USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Norwood > Norwood annual report 1960-1962 > Part 3
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32
TOWN OF NORWOOD
give protection against glass breakage by activities outside the building, thus making impossible the use of the windows as a means of escape. In addition the occupants of upper floors must pass through doors which are located in most Norwood schools between the basement level and the first- floor level in order to reach the outside. This point of egress must have maximum protection from fires which may originate either in the basement or on the first-floor level.
6. Hallways and stairways are the avenues of escape. These should be kept open by the best methods known. Automatic sprinklers should be added whenever they will add to the safety of these avenues of escape.
7. Unattended areas have been the source of fire in schools and should have supplementary protection to confine any conflagration within their area. Automatic sprinkler installation is the only answer.
8. The Cleveland and Prescott Elementary Schools, the newest addi- tions to our school system, liave been designed and constructed with the best possible protection to life against fire. The single story ground level lay-out with exits directly to the outside from each room do not need improvement by the addition of sprinklers.
9. Education on fire prevention should be stressed, and practice escape drills, under the direction of the Fire Department, should be held regularly.
10. There will be no saving in the insurance premiums whatsoever unless there is a complete sprinkling of the entire building; and the saving is too small to influence any serious consideration of a complete installation. The insurance company bases its reduction in premium upon the savings in the property, whereas the Committee is mostly concerned with the safety of life.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The Committee feels that after completing its study of the Norwood schools it is aware of the factors affecting the safety of our school children and also recognizes the responsibility to protect them against harni from fire besides giving them an education.
The Committee therefore recommends the following:
1. That automatic sprinklers should not be installed in the Cleveland and Prescott Schools.
2. That an automatic sprinkler system be installed only in the base- inent areas and the boiler room of the Senior High School, but shall include the partially excavated areas under the classrooms having exposed wood joist and the area under the first floor hallway of the main building.
3. That an automatic sprinkler system be installed in each of the present remaining schools not mentioned in Recommendations 1 and 2, that this system in each of these schools shall include the sprinkling of the entire basement areas including the boiler room, all stairwells, all
33
REPORT OF TOWN CLERK
hallways and all storage rooms or areas in which inflammable or com- bustible materials are being stored. Classrooms, toilets and rest rooms are not to be included in the sprinkler systems.
4. That the sprinkler system installed pursuant to Recommendations 2 and 3 should be designed so that the main water supply and distribution lines would be large enough to accommodate a full sprinkler system in the school in event that at a future date the town should decide or is compelled by legislative action to install full sprinkler protection.
5. That the Fire Department be responsible to make a monthly inspec- tion of all schools for the purpose of detecting fire hazards due to house- keeping, defective building facilities, inoperative fire alarms and other features in connection with the safety of occupants. A report of this inspec- tion shall then be made and sent to the School Committee with a copy to the Board of Selectmen.
The estimated cost for the installation of sprinklers as per the above recommendations is $80,065.00 as shown on the attached cost sheet.
Respectfully submitted,
RALPH E. FENTON, Chairman
MARY H. HEMMAN, Secretary
JAMES J. DRUMMEY
RICHARD G. NEAD FRANCIS WISGIRDO
SPRINKLER COMMITTEE
Mr. Ralph E. Fenton, Chairman Sprinkler Committee 575 Neponset Street Norwood, Massachusetts
November 20, 1959
Dear Sir:
In compliance with instructions contained in your letter of September 29, 1959, I have inspected six public schools in Norwood and hereby submit my findings.
Senior High School
This building is in good physical condition and the only poor conditions found related to housekeeping. There were empty egg crates in the stair- well near the cafeteria. One stairway near the center of the building had a piano stored there. The connecting door between rooms 109 and 110 was blocked with a television set. In general, all stairwells and egress doors should be kept clear and unobstructed at all times. This can only be done with vigilance.
34
TOWN OF NORWOOD
The fire drill exit direction sign is placed on a storage room door in the cafeteria. This is misleading.
The exit signs over the doors leading from the rear of the gymnasium are obscured by screens. They should be changed so as to be more noticeable.
The developing room in class room 117 has no ventilation, but I under- stand that this will be remedied when the new building is ready.
The outside stairs of this building should be equipped with handrails.
Junior High School
Install one double Metal-clad fire door in incinerator room in base- ment.
Install one single Metal-clad fire door between incinerator room and woodworking class room.
Brick up opening in brick wall between incinerator room and lunch room. This door is never used. The Metal-clad doors replace wooden doors.
