USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Lincoln > Town Report on Lincoln 1951-1955 > Part 34
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55
By Petition.
Article 17. To see if the Town will vote to change the name of the street extending from Lexington Road to North Great Road, from Mill Street to Old Mill Road.
By Petition.
Articl 18. To see if the Town will vote to acquire by purchase, gift, eminent domain or any other way, a parcel of land located on Bedford Road, south west of the intersection of route 2 and Bedford Road, containing 22,000 square feet more or less, raise and appropriate a sum of money therefor or take any action relative there- to.
Selectmen
Article 19. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $5,000 to be used by a Committee appointed by the Moderator to study further the build- ing needs of the Lincoln Schools, or take any other action relative thereto.
School Committee
173
WARRANT FOR 1954
Article 20. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of Fifteen Thousand Dollars ($15,- 000), or any other sum, for the use of the Regional Dis- trict School Committee in the event that a Regional School District is established with the Town of Sudbury by vote of the Town of Sudbury and by vote of this Town on the related question in Article I of this Warrant; such sum to be made available to said Regional District School Committee, if and when created, only after a budget of such Committee has been approved by the Finance Committee and Selectmen of this Town and the Town of Sudbury, in accordance with provisions of a proposed agreement filed with the Selectmen, or take any other action relative thereto.
School Committee
Article 21. To see if the Town will vote to repeal the present Town By-Laws except the Zoning By-Law and the Building Code By-Law and adopt new "General By- Laws of the Town of Lincoln" as follows:
"GENERAL BY-LAWS OF THE TOWN OF LINCOLN" AS REVISED AND ADOPTED MARCH 1, 1954
ARTICLE I
TOWN MEETINGS
SECTION 1.
The Annual Town Meeting shall be held on the first Monday after the fifteenth day of March in each year at 7:30 P.M., for the transaction of all business except that the election of such officers and the deter- mination of such matters as by law are required to be elected or determined by ballot shall take place on the following Saturday, when the polls shall be open from 12 M. until 7 P.M. or to such later time up to 8 P.M. as the Town may by vote determine.
174
WARRANT FOR 1954
SECTION 2.
Every Town Meeting shall be called in pursuance of a warrant under the hands of the Selectmen or a ma- jority of them stating the time and place of holding the same and the subjects to be acted upon, notice of which shall be given at least seven days before such meeting by a constable or other person to whom it is directed, who shall attest and post copies thereof in or on three or more buildings belonging to the Town or any three public places in the Town and make his return of service there- of to the Selectmen.
SECTION 3.
In connection with the call of any special meeting, the Selectmen shall send by mail or otherwise to each house- hold within the Town, at least seven days before the time appointed for such meeting, a notice of the time and place for the holding thereof and a general state- ment as to the subjects to be considered thereat but no failure to receive such notice shall invalidate any action taken at a meeting held pursuant to the call prescribed by section 2 of this article.
SECTION 4.
Admission to the place of meeting or to a defined por- tion set aside for the holding thereof shall be open only to voters whose names appear on the check list which shall be used in the enforcement of this section. The Moderator shall enforce this section throughout each meeting.
SECTION 5.
All votes shall be taken in the first instance by voice vote unless otherwise provided by law. If the Moderator is in doubt as to the result of such voice vote, or if seven or more registered voters immediately question the an- nounced result thereof, the Moderator shall call for an- other vote to be taken, as he may decide, by standing vote, or by a division of the meeting, by the use of the check list or by ballot.
175
WARRANT FOR 1954
SECTION 6.
When a question is before the Meeting, the following motions, to wit:
To fix the time to which to adjourn,
To lay on the table,
For the previous question, by 2/3 vote,
To postpone to a time certain,
To commit, recommit or refer,
To amend,
To postpone indefinitely,
shall be received and shall have precedence in the fore- going order; and the first three shall be decided without debate.
SECTION 7.
On proposed amendments involving sums of money, the larger or largest amount shall be put to the question first, and an affirmative vote thereon shall be a negative vote on any smaller amount.
SECTION 8.
When a report of a committee is placed in the hands of the Moderator, it shall be deemed to be properly before the meeting for its action thereon, and a vote to accept the same shall discharge the committee; for the adoption of the recommendations of the committee, however, a specific vote shall be required.
ARTICLE II 1 FINANCES
SECTION 1.
