USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Arlington > Town of Arlington annual report 1961 > Part 31
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POLICE DEPARTMENT -- Enforcement of traffic violations continued to be accelerated during the year. The campaign against indecent literature continued with reasonable success. The Chief of the Department, acting as an advisor to the Arlington Youth Council, participated with the Youth Council in connection with the preparation of a Parent and Youth Code for the Town. The members of the Department, from the Chief down through the ranks of the patrolmen, by their attention to their duties and responsi- bilities, once again warranted and received the approbation of the Towns- people, and deservedly so. Members of the Auxiliary Police Department continued to render magnificent volunteer services without compensation to the Townspeople. It is strongly recommended that the Police Department
.
366
ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
Annual Report, of which this is a mere summary, be read carefully in order to become fully informed about Police Department activities.
PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT -- This department continued to render tremendous public service. Major work during the year consisted of highway construction, highway maintenance, street sweeping, sealcoating, snow removal, rubbish collections including operations of a sanitary landfill, water maintenance, meter installations, cleaning of water mains, hydrant installa- tions and hydrant repairs, sewer maintenance, drain maintenance, construc- tion of sidewalks, maintenance of public sidewalks, repairs and garaging of Public Works equipment plus over thirty other departmental cars, miscel- laneous work for other departments, the scraping and cleaning off of skating areas for the Park Department, regrading of the swimming area at Re- servoir Beach, etc., etc.
A five-year program of enlarging storm drains in critical areas throughout the Town was begun with the laying of a new storm drain in Elmhurst Road; this work must be continued until all bottlenecks are elimi- nated throughout the Town. Because the garbage collection contract pre- viously under the supervision of the local Board of Health expired in the latter part of November, 1961, with no bids received for its renewal except that what was considered to be highly unreasonable prices, the Public Works Department took on the job of collecting garbage beginning December 1, 1961. In the spring of 1962, it may become more propitious for advertising for contract collection of garbage at reasonable prices to the Town. During the year, the department successfully bid for equipment offered for sale by the City of Somerville; with the cooperation of the Board of Selectmen and the Finance Committee, the Town submitted a successful bid of $12,500 for such equipment, which, by any reasonable appraisal, had an intrinsic value of in excess of $90,000. The Public Works Department during the year completed the first stage of its remodeling of the New Town Yard in Grove Street, holding an open house for inspection purposes during the month of
November. All those who visited the New Town Yard were high in their praises for the wonderful remodeling, reconstruction and conversion job done. It is to be remembered in this respect that said conversion was ac- complished with no lessening of the calibre of the normal public services rendered by the department. Superintendent of Public Works Francis N. O'Hara and all personnel of the Public Works Department are to be com- mended for the magnificent work done. It is expected that the Old Town Yard on Massachusetts Avenue will soon be offered for sale by the Board of Selectmen, who were authorized by the Town Meeting to dispose of this valuable property. The Public Works Department in Arlington continues to be second to none in the Commonwealth in the efficient services rendered at lowest possible cost to the residents.
PURCHASING DEPARTMENT -- The spirit as well as the letter of Town By-Laws has been complied with in connection with competitive bidding for Town requirements. During the year, the Federal Government's restric- tions on the import of residual fuel cost the Town an additional $2,000 plus for its fuel requirements. The Town continued to be favored by the lowest price for gasoline of any nearby city or town in the greater Boston area. In addition to this most favorable purchase price, the successful vendor in 1961 furnished gratis to the Town two 4,000-gallon tanks and two pumps at the new Public Works Yard. Obtaining bids on our annual requirements to be delivered intermittently as needed throughout the entire year has re- sulted in substantial savings. Wherever possible, quality and price con- sidered, local vendors are favored. As purchase orders are issued, the funds required are automatically encumbered by the Town Accountant, which fulfills the twofold purpose of control of the appropriations and assurance to vendors of payment when the subject of the purchase order is delivered to the Town in accordance with the terms and conditions of the purchase commitment.
367
REPORT OF THE TOWN MANAGER
SNOW REMOVAL -- Two major storms of record proportions each struck the Town in January and February respectively, involving tremend- ously high costs of plowing and subsequent removal. Extremely low tem- peratures during both months necessitated extensive sanding operations throughout the Town, but especially in the higher areas of Morningside and Arlington Heights. Economy in operations continued to be put into effect during the year in the plowing and removing of snow. The rising rental costs of contractors' equipment continued to be alleviated by the utilization of all possible town equipment in plowing and removal. Cooperation of store- keepers in cleaning off their sidewalks improved during the winter. Gasoline stations and other business properties with large openareas continued to be a problem during and after snow storms, in connection with their violations of town by-laws in the pushing or plowing of snow from their business pre- mises into the public way. It becomes almost mandatory during the en- suing year that the Police Department become even more energetic in the elimination of these violations which increase town costs in snow operations. During the month of November, a snow storm of unusually high intensity was experienced, which was quite abnormal for that time of year. During the year, several conferences between the Superintendent of Schools, the Chief of Police, the Safety Officers of the Police Department and of the School Department, and the Town Manager resulted in the laying out of 28 miles of public sidewalk to be plowed in the future to assure the safety of youngsters going to and from their schools throughout the Town.
STREET LIGHTING -- Based upon the sound principle that good street lighting is a crime deterrent, there was a continuance of improvements in our street lighting throughout the Town, especially in our primary and secondary streets during the year of 1961.
