USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Swampscott > Town annual report of Swampscott 1963 > Part 10
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d. There shall be a single permit issued by the Building Inspector in the name of the Town of Swamp- scott for any installation or con- struction work or part thereof in- cluding remodeling.
e. The single application and per- mit shall be drafted as to form by a representative from each of the following Boards and the Building Inspector and the Fire Chief :
The Board of Selectmen
The Board of Public Works The Board of Health The Planning Board
The Building Code Advisory Board
The Building Code Advisory Committee shall from time to time review these forms for suitability.
f. Fees to be charged for the issu- ance of such permits shall be estab- lished by a committee of three in- cluding the Building Inspector and one representative from the Finance Committee who shall be Chairman,
and one representative of the Board of Selectmen. This Committee shall duly consider the cost of operating the Building Department and fees charged in comparable communi- ties, in initially establishing permit fees. The Building Code Advisory Committee shall review them from time to time to insure that they realistically reflect said costs with- out being unreasonable relative to other communities.
g. The Building Department shall be furnished with office room and such supplies as are necessary for the transaction of its business.
Article F. To see if the Town will vote to adopt the following By-Law for regulating the installation of gas appliances and gas piping, or take any action relative thereto:
Town of Swampscott By-Laws for
Installation of Gas Appliances and Gas Piping
Section 1. The Swampscott By- Laws regulating the installation of gas appliances and piping shall be the Massachusetts Code for gas ap- pliance and piping as established by the General Court of Massachusetts under Chapter 737 of the Acts of 1960 and any amendment thereto.
Section 2. The local authority having jurisdiction and responsi- bility for administering this by-law shall be the Board of Health acting through the Gas Inspector, to be appointed according to the new "Section 1" of the "Building Code" in accordance with the statute and rules of the Gas Regulatory Board.
Section 3. All gas fitters install- ing gas appliances and piping in the Town of Swampscott must obtain a permit from the Gas Inspector, ex- cept in those instances where gas heated plumbing fixtures or appli-
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ances are installed by the same plumber who installs the gas piping.
Section 4. A fee will be charged for all gas permits recommended under the new "Section 1" of the "Building Code".
Section 5. The invalidity of any portion of this By-Law shall not. affect the validity of any other por- tion thereof.
Two Consolidation Articles :
Article G. To see if the Town will vote to consolidate, coordinate and clarify the administration organiza- tion and functions of the following Advisory Study Committees as they now exist by placing them under the general direction of the Town Government Study Committee, ap- pointed by the Moderator and an- nually accountable to the Town Meeting to which all formal and final reports and recommendations shall be made in writing, although interim reports may be made to the Selectmen, the Finance Committee, and to the people at any time: the Economy and Revenue Committee (The Economy Planning and Tax Revenue Study Committees), Com- mittee to Investigate Hazards, Group Insurance Advisory Commit- tee, Harbor and Waterfront Com- mittee, Waste Collection and Dis- posal Committee, Railroad Bridge and Way Committee, and any others consistent with a continuing review of Town Government, in coopera- tion with the Finance Committee, with appointments thereto to fill vacancies to be made by the Chair- man of the Board of Selectmen and the Moderator, as heretofore, and appropriate the necessary funds for clerical assistance, supplies, print- ing, mailing, etc. or take any action relative thereto.
Article H. To see if the Town will vote to designate the Director of
Veterans' Services, or his designee, an "ex-officio" member and coordi- nator of the committees concerned with proper commemoration of the services of Swampscott Veterans of all wars to Nation, State, and Com- munity.
Tax Rate Control:
Article I-A. (Conduct of Econ. Base Study - 1958 and 1959 Articles. As . sponsored by Tax Revenue Study Comm. in 1958 and as sponsored by Tax Reve- nue Study Committee in 1959 in con- junction with the Reappraisal and Re- valuation Comm.) To see if the Town will vote to authorize and direct the Planning Board and the Board of Selectmen to jointly engage an ex- pert planning consultant under the provisions of Title 7 of the Housing Act of 1954 to present the Town with a survey and appraisal of the Town's physical, economical, and recreational and service needs, to- gether with recommendations as to methods best designed to furnish these needs consistent with good planning and improved control of taxes, and authorize and direct the Planning Board to apply for match- ing Federal funds and appropriate the necessary money therefor or take any action relative thereto.
Article I-B. (E.P.C. Art. of '57 and '58 for Admin. Efficiency and Economy.) To see if the Town will vote to authorize and direct the Selectmen to engage expert assis- tants to aid in the analysis of the Town's administrative procedures to effect increased economy and effi- ciency and appropriate the funds therefor.
