USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > Attleboro > Reports of town officers of the town of Attleborough 1931 > Part 9
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The Ten Mile River cleaning was carried as far as we were permitted under the law. It ha been reported definitely before and should be constantly born in mind that the activities of this department as they apply to this stream must be strictly limited within the law of the Commonwealth and it must be further remembered that to the abutting property-owners belongs a grave responsibility for the stream conditions which cannot be given away, all reports to the contrary notwithstanding.
HIGHWAY AUTO MAINTENANCE AND EQUIPMENT, MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR
Here I feel that in presenting the problems of the department it might be of interest to establish as of December 31, 1931, a list of the trucks and cars owned by the department and operated by the highway division. The list is shown on the accompanying statistics.
Of course it goes without saying that the $654.33 which is recorded as being chargeable against the maintenance of this fleet cannot be considered as the total amount expended on this basis. The difference between this amount and the regular charges distributed elsewhere has been picked up in the main through charges assimilated for transportation on our major construction projects such as Pine Street, Emory Street, Commonwealth Avenue and our smaller con struction jobs such as Elmwood Avenue, Curtis Avenue, Major Street, Bushee Street, etc., and also on some sewer and drain projects which had the advantage of service from these units.
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What a marvelous tribute the history of our two oldest Mack trucks, pur- chased in 1921 and in constant service eve: since, is to the manufacturer and those firms which supplied the materials used by him and also to the personnel engaged in working the units constantly over this long span of years, winter and summer, night or day, as the occasion demanded.
I know of no private business which has to contend constantly with the un- usual conditions ever present in the duties which our work in the highway divi- sion presses upon all of our motor units. Positive and unfailing replacement without question would be good business and our projected expansion with motor replacement, based particularly on the need for properly housing and repairing same, should begin without delay.
The same principles outlined above should be applicable to our other equip- ment.
CRUSHERS
Tons upon tons of stone were crushed at the North Avenue plant, the gross amount being built up by the handling of material from stone walls on Common- wealth Avenue and North Main Street, in addition to our normal sources of supply. Also the culled cobbles from our other special work helped swell the total. This gave us some advantage in the number and cost of our units in places where it could be applied.
At South Attleboro no opportunity was lost to strengthen and support the work which for this year was mainly taken care of at the North Avenue plant.
A total of 190 1-2 welfare man hours were utilized in the latter part of the year on the stone account.
This account carried a labor expenditure amounting to $250.18 and material charges totaling $370.69, the material purchased being such as was necessary to the successful operating of our plants.
At the North Avenue cr isher the bins, more than twelve years old, had to be practically rebuilt and the elevator and belting renewed, the cost of replace- ment, repair and maintenance at North Avenue being $550.73 while at South Avenue only $70.14 was spent, as not only the annual tonnage, but the relative life of the parts, except for the large second-hand bins, is less than that of North Avenue.
ROAD ROLLERS
Under our current maintenance account for road rollers, inspections and minor repairs were taken care of in the fore part of the year, having to do in part with the old maintenance steam roller and the quarters therefor. The large item for the year was made necessary by the assuming in this account of a proportionate part of a charge for a broken axle, the allotted payment for material in this case amounting to $137.31, with an additional welding work charge of $36.00 which was done in connection with this major job.
On our gasoline roller, small repairs, such as placing a scarifier lifting arm, new fan belt and a few other minor parts were taken care of.
For the work performed, by the machines we have, the charges have been kept more than reasonably small. To aid materially in placing our down-town street intersections I am firmly convinced we should have a fairly heavy make, quick action, tandem roller in addition to the two three-wheel units now in service.
VACATIONS
Our vacations as listed under the highway division, bearing in mind the law controlling some and the extensive range of our work under present conditions,
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have been taken care of. Co-operation from the personnel in lapsing by agree- ment from the latter part of one year into the early part of another has been worked out for the benefit of the city.
