USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Arlington > Town of Arlington annual report 1932 > Part 9
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A careful analysis of these recommendations, how- ever, coupled with the measures of relief hereinafter suggested to meet the changed conditions thereby en- tailed, will, we think, make clear that the net result of our suggestions taken as a whole, will be to lighten the labors of the board and at the same time, enhance the facility with which they will be enabled to discharge the important duties of their office, which, as provided in Article 3 of the by-laws of the town, include, "the gen- eral direction and management of the property and affairs of the town in all matters not otherwise provided for, so far as permitted by law."
The changes in town government recommended by your committee enlarge the duties of the selectmen in substantially only two particulars :
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a) The appointment of the officials already herein- before enumerated, whose offices have been heretofore elective.
b) Assumption of the duties and powers now vested in the board of public works, exclusively or con- jointly with the board of selectmen.
a.
The appointment of the officials above-enumerated involves no additional labor whatsoever on the part of the selectmen other than making choice of the officers themselves. All officials and boards thus appointed would continue to have supreme authority in their respec- tive departments as heretofore and to retain charge of the complete administrative detail of their respective offices, subject only to removal by the board for cause shown. This being true, it is obvious that the mere selec- tion of the appointees, the majority of whom so long as they continued to render satisfactory service and were willing to remain in office, would undoubtedly be reappointed upon the expiration of their respective terms, would ordinarily entail so slight an amount of additional time and effort on the part of the selectmen as to be practically negligible.
b.
To relieve the selectmen from the additional burden otherwise involved in the assumption by them of the duties and powers formerly exercised by the board of public works, we recommend the appointment of a new official to be known as the superintendent of public works, who, subject to the supervision of the selectmen, would perform all the functions previously exercised exclusively by the board of public works with the assist-
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ance of such other employees, agents and servants as required, all of whom should be appointed by him and be subject to his personal supervision, direction and con- trol. With this assistance, it would seem that the labors of the selectmen would not be materially increased by the change proposed, and that any such increase would be fully offset by enlarging the personnel of the board from three to five members, among whom the additional work involved in the proposed changes could be equitably and fairly distributed.
C
To still further assist the selectmen in the discharge of their duties, we recommend the appointment of an executive clerk who should give his entire time to the service of the board during business hours. This clerk should install a complete and accurate system with proper card indexing for filing all papers, documents and data placed in the board's custody and control, answer all reasonable inquiries in behalf of the board in the absence of any of its members, and direct all inquirers as to matters relating to the public business of the town to the particular official or department where they can obtain the information desired.
The foregoing suggestions, if followed, will, we earnestly believe, despite the additional duties devolving upon the board through the changes hereinbefore recom- mended, result in a substantial saving in the amount of time, energy and effort they are obliged to expend in the discharge of their official duties.
MISCELLANEOUS ADDITIONAL SUGGESTIONS
1. SELECTMEN
It has been proposed that the term of office of each member of the board be changed from three to five years.
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ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
Chapter 41, Section 1 of the General Laws, however, pro- vides that the selectmen be chosen to serve for three years and we know of no town where they are elected for a longer term. The three year term has worked satis- factorily in the past, and we are not convinced that the change suggested would result in any material advan- tage. It has also been proposed that the position of chairman of the board should carry with it the require- ment that the incumbent give all of his time to the dis- charge of the duties of his office, thus relieving the re- maining members from attending to minor details. As we believe, however, that it would be extremely difficult to find a chairman of sufficient capacity to fill a position of such great public importance satisfactorily at any salary the town would be willing to pay for his services, we do not feel that this proposal is practicable. It has been further suggested that the board of health be abolished and that in lieu thereof the selectmen appoint a health commissioner. This change would, however, in our opinion, impose additional responsibilities upon the board disproportionate to any commensurate gain to the public. Furthermore, the board of health deals with matters of such vital interest to our citizens that we believe its legal status, except as to the method of selec- tion of its members, should be allowed to remain as here- tofore.
