USA > Massachusetts > Barnstable County > Harwich > Town annual reports of the selectmen and overseers of the poor of the town of Harwich 1951 > Part 4
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A serious leak developed on Lower County Road at the corner of Doane Way, which was caused by a defective lead service, and had to be replaced with copper tubing.
During this period a 2-inch water extension on Hoyt Road to accommodate four new water takers was scheduled and completed, and a short 1-inch extension was made on Forest Street. Seventeen water services were installed in November and December, bringing the year's total to eighty- three new service connections.
Materials were purchased and a start was made on the concrete block storage building essential for housing our equipment. An article is being inserted in the Town Warrant for an appropriation to complete this necessary project.
55
Following is a brief summary of our 1951 records : SERVICE CONNECTIONS
Taking Water December 31, 1951
765
Seasonal Takers Shut-Off 618
Total Services Used 1951
1383
Services Not Used 1951
65
Total Service Connections
1448
NEW SERVICE INSTALLATIONS
3 / 4 "
1"
114"
New Services
Installed
45
36
1
1
none
none
83
Length in Ft.
2,578'9" 3,311'5"
38'6"
62
5,991'8"
Average Length
per service
58'6"
92'
38'6"
62'
74'3''
Average Charge
per Service
$59.35
Cost to Dept. per foot
$ .77
MILES OF MAINS BY SIZES
10"
8"
2"
116"
11!"
1"
Total
1950 Total
6.07
7.73
11.09
4.33
.39
.33
none
29.94 Miles
1951 Added
none
none
none
.51
.10
.02
.02
.65 Miles
1951 Total
6.07
7.73
11.09
4.84
.49
.35
.02
30.59 Miles
HYDRANTS
1950 Total
174
1951 Added
None
1951 Total
174
1951 MAIN LINE CONSTRUCTION
KIND OF PIPE
SIZE
LENGTH
Orleans Rd
C.L. Wrought Iron
11%"
410 Ft.
Uncle Wills Lane
C.L. Wrought Iron
11/2"
136 Ft.
Damon Rd.
C.L. Wrought Iron
2""
308 Ft.
Archibald Circle
C.L. Wrought Iron
2"
190 Ft.
Braddock Lane
C.L. Wrought Iron
2"
220 Ft.
Ostable Rd.
C.L. Wrought Iron
2"
163 Ft.
Clifford Rd.
C.L. Wrought Iron
2"
194 Ft.
Lower Bank St.
C.L. Wrought Iron
11/4"
121 Ft.
Pleasant Rd.
C.L. Wrought Iron
2"
366 Ft.
11/2"
Total
56
Willow St.
C.L. Wrought Iron
2" 598 Ft.
Hoyt Rd.
C.L. Wrought Iron
2" 696 Ft.
Forest St.
C.L. Wrought Iron
1" 120 Ft.
Total
3522 Ft.
WATER CONSUMPTION
GALLONS
GALLONS
January
3,084,160
July
26,104,320
February
2,630,370
August
17,232,930
March
3,149,740
September
8,327,550
April
3,659,590
October
4,418,700
May
8,644,790
November
3,569,100
June
11,397,980
December
3,013,820
Total Gallons Pumped 95,233,050
Pumped to Metered Ratio
871/2%
Average Daily Consumption
260,940 Gals.
Largest Monthly Consumption July
26,104,320 Gals.
Largest Weekly Consumption-ending July 19th
7,020,530 Gals.
Largest Daily Consumption-July 7th
1,189,650 Gals.
Hours of Operation Fairbanks Diesel
765 Hrs.
Hours of Operation Sterling Diesel
1,596 Hrs., 55 Mins.
Hours of Operation Gasoline
65 Mins.
Total Hours of Operation . 2,363 Hrs.
