Town annual report of the officers of Wakefield Massachusetts : including the vital statistics for the year 1941, Part 7

Author: Wakefield, Massachusetts
Publication date: 1941
Publisher: Town of Wakefield
Number of Pages: 316


USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Wakefield > Town annual report of the officers of Wakefield Massachusetts : including the vital statistics for the year 1941 > Part 7


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More and better work would be accomplished if these jobs could be started earlier in the construction season.


Article 13-Special appropriation-Construction of cement sidewalk on the westerly side of Main Street, being a continuation of the present cement side- walk along Lake Quannapowitt to Lowell Street.


93


REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT OF STREETS


Appropriation-March Transferred


$2,000.00 500.00


$1,500.00


Expended: Labor


$1,210.58


Material


289.42


$1,500.00


Balance


$ 0.00


Article 14-Special appropriation-Resurfacing Main Street from Mel- rose line to Hart's Hill. The surface was considerably cracked and each winter the frost action was doing further damage. In order to seal these cracks, an appli- cation of hot asphalt was applied and covered with a fine grade of peastone. The surface was then rolled with a 6 ton roller.


Appropriation-March


$2,700.00


Expended: Labor


$361.71


Rental 63.00


Material


1,710.10


$2,134.81


Balance $565.19


Article 16-Special appropriation-Rebuilding Chestnut Street between the Boston and Maine Railroad and Cedar Street. This roadway heavily travelled had been cut up considerably in the installation of public utilities. The old car rails and ties were removed from the center of the street and replaced with crushed stone bound with asphalt. Then the entire surface was topped with about 2 inches of bituminous concrete. The surface covered was 1000 lin. ft. in length and about 32 feet in width.


Appropriation-March


$2,850.00


Expended: Labor


$637.94


Rental 119.74


Material


1,734.69


$2,492.37


Balance


$357.63


Respectfully submitted,


HARRY H. DENNING,


Superintendent of Streets.


94


TOWN OF WAKEFIELD


Report of Supt. of Moth Department and Tree Department


Wakefield, Mass., January 1, 1942.


To the Honorable Board of Selectmen:


Gentlemen:


I herewith submit my report as Superintendent of the Moth and Tree De- partments for the year ending December 31, 1941.


We have found that the Tent Caterpillar, Satin, Brown Tail and Gypsy Moths are about the same as last year except on the east side of Water Street up to the Saugus line, back of the Greenwood playground and off Oak Street, where there is an increase of about 20 per cent. The Elm Leaf Beetles were about the same as last year which was very bad. Every Elm tree in town, that was seen, was sprayed. There should not be any increase of the pest in 1942 but we will have to take the same precautions and spray every tree again.


We removed 50 shade trees which had died from various causes or from the widening of streets and sidewalks. We planted 222 young trees where they were needed. Of this number the Garden Club purchased 12 and we purchased 60. The other 150 were grown at our nursery at Broadway.


I wish to thank publicly the Garden Club for their efforts in providing us with these shade trees.


We spent $2,777.93 for Moth Work, $1,452.99 for Spraying, $2,123.26 for Trimming and Removing trees, $1,144.83 for Cutting Brush. The income for the year beginning April 1, 1940 to April 1, 1941 was $878.92.


I wish to thank the public for the fine co-operation they gave us when we did private spraying this past year.


For other expenditures and appropriations of this Department see the Town Accountant's Report.


Respectfully yours,


JOHN A. LANDRY,


Supt. Moth and Tree Depts.


95


Report of Inspector of Buildings


January 1, 1942.


To the Honorable Board of Selectmen:


Wakefield, Mass.


Gentlemen :


I submit the following report of my activities for the year ending December 31, 1941.


Building permits granted


266


Building Inspections


891


Sidewalk permits


25


Signs


4


Awning permits


8


Sign inspections


41


Shingle permits


15


Rooming houses inspected


5


Elevators inspected


29


Public buildings inspected


7


Convalescent homes inspected


4


Fire escapes inspected


8


Buildings torn down


5


Buildings condemned


4


Fire inspections


34


Permits refused


32


Chimneys condemned


16


Complaints investigated


29


Building without permits


9


Construction suspended, Violation of Building Laws Cases to Appeal Board


37


Elevators condemned


3


Notices sent to Owners of unsafe condition of building


7


Notice posted on dangerous and unsafe building


6


Approximate valuation of permits issued


$737,710.00


Permit fees received


$542.70


Respectfully submitted,


JOSEPH W. MacINNIS,


Building Inspector.