Town Meeting :
Article J. To see what action the Town will take, if any, relative to repeal of Chapter 300 of the Acts of 1927.
D. Conclusion
Some have said that this Committee
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and the Selectmen are seeking more cen- tralized authority and control in the Board. To this the Committee readily pleads guilty. The Selectmen have not sought such control or authority as we have suggested, and, thus do not share our guilt.
Anyone familiar with the present Board knows that it is interested only in more orderly town government with clearer lines of authority and responsi- bility. They have clearly expressed their frustration at being placed in the posi- tion of "buck-passing", referral agents who must plead with other Boards on behalf of the people. They have made it clear to us that the exercise of some meaningful authority by someone is a basic necessity in the best interests of Swampscott and its people. They are not personally anxious to assume additional burdens.
The Town Government Study Com- mittee, disturbed by certain things it has been told during its studies relative to areas of variable application of Town regulations, is in complete agreement that there must be clear leadership duties assigned to some executive group in a town which, in reality, is a $5,686,250 ('62) a year business. There is only one executive body in the town form of government where top authority can and should be placed, and that body is the Board of Selectmen. Thinking was unanimous on these self-evident facts. Our fellow townspeople must have a single office where answers can be ob- tained and action on problems provided with promptness and finality. Again - that office can only be that of the Select- men. No other course, including the an- tiquated system presently followed, can be justified on logical grounds in these days of increasingly complex town and regional problems.
In point of fact, some feel the Town Government Study Committee may not have gone far enough in its proposals.
Stronger statutory alternatives are
available, though we do not favor them at this time:
A. The Selectmen could be empowered to appoint Boards and Officials to serve at their discretion. There is ample prece- dent for such a course.
B. The Selectmen could be substituted for many Boards and take over their du- ties and staffs. This, in whole or in part, is not uncommon in other towns.
However, as above, our Committee felt that the same end result is possible through our General proposal, now in specific form, with minimal disturbance of present personnel in Town Office.
The articles, some of which we hope will be adopted as noted, will at least begin to bring some order out of the con- fused Government relationships which could and often do result under present conditions.
Swampscott has a government based on no plan but on personal relationships between Boards and Officials - a fragile Administrative Fabric, compelling evi- dence of a serious need for strengthening Administrative Centralization.
The Committee feels the Selectmen should be charged with putting public functions in proper relation to each other, discouraging petty politics in the Administration Building and encouraging cooperation, good will, and efficiency. It is clear proof of lack of proper authority if trouble still exists despite clear instruc- tions from the present Board early in its term, that the Administration Building must be a place of business and service to the Town, that politics must not in- terfere, and that it must be required of all to give the taxpayers a dollar's worth of work for a dollar's worth of pay, as most have always done. It is perhaps significant that the Selectmen were chal- lenged in the '63 election as a probable result of their attempt to get these few obviously necessary principles established.
Because all know the Selectmen have
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no real authority, a very few could ignore this long overdue call to duty. They are free to engage in divisive gossip and petty "politics". Where and if it exists it should stop. The Selectmen must be given the power to insure that it does, in the public interest. No one should be allowed free rein to abuse a public trust. All Town offices belong to the townspeople. No one has a vested interest in any.
Small areas of disruption and irrespon- sibility alone, are final evidence of merit of the case for Administrative Central- ization.
The fact that our Town Administra- tion consists of a series of independent authorities often, perhaps always in some cases, operating in ignorance of each other except when they come in conflict. Common goals for securing our Town's future are officially non-existent except when, purely by voluntary agreement, a common viewpoint is reached on a major issue. There have been healthy examples of cooperative unity of pur- pose. But it is too often the exception - not the rule.
Many fully recognize the basic long range importance and magnitude of find- ing a solution to our "atomized" Govern- ment of isolated departments. The town is in the position of a football coach with 11 quarterbacks on the field calling signals which coincide only in obvious situations. Integration of our Govern- ment of good men in each area under central leadership is as important to the Town as is integration of a team of spe- cialists in each position under one quar. terback to the coach.
Much has been said of late on the sub ject of "Conflict of Interest".
The new statute, effective May 1st, '63 will require considerable study in its local application. The Selectmen were requested to classify some officers and employees as "special employees". The Study Committee's work can be most
helpful to the Selectmen in such cases and, conversely, their consideration of such requests may enlighten the Com- mittee's studies.
The Committee looks forward with interest to further experience with the new statute as it may be able to serve as a channel for suggestions for perfect- ing amendments to the statute or supple- mentary by-laws for Swampscott.
