USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Weymouth > Town annual report of Weymouth 1931 > Part 4
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Article 9. Voted: That all insurance money which the Town may receive between now and the next Annual Town Meeting for the destruction or damage by fire or lightning of any Town property is hereby appropriated for the purpose of replacing or repairing the property so destroyed or damaged and with the approval of the Board in charge of the Municipal Building Insurance Fund may be paid out for said purpose on the order of the Board or Official in. charge of the Department having control of the property so de -; stroyed or damaged. Voted further that in case any Town property not covered by insurance or of which the Town is co-insurer under any provision of the policy shall be destroyed or damaged by fire : or lightning before the next Annual Town Meeting, the Board in , charge of the Municipal Building Insurance Fund are hereby author- ized to pay from said fund and its accumulations of interest for the : replacing or repairing of said property and a sum not exceeding the fair: replacement value of the uninsured property so destroyed or damaged and not exceeding the Town's proportion of said fair re- placement value of any property of which the Town is a co-insurer.
Article 10. Voted: That the sum of $7,500.00 be raised by loan and appropriated for the construction of water mains of six inches or more in diameter, and that the Treasurer of the Town be and hereby is authorized with the approval of the Selectmen, to borrow said sum of $7,500.00 for said purpose, said bonds or notes to be payable in accordance with the provisions of Section 19 of Chapter 44 of the General Laws, so that the whole shall be paid in not more than fif- teen. years. .
The tellers reported 134 voting in the affirmative and none in the negative, a unanimous vote.
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Article 11. Voted to appropriate not to exceed $20,000.00 from the General Fund of the Water Department for the purpose of pay- ing for work done by said Department for private parties, payment for such work to revert to the General Fund of the Water Department.
Article 12. Motion offered by the Appropriation Committee : To re-affirm the action taken under Article 35 of the warrant for the Annual Town Meeting in 1928, Article 12 of the warrant for the Annual Town Meeting in 1929, and Article 18 of the warrant for the Annual Town Meeting in 1930 authorizing the Board of Water Com- missioners to acquire by gift or purchase or take by right of eminent domain for the purpose of protecting the Town's water supply cer- tain land lying within the water shed of Great Pond and not already owned by the Town, and that the sum of $16,000.00 be appropriated from the General Fund of the Water Department for the purpose of the acquisition of said land, including the expense of any legal proceedings connected therewith.
Mr. Frank H. Hale, Jr. moved as an amendment : That no fur- ther action be taken at this time on this article but that it be re- ferred to a committee appointed by the Moderator to investigate and report at the next Annual Town Meeting.
The question of this amendment was put before the meeting and it was declared not a vote.
The question on the motion as offered by the Appropriation Committee was then put before the meeting and a count by the tellers who reported 94 voting in the affirmative and 4 in the neg- ative, the Moderator declared the motion carried.
Mr. Daniel O'Donnell moved: That a committee of five be ap- pointed by the Moderator to look into the matter of pollution of Great Pond (as stated by Mr. Hale in his remarks) and report at a future meeting.
This question was put before the meeting and it was so voted.
Article 13. Voted. That the Board of Selectmen be authorized to accept on behalf of the Town deeds of any land adjoining parcels taken by the Town in the vicinity of Great Pond for the protection of the water supply and that any such acquisitions already made are hereby ratified and affirmed, and the Board of Selectmen are hereby authorized to convey said lands or any of them in full or partial settlement of any claims for damages for land taken for the purpose of preserving the purity of the water supply or in case they cannot be so disposed of to sell the same in the manner provided in the vote under Article 7 of the warrant for this meeting.
Article 14. Voted : No action be taken under this article. .
Article 15. Voted: No action be taken under this article.
Article 16. Voted: That the Board of Selectmen be authorized to accept from the Edison Electric Illuminating Co. of Boston a suitable site for a standpipe in North Weymouth and the Water Department be instructed to prepare plans and obtain bids for such a standpipe.
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Article 17. Voted: That the Town accept the several reports of the Board of Selectmen laying out as Town ways the following private ways and parts of ways, to wit :
A portion of Puritan Road as described in the layout of the Selectmen and shown on the plan on file.
Sycamore Road; A portion of White Park as described in the layout of the Selectmen and shown on the plan on file.
A portion of Pierce Road as described in the layout of the Selectmen and shown on the plan on file.
