USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Duxbury > Town annual report for the town of Duxbury for the year ending 1956-1960 > Part 27
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4) Public and semi-public uses: The Town, as it grows, will have specific needs for land in order to meet the needs of the population for schools, municipal serv- ices, parks and open spaces, and active recreation. It is in these areas that this report urges action to anticipate
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needs and desires for land for public uses so that land can be acquired in the near future, rather than to wait until the specific need is pressing and the land available is more expensive than now and more limited in choice.
Population:
The plan is based upon an estimate of the rate of population growth and upon assumptions as to the distri- bution of this growth. These are to be shown in chart and map illustration.
School Needs:
Based upon over-all population growth to be antici- pated, the school population has been estimated. This has been in cooperation with the Superintendent of Schools and the School Committee and with the educational con- sultants engaged to advise the committees responsible for school planning. It is the recommendation of this plan that the number and distribution of elementary school sites recommended by Educational Service Associ- ates of Medford, Massachusetts, (Tufts University), plus the secondary school sites, be acquired in the near future. This proposal is based upon a policy of decentralized ele- mentary schools and of locating the two junior high schools and the high school in the area near the Bay where the density of population is greatest. There are seven elementary schools projected for a total population of approximately 28,000 i.e., six in addition to the existing school.
Recreation and Open Land:
Proposals are to be made concerning additional facil- ities for using the Bay and the beach. A definite program is being recommended to insure that some open spaces throughout the Town will be preserved through the years as growth advances. Techniques suggested include town purchase, either of the fee or of development rights, use of zoning and acquisition by private groups for open land conservation.
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Zoning:
Proposals in this plan will include, for the present, relatively few changes in the boundary lines of districts, but will deal with developing more complete provisions for business uses (off-street parking and loading space, plus access specifications). Provisions for industrial regu- lations are likewise included for use when the establish- ment of such a district is warranted. A separate category of residential use is being considered for application to lowlands and swampy areas to insure more careful devel- opment of such. The consolidation and eventual enlarge- ment of many of the individual business districts is advo- cated along with the rezoning for residential use of some such parcels which are inappropriate for development for business use.
Subdivision Control Regulations:
Changes in the rules and regulations of the Planning Board relative to the subdivision of land are under con- sideration. These changes refine procedures and raise the quality of roads required under the Subdivision Control Law.
Future Land Use Plan:
A physical plan of the Town of Duxbury is being de- veloped to show land uses and highway and street loca- tions in accordance with the policies advocated in the Master Plan proposal. It is fully realized that as indi- vidual parcels are selected for specific uses, the plan will require modification. The value of this ultimate land use plan is that it illustrates the policies of location de- termination that are recommended. Where possible, this plan has taken into account factors beyond direct func- tion and has been guided by the desire to make the most of the aesthetic values of the Town and of its natural terrain.
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STREET LIGHTS
Your Board has accumulated considerable informa- tion as to actual situations regarding street lights in Dux- bury. Street lights are contracted for on an annual basis billed monthly. The annual charges vary from $18.00 per year for 600 lumen controlled lights to $115.00 per year for 20,000 lumen lights. It is the policy of the Plymouth County Electric Company to replace 600 lumen fixtures with 1000 when they must be renewed and each new in- stallations must be at least 1000 lumen. The present annual cost is $6100. This amount will therefor in- crease each year as the obsolete small lumen lights are replaced. The Plymouth County Electric Company has furnished to the Board a map with each light in Town plotted, showing the type of light and its location. The only 20,000 lumen lights in Duxbury are located at the end of new Route 3 where it stops at Elm Street, and are placed and paid for by the Commonwealth of Massachu- setts. The lights on Elm Street toward the North, paid for by the Town of Duxbury, are 2500 lumen lights. The original "bright lights" on the Bay Road were 2500 lumen. The present lights on the Bay Road are 1000 lumen. The lights at the Halls Corner end of South Station Street are 2500 lumen.
We have consulted with the State Department of Planning and the Plymouth County Electric Company engineer, and one member of the Board has done some reading of current literature on this subject. As a result of information gleaned from these sources, it appears that street lights should be properly located more on the basis of the individual judgment of an engineer or other person who knows the Town than on the basis of standard cri- teria, which would probably not be applicable or prac- tical. Your Board has been unable to find a consulting engineer available to be used for a complete study of street lights and, in any event, it is the unanimous opinion
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of the Board that any recommendations by an expert would lead to greatly increased electric bills in addition to the expense of a study.
