USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Swampscott > Town annual report of Swampscott 1950 > Part 17
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Department of Corporations and Taxation
State House, Boston
Sir:
In accordance with your instructions, I have made an audit of the books and accounts of the town of Swampscott for the period from May 1, 1949, the date of the previous audit, to May 19, 1950, and submit the following report thereon:
The financial transactions, as recorded on the books of the several departments collecting money for the town or committing bills for collection, were examined and checked for the period of the audit.
The books and accounts of the town accountant were examined and checked with the treasurer's books and with the records in the several departments. The receipts, as recorded, were checked with the treasurer's cash book and the payments were compared with the warrants authorizing the disbursement of town funds.
The ledger was analyzed, the appropriations were compared with the town clerk's records of appropriations voted, and the recorded transfers from the reserve fund were checked with the authorizations by the finance committee. A balance sheet, which is appended to this report, was prepared showing the financial condition of the town on May 19, 1950.
The books and accounts of the town treasurer were examined and checked in detail. The recorded receipts were analyzed and compared with the collector's records of payments to the treasurer, with the records in the several departments collecting money for the town, and with the other sources from which money was paid into the town treasury, while the payments were checked with the select- men's warrants to the treasurer. The cash balance on May 19, 1950, was proved by actual count of the cash in the office and by recon- ciliation of the bank balances with statements furnished by the banks in which town funds are deposited.
The payments on account of maturing debt and interest were verified by comparison with the amounts falling due and with the cancelled securities and coupons on file.
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The securities and savings bank books representing the in- vestments of the trust, investment, and retirement funds were ex- amined and listed. The income was proved and the withdrawals and disbursements were verified.
The tax title deeds on hand were examined and listed. The amounts transferred from the several tax levies to the tax title ac- count were verified, the tax titles redeemed were checked with the treasurer's cash book, and the tax titles on hand were listed and compared with the records at the Registry of Deeds.
The records of payroll deductions on account of federal taxes were listed and reconciled with the treasurer's and the town ac- countant's books.
The assessors' records of abatements granted were listed and reconciled with the collector's commitment books and with the accountant's ledger. The assessor's warrants for the commitment of taxes, motor vehicle and trailer excise, assessments, and water liens were examined and checked with the detailed lists. The records of apportioned assessments not due were listed and reconciled with the accountant's ledger accounts.
The books and accounts of the town collector were examined and checked. The taxes, motor vehicle and trailer excise, assessments, and departmental accounts receivable outstanding according to the previous examination, as well as all subsequent commitment lists, were audited and reconciled with the warrants issued for their collection.
The collector's cash books were footed, the payments to the treasurer by the collector were checked to the treasurer's books, the abatements were compared with the records in the departments authorized to grant them, and the outstanding accounts were listed.
Verification notices were mailed to a number of persons whose names appeared on the books as owing money to the town, the re- plies received thereto indicating that the outstanding accounts, as listed, are correct.
The records of dog and sporting licenses issued by the town clerk were examined and checked, the payments to the Division of Fisheries and Game and to the town treasurer being verified.
The surety bonds of the financial officials for the faithful per- formance of their duties were examined and found to be in proper form.
The accounts of the sealer of weights and measures, of the police, health, school, library, park, and cemetery departments, as well as of all other departments collecting money for the town or committing bills for collection, were examined and checked, the payments to the treasurer being compared with the treasurer's cash book.
In addition to the balance sheet referred to, there are appended to this report tables showing a reconciliation of the treasurer's and town clerk's cash, summaries of the tax, motor vehicle and trailer excise, assessment, tax title, departmental, and water accounts, as well as tables showing the condition and transactions of the trust, investment, and retirement funds.
For the cooperation extended by all of the town officials during the progress of the audit, I wish, on behalf of my assistants and for myself, to express appreciation.
Respectfully submitted,
HERMAN B. DINE,
Assistant Director of Accounts.
HBD:GBS
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TOWN WARRANT
1950]
Town Warrant Monday, March 19, 1951
Essex, ss.