This room is being used for theatrical props and scenery, which is being stored by some theatrical group which is not directly connected with the school. As this room is used for burning of rubbish and papers, etc., there seems to be no reason for using it as a storage area for any- thing not to be disposed of.
The boiler room is also used for the dumping of surplus or broken furniture and other articles which should have been discarded. This room also is used for the storage of stage scenery and the quantity seems to grow continually. This material should be sorted out and anything of doubtful value should be disposed of and the practice of using the boiler room for storage should be discontinued.
Install exit signs over doors from basement to stairwells.
Wooden laths are showing through the plaster in the band uniform room. These holes should be patched.
Patch hole in ceiling of chair storage room under the gymnasium. This hole was not filled after the installation of piping and goes directly through the gym floor.
Install locks on electrical switch boxes where missing. Boxes in the lunch room and on basement stairs were noted.
The fixture vents from the boys' and girls' toilets on all floors pass through a wide partition which is open from the basement to the roof. As this is a narrow space and difficult to work in to properly install fire stopping in a conventional manner, the possibility of using some sort of insulation, such as rockwool, or some other equally non-inflammable material, to effectively seal off this area at each floor and stop any draft, should be considered. Where the vent pipes have been left open, a cover should be provided.
35
REPORT OF TOWN CLERK
The main stairs on the outside of the building should be equipped with hand rails.
Callahan School
The unfinished space under the gymnasium is equipped with a metal door to separate it from the main building, but this space has not been plastered or put in condition for occupancy. The door should be kept locked and the space not used for any purpose. If in the future it should be desired to utilize this area, proper safeguards should be provided.
The nurses room over the front entrance is poorly designed, from a safety point of view. This area is isolated from the first floor and served with a single stairway. There is a storage room in this area which is practically under the roof. Trouble in this area could go undetected until serious trouble to the entire building could ensue. A fire warning device or a sprinkler system would seem to be required at this location.
The nurses room is used from time to time for routine examinations, and sometimes as many as ten pupils are accommodated here. The window to the roof is the only emergency exit and there is no way to the ground except over ladders. The use of this section of the building should be discontinued for school purposes.
Winslow School
Install new hardware on basement exit doors.
Install louvre window in boiler room for combustion ventilation.
Remove two storage closets from under the basement stairs, one on each end, or nail them up permanently.
Install two fire doors with plain wired glass panel, one at each end, at the top of basement stairs.
Replace plain glass in smoke screens on first and second floors with wired glass.
Install new smoke screen across entrance stairway at first floor, on the corridor line, to provide second exit from corner class room. This partition to be equipped with wired glass.
The treads on the basement stairs are badly worn.
Balch School
The stairways in this building are enclosed with smoke screens. Two have metal partitions with wired glass. The other four are equipped with plain glass. Replace plain glass in smoke screens at these four locations with wired glass.
36
TOWN OF NORWOOD
Cnt new door between rooms No. 3 and No. 4 to provide second egress from room No. 3 which now has but one exit. This door to be located approximately six feet from outside wall in room No. 4.
The treads on the basement stairs are badly worn.
Shattuck School
Replace plain glass in smoke screen on second floor with wired glass.
Install wired glass partition across entrance stairway at first floor on corridor line, to provide second exit from corner class room.
Install fire door on storage room beside boiler room.
Install fire door in partition between stairs in basement.
Install two fire doors with wired glass panel at top of basement stairs at each end of building.
Close openings in walls of four plenum chambers which are not used in the basement, install locks on the existing fire doors to these rooms and use them for additional storage space. Cover unused registers con- nected to these unused vents to keep anything from being thrown into them.
Eliminate storage room in basement class room and use one of the above rooms. Eliminate two closets under basement stairs.
Eliminate closet under stairs between two basement classrooms and store the chairs in the new storage rooms.
Install exit signs over connecting doors through teachers' room on second floor to indicate doors used to bypass smoke screen.
Repair stair treads on basement stairs.
Repair or replace outside platform at end of building.
Install guard rails around areaways and handrails on practically all outside stairs.
Estimated Cost
In securing estimates for doing the work which has been recommended, I have gone over four of the buildings which require major repairs with Mr. Nicholson, of Horn Brothers, Inc., 31 Smith Place, Cambridge, Massa- chusetts. This company is reliable and I am familiar with their work.
