HomeMy WebLinkAbout1953-10-05 Board of Selectmen MinutesDEPT. OF PUBLIC WOP~S:
The Board received a carbon copy of an order for work done under Chapter 90 of
the General Laws. It was recommended that $3,252.72 be paid to the contractor
under the terms of contract #13700, and $3683.45 to be paid under ~erms of
Contract No. 13394, date of 9/2~/53.
LA~CE GAS COMPANY:
The Law. Gas Co. requested permission to excavate to install gas service for Dr.
Thaddeus P. Zimny, 145 Johnson Street (24 feet in s~reet) and the Board vo~ed~to
grant permission.
L~WP~NCE ELECTRIC COMPANY:
The Board received a petition from the Lawrence Electric Company to construct
a line of underground electric conduits, including the necessary sustaining and
protecting fixtures from existing pole (1246) in triangle at ~intersectlon of
Chestnut Street and Hillside Road, southerly a distance of approximately 33
feet, and westerly across Hillside Road a distance of approximately 37 feet,
· 1 duct. A public hearing is required on this petition and the Board set this
down for a hearing on October 19, 1953 at 7:35 P.M.
ATTY. O'SULLIVAN RE BOARD OF APPEALS:
~e Board received a communication from Attorney Robert V. O'Sullivan relative
to the Board of Appeals and the Board voted to receive this letter. No action
taken by the board.
NORth ANDOVER HOUSING AUTHORITY:
~he Board received a report on the Examina~ion of the Accounts of the North
Andover Housing Authority from March 31, 1952 to May 31, 1953 from the Comm.
.of Massachusetts, Department of the Auditor.
CENT~E SCHOOL BIDS:
The board discussed the ma~er of disposing of the Center School and voted.
to call for bids to be submitted to the Board of Selectmen, no~ later than
October 26, 1953 at 8:oo o'clock. Specifications will be given out at the
Selectmen,s Office. Cellar hole ~o be filled in and graded and work ~o be
completed .within three months from date of award of bid~ and to save. the town
harmless from any liability for personal injury or property damage'resulting
from removal oparations.
REsERv~ POLICE APPOINTMENTSi'
The board discussed the three vacancies on the Reserve Poli~e List %nd they
vo$ed unanimously to appoint the three men listed:John J. Lanni, 166 %¥ater
Street, 'Renmld F. Heggarty, 118 Beverly St. and Paul U. Lafond, 25 Baldwin
Street. The three' men had contacted the board members ~o state that they were
willing and available to work when needed.
The men will be ins%ructed that they will be'expected to work when the chief
or other superior officer calls them. Mr. Willis said he had talked With Paul
Lafond and John J. Lanni And both men s tared that they felt that thmy would be
able to' go on duty when called.
Iq~TE~IITENT POLICE:
Tae Board had held over acti on on intermitten~ ~olice until the Reserve List
had been completed. Mr. Thomson stated that he felt that there %ras still need
for some intermittent police' to take over for short periods of time during the
day when the Regular Reserves were no~ available.
Mr. Willis s~ated that there was one fellow on the intermit~en~ for~e ~ho was
very conscientious and had always done a good Job. He was available' a~ all times'
and he has known him to get out of bed at three in the morning to come ~o the
station ~o help out. He bought a spray machine and he has been a great help
the Police Department. He should have been a regular policeman but things~were against
him. Mrl Willis said he would like to have Mr. Howard re-appointed as an intermi'
officer.
Mr. Thomson then made a motion that the board make application to Civil Service
for the re-appointment of Alexander Ness and Frank Howard for a ~eriod of six months
Mr. Kirk seconded the motion that we reques~ the appointment of two intermittent
police officers, namely, Frank Howard and Alexander Ness and inform the Director
of Civil Service tha~ the three veterans listed by the Division of' Emoloy~mnt
Security' have had no experience and that it was the unanimous vote of %he board that
they deem it inad$iseable to appoint them at this time and it would no~ s eryc the
best' in~erests of the town to so appoint them. Vote was unanimous on the
appointments of Ness and Howard.
: co ntinued
Er. Willis brought up the matter of the Hemingway trucks problem and said he had
had no opportunity to think of any way of resolving this problem. He felt that
the board should sit down with Chief McKee in the near future and ask for a
survey and ge~ alternate routes and send these trucks over the least Zravelled
ways. He said he had been contacted with.particular reference to noise in the
late evening and a~ the Plant in the early morning hours and late evening hours~
which is expected in a general business of trucking.