To either of the Constables of the Town of Swampscott in said County :
GREETING :
In the name of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts you are directed to notify the inhabitants of the Town of Swampscott qualified to vote in elections and in town affairs, to assemble in their respective precincts, in said Swampscott, to wit
In Precinct One-Polling Place-Machon School on Burpee Road.
In Precinct Two-Polling Place-Phoenix Bowling Alleys, 217 Burrill Street.
In Precinct Three-Polling Place-Town Hall on Burrill Street.
In Precinct Four-Polling Place-State Road Service Station, 219 State Road.
In Precinct Five-Polling Place-Odd Fellows Hall, 115 Elmwood Road.
In Precinct Six-Polling Place-Hadley School on Redington Street.
In Precinct Seven-Polling Place-Essex Oil Filling Station, 638 Humphrey Street.
In Precinct Eight-Polling Place-Phillips Beach Fire . Engine House, Phillips Avenue.
On Monday, the nineteenth day of March, 1951, at seven (7) o'clock in the forenoon, then and there to act on the following articles, viz :
At the close of the election the meeting will adjourn to Tuesday, the twenty-seventh day of March, 1951, at 7:45 P.M., at the Hadley Junior High School.
Article 1. To choose a Moderator for one (1) year.
To choose three members of the Board of Selectmen for one (1) year.
To choose one member of the Water and Sewerage board for two (2) years.
To choose one member of the Water and Sewerage board for three (3) years.
To choose one member of the Board of Assessors for three (3) years.
To choose one member of the Park Commission for three (3) years.
To choose two members of the School Committee for three (3) years.
To choose one member of the Board of Trustees of the Pub- lic Library for three (3) years.
To choose one member of the Board of Public Welfare for three (3) years.
To choose one member of the Board of Health for three (3) years.
To choose three constables for one (1) year.
To choose a Surveyor of Highways for three (3) years.
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To choose one member of the Planning Board for five (5) years.
To choose one member of the Board of Commissioners of Trust Funds for three (3) years.
To choose one member of the Swampscott Housing Authority for five (5) years.
To choose eight (8) representative Town Meeting Members in each precinct for three (3) years.
To choose one (1) representative Town Meeting Member in Precinct One for two (2) years.
To choose one (1) representative Town Meeting Member in Precinct Two for two (2) years.
To choose one (1) representative Town Meeting Member in Precinct Three for one (1) year.
To choose one (1) representative Town Meeting Member in Precinct Four for two (2) years.
To choose one (1) representative Town Meeting Member in Precinct Five for one (1) year.
To choose two (2) representative Town Meeting Members in Precinct Five for two (2) years.
To choose one (1) representative Town Meeting Member in Precinct Seven for one (1) year.
To choose one (1) representative Town Meeting Member in Precinct Eight for two (2) years.
And to vote on the following questions:
QUESTION 1
Shall the town vote to accept the provisions of Section nineteen B of Chapter forty-one of the General Laws and thereby provide permanent tenure for Mal- colm F. MacLean, Jr., the present incumbent in the office of Town Clerk?
YES 1
NO
QUESTION 2
Part. 1. Shall the town of Swampscott vote that the office of Superintendent of the Water Department be placed within the classified civil service?
- YES İ
YES 1
NO -
QUESTION 3
Shall the town vote to accept the provisions of Chapter 31 of the General Laws, therefore providing civil service for the official and the labor services of the Town of Swampscott?
YES
NO
QUESTION 4
Shall an act passed by the General Court in the year 1951, entitled, "An Act Establishing a Town Manager Form of Government for the Town of Swamp- scott" be accepted by this town?
YES
NO -
All to be voted by ballot.
Article 2. To hear and act on the reports of town officials, boards, and committees. Sponsored by the Board of Selectmen.
NO
-
Part 2. If it is voted to place the office of Su- perintendent of the Water Department within the clas- sified civil service, shall the Town of Swampscott vote to provide for the continuance in said office of Chester E. Bradley, the present incumbent thereof, after pass- ing the qualifying examination ?
201
TOWN WARRANT
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Article 3. To hear and act on the report of the Committee ap- pointed to plan for the Town's observance of the one hundredth anniversary of its incorporation and to appropriate money therefor or take any action relative thereto. Sponsored by the Centennial Committee.