The Town Treasurer shall have the custody of all funds belonging to the Town, including trust funds, ex- cept funds for which other provision is made by law. He shall pay no money from the treasury except upon a warrant signed by a majority of the Selectmen, stating the account to which the same is chargeable. Such war- rant shall be sufficient authority to the Treasurer to pay
176
WARRANT FOR 1954
the same, and the payment thereof shall discharge him from all liability on account of the money so paid.
SECTION 2.
The Water Commissioners and all other boards, com- mittees and officers shall pay to the Town Treasurer on the first of each month, or at such earlier date or shorter interval as the By-Laws provide or as the Selectmen or the Treasurer may order, all sums collected by them to the custody of which the Treasurer is entitled.
SECTION 3.
All accounts, claims, bills, orders and payrolls growing out of an appropriation authorizing such commitment and expenditure by the Water Commissioners, by the School Committee, or by any committee, board, officer or other person, shall upon examination thereof and ap- proval in writing by a majority of such commissioners, committee or board or by the officer or person having charge of its expenditure, be transmitted to the Select- men for their examination and approval.
SECTION 4.
All items approved and transmitted to the Selectmen pursuant to the foregoing section 3, of this article, and all other accounts, claims, bills, orders and payrolls shall be examined by the Selectmen, and, if within the ap- propriation therefor and otherwise proper, shall be listed with the dates, amounts, payees and funds or appropria- tions from which the same are payable and be transferred to the Treasurer for payment as directed by their war- rants therefor.
SECTION 5.
No money except State and County taxes and principal and interest of Town notes or bonds shall be paid from the Town treasury except upon a warrant therefor signed by a majority of the Selectmen.
177
WARRANT FOR 1954
SECTION 6.
The Treasurer shall file and safely keep all receipts, vouchers and cancelled obligations of the Town and shall have the custody of all deeds, contracts, insurance policies and other similar documents owned or held by the Town, and, except for fidelity bonds covering Town officers and employees, which shall be filed with the Selectmen, shall have custody of all bonds which run to the Town or any of its commissioners, committees or officers.
SECTION 7.
The Selectmen shall keep an appropriate record of the several appropriations voted by the Town, of the war- rants for payments issued by them under each, and of the warrants paid; a similar record of appropriations and approved warrants paid under each shall be kept by the Treasurer. The Selectmen shall not issue any war- rant for payment nor shall the Treasurer make any pay- ment which overdraws any appropriation except in such cases as the expenditure is permitted or required by law. The Selectmen and Treasurer respectively shall keep a record of all bonds, notes, script or other evidences of indebtedness signed or countersigned by them.
SECTION 8.
When the bills contracted or approved by any board, committee or officer, pursuant to a given appropriation, have exhausted the entire appropriation therefor, such board, committee or officer, shall incur no further ex- penditure thereunder except in such cases where such expenditure may be required or permitted by law; and it shall be the duty of each board, committee or officer before the close of the financial year to approve all ac- counts, claims, bills and payrolls chargeable to their ap- propriation.
SECTION 9.
There shall be a Finance Committee composed of five voters of the Town who shall serve without pay and shall not, while serving on said committee, hold any other
178
WARRANT FOR 1954
Town office, either elective or appointive. The Moderator shall, within thirty days after the adjournment of every Annual Town Meeting, appoint for a term of three years either two persons or one person as may be necessary to provide a committee of five members. The members of the Committee shall hold office until their successors are appointed and qualified, and any vacancy shall be filled by the remaining members of the Committee and the Moderator. The Committee shall choose a chairman and a secretary and shall prior to the Annual Town Meeting confer with the Selectmen and report on the annual budget, and may hold public hearings. The Committee shall consider all questions that require the expenditures of money and, to the extent they deem desirable, shall consult with all boards, committees or officers on their respective annual or special requests for appropriations. The Committee shall make reports and recommendations in the Annual Town Report or by special report on any question brought before the Town at a Town Meeting other than the Annual Town Meeting.
SECTION 10.
As soon as may be but in any event within the week following the dissolution or adjournment without day of any Town Meeting, the Town Clerk shall transmit to the Selectmen, to the Town Treasurer, to the Auditor and to the Assessors respectively, a certified copy of all votes appropriating money or authorizing the expenditure of money or otherwise affecting the finances of the Town, and within the same period the Town Clerk shall trans- mit to all other Town officers or committees a certified copy of any vote of the Town affecting their respective powers or duties.
SECTION 11.