The Town Government Study Com- mittee is also intensely interested in the efforts to set up a Southern Essex County Regional Planning and A.R.A. area. The Metropolitan Area Planning Council with its potential good effects and dangers, and in the transportation and highway studies - a matter of specific concern since the 1956 Board of Selectmen initi- ated action in these fields - long before others recognized elementary planning and engineering aspects of the problems involved. Here lies another compelling reason for centralization of authority so that the Town can speak with one voice in the public interest. Our economic future could well depend on it.
With this our report concludes. At present, we have found what must be done, but are not entirely convinced our moderate way is the best. However, it deserves a try in the hope that nothing stronger is needed. We now turn to you for help and guidance and invite your endorsement of our present proposal in its present general form and solicit con- structive perfecting suggestions from all interested citizens and officials.
Town Government Study Committee
Reno S. Bisegna Charles M. Ewing
Robert C. Hunt, Secretary
William H. McCarty, Jr. -
George B. Thomson, Chairman
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COLLECTOR OF TAXES OLIVER W. COUGHLIN, Collector of Taxes
n account with the Town of Swampscott - 1963: DR.
Real Estate
$2,656,819.49
Sewer Assessments
2,379.61
Sidewalk Assessments
13.41
Water Liens
10,358.84
Committed Interest
444.33
Personal Property
182,996.66
Poll
8,308.00
Excise
383,210.53
Water Rates
144,891.10
Water Service
13,943.01
Water Rent
1,500.00
Water Miscellaneous
985.49
Unapportioned Sewer Assessments
6,793.98
Department Accounts Receivable
5,806.49
Estate of Deceased Persons
2,153.20
Apportioned Sewers Paid in Advance
25.54
Refunds
6,125.64
Collector's Cost
413.98
Interest on Taxes
827.03
$3,427,996.33
CR.
Cash Paid on Real Estate
$2,517,328.04
Cash Paid on Sewer Assessments
2,170.77
Cash Paid on Sidewalk Assessments
13.41
Cash Paid on Water Liens
8,427.17
Cash Paid on Committed Interest
368.65
Cash Paid on Added Interest
827.03
Cash Paid on Personal Property
171,735.27
Cash Paid on Poll Tax
6,840.97
Cash Paid on Excise
314,692.11
Cash Paid on Water Rates
107,111.90
Cash Paid on Water Service
11,183.84
Cash Paid on Water Rent
1,500.00
Cash Paid on Water Miscellaneous
985.49
Cash Paid on Unapportioned Sewer Assessment
2,579.41
Cash Paid on Dept. Accounts Receivable
3,633.57
Cash Paid on Apportioned Sewers in Advance
25.54
Cash Paid on Collector's Cost
413.98
Abatements on Real Estate
48,758.76
Abatements on Personal Property
5,070.60
Abatements on Poll
1,352.00
Abatements on Excise
23,074.16
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Abatements on Water Rates
Abatements on Water Service
Abatements Refunded
Uncollected Real Estate
Uncollected Sewer Assessments
208.84
Uncollected Water Liens
1,931.67
Uncollected Committed Interest
75.68 6,190.79 115.03
Uncollected Personal Property
Uncollected Poll
Uncollected Excise
45,444.26
Uncollected Water Rates
37,547.00
Uncollected Water Service
2,692.65
Uncollected Dept. Accounts Receivable
2,172.92
Uncollected Estates of Deceased Persons
2,153.20
Uncollected Unapportioned Sewers
4,214.57
$3,427,996.33
TREASURER'S REPORT
ROBERT G. BYRNE, Treasurer
In account with the Town of Swampscott for year ending December 31, 1963:
Balance on Hand, January 1, 1963
$ 1,299,850.13
Receipts and Income from all sources during 1963 5,345,342.01
$ 6,645,192.14
Less Warrants Paid
6,111,024.96
Balance on Hand, December 31, 1963 $ 534,167.18
STATEMENT
Indicating Borrowing Capacity as of December 31, 1963:
Valuation, 1961, less Abatements
$ 41,095,801.00
Valuation, 1962, less Abatements
42,545,300.00
Valuation, 1963, less Abatements
41,038,957.00
Total Valuation
$124,680,058.00
Average Valuation
41,560,019.33
Five Per Cent (5%) of Average Valuation
2,078,000.97
Less Outstanding Debt Issued Within Debt Limit
633,000.00
Borrowing Capacity as of December 31, 1963 $ 1,445,000.97
TRUST FUNDS
The following is a list of Trust Funds held by the Treasurer as Custodian of all Funds and Securities of the Town as provided for in Chapter 282 of the Acts of 1915, indicating balances as of December 31, 1963:
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232.20 66.52 6,125.64 90,732.69
Phillips Medal Fund $ 2,568.48
Joanna Morse Library Fund
5,196.00
Ellen R. Whittle Library Fund 2,000.00
Mary L. Thomson Library Fund
1,000.00
Cemetery Gifts and Bequests Fund
8,127.28
Emma Y. Stocker Cemetery Fund
517.90
Hattie F. Sherman Cemetery Fund
500.00
Manuel Ross Scholarship Fund
1.00
Perpetual Care of Cemetery Fund
6.388.47
Clara F. Ingalls Fund
1,706.00
Benjamin G. Ingalls Fund
1,706.00
Grace T. Peterson Cemetery Fund
1,979.66
*High School Alumni Fund
5,235.19
*This is not a Trust Fund as defined by law but is held by the Town Treasurer in behalf of the Alumni Fund Committee.