Article 4. To see if the town will vote to make permanent the current two dollar a week cost of living bonus granted to full time employees at the previous Town Meeting and appropriate the necessary money therefor or take any action relative thereto. Peti- tioned for by I. Murray Adams et al.
Article 5. To see if the town will vote to appropriate a sum of money for the purpose of granting to each full time employee of the various departments, except teachers and officials in the School Department, a salary increase equal to Ten Dollars ($10.00) per week, to be retroactive to January 1st, 1951. Petitioned for by Charles F. Young et al.
Article 6. To see what action the town will take in relation to the recommendations calling for the appropriation or expenditures of money, and creation of a debt, or the disposition of town property, as set forth in the report of officers, boards or committees. Sponsored by the Board of Selectmen.
Article 7. To see what action the town will take in relation to the appropriation of money for departmental and other expenses, as listed in the budget in the Selectmen's report of the annual town report for the year 1950. Sponsored by the Board of Selectmen.
Article 8. To see what action the town will take in relation to salaries of elected town officials for the ensuing year. Sponsored by the Board of Selectmen.
Article 9. To see if the town. will authorize the Board of Public Welfare to appoint one of its own members as agent and investigating officer and fix the salary of such appointee at $520.00 as provided by Chapter 41, Section 4A of the General Laws (Ter. Ed.). Sponsored by the Board of Public Welfare.
Article 10. To see if the town will authorize the Bureau of Old Age Assistance to appoint one of its own members as agent and investigating officer and fix the salary of such appointee at $2,665.70 as provided by Chapter 41, Section 4A of the General Laws (Ter. Ed.). Sponsored by the Bureau of Old Age Assistance.
Article 11. To see if the town will authorize the Board of Assessors, the Board of Park Commissioners and the Planning Board each, to appoint a member of such boards to act as secretary thereof and receive pay therefor, as provided by Chapter 41, Section 4A of the General Laws (Ter. Ed.). Sponsored by the Board of Assessors, the Board of Park Commissioners and the Planning Board.
Article 12. To see if the town will vote to appropriate a sum of money to the account of unpaid bills for the purpose of settling all bills contracted prior to January 1, 1951 and remaining unpaid at the time of the closing of the town's books for the year 1950 ac- cording to the records of the Town Accountant. Sponsored by the Board of Selectmen.
Article 13. To see if the town will vote to transfer from the Excess and Deficiency Fund of the town to the account of Current Revenue, such sum of money as the Board of Assessors may deem advisable, said sum to be used and applied by the Board of Assessors in reduction of the tax levy, or take any action relative thereto. Sponsored by the Board of Selectmen.
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Article 14. To see what action the town will take in respect to the disposition of the old Town Hall and act upon the report of the Board of Selectmen as required under the provisions of Article 15 of the warrant for the annual town meeting of 1950 and ap- propriate the necessary money therefor or take any action relative thereto. Sponsored by the Board of Selectmen.
Article 15. To see what action the town will take in respect to making the necessary repairs to the Phillips Beach Engine House and act upon the report of the Board of Selectmen as required under the provisions of Article 19 of the warrant for the annual town meeting of 1950 and appropriate the necessary money therefor or take any action relative thereto. Sponsored by the Board of Selectmen.
Article 16. To see if the town will vote to authorize the Board of Selectmen to cancel the lease entered into between the town of Swampscott and the Leon E. Abbott Post 57 American Legion Build- ing Association dated April 10, 1947 and authorize the said Board to execute a new lease with the said Leon E. Abbott Post 57 American Legion Building Association for a term of five years from April 10, 1951 and appropriate the sum of $1750 therefor or take any action relative thereto. Petitioned by Alfred B. Jones et al.
Article 17. To see if the town will vote to accept as a gift from Louis Gutterman and the Homesites Realty Company a portion of the land located at the end of Plymouth Avenue and adjacent to the standpipe property, so-called, shown as Plate 14, Lot 75 of the Assessors' Plans for park purposes. Sponsored by the Board of Selectmen.