INSURANCE
Our insurance policies, including not only fire, but compensation and con- tractors' liability, teams, etc., have had to be taken care of as ordered and in the amounts as rendered, the department having nothing to do with the rates estab- lished. For the information of those interested wish to advise it is our under- standing that fire and theft on our fleet or motor cars is taken care of by a policy controlling same operated through the mayor's office for the city's protection.
SIGNS, CLOCK AND NUMBERS
The usual charges make up the item of $194.49 spent under the Signs, Clock and Mumbers sub-division, the bulk of this amount being for the mainten- ance and upkeep of the city clock. Such expenditure as was essential had to be utilized in numbering houses in accordance with the control thereof, thus per- mitting only a small balance available for street signs. A study was made in the latter part of the year of street signs and samples obtained of different types with the idea that this account would receive some support in the coming year from the city government in building up and improving our street signs within the city limits. While this has been urged by the department times without number, progress in a sizeable fashion is impeded by lack of standardization and appropriation.
Destructive tactics by some of our junior citizens, wreaking vengence for unknown wrongs, on improved street signs should be stopped. I feel sure nothing will accomplish this result except serious police action as we in the depart- ment, in co-operation with the police, have on more than one occasion, made serious efforts to overcome, without court record, this tendency in some of our youngsters.
INCIDENTALS
Only a few minor charges amounting to $24.73 are listed under Incidentals in our highway accounts as our distribution was maintained to a very high degree.
SNOW AND ICE
Our Snow and Ice account is now included in the budget under highway maintenance and operation. For 1931 the amount expended was $3,706.41. Within this figure our highways and sidewalks were plowed. The truck mileage was increased so that complaints from our accepted streets relative to the highway plowing were indeed rare. Our sidewalk mileage while increased slightly has included such service as it is possible to give, bearing in mind on the one hand the restrictions placed upon us and on the other hand, the need for permitting our people and particularly our children the benefits they can obtain from sincere efforts wrought under such difficulties as one finds in this latitude during the snow season. To please our public in this respect and under the adverse conditions is not an easy task but when the mileage and work are considered and funds available and expended are balanced against them, I believe the results obtained are worthy of the efforts.
Besides the regulation snow work, sanding is taken care of and overhead charges for the functioning of this portion of our work are also included in the expenditure recorded, also repairs, painting, etc., for our gear.
Our trained personnel responded to the emergency calls and took care of such work as required experience and training and resistance to the heart-breaking
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attacks which only the rugged blizzards of a New England winter with their wide range of temperature and weather can deal.
If our public would pause for a moment and look back over periods of five, ten, fifteen and twenty-five years and investigate their expenditures and snow fall and other pertinent facts having to do with the snow problem and balance the facts obtained against the crying demand of snow removal of the present age and at the same time remember the tax bill, I am quite sure those of us who have matured through New England winters could appreciate fully the improvement now present in our own community.
SIDEWALKS AND CURBING
The initial sub-division of Sidewalks and Curbing for the first time this year had allotted in our budget under highway maintenance and operation a sum of $13,000.00.
The sidewalk work was advertised for contract and the very low price of $1.58 per square yard for the granolithic sidewalks in place and $1.80 for drive- ways, earned the award, being submitted by Robert MacDonald & Son of Paw- tucket, R. I. This work as laid out proceeded with dispatch and the low price was generall recognized by our public as an excellent chance for an investment in cement sidewalks.
The result was that more than the usual number of petitions were received and the city government saw fit to honor a great many of these, providing $6,000.00 additional for this work and for the granite curbing. This 7" x 18" standard granite curb was placed with gutters by our own forces. A list of the streets upon which sidewalks were placed under this account is included in this report, as well as the list indicating the curbing work.
Legal arrangements were made to include in this list of expenditures the final payment due the contractor on the date as outlined in the contract on our records covering granolithic sidewalks. In the latter half of the year owing to the calendar bookkeeping there were some charges, particularly those finally decided upon after an audit which should be taken care of rather than interfered with by amending our system of bookkeeping. A total of 304 1-2 man hours of welfare labor were utilized on the city's portion of labor under this account.