2. RECREATION COMMISSION
The suggestion that such a commission be estab- lished is certainly of such importance as to deserve thoughtful consideration, since the health of our chil- dren dependent as it is to a great extent on proper opportunities for outdoor exercise, is a matter of vital concern to us all. We are now, however, provided with a splendid athletic field back of the high school in addi- tion to the Spy Pond Playground, and we believe that the needs of the future can adequately be met, either through
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the park commission or the appointment of special com- mittees, when the occasion arises.
3. TOWN MANAGER
The suggestion made to your committee by more than one representative citizen that we resort to this type of town government does not appear to us as oppor- tune. In the first place, such a change would place the responsibility for the business administration of the town substantially in the hands of a single public official, whose power would be scarcely less than that of the mayor of a city, except that the matter of public appro- priations would be left as heretofore in the representa- tive town meeting instead of being reposed in a board of aldermen or city council. Such a form of municipal government has hitherto been adopted in but few of the towns of the commonwealth and has not in general met with public favor. Moreover, an official of this charac- ter would be required to devote his entire time to the public business, and unless a substantial retired business man could be induced to accept the office, it would be extremely difficult to secure the services in such a posi- tion of a man of sufficient business experience, capacity and sagacity to enable him to serve the town adequately, at any salary which the town could reasonably afford to pay. In a word, we do not believe that the exigencies of the situation would justify or warrant this town in making such a radical departure from its present form of government as would be involved in putting the com- plete administrative control of the town's business in the hands of a single executive head.
4. BUILDING COMMISSION
One of the proposals to which your committee has given a great deal of time and thought is that of the creation of a building commission to be composed of three persons, one of whom should be a nominee of the school
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ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
committee, to take charge of all new construction of school-houses or other public buildings; also of outside repairs on all public buildings now constructed or here- after erected. While there is much to be said in favor of such a suggestion, we feel on the whole that it is inadvis- able to put it into practical operation at the present time, and this for several reasons. In the first place, new building construction is of necessity of a sporadic and occasional nature, and does not require the constant employment, year in and year out, of those in charge thereof. Furthermore, we are informed that in addition to completing work now under way, there are but few public buildings the erection of which is contemplated in the near future.
In this situation it would seem to us wise and more economical to continue to employ special committees to take charge of public building projects in the future if and when the exigency arises, just as has been done so successfully in the past, rather than to create a new salaried position the incumbent of which would not be regularly and continuously employed. We do, however, strongly recommend, in order that the town may per- manently benefit from the knowledge and experience of its various building committees, as they are appointed from time to time, that in addition to making their re- ports to the town, they file in the office of the inspector of buildings, copies of all such reports, all plans, specifica- tions, documents, written bids, papers and data of any permanent value of which they have made use in connec- tion with the particular building project under their supervision and control. It is obvious that the preserva- tion of these records would be of inestimable assistance to succeeding committees when engaged in work of a similar nature, in securing satisfactory results with the greatest possible facility and expedition.
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TOWN RECORDS
As to outside repairs, these are adequately taken care of by the various officials and departments having the use or control of the buildings where such work is needed, and therefore do not in our opinion justify either the creation of a building commission to make them, or, as one citizen suggested, the enlargement of the duties of the inspector of buildings, one of the busiest officers of the town, so as to place such repairs under his pur- view and control.
5. PURCHASING AGENT
Another proposal that has been voiced by several of our representative citizens is to create the office of a general purchasing agent, whose duty it would be to buy all materials and supplies needed for use by the town, all bids for the sale of materials requiring an expenditure of over $500 to be publicly advertised. While such a suggestion has undoubtedly much to recommend it, we do not believe that present conditions warrant the crea- tion of a new salaried position whose incumbent would discharge duties of this character. We are informed that outside of coal, the contract for which is regularly awarded to the lowest bidder, individual purchases of supplies needed by the town can properly be taken care of by the departments where they are required.
