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1951
ANNUAL REPORT
MASS
JIMSa
USA
1634
THE BIRTHPLACE OF AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE 1637
TOWN OF IPSWICH MASSACHUSETTS
IPSWICH PUBLIC LIBRARY IPSWICH, MA 01938
THE CITY MANAGERS' CODE OF ETHICS
In order to achieve effective, democratic government, the council-manager plan provides that municipal policy shall be determined exclusively by a legis- lative body elected by the people and that the administration of policy shall be vested in the city manager who, as administrative head of the city, shall be appointed by and responsible to the council. The International City Mana- gers' Association is a professional organization of city managers; its purpose is to increase the proficiency of city managers and to aid in the general im- provement of municipal administration. To further these objectives, the As- sociation believes that these ethical principles should govern the conduct of every professional city manager:
1. No member of the profession seeks or accepts a position as city mana- ger unless he is fully in accord with the principles of council-manager govern- ment and unless he is confident that he is qualified to serve under these prin- ciples as city manager to the advantage of the community.
2. The city manager has a firm belief in the dignity and worth of the services rendered by government and a deep sense of his own social responsi- bility as a trusted public servant.
3. The city manager is governed by the highest ideals of honor and in- tegrity in all his public and personal relationships in order that he may merit the respect and inspire the confidence of the administrative organization which he directs and of the public which he serves.
4. The city 'manager believes that personal aggrandizement or personal profit secured by confidential information or by misuse of public time is dis- honest.
5. The city manager is in no sense a political leader. In order that policy may be intelligent and effective, he provides the council with information and advice, but he encourages positive decisions on policy by the council instead of passive acceptance of his recommendations.
6. The city manager realizes that it is the council, the elected representa- tives of the people, which is entitled to the credit for the fulfillment of munici- pal policies and leaves to the council the defense of policies which may be criticized.
7. The city manager keeps the community informed on municipal affairs but keeps himself in the background by emphasizing the importance of the facts.
8. The city manager, in order to preserve his integrity as a professional administrator, resists any encroachment on his control of personnel, insists on the exercise of his own judgment in accomplishing council policies, and deals frankly with the council as a unit rather than secretly with its individual members.
9. The city manager handles all matters of personnel on the basis of merit. Political, religious, and racial considerations carry no weight in ap- pointment, salary increases, promotions, and discipline in the municipal service.
10. The city manager curries no personal favors. He is the administrator for all the people and handles each administrative problem without discrimina- tion on the basis of principle and justice.
Credit for photos in this report is hereby given to The House of Hinlin and Zaharis Studio. both of Ipswich.
Cover picture is reproduced through courtesy of the Ipswich Chamber of Commerce and Sylvania Electric Products, Inc.
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
TOWN OF IPSWICH
MASSACHUSETTS
M
CH
SS
U.S.
IF
634
THE BIRTHPLACE OF AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE 1687
for the YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 1951 the Three Hundred and Eighteenth Year of the Town's Incorporation and the
First Year of Operation Under the Selectmen-Manager Plan
Area : 33 sq. miles
Population : 6,895
Ipswich Chronicle Publishing Co., Printers Ipswich, Mass.
IN MEMORIAM TO TOWN EMPLOYEES WHO DIED IN 1951
FRANCIS E. WOOD Highway Superintendent Died January 7, 1951
JOHN E. NORMAN Assessor Died Sept. 18, 1951
IN MEMORIAM TO
TOWN EMPLOYEES WHO DIED IN 1951
BLANCHE L. OXNER School Department Died March 19, 1951
THE FOLLOWING FORMER TOWN EMPLOYEES ALSO PASSED AWAY DURING 1951 :
JOSEPH ALBERT HUCKINS
Highway Division
J. FRANCIS PERKINS
School Department
KATHERINE FRANCES SULLIVAN
School Department
WILLIAM T. HAMM Light Department
EDWARD SMITH Fire Department
HENRY SHAW
Shellfish Department
3
THE MUNICIPAL FAMILY
December 31, 1951 TOWN MODERATOR
Edmund Kelleher
Town Moderator
THE BOARD OF SELECTMEN Frank J. O'Malley, Chairman
John F. Conley Robert B. Franklin
Harry E. Munro Nathaniel M. Quint
THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE Richard Mansfield, Chairman
Louise C. Richardson William H. Wallace Edward Foley
John V. Hubbard, Jr. Seward Tyler Edward S. Sullivan, Jr.