A summary of this work has been outlined according to measurements in a prior part of this report. The assessable value of work ordered under the Better- ment Act, chargeable against this account for this year amounts to $3,905.97 for curbing and $3,743.22 for ganolithic sidewalks.
It should be recorded herewith that, acting on petitions from the interested parties filed within thirty days of the assessment, the city government may distribute a betterment tax.
The immediate value and the tendency toward permanency of granolithic walks and granite curbing is generally recognized, even to the extent that one piece of work is often the salesman for many that follow.
NEW EQUIPMENT
This year the department recommended for New Equipment an amount of $6,000.00, with full knowledge of the conditions which we faced. The item was finally reduced in our budget, however, to a figure of $500.00. It may be readily understood therefore that our recommendations and the purposes for which they were intended were not acceptable and such being the case, strenuous effort was made to avoid any new equipment expenditure whatsoever, it being our hope that this policy would permit of a saving which, as of itself, and with the funds we might hope for in the coming year, would provide the essential new equipment which we desired.
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For this reason our largest item under New Equipment covers the purchase of a new, small, snow-plow unit complete for our BG Mack. This unit, being both fast and powerful, has been able to give material benefit in increasing our speed in breaking out some of our outside roads.
Miscellaneous and essential hand tools in small amounts which were positive- ly necessary account for the balance of the expenditures hereunder.
NORTH MAIN STREET AND COMMONWEALTH AVENUE WIDENING
As the year began, drainage in the vicinity of Sheffield's property was being carried on in detail and completed, and other winter work, as was outlined in the 1930 report, i. e., grubbing, rock excavation ahead of the drainage, removing stone walls for crushing, removing trees and stumps, placing a head wall at the Sheffield drain outlet and building catch basins, was continued.
Early in the year the report came through to the mayor's office concerning an allotment under Chapter 90 as requested from the Commonwealth and the County. As the season progressed and the opportunity presented itself that portion of the work on North Main Street which this department could do with hand labor was completed. Engineers from the state department of public works came in and checked up the record, making very slight changes in the alignment and grade and laying out the project to a point slightly northerly from the Commonwealth Avenue intersection. I have not been able to find out why they did not plan to construct to the North Attleboro boundary line. Inquiry from Mr. Coffin brought the reply that he was acting under orders. Inquiry from the district engineer failed to bring a definite answer, while inquiry from Mr. Dean, the chief engineer, brought the reply that if funds were available after the portion of the work as laid out was well under way toward completion it could be reasonably expected that an extension would be granted permitting the work to go to the North Attleboro boundary line.
Preliminary work having been taken care of and efforts having been made at adjustments along the right-of-way, a contract was advertised by the state at the city's expense with a closing date set for August 8, 1931. Eighteen bids were received by the state I was informed, submitting figures, which, after being opened, were studied by the mayor in conjunction with the state board. The low bidder was Perini and Ampollini submitting figures as listed in the acccom- panying statistical data.
The contract, after being recommended and approved by the state board, was filed and construction work was started on August 24, 1931 and was carried through in a reasonably expeditious manner and in such a way as to give the public minimum inconvenience, bearing in mind the importance of this main artery northerly. In conjunction therewith and because of this construction, water services were lowered or renewed where required. Where necessary hydrants were reset or replaced as the occasion demanded. In this way, under our main line maintenance account, five hydrants were reset due to the new layout, while our construction account carried a hydrant replacement at the corner of North Main Street and Commonwealth Avenue, a new five-inch valve opening, three-way Corey hydrant replacing an old 4" Ludlow hydrant.
Circle curbing was set to cover the intersection of Hazelwood Avenue and North Main Street. Where necessary mail boxes were replaced and a multitude of other incidental details were taken care of as required. The final closing and the record of this account on North Main Street will be reported on in 1932 after the final payment on the contract and deferred charges are taken care of.
