Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout1953-01-12 Board of Selectmen Minutes kly meeting of the Board of Selectmen was held at 7:00 P.N. with all members present. ~oekly bills and pa~Tclls were mpprove~. LAWRENCE GAS & ~LECTRIC CO: A hearing was held at 7:30 P.~. on the petition of this company for permission to locate poles, wires, etc~ on the northerly and southerly sides of }~tddleton Street, .froma point approximatel~ 155 feet easterly from the North Andover-~ndover line, easterly, h poles. Mr. Barry informed the board that these poles are for a new service for the Andover Sportsman's Club. Mr. Coffin made a motion, seconded by Mr.' Finneran that the petition be approved and vote was unanimous. STRE.~T LIGHT-SECON~ STR~T & MAIN STREET: Mr. George Fros~ reported for his company that the street light at theabove location had been checked and there was .nothing wrong with the light. They had a new bulb installed and if there is any further question about this unit, to contact him. Mr. Finneran reported that the light is much better now. TRAFFIC ANENDM~T: Duplicate copies of the Board, a print and a letter of t ransmittal will be sent to Edward J. NcCarthy, Highway Traffic Engineer for a permit to have s~op signs installs at Union Street at Marblehead Sbreet. T~e board' voted as fellows: ~ha~ the traffic rules and orders of the ~own of North Andover, adooted by the Board of Selecumen under date of May 9: 193§ be and are hereby ~me~ded by adding at the end of Article VII, Section lC, the follow,lng: ,East and Westbound Drivers On Union Street at ~arblehead Street." DRAINAGE- REL. TO NET~ HIGH SCHOOL: Ralph B~asseur came before the board and presented ~wo articles for the Highway Department and he discussed the drainage report made by %~itman and Howard .relative to drainage a~ the new High School, and he returned the drainage plan to the board. Mr. Kittredge had previously presented 't~e report to the board and they referred it ~o the Highway Surveyor for his decision. As a result of a discussion with Mr. Carry, Mr..Brasseur s~udied the plan and compiled the ~wo articles. DOG OFFICERS REPORT: '~ John Dclan, Dog Officer, presented his r~pert for the y~ar and the board accepted it for the file and for the ~own report. DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS: Notice received that the Commissioners of the Department of Public i~orks voted to extend to May 15, 1953, the completion date-on the North Andover ChaptergO contracts, Nos. 13394 and 1370~, dated November 6,-1951 and june 18, 1952, covering work on Great Pond Road.(~artin Mailet, sub-contractor). COUNTY. COM~.SSSIONERS: Notice received that in accordance with the provisions of G.L. Chapter 32, Section. 22, (7) (c) ii, ~he following amount is estimated to be necessary~o pay to the.various funds of the Essex Coun%yRetiremant Sysmem, payable by the Town of North Andover for the year 1953: Pension Fund, 12,197.97; Expense Fund 971.97 and Special fund for Military Service Credits, 115.83, the total, amount to be paidbbeing $13,285.77. ADJUDICATION OF STREETS: Mr. Carty, Highway Surveyor notified the board ~hat under Article 54 'of the March 1952 town meeting, to install a surface drainon Pembrook Road from Lyman Road to Nifflin Park Drive and to resurface same, thework has been completed as of October 15, 1952 and the road is now in p=oper condition for acceptance. Similary, he stated that under Article 59, money was appropriated to install a surface drain on Sawyer Road and ~o resurface same and this work has been completed and the road is in proper condition for acceptance. On motion of Mr. Finneran, seconded by )Ar. Coffin, the board voted to hold a public hearing on the adjudication of Pembrook Road'from Lyman Road to Mifflin Park Drive and Sawyer Road from Niddlesex Street to Pembrook Road, on January 26, 1953 at 7:30 P.M. SNO$~MERGENCY: Ira D. Carty, Highway Surveyor~ notified the Board. of Seloct~en that there was a snow emergency and it was so declared on January lC, 1953 at 8:15 A.M. TREE REMOVAL HEARING: Frank Beaumier, 59 Marblehead Street, requested the removal of a tree in z~ont of his property. Tae ~ree isvery close ~o his driveway and the limbs are broken in places and it creates a hazard. Mr. Conners h~d checked this tree and he agreed that it should be removed. ~e board voted unanimously to refer the matter to the ~ree warden for posting and a hearing will be held on January 26, 1952 at 7:25 P.M. JA~,~UARY 12, 1953: continued POLICE DEPARTt~ENT-LEAVE OF ABSENCE: ~he board acted on the request of Officer John J. %?illts for a two months leave of absence from the Police Depart:~nt ~o start on January 21, 1953 so that he may have time available to him to run for the offices of Selectman and Board of Public Welfare. M~. Coffin made a motion that the board honor his request, eeconded by Mr. ?inneran and voted unanimously. GENERAL RELEASE: A release was received from Elmer Rivers, 13 Nay Street relative to damage to his car in the amount of $14.60 on December 17, 1952 and the board' had previously approved the bill for this amount. A check will be mailed to !