THE TOWN ADMINISTRATION
Office of the Town Manager Accounting Department
Assessing Department
Civil Defense Collection-Treasury Department Constable
Electric Department Fire Department
Joseph R. Coupal, Jr., Town Manager Charles Passales, Accountant Chester Caldwell, Chief Assessor Henry Plander-Assessor Donald Perkins-Assessor-Trainee Robert Bamford, Director Gladys Poole, Collector-Treasurer Edward Thibedore Charles Mallard, Manager Samuel Atherly, Chief
Robert Hills-Engineer Lionel Sheppard-Engineer
Health Department Legal Department
Personnel Department
Police Department
John LaPlante, Health Officer William Hayes, Town Counsel Joseph R. Coupal, Jr., Town Manager Byard Horseman, Chief Stanley Surpitski, Sergeant
Public Works Department Joseph R. Coupal, Jr., Town Manager Cemetery Division-Benjamin Homans, Superintendent
Grounds & Bldgs. Div .- Gardner Caverly, Foreman Highway Division-Robert Hills, Foreman Refuse Division-John Ladderbush, Foreman Water Division-Dana Parsons, Superintendent
Purchasing Department Joseph R. Coupal, Jr., Town Manager Records Department John Dolan, Town Clerk School Department Harry Merson, Superintendent Ralph C. Whipple-High School Principal Bertram Bennett-Burley School Principal -Shatswell School Principal Lena J. Atherley-Winthrop School Principal Frank L. Collins, MD,-School Doctor Eleanore Richardson, R.N .- School Nurse
Shellfish Department Bernard M. Farley, Director Veteran's Services Department John Dolan, Veterans' Agent Weight and Measures Division John LaPlante, Sealer Walter Callahan, Director
Welfare Department
THE MUNICIPAL COURT
Judiciary
George H. W. Hayes, Judge Clerk of Court, Robert Bamford
4
THE MUNICIPAL BOARDS
Cemetery Commission: Harmon Cole, Chairman Richard Sheppard Arnold R. Richards
Finance Committee: Robert T. Bamford, Chairman George C. Parsons
Wilmot E. Hall
Richard W. Davis
Stephen Tlumacki
Leon B. Turner George J. Soffron Timothy F. Carey, Jr.
Board of Health: Frank L. Collins, M. D., Chairman Ernest J. Smith, D.M.D., Lawrence M. King
Trustees of Great Neck F. Sigourney Todd Horace Dunbar Harold D. Bowen
Planning Board : G. Amos Hayward, Chairman Rev. C. Daniel Boone Gordon S. Hughes Jerome Richardson Chester J. Patch
Playground Commission: John Bialek, Chairman Louise Hodgkins Dr. J. J. Pallotta Harry Merson Barbara Cole
Board of Registrars: Henry Hills, Chairman George Mourikas John A. Kobos
Trustees of Trust Funds: George C. Parsons Edward J. Marcorelle Charles E. Goodhue, Jr.
Board of Public Welfare: George R. Hovey, Chairman William Dunbar Alcide Lombard
5
TOWN OF IPSWICH, MASS. ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE UNDER THE NEW SELECTMEN-MANAGER GOVERNMENT
ELECTORATE
BOARD OF SELECTMEN
AHAHSENS
MODERATOR
Superintendent
Registrars
TOWN MANAGER
commit
Personnel
Purchasing
BOARD PLAYGROUND COMMISSIONERS
PLANNING BOARD
BOARD OF CEMETERY COMMISSIONERS
Records Depart- ment
Finance Depart- ment
Assess ing Depart- ment
Legal Depart- ment
Enginger ing Depart-
Planning Depart- ment
BOARD OF PUBLIC WELFARE
Calle ct Ion Division
Division
Accounting Division
-
BOARD OF HEALTH
Fire Department
Recreatim Department
Public Works Department
Welfare Department
Weights & Measures Depart.
Police Department
Civil Defense
Shellfish Department
Electric Department
Health Department
Veterans
Cemetery Division
Highway Division
Grounds Buildings Division
Refuso Division
Garage & Storage Division
Water Division
COFAISFEE
Fineco
-
9
YOUR 1951 MUNICIPAL DOLLAR
Where it came from
Licenses, Permits, etc.
1.5%
State & County
Miscellaneous 1/3%
13.5%
Dept'1.
Income
11.7%
Motor Vehicle
Tax 6%
Local Taxes
67%
How it was spent
State
General Gov't.