For these reasons, your Board recommends that street lights in Duxbury be placed, as they have in the past, using the combined judgment of the Selectmen and the engineer of the Plymouth County Electric Company. It is possible that some street lights in Duxbury can be eliminated and suggestions for such eliminations should be forwarded to the Board of Selectmen. The Selectmen and the Planning Board, meeting jointly, agreed that some lights need to have some foliage trimmed so that they will not be obscured.
ATHERTON LORING, JR., Chairman, OLIVER L. BARKER, Clerk, DAVID MARSHALL, LUCIUS A. HOWARD, CARL F. DANNER,
Planning Board.
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REPORT OF THE WATER COMMISSIONERS
To the Citizens and the Honorable Board of Selectmen of Duxbury:
On December 31, 1958, the Water Department com- pleted its third full year of operation as a Town depart- ment, and for the second year in succession, maintenance and operating expenditures, including charges for interest, debt retirement and special articles, exceeded receipts from all sources, with a resulting increased deficit. This deficit has accrued since the Town took over the old Water District, and is due entirely to the cumulative effect of not crediting and/or reimbursing the Water Department account with that part of the fire protection costs of the Town, commonly called HYDRANT SERV- ICE, that is furnished by the water system installations.
The need for such a procedure was pointed out in the 1957 Town Report and at the 1958 Town Meeting, and as a result thereof, a committee was authorized to be appointed to study the matter of providing for the proper recogni- tion of the cost of the fire protection furnished by the Water Department in the Town's accounting system. The Water Commissioners are in full agreement with the com- mittee's conclusions in this matter, and therefore no action has been taken to date toward eradicating the growing deficit by raising water rates, pending possible favorable action on the committee's recommendations at the next Town Meeting. (The Committee's report follows this report.)
The year 1958 also was extremely wet, and, as a result, water consumption fell below the estimated an- nual average, reducing to a somewhat lesser extent (16%) the receipts for excess water, and thereby adding to the deficit from the short range standpoint.
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The following tabulation shows the financial situation in detail:
Debit $13,230.26
Credit
Water Deficit (Dec. 31, 1957)
Water Charges (Minimum and Excess)
$45,676.17 ($488.14)*
Meter Charges
1,486.00 ( 55.22)*
Service Connections and Repair
4,846.68 ( 645.51)*
Accounts Receivable
293.27
Maintenance and Operation
39,955.00
787.47
Out-of-State Travel
180.00
71.41
Commissioners' Salaries
450.00
Salary Adjustment Schedule
687.05
Special Art. 44, Land, No. Duxbury
2,000.00
Fixed Charges
Interest
9,412.00
.75
Debt Retirement
Old Water Loans
8,500.00
West Duxbury Loans
5,000.00
Phase I Loans
20,000.00
$98,727.26 $53,848.06
Audit Adjustment:
March 1955, Town's Appropriation for West Duxbury Mains not previously
charged to Water Department 20,000.00
1956 Dept. Accts. Receivable
291.74
1957 Dept. Accts. Receivable
61.86
1957 Refunded Check
3.90
$118,727.26 $54,206.30
Deficit, December 31, 1958 - $64,520.96 "That part of commitments due in 1957.
During the year, the following work, in addition to routine maintenance and operation, was accomplished:
West Duxbury Extension (Phase I). All work on this major project was completed during the year, and the system is in full operation. The complete cost of this project, including outstanding bills, was $216,862.00 com- pared with the $293,900.00 appropriated.
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Northwest Duxbury Extensions (Priorities). A con- tract to extend the system along Franklin Street from Route 3 to Congress Street (12-in. main) and along Con- gress Street to Union Street, and then along Union Street to Keene Street and south on Keene Street to 859 feet south of Congress Street with 8-in. pipe was completed satisfactorily by A. Nava of Kingston, the lowest bidder of twenty-two bidders. The system has been in operation since September 15, 1958. The total cost of the project, including outstanding bills, was $70,347.00 for Priorities I, II, III and IV. No work has been done to date on Priority V (West Street) due to insufficient funds remaining from the $74,000 authorized by the Town Meeting to be trans- ferred from funds originally appropriated for Phase I.
Trucks. A new Studebaker dump truck was pur- chased from the Snug Harbor Motor Company, the low bidder, with funds transferred in accordance with Art. 41 of the 1958 Town Meeting. The truck has been equipped with a tool chest and pipe vise, and is now in service. The total cost was $2,014.66.