SUMMARY OF ACCOUNTS ENDING DECEMBER 31, 1951
Commitments
1950 Balance Outstanding January 1, 1951
$2,949.21
1951 Collections
2,949.21
1950 Balance
None
1951 Commitments (Includes $38.00 in Refunds) 43,834.65
Less Refunds and Abatements
71.00
43,763.65
Less 1951 Collections
41,378.97
1951 Balance Outstanding
$2,384.68
Total Balance Outstanding
$2,384.68
Receipts
Minimum Charges
$30,590.43
Excess Water
7,314.80
Service Connections
6,354.95
Miscellaneous
68.00
57
TOTAL 1951 COLLECTIONS
$44,328.18
Paid to Town Treasurer
$44,328.18
Expenditures
Retirement of Bonds
Interest on Bonds
$7,000.00 770.00
Maintenance and Operation Administration
$7,496.50
General
9,455.37
Pumping Station
5,060.39
New Equipment and Plant Improvements 2,452.05
Repairing Elevated Tank
418.89
Service Installations
$24.883.20 8,859.39
Total 1951 Operating Expenses $41,512.59
SPECIAL ACCOUNTS
Water Main Extension
Payments
$3,879.41
Appropriation
$4,000.00
Balance to 1952
120.59
$4,000.00
$4,000.00
New Standpipe (Brooks Park)
Payments
$63,322.89
Appropriation
$75,000.00
Balance
11,677.11
$75,000.00
$75,000.00
New Truck
Payments
$ 1,207.33
Appropriation
$ 1,500.00
Balance
292.67
$ 1,500.00
$ 1,500.00
Respectfully submitted,
WALTER E. CAHOON LAWRENCE F. NICKERSON NORMAN O. NICKERSON Board of Water Commissioners
JOHN K. DONNELLY Superintendent and Collector
58
Report of the Water Works Extension Committee
TO THE RESIDENTS AND THE PROPERTY OWNERS OF THE TOWN OF HARWICH, MASS.
The Committee appointed by the Moderator as the result of the Town Meeting in February, 1951, to study the problem of extending the Water Service to all parts of the Town of Harwich has done its work with understanding of and sympathy for the desire of all residents to have the benefits of good water supply and fire protection. We desire to make those blessings available so far as is practicable. We are aware that up to this date these services have been extended only to the areas adjacent to the shore line and to the Harwich Center area, which means that residents of North Harwich, East Harwich, and Pleasant Lake villages have not been equally served.
It has not been because of any desire of the Board of Selectmen and Assessors, or of the Water Board, or of the Superintendent of the Water Department to favor certain areas that the others have been deprived of water service. Actually, the water mains and services are now covering about two-thirds of the population and two-thirds of the assessed value of the Town of Harwich. The obstacle which has been faced is the cost of running the supply mains to the unsupplied areas as compared with the prospective income needed to pay the bill.
The thought has been expressed that property owners in the three villages which do not have the water service and fire protec- tion have been taxed to pay for the water system without getting any benefit in return. This is true in a degree, but not to the ex- tent that seems apparent. The present investment in the Water Sys- tem is about $300,000, but of this the Federal Government contri- buted $108,000 towards the initial installation as a Public Works Administration project, and it was necessary to provide the benefit for the largest number of persons who could be reached with the avail- able funds. Nevertheless, those who have had these benefits for some years should be willing now to contribute to the need of those who have not heretofore shared in the results.
There is now a sufficient water storage capacity for the needs of the entire Town, so the only obstacle to the desired extension is the willingness of the residents to pay the cost. The best current estimate is that it will cost about $700,000 to install the water mains and hydrants and to tie together the present dead-end supply mains so that all who want town water and fire protection' may be served. Let us analyze this estimate to see where the cost would apply:
1st To install the necessary 2,200 ft. of 8" and 23,600 ft. of 10" supply mains from Harwich Center to Cashen's Corner in East Harwich will cost $166,000., plus the undetermined cost of running mains down the side streets for those who will pay for services.