Article 18. To see if the town will authorize the Board of Selectmen to purchase or take by eminent domain the whole or any portion of the premises shown as Plate 13, Lots 200 and 210 of the Assessors Plans of the town of Swampscott for cemetery purposes and appropriate the necessary money therefor or take any action relative thereto. Sponsored by the Board of Selectmen and Superin- tendent of- Cemetery.
Article 19. To see if thetown will vote to purchase an auto- mobile to be used as a patrol car for the Police Department and ap- propriate a sum of money therefor or take any action relative thereto. Sponsored by the Board of Selectmen and Chief of Police.
Article 20. To see if the town will vote to authorize the Board of Trustees of the Public Library to engage an architect to prepare plans and specifications for an addition to the Public Library and appropriate the necessary money therefor or take any action relative thereto. Sponsored by the Board of Trustees of the Public Library.
Article 21. To see if the town will vote to adopt the following by-laws putting into effect the Griffenhagen Report.
ARTICLE X-A. BY-LAWS ESTABLISHING RULES AND REGU- LATIONS GOVERNING CLASSIFICATION OF PERSONNEL AND THE ADMINISTRATION OF A SALARY AND WAGE PLAN FOR ALL TOWN EMPLOYEES.
Section 1. - The Classification Plan :- The official classification plan for positions in the service of the town shall consist of the classes listed by titles in Schedule A which is made a part hereof (Exhibit A of Griffenhagen Report) and shall apply to all positions in the service of the town except those filled by popular election and those under the direction and control of the School Committee, and the Board of Library Trustees.
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TOWN WARRANT
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Section 2. - The Pay Plan :- The official pay plan shall consist of the scales of pay for the several classes set forth in Schedule B (Exhibit B of Griffenhagen Report) which is made a part hereof. After the effective date of the classification and compensation plan no contract shall be made with any employee occupying a position governed by the classification plan which shall provide for a rate of pay inconsistent with the rates set forth in the pay plan. Time and one-half shall be paid for all hours' work in excess of forty to all employees assigned to positions allocated to a class, the rate for which is set forth in an hourly wage scale appearing in Schedule B which is made a part hereof. However, time and one-half for hours' work in excess of forty hours shall be paid only to those employees whose rates are within the limits set forth in the pay plan.
Section 3 - Amendment of the Plans :- The classification plan and the provisions included herein may be amended in the manner provided by law, or in the manner provided by the bylaws of the town, whichever is applicable. The pay plan may be established or changed by vote of the town at a Town Meeting, or as provided by law, whichever is applicable.
In a case of urgent necessity, the personnel officer, after con- sultation with the appointing authority and with the approval of the personnel board, may anticipate formal action by the town by tenta- tively adding a new classification to the classification plan and estab- lishing the salary or wage therefor, subject to subsequent early ratification of such action by the town at a Town Meeting and further subject to the approval of the Division of Civil Service when so required.
Section 4 - Personnel Board :- There shall be a personnel board consisting of three members to be appointed by the Moderator, as follows:
(a) An elected town official who shall be chairman for a period of one year
(b) A town employee for a period of two years
(c) A citizen and registered voter of the town for a period of three years and thereafter as their terms expire, for a period of three years.
The personnel board shall be vested with the authority to promulgate such rules and regulations as are necessary for the proper administration of the classification and pay plans. Nothing in such rules and regulations shall conflict with the provisions contained herein.
Section 5 - Personnel Officer :- There shall be appointed by the Board of Selectmen, a personnel officer who shall be responsible for the administration of the classification and pay plan and such rules and regulations regarding the plans that may be promulgated by the personnel board.
Appeal from any decision of the personnel officer may be made to the ·personnel board, should such decision conflict with anything contained herein, or with the rules and regulations adopted by the board for administration of the plans.
Section 6 - Class definitions :- The personnel officer shall pro- vide, and may amend from time to time, written definitions of the classes of the classification plan, such consisting of a statement de- scribing the essential nature of the work characteristic of positions of the class distinguished such positions from positions of other classes with such examples as may be deemed appropriate.
