the newspaper item of the previous week relative to complaints of
Reserve Officers that they were not receiving extra work. Chief M~Kee informed
the board that the reserve officers are not available 'during the day and 'cannot
%.cave their s~eady Jobs f6r a few hours.during the day. :Robert ~Sanb~rn is in the
Service, Freeman Bart~aux is out ~f State, Dyer, and Macklin work· out Of ~town, ·
McCubbin works for the Highway Department and Donnelly is employed.in Lawrence.
He said he had called the Reserves on various occasions and could not get. ~them
but Donovan was always available. :.
Chief McKee presenmed a record .book kept by John Donovan since ~anuary 1, :1952
and the board went over it thoroughly. Mr. Coffin said he was glad to'see that
such a record was being kept and that it was a very goodone. He then said that
he felt the the employment of John Donovan was g6ing against the procedure 'we
h'~d set up. He went on to say that the set up was for Reserves and they were ~o
....... get ~the extr~ work,' so that they might gain experience and become qulaifted for
· · regular officers . Mr. Cdffin said:there was' absoIutely hothing personallY'in his
~' remarks as he believes~ that the department should be increased ~in order.to have
two men in the cruiser at night, but~ if we are ~ add, 'a new man ~o the ~ Department
· ~e.'shouId go about ~it in 'the right way.' i ' : . . ~- .
'"" Mri:'Don0van said hcwas a disabled veteran an~ could no~ get worE'~ :tha~:inbb6dy
· would:give'him Workbut the Chief hired him whine'he heeded ihim and'he ~performed
· ' many'duties inthe Station, suchas washing floors, windows, took care'of, the car,
answered the ~telephone, etc. He·is at the station about forty hours weeklybut
receives an average 0~ $20.60 each week'. He' said he ~didn't believe he~iWas:taking
work~ away· from any. Of the other men 'as t.hey are not available 'during.the d~y and
~ ' couldn't work for Just a few hours. ' · ·
The chief said that Mr. Lewis has to go ou~ on school patrol .ando if he has ~.to~
' leave the station on business, Mr. Donovan is .always available and ~an answer
· .~ the phone and:can call either ~.ewis' of himself om ~the police radio.
Mr. Coffin~'then~ said that the Board and also the chief knows that .hei'i's not
satisfied with _thb manner in which the police d4par~ment ~is being operatedl He said
this mat~er came her, ore' ~he board wTth reference, to the iappointing of' special police
officers. When the matter came up, he felt that he 'had ~to 'go int~ it' to see what
the reason was for having one man,s name on the payroll week af.ter .wsek, while the
· regular reserve officers go~ no work at all. He felt that the board should~get
reports from' the chief as suggested last year, on all reserves and ~pecials who
are employed, if there are any whomove out of town, etcl
Mr. Ihomson said he' thought that the 'distinction lies 'in police w~rk. He' asked the
chief 'if he could cell in Reserve officers a~d ask them to wash the floors.
2he' chief said he could no~ and in answer ~o a question by Mr. Coffin as to who
· did this work prior to Mr. Donovan, t~e chief replied that he had other special
officers come in and he had washed the floor many times, himself.
Mr. Coffin said h& was attempting to Justify himself' at this time and that there
are.numerous complaints about the Police Department.
Mr. Donovan then said that !~. Cofl~n should check 'the town's record on Juvenile
delinquency and he would find it was the best in the state and he defied Mr.
"' Coffin to find a better department1. He then said'he did not ask'to be put on the
police department, in fac~, when the reserves were appointed, he Was 'the' first one
to send· in a~ letter to the board and ask that he not be appointed~ again.
Mr. ~homson then inquired as to John Donovan's s~atus, whether it was as a police
officer or a laborer and the chief said it was mostly as a laborer.
Mr. Coffin mentioned that the chief had used the police cruiser for private
business at the Andover National Bank and he was banking his own money~ and he
was double parked.
Mr. Donovan then s~atad that Mr. Coffin was going 35 miles per hour on Sutton Street
and the speed limit is 25 miles per hour.
22,5
~AY 12, 1952-continued
Mr. Coffin said tha~ this was an attempt to embarrass but that he would not
be embarrassed.