2nd. To install the necessary 14,600 ft. of 8" mains from the bridge in Harwich Center along Kelley Road to North Harwich village will cost $84,700., plus the undetermined cost of running mains down side streets for those who will pay for services.
59
3rd. To install the necessary 11,650 ft. of 8" and 6,300 ft. of 10" mains on Pleasant Lake Ave., to the Pleasant Lake area will cost $87,350., and to install 3,650 ft. of 8" mains on Queen Ann Rd. will cost $21,175, or a total of $108,525.
4th. There is a large area of South Harwich which is not now supplied. To lay the necessary 800 ft. of 6" and 15,300 ft. of 8" mains to supply the homes on Uncle Venie's Rd., Deep Hole Rd., Hersey Ave., Julian Rd., Depot Rd., and Sequatucket Bluffs will cost $93,875, plus an undetermined amount if the mains are extended to supply several streets which are now being developed.
5th There is a real need for extending the water main through Sisson Road, not only to supply the residents of that street, but more particularly, to increase the water supply and the pres- sure in the Harwich Port and West Harwich areas with which to fight some big fire, and also because of the substantial increase in the number of homes there. This will cost $67,975. Furthermore, there are presently a number of dead-ends and gaps in the water mains in these areas. It is important to the entire Town that no big fire shall destroy any of the homes of those who contribute so largely to the cost of running our Town government and its utilities, and who are also important customers of our merchants. To close these gaps will cost an estimated $121,350.
6th. Finally, to install the necessary mains on Hiawatha, Gorham, and Doane Roads in the Harwich Port area will cost $34,675.
The foregoing estimates have been carefully worked out by Mr. John W. Hughes, who has been for years our Water Works Superin- tendent, with the advice of Mr. Paul Howard of the Water Works engineering firm of Whitman & Howard of Boston, who originally designed and supervised our installation. It does not contemplate running mains through every street in the Town nor to every home which might want service but which may be too far away from other takers to justify the cost of installation. But it is believed that the indicated extensions would bring the mains within reach of 95% of the population.
The figures we have quoted are astonishingly large, but we are sure it would not be satisfactory or safe to lay smaller mains than those indicated because of the loss of volume of water and pressure resulting from the increased friction or running the water through smaller pipes.
HOW TO GET THE MONEY
No one is going to make us a gift of $700,000. There are in sight only three sources:
1st. To borrow it on a bond issue.
2nd. To raise it by taxing the property owners of the Town.
3rd. To raise the water rates and make the takers pay the cost.
To raise and collect $700,000 of taxes in any one year for water works extensions in addition to other necessary expenses of running the Town, would be prohibitive.
The receipts from water takers in 1950 were only $35,339.06, and so it is apparent that it will not be possible to collect enough from
60
present and future takers to pay the cost of operating the system plus any substantial part of $700,000.
For the past ten or more years the Town has raised and appro- priated an average of about $10,000 a year for water service exten- sions and improvements, but at that rate it would take more than 70 years to cover the Town, and such slow and piecemeal develop- ment already has caused much irritation to those who want the service, and probably has retarded the development of the unsupplied areas.
We reach the conclusion that the only way by which it will be possible to finance the cost of any important extensions, or a complete installation, in the near future will be to resort to a bond issue, which, in effect, will be to mortgage the entire assests of the Town until the loan is repaid. This has been done before, and the record of repay- ment by the Town of Harwich is so good that doubtless we can get whatever we want and at a low rate of interest. Let us now explore this possibility.
There is a State law which prohibits a Town from borrowing for water system extensions for a longer term than 15 years. That will mean that each year we must repay 1/15th of whatever amount we borrow plus the interest on the unpaid balance of the loan. We assume that it will be possible to borrow $700,000 at a rate of about 2%. At that rate we would have to raise and pay during the first year $60,666, and the next year $59,733, and the next year $58,799, and so on until the principal and the interest charge will finally be fully paid at the end of fifteen years.
