USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Swampscott > Town annual report of Swampscott 1912 > Part 5
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GREENWOOD AVENUE. The same comment applies to this proposition as was made regarding the water mains on Green- wood avenue and on the Phillips' land. There is a possible duplication of plants, and we therefore recommend that the matter be recommitted to the Board for further report.
HUMPHREY STREET. This proposition, which seems to call for over $10,000, must be considered in connection with the paragraph on page 296, where an alternative is spoken of, that may cost $75,000. The Board there says in part, " While we do not oppose this improvement, we do not feel justified in recommending the building of the same until such time as the Town shall decide how far east the sewage shall be drained to the present pumping station." They say, moreover, that "if the Town shall decide" as to gravity sewers, then a possible alternative will be a trunk line, which will be an expensive proposition. Surely no one can expect an intelligent discussion of a $75,000 proposition if it is to be based on less than twenty lines of the Town Report. Two members of your Committee on Ways and Means have keen recollection of four weeks of the hardest work, three years ago, when the matter of the contract
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TOWN CLERK'S RECORDS.
1912]
with the Metropolitan Water Works came up for action. A committee was appointed to find the facts about the water question and report to the Town, because the Water Board was unable to furnish them. With the suggestion of an alternative of a $75,000 outlay, we recommend that this petition be recom- mitted to the Sewerage Board that they may report fully what are the facts.
ORIENT STREET. There seems to be no pressing need for this sewer, and the Sewer Board does not advise its being built.
We recommend that the subject be referred to the Sewer Board for such consideration as they may wish to give it.
KING STREET. The stretch of sewer, 100 feet in length, is asked for, because of one house in which there is a family of eight children. The house is on a ledge and its cesspool over- flows and causes a nuisance in the neighborhood. We are assured that the cost will not exceed $500, and in view of conditions we recommend an appropriation of $500 for a sewer on King street as petitioned for.
Sewers.
[Page 296.]
It seems to your committee that the affairs of the Sewer De- partment have been handled for years contrary to the provisions of the Sewer Act. It has been repeatedly asserted that " new sewers do not cost the Town anything, because they are paid for from the amounts received from the frontage and area assess- ments." It is probably in accordance with this theory that the Sewer Board makes the following recommendation (page 296) : "We recommend that the sewers mentioned be built this year and that the funds now in the hands of the Town Treasurer received from assessments, augmented by assessments received for the current year, be drawn upon to carry out the work." The Sewer Act (Chapter 86, Acts of 1902) specifically directs that the amounts received for sewer assessments shall be used first, for the maintenance and operation ; secondly, to pay the interest on sewer bonds, unless the Town otherwise provides for it in the tax levy ; and third, if there shall be any residue, such residue may be used either to apply to the sewer debt or for new con- struction, as the Town votes. As this is stated fairly and clearly in the Act, any recommendation on the part of this committee would be superfluous.
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TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
Chick Claim.
| Article 20.]
At the time this article was inserted in the warrant there was some prospect that a settlement might be made. However, there does not now seem to be any occasion for making an appropriation at this time.
We recommend that the matter be indefinitely postponed.
Brooks.
[Pages 262-3, Articles 21, 37, 44.]
The Board of Health made a suggestion that "means of caring " for the brooks be found, and this, with the articles, brings the subject of brooks before this Committee.
Article 21 has to do with legislation by the General Court. It is futile to form any plans upon action by the Legislature of this year, for the time within which new legislation could be introduced expired January 20th, and no new business can be received since then without a four-fifths vote, and there would be no prospect that such could be obtained upon a petition involving so intricate a matter as the relation of the Town and the brooks. No relief through legislation can be looked for, therefore, until a year hence. Meanwhile, several situations have been developed upon which the Town may well act, both for its own benefit and the benefit of citizens in certain localities.
There are three systems of brooks involved in the articles, and each will be taken up in turn. Article 21 deals first with the brook along Paradise Road. This brook is a part of a large system of water courses that drains a wide territory. One branch starts in the territory beyond Essex street. Another rises in the section adjacent to upper Redington street, while the third begins at the spring near the junction of Walker road and the State road. It is evident, therefore, that not only the Mudge and the Stetson estates are involved, but much land in addition.