Section 7 - Interpretation of Class Definitions :- The definitions of the classes shall be interpreted as descriptive only and not re- strictive. The definition for any class shall be construed solely as a means of identifying positions properly pertaining to the class, and
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not as prescribing what the duties or responsibilities of any position of the class shall be, or as modifying, or in any way affecting, the power of any administrative authority, as otherwise existing, to ap- point, to assign duties to, or to direct and control the work of any employee under the jurisdiction of such authority.
Section 8 - Records and Requisitions :- The personnel officer shall keep such records of all employees of the town, including the name, age, date of employment, civil service classification if any, department in which employed, nature of duties and other infor- mation as it deems desirable. All requisitions for persons to fill positions or perform duties classified under the civil service law, all requests for transfers, increases in salary, changes in ratings, or other requests made to the director of civil service or the department of civil service shall be cleared through the personnel officer.
Section 9 - Allocation of Positions to Classes :- The personnel officer shall allocate each position, subject to the provisions of this bylaw, to its appropriate class in the classification plan. Whenever a new position is established, or the duties of an existing position are so changed that, in effect, a new position of a different class is sub- stituted for the old position, the personnel officer shall allocate such new or changed position to its appropriate class. He shall likewise re- allocate any position from class to class whenever he finds such action warranted by reason of error in the allocation then in effect. He shall afford reasonable opportunity to be heard to any employee or ap- pointing authority affected by any allocation or reallocation, upon written request therefor, and may afford such opportunity in the absence of such request.
Section 10 - Titles of Positions :- No person shall be appointed, employed, or paid as an employee in any position subject to the pro- visions of this by-law, under any title other than that of the class to which the position is allocated. The title of each class shall be the official title of every position allocated to the class for all purposes having to do with the position as such, and shall be used to designate the position in all payrolls, budget estimates, and official records and reports, and in every other connection involving personnel and fiscal processes, but any abbreviation or code symbol approved by the per- sonnel officer may be used in lieu of the title to designate the class of a position in any such connection.
Section 11 - Operation of Bylaw :- This bylaw shall be operative only as to employees whose positions are classified hereunder and for which positions minimum and maximum salaries have been established by vote of the town at a Town Meeting.
Section 12 - Civil Service Law :- Nothing in this bylaw shall be construed to conflict with Chapter 31 of the General Laws.
Sponsored by the Board of Selectmen and Finance Committee.
Article 22. To see if the town will vote to authorize the Water & Sewerage Board to lease the building at 26-28 New Ocean Street for a period of five years. Sponsored by the Water & Sewerage Board.
Article 23. To see if the town will vote to appropriate a sum of money to be used in conjunction with money appropriated by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the County of Essex for the repair or construction of highways as provided by Chapter 90 of the General Laws. Sponsored by the Board of Selectmen.
Article 24. To see if the town will vote to appropriate a sum of money for the proper observance of the Fourth of July or take any action relative thereto. Sponsored by the Board of Selectmen.
Article 25. To see if the town will vote to appropriate a sum of money for the proper observance of Memorial Day or take any action relative thereto. Sponsored by the Board of Selectmen.
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Article 26. To see if the town will vote to appropriate a sum of money for the proper observance of Armistice Day or take any ac- tion relative thereto. Sponsored by the Board of Selectmen.
Article 27. To see if the town will vote to appropriate the sum of $3,000 for the control of the DUTCH ELM disease, as set forth by Section 13, Chapter 761, Acts of 1949, and recommended by the Department of Conservation, Division of Insect Pest Control, or take any action relative thereto. Sponsored by the Board of Park Com- missioners.
Article 28. To see if the town will vote to appropriate the sum of $3500 to be used from the appropriation already made under the provisions of Article 21 of the warrant for the annual town meeting of 1950 for the installation of two culverts on Fisherman's Beach or take any action relative thereto. Sponsored by the Water & Sewerage Board.
Article 29. To see if the town will vote to authorize the Board of Selectmen to purchase a new four wheel drive jeep for the Ceme- tery Department to replace the 1946 half ton pick-up truck now in use and appropriate the necessary money therefor or take any action relative thereto. Sponsored by the Board of Selectmen and Superin- tendent of Cemetery.
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