The Town raises the money it requires by levying a tax on the assessed value of the land and buildings, and on the personal pro- perty (merchandise in the stores, equipment of its contractors, the animals and equipment of its farmers, the furnishings of its homes over a certain exemption) of its property owners and residents. This is to pay the costs of operating the schools, maintaining the roads, helping the needy, and all the other activities of the Town, and all according to the votes of its registered voters. For the current year the Town assessed a tax of $32 for each $1,000 of taxable value. Last year the rate was $36 per $1,000 and the Town collected a total of $346,506.84.
At the end of 1950 our Town Assessors reported the total taxable values to be $10,364,530, and on this basis, to raise an additional $60,666 for the payment on Water Works bonds in the ensuing year, it would be necessary to add $5.85 to the tax rate. That means that every owner of property in Harwich would have to contribute in pro- portion to the assessed value of his propery, even though he now has town water and fire protection, and even if he should not want it. Of course, as more and more property is developed and homes are built, the increase in taxable values will tend to reduce the tax rate. And it is reasonable to believe that in North and East Harwich and in Pleasant Lake more persons will want to locate'if they can have the benefit of Town water and fire protection.
The question may be asked, "Is it fair to the owners of about two-thirds of the taxable property, most of whom now have water and fire protection, to ask them to contribute two-thirds of $700,000 plus the interest on the loan in order to provide such benefits for the one-third who will pay back only one-third of the cost?" Your Com-
61
mittee would answer this by pointing out that, since 1934 when the present system was installed until now, the property owners in these unserved sections have contributed one-third of the cost to date without getting any of the benefits. Furthermore, it is to the pre- sently undeveloped areas of Harwich that we must look for the future development and increase in taxable values, so these areas will in the future contribute a rising part of the cost while the demand upon the presently supplied sections will diminish.
ALTERNATE POSSIBILITIES
If the Voters of Harwich are not willing to Incur the obligation of raising and paying back $700,000 plus a total of about $105,000 for interest over the period of 15 years, then what about borrowing less money to pay for the most needed extensions, and into the areas where the most takers will be found in proportion to the cost? There is no way of surely knowing how many householders will pay the installation charge and the annual water charge which at present is a minimum of $24. The only way of estimating is to count the number of homes and stores adjacent to the streets through which it is planned to lay the mains and compare that number with the cost. This is shown in the following exhibit:
Number
homes
Adjacent to
Cost of Mains and hydrants
Cost per home
11
Depot St.
So. Harwich
$ 14,500
$ 1,318
29
Uncle Venie's Road
So. Harwich
25,000
862
13
Deep Hole Road
So. Harwich
18,550
1,427
11
Hersey Ave. So. Harwich
12,750
1,160
10
Julian Road So. Harwich
12,775
1,277
8
Sequatucket Bluffs
So. Harwich
10,300
1,287
84
$ 93,875
12
Gorham Road
Harwich Port
$15,800
: 1,317
16
Doane Road
Harwich Port
15,300
956
1
Hiawatha Road
Harwich Port
3,575
3,575
17
South St. & Sisson Rd.
Harwich Center
$ 41,000
2,412
5
Oak Street
Harwich Center
3,775
755
2
Great Western Road
Harwich Center
23,200
11,600
53
$ 102,650
Mansion Street
West Harwich
$ 2050
29
Willow Street
West Harwich
11,225
$ 387
9
Depot & Smith Sts.