6. STANDARDIZATION OF SALARIES
This proposal which came from one of our leading citizens seems to us to entail, in order to put it into effective operation, an amount of detailed work some- what disproportionate to the possible benefit to the town which might thereby be realized. The highest salaries attached to any of the town's offices are less than $4000 and no complaints have reached our ears that any of our public officials or employees are being overpaid. Fur- thermore, the amount of salary to which any particular agent or servant of the town would be fairly entitled,
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might rest on such a variety of conditions and circum- stances all readily subject to change, that it might well be impossible, however earnest and painstaking the effort, to standardize it on any fair and equitable basis. We therefore do not care to make any recommendations relative to the payment of salaries.
II
DELIBERATIVE BRANCH
This branch of the government of our town operat- ing through the representative town meeting, appears to your committee on the whole to be functioning excel- lently well, and but two changes in its form have been suggested.
The first,-that the moderator be elected by and from the town meeting members instead of by the voters at large,-we heartily approve since it is in line with well-established practice of legislative assemblies in the state and nation. Indeed, it would seem quite apparent that the members of a deliberative body, acquainted by experience with the nature of the business there trans- acted and the mode of conducting the meeting where it is discussed and settled would in the nature of things be better qualified to judge of the qualifications required of its presiding officer than the average voter un- acquainted with the details of parliamentary procedure.
The only other change that has been proposed is to increase the number of signatures required for a refer- endum petition from 100 to 2 per cent of the registered vote. This change, however, if adopted would involve, in view of our present population a considerable addi- tional burden in securing the requisite number of sign- ers, and in view of the fact that only once, namely on June 19, 1930, since the representative town meeting
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TOWN RECORDS
act was put into operation, has the benefit of the provi- sion for the referendum contained in Section 8 of the act, been availed of by the citizens, it would not seem that any change in the number of signatures required in order to invoke its aid is either necessary or desirable.
C
METHOD OF PUTTING SUGGESTED CHANGES INTO EFFECT
For the purpose of making effective the foregoing suggested improvements in the form of our town govern- ment, we recommend the introduction at the present ses- sion of the Massachusetts Legislature, of the following bill :--
An Act Authorizing the Selectmen of the Town of Arlington to Act as a Board of Public Works Exercising the Powers of Surveyors of Highways, Road Commis- sioners, Water Commissioners, and Sewer Commission- ers, and Providing for the Appointment of Certain Other Town Boards and Officers.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- tives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
Section 1. The board of selectmen of the town of Arlington, as constituted from time to time, from and after the first annual election following the acceptance of this act, shall also be a board of public works, and in said capacity, shall have and exercise, under the designa- tion of selectmen, all the powers, rights and duties, now or from time to time vested by general law or special act in surveyors of highways, road commissioners, water commissioners and sewer commissioners in said town; and such boards and officers and the board of public works under chapter three of the acts of nineteen hun-
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ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
dred and four shall thereupon be abolished during the time that this act is in operation. No contracts or lia- bilities then in force shall be affected by such abolition, but the selectmen, acting as said board of public works, shall in all respects be the lawful successor of the boards and officers so abolished.
Section 2. At the first annual election held in said town after said acceptance, the number of selectmen shall be increased to five, subject to change, however, as provided in chapter forty-one of the General Laws. Such increase shall be effected in the following manner : The two members of the Board of selectmen whose terms have not then expired shall continue as such members until the expiration of the terms for which they were respectively elected, and at such annual election there shall be elected one selectman for one year, one for two years and one for three years; and at each annual elec- tion thereafter, the town shall elect successors of the members whose terms have expired, for the term of three years.