6


REPORT OF INSPECTOR OF BUILDINGS


96


TOWN OF WAKEFIELD


Report of Compensation Agent


January 1, 1942.


To the Honorable Board of Selectmen,


Wakefield, Mass.


Gentlemen:


There were 48 compensation cases for the year of 1941, requiring an expendi- ture of $1,592.90.


Four cases taken before the Industrial Accident Board.


COMPENSATION ACCOUNT


Appropriation 1941


Transfers from reserve fund


$1,000.00 600.00


$1,600.00


Expenditures


1,592.90


Balance


$7.10


Expenditures by departments 1941


Expenditures for


Water and Sewer


$480.75


Compensation


$1,108.25


Welfare


642.84


Medical


370.50


Highway


283.66


Hospital


93.00


Town Hall


89.15


Drugs


21.15


School


96.50


Total


$1,592.90


$1,592.90


There is one case pending before the Industrial Accident Board.


Respectfully submitted,


JOSEPH W. MacINNIS,


Compensation Agent.


97


REPORT OF TOWN COUNSEL


Report of Town Counsel


January 22, 1942.


To the Honorable Board of Selectmen:


My report from January 1, 1941 to December 31, 1941 is as follows:


The following cases were disposed of during the past year :


Meuse vs. Town of Wakefield involving serious personal injuries alleged to have been caused by defective highway, settled.


F. A. Meuse vs. Town of Wakefield, for damage to building caused by blast- ing, settled.


DeWolfe vs. Town of Wakefield, for property damage caused by defective highway, settled.


Nona Deveney vs. Town of Wakefield involving personal injuries alleged to have been caused by defective highway on Main Street, settled.


Suburban Land Co. vs. Town of Wakefield involving land damage in widen- ing of Green Street, settled.


There is now pending one case involving personal injuries alleged to have been suffered because of defective highway on Lafayette Street and one case involving personal injuries alleged to have been suffered because of defective highway on Albion Street. There are five cases pending in the Superior Court in Cambridge for Tax Abatements involving assessments on Central Street.


I have conducted several hearings before the Tax Appeal Board involving questions of abatements, many of which have been settled satisfactorily to all parties and several were tried.


I have tried two cases before the Workmen's Compensation Board of Boston and there are now pending two other cases before said Board. There are several notices now on file alleging personal injuries because of defective highways, tax appeal matters and also matters involving Metropolitan Water Supply.


I have also rendered several written opinions, numerous oral opinions to various town departments and held innumerable conferences with various de- partments and committees. The work necessary to supply the necessary informa- tion and advice to various departments of the town has increased many fold over previous years and with the additional assistance that will be required in view of the defense projects, I expect it will keep increasing.


Respectfully submitted,


JOHN I. PRESTON,


Toum Counsel.


98


TOWN OF WAKEFIELD


Report of Animal Inspector


Wakefield, Mass., January 6, 1942.


To the Honorable Board of Selectmen:


Gentlemen:


At this time I wish to submit my report as Animal Inspector for the year ending December 31, 1941.


There have been 106 dogs placed in quarantine.


There were five dogs heads taken to the laboratory for examination. None were found to be rabid.


Respectfully submitted,


GEORGE A. BENNETT,


Animal Inspector.


Report of Dog Officer


Wakefield, Mass., January 6, 1942.


To the Honorable Board of Selectmen:


Gentlemen:


At this time I wish to submit my report as Dog Officer for year ending De- cember 31, 1941.


I have canvassed the town twice, for unlicensed dogs.


There has been 344 calls answered.


Twenty-two dogs have been returned to rightful owners.


There has been 51 dogs sent to Animal Rescue League.


59 dogs have been gassed.


Respectfully submitted,


GEORGE A. BENNETT,


Dog Officer.


99


REPORT OF CONTRIBUTORY RETIREMENT BOARD


Report of Contributory Retirement Board


-


January 24, 1942.


To the Honorable Board of Selectmen,


Wakefield, Massachusetts.


Gentlemen:


The Contributory Retirement Board submits the following report for the year ending December 31, 1941.


The total membership for the year ending December 31, 1940, including Pensioners, was one hundred eighty. During the year 1941, seven new members were admitted to the system; five withdrew; three Pensioners died, and two mem- bers were retired, one in the School Department, and one in the Light Depart- ment. The total membership including Pensioners as of December 31, 1941 is one hundred eighty-one.


