USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Plymouth > Town annual report of the officers of the town of Plymouth, Massachusetts for the year ending 1949 > Part 23
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Article 76. To see if the Town will authorize the Water Commissioners to lay and maintain a new water main on Nathaniel Street in lieu of the present service which will be disrupted by the new by-pass road, and appropriate a sum of two thousand, four hundred dollars ($2,400) therefor; said sum to be added to the appropria- tion voted under Article 67 at the annual Town Meeting in March, 1949.
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $2,400 from Excess and Deficiency.
Article 77. To see if the Town will authorize the Water Commissioners to relay water mains in Bourne Street and Ropewalk Court and appropriate the sum of five thousand, four hundred dollars ($5,400) therefor.
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $5,400 from Excess and Deficiency.
Article 78. To see if the Town will authorize the Water Commissioners to lay and maintain extensions of water mains in Marjorie Street east and Highland Avenue, together with installation of fire hydrants, services and other appurtenances as necessary and appropriate the sum of three thousand dollars ($3,000) therefor.
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $3,000 from Excess and Deficiency.
Article 79. To see if the Town will authorize the Water Commissioners to install a centrifugal pump at the Deep Water Bridge pumping station and appropriate the sum of two thousand, five hundred dollars ($2,500) therefor.
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $2,500 from Excess and Deficiency.
Article 80. To see if the Town will authorize the Water Commissioners to install a new low-service meter at
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the Lout Pond pumping station and appropriate the sum of three thousand dollars ($3,000) therefor.
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $3,000 from Excess and Deficiency.
Article 81. To see if the Town will authorize the Water Commissioners to install chlorination equipment at the Lout Pond pumping station and appropriate a sum of seven thousand, five hundred dollars ($7,500) therefor.
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $7,500 from Excess and Deficiency.
Article 82. To see if the Town will authorize the Water Commissioners to lay and maintain extensions of water mains in Charlemont Road, Farmhurst Road and Rocky Hill Road at Priscilla Beach, together with installa- tion of fire hydrants, services and other appurtenances as necessary and appropriate the sum of eleven thousand dollars ($11,000) therefor.
The Committee recommends no action.
Article 83. To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Board of Public Welfare to dispose of the automobile now in service, and authorize the necessary funds for the purchase of a new automobile, to be used by the Old Age Assistance and Aid to Dependent Children Departments.
The Committee recommends no action.
Article 84. To see what amount the Town will vote to raise and appropriate to meet the payment of certain bills contracted prior to January 1, 1950, or take any action relative thereto.
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $5,079.33. These bills were contracted for but not paid in 1949 and, although your committee is very much against this practice, we are recommending this appropriation as a necessary step to meet this obligation.
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Article 85. To see if the Town, pursuant to the au- thority contained in Section 108A of Chapter 41 of the General Laws, will vote to accept the Report of the Salary and Wage Committee and adopt a by-law establishing a plan to classify certain positions in the service of the Town and establishing a salary schedule for positions thus classified or take any action relative thereto.
(By request)
The Committee recommends favorable action on the recommendations of the Salary and Wage Classification Committee and on the by-law as presented in their report at the end of this report.
Article 86. To see what action the Town will take to increase the membership of the Board of Public Welfare from three members to five members.
(By petition)
The Committee recommends no action.
Article 87. To see what action the Town will take with respect to the appointment of a committee to study the operation and management of the Department of Public Welfare, including the Bureau of Old Age Assist- ance and the Bureau of Aid to Dependent Children, to- gether with the Department of Veterans' Services, and make an appropriation therefor.
(By petition)
The Committee recommends appointment by the Mod- erator of a committee of five to study this matter and make recommendations at the next annual Town Meeting.
Article 88. To see whether the Town will vote to au- thorize the Moderator to appoint a committee to study the issuance and publication of the annual Town Reports, and make an appropriation therefor.
. (By petition)
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The Committee recommends appointment by the Mod- erator of a committee of three to study and report with recommendations at the next annual Town Meeting, and an appropriation of $50 for expenses of said committee.