A considerable part of this area has been developed, streets laid out and houses built, and further improvements are in con- templation in many sections, so that the character of the tract has changed from one of wooded hills, tilled land and swamps where brooks served a useful and desirable purpose, to that of a settled community of homes, where the bed of a brook is fre- quently a detriment to the land of its owner and an annoyance to the adjoining property. Each step in the progress of the prodigious development of this territory has had some effect
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TOWN CLERK'S RECORDS.
1912]
upon the flow of the waters. "Some of these changes have been in the nature of encroachments and obstructions, some have resulted in a brook becoming an open sewer, while through others the course of the brook has been straightened and the flow accelerated. Each resident, either over or near the brook, has a story of his own experience with it, both in time of drought and of flood, and it is evident that something will have to be done at some time soon by someone. At a conference of a large number of residents along Paradise road with this com- mittee, some of the owners of estates expressed a willingness to contribute toward the expense of remedying the situation. Clearly it will not be practicable to arrive at any system of apportionment, except after an extensive investigation which will require time and skill.
We recommend that a Committee of Three be requested by the Moderator on behalf of the Town, to investigate the subject of the relation of the brooks and the Town, the nature and the extent of the responsibility of the Town for the brooks and their condition, and to report what policy the Town should adopt and follow in the future.
As this investigation will require both legal and engineering skill and knowledge, we recommend that the sum of $300 be appropriated for the use of this Committee on Brooks.
Article 37.
The brook along Humphrey street, which it is proposed to cover with a culvert, had for years a well-defined course. It starts on the hillside above Glen road, and flows down to Humphrey street and then under it in a culvert to the swamp land on the other side. At this point the brook has been obstructed with earth that has been dumped into the swamp, the result being that the street has been flooded, as the water has not been allowed to flow.
A little further in its course the brook has again been obstructed by a common dump.
We recommend that the Selectmen shall at once attend to having these obstructions removed.
Furthermore, we recommend that when these obstructions shall have been removed, the subject of the brook and the duties and relations of the Town in the matter be referred to the Com- mittee on Brooks, to be appointed.
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TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
Article 44.
The proposition is that the Town shall construct three catch basins and a drain to connect them from the corner of Phillips avenue to a point near the corner of Beach Bluff avenue on Atlantic avenue. At this latter place it is proposed to enter a brook that has a considerable flow, but which has had its channel restricted seriously in places. At present the street drainage follows the line it has taken for many years, and for which pro- vision was made ; that is, it passes to a low point, and then through a pipe in private property to the brook, the pipe having been laid by the Town years ago. On this land the brook has been walled into a narrower space than it occupies further up stream, so that it is liable to be obstucted by the flow from the above. Furthermore, the sea at a high tide causes its banks to fill, so that at times the plot of ground through which the Town's pipe passes, is flooded, and the inference is that the Town is liable. We cannot assent to this conclusion, for the land would be flooded from either of the cases above mentioned, regardless of the water from the street.
We recommend that the subject matter of this article be referred to the Committee on Brooks for investigation and report as to the Town's duties.
Hadley School. [Article 36.]
There is required $12,000 additional for the Hadley School, the items being for furnishing, grading, extra expense caused by the requirements of a State Inspector, that there be two exits from each room and doors built in the hallways, and for an excess in the amount of the contract over the original appropria- tion, all of which is set forth in the report of the Committee on the construction of the schoolhouse submitted at the meeting February 20th.
We recommend that the sum of $5,100 be appropriated for furnishings in the Hadley School.
And we furthermore recommend that the sum of $6,900 be appropriated for cost of construction in addition to the sum pre- viously appropriated for that purpose.
Sidewalks.
[Page IS7, Articles 11 and 39.]
The Selectmen report that a number of petitions for sidewalks have been presented, and that more will undoubtedly come.
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TOWN CLERK'S RECORDS.
1912]
They raise the question as to how much money can be wisely spent in any one year, and to what extent the Town may wish to become involved in debt. If the desire is for a general construc- tion of sidewalks during the next two years, they recommend the creation of a fund of $30,000 to pay for the work, the money to be borrowed on a ten-year bond issue, or through special legislation, by which the payment may be spread through thirty years. It is now too late to secure such legislation this year.