Opunty 6.5%
7%
Protection
12%
Health &
Sanitation 3.5%
Education & Libraries
Highways
30%
Charities & Vet's. Services
17%
apital Exp. 6%
Misc. Finance
7%
Cemeteries 2%
Recreation 1;%
REPORT OF THE BOARD OF SELECTMEN
l'o the Citizens of Ipswich:
This is your 1951 Town Report, the first under the new Selectmen-Manager form of Government. In 1950, the voters of Ipswich adopted the new Town Manager charter, which was put into operation in March of 1951. We, the first Board of Selectmen to be elected under this charter, are aware that the citizens of Ipswich have given us a mandate to put into effect a new, more efficient local administration. We are doing everything possible to put the new government on a sound basis. The voters have charged us with the responsibility of safeguarding their interests, and of interpreting community policy as laid down by them. We accept the responsibility willingly.
Carrying out the provisions of the new charter, the Board of Selectmen ac- cepted some thirty-five applications for the job of Town Manager, and ap- pointed Mr. Coupal as the person most fitted by, "education, training, and ex- perience." He assumed his duties on April 24, 1951.
The first year has been one of many serious problems for your Board of Selectmen but it is good to be able to report that they have all been ap- proached in a spirit of cooperation and mutual understanding.
We wish to thank all the citizens of Ipswich for their expression of trust in us, and assure them that we, acting as the Board of Directors of the muni- cipal corporation known as Ipswich, will do everything possible to produce the kind of results in terms of a better community that, they, as the stock- holders, have a right to expect.
Respectfully submitted,
Board of Selectmen:
Frank J. O'Malley, Chairman John F. Conley Harry G. Munro Robert B. Franklin Nathaniel M. Quint
8
REPORT OF THE TOWN MANAGER
To the Board of Selectmen and the Citizens of Ipswich
The first eight months of operation under the Selectmen-Manager form of Government in Ipswich have been eventful ones.
Ipswich is now operating under one of the best and clearest-cut Town charters in the Country. Under its provisions it will be possible to stream- line the administrative functions of our government into an efficient, business- like organization.
Accomplishments during the first eight months have been many. A merit system of personnel administration has been established with standard per- sonnel rules and regulations and one standard pay plan for all employees. Em- phasis is now placed on merit appointments and promotions, and on increased proficiency through on-the-job-training.
A central Health agency has been established, providing more health services for less money. A central purchasing agency is being set up which will handle all purchases for all departments. Consolidated purchasing of gasoline, bulk rock salt, building maintenance supplies, office supplies and fuel, have already resulted in substantial savings.
A central public works department is partially established and already the economies realized from inter-departmental exchange of personnel and equipment have been very substantial.
$15,000 worth of new equipment was added during the year, and all Town insurance was re-scheduled into consolidated policies.
Also, no effort is being spared to keep Ipswich citizens fully informed about their local government through regular newspaper releases, monthly activity reports and other available public information media.
The problems facing Ipswich are many. The physical plant is badly de- pleted. A new Town Hall is practically a must. The Town has no sewage system. The school plant is fast becoming over-crowded. We are spending considerable sums each year for garage space for our public works equipment which is, of necessity, housed in various locations in different parts of the Town.
Off-street parking space is badly needed, but an article to provide for this is in the Town Warrant. Studies are already under way to survey our street lighting requirements, and the desirability of the floridation of our water supply is under discussion.
Our Water Department is operating on a "shoe string", with a very much out-dated rate structure. Also, there is dire need of some sub-division rules and regulations to assure healthy expansion of our Town, and the new Plan- ning Board is at work on these.
The restoration of the clam flats has been a perennial problem, and an experimental program of crab control will start in the spring of 1952. Finally, the centralization of our finance agency will allow for far greater efficiency in our accounting procedures when completed.
The various boards, commissions, department and staffs, are right now working to solve these problems, and it is hoped that real progress will be made on them in the coming year. Our goal should be nothing less than to make Ipswich the model community of its size in the nation.
A basic problem, of course, is the growing demand for bigger and better municipal services at a time when costs are mounting rapidly and the amount
9
of taxes the property owner can pay appears to be near the breaking point. This challenge should only emphasize the need for the most efficient manage- ment we can possibly achieve.
In general, the Manager plan has received a cordial reception in Ipswich this year, and I wish to express my appreciation to the Board of Selectmen and to the citizens who have made it so. Most of all, I want to thank the Town employees who are taking a difficult period of readjustment in their stride, and who are working untiringly for the welfare of the community. Without their cooperation anything that I, as Town Manager, have tried to do would have failed. The fact that we have made a good start in putting our Town on a business basis is in great measure due to their help.
You will note that this Town Report differs considerably from those of previous years. Any changes that have been made were in the sole interest of presenting you with a clear, more understandable, and more informative report of your Town's activities.