Article 89. To see if the Town will authorize the Mod- erator to appoint a committee to study the possible use or uses to which the Old High School Building may be put, and make an appropriation therefor.
(By petition)
The Committee recommends appointment by the Mod- erator of a committee of three to study and report with recommendations at the next annual Town Meeting.
Article 90. To see if the Town will vote to amend its by-laws relating to the Advisory and Finance Committee by striking out that portion of the by-law which was voted by the Town as Article 60 at the Town Meeting of March 23, 1940, and substituting therefor the following: That the Advisory and Finance Committee shall prepare and sub- mit to the Town, in its printed reports for the year 1951 and all subsequent town meetings, a list of the regular annual appropriations, so arranged that there shall be four separate appropriations for each department or office, the first to be the total of all salaries, the second to be the total of all labor payrolls, the third to be the total of all new equipment, and the fourth to be the total of all other expenses. No transfers are to be allowed from one of these appropriations to the other. Any contemplated outlay for departmental equipment in the amount of four hundred dollars to one thousand dollars shall be set forth in the list of appropriations and shall be subject to a separate vote. Any contemplated outlay for new equipment in excess of one thousand dollars shall be voted upon in a separate article. The report shall contain a list of the names of all persons employed by the Town for whom a salary or wage increase is recommended by the Committee, which
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increase is included in the departmental appropriation recommended by it. It shall be the duty of the Committee to also include a list of new positions, created or to be created by any department or office, and to make avail- able for the voters at the Town House and other public places, not later than ten days prior to the Annual Meet- ing, copies of the Committee's reports. The Moderator shall have the right to reappoint retiring members of the committee. The report of the committee for any Special Town Meeting shall also be printed or mimeographed and shall be available to the voters at the Special Town Meeting.
(By petition)
The Committee recommends amending the by-law by striking out paragraph ten which reads: "The report of the Committee to the annual Town Meeting shall be in print, but reports on all other Town Meetings shall be in such form as the Committee shall deem advisable" and inserting in place thereof the following: "The report of the Committee to the annual Town Meeting shall be in print and shall contain a list of the regular annual depart- mental budget recommendations, subdivided to whatever extent seems advisable to the Committee for vote by the Town, provided that salaries and personal services shall be segregated from other expenses, that any con- templated outlay for departmental equipment in the amount of $400 to $1,000 shall be set forth in the list of appropriations and subject to a separate vote, and that any contemplated outlay for new equipment in excess of $1,000 shall be voted upon under a separate article. Re- ports of the Committee on all other Town Meetings shall be in such form as the Committee shall deem advisable."
Article 91. To see what action the Town will take with respect to the report of the Committee on consolidation of town departments under Article 90 at the annual Town Meeting held March 26, 1949, and with respect to the re-
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quest of said Committee that it be continued for another year for the purpose of drafting necessary legislation for submission to the legislature and for final approval by the voters, and make an appropriation therefor.
(By petition)
The Committee recommends that the existing Com- mittee be continued for another year for further study.
Article 92. To see if the Town will accept Section 128 of Chapter 111 of the General Laws as amended by Chapter 631 of the Acts of 1947 and adopt the minimum standards of fitness for human habitation promulgated by the Department of Public Health.
The Committee recommends appointment by the Mod- erator of a committee of three, one of whom shall be a member of the Board of Health, to study and make recom- mendations not later than the next annual Town Meeting.
Article 93. To see if the Town will vote to accept from Charles R. Cross and Annie L. Cross, a parcel of land on the northerly side of Alden Street to be used for highway purposes.
The Committee recommends favorable action.
Article 94. To see what action the Town will take re- garding the appointment of a committee, similar to the one appointed under Article 89 of the adjourned Town Meeting of March 28, 1949, with authorization to draw up a zoning by-law for the Town and make the necessary appropriation therefor.