Repairs on Captain's Hill Reservoir. Funds to repair this reservoir were transferred from existing balances to the amount of $11,538.66 by Article 40 of the 1958 Town Warrant. This reinforced concrete tank (329,000 gals. ca- pacity, 40 ft. in diameter and 35 ft. inside height) was built in 1914 and has been in continuous service since that time. The tank was constructed in approximately four- foot vertical sections, with a construction joint at each section. These joints had leaked since the beginning, and they had been repaired initially by grouting and cement- ing the joints from the inside of the tank. Leakage had been continuous, however, and many attempts had been made to patch the most serious leaks from the outside of the tank without complete success. In addition, a very unsightly outside appearance had developed due to this
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leakage. Until the construction of the new tank on Birch Street it had been impracticable to make any effective repairs to the Captain's Hill tank. On October 30, 1958, the tank was drained, and it was found that a red clay layer twenty-seven inches deep had collected on the bottom of the tank over the long period of years and during the intervals that the tank had acted as a sedi- mentation basin. This mud was sluiced out of the tank without contaminating the system.
A contract was placed with the Erkote Company on the advice of Whitman & Howard, Engineers, and the construction joints were cleaned off on the inside of the tank, old loose patching was removed, and the new thorite was placed in properly prepared notched holes and grooves. These repaired surfaces were then given a heavy coat of Erkote Super Seal, followed by a heavy coating of 2X Erkote Black Mastic, and then a glas fab membrane extending 6 in. each side of the construction joints was implaced and given a coat of 2X Erkote Black Mastic. At this time, a mud ring also was installed around the outlet inside the tank, similar to that in all new tanks, to prevent any possibility of mud entering the system. The tank then was thoroughly cleaned and chlorinated. All materials had to be hoisted through a small manhole in the roof of the tank.
It is intended to observe the results of the repair work on the inside of the tank over the winter months, and in the spring, if no further work is required on the inside, the outside of the tank will be repaired and re- stored to a first class appearance with available funds.
During the period of approximately two months when the tank was being repaired, most of the water used by the consumers came from the West Duxbury tank and Lake Shore Drive well, supplemented to some extent by the Millbrook and the Depot Street Pumping Stations.
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Land-North Duxbury. Some 1.65 acres of land was acquired in North Duxbury under Article 44 of the Town Warrant for the future location of a tank in that area under the long range plan. The land was acquired from Mr. Estes for $2000.00.
Land-Birch Street Tank. The land authorized to be purchased by Article 38 of the 1957 Town Warrant for the tank located at Route 3 and Birch Street was finally acquired for $1500.00. On July 10, 1958, payment was made, and the necessary legal action has been taken by the Town Counsel to finalize the proceedings.
Status of Appropriations
The amounts listed as available, as of December 31, 1958, are:
STATUS OF APPROPRIATIONS
The amounts listed as available, as of December 31, 1958, are:
Art.
Warrant
Item
Amount Authorized
Amount Expended (1958)
Unexpended
Available for Transfer
4
Town 1958
M & O
$39,955.00
$38,480.48
$787.47 1 687.05-SA.S $0.00
4
Town 1958
Out of State Travel
180.00
108.59
71.41
0.00
4
Town 1958
Wat. Com. Sal.
450.00
450.00
0.00
0.00
4
Town 1958
Maturing Debt
33,500.00
33,500.00
0.00
0.00
4
Town 1958
Interest
9,412.00
9,411.25
0.00
0.00
14
Dist. 1954
Main Cleaning
5,000.00
0.00
996.40
0.00
12
Dist. 1955
Eng. Services
6,200.00
81.25
2,434.57
0.00
34
Town 1956
Survey
3,500.00
196.50
38.50
0.00
38
Town 1957
Land, Birch St.
1,500.00
1,500.00
0.00
0.00
39
Town 1957
Phase I
293,900.00
144,977.11*
5,890.64
0.00
40
Town 1958
Repairs - Capt. Hill
11,538.66
6,637.65
4,901.01
0.00
41
Town 1958
Truck
2,107.04
2,014.66
92.38
0.00
42
Town 1958
Priorities
74,000.00
63,701.72
10,298.28
0.00
44
Town 1958
Land - No. Duxbury
2,000.00
2,000.00
0.00
0.00
*Includes transfer of $74,000.00.