The gross amount expended on North Main Street for the current year by this department up until December 31, 1931 was $33,477.36. The amount expended under the jurisdiction of the Commonwealth on estimates for the contractor was $26,480.34, while the total expended under the bonded account as of December 31, 1931, amounted to $37,065.27. There was received up until December 31, 1931, according to the treasurer's record, from the state the sum of $8,275.10, and from the county a sum of $8,275.11 was reported.
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At a meeting of the Municipal Council, as I understand it, a vote was passed appropriating the sum of $1,500.00 for the payment of a claim of the John Dag- get-FrancisA. Crandall Home for Aged Women with the understanding that a properly signed deed was to be secured when the payment was made. This vote was approved by the Mayor on May 25th, 1931, after being passed on May 19th, 1931, and I believe was carried out in full, the legal end being taken care of by our city solicitor. This payment of damages was voted in view of the fact that there was a change in alignment in front of the property due to the re- location.
On Commonwealth Avenue, winter work as outlined above for North Main Street was continued, with stone wall removals and rock excavation being combined effectively to aid our crushed stone pile. Just easterly from Richardson's a fill in layers was started to cover the extended culvert pipe, working toward finished subgrade, and besides usual compression it was open to traffic as it was being constructed, thus permitting on a sizeable fill, better com- pression.
It may be clearly seen from the following vote that the city government approved the construction of an eight-inch water line in Commonwealth Avenue for a distance approximately up to the boundary line. At a meeting of the municipal council held on August 4th, 1931, the following vote was passed :-
"Voted that the sum of $6,500 be appropriated to cover the cost of main line water extension on Commonwealth Avenue from North Main Street to the city line."
It may also be clearly seen that the order directing the construction of North Main Street and Commonwealth Avenue and providing the funds for same omitted the mention of this water line, so that properly this work, which usually would be done ahead of the road construction on Commonwealth Avenue, could not proceed until funds were provided for the water line extension. The vote quoted above and passed by the Municipal Council on August 4th, 1931, allowed the construction of this water line on Commonwealth Avenue. Work commenced immediately after material was ordered and placed. A contract was awarded, after being advertised, to strip the loam on the taking owned by Mr. Richardson as agreed, said contract including a stripping of material which it would be necessary to remove from the proposed position of the water line to be constructed, thus reducing materially the price chargeable against the water main construction which is carried under our main line water account.
The drainage as laid out and plans ed then proceeded easterly from the large culvert between the Richardsons' houses, including necessary manholes and catch basins and carrying a stone fill where essential, for sub-drainage. Also the drainage system westerly from the box-culvert beyond Richardson's was worked in conjunction and co-ordination with the water line trenching. A stone drainage back-fill, graded and approved, was included in this construction, the catch basins and manholes required were built, whereupon, local labor having performed their part of the work available, a contract involving the road grading and sur- facing was advertised on September 23, 1931, and awarded to the low bidder, T. J. Quinn and Son of Ashton, R. I., at the unit prices as listed in the accom- panying statistics.
The season had advanced considerably but a milder fall than we had locally has not been present for years. As a result, our Commonwealth Avenue road contract, once having been started, proceeded apace and was finished for all practical purposes before snow arrived. The final contract payment, of course, under the withholding clause customary in the standard forms of the Common- wealth, will be taken care of when due in the coming year. The closure on this contract, in addition to other work necessary to cover agreements with Mr. Richardson, will also be reported on later, mention being made here to avoid misunderstanding. There will also be the usual deferred charges which have to be taken up covering the work performed by our municipal payroll and equipment.
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Standard "Curve" and "Slow" signs were set in the interests of traffic pro- tection as needed. The local gas company had proceeded up the westerly side of North Main Street to Commonwealth Avenue toward the end of the Perini and Ampollini contract but was kept out of Commonwealth Avenue due to the lateness of the season and the interference with our work. This was done after consultation with local authorities and arrangements were made to take care of the matter early in the coming spring.