They have submitted a figure of twelve thousand, two hundred and eighty-three dollars ($12,283.00) for furnishing and installing 8 metal clear wired glass; installing two new partitions to match existing parti- tions; brick up openings in incinerator and unused plenum chambers; cut connecting door between classrooms in Balch School; installing glass wool as fire stopping in Junior High School.
37
REPORT OF TOWN CLERK
Mr. Angove, of the Pitcher & Company, Inc., of 67 Rogers St., Cambridge, has furnished me with figures to replace the existing wooden partitions with new metal partitions equipped with clear wired glass, and installation of two new partitions to match for a total of nine thousand, six hundred and twenty-three dollars ($9,623.00).
I have estimated that the figure of Horn Brothers, exclusive of the partitions would be approximately five thousand five hundred dollars ($5,500.00) which, added to the Pitcher Co. figure of nine thousand six hundred and twenty-three dollars ($9,623.00) would be fifteen thousand, one hundred and twenty-three dollars ($15,123.00).
All of the above figures could be reduced by installing rough cut glass (wired) in place of clear wired glass which is very expensive, and in the case of the new partitions, a saving of approximately $100.00 each could be realized by using a different type of door. Two partitions previously installed by the Pitcher Company are in the Balch School.
It is my opinion that with competitive bids and changes in specifica- tions a sum of money would be available from the above estimates to provide hand rails all over the place on outside platforms and areaways and also to make needed repairs to the outside platform at the Shattuck School.
Sprinklers
In regard to sprinklers, there appears to be no general need for their installation. The only places where they would be beneficial would be in places which are closed off from general use. The recommendations which are contained herein are designed to eliminate, as much as possible, the necessity for sprinklers. These places would be closets under stairs, which are used for miscellaneous storage, and similar areas.
There were two places noted where sprinklers could be considered. One is the band uniform storage room in the Junior High School and the other in the storage room of the second floor of the Callahan School. These areas in the storage rooms are isolated and a fire could get a good start before being discovered.
A rate of rise fire detection device could be installed at reasonable expense which would warn immediately, in case of trouble, and would take the place of sprinklers.
Sprinklers in a school house are of use to protect the building. They do not take the place of enclosed stairways, exit doors and other means of evacuating the building. The law requires certain precautions to be taken in schools, and it is written around the safety of the occupants and their speedy and safe escape. The recommendations which I have incor- porated in this report are submitted with that thought in mind.
THOMAS H. DAHILL
38
TOWN OF NORWOOD
VOTED: To accept the following report of the Capital Outlay Com- mittee.
REPORT OF PROGRESS AND CAPITAL ITEMS TO BE CONSIDERED AT THE 1960 ANNUAL TOWN MEETING
Progress Report
The complete report of the Capital Outlay Committee which is to become an annual report has yet to be assembled for its initial presenta- tion to the Town Meeting Members.
Committee efforts has completed a summary of all the projects under consideration by the Town's governing bodies for each of the years through 1964, and for items planned or extending beyond 1960. Summaries have been prepared of capital and operating budgets, together with revenues for the past 10 years. Operating budgets must be analyzed and projected because any permanent change in the Town's operating budget limits the ability of the Town to acquire and finance capital items under a stable tax rate.
As an example of the scope of the capital planning within the various town departments, we have received detail capital expenditures requests for the period 1961-64 in the amount of $2,973,000.00 as will be shown in our complete report. Details of other known items which are expected to be considered by the Town after 1964, as well as those projects which will continue into this period from the earlier period, amount to $3,657,- 000.00.
This report, which will form the prototype of reports for succeeding years is planned for publication this spring. Pertinent items which will be necessary for the special Town Meeting in April will be included in a special report of those projects which will be considered at that meeting.
To serve as a guide for the capital projects which appear below for consideration at the 1960 annual Town Meeting, and to indicate the scope of our work the following policies determine a capital item to be included in this and future reports :
1. Any motor vehicle
2. Any item costing more than $5,000
3. Any Jand purchases
Report of Capital Items at 1960 Annual Town Meeting
Appropriations for capital items of approximately $365,000 are being recommended by the Finance Committee with an additional $224,000 included in this report for information, scheduled for consideration at the April Special Town Meeting, making a total of $589,000 for 1960 as detailed on the following Table of this report. The sum of $365,000 includes $55,000 for undesignated items in the Light Department and approximately $12,000 for items outside the definition stated above. These undesignated items are for material and labor for the continuing expansion of the existing system.