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The Future
It is estimated that during the year 1959 the commit- ments and expenditures will be as follows:
Receipts (Commitments) $56,500.00
Expenditures
Maintenance and Operation
$41,505.00
Fixed Charges
Interest
Old Water Loans
$523.75
West Duxbury
945.00
Phase I
7,040.00
8,508.75
Debt Retirement
Old Water Loans
$8,500.00
West Duxbury
5,000.00
Phase I
20,000.00
33,500.00
$83,513.75
$56,500.00
Deficit - $27,013.75
This means that the above deficit of $27,013.75 added to the deficit of December 31, 1958, of $64,520.96 will in- crease the Water Department deficit to approximately $91,534.71 by December 31, 1959, unless some action is taken at the 1959 Town Meeting to correct this situation.
Sincerely,
J. ALVIN BORGESON, LEONARD B. GALLAGHER, LLOYD B. SALT, Water Commissioners.
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REPORT OF SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON WATER DEPARTMENT FINANCE
The Board of Selectmen Duxbury, Massachusetts
Dear Sirs:
The committee appointed in accordance with Article 43 of the Warrant of the last town meeting has thoroughly investigated the methods by which other towns of com- parable population and total water debt have provided for the proper recognition in the towns' accounting sys- tems of that part of the cost of fire protection furnished by the Water Departments. The committee has based its, findings and recommendations on the premise that the citizens of Duxbury desire that the Water Department be operated on a self-supporting basis as a true enterprise account.
The committee finds:
1. That it is common practice among many com- parable towns to appropriate funds for fire protection costs and subsequently to credit them to the Water Account.
2. That, in the towns account's section of the annual town report, it is the practice in many towns to keep the Water Department account completely separate as to re- ceipts (including fire protection costs - hydrant services) and expenditures, including interest and debt retirement, so that the Department's status as an enterprise account is readily apparent.
3. That in the extension of the water system into West and Northwest Duxbury seventy percent of the cost of construction was directly attributable to fire protection due to the necessity of providing larger sized mains than
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were required for simple domestic water service, the provision of fire hydrants approximately 1000 ft. apart and the provision of a 1,000,000-gal. storage tank.
4. That it follows from finding 3 above that seventy percent of the debt retirement and interest charges of the total water debt outstanding at this time due to the ex- tensions of the system is properly chargeable to fire protection.
5. That the Town's fire protection costs should be pro-rated on an assessed property valuation basis and not on a water consumption basis.
6. That the fire protection costs, called "hydrant service" in many towns, are a logical charge as an item in the "protection of persons and property" category in the town warrant, as are the other routine fire protection costs of the town.
7. That the amount in dollars for fire protection services furnished by the Water Department should be computed each year as seventy percent of the interest and debt retirement costs of the outstanding water loans.
8. That, if the Water Department is to be operated as a true public service enterprise without a provision for fire protection services appropriation in the budget, as outlined in 7 above, metered water rates would have to be materially and wrongfully raised, and thereby the cost of fire protection would be borne by the individual water consumer regardless of the value of his own property.
9. That, since all Water Department appropriations for any purpose are considered a debit in the town ac- counting system, it follows that, although money has been appropriated heretofore under Article 4 of the Warrant to pay the interest and debt retirement charges on the outstanding water loans, these amounts were subsequently debited to the Water Department, as are all other appro-
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priations, such as M & O, purchase of land, extensions, purchase of a truck, etc., etc.
10. That, although the old fire and water district tax of $3.00 per 1000 was incorporated into the town tax rate at $2.40 per 1000, amounting to $25,000 to $30,000 per year, none of this money has ever been credited to the Water Department.
11. That, although every time the water mains are extended and assessments are raised due to the provision of fire protection (hydrant service) to properties along the new mains, none of the taxes accruing directly due to this extension have ever been credited to the Water Department.
12. That, under the present system of accounting wherein no credit is given for fire protection costs, the water surplus has been continuously reduced until there is a deficit as of December 31, 1958, of $66,500 (estimated).
It is therefore recommended:
1. That the following special article be included in the 1959 Warrant:
"To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropri- ate, or transfer from available funds, $29,987.47 for 'Hy- drant Service' as a part of the total cost of providing for the Protection of Persons and Property of the Town and in order to permit the proper recognition in the Town's accounting system of that part of the annual fixed charges on the outstanding water loans that is directly attribut- able to the cost of fire protection, or take any other action thereon."