BOARD OF ASSESSORS
THOMAS F. COLLINS, Chairman ERNEST MANCHIN, Secretary
ANTHONY F. PIERRE
The Board of Assessors submit all figures used to determine the Tax Rate for 1963 at $81.00 per thousand:
VALUATIONS
Real Estate
$32,800,175.00
Personal Property
2,259,218.00
Total
$35,059,393.00
APPROPRIATIONS AND ASSESSMENTS
State
$ 95,294.54
County
162,590.93
Town
3,740,946.18
Total
$ 3,998,831.65
ESTIMATED RECEIPTS AND AVAILABLE FUNDS
Taxation on Property and Polls
$ 2,848,124.15
Taxation on Motor Vehicles
354,350.08
Receipts from State
351,307.35
Receipts from County
6,918.88
Receipts from Metropolitan Parks
1,756.24
Receipts from Town
134,835.37
Available Funds
301,539.58
Total
$ 3,998,831.65
TABLE OF AGGREGATES
Number of Persons, Partnerships, Corporations
4020
109
Number of Polls Number of Dwellings Assessed Value of Land Value of Buildings
4154 3525
$ 7,835,094.0(
24,965,081.0(
MOTOR VEHICLES AND TRAILERS ASSESSED
(Not figured in the Tax Rate) Number of Cars Assessed
7475
Valuation of Cars Assessed
$ 6,876,735.0(
Excise Tax on Cars Assessed
387,325.31
BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS
ALFRED N. FRAZIER, Chairman
GEORGE J. BURKE ROGER A. WILLIAMS, JR.
PAUL A. POLISSON, Superintendent AUSTIN D. Mosco, Administrative Assistant and Secretary
GEORGE H. MELCHER, Town Engineer CHESTER E. BRADLEY, Water Supt.
FREDERICK C. BURK, Park Supt. TIMOTHY J. RYAN, Highway Supt
ARTHUR E. HARDY, Cemetery Supt.
The Board of Public Works herewith submits its Eighth Annual Report to the citizens of the Town of Swampscott for the year 1963.
Mr. Alfred N. Frazier was unani- mously elected Chairman for 1963 at the meeting of the Board held after Town Meeting.
The Department of Public Works for administrative purposes is divided into six service divisions. A general report of each Division's activity follows with a summary of accomplishments completes the 1963 Report.
Cemetery Division
There are four assigned employees for cemetery purposes with additional help as needed from the other Divisions to properly maintain one of the best ap- pearing cemeteries in the state.
There were 107 interments in 1963. All receipts for interments, lot sales, liners, foundations, etc., were paid to the Town Treasurer.
A new garage was completed adjacent to the Cemetery Office for storage of Public Works vehicles and for housing all grinding and maintenance equipment
for all types of power mowers used by the Public Works Department. The re- pairs, grinding and painting of the power equipment is done by qualified Public Works employees during the winter months.
A new section of the Cemetery is be- ing developed and should be completed in 1964. The existing area for develop- ment of the Swampscott Cemetery will provide graves until approximately 1975. Therefore, the Board of Public Works recommends that additional land be pur- chased now for future use.