West Harwich
15,125
1,680
14
Belmont Road
West Harwich
15,625
1,130
5
Kelley Road
West Harwich
3,575
715
19
Dobles Point
West Harwich
14,600
770
18
Lower County Road
West Harwich
38,300
2,128
4
Pleasant Road
West Harwich
4,350
1,090
gap
Grey Neck Road
West Harwich
2,050
5
Brooks Road
West Harwich
3,050
610
1
Wequassett Road
West Harwich
5,600
5,600
4
Mirasol Road
West Harwich
5,600
1,400
$ 121,350
108
62
40
Pleasant Lake Ave. to Town Line
Pleasant Lake
$ 87,350
$ 2,184
7
Queen Ann Road East
Pleasant Lake
8,125
1,160
12
Queen Ann Road West
Pleasant Lake
13,050
1,087
59
$ 108,525
110
Kelley Road & Depot St. No. Harwich
$ 84,700
$ 770
82 Harwich Center to Cashen's Corner
$ 166,000
$ 2,024
The foregoing exhibit shows great variation in the cost of the various extensions per home. This is explained by pointing out that the distances and the size of water mains account for the cost of the installation, while that cost divided by the number of homes along the way determines the cost per home. For example, to supply water to the East Harwich village will require laying 23,600 ft. of 10" pipe and 2,200 ft. of 8" pipe (5 miles) at a cost of $166,000., and then there will be only about 82 takers at the most, which means an average cost of $2,024.
To supply water to the North Harwich village will require laying 14,600 ft. of 8" pipe (about 2.7 miles) at a cost of $84,700., and there will be a possible 110 takers at an average cost of $770.
Now, you will note that by laying 2,400 ft. of 6" pipe on Dobles Point we can supply 19 homes at an average cost of $770., while if 2,200 ft. of 6" pipe is laid to supply the 29 homes on Willow Street the cost will average only $387.
SHOULD WE SPEND ANY MONEY FOR THESE EXTENSIONS?
There is a commercal or business side to this matter which ought to be clearly explained and understood by every voter and property owner. Disregard at this point all consideration of personal con- venience and health, and think of the Town of Harwich as a business in which we are all partners. We have to maintain schools, roads, present services, pay our part of the State and County taxes and our own running costs. All of this comes out of the taxes assessed against the value of our individual properties. The more valuable your pro- perty the more money you are taxed and must contribute. If valu- able property is destroyed then the man who lost it ceases to pay his share of the taxes, and the more the rest of us must contribute. It is bad when any family loses its home, but it is worse for all the rest of us if any of the valuable homes along the shore area or in the more closely built up areas are destroyed.
Then it stands to reason that we should all want good fire pro- tection through the West Harwich, Harwich Port, Sequatucket Bluffs, and some other areas, so if any fire does start there it can be ex- tinguished or kept from spreading into other nearby homes. It would be a bad blow to the Town and to the merchants if Snow Inn, Hotel Belmont, or The Melrose Hotel should burn. It would be bad if a fire should sweep through the old "Camp Meeting Grounds" area of Harwich Port, where so many cottages are built too close to each other and so could all be destroyed in one conflagration.
To keep our own tax contributions down we must provide ample water and fire hydrants for these areas.
It must also be recognized that these areas are the fastest growing sections of our Town; that more buildings are being erected
63
and the greatest increase in our taxable values are coming from there. These property owners are thus making a greater contribution to our taxes.
Futhermore, many of those who have built fine summer homes along the shore are wealthy enough to be able to abandon them and quit our area if we don't give them water and fire protection, and that would be bad for the rest of us.
Thus, it seems only good business judgement to spend the money necessary to extend the water and fire protection to certain parts of our Town.
WHO IS GOING TO PAY FOR THE EXTENSIONS?
Wherever water mains are laid hydrants for fire protection will be installed. Thus even if the occupant of a home does not take the water service he will get the benefit of the fire protection.
Even though the water mains and hydrants are installed along land where no houses have been built, the very fact that water and fire protection are available will increase the value of the land to prospective puchasers; it will stimulate building, and that in itself will tend to make the value of the land rise. Everyone knows this.
Thus those owning property and living along the route of the water mains should be willing to make a fair contribution towards the cost of the extensions, plus the usual annual charge for the water they consume.
No figures are available to show the breakdown of the $10,364,530 of assessed values between the various villages, but we are told that about two-thirds of the total value and about two-thirds of the popu- lation now have water and fire protection. Using this as a basis, we can say roughly that over the past 17 years since our water system was first installed about one-third of the cost has been contributed by those who have not had any benefit therefrom. So now it is only fair that those who have enjoyed the benefits of water and fire pro- tection should be willing to contribute their share of the cost of . these extensions.