Mount Vernon Road East; Mount Vernon Road West; Mount Ida Road; Woronoco Road; Lakehurst Avenue; Drew Avenue; A portion of Glendale Road as described in the layout of the Selectmen and shown on the plan on file; and that the Board of Selectmen be authorized to acquire by gift or take by right of eminent domain an easement for all purposes of a public street and highway in and over each of said streets and portions of streets as so laid out and accepted and that the following sums of money be raised and appropriated for the working of said streets in- cluding the acquisition of the foregoing easements, to wit:
Puritan Road
$2,930.00
Sycamore Road
1,875.00
White Park
1,500.00
Pierce Road
1,500.00
Mt. Vernon Road East
1.00
Mt. Vernon Road West
1,950.00
Mt. Ida Road
1.00
Glendale Road
2,000.00
Woronoco Road
1,500.00
Lakehurst Avenue
1.00
Drew Avenue
1,000.00
Being in the aggregate $14,258.00 which sum shall be expended under the direction of the Superintendent of Streets insofar as the Selectmen may expend a portion of the same for the acquisition of said easements, and further provided that any unexpended balances from the appropriations made for any of the foregoing streets shall be available for any other of said streets or for any general high- way purposes; and voted further that the Selectmen be and hereby are authorized to accept deeds of any reservation strips, so called existing in connection with any of said streets; provided, however, that no money shall be paid out or expended for the working of any of said streets until the Town Counsel files with the Town Ac- countant a certificate that a release which he regards as sufficient covering said street has been delivered to him.
The tellers reported 147 voting in the affirmative and none in the negative, a unanimous vote.
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Article 18. Voted: Voted to accept the several reports of the Selectmen relocating the following intersections and portions of cer- tain streets in the Town, to wit:
The junction of North and Neck Streets ;
The junction of Lake and Charles Streets ;
Bayview Street at its junction with Babcock Avenue;
The junction of Bartlett Street and Babcock Avenue;
The junction of Broad and Spring Streets ;
Iron Hill Street between property of the Weymouth Power Company and property of Jeremiah S. Connell;
The junction of Torrey Street and Park Avenue,
and that the Board of Selectmen be and hereby are authorized to acquire by gift or take by right of eminent domain an easement for all purposes of a public street and highway in and over the land located within the limits of said relocation, and that the following sums of money be raised and appropriated for the working of said streets as so relocated, including the acquisition of the foregoing easements :
For the junction of North and Neck Streets $360.00
For the junction of Lake and Charles Streets 35.00
For Bayview Street at its junction with Babcock Avenue 25.00
For the junction of Bartlett Street and Babcock Avenue 25.00
For the junction of Broad and Spring Streets 325.00
For Iron Hill Street between property of the Weymouth
Water Power Co. and property of Jeremiah S. Connell 50.00
For the junction of Torrey Street and Park Avenue 50.00
Being in the aggregate the sum of $870.00, which sums shall be expended under the direction of the Superintendent of Streets, inso- far as the Selectmen may expend a portion of the same for the ac- quisition of said easements ; provided, that any unexpended balance be available for the construction of any other intersections and other highway purposes; and further provided that the Town hereby abandons all right in and over such portion of Iron Hill Street as is at present existing the limits of said street after said relocation shall have been made, and that the Selectmen are authorized to give a release thereof to the abutter or abutters on the portion so abandoned.
The tellers reported 139 voting in the affirmative and none in the negative, a unanimous vote.
Article 19. Voted: That no action be taken under this article, as the subject matter of this article is taken care of under Item 33, Article 1.
Article 20. Voted: That no action be taken under this article, as the subject matter of this article is taken care of under Item 33, Article 1.
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Article 21. Voted: That the Street Department be and hereby are authorized to perform work for private parties at a price to be fixed by the Superintendent of Streets, but in no case for less than the cost of such work to the Town; and that to meet the initial ex- penses of such work the sum of $1,000.00 be raised and appropriated; provided, that all monies received for such work shall constitute a rotating fund which may be expended for similar work under the above conditions, and all said monies are hereby specifically appro- priated for said purpose.
Article 22. Voted: To raise and appropriate the sum of $820.00 for regrading and curbing a portion of the grass plot between Front and Main Streets, near the junction of said streets the determination of what portion of said grass plot shall be worked with this appro- priation to be made by the Superintendent of Streets, and the money to be expended under his direction.