There shall be an annual audit of the Town's accounts. under the supervision of the Director of Accounts of the Department of Corporations and Taxation in accordance with the provisions of Section 35, Chapter 44, General Laws.
179
WARRANT FOR 1954
ARTICLE III TOWN SEAL
SECTION 1.
The design of the Town seal shall be: a circle, in the border the words "Lincoln. Incorporated in 1746 as a precinct ; in 1754 as a Town"; in the center, a shield, in the chief or upper part of which on a cross, gules, a fleur-de-lis, gold, from the old seal of Lincoln, England, and in the base of the shield a view of the present Town Hall; crest, the old chestnut tree standing upon the com- mon in Lincoln; in saltire two shepherd's crooks; the device thereof being as follows:
IN.1754-A
748-18
SECTION 2.
All deeds and other legal documents made, given or entered into by the Town requiring a seal shall be sealed with the Town Seal, and signed in behalf of the Town by a majority of the Selectmen.
SECTION 3.
The Town Clerk shall have the custody of the Town Seal.
ARTICLE IV POWERS AND DUTIES OF OFFICERS
SECTION 1.
The Selectmen shall have general direction and man- agement of the property and affairs of the Town in all matters not otherwise provided by the law of the Com- monwealth or by the By-Laws of the Town.
180
WARRANT FOR 1954
SECTION 2.
The Selectmen may compromise claims and suits to which the Town is a party, provided that they shall act upon the advice of counsel when the amount claimed by or against the Town exceeds $200.00.
SECTION 3.
The Selectmen shall have, unless it is otherwise voted by the Town, full authority as agents of the Town to institute and prosecute suits or other proceedings in the name of the Town before any tribunal, to appear and represent or defend the Town before any tribunal in all suits and other proceedings against the Town or in which the Town has an interest, to employ counsel for the pur- pose aforesaid, and for other purposes when it may be expedient to do so, and to take all necessary and proper measures for the protection of the interests and rights of the Town.
SECTION 4.
If the Town shall, at any meeting called for the pur- pose, choose a committee on claims, such committee shall have and exercise exclusively all the powers and duties conferred upon the Selectmen by the two preceding sec- tions.
SECTION 5.
The Town Clerk shall keep a file of all Town reports, reports of all committees chosen by the Town, and all original documents relating to the affairs of the Town which may come into his possession. It shall be the duty of the Town Clerk to see that all conveyances of real estate to the Town are properly recorded in the Registry of Deeds.
SECTION 6.
No officer or board of the Town shall make any contract on behalf of the Town in which such officer or any mem- ber of such board is directly or indirectly financially in- terested, except competitive contracts.
181
WARRANT FOR 1954
SECTION 7.
The Commissioners of Trust Funds shall act as the Grammar School Fund Trustees.
SECTION 8.
No Town officer, board, department or committee hav- ing the matter in charge shall (1) execute any contract involving an estimated expenditure of $1,000 or more for labor, equipment, materials or supplies, or any com- bination of same, or (2) otherwise purchase from a single supplier at one time any property having an esti- mated aggregate value of $1,000 or more, without either inviting proposals therefor from two or more reliable parties regularly engaged in performing similar contracts and supplying similar requirements; or as an alternative to the foregoing procedure inviting proposals by public advertisement published in Middlesex or Suffolk County inviting bids therefor, reserving the right to reject any and all proposals. If the first method is used but no pro- posals are received, the second method shall be used. No contract nor bid shall be split, separated or divided, for the purpose of avoiding this By-Law, by reducing the amount below $1,000. This section shall not apply to purchase of materials in connection with work to be per- formed under Chapters 81 or 90 under specifications of, and at prices established by, the State Department of Public Works.
ARTICLE V RECORDS
SECTION 1.
Books, records and laws received by the Town from the Commonwealth shall be deposited in the Public Li- brary.
SECTION 2.
It shall be the duty of the Town officer by whom any book mentioned in the preceding section is received to
182
WARRANT FOR 1954
cause the same to be at once deposited in the Public Library.
SECTION 3.
Such books may be used by the inhabitants of the Town within the Library and may be taken therefrom upon written receipt to the Librarian for a period not exceeding four days at any one time for use in any Town meeting, or by or before any committee or official of the Town.
ARTICLE VI
REPORTS AND PUBLICATIONS BY THE TOWN
SECTION 1.