(By petition)
The Committee recommends the appointment of a com- mittee of five members by the Selectmen, who, with the Planning Board, shall be designated as a Zoning Board and authorized to draw up zoning by-laws under Section 27, Chapter 40, to report not later than the next annual
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Town Meeting, and an appropriation of $500 for expenses of said Board.
Article 95. To see if the Town will direct the Select- men to prepare a division of the Town into convenient voting precincts in accordance with Chapter 54, Section 6 of the General Laws.
(By petition)
The Committee recommends favorable action, the num- ber of precincts not to exceed three.
Article 96. To see what action the Town will take toward adopting the Representative Form of Town Government and make an appropriation therefor.
(By petition)
The Committee recommends the appointment by the Moderator of a committee of five members to study repre- sentative town government, to hold hearings and, if ad- visable, draft a tentative special act and report to the Town not later than the next annual Town Meeting, and an appropriation of $100 for expenses of said committee.
Article 97. To see what action the Town will take with respect to instructing the Board of Public Welfare to re- quire, compel or offer able-bodied recipients of general relief, to work or a chance to work to the extent of the relief provided for them, for any town department which requires them for such work.
(By petition)
The Committee recommends no action, feeling that the committee to be appointed under Article 87 should con- sider this subject.
Article 98. To see what action the Town will take toward organizing a Town Recreation Commission and to make appropriations therefor.
(By petition)
The Committee recommends no action.
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Article 99. To see what action the Town will take with reference to authorizing use of the Town property off Mayflower Place for a playground for small children.
(By petition)
The Committee recommends no action.
Article 100. To see what action the Town will take with reference to conveying a parcel of land, ninety-two feet by seventy-five feet, on the southerly side of May- flower Place, adjoining land of Eldridge and Holmes, to Valentine J. Peterson and Rose A. Peterson.
(By petition)
The Committee recommends no action.
Article 101. To see what action the Town will take towards making improvements in the bathing, recreational and parking facilities at Beach Park and make an appro- priation therefor.
(By petition)
The Committee recommends continuation of this com- mittee for another year for further study and report of their recommendations.
Article 102. To see what action the Town will take relative to extending the present town water system from the point where it now deadends (opposite the property of Mr. Boyle on Manomet Avenue) to a point opposite the dwelling of Muriel Weeks; the route of the extension to follow Manomet Avenue northerly to the corner of Plot #25 and thence northeasterly across Plot #24 and Plot #20 along the route of existing private road, which continues to connect with Point Road.
(By petition)
The Committee recommends no action.
Article 103. To see if the Town will vote that the Board of Water Commissioners shall cause water meters
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to be installed at all locations now receiving unmetered water service.
(By petition)
The Committee recommends no action.
Article 104. To see if the Town will vote that the Board of Water Commissioners shall make no new installation or renew existing installations of water serv- ice, except through water meters, each dwelling unit and each business establishment for which service is hereafter installed to have its own separate water meter.
(By petition)
The Committee recommends no action.
Article 105. To see if the Town will vote that the Board of Water Commissioners shall charge for annual use, identical rates and prices for the same amount of water wherever service is maintained regardless of geo- graphical location within the Town.
(By petition)
The Committee recommends no action.
Article 106. To see if the Town will appropriate the sum of twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) for the cost of installation of water meters at locations now receiving unmetered water.
(By petition)
The Committee recommends no action.
Article 107. To see if the Town will authorize the Water Commissioners to enter into all necessary contracts to lay water mains of not less than six inches in diameter and to do such other acts or things as may be necessary to supply town water along the so-called Carver Road, west- erly from the end of the present main for a distance of approximately three miles, and to purchase necessary material therefor, and enter into all necessary contracts and to do such other acts and things in respect thereto as may be necessary to supply town water to the inhabitants
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in the above-mentioned territory, and to make an appro- priation therefor. To meet the appropriation, the Town Treasurer, with the approval of the Selectmen, be author- ized to borrow a sum sufficient to meet the cost thereof and to issue therefor bonds or notes of the Town payable in accordance with Section 19 of Chapter 44 of the General Laws, as amended, so that the whole loan shall be paid in not more than fifteen (15) years after the date of the issuance of the first bond or note, or at such earlier date as the Treasurer or Selectmen may determine.