39
REPORT OF TOWN CLERK
The largest single project at this town meeting concerns the various amounts that will be needed for the Sumner Street project. In 1960 $78,365.00 is included in this budget, with the second phase planned for later this year or in 1961 at a cost of $60,000. These details are-Considered at 1960 Annual Town Meeting.
Water Construction
$ 7,500.00
Sewer Construction
33,165.00
Sidewalk Construction
3,700.00
Chap. 90 Construction
34,000.00*
TOTAL
$78,365.00
Considered later 1960 or '61 (Approx.)
60,000.00
TOTAL PROJECT COST
$138,365.00
* 75% Reimbursable.
The following is a partial list of the balances available from prior years for construction accounts :
UNEXPENDED CONSTRUCTION BALANCES (Jan. 1, 1960)
Water
$ 83,000.00
Sewer
56,000.00
Drains
23,000.00
Highway
7,300.00
Sidewalks
7,000.00
Light Department
101,000.00
Chap. 90 (1956 - 7 - 8 - 9)
83,000.00
TOTAL UNEXPENDED BALANCES
$361,200.00
For complete list of unexpended balances see the Town Accountant's Report in the Annual Town Report.
The Finance Commission and the other governing groups of the Town are to be complimented on the presentation of the budget in terms of capital finance policies. With interest and principal payments, including the MDC water charges, amounting to almost 10% of the total expenditures, a pay-as-you-go policy on capital items wherever feasible is prudent. The present debt of 6.7% of the total real estate valuation may rise to 9% by the next Annual Town Meeting, a level which calls for caution by all if the Town's credit and future capital progress is to be maintained.
Town Meeting
Article
Department
Amount
Explanation
5B1c
Police
$ 3,400.00
Replace two cruisers
5B2c Fire
3,800.00
Replace Chief's car - $2,300
5C2c
Sewer Constr.
56,765.00
See Fin. Com. Report - p. 28
5C3b
Drain Constr.
12,000.00
See Fin. Com. Report - p. 28
5E4
Sidewalks
20,000.00
Continuing Program
5G8 School 2,000.00 Non-Capital Items
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TOWN OF NORWOOD
5H1c Electric Light Depreciation
79,168.36
line - $50,000, Central St. Ducts and manhole - $12,000 Billing Machine $8,000
5H1c
Electric Light
New Construction
45,831.64
Undesignated $55,000
5H2b
Water Constr.
30,700.00
See Fin. Com. Report - p. 27
5J2c
Playgrounds
26,130.00
Hawes Brook Pool Bathhouse $13,000.00 Fr. McAleer Pool $5,200.00
5Q
Airport
950.00
11
Chapter 90 Constr.
34,000.00
Land Appraisal & Engineering Sumner Street
1960 Annnal Town
Meeting Total
$365,000.00
Special Fire Station
84,000.00 On fifth total cost in 1960
Special
Elem. School
60,000.00 Plans
Special
Sprinklers
80,000.00
Special Town Meeting Total
$224,000.00
* Balance of these appropriations are for items not included in the definition of capital items mentioned in this report.
Committee Members,
GRAFTON J. CORBETT, JR. ANDREW M. MONAHAN
WILLIAM J. L. LYNCH JOHN P. MOGAN
C. LOTHROP RICH
A. FRANKLIN SWIFT
HAROLD T. YOUNG JOSEPH P. McDONOUGH, Secretary FREDERICK A. McDONOUGH, Chairman
VOTED: To accept the following report:
REPORT: Your Committee of five to study the need for the construc- tion of a fire station has reviewed its report and recommends that the details of its report be considered under appropriate articles which are being inserted in the warrant of the Special Town Meeting to be held April 21,1960.
Respectfully submitted, HERBERT A. WIGGIN, Chairman
ARTICLE 3. To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Collector of Taxes to use the same means as a Town Treasurer may use when acting as Collector.
Total - $125,000 - 15,000 Volt
41
REPORT OF TOWN CLERK
VOTED: That the Town Treasurer and Collector of Taxes, as Col- lector of Taxes be and hereby is authorized to use all means of collecting taxes which a town Treasurer may use, according to law, when acting as Collector of Taxes.
ARTICLE 4. To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Town Treasurer, with the approval of the Selectmen to borrow money from time to time in anticipation of the revenue of the financial year beginning January 1, 1961 and to issne a note or notes therefor, payable within one year, and to renew any note or notes as may be given for a period of less than one year in accordance with Section 17, Chapter 44, General Laws.