The annual reports of the Town officers, boards and committees shall be prepared and submitted to the Select- men in form suitable for printing on or before the first day of February in each year.
SECTION 2.
The Selectmen shall cause to be printed an annual Town report which shall contain, in addition to the re- ports of officers, boards and committees, a detailed re- port for the next preceding financial year of all moneys received into and paid out of the Town treasury during such year, showing separately payments made from loans as capital outlays for permanent improvements; the re- port of the Collector of Taxes of receipts, payments and abatements; statements of all funds belonging to the Town or held for the benefit of its inhabitants; a state- ment of the liabilities of the Town, as of the year end, on bonds, notes, certificates of indebtedness or otherwise and of indebtedness authorized but not incurred and the purposes thereof; a copy of the records of Town meet- ings; a statement of all devises, bequests and donations to the Town; and such other matters as said report is re- quired by law to contain or as may be inserted by the Selectmen, under the discretion granted to them by law.
183
WARRANT FOR 1954
SECTION 3.
The Selectmen shall cause the annual report to be distributed to each household in the Town ten days at least before the Annual Meeting.
SECTION 4.
The Selectmen shall from time to time cause to be printed copies of the General and other By-Laws of the Town, and of the Rules or Regulations adopted by any officer, board or committee and shall periodically publish a list of the laws of the Commonwealth applicable to the Town soley by virtue of the acceptance thereof by the Town, and such printing or publication may be separate or as part of an annual Town report.
ARTICLE VII WATER DEPARTMENT
SECTION 1.
No extension of water mains which involves the ex- penditure of any funds of the Town shall be undertaken unless expressly authorized by a vote of the Town.
SECTION 2.
The Water Commissioners may appoint one or more Registrars who shall, as directed by the Commissioners, take and tabulate a complete census of all water fixtures connected with the Town Water System, read and record all service meters at such intervals as the Commissioners may direct, and perform any other duties required by the Commissioners.
SECTION 3.
The Water Commissioners shall regularly transmit the assessments for water rates to the Collector of Taxes, who shall collect the same and turn the proceeds over to the Town Treasurer weekly.
-
184
WARRANT FOR 1954
SECTION 4.
A charge of not less than two dollars shall be made whenever the Water Commissioners, or their represen- tatives, at the request of a water taker turn on or shut off the water in any service pipe.
SECTION 5.
Water rates shall be payable to the Collector the first day of March and the first day of September in each year, or as the Water Commissioners may determine.
SECTION 6.
No tap for service shall be made unless approved by the Board of Water Commissioners, who may require the payment of a suitable fee before allowing the tap.
SECTION 7.
No alteration shall be made in any of the pipes or fixtures installed by the Town except by persons au- thorized by the Water Commissioners who shall also be allowed to enter the premises, examine the fixtures, read the meters and ascertain if there is any unnecessary waste.
SECTION 8.
If any person shall open a hydrant or remove the cover thereof or make any opening or connection with any pipe or turn on or off the water from any pipe (not upon his own premises) except in case of fire or by authority of the Water Commissioners, he shall be liable to a fine or not more than twenty dollars.
SECTION 9.
Upon the non-payment of water rates and charges within sixty days after their due date, said water rates and charges shall be a lien upon the real estate to which the connection with the Town Water System was made. Notwithstanding the authority to establish such lien, such overdue rates and charges may be collected through any legal means, including the shutting off of water,
185
WARRANT FOR 1954
which may be deemed advisable. Chapter 40 of the Gen- eral Laws, as amended by Chapter 415 Acts of 1938, shall apply in all cases of non-payment of all water rates, charges, interest, etc.
SECTION 10.
The Board of Water Commissioners may make abate- ments in the water rates in such cases as the Commis- sioners may deem proper, and may temporarily shut off water from any street after giving notice of their inten- tion so to do.
SECTION 11.
The Board of Water Commissioners shall keep suit- able records in which shall be entered the names of all water-takers and the amounts charged, and these records shall be open to inspection.
SECTION 12.
The Water Commissioners may make such rules and regulations for the management and control of the husi- ness of the Water Department as they deem judicious, not inconsistent with the By-Laws of the Town or the laws of the Commonwealth.
ARTICLE VIII
MISCELLANEOUS
SECTION 1.