William P. Hurton, a member of the Board whose term expired on June 30, 1941, was re-elected for a period of three years by the members of the system at an election held by the Board of Selectmen on July 1, 1941.


The Retirement Board organized at a meeting held on July 31, 1941. William P. Hurton was again elected Chairman, and Charles C. Cox, Secretary.


During the year there has been paid out in Pensions and Annuities the sum of $17,600.35. At the present time there are twenty-four Pensioners, and the total amount of monthly payments to Pensioners is $1475.74.


Presented below is a statement for the year ending December 31, 1941.


Receipts


Cash on hand January 1, 1941


$60,946.77


Contributions of Members


$12,835.62


Town Appropriation :


Pension Accumulation Fund


20,759.00


Expense Fund


830.00


Interest Deficiency


499.14


Investment Income


1,081.78


$36,005.54


$96,952.31


100


TOWN OF WAKEFIELD


Expenditures


Pension and Annuities Paid Refunds to Members


$17,600.35 780.46


Administrative Expense:


Salary of Clerk


780.00


Printing and Stationery


20.70


Postage


18.16


Office Supplies


4.65


Miscellaneous


5.00


$19,209.32


Balance December 31, 1941


$77,742.99


Assets


First National Bank Stock, 100 Shares


$3,900.00


National Shawmut Bank Stock, 100 Shares


2,287.50


Wakefield Trust Co., Checking Acct.


2,534.99


Bank Deposits on Interest


Wakefield Savings Bank


40,383.57


Melrose Savings Bank


12,353.13


Co-operative Banks, Paid Up Shares:


Wakefield


2,000.00


Merrimack (Lawrence)


2,000.00


Brighton (Boston)


2,000.00


Congress (Boston)


2,000.00


Co-operative Banks, Matured Shares:


Merrimack (Lawrence )


1,992.80


Brighton (Boston)


1,996.90


Congress (Boston)


2,000.00


Co-operative Banks, Serial Shares:


Salem


120.00


Canton


200.00


Winthrop


120.00


Ipswich


120.00


Danvers


200.00


Peabody


120.00


Merrimack (Lawrence)


80.00


Beverly


160.00


REPORT OF CONTRIBUTORY RETIREMENT BOARD


101


Methuen


$120.00


Gloucester


120.00


Lexington


120.00


Citizens' (Haverhill)


120.00


Norwood


120.00


Roger Conant (Salem)


80.00


Reading


80.00


Malden


80.00


Stoneham


80.00


Wakefield


80.00


Medford


80.00


Concord


80.00


Accrued interest paid in purchase of Co-operative shares


14.10


$77,742.99


Liabilities


Annuity Savings Fund


$50,144.16


Annuity Reserve Fund


1,231.60


Pension Accumulation Fund


25,300.58


Expense Fund


2.03


Undistributed Income


1,064.62


$77,742.99


Respectfully submitted,


WILLIAM P. HURTON, Chairman,


CHARLES C. COX, Secretary,


JAMES M. HENDERSON,


Contributory Retirement Board.


102


TOWN OF WAKEFIELD


Report of Sweetser Lecture Committee


-


Season of 1941


Receipts


Income from invested funds


$226.28


Received from sale of tickets:


Season tickets sold by pupils


236


200.60


Door sales


172.96


Season tickets sold by stores


102


86.70


Bonney & Dutton


39


Greenwood Pharmacy


14


Smith's Drug Store


26


Nat Eaton's


5


Nagle's Drug Store


5


Item Office


6


Cataldo Pharmacy


7


Tax collected on free tickets


8.32


Balance from 1940 received after report


10.00


Total


$704.86


Expenses


Nov. 3, 1941-Bradford Washburn


$125.00


Nov. 7, 1941-A. A. Macfarlan 75.00


Nov. 14, 1941-Vincent Palmer


75.00


Nov. 28, 1941-Max Gilstrap


75.00


Dec. 3, 1941-Harvard Glee Club


100.00


$450.00


Daily Item Advertising and Print-


ing


$85.20


Ticket Boys


15.00


Police and Firemen at lecture


30.00


Tel. postage-misc.


2.07


Income Tax Collector (Admission taxes) 46.01


$178.28


$628.28


REPORT OF SWEETSER CHARTIY FUND


103


Balance to Sweetser Charities $76.58


Total


$704.86


E. V. YEUELL, CHARLOTTE R. FITZ, THOMAS F. KENNEY,


GEORGE E. POTTER, CHARLES J. PETERSON, CYRUS M. DOLBEARE, HARRY I. REED.