Article 23. Voted: That no action be taken under this article.
Article 24. Mr. Heffernan of the Appropriation Committee moved: That no action be taken under this article.
Mr. Frederic Humphrey moved as a substitute motion : To raise and appropriate the sum of $1,200.00 for the purpose of this article (removal of a ledge on Canterbury Street).
The question on the substitute motion was put before the meet- ing and was declared not a vote.
More than seven members doubted the vote, a recount was ordered. On the recount 40 voted in the affirmative and 87 in the negative, the motion was declared lost.
The question on the motion of the Appropriation Committee as offered by Mr. Heffernan was then put before the meeting and it was so voted.
Article 25. Voted: That no action be taken under this article.
Article 26. Voted: That no action be taken under this article.
Article 27. Voted: That no action be taken under this article.
Article 28. Mr. Heffernan of the Appropriation Committee moved : That no action be taken under this article.
Mr. John Griffin moved as an amendment: That the sum of $3,500.00 be raised and appropriated for the erection of a sea wall from the North Weymouth Yacht Club to the easterly boundary line of Holbrook Road.
Mr. William B. Dasha asked further time in which to prepare. an amendment which was granted, by the Moderator and the meet- ing proceeded to the next article ..
Article 29. Voted: To raise and appropriate the sum of $250.00 for constructing the westerly side of Putnam Street near its junction with Lafayette Avenue to the full width of the layout.
Voted: On motion of Mr. Charles S. Bicknell: That the meet- ing do now adjourn until the time as stated in the warrant, Wednes- day evening, March 4, 1931. (Meeting adjourned at 11 o'clock.)
215 Town Meeting Members names were checked by Police Officers stationed at the doors out of 256 Members eligible.
CLAYTON B. MERCHANT, Town Clerk.
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CERTIFICATE
I hereby certify that the following notice was posted in ten or more public places in the Town as provided under Section 3 of Chap- ter 61 of the Acts of 1921 as amended by Section 3 of Chapter 13 of the Acts of 1930.
CLAYTON B. MERCHANT, Town Clerk.
NOTICE OF ADJOURNED ANNUAL TOWN MEETING
Notice is hereby given that the Annual Town Meeting of the Town of Weymouth held on March 2, 1931, adjourned to meet at the hall of the Weymouth High School on WEDNESDAY, March 4, 1931, at seven o'clock and forty-five minutes in the evening, to consider the articles in the warrant commencing with Article 28 and 30 to 55 inclusive.
CLAYTON B. MERCHANT, Town Clerk. (seal)
Wednesday, March 4, 1931
The time to which the Annual Town Meeting adjourned having arrived as provided in the warrant for said meeting, the meeting was called to order at 7:50 o'clock p. m., by Frederic Gilbert Bauer, Moderator pro tem. Rev. Nathan W. Wood, offered Divine Blessing.
Before proceeding to the business of the evening the following resolution was offered by Thomas J. Kelley :
WHEREAS, our fellow-citizen, John H. Stetson, Treasurer of the Town of Weymouth, has declined further re-election to that office after an uninterrupted service of forty-six years, a record sel- dom if ever equalled in the history of the Commonwealth,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that we the citi- zens of Weymouth, in Annual Town Meeting assembled, do hereby record our appreciation of Mr. Stetson's long and faithful service to our Town, and we extend to him in his retirement our best wishes for his continued health and prosperity and for that happiness which comes from a sense of duty well performed and from the merited esteem of his fellow-townsmen.
Be it further resolved that a copy of these resolutions be for- warded to Mr. Stetson and also spread on the records of the Town.
These resolutions were seconded by Mr. William A. Connell and were adopted by a unanimous rising vote of the Town Meeting Mem- bers present.
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The following letter was presented to the meeting from Mr. Bates Torrey, President of the Weymouth Historical Society.
13 Tower Avenue, South Weymouth, Mass. March 4, 1931
In a letter from the Massachusetts Commission for the celebration of the 200th anniversary of the birth of GEORGE WASHINGTON, this request is made:
The Commission invites you to communicate with the Chair- man of the Selectmen of your community with regard to the formation of a George Washington Bicentennial Committee of one or more members.
The object for, and the duties of, such a committee are ob- vious, and the receipt of this suggestion is timely; for it would seem that the Annual Town Meeting is the proper body to act in this matter.