Respectfully submitted,
Joseph R. Coupal, Jr. Town Manager
DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS A summary of the services performed for you by your Town Departments during 1951
Finance Department
Collection-Treasury Division - Gladys M. Poole, Collector-Treasurer
A total of $901,531.07 in taxes, interests, Electric and Water Bills, liens and other miscellaneous revenues was collected in 1951 .*
Also during the year, 2160 Poll Tax bills, 1294 Personal Tax bills, 2758 Real Estate Tax bills and 2861 Motor Vehicle Excise bills were issued.
In addition, an average of 2200 Electric and 600 Water bills were processed each month.
Cash receipts into the Town Treasury during the year totaled $1,276,654.27 and payments totaled $1,305,275.46. Cash balance at the end of the year was $215,961 50, in addition to which $99,164 is invested in Treasury bills. In all 18,000 checks were issued.
Reports were made up on all Trust funds and year end reports rendered to the Electric and Water Departments.
Two new tax titles were taken during the year by the Town and six titles were redeemed. There are now twenty-two tax titles on hand totaling $5,368 .- 62. Individual salary cards were kept for each Town employee and withhold- ing statements issued.
In May of this year, Miss Gladys M. Poole was promoted to the position of Collector-Treasurer, after having served in the Department as clerk for twenty-seven years.
. Accounting Division-Charles T. Passales, Accountant
All the municipal accounts were reclassified and coded, and standard sub- classifications of expenditures were established and coded as a first step in the stream-lining of the municipal accounting procedures.
The Accounting Division began issuing monthly financial statements in June. Included in the financial statement is a monthly trial balance and a consolidated appropriation statement showing appropriations, credits, expendi- tures for the previous month, total expenditures to date, and unexpended balances in each account. A completely new type of consolidated budget docu- ment was prepared during the last quarter of 1951, with the extensive use of charts, graphs and financial analysis.
Mr. Charles T. Passales former Veterans Service Agent was appointed to the position of Town Accountant in March 1951.
A complete financial statement for the fiscal year 1951 will be found in the financial section.
*See detailed statement of taxes in the Financial Section.
Assessing Department
C. Chester Caldwell-Assessor
Assessed valuation on real and personal property in 1951 was $9,623,245. This was an increase of $503,390 over 1950 assessed valuation. During the year every parcel of taxable real estate in the Town was reviewed and the assessed valuation checked; also the Town was canvassed to bring up to date the poll tax list, personal property assessment, and dog tax lists. Commitments were made out for all taxes due the Town, and appeals for abatement were handled. During the year there were thirteen different tax commitments con- taining 3,053 cards with a valuation of $1,377,800 and an excise tax commit- nient of $53,150.77.
12
Mr. John E. Norman, after serving twenty-two years on the Board resigned on June 30th due to ill health, and passed away on September 13, 1951. Mr. John Singer retired as of December 31, 1951 because of the pressure of business.
Mr. Donald Perkins was appointed in August as Assessor-Trainee and clerk, and is attending an assessing course at Boston University as part of the in-service training program instituted this year. On November 1st, Mr. Henry Plander was appointed as a member of the Board to fill the vacancy of Mr. John E. Norman.
A summary of the recapitulation sheet showing comparative assessment statistics for 1950 and 1951 may be found in the Financial Section.
Purchasing Department
Joseph R. Coupal, Jr., Town Manager
A central purchasing agency was established in May, designed to stan- dardize purchasing for all Town Departments. So far this has been handled completely from the Manager's office, but it is likely that part of the operation will be transferred to the Finance Department during the coming year.
Under the proposed purchasing procedure, purchases in Town will be nego- tiated only upon the submission of a formal requisition, followed by a written purchase order. Bids will be invited on all purchases over $100 where possible, and for smaller purchases telephone prices will be established from as many vendors as is practicable. Since the establishment of the Central Purchasing Department, thirty four bids on major items were received and tabulated, and the contracts awarded.
Personnel Department
Joseph R. Coupal, Jr .- Town Manager
A new Personnel Department was established in the Town Manager's office early in the year. This was set up as a separate and distinct function, and is designed to establish one standard set of personnel policies for all Town employees.
Comprehensive Personnel Rules and Regulations were prepared and put into effect on October 1st. This nineteen page document sets forth the rules and regulations governing Town employees, and covers such things as re- cruitment policies, promotions, discipline, separations, transfers, attendance and leave, and retirement. It established for every permanent employee such benefits as two weeks annual vacation, eleven paid holidays each year and sick leave accumulative up to six weeks with full pay for employees with less than fifteen years of service, and nine weeks with full pay for employees with fif- teen years of service or over.