HOW SHALL THE MONEY BE RAISED?
We have indicated that if $700,000 is to be borrowed it will re- quire raising about $60,666 to pay the principal and interest charge during the first year, and a diminishing amount for the succeeding years in order to complete the payment in 15 years.
If the Voters approve only $350,000 loan to take care of the most necessary extensions, the cost for the first year will be $30,333 and a diminishing amount in each succeeding year.
On the basis of the present total assessed value of $10,364,530 the $700,000 loan will require an increase of $5.85 per $1,000 during the first year, and somewhat less in each succeeding year. Or the $350,000 loan will require a $2.93 rise in the tax rate. Of course this will be an increase on top of whatever is required for all other ap- propriations to operate the Town.
Putting it another way, in 1950 on a tax rate of $36.00 per $1,000 the Town raised $346,506. We would have to pay 17% more than the 1950 taxes to raise the $60,666 required by a $700,000 loan, or 81/2% more for a $350,000.
Now, our Board of Selectmen and the real estate people say,, "Don't talk about increasing the tax rate; raise the assessed values
64
instead and keep the rate down. So long as the Harwich tax rate is lower than that of most other towns, buyers and developers will be attracted to our Town." That makes sense, doesn't it? So how about Voting to authorize our Board of Assessors to increase the assess- ments enough to provide the required amount of principal and in- terest on the water bonds, instead of increasing the rate of taxation?
SHOULD WE MAKE THE EXTENSION IN 1952?
The water works engineers tell us that cast iron pipe and fittings are now available, and that deliveries can be secured within about two months of placing the orders. It is not certain how much longer this will be true, nor what will happen to the future cost of pipe and labor, nor what government controls will be. There is also a recent tendency for rates of interest to rise. There seems to be nothing to indicate that the cost of making this extension will ever be less than at present. So if the property owners and voters of Harwich want the water and fire protection system extended at all, now is a good time to do it.
There was a splendid number of new homes erected in 1950 and 1951, many of them built for year around occupancy. For various good reasons an increasing number of permanent residents are coming to Harwich. The value of commercial buildings has increased. All of this means larger taxable values and more income for the support of our Town and an easing up of the tax burden on each one of us. The rate was $36.00 per $1,000 of assessed value in 1950 and $32.00 in 1951. While a bond issue for Water Works extension will add somewhat to our tax burden for the first year or two, it seems conservative to estimate that a continuing growth in taxable values will thereafter tend to offset the tax load.
In the judgement of your committee, now is as good a time as we can expect to have in which to extend the water mains and fire hydrants.
Respectfully submitted, Thomas M. Wright Victor S. Ryder Francis J. Hibbert Dwight W. Sleeper Clerk.
Report of Department of Police
To the Honorable Board of Selectmen, Harwich, Massachusetts
Gentlemen :
I herewith respectfully submit my second annual re- port of the Department of Police for the year ending De- cember 31, 1951.
65
Cases before Second District Court
78
Cases before Superior Court
4
Complaints Received and Investigated
678
Fires Attended
112
Rescue Runs Attended
88
Trips out of Town :
Provincetown
18
Brewster
2
Boston
2
Taunton
12
Middleboro
2
Cape Cod Hospital
8
Barnstable
2
House of Correction
9
Falmouth
2
Total Trips
53
Warrants Served
23
Summons Served
69
Confined to Lockup
49
Found D. O. A. (Dead on Arrival)
5
Attempted Suicide
2
Attempted Murder
1
Suicide
1
Auto Accidents Reported and Covered
43
Car Transfer Permits
311
Stolen Property Recovered
$7400.00
Miles Covered by Cruiser
123,000
I am very pleased to state that with all the increase in traffic this past year, we did not have a fatal auto accident.
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