Report of Sweetser Charity Fund


January 1, 1941-January 1, 1942


Receipts :


Balance brought forward January 1, 1941


$299.42


Dividends Wakefield Savings Bank


3.92


Total Receipts


$303.34


Expenditures :


Paid out for charity January 1, 1941-January 1, 1942


$137.34


Leaving balance on hand, January 1, 1942:


In Wakefield Savings Bank


$149.31


In Wakefield Trust Co.


16.69


$166.00


$166.00


Note: Check received after January 1, $76.58 from Sweetser Lecture Committee.


Respectfully submitted,


CHARLOTTE R. FITZ,


Treasurer Sweetser Charity Fund.


104


TOWN OF WAKEFIELD


Report of Town W. P.A. Agent


Wakefield, Mass., January 20, 1942.


To the Honorable Board of Selectmen :


Gentlemen:


I respectfully submit the following report of the activities of the W.P.A. Project in Wakefield during the year ending December 31, 1941. Mr. Aaron T. Butler, former Sponsor's Agent, left in August to enter private employment and Selectman William R. Lindsay, in charge of the W.P.A. affairs, was appointed to take entire charge of the W.P.A. in Wakefield, which included extra services and responsibilities in addition to his duties as selectman. Limitations of the 1940 Act of Congress states that federal expenditures on any W.P.A. project shall not be more than seventy-five per cent of the total cost, and that the spon- sor's contribution shall not be less than twenty-five per cent, which we have complied with in every detail.


The past year's work consisted of the following projects:


Geodetic Survey:


The Planning Board is operating this project which will give to Wakefield an accurate engineering survey with plans of all public streets, and is still operation.


N. Y. A. Girls Clerical:


Girls trained in office work assisted in the W.P.A. Office, Welfare Office, Selective Service Office, Town Clerk's Office, Highway Office, and N. Y. A. headquarters, and were of great assistance.


Hart's Hill:


This was for drainage to care for the overflow from the pond in the rear of the reservation which flowed into Main Street and caused ice in the entrance during the winter months, completed this year.


Street Numbering:


The Highway Department sponsored this project which produced plans show- ing all streets as well as all buildings, butting them, and the Highway Depart- ment used these plans to renumber the streets which was completed this year.


Nasella Playground:


This project consists of laying a main line drain across the field for a distance of about four hundred feet and building one manhole, which project is incomplete.


105


REPORT OF TOWN W.P.A. AGENT


Grafton Street:


Sidewalks, street and drainage were completed before the end of the year.


Crystal Lake Park Sewerage:


This project consists of a sewerage system in Crystal Lake Park and is in- complete. Laid 150 feet of pipe.


Street Drainage:


Drainage at Nahant and Melvin Streets was completed and Madison Avenue is in operation now.


Morgan Avenue:


More work to be done.


Catalpa Street:


Street completed this year.


Pine Hill Circle:


Sidewalks, street, and drainage finished this year.


Sidewalks:


264 cubic feet of ledge was taken out, 6635 running feet of concrete sidewalk, 5929 running feet of precast curb set, 400 cubic feet of macadam patch, 12 catch basins, 3 man holes, 8185 square feet loamed and seeded, 150 feet of 10 inch pipe laid, 450 feet of 24 inch pipe laid, 20000 square feet stone road set and 380 feet of granite radius.


The total amount of money spent last year for outside labor and equipment was $5774.54.


Trucking Costs for 1941 totaled $2949.33, including rentals as well as re- pairs.


Total cost of operating W.P.A. trucks was $1726.86 and the allowance of credit from the Federal Government was 8197 hours at an approximate value of $7857.00.


The following report gives the total amount spent by the town on each in- dividual project.


W.P.A. Projects-1941


Administration


$3,332.02


Catalpa Street


24.35


Commodities


1,073.64


Drainage


3,901.10


106


TOWN OF WAKEFIELD


Geodetic Survey


$723.57


Grafton Street


32.80


Hamilton School Maintenance


636.90


Hart's Hill


1,268.28


Housekeeping Aid


68.70


Miscellaneous Projects


1,768.52


Morgan Avenue


4,519.79


NYA Boys


467.93


NYA Sewing


500.49


Nasella Playground


307.72


Pine Hill Circle


5,012.81


Police Record


19.60


Recreation


33.39


Sewerage


3,292.66


Sewing


788.72


Sidewalks


3,858.90


Stock


841.91


Storage


332.47


Street Numbering


10.50


Toy Repairs


322.49


Madison Avenue


76.13


$33,215.39


The total cost to the Town was $33,215.39 and the Federal Government contributed $97,236.33 during 1941. There was an average of 122 men working. There were 150 men employed January 1, 1941 and 93 men employed December 31, 1941.