The Committee recommends no action. (By petition)
Article 108. Will the Town of Plymouth instruct and direct that starting April 1, 1950, the Board of Selectmen shall annually appoint a full-time Building Inspector at an annual salary of twenty-six hundred dollars ($2,600) and appropriate the sum of two thousand dollars ($2,000) to cover the cost for 1950.
(By petition)
The Committee recommends no action.
Article 109. To see if the Town of Plymouth will vote to completely resurface Point Road in the Manomet sec- tion of Plymouth and to build a sidewalk on one side of said road from its junction with Route 3 to its junction with Taylor Avenue, and make an appropriation therefor.
(By petition)
The Committee recommends no action. .
Article 110. To see if the Town will vote to place under the supervision of the Park Department, the land known as the Morton Grain Mill property to be used for park purposes. Purchased under Article 81 of the Town Meet- ing warrant of March, 1949.
The Committee recommends favorable action.
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Article 111. To see if the Town will vote to appropriate from money in the Treasury, not otherwise appropriated, the sum of seventy thousand dollars ($70,000) to reduce the tax rate of the current year.
The Committee recommends no action.
SPECIAL TOWN MEETING WARRANT
Article 1. To see if the Town will vote to raise and ap- propriate or transfer from unappropriated available funds in the Treasury, the sum of ten thousand dollars ($10,000) for the purpose of repairing a section of the roadway on Market Street and rebuilding the stonewall over Town Brook which was damaged when the roadway on Market Street caved in; said money to be used in con- junction with any money which may be allotted by the State or County, or both, for the above purpose.
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $10,000 from Excess and Deficiency.
Respectfully submitted,
ADVISORY AND FINANCE COMMITTEE
William S. Brewster, Chairman; Lyman W. Briggs, Samuel
E. Franc, Robert Marvelli, Jr., Ferris C. Waite, Amedio 'Barufaldi, Robert B. Bowler, Jr., Harris B. Cohen, John W. Searles, Donald E. Ticknor, Robert M. Briggs, An- thony Caramello, Andrew J. Carr, Warren R. Girard and George S. Wild.
Attested: Cora B. Grady, Secretary
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[CHAP. 351] AN ACT RELATIVE TO SALARY PLANS ADOPTED BY CITIES AND TOWNS
Be it enacted, etc., as follows:
Chapter 41 of the General Laws is hereby amended by striking out section 108A, inserted by section 2 of chapter 540 of the acts of 1947, and inserting in place thereof the following :- Section 108A. A city by ordinance and a town by by-law may establish, and from time to time amend, a plan classifying any or all positions, other than those filled by popular election and those under the direction and con- trol of the school committee, into groups and classes doing substantially similar work or having substantially equal responsibilities. Such city or town may in like manner or in a city by vote of the city council, subject to the provisions of its charter, and in a town by vote of the town at a town meeting, establish, and from time to time amend, a plan establishing minimum and maximum salaries to be paid to employees in positions so classified, and such salary plan may provide for the attainment of such maxi- mum salaries by periodical step-rate increases based on length of service. Nothing in this section shall be con- strued to conflict with the provisions of chapter thirty-one. Any by-law adopted under the provisions of this section shall not be subject to section thirty-two of chapter forty. Approved May 21, 1948.
REPORT OF THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON SALARY AND WAGE CLASSIFICATION
Under Article 43 of the Annual Town Meeting, held on March 26, 1949, it was voted that the Moderator appoint a committee of three members to study salary and wage classification of Town employees in accordance with Chapter 351 of the Acts of 1948. This law authorizes a Town to set up a classification and pay plan for all posi- tions except those filled by popular election and those under the direction and control of the School Committee.