All of the department work on these projects has received from the people living in the locality co-operation such as would aid greatly the progress of the work once it was started.
The initial purpose of giving as many of our local men as possible employ- ment was seriously studied, based on the plan that the labor, once employed, should be a profitable investment with funds available on work done on order. In about the middle of the year, when large numbers of welfare laborers were assigned to us, their advantageous placing forced the use of 2,121 man hours on the easterly and westerly and also cross-drains on the Commonwealth Avenue project, while on the work performed by this department on North Main Street, only seventy-eight man hours from the welfare source were worked. This is direct evidence that our work on North Main Street was done in the first half of the year, while that on Commonwealth Avenue took place later, completing the planned schemes, bearing in mind the orders of the city government which were passed during the latterly progress of the Perini and Ampollini contract.
His Honor the Mayor, Stephen H. Foley, made a special visit to the public works commission office of the state, accompanied by the writer, and was informed by Mr. Lyman, the commissioner, that the work on North Main Street would be continued to the North Attleboro boundary line. Up until the time of this writing there is no indication in the field that this is to be a fact.
I am informed that no damages of record were awarded on North Main Street, also no damages were awarded on Commonwealth Avenue and that special terms and agreements were made with Mr. Richardson where the land takings took place.
The City Solicitor on request informs me that the following persons have entered suits for damages resulting from this work:
1. Walter E. and Catherine L. Riley
2. John J. Maher
3. Alfred M. Richards
It should be remembered that an order was passed on June 16th by the Municipal Council authorizing the payment of the sum of fifty dollars for a lot bought by the city for drainage purposes at Dean Road.
It should also be borne in mind that the sum of four hundred and eighty dollars was paid to the North Purchase Cemetery Association for the privilege of using their drainage system already constructed to relieve the locality of North Main Street and Commonwealth Avenue.
At Doctor Holden's, Harry Carpenter's and William Flynn's properties on North Main Street, amicable arrangements were made for performing work within the Perini and Ampollini contract to take care of damage resulting from the widening. Some of the other abuttors had jobs of lesser size taken care of. The complete financial report of this work can hardly be expected to come from this office as a great deal of the funds expended therefrom have been outside the control of this department.
It is only fair to record here that a large part of the three hundred and sixty cords of wood which this department delivered to the public welfare depart nent came from this job. I am informed by the almoner this wood can be fairly estimated as worth about nine dollars per cord.
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LEROY STREET IMPROVEMENT
The Leroy Street Improvement was outlined in the 1930 report when the work was well started. At the beginning of 1931 work in progress on this im- provement was continued through the winter months, except for the road sur- facing and some of the sidewalk work and grading, which went into the summer, the warm weather being necessary to complete this work.
An appropriation of $5,000.00 voted January 20, 1931, on recommendation from this department and supported by the mayor, was carried in the annual budget and became part of it; thus a number of men, including tradesmen, were kept from becoming part of the needy unemployed during this cold quarter of the year.
The work under this appropriation in this locality is entirely south of the Bungay River. The work northerly from the river under drains maintenance, grading and resurfacing, etc., was carried on at about the same time, utilizing the existing organization. Starting at the northerly corner of Leroy and Bank Streets with a combination catch basin our large drain pipe line went into a man- hole in Leroy Street at the intersection of Leroy and Bank Streets, thence easterly on Leroy Street to a point just beyond the planned limits of this improvement, ending in a manhole with a stub ahead for future construction and having two other basins to connect to the last manhole and one on the southerly corner of Leroy and Bank Streets constructed to take care of the improvement as proposed. This drainage added two manholes, three catch basins and gave us 274.0 linear feet of 18" drain with 58.2 linear feet of 10" connections. The material being sandy and also rather heavy at the bottom, the work turned out, with the weather combination which we had, to be ideal, considering the season of the year. Ex- cellent progress and low unit costs resulting therefrom gave a worthy benefit to the city.
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