Engineering Division
Engineering services furnished by this Division throughout 1963 included land surveying, preparation of record plans, writing descriptions of properties and easements, correcting maps for the Board of Assessors in accordance with land transfers as received from the Registry of Deeds, computation of assessment quantities, cost estimating, designing of various works and structures, preparation of contracts including specifications and
110
drawings, laying out and supervising the work on various construction projects, and the furnishing of engineering data to private engineers, surveyors, attorneys, and the general public. The apportion- ment of these services is shown in the following table:
Department or Division
Man- Hours
Per
Cent
Water Division
2,562
24.67
Sewer Division
1,926
18.55
Highway Divison
1,708
16.45
Cemetery Division
1,203
11.58
*Engineering Division
749
7.21
Board of Assessors
572
5.51
Housing Authority
528
5.08
Board of Selectmen
289
2.78
Park Division
279
2.69
School Department
213
2.05
Private Citizens
206
1.98
Finance Committee
80
0.77
Planning Board
38
0.37
Town Counsel
25
0.24
Board of Health
4
0.04
Board of Election
Commissioners
3
0.03
Totals
10,385
100.00
*Includes administration and work not chargeable to a particular division or de- partment.
Because projects requiring engineering services are usually described in the an- nual reports of the various divisions and departments concerned, no listing of such projects is repeated here.
Highway Division
This division has twenty-one assigned employees plus two assigned employees for all traffic work. From this division assistance is given to the other divisions requiring added personnel for short periods of time and for special priority projects.
Under general maintenance all catch basins were cleaned in the spring and fall, streets and sidewalks were swept, patched, plowed, sanded and repaired. Beaches were cleaned, drains flushed and
repaired. In the fall the two leaf ma- chines did a remarkable job of cleaning up leaves.
Traffic lines and signs were replaced by this division for the Board of Select- men and the Police Department, and cross walks on Humphrey Street were again painted a solid traffic green for the safety of the pedestrians. New bitu- minous concrete sidewalks were con- structed under the Continuous Sidewalk Program and old bituminous concrete sidewalks were resurfaced under the Sidewalk Replacement Program.
Park Division
One of the highlights of this division was the reading of Mr. Polisson and his faith in Yankee Folklore, who requested that the act of Dowsing be tried to find a lost well at the Thomson Administra- tion Building grounds. Several forked sticks were cut from various tree species and put to use in the hands of depart- ment men; however a willow forked branch held by Clyde Emery suddenly dipped in spite of his trying hard to hold it, a hole was dug and the well located. It is expected that with the installation of a pump watering can be carried on during heavy load periods of the regular water system.
Little League baseball was helped in the first large advancement of its grounds by relocating the bleachers to center field, the rebuilding and reseeding of the grass in-field and the construction of high chain link fence bull-pens. We now believe this field to be second to none in the circuit.
Rebuilding two clay tennis courts at Phillips Park to permanent type, light green in color allows for a much longer season and an easier maintenance prob- lem.
The construction of the permanent type at Jackson Park allows flooding for little tots in the winter. It is hoped that floodlighting be installed for evening use.
Planting newly constructed green-
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belts and replacing Dutch Elm diseased trees with flowering cherries and haw- thornes, as well as the small Scanlon tailored type was carried out.
Through the spraying of oaks by heli- copter, the spread of the oak leaf skele- tonizer was checked.
Due to the present controversy of the use of pesticides, only insecticides and acaricides that meet the approval of the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology College of Agriculture, Uni- versity of Massachusetts, are being used.
Towards acquiring further informa- tion of material use and the probable requirements of licensing of applicators, refresher courses were attended at the University.
The replacement of the Town Seal at the northern end of the Fish House was a work of a craftsman, Mr. Carl God- dard of Nahant who carved the patent from sugar pine. A casting was forged at the Walpole Correctional Institution and the seal was then painted by Mrs. Goddard, resulting in a lovely piece of work.
Sewer Division
This Division has four employees and they maintain and repair all main sewers. Their duties also include the mainte- nance of all the motorized equipment in the Sewer Pumping Station.
In the Pumping Station, the 4500 g.p.m. pump unit which was installed in 1932, was checked for impellar wear and wearing ring clearance.
In accordance with the vote of the Town Meeting of March, 1963 the Board of Public Works advertised and awarded a contract for the purchase and installa- tion of a new auxiliary diesel engine to replace a gasoline engine which has be- come obsolete. This engine drives an auxiliary pump used during periods of heavy pumping and is the only unit available in the event of power failures which often times occur during periods
of excessive pumping caused by storms. The engine has been delivered and will be installed in January, 1964.
A complete set of cutting knives were installed to the two comminutors and the Receiving Basin was cleaned periodi- cally.
Two manholes were constructed for the 20" and 18" outfall sewer gate valves at the entrance of the Town Way to Whales Beach. The two gate valves were previously opened and closed through a gate box and this made it difficult for inspection and repairs.
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