I wish to thank the other members of the Board of Selectmen for their co- operation, and Mr. Walter F. Como, Director of Operations; Mr. John Lynch and Mr. John F. Casey, W.P.A. engineers for this district; Mr. Harold Buxton, and Mr. Carl Jacques as well as the entire personnel of the W.P.A. for their help- fulness and loyalty.


Respectfully submitted,


WILLIAM R. LINDSAY,


Sponsor's Agent and Co-ordinator.


107


REPORT OF SEALER OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES


Report of Sealer of Weights and Measures


-


Wakefield, Mass., January 1, 1942.


To the Honorable Board of Selectmen:


Gentlemen:


I respectfully submit the following report for the year 1941.


Adjusted


Sealed


Condemned


Platform 10,000 and over


7


Platform 100 to 5,000


1


11


Counter 100 lbs. or over


3


9


Counter under 100 lbs.


3


20


Spring 100 lbs. or over


1


Spring under 100 lbs.


3


54


Computing 100 lbs. or over


4


65


Personal weighing


8


Prescription scale


7


Avoirdupois weights


129


Apothecary


80


Metric


49


Meter 1 inch inlet


3


75


9


Meter over 1 inch inlet


8


17


1


Gasoline pumps


3


62


5


Yard sticks


17


Fees collected $121.25.


Respectfully submitted,


JAMES J. DEVLIN,


Sealer.


3


Computing under 100 lbs.


108


TOWN OF WAKEFIELD


Report of the Board of Assessors -


January 20, 1942.


To the Citizens of Wakefield:


We herewith submit the Annual Report of the Assessors' Department for the year ending December 31st, 1941.


State Tax


$56,430.00


Charles River Basin (Loan Fund)


1,815.82


Metropolitan Parks Loan S. Fund


5,121 .. 99


Metropolitan Planning Division


36.52


Metropolitan Parks Loan Fund (Nantasket Maintenance)


412.18


Metropolitan Sewerage Loan S. Fund (North System)


19,688.55


Smoke Inspection Service


229.53


Auditing Municipal Accounts


1,994.22


Boulevards


798.47


Canterbury Street


.20


$86,527.48


Under-estimated Charges for 1940:


Canterbury Street


2.47


Estimated County Tax for 1941


41,577.01


Total State, Metropolitan and County Charges


$128,106.96


Total charges to enter into Levy for State, Met-


ropolitan and County and Town:


Charges for Town Purposes


$1,025,247.04


Overlay for 1941


17,475.57


Total Gross Levy


$1,170,829.57


Estimated Receipts:


Total Town Receipts


$250,128.26


Total Credits from State


119,267.39


Free Cash


35,000.00


Transfer from Light Dept. to Treasury


22,500.00


REPORT OF ASSESSORS


109


Transfer from Overlay Surplus to Reserve 5,430 Polls at $2.00


$16,000.00 10,860.00


$453,755.65


Net Levy


$717,073.92


Rate of Taxation, $31.40 per $1,000.


TOWN VALUATIONS


Buildings


Land


Personal


$16,362,085.00 3,900,755.00 979,235.00


Total Valuations


$21,242,075.00


Gain in Valuation 1941


484,415.00


Bonded Debt of Town January 1, 1941


407,500.00


Payments made in 1941


89,500.00


Bonded debt of Town, January 1, 1942


318,000.00


Assets of Town including Land and Buildings, Municipal Light Plant and Water Works, Sewer and Tangible Property Less Bonded Debt


4,822,871.00


318,000.00


Assets above Liabilities


$4,504,871.00


PROPERTY EXEMPT FROM TAXATION


Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Land and Buildings


$140,500.00


United States of America, Land and Buildings


88,450.00


Literary Institutions


133,800.00


Benevolent Institutions


23,350.00


Organizations of Veterans


6,700.00


Houses of Religious Worship


541,850.00


Cemeteries, Land and Buildings


69,200.00


Tangible Personal Property


16,650.00


Parsonages


24,300.00


Total


$1,044,800.00


Number of Polls assessed (a gain of 47 since date of Tax Levy)


5,477


Number of Motor Vehicles assessed.