He suggested that the first step would be to get a traffic survey and determine
the best way for all trucks to get out of ~own.
Mr. Kirk mentioned at.this point that he had received complaints about speeding
on Main Street and also about the noise made by these nrucks.
Mr. Kirk!saidg~e:thdught~if the board sugggested corral, routes that theplants
would be willing ~o cooperate. He felt that Stevens Mflt should be included in
this survey also. He said their trucks speed up Elm Street and this is a very
bad corner even though there are s~op ~%ighsson Water Street.
Mr. Kirk mentAoned an this time that he had complaints about two school busses
who did not comply with the stop si~s a~ the corner of Water and Elm Streets.
The two members agreed tha$ this matter should be referred to Er. O,Brten, Supt.
of schools for ~tion. Mr. Willis will send a l~tter to Mr. O'Brien relative to
this matter.
Mr. Willis then mentioned another trucking concern- Hood Rubber Company, whose
trucks go down Waverley Road no Marblehead Street and he felt that they could
very easil~ go along Mass. Ave. ~o Market Street and then .~o the Old Print %~orks.
The Bomrd will meet with Chief McKee on October 9, at one o'clock P.M. and after
a survey is made the board will ask 'the officials dr..the three trucking concerns
~o meet with them and disucss this mat~er.
Er. Thomson ~ms not present at th~s 'discussion as he had ~o leave for an appointment
in Haverhill.
OCTOB~9, 1953:
The '~oarC of ~elec~men met an 1:O0 P.M. to-day due to the holiday falling on Monday.
~eekly bills and payrolls were appr~ed.
TREE~%RDEN:
!&r. Conners came before the board relative to the New England Power Company. ~e
said they are doing work up on Pleasant Street and they have gone through some very
good maples trees where they have crossed the road and Mr. Conners doesn't like to
lose them.. He talked with bhe foreman and if the board will gran~ permission
they will wor~. on the opposite side and vrill not have to touch these maple trees.
The board granted p~rmission so'that they could continue working o~er the ~eekend
and a form will be sen~ to the Selectmen ]ater for approval.
TRUCKS:
Kurt. Hanson came before the board to discuss traffic on Hil~l~ide Road, Chestnut
S~ree~ and Rou~e 114, and then on ~o Andover Street. He said that heavy trucks
have been hauli, ng gravel to Suttons HIll and they use excessive speed. He checked
one truck which was going 45 mi. per hr. There' are 21 children in this area and
Mr. Hanson doesn't believe that one of these trucks coulds top in a hurry if.a
child darted across the road. He would like ~o have some signs "Go slow-children,,
and possibly a si&m "No heavy trucks allowed on this street". He felt that the
town doesn't have adaquate police protection. He took this up with the police
and asked them to go up and check on the situation but one officer was at the schools
and the other was in the station but later on they did go up there.
He said he was not complaining about the roads ~ut if this keeps up the read will
be broken up. He said the residents would be wil~ng to pay for the signs if they
could have them.
Mr. Hanson mentioned that the school buses use this road and one day recently, the
Registry menwere there at Chestnut and. Andover Street ~atching the children who
get on the bus the~e.
Mr. Thomson stated that this tends to accentuate that w~ haven't sufficient police
protection in town.
Mr. Hanson that something will have to be done about this in the near future and
he said there is absolute recklessness in various parts of the ~own.
Mr. Willis felt that we are very seriously handicapped by the lack of men and
he feels that in March there will have ~o be something done about it.
Mr. Kirk said several people had talked with him~about this. lack of manpower
in our police department and he also felt that we needed more protection.
~r. ~Tillis will ~ake this matter up with Chief McKee who is meeting:with the
board to-day and see what can b~ done to alleviate these conditions.
'DIVISION OF CIVIL SERVICE: '
;4 letter was received relative to the employmen~ of Ralph,iJ. Bolderson, Alexander
Ness, Augustine Walsh and Frank Hol~ard, patrolmen whose appointment expires on
September 22, 1953. Tae letter suggested that a termination notice be sent in
on these men within ~wo weeks from the date of this letter~ as employment since
~ ~aOrV~ date. is in viqlation of Sectign 3lB of Chapter 31 of the General Laws.
.v.o~eu ~.o_holc .u.p on the termmnation notice un~il we receive approval on
Alexander A~ess and ~rank Moward which ~as requested last Monday.