2. That in future annual warrants, an item for "Hy- drant Service" be included in the "Protection of Persons and Property" section and that it be computed as 70% of the annual interest and debt retirement charges on the outstanding water loans at that time.
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3. It is recommended further that the following special article be included in the 1959 Town Warrant:
"To see if the Town will vote to transfer the sum of (Water Deficit as of December 31, 1958, estimated at $66,500.00) from the Town's Excess and Deficiency to the Water Excess and Deficiency in view of the large deficit existing as of December 31, 1958, due entirely to the cumulative effect of not crediting the Water Department with funds to pay the interest and debt retirement charges on that part of the outstanding water loans di- rectly attributable to fire protection, and in order also to permit water rates to be accurately computed and the Water Department to operate in the future as a self- supporting Enterprise Account, or take any other action thereon."
Sincerely,
J. ALVIN BORGESON, LEONARD B. GALLAGHER, EDWIN D. RYER, LLOYD B. SALT, EDWARD G. WADELL,
Committeemen.
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REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT WATER DEPARTMENT
To the Board of Water Commissioners Town of Duxbury, Mass.
Gentlemen:
Following are the 1958 statistics of the Duxbury Water Department, as required by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health:
Greatest amount pumped in any one day: June 2, 1958, 1,230,000 gallons.
Greatest amount pumped in any seven consecutive days: June 29 thru July 5, 1958, 5,422,000 gallons. Total amount pumped during 1958: 137,930,000 gallons. Number of services at the end of the year: 1649. Number of active services at the end of the year: 1609. New services installed during the year: 48. Miles of water mains at the end of the year: 43.06 miles. Acres of land owned for water supply purposes: 57.67 acres.
Respectfully submitted,
KENNETH O. MACOMBER,
Superintendent.
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REPORT OF THE BOARD OF PUBLIC WELFARE AND BUREAU OF OLD AGE ASSISTANCE
To the Honorable Board of Selectmen and the Citizens of Duxbury:
The Department of Public Welfare has completed another year of administering aid under the four cate- gories of public assistance:
Old Age Assistance is granted to persons 65 years of age or over, who are in need and found to meet the re- quirements under the laws, rules, and regulations of the Commonwealth and the State Department of Public Welfare.
Aid to Dependent Children is granted for children de- prived of parental support by reason of divorce, death, legal separation, sickness or incarceration of a parent.
Disability Assistance is granted to persons over 18 years of age, who are in need and found to be totally and permanently disabled.
General Relief, or Public Assistance, is granted to persons, or families, who require assistance for a short period of time, or do not qualify for one of the other types of public assistance.
The Lien law has been in effect for a period of six years, and the total recovery has been $26,700.74, with $1,118.81 recovered in 1958.
The total expenditure for the four categories of relief amounted to $104,468.07.
The reimbursements from Federal Grants for Old
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Age Assistance, Aid to Dependent Children, and Disability Assistance amounted to $41,625.58. The Federal Grants are made available for use as received. Reimbursement from the State and Other Towns totalled $41,269.44 and is not available for use. This money goes into the General Receipts of the Town.
The actual cost to the Town was less than 21 per cent of the total expenditure for the Department.
The Board of Public Welfare wishes to express its appreciation to the Selectmen and to the Police Depart- ment for their help and cooperation during the past year.
Respectfully submitted,
HOWARD M. CLARK, Chairman PAUL N. SWANSON EDWARD G. BOTTENUS PAUL C. BARBER ADRIAN R. CORDEAU
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REPORT OF SOUTH SHORE MOSQUITO CONTROL PROJECT
To the Citizens of Duxbury:
Submitted herewith is the report of the South Shore Mosquito Control Project of its activities in the Town of Duxbury for the year ending December 31, 1958.
The Town of Duxbury appropriated $7550 for mos- quito control in 1958.
The basic program of control continued to be based on drainage in the off-season and larvaciding of all areas found to be breeding during the mosquito season. This program was supplemented by ground application of D.D.T. dust to selected areas during the period when the swamps were frozen. Fog generators and a mist blower were used to combat flying mosquitoes.
The cumulative effect of the work of past winters has changed the work of the Project's crews. The winter dusting has stopped the breeding in many small places, making it possible for the crews to contend better with those left and to search for hitherto unnoticed spots. The drainage has eliminated some crew spraying and much air spray acreage, thus making it possible to absorb higher costs, deal with new breeding areas found or cre- ated, and yet lower the yearly budget requests, or at least, keep them the same.
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