Even a limited experience in Town affairs enables one to state with confidence that this fund would be spent in a short time, and that the demand would not then be satisfied, because as the Town grows, new streets will be opened and new petitions filed and their granting urged. Then additional indebtedness would have to be incurred and the interest account correspondingly increased.
In this connection, a situation arises that calls for a comment, because the circumstances are found, not only in considering sidewalks, but also new water and sewer construction. Such new construction is for the benefit of citizens, more or less lim- ited in number and in location, but by far the larger part of the cost is borne, either directly by the rest of the citizens in their annual tax bills, or else indirectly by tenants in increased rent or in decreased accommodations for the same rent.
This is shown in the working out of the vote of the Town a year ago (page 64), that new walks might be either tar or gran- olithic and that the Town would pay one-half the cost. We believe that this policy should be abandoned as unfair, because it restricts the amount of new walk that might be laid each year. Moreover, it unduly burdens the citizens who have already paid for tar walks at their own estates, in order that others elsewhere may have a more attractive walk, though the durability and expense of up-keep are not materially different.
New tar walks, according to the table given by the Selectmen (page 168), can be laid for from 60 cents for the best quality to 42 cents per square yard for a cheaper grade, while granolithic walk costs $1.60 for the same amount of surface. That is, the granolithic costs approximately 2} to 4 times as much as tar, and, there, it follows that five to eight yards of tar can be laid for what it costs to make two yards of granolithic. With the wide and urgent demand for sidewalks and the imperative need that a dollar be made to go as far as it is possible to make it, the question is presented squarely to the citizens for answer :- Are
5
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TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
the citizens willing to continue a policy that puts an additional burden upon them and at the same time deprives the newer por- tions of the Town of benefits for which the older portion of the Town is willing to pay in part ?
We recommend that the sum of $3,000 be appropriated under Chapter 49, Sections 42 to 44 inclusive, and Acts in amendment for the construction or covering of tar concrete sidewalks, pro- vided that if a majority of the abutters, both in number and in proportion of the frontage of their respective estates, express a desire for granolithic, the abutters shall be assessed for that much of the cost as is represented by the excess over one-half the cost of tar concrete walk for the same distance.
Essex Street Playground. [Article 41.]
An appropriation of $5,800 is asked for the purchase of 23 acres on the northwesterly side of Essex street for a playground and park. A large part of this tract consists of rugged wood- land, but there is available a field that can be used for ball play- ing. Your Committee has visited the land, and as a result of a knowledge of the situation both there and at the playground on Paradise road, we are led to recommend its purchase. The play- ground on Paradise road is not adapted for ball playing, as the residents in the vicinity testify. Furthermore, when ball is being played, there is danger to the younger children, who are also entitled to use the playground. The acquirement by the Town of this Essex street land would tend to ensure a higher grade of real estate development in the vicinity than could be expected if the land were put on the market for building. We are satisfied that the price asked is a fair market price.
We, therefore, recommend the appropriation of $5,800 for the purchase of the Essex street land for park purposes by the Park Commission for, in the name, and on behalf of the Town of Swampscott, under the provisions of Chapter 28 of the Revised Laws and Acts in amendment thereof and in addition thereto.
In making this recommendation, your Committee feels that it should be called to the attention of the Town at this time that the land is susceptible to improvement and that the amount of money which may be spent is great. It will be well for the Town to bear this in mind, and consider to what extent the citizens are willing to spend money for such development.
We do not recommend that any money be spent for improve- ments this year.
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TOWN CLERK'S RECORDS.
1912]
G. A. R. [Article 45.]
We recommend that for heating and lighting the G. A. R. Hall there be appropriated, as heretofore, the sum of $25.
Article 46. [Bonds.]
We recommend that the following be fixed as the particulars of the bonds to be issued by the Town under the vote taken at this meeting under Article 36, appropriating $6,900 for the cost of construction of the Hadley school.