~r. Rivers. DU.~P SITE: Albert Steinberg came before the board ~nd informed them that he had land adjoining the Rogers proper~y which he would be glad ~o lease or sell to the ~ow~ for a dump site. He said he has 66 acres in all but he wants to keep the 15 acres on the Osgood Street side for himself. He said there were' several ways of getting in~o his land and he would make a road in~ if necessary. There is ~ wagon path next to the P~d Schoolhouse which could easily be made ava~l- able for trucks to enter. W_r. Steinberg finally said he would sell fifty acres to' the tc~n for $5,000 but he was not prepared ~o give a figure on the-lease of such land, at this ~ime. Mr. ~homson suggested that the board submit an article to rai~' and appropriate the sum of $8,~J00 ~o lease or buy apiece of land for m twon dump, the deter- ruination of purchasing same ~o be left to the Board' of Selectmen the Highway Surveyor and the Board of. Health and a representative of the Advisory Board. ~r. Coffin felt that between now and the to~n meeting the.board co~uld make a decisionas to Just what should be done. Mt. Thomson said that various locations Could be mentioned and then the committee co61d get together-and make a definite decision. He felt that if they had the boards or committees ~o make the choice then the problem could be solved. He ~feels that it is not entirely up ~o the Board of Selectmen :o make the decision and he thinks ~hat the Board of Health and the Highway Surveyor very definitely have an interest in~ this matter. Mr. Finneran agreed that all three deparmmen~s should have an interest in this as well as the Advisory~Board representative. Mr. Coffin stated that he had drawn.~ ~rticle on~he. Burke property for a dump site but with Mr. Steinberg's off6~ , he believes that this offer should be very carefully considred. He s~id the board k news that he was against the Rogers site because of the price..He would also like to have Mr. Steinberg's offer in .writing. Mr. Coffin said that the te~.~n ~rill~ use sanitary fill n~ethod and there would or should be no fires, rodents, etc. Later in the evening, Mr. Thomson drew up an article on the dump question and the board will look it over and voice their opinion as to the wor~ing. Mr. Coffin and Nr. Finneran informed' ).~rs. Dearden that they~had approved the article as written by }~r. Thomson and the article will be inserted in ~ the w arrant. Mr. Coffin then withdrew the article he had submitted on the Burke proper~y for a dump si~e. POLICE DEPART~NT: CHI~ MCKEE: At an~xecutive session, Mr. Coffin brought up the matter of a bill for the Police Department from the Harvey Radio Laboratories, Inc. 447 Concord Avenue Cambridge, Mass. for $250.00, which was contracted in 194§. Mr. Coffin said the failure to pay this bill was plain slothfulness and the matter should not be overlooked. He said this board has a responsibility, and this should not go ur~heeded. He has prepared a statement, not to' be brought up in ~ublic. He believes ~t a suspension should be called for and he wants to go on record as being opposed to the article he has prepared for the a~unua~ town warrant. This bill is for one 532 Antenna, with J~.uction box, end seal, gas pump and 100 feet of 3/8 copper coaztal line. Mr. Coffin said he contacted Mr. Fred F. Nc~ellan, comptroller of~the Harvey Corporation and he informed Mr. Coffin that monthly statements had been mailed to the town since the beginning of 1950. He said that letters were sent on August 18, 28, Sept. 6, 11,12,24, October 8 and 24, 1952. Mr. Melanson, the sales manager called onChief NcKee a number of ti~es during the past ~ear and Mr. Mclellan also went to see the Chief on September ll, 1952, and the chief said he could do nothing about paying the bill until the town meeting ~o