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The Moderator appointed a committee of three members as follows: Miss Sara C. Bodell, John W. Packard and Edwin T. Williams. The Committee held its first meeting on May 5, 1949. Since that date numerous other meetings have been held and many hours have been spent outside of the scheduled meetings in collecting and analyzing the mass of data which are the inevitable result of a study of this kind. In many instances, members of the Com- mittee have held conferences with various department heads, boards and elected officials. These conferences afforded the Committee an opportunity to obtain more detailed information with respect to certain positions than would otherwise be possible.
The Committee felt its duty was to place before the Town a comprehensive salary and wage administration plan. This plan should be soundly conceived and capable of continuing growth and development. The scope of salary administration extends beyond the establishment of an equitable compensation for each employee and en- compasses the formulation of policies with respect to overtime pay, vacations, sick leave and other related subjects. It is believed this report provides the basis for such a plan.
The first and most important step in developing this overall plan is the adoption of a classification and pay plan which is fair both to the employee and to the taxpayer. It is the purpose of this report to recommend to the Town a plan providing for the following:
1. Satisfactory pay differentials between positions based on the job requirements and the hours of work.
2. A means of rewarding superior performance on the part of the employee.
3. A pay schedule which compares favorably with that of other towns of similar size and circumstances.
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As a background for their work, the Committee re- viewed the classification and pay plans recommended to and adopted by other towns. The merits of modern job evaluation procedures were also thoroughly investigated. It was found that various methods are used to classify positions. These methods range all the way from arbitrary classification to highly involved analysis and comparison of job requirements. The Committee, after studying these various methods, firmly believed that a fair classification required two basic steps, as follows:
1. A complete description of the duties and responsi- bilities of each position.
2. A careful analysis and evaluation of these duties and responsibilities to determine the relative value of each position.
Accordingly on July 8, 1949, and from time to time thereafter, the Committee requested of each department that each employee and supervisor submit a completed questionnaire setting forth the duties of each position, the hours of work, and other pertinent data. Each question- naire was checked and verified by the employee's immedi- ate supervisor and reviewed by the department head concerned.
Each position was then classified on the basis of the duties and responsibilities shown on these questionnaires. Certain factors were considered as contributing to the relative value of each position. It was felt that these factors existed in some measure as requirements of all the jobs. Among these were such factors as knowledge, experience, complexity, initiative, contacts, effect of errors, supervision and working conditions. In the laboring and trades positions additional consideration was given to such factors as hazards, care of equipment, safety of others and physical effort. Each position was assigned
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to a class only after a careful comparison had been made between jobs.
It was the purpose of the Committee to analyze these positions objectively. The personal merits of the em- ployee were not considered. We believe a successful classification can be achieved by considering only those factors which contribute to the value of the position. Rating the employee is an equally important phase of salary administration, but one requiring different tech- niques. It should not be confused with job classification.
It became apparent during the study that the hours of work varied considerably. This variation in the work week made it necessary to establish different pay sched- ules for the same class of work in order to fairly compen- sate employees. The Committee recommends that consid- eration be given in the future to standardizing the work week. Any revision in the hours of work will have no effect on the classification of a position, provided the duties remain unchanged, but such revision would affect the salary of the position.
A similar problem was encountered in the analysis of part-time positions. In the majority of cases, accurate data with respect to hours worked were not obtained. This was through no fault of those reporting the data, but was due to the nature of these positions. It was possible to classify these positions, but in the absence of accurate data con- cerning the hours worked, it was impossible to establish an accurate pay schedule. The Committee felt, in the time it had available, first consideration should be given to full-time positions. At the time of presenting this report, the hours of work on most of the part-time positions had not been determined with any degree of accuracy. The Committee believes that the work thus far accomplished with respect to other positions should not be withheld because of this fact and this report is submitted with the
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recommendation that further study be made of these part- time positions.
In cooperation with the School Committee, question- naires were completed for certain non-teaching positions under their control. It was not possible in the time avail- able to classify these positions. The Committee recom- mends, at the discretion of the School Committee, that further consideration be given to this matter.
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