Weymouth Historical Society Bates Torrey, President.
Voted: That a committee of one or more be appointed by the Moderator to act in regard to the above request.
Article 28. Mr. John Griffin offered the following substitute motion to his amendment of March 2, 1931, no objection the motion was accepted :
Voted: To raise and appropriate the sum of $8,500.00 for the purpose of erecting a sea wall on the North side of Fore River Ave- nue from the property of the North Weymouth Associates to the easterly line of Sea Street, the work to be done under the direction of the Street Department; provided, however, that before any work shall be done or money expended beyond the easterly layout of Fore River Avenue as accepted by the Town on March 6, 1916, a deed, in such form as the Town Counsel shall approve, conveying to the Town the side of the sea wall and such adjacent lands, foreshore and easements as the Town Counsel shall consider sufficient, shall be delivered to the Town without expense.
Article 30. Voted: That the Board of Selectmen and Town Counsel be instructed to oppose any and all legislation which may be introduced before the General Court at this or any future session looking to the federation, consolidation, annexation or union in any form of Weymouth with any other municipality or municipalities or in any way diminishing the degree of municipal independence which Weymouth now enjoys.
Article 31. Mr. Heffernan of the Appropriation Committee moved : That no action be taken under this article.
Mr. Josiah B. Reed moved as a substitute motion: That the Town accept Chapter 419 of the Acts of 1930. (An act providing for the admission of the Town of Weymouth to the South Metropol- itan Sewerage District.)
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Mr. Prince H. Tirrell moved and it was so voted: That when the vote is taken it be by roll call of the ayes and noes.
Mr. Wallace H. Bicknell moved: That the matter before the meeting be held in abeyance until decided by a referendum vote at a regular Town election.
The question on the motion of Mr. Bicknell was put before the meeting and was declared not a vote.
After quite a long discussion on the question the roll call of the Town Meeting Members was read and each member present an- swered to their names. The Town Clerk announced that 122 Town Meeting Members voted to accept the Act and 24 Town Meeting Members voted not to accept the Act.
Article 32. Mr. Heffernan of the Appropriation Committee moved: That the Board of Selectmen be instructed to petition the General Court for legislation extending the time within which the Town may accept Chapter 419 of the Acts of 1930 as to said Board may seem expedient and providing for such other modifications in the terms of said Chapter 419 as to the Board of Selectmen may seem expedient.
Mr. Josiah B. Reed moved and it was so voted: That no action. be taken under this article. -
Article 33. Mr. Heffernan of the Appropriation Committee moved : That a committee of three, none of whom shall be a member of the Appropriation Committee, be appointed to confer with the Town Counsel in reference to the Pension and Retirement Bill pre- pared in accordance with the vote at the last Annual Town Meeting and either to present the same at the next Annual Town Meeting for adoption or present the same to the Legislature for enactment subject to acceptance by the Town Meeting.
Mr. Prince H. Tirrell moved as an amendment that the words "either" and "or present the same to the Legislature for enactment subject to acceptance at the Town Meeting" be stricken out:
The question on the amendment was put before the meeting and it was so voted.
Article 34. Mr. Heffernan of the Appropriation Committee moved : That no action be taken under this article. After some dis- cussion on this article, the tellers proceeded to count, the tellers reported 69 voted in favor of no action and 51 voted to instruct the Selectmen to petition the General Court for legislation under this article, the Moderator declared the motion as carried.
Article 35. Mr. Heffernan of the Appropriation Committee moved : To amend Section 711 (of the by-laws) by inserting a comma in place of a period at the end of the first sentence thereof and add- ing after said comma the following words: "and shall not involve the renewal of more than 20% of the entire area of the roof;" and by adding at the end of said section the following new sentence: "Be- fore renewing the covering of any roof or part thereof the old cover- ing must be removed."
The question was put before the meeting and it was declared not a vote.
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Mr. Heffernan moved to amend the by-laws by adding at the end of Section 720 the following sentence: "If any portion of any building used in whole or in part for human habitation, is used or adapted for garage or for the storage of any motor vehicle, the ceil- ing of the room or rooms so used shall be made of metal lath and three coats of cement plaster or of such other construction as would be permissible in a first class building as defined in Section 710."
This question was put before the meeting and it was so voted and adopted.
Mr. Heffernan moved to amend Section 721 (of the by-laws) by striking out in the second paragraph the words "for the housing of automobiles."