Section 3. The selectmen shall appoint and fix the compensation of, a superintendent of public works, who shall administer, under the supervision and direction of the selectmen, such departments of the town named in section one of this act, as the selectmen may from time to time designate. He shall be responsible for the efficient administration of all such departments and shall hold office subject to the will of the selectmen. He shall be specially fitted by education, training and experience to perform the duties of said office, and may or may not be a resident of the town. During his tenure he shall hold no elective or other appointive office, nor shall he be engaged in any other business or occupation. He shall give bond to the town for the faithful performance of his duties, in such sum, upon such conditions, and with
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TOWN RECORDS
such surety or sureties, as the selectmen may require, and shall, subject to the approval of the selectmen, ap- point such assistants, agents and employees as the per- formance of the duties of the various departments under his administration may require. He shall keep full and complete records of the doings of his office and render to the selectmen as often as they may require a full report of all operations under his control during the period reported upon; and annually, and from time to time as required by the selectmen, he shall make a synopsis of such reports for publication. He shall keep the selectmen fully advised as to the needs of the town within the scope of his duties and shall furnish to the selectmen on or before December tenth in each year, a carefully prepared and detailed estimate in writing of the appropriations required during the next succeeding fiscal year for the proper conduct of all departments of the town under his administration.
Section 4. The moderator shall be elected by and from the members of the representative town meeting at the first session of the town meeting held after the an- nual election, for the term of one year. The tree war- den shall be appointed by the board of park commission- ers. All other officers and boards of the town, excepting the selectmen, the board of public welfare, the school committee, the board of assessors, the board of park commissioners, the planning board, and members of the finance committee, shall, from and after the first annual election held following the acceptance of this act, be appointed promptly by the board of selectmen for the terms prescribed by law, provided, however, that all such other officers and members of boards shall continue to hold their offices for the remainder of the terms for which they were respectively elected, and provided also that this section shall not authorize the board of select- men to make any appointment required or authorized by
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ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
general law, special act or town by-law, to be made by any other town officer or board.
Section 5. In accordance with the provisions of sec- tion twenty-three of said chapter forty-one, the said town, at any time after three years following the annual election at which this act takes effect, may rescind, in whole or in part, all action taken under its provisions.
Section 6. Chapter 3 of the acts of 1904, and such portions of chapter 642 of the acts of 1920, as are incon- sistent herewith, are hereby repealed.
Section 7. For the purpose of its submission to the voters of said town, this act shall take effect upon its passage; but it shall not take further effect unless accepted by a majority of the legal voters of said town, present and voting thereon by ballot in their respective precincts at a special meeting called for the purpose, not later than thirty days before the annual town election in the year nineteen hundred and thirty-three. At such meeting there shall be placed upon the ballot the follow- ing question.
"Shall an act of the general court in the year nineteen hundred and thirty-two, entitled 'An Act authorizing the selectmen of the town of Arlington to act as a board of public works exercising the powers of surveyors of highways, road commis- sioners, water commissioners, and sewer commis- sioners, and providing for the appointment of cer- tain other town boards and officers', be accepted ?"
If a majority of the votes cast in answer to said question are in the affirmative, this act shall take effect beginning with, and for the purposes of, the next annual election ; otherwise it shall not take effect.
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TOWN RECORDS
All changes suggested other than those incorporated in the foregoing bill can be made without resort to legislative authority, pursuant to vote of the town passed at the annual or any special town meeting.
Respectfully submitted,
FREDERICK W. HILL, Chairman JOHN G. BRACKETT ARTHUR J. WELLINGTON THOMAS J. DONNELLY JACOB BITZER
On motion of Jacob Bitzer:
Voted (unanimously) : That the Committee be dis- charged.
On motion of William O. Hauser:
Voted: That the reports of the Selectmen and vari- ous Town Officers, as presented in the Town Report, to- gether with the additions of the Table of Statistics of Assessors and Committees heretofore appointed, be re- ceived.
On motion of Ernest W. Davis:
Voted (unanimously) : That the Committee on Ter- centenary having made a final report be discharged.
On motion of Ernest W. Davis:
Voted (unanimously) : That the Report of the Finance Committee as presented in printed form be re- ceived.
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ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
On motion of Ernest W. Davis :
Voted (unanimously) : That Article 3 be laid on the table.