be held in the early part of 1953. JANUARY 12, 1953- continued POLICE DEPARTME~NT ~ILE~ Mr. Coffin then referred to Section 31 of Chapter 4~, which states that no department ~h~.l in~ur a liability in excess of the appropriation made for the use of such department. Mr. Coffin further stated that he is not disposed ~o accept any excuse that this incident is merely an oversight or an under- standable error or an isolated instance of slothfulness. He believes that the town ought to pay the bilI but to do so .without discipline would be a travesty on decen~ public administration. Furthermore, the very,serious question is posed: "To wh&~ eZrmnt does this type of slothful, inefficient management exist in .the police department? Accordingly, Mr. Coffin presented the f~llowing motion: "?hat this board order forthwith the suspension of Chief of Police Alfred H. McKee from service on the NOrth Andover Police Department for ~ period of seven'days without pay, for the reason of neglect, of duty as described in the foregoing report, said suspension to become effective directly following due notice and other proper s~eps, if any, required by law. The motion was not seconded. Mr. ?homson then said that he did not go along wit~ Mr. Coffin,s thought in the matter. He said that as he understood it, there were no bills sent out from 1948 to 19~O. When the first bill,came to the Police Department in February of 1948, the bill was paid and a second bill for a small amount was paid:and Was marked final bill. Some time later a. bill was sent to the Chief for .$250.00 and since he had already p aid a final bill, he assumed that there was an error. Mr. Thomson said h~ belieVes, that' t~e Har~ey '~adio Corporation are Just as much, if not more,at f~ult than.the ~hief,,.in not taking s~eps to collect this bill and. n " Mr. Finneran said~ he d'~ ~^+.~ i~. ........ ~t w~a~i~...until ,five .years later. 1 ..... . e~ =~-~ ~z~n mr. ~oI'~'mn.8 recommendation ra~ . no further action was taken. Mr~ Coffin wanted to be recorded as above and that this b.,oard Should'' , not permit a situation of this' nature to:. go. unheeded.. . meel~t~g' ' of the Board o~ Selectman was held at 7:00 P.M. ~ith all members, present. Weekly~.bills and payrolls were approved. : REVOLVER PERMIT: ' /he Board approved the application of'Douglas H. Culpan, 31 Stuningt~n. Street for a license ~o carry a revolver to be ,used for ~arget practice.. · The Board ,approved unanimoasly a petition for ~oint ,pole :relocatio~ from the Ne~ ~and Tel. E Tel. Co. and ,the Lawrence Gan & Electric ¢o. for permission ,:,to relocate: pole~, wires, etCo ,an Su%to~ Street,. appreximately 28~ feet ~ortheast : S.~reet, i Pole.(~move, 1 pole;), No hearing was required.f Auapplication and notice for 'the erection of a illboard or sz~ in.North 'Andover on Boute !12~,'.neareet s~tion marker, being ~'ombly .B~os.: Gas Statian~ was .received ., bY'the~board,i'and ,they voted to refer ,this to the Building inspector for his' inspection, - and report. 'i~he ,si~n is ~ feet lon~, three feet high ~d. 2~ feet from' the boundary of'the, pnblicfway. Consent of the owner or agent has been obtained. ?E~ON, F0~ S?EC~ TONN ~EE~NG~ ~a~.c ~e .requ. e'st' was made that the Self'tmon --'~'"~ -~.~ .re~emve~ oy .me ,board' ' · , .~, · a ~pec~a~..~'own Meeting and insert the article contained therein, ?he Boa[;~ 'Vo~ed to accept the tition · set for March 14,' 19~3 immediate~;- ~ ..... ~__ .~,~, _. pe and a meeting ~ A~O,~g .:ne ao~ournment, cf.the adjourned town meeting to be held on the same day, One article 'is ~to be inserted, in'the warrant 'askin~ for,a change .to amend the' Zoning BY-Law by changing frc~ AgriCUltural .to Business~ [as described in the article, (Beck Property on Turnpike .Street) S ~EVENS F~LL~ ?he BOard~ Of~ Trade requested the use of Stevens Hall for 'their show to' be held . onApril 9 'and !0. ?his has. been cleare'd with Mr. Hayes ~nd the board voted unanimously .to .'gran~ this permission. ' At eight o'clock the Board opened one bid, the only to be zeceived, and the contract for printing the town reports was a~arded to the Bee Publishing Company at their price of $6.4% per page including cover, same stock as last year and there will be 1300 copies. ' DEPARTMENT OF PU~IC UTIliTY, S: D.P.U. 10349, Public hearing to be held on February 17, 19~3 at 10:00 A.M. on the propriety of rates and charges s~a~ed in various revisions filed by the New England Telephone and T~legraph Co.