That, for the purpose of defraying the cost of the Hadley School, there be issued coupon bonds of the Town to the amount of sixty-nine hundred dollars ($6,900) to be dated during the current year, and six of the bonds to be of the denomination of one thousand dollars ($1,000), each numbered I to 6, and one bond of nine hundred dollars ($900), numbered 7, payable in gold coin of the United States, or its equivalent, bearing interest at the rate of four per centum per annum, payable semi-annually ; that the bond numbered I be payable one year from its date and bonds numbered 2 to 7, one each year thereafter in their numerical order each subsequent year for the period of six years thereafter. The principal and interest of said bonds shall be payable at the First National Bank, Boston, Massachusetts. Said bonds shall be signed by the Treasurer of the Town and countersigned by the Board of Selectmen, and shall bear the seal of the Town, and each of the said bonds shall bear on its face the words : "Town of Swampscott Schoolhouse Loan, 1912." Said bonds shall be sold under the direction of the Town Treasurer and the Board of Selectmen, but said bonds shall not be sold at less than par and interest.
We recommend that the following be fixed as the particulars of the bonds to be issued by the Town under the vote taken at this meeting under Article 36, appropriating $5, 100 for the fur- nishings of the Hadley School :
That, for the purpose of defraying the cost of the furnishings of the Hadley School, there be issued coupon bonds of the Town to the amount of fifty-one hundred dollars ($5,100) to be dated during the current year, and one of the bonds to be of the denomination of six hundred dollars ($600) and numbered I, and nine of the bonds to be of the denomination of five hundred dollars ($500), numbered from 2 to 10, payable in gold coin of the United States or its equivalent, bearing interest at the rate
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TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
of four per centum per annum, payable semi-annually ; that the bond numbered I be payable one year from its date and bonds numbered 2 to 10 one each year thereafter in their numerical order each subsequent year for the period of nine years there- after. The principal and interest of said bonds shall be payable at the First National Bank, Boston, Massachusetts. Said bonds shall be signed by the Treasurer of the Town and countersigned by the Board of Selectmen, and shall bear the seal of the Town, and each of the said bonds shall bear on its face the words : "Town of Swampscott School Equipment Loan, 1912." Said bonds shall be sold under the direction of the Town Treasurer and the Board of Selectmen, but said bonds shall not be sold at less than par and interest.
We recommend that the following be fixed as the particulars of the bonds to be issued by the Town under the vote taken at this meeting under Article 41 appropriating $5,800 for the purchase of the Essex street land for park purposes :
That, for the purpose of defraying the cost of the said land, there be issued coupon bonds of the Town to the amount of fifty-eight hundred dollars ($5,800), to be dated during the cur- rent year, and each bond to be of the denomination of two hundred dollars ($200) payable in gold coin of the United States or its equivalent, numbered respectively from 1 to 29, bearing interest at the rate of four per centum per annum, pay- able semi-annually; that the bond numbered I to be payable one year from its date and one bond each year thereafter in its numerical order for the period of twenty-eight years thereafter. The principal and interest of said bonds shall be payable at the First National Bank, Boston, Massachusetts. Said bonds shall be signed by the Treasurer of the Town and countersigned by the Board of Selectmen and shall bear the seal of the Town, and each of the said bonds shall bear on its face the words : "Town of Swampscott Essex Street Park Loan, 1912." Said bonds shall be sold under the direction of the Town Treasurer and the Board of Selectmen, but said bonds shall not be sold at less than par and interest.
ELGAR H. TOWNSEND, GEORGE D. R. DURKEE, LEON L. DENNIS, EDWARD N. CARPENTER, JOHN ALBREE,
Committee on Ways and Means.
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TOWN CLERK'S RECORDS.
1912]
General Government. [Town Report, page 189 and Article 11. ]
Voted, to accept and adopt the recommendations of the Com- mittee appropriating as follows :
Legislative
$375
Treasury Department
900
Collector's Department .
850
Assessors' Department .
1,700
Town Clerk's Department
275
Law Department .
500
Election Registration Department .
675
Town Hall .
2,200
Selectmen's Department
1,450
Auditing
.
925
.
Auditing Department. [Town Report, page 174.]
Voted, to accept and adopt the recommendations of the Com- mittee to adopt the Selectmen's recommendation for the abolish- ment of the Board of Town Auditors and that the Board of Selectmen be authorized to petition for an audit by the State as provided in Chapter 598 of the Acts of 1910.