Mr. Donovan told Mr. Coffin that he was always "picking,, on the Chief and that
he had a personaS grudge against him. He said he overlooked the goods points
of the chief and looked only at the black side of minor things and he didn't
know of the many things'the chief has done for the "kids,, in the town. He said
he didn,t think Mr. Coffin was being fair as there were other members of the
police department who could be censured but nothing was said about any of~ them
except the chief. Mr. Donovan then told Mr. Coffin he could have the Job, that
he didn,t wan~ it. The money he received was not worth all he had to put up
w~th, especially by officials who held a "grudge,, in for certain people.
Mr. Coffin then said he didn't expect this ~o end up in a "brawl,, to which Mr.
Donovan replied ~hat th~s was no "hrawi,.
Mr. Coffin then ~said that he would like to hear from the Reserves themselves
and see what 'they have to say about getting extra work.
Chief McKee and Officer Donovan then left the meeting.
Later Mr. Coffin said that he would not do anything, to impede the-personnel
needs of the department even though hedoes not agree with the way things are
being run. He felt .that there should be a review of reserve ~fficers and those
who are available for work 'should be reviewed. He suggested that we send a
letter to each one and ask them to appear personaSly.and inform us as to their
place of residence., employman% hours when they would be available for work,
and whether or not they are interested in continuing as reserve officers.
He said that if the Civil Service l~eserves wore available he would not ~favor
appointment of any special-in~rmittent, officers. .
Mr. Finnsran suggested sending in the names of the two veterans recently sub-i
mitred-to us and also the four names of the non-veterans for re-anpointment
for a six months period. ' -
Mr. Coffin said he would go along with Mr. Finneran,s suggestion, thereby ':
creating a list of eight special officers.
To_is was made a motion ~by ~Mr. Finneran, seconded by Mr. Coffin and vote~ by
Mr. ~Thomson, making the vote unanimous. Those to be appointed are ~ugustine
~alsh, Alexander Ness. Frank Howard, Ralph j. Bolderson, non-veterans and
~eo Gasleazzi and Phillip Taylor-veterans.
Mr. Coffin then made a motion that the Civil Service Reserv~s~be ~canvassed
by .letter and report personslly by the nex~ meeting as to their residence,
employment, hours available and if they are stilI .interested in work as a
P~sarve officer.
Mr. Thomson said he would like to have ~the me,inn amended to read that' the
officers sen~ in their replies in ~riting and all- would ~be. on record. Mr.
Coffin agreed to the amendment, motion was seconded by Mr. Finn,ran and vote
Warn ~mous.
~ COCHICHE/f~CK ~
~ief McKee informed t~ board that .he had talked with Mr.~ Ste"~hherg and with
Mr.~ Messarli..about having ~N0 ~respassing,, signs erected on their proper~y ·
in the vicinity of the ~ake. They fioth told. the. chief that they ~uld: not
pay to have any signs mede or'installed but Mrg Messerlie would fix the walls
up therb.
Mr. Coffin said he would not accept .this as a report and~ he felt~ the chief
could do. a much better Job on checking with t~ese people. He:said .we want
to get this place cleaned up before the water becomes polluted.
· Chief McKee told .Mr. Coffin he should speak to Mr. Duffy and he would tell
him what. the police had done up there and .that he was .well satisfied.
Mr. Coffin said' them is not. wha~ ~tr.. Duffy told him.
Chief McKee said they could not go on private property and order tbs people
off but that the officers went up there a~ night and chased them away but he
could not have an .officer there all the time. He said he goes up there during
the da~ and he chases the parkers away but they can't do any more unless .the
owners of the proper~y will coopera~e with them.
Mr. Coffin was not at all satisfied ~th the report but nothing further was
said about the matter, at this time.
MAY 19, 1~52:
~he regular weekly meeting of.the Board of Selectmen was held on this day
at.?:O0 P.M. with all members presan~. ~eekly bills and pa2rolls were approved.
~ R~O~AL HEARING:
A hearing was held on the petition of Michael Corradino, for removal of two
ash ~rses in front of his new home on Greene ~trset. Mr. Conners informed the
board that the ~rees are in bad shape and should be removed. The board voted
unanimously to gran~ this petition and instruc~ the tree warden to remove the
two trees in question.
HEARING: Hearing held on petition of Melvin Morse, 17 Belmont St. for the
remuvas of a ~ree which had bee~ tmeated with copper sulphate severas times and
should now be removed, according to Mr. Connors, tree warden. The board vo~ed
to instruct the tree the vote the