Also developed during 1951, was a comprehensive Classification and Com- pensation Plan for all Town employees. Forty different job specifications were developed, each job was graded, and salary ranges were established based on a thorough analysis of the job requirements. A fair and equitable pay plan was thus established for employees with the assurance that all salaries would be adjusted in the future on the basis of cost-of-living fluctuations.
A positive recruitment program has been instituted with all job openings being advertised and appointments being made strictly on the basis of merit and ability. Also, an in-service-training program initiated with all Town em- ployees being urged to take courses in their particular fields. At the present time, two employees are taking evening college courses in Boston and plans have been made for setting up on-the-job training and correspondence courses in all departments.
13
Records Department
John F. Dolan, Town Clerk
During the first ten months of 1951 the Records Department was under the supervision of Mrs. John F. Dolan, substituting for Mr. Dolan during his leave of absence for Military Service. Mr. Dolan returned to his duties in November.
The functions of the Department include the recording of all public records of the Town related to vital statistics, Town Meeting, elections, licenses, ap- pointments and other legal records. Also, in December 1951, the Veterans' Service department was consolidated into the records Department and this work is now supervised by the Town Clerk with the assistance of a Clerk- Stenographer.
Comparative Vital Statistics for the years 1950 and 1951 were as follows:
1950
1951
Births
190
221
Marriages
77
43
Deaths
68
79
In addition to the above statistics there were thirty-one out-of-Town births to Ipswich parents; forty four out-of-town marriages; and twenty eight deaths of Ipswich residents which occurred elsewhere.
Total receipts to the Records Department came to $3,364.55. Payments to the State totaled $661.75, payments to the County were $1,468.00, and $1,234.80 was turned over to the Ipswich Treasurer.
Dog licenses issued this year totaled 638 as compared to 340 of last year and there were 511 hunting and fishing licenses issued.
Legal Department
William F. Hayes-Town Counsel
There was no major litigation handled by the Legal Department during 1951, but many legal opinions were given several departments.
Several conferences with Attorneys, Trustees, the Board of Selectmen, and the Town Manager were held in attempt to reach a settlement on the Ips- wich Beach issue. As a result, it is expected that a proposed agreement may be submitted to the Town Meeting during 1952 which would be satisfactory to ali concerned.
Several opinions were given to the School Department concerning the Town's liability for transporting children to private schools, the Town Mana- ger's authority to negotiate contracts for the School Department and his juris- diction over school property.
Several opinions were prepared for the Town Manager concerning such matters as his jurisdiction over various Town Buildings and property, action required to remove boats from the Town Wharf and authority of the Town regarding gravel pit operations. With reference to this latter, there will, in all likelihood, be an article in the Town Warrant for the governing of such operations,
New rules and regulations were prepared for the establishment of one hour parking limits on Central Street and to make illegal all night parking on any Town street during the snow plow season.
Various other miscellaneous opinions were prepared including one for the Welfare Department in reference to making public the names of Old Age Assistance recipients, and one from the Cemetery Department with reference to the sale of lots.
14
Planning Board
G. Amos Hayward, Chairman
The first meeting of the Planning Board was called on November 8th in the Town Hall. Mr. G. Amos Hayward, was elected chairman and Rev. C. Daniel Boone was elected clerk.
It was decided at the outset that the Board prepare itself by asking for the assistance of experienced people in this field. To that end several speakers from other Planning Boards and from neighboring universities were invited to talk with us concerning the broad objectives which should underlay the work of such a group in any community.
Guests included such prominent men in this field as Mr. Nord Davis of the State Planning Board, Mr. Allen Benjamin, Harvard Planning Consultant, Gus Leahtinen, City Planning Director, Concord, New Hampshire.
With this background the Board has since been called upon for assistance in matters pertaining to development on Great Neck and Jeffries Neck, and certain requests have been made by the owners of property now residing off the lower end of Newmarch Street.
It is to be the purpose of the Planning Board to assist the Selectmen and the people of our Town in the building of an attractive community that will be appealing both for our many visitors and as a place of permanent residence. The Board looks upon itself as a fact-finding body concerned with physical and fiscal planning for the Town. It should assist in providing for adequate pubilc facilities such as school sites, parks and public buildings for future use. It should protect private property owners, whose interests involve such matters as proper streets, road ways, utilities and provisions for traffic and parking. Finally the Board is concerned with assisting the various departments of the Town in their long-range planning.
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