No person shall fire or discharge any firearms or ex- plosives of any kind within the limits of any highway, park, or other public property, or on any private prop- erty except with the consent of the owner or legal occu- pant thereof, provided, however, that this by-law shall not apply to the lawful defense of life or property nor to any law enforcement officer acting in the performance of his duties. Any person violating this by-law shall be punished by a fine of not more than twenty dollars.
186
WARRANT FOR 1954
ARTICLE IX
SECTION 1.
These by-laws shall be known as "General By-Laws of the Town of Lincoln" and the Zoning By-Law and the former Article bearing the caption of Article IX shall not form a part hereof but shall be separately identified as the "Zoning By-Law" and as the "Building Code By- Law".
ARTICLE X REPEAL
SECTION 1.
All by-laws or parts of by-laws heretofore in effect which are inconsistent with the provisions of the fore- going General By-Laws, except the Zoning By-Law and the Building Code By-Law are hereby repealed and an- nulled; but the provisions of the foregoing by-laws so far as they are the same as the provisions of by-laws heretofore adopted, shall be construed as in continuation of such provisions and not as new enactments.
SECTION 2.
The repeal of a by-law heretofore adopted shall not affect any act done, ratified or confirmed, or any right accrued or established, nor any action, suit or proceeding commenced or had, nor affect any punishment, penalty or forfeiture incurred under such by-law."
or take any action relative thereto. By-Law Committee
Hereof fail not and make due return of this Warrant with your doings thereon to the Town Clerk, at or before the time for the meeting aforesaid. Given under our hands this 15th day of February in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and fifty-four.
EDMUND W. GILES HENRY DeC. WARD JOHN O. WILSON Selectmen of Lincoln
Report
of the Officers and Committees of the
Town of Lincoln
FOR THE YEAR 1954
LINCOLN, MASSACHUSETTS.
Calendar
SELECTMEN -- Second and fourth Mondays of each month 8 P.M. at the Town House. Clearwater 9-8882.
SCHOOL COMMITTEE -- First Tuesday of each month 8 P.M. at the Charles. Sumner Smith School. Clearwater 9-8333.
BOARD OF ASSESSORS -- First Wednesday of each month 8 P.M. at the Town House . Clearwater 9-8882.
WATER COMMISSIONERS -- Meetings by appointment, call Sumner Smith. Clearwater 9-8213.
BOARD OF HEALTH -- Meetings by appointment, call Dr. Gordon Donaldson. Clearwater 9-8192.
BOARD OF APPEALS -- Meetings by appointment, call Town House. Clearwater 9-8882 .
PLANNING BOARD -- Second Wednesday of each month 8 P.M. Town House. Clearwater 9-8882.
Population -- 2,339 by 1950 census.
Town Area -- 8,572 acres.
1954 Tax Rate -- $48.00 per $1,000 valuation.
Annual Town Meeting -- First Monday in March after the fifteenth - March 21, 1955.
Annual Election of Town Officers - Saturday following Town Meeting -- March 26, 1955.
Qualifications for Registration - Twelve months continuous resi- dence in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts prior to March 21, 1955, and six months continuous resi- dence in the Town of Lincoln prior to March 21, 1955.
Town Office -- Open daily 9:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M., Saturday 9:00 A.M to 12 noon. Closed Saturdays during June, July and August.
Town Dump -- Wednesdays 1:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. Saturdays 9:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M. Sundays 10:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
(Telephone numbers indicated will be in effect May 1, 1955.)
Contents
TOWN CALENDAR
TOWN GOVERNMENT
Officers and Committees
Selectmen
Town Clerk
24
Town Meetings
Elections
Licenses
FINANCE
Auditors
Treasurer
Collector of Taxes
Assessors
Trust Fund Commissioners
Finance Committee Recommendations
PROTECTION
Police Department
Fire Engineers .
55 56
Fire House Site Committee
Inspector of Animals
Tree Warden .
Civil Defense Agency
HEALTH AND WELFARE
Board of Health
61
Nursing Committee
62
Public Assistance Agent
64
Mosquito Control. Committee
55 68
Bedford Airport Committee
PLANNING AND PUBLIC WORKS
Planning Board 70 Board of Appeals 72 74 Water Commissioners Superintendent of Streets 79 79
Inspectors
Cemetery Commissioners
80
1 9
19 33
34 36
51 52 54 249
57 58 59 60
82 84 85
Regional School Committee School Building Committees School Land Committee
EDUCATION AND RECREATION
Library Trustees
86
Bemis Free Lectures
88
Middlesex County Extension Service
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.