5,321


Valuation of Motor Vehicles


$1,391,540.00


Excise Tax Committed in 1941


$42,024.65


Number of Dwelling Houses assessed


3,642


Number of Persons, Partnerships and Corporations assessed


4,953


Value of assessed Stock in trade


$181,955.00


Value of Real Estate assessed


Value of Machinery assessed


$20,262,840.00 $200,375.00


110


TOWN OF WAKEFIELD


Value of Live Stock assessed


$18,710.00


Value of all other Ratables assessed


$578,195.00


Number of Horses assessed


21


Number of Cows assessed


107


Number of Mink assessed


57


Number of Goats assessed


27


Number of Swine assessed


61


Number of Fowl assessed


9,765


Number of Acres of Land in Town


4,947


Number of Acres, Lake Quannapowitt


247.94


Number of Acres, Crystal Lake


82.86


Number of Acres, Town Common


2.5


Number of Acres, Park at Lakeside


6.75


Number of Acres, Hart Hill Park


23.06


Number of Acres, Cemetery on Church Street


4.14


Number of Acres, Cemetery on Lowell Street


35.


Area of Town Rockery


4,300 Sq. Ft.


Respectfully submitted by Wakefield Assessors,


GEORGE E. BLAIR, Chairman,


LEO F. DOUGLASS, Secretary,


GEORGE H. STOUT.


111


REPORT OF TOWN PLANNING BOARD


Report of the Town Planning Board


To the Honorable Board, of Selectmen,


Town of Wakefield, Massachusetts.


Gentlemen :


The Town Planning Board submits its report for the year ending December 31, 1941.


The Board has continued to hold regular meetings during the year, which since spring, have been twice each month, on the first and third Fridays. The Board has also met on a number of occasions with other Town Boards and other civic groups.


At the annual Town Meeting in March, 1941, the amendment proposed by the Planning Board to the Zoning By-law of the Town governing area and front- age was adopted. On the favorable report of the Board, the Town also voted to rezone for general residence a strip of land one hundred feet wide on the westerly side of Main Street in Greenwood near Cooper Street. Two additional proposals to amend the Zoning By-law were reported on unfavorably by the Planning Board and were rejected by the Town Meeting.


As stated in its report of last year, the Planning Board feels very strongly that a thoroughgoing revision of the Zoning By-law should be made as soon as possible. The need for such a revision is emphasized by the number of appeals which have been taken to the Board of Appeals during the past year. The Plan- ning Board feels that many such appeals could be done away with if the Zoning By-laws were properly revised. The Board has given careful consideration to the mechanics of such a revision and the expense that would be involved. It has con- ferred at length with Mr. Comee who was the expert consultant when the original Zoning By-law was drawn. If and when the Town is in a position to make the necessary expenditure, the Board is prepared to go forward with the revision.


During April, Mr. Edward M. Bridge and Mr. Edward G. Lee of the Plan- ning Board conferred with Mr. William S. Parker, a consultant of the National Resources Planning Board, concerning the possibility of instituting long-range budget planning in Wakefield. As a result of these conferences and a conference with the Board of Selectmen, a meeting was called of all the Town Departments on May 5, at which Mr. Parker appeared and explained the long-range budget. The Board of Selectmen and the Planning Board met thereafter in joint session and appointed a committee on which both Boards were represented and which also included a member of the Finance Committee and other citizens, to con- sider the advisability of long-range planning. In July this committee reported unanimously in favor of long-range budget planning in Wakefield. The Plan- ning Board has now received an opinion from Mr. John I. Preston, Town Counsel,


.


112


TOWN OF WAKEFIELD


indicating that it would be within the powers of the Planning Board to conduct a long-range budget survey and to publish the necessary report, paying for it from the Planning Board's appropriation.


The Planning Board has given considerable consideration in its meetings to the question of municipal dumps and rubbish collection. The Board feels that municipal rubbish collection is desirable and has communicated this recommenda- tion to the Board of Health.


The Board investigated in detail the various proposals to make some change in the rockery and the safety islands adjoining it. The Board participated in several of the hearings which took place in connection with these proposals.


The Board has continued to take an interest in the W.P.A. geodetic survey project of which the Planning Board is the sponsor. In a report to the Board of Selectmen, the Planning Board expressed its opinion of the work accomplished and recommended that the project be continued at least until the completion of the base map.




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