NE%¥ ENGLAND TEL. & TEL.CO; LAWRENCE ELECT~{IC CO:
A petition was received for permission to relocate a pole on Johnson Street
approximately lO0§' southeast of Milk Street i pole lremove i pole).
No hearing required and the bo.',rd voted unanimously to grant this permission.
A second petition to relocate one pole on Massachusetts Avenue, at Glenwood
Street, 1 pole (remove i pole) No hearing required and the board voted unanimously
to grant permission.
DEPARTMENT OF COmmERCE:
Elmer E, Young, general representative of the Divisto~n'~of Deve.lopmant , Dept.
of Commerce came to the office for information relative to planning in Mass. He
said the services of the Department are available in making suggestions to the town
and he was particularly interested in the Industrial Planning Board. Re would be
· glad to meet with them and if they can use the services of his department all they
have to do is to contact him.
Mr. Richard Preston is head of the departments and they have three divisions,
l- Research, 2, Planning and 3, Devel'~pment.
Mr. Willis suggested that the Selectmen send a letter of thanks to Mr. Young
9nd that the information be forwarded to the Industrial Planning Board.
Mr. ~homson felt that it was'a very good thing to nave the interest of this de-
partment working for the town and he was ell infavor of referring the information
to .the Industrial Planning Board.
CHIEF MCKEE:
Chief McKee met ~rlth the board an their request and Mr. ~?illis~.mentionsd the
Hemingway terminal. Chief. McKee said he had talked with Mr. Eaton at the plant
and he is willing ~o re-route his trucks over any route suggested by the Selectmen.
M~. 'i~illis suggested that they could go along Marrimac Street and up South Union St~
:ir. ~omsonwas in sympathy with people who are annoyed by these trucks but he
felt.that it,s an imposition to do this when we have public roads'and no matter
where the trucks go, there will be complaints.
Mr. Kirk inquired~of the chief how much relief We would get by re-routing.
:ir. Willis agreed that it was an imposition and he felt that in six or eight months
people would get used to the noise. However, .hewas aTr~id of %~averley Road
as it is narrow beyond Mass. Ave.
Chief Mcaee' will take this up with Mr. Eaton-again and see if them will go over
Merrimack Street to South Union.
~hey discussed the Stevens Company trucks and suggested that they use Stevens St.
Os~ood Street ahd Prescott St.
Chief NcKee said he v~uld put signs up on Chestnut Street~ "Not over 25 mi. per hr."
and also "Slow signs,,. -
Mr. Thomson suggested that the chief check with Mr. Hanson in a couple of weeks
and see if there has been any improvement in conditions.
EXTRA POLICE OFFICERS:
Mr. Willis stated that there is a :lack of manpower in the police department and
he asked ~he chief to get a survey started, -that is, check with other.tOWns
of this size and see how many officers they have with respect, to their' population
also the area ~o be covered, etc. and then in March the Selectmen wiT1 have some-
thing to present to the people when they.ask for more men. - ~'~'
Mr. Kirk felt that the paved roads and the population of same should .enter into
the'survey. He also inquired of the chief if his 'me.n had~been'-wal]%'ing on Main
Street as suggested~by the Selectmen.
Chief M. cKee stated that he had discussed this with the chairman later and.he had
suggested that not only Main Street be covered but .~itddlesex and Sutton'Streets,
and Mr. Willis had agreed to this. He said there has been considerable comment
about it but he felt that it was working outwell. ....
The chief will make the required survey and present it to the boa~d'~t a later da~e.
POLICE DEPT.-HARVEY RADIO CORP.
Mr. Willis informed the chief 'that there was still ~some question in the minds of
the board members as to the bill in the amount of $250. He asked, the chief if
he-could explain just what work was done and what equipment, was supplied.
Tae chief stated that the Harvey Radio Co, had sublet the work to some other
concern and that is how the thing got mixed up. He said when he received the
bill marked final bill, he felt that the total amount had been paid. Later
a representative came to the rotation and explained about the sub-letting of the
work and that accounted for the new bill of $250. He said that a new antenna
was put on ~he building and with the labor and supplies the cost ;~as $2~0.
Mr. Kirk said he would like to ask one question and that was whether or not' the
chief felt that we owe this bill. The chief said he was positive that it was a
le~itimate' hill and should be paid.
Mr. Thomson inquired of the chief if, when he realized that we owed this money,
he then came before the former board of select~e~n and asked that an article be