This question was put before the meeting and it was so voted and adopted.
Mr. Heffernan moved: Add at the end of Section 799 (of the by-laws) the following new sentence: "Until such time as the Town may adopt zoning laws the Board of Appeal shall adopt rules gov- erning its procedure in cases before it, which rules shall provide for a notice to all persons whom it considers will be affected by its de- cision, for a public hearing if seasonably demanded by any party, and for the permanent preservation of its decisions in such form that can be examined by the public."
This question was put before the meeting and it was so voted and adopted.
Mr. Heffernan moved: To add a new section as follows :
Section 743. Before the installation or alteration of any electric wiring inside a building or structure as defined by these by-laws, a special permit must be secured from the Inspector of Buildings. "All such electric wiring shall be installed or altered under the supervision of the Inspector, and all installation and alterations shall be in accordance with the 1928 edition of the National Electric Code, issued by the National Board of Fire Underwriters, provided, how- ever, that the Inspector of buildings may authorize a relaxation of any of the requirements of said code in any case where he considers the fire hazard is not appreciably increased thereby."
Mr. Herbert Rossetter moved as an amendment: That the sub- ject matter of this section be laid on the table. The question was put before the meeting and was declared not a vote. More than seven members having doubted the vote a recount was ordered. Mr. Cate was temporarially absent and Mr. Newland H. Holmes was appointed in his stead and was duly sworn as such. The tellers re- ported 52 voting in favor of laying on the table and 42 voted in the negative. The motion to lay on the table prevailed.
Mr. Heffernan moved: To amend Section 798 by adding before the last sentence thereof the following: "For a permit to install or alter electric wiring in any building or structure (in addition to the fee for the building or alteration permit) $1.00, and by inserting in the last paragraph before the word "permit" the words "or electric wiring."
This question was put before the meeting and was declared not a vote.
Mr. Heffernan moved: To add a new section to the by-laws reading as follows :
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Billboards
Section. 622. No billboards, except such as are exempt under Sec- tion 30 and 32 of Chapter 93 of the General Laws or may be exempt under any other Act hereafter passes exempting any billboards from the control of the Town, shall be erected or maintained in this Town except under and in accordance with the following provisions :
(A) The person erecting or maintaining shall file with the Town Clerk a copy of his license, if any, and permit from the Department of Public Works, to maintain said billboard and the name and ad- dress of a person or persons upon whom any notices or other papers relating to said billboard may be served :
(B) Before placing any advertising matter or other words or pictorial device upon said billboard he shall file with the Board of Selectmen a topy of the advertising matter, words or pictorial de- vice or devices proposed to be placed upon said billboards and shall obtain the approval of the Board therefor, and before any change is made in said advertising matter, words or devices, like copies shall be filed and approval obtained.
(C) Whenever the Selectmen, after due notice and a hearing determine that the safety and convenience of travellers on any public or private way require that the distance of any billboard from the ground be increased or that the height or length of any such bill- board be decreased, they shall issue an order requiring the person, firm or corporation maintaining said billboard to make said billboard. comply with the requirements of said order, and unless said person, firm or corporation shall within thirty days from the service of a copy of said order upon the person named in clause (A) hereof, or within such further time as the Selectmen may allow, make the dis- tance from the ground, height, or length of said billboard conform with the requirements of said order, the Selectmen may take pro- ceedings under clause (D) hereof.
(D) Whenever it is brought to the attention of the Selectmen that any billboard in the Town violates any provision of these by- laws, of the statutes of the Commonwealth, or of the Rules and Reg- ulations of the Department of Public Works, regarding billboards, that may cause an order to be served upon the person named in clause (A) hereof or upon the person, firm or corporation main- taining said billboard, requiring such person, firm or corporation forthwith either to make such billboard comply with the provisions of said statutes, rules and regulations and by-laws, or to remove the same, and unless the person, firm or corporation maintaining said billboard shall within ten days from the service of a copy of said order comply therewith, the Selectmen may take or direct the Town Counsel to take such legal proceedings under the laws of the Com- monwealth, as in their judgment the nature of the case shall require. The foregoing section shall take effect so far as regards billboards thereafter erected upon the first day of the calendar month follow- ing its third publication as required by law, and as to all other bill- boards upon the first day of the third calendar month following such publication, on or before which date all persons, firms, or corpora-
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