Engineering Department. [Town Report, page 189.]
Voted, to accept and adopt the recommendation of the Com- mittee appropriating the sum of one thousand dollars ($1000) for engineering work.
Morris Land. [Town Report, page ISS ]
Voted, to accept and adopt the recommendation of the Committee referring the matter of the purchase of the Morris Lot to the next annual meeting.
Humphrey Street Widening. [Town Report, page 187.]
Voted, to indefinitely postpone action on this matter.
Police Department.
[Town Report, pages IS9, 256.]
Voted, to accept and adopt the recommendations of the Committee appropriating ten thousand dollars ($10,000) for
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TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
the Police Department and declaring that the interests of the residents of the Town require that a strict compliance with the laws of the road be rigidly enforced by the Police Department.
Ambulance.
[Town Report, page 259.]
Voted, to accept and adopt the recommendations of the Committee referring this matter to the Board of Selectmen for such rearrangements and readjustments needed to perfect the service, and further, that if the Selectmen find obstacles or hindrances in the performance of this duty, that they shall report the situation to the town for action.
Fire Department.
[Town Report, pages IS9, 250 and Article 15.]
Voted, to accept and adopt the recommendations of the Com- mittee appropriating the sum of sixteen thousand three hundred dollars ($16,300) for the Fire Department for the current year.
Sealer of Weights and Measures. [Town Report, pages 189, 279.]
Voted, to accept and adopt the recommendations of the Com- mittee and to amend by appropriating the sum of one hundred and twenty-five dollars for this department for the current year.
Tree Warden.
[Town Report, pages IS9), 323 and Article IS.]
Voted, to accept and adopt the recommendation of the Com- mittee appropriating five hundred and fifty dollars ($550) for the Tree Warden Department for the current year.
Dog Officer.
[Town Report, pages ISy, 324.]
Voted, to accept and adopt the recommendation of the Com- mittee appropriating one hundred and fifty-five dollars ($155) for the Dog Officer, which includes the amount due him for dogs killed.
Health Department. [Town Report, pages 190 and 260, 265.]
Voted, to accept and adopt the recommendations of the Com- mittee appropriating as follows :
Sanitation $2,550 00
Collection of Refuse and Garbage. 3,000 00
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TOWN CLERK'S RECORDS.
1912]
Sewer Maintenance. [Pages 190, 299.]
Voted, to lay this section of the report upon the table, and a reading of a portion of the Sewer Act being called for, Section 10 of Chapter So of the Act of 1902 was read and an amend- ment to appropriate six thousand dollars ($6,000) for mainte- nance of sewer was lost.
Voted, to accept and adopt the recommendations of the Com- mittee, appropriating six thousand dollars ($6,000) for sewer maintenance, the amount to be taken from the receipts for sewer assessments.
Highway Department.
[Town Report, page 245, Article 14]
Voted, to accept and adopt only those recommendations of the Committee as found on page 16 of their printed report, appropriating amounts as follows :
Highway Department, general expenses . $19,700
Repairs to sidewalks and curbs ยท
1,100
Catch basins and gutters (called street construction account) . 1,000
Street watering and oiling
4,500
Curbing .
300
The question arose as to whether further action on the Com- mittee's report on the Highway Department could be taken at this time, the Chair was appealed to for decision and decided that further action could be taken. An appeal from the decision of the Moderator was made, and by vote of the meeting the chair was not sustained.
Resurfacing Atlantic Avenue, Orient Street and New Ocean Street. [Town Report, page 249.]
Voted, to accept and adopt the report of the Committee appropriating three thousand five hundred dollars ($3,500) for this purpose.
Street Lighting.
[Town Report, page 270 and Articles 16, 30, 31, 32, 33 and 34.]
Voted, to accept and adopt the recommendations of the Com- mittee, discontinuing the Street Light Committee and appropriat-
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TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
ing the sum of ten thousand nine hundred dollars ($10,900) for street lights for the current year, the same to be expended under the direction of the Board of Selectmen. In the amount appropriated is included the estimated amounts for the lights petitioned for, and the placing of these lights is referred to the Board of Selectmen.
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