On motion of Ernest W. Davis:
Voted (unanimously) : That the remaining articles in the warrant be now taken up separately, in the order in which they appear in said warrant, and that the recom- mendations of the Finance Committee under said Articles as presented in their printed report be considered as now before the meeting, to be voted upon without further motion, separately, under the respective articles as they appear in said report. "
Article 4 taken up. (Police Radio Transmitter)
Voted (unanimously) : That the sum of three thou- sand (3000) dollars be and hereby is appropriated for the purchase, installation and/or maintenance of a radio transmitter and/or radio equipment for the use of the Police Department; said sum to be raised by general tax and expended under the direction of the Board of Select- men.
Article 5 taken up. (Town Outlays and Expenses)
Voted (unanimously) : That sums be appropriated to defray Town expenses for the year 1932, to be expended as detailed under the direction of the respective depart- ment heads as follows :
GENERAL GOVERNMENT
Voted (unanimously) :
ยท 1. Finance Committee (Finance Committee) : Salaries $900.00
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TOWN RECORDS
(Chairman, $250; Secretary, $50; Clerk, $600)
Expenses 600.00
$1,500.00
Reserve Fund, transferred from the
Overlay Surplus. 15,000.00
$16,500.00
2. Voted (unanimously) :
Board of Appeal (Board of Selectmen) : Salaries and Expenses. 200.00
Voted (unanimously) :
3. Selectmen (Board of Selectmen) :
Salaries of the Board. 2,000.00
(Chairman, $800; Others $600 each)
Salary of Clerk of the Board. 2,000.00
Other Clerks Salaries 1,534.00
2,255.00
Expenses
For the improvement of the land of the town hereinafter mentioned, now under the control of the Board of Selectmen, the sum of $3,600.00 to be expended sub- stantially as follows:
Land on Northwesterly side of Linwood Street at Spy Pond. $1,800
Land on Lowell Street at Reser- voir 1,200
Land on Mystic Street "Old
Gravel Pit"
600
3,600.00
Voted (unanimously) : $11,389.00
4. Accountant (Board of Selectmen)
Salary of Accountant 3,500.00
Clerks Salaries 1,690.00
Expenses 439.50
$5,629.50
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ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
Voted (unanimously) :
5. Treasurer (Treasurer)
Salary of Treasurer
$3,200.00
Other Salaries
520.00
Expenses
850.00
$4,570.00
Voted (unanimously) :
6. Collector (Collector of Taxes)
Salary of Collector
$3,500.00
Other Salaries
4,906.00
Expenses
2,755.00
$11,161.00
Voted (unanimously) :
7. Assessors (Board of Assessors)
Salaries of the Board ($1,200 each)
$3,600.00
Other salaries 7,500.00
Expenses
950.00
$12,050.00
Voted (unanimously) :
8. Legal (Board of Selectmen)
Salary of Town Counsel. $2,000.00
Expenses: Legal Expenses, including among others, expenses relating to the prosecution defense, or settlement of actions or claims by, against or in- volving the interests of the Town or relating to matters for which there have been or may be special appro- priations 30,000.00
$32,000.00
Voted (unanimously) : 9. Town Clerk (Town Clerk) Salary of Town Clerk .... $3,500.00
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TOWN RECORDS
Other Salaries
2,704.00
Expenses
590.00
$6, 794.00
Voted (unanimously) :
10. Board of Public Works (Board of Public Works)
Salaries of the Board. $2,000.00
Chairman 800 (Others 600 each) Voted (unanimously) :
11. Engineering (Joint Board of Selectmen
and Board of Public Works)
Salary of Town Engineer $3,900.00
Salary of Assistant Town Engineer 2,600.00
Other Clerks Salaries and Wages 6,290.00
Expenses 3,194.00
Special Plans for Use of Departments.
1,000.00
$16,984.00
Voted (unanimously) :
12. Elections and Town Meetings (Board of Selectmen)
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