VOTED: To so authorize the Town Treasurer.
VOTED: When no less than 30 Town Meeting Members shall demand it; A call of the yeas and nays shall be ordered on any motion pending before the Town Meeting.
When the yeas and nays are taken, the roll shall be called in alphabetical order by the Town Clerk and no member shall be allowed to vote who was not on the floor before the vote is declared.
ARTICLE 5. To see what sms of money the Town will vote to raise, borrow, or transfer from available funds in the treasury, and appropriate for the current fiscal year for the following purposes, or take any other action in the matter.
A. General Government
1. Selectmen, (a) Salaries, (b) Incidentals
VOTED: That the Selectmen receive no salaries. (b) By taxation, the sum of $750.00 for the Clerk of the Selectmen and the further sum of $200.00 to be raised by taxation for incidental expense of the Selectmen,
2. General Manager (a) Salaries, (b) Incidentals, (c) New Equipment.
VOTED: The sum of $13,415.22 of which amount $6,715.22 shall be raised by taxation, and the sum of $4,100.00 shall be taken from the receipts of the Electric Light Department, and the sum of $2,600.00 shall be taken from the receipts of the Water Department and be it further voted the sum of $18,244.24 be appropriated for office personnel of the General Manager's office of which amount the sum of $14,744.24 shall be raised by taxation. (b) The sum of $2,450.00 be raised by taxation. (c) The sum of $250.00 be raised by taxation.
3. Town Clerk and Accountant (a) Salaries, (b) Incidentals, (c) New Equipment.
VOTED: For salary of the Town Clerk and Accountant the sum of $8,312.85, of which $5,112.85 shall be raised by taxation, and the sum of $2,100.00 shall be taken from the receipts of the Electric Light Department and the sum of $1,100.00 from the receipts of the Water Department and further voted the sum of $33,679.44 be appropriated for the salaries of the Town Clerk and Accountant's to office personnel. (b) the sum of $7,425.00 be raised by taxation.
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TOWN OF NORWOOD
4. Town Treasurer and Collector of Taxes (a) Salary, (b) Incidentals, including preminm of suretyship bond, (c) New Equipment (d) To meet the expense of the foreclosure of tax titles held by the town.
VOTED: The sum of $7,767.63 for salary of Town Treasurer and Collector of Taxes and the sum of $25,973.64 for salaries of the Town Treasurer and Collector's office personnel, of which the sum of $25,708.81 shall be raised by taxation and the sum of $5,600.00 shall be taken from the receipts of the Electric Light Department, and the sum of $2,700.00 shall be taken from the receipts of the Water Department. (b) The sum of $6,275.00 be raised by taxation. (c) The sum of $600.00 be raised by taxation. (d) The sum of $350.00 be raised by taxation.
5. Assessors, (a) Salaries, (b) Incidentals, (c) New Equipment.
VOTED: By taxation, $19,948.79. (b) By taxation, $3,475.00 shall be raised.
6. Engineering, (a) Salaries, (b) Incidentals, (c) New Equipment.
VOTED: By taxation, $52,068.35. (b) By taxation, $1,500.00. (c) By taxation, $1,500.00.
7. Law, (a) Salaries, (b) Incidentals, including Books for Law Library, (b) Expense of defense of Assessors under Chapter 58A General Laws.
VOTED: By taxation, $5,500.00 for salary of the Town Counsel. (b) By taxation, $1,855.00. (c) By taxation, $500.00.
S. Election and Registration, (a) Salaries, (b) Incidentals.
VOTED: (a) By taxation, $4,096.52. (b) By taxation, $17,305.00.
9. Finance Commission, (a) Incidentals.
VOTED: By taxation, $2,795.00.
10. Planning Board, (a) Salaries, (b) Incidentals.
VOTED: By taxation, $950.00. (b) By taxation, $5,850.00.
11. Board of Appeal, (a) Incidentals.
VOTED: By taxation, $285.00.
12. Memorial Municipal Building, (a) Maintenance and Repair, (b) Salaries, (c) Incidentals.
VOTED: For maintenance and repair the sum of $5,500.00. (b) For salaries, the sum of $10,560.75. (c) For incidentals, the sum of $9,050.00. For the above appropriations, the sum of $22,610.75 shall be raised by taxa- tion and the sum of $2,000.00 transferred from the receipts of the Electric Light Department and the sum of $500.00 transferred from the receipts of the Water Department.
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