TREE DEPARTMENT -- Four hundred and fifty trees, seventy-five more than in the previous year, were planted in 1961 on new streets con- structed by the Public Works Department and private contractors through- out the year. The regular schedule of the Moth Department was carried on during the year. One thousand and forty-eight private trees were sprayed during the year at the request of property owners who are billed by the Town for the cost of the work. Plans are being made for private trees to be sprayed in future years by the helicopter method, which has been so success- ful in connection with the spraying of Menotomy Rocks Park for the past several years. It is expected that this new method will be thoroughly studied and considered in connection with the presentation of the appropriation of the department for the ensuing year. The grounds bordering the Town Hall and the Robbins House were maintained in the usual manner. Dutch Elm Disease continues to be a serious problem, with no known cure outside of removing the trees, burning them up, or burying them. Verticillium Wilt on Maple Trees was again prevalent during the year. This disease caused removal of an increasing number of Maple Trees; this disease requires constant watching. As usual, personnel in this department removed snow from the front platform of the Town Hall, the walks through the grounds, and the parking areas in the rear of the building and the rear of the Robbins House.
WELFARE DEPARTMENT -- Caseloads in practically all categories continued to decline. Medical and hospital costs continued to increase, which offset in great part the normal reduced expenditures which might be expected from a declining caseload. It is too soon to properly appraise the new cate- gory, "Medical Assistance for the Aged", otherwise known as "MAA', which was created the latter part of the year 1960 by Federal and State authorities. In theorty, this program is designed to reduce expenditures by cities and towns, but we shall have to await greater experience with this program to determine whether or not theoretical gains to cities and towns will work out in actual practice. The relative stability of our national economy once again resulted in lower appropriations by the Town for all categories of Welfare;
368
ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
it is difficult to believe, but it is none the less the truth, that Town appro- priations for these purposes are presently lower than they were in 1953. During the year, the State Department of Public Welfare accelerated some- what its former slow pace of reimbursement to cities and towns, which aided the Town's economy in this respect.
VETERANS' SERVICES -- Considerate and sympathetic services to Veterans and their families continued. During the year, a total of 8,895 various types and kinds of services was rendered to Veterans and their families. In 1961, medical aid for the aged and hospital aid assumed huge proportions. The cost of hospitalization is so great nowadays that people of ordinary means cannot cope with it -- they are forced to apply for aid if hospitalized for more than a week. Thus, the Department of Veterans' Services has more calls for aid because of hospitalization in 1961 than in any two previous years. There seems to be no prospect that the calls for aid will grow less in the immediate future. Reimbursements from the state which were in arrears one year ago to the extent of fifteen months are pre- sently only ten months in arrears. The Town Treasurer benefits by this speed-up in re-payments.
CONCLUSION -- For their cooperation during the year, I wish to thank the Honorable Board of Selectmen, the Finance Committee, the Personnel Board, the School Committee, the Board of Assessors, the Office of Town Collector and Treasurer, and all other town departments, board and com- missions.
My thanks are extended to the employees of all departments under my supervision and control who are especially deserving of my gratitude for their fine teamwork during the year. Considering the number of complaints and the enormity of the task, faults have apparently been relatively few in the rendering of public service to the citizens of the Town.
The Town of Arlington is indeed fortunate in the number of outstanding citizens, including Town Meeting members and members of school building committees, who give of their time and effort with no compensation to the various unpaid boards and commissions of the Town Government. Sincere thanks are expressed to them for their truly tremendous services to the town during the year just closed.
To the citizens of the Town, my sincere thanks are extended for their continued cooperation, confidence and encouragement which make worth- while every effort expended in their behalf by their town employees, in- cluding the Town Manager.
Reference is made to other sections of this annual report for informa- tion, statistics and data of the various Town Departments for the year ending December 31, 1961.
Respectfully submitted,
Edward C. Monahan Town Manager
369
REPORT OF THE TOWN MANAGER
SUMMARY COMPARISON OF THE ASSESSORS' RECAPITULATION SHEETS FOR DETERMINING THE TAX RATES IN 1953 AND 1961
Debits
1953
1961
Appropriations
$ 5,543,096.95
$ 8,805,115.80
Overlay Deficit
6,183.37
10,428.88
Payable to State
576,065.54
1,216,259.17
Overlay Current Year
92,257.08
183,302.25
Hurricane
23,260.12
Gross Amount To Be Raised
$ 6,217,602.94
$10,238,366.22
Less: -
Credits
Income from State
$ 556,356.15
$ 898,509.92
Other Income
1,148,281.42
1,660,655.02
Available Funds
466,274.97
419.253.81
Total Credits
$ 2,170,912.54
$ 2,978,418.75
Net Amount To Be Raised On Polls
And Property
$ 4,046,690.40
$ 7,259,947.47
No. of Polls
13,926.00
13,500.00
Val. Personal Property
3,834,150.00
5,257,800.00
Val. Real Estate
65,937,350.00
82,308,150.00
Total Valuation
$69,771,500.00
$87,565,950.00
Tax Rate
$ 57.60
$ 82.60
Poll Tax
27,852.00
27,000.00
Per. Prop. Tax
220,847.04
434,294.28
Real Estate Tax
3,797,991.36
6,798,653.19
Total Taxes
$ 4,046,690.40
$ 7,259,947.47
COMPARISON
Net Appropriations In Tax Levy 1953
Net Appropriations In Tax Levy 1961
General Govt.
$ 381,871.63
$ 534,717.00
Protection
860,002.14
1,306,945.60
Health & Sanitation
235,113.00
357,508.25
Highway & Bridges
400,612.34
639,581.54
Welfare
534,498.71
474,298.00
Vets. Affairs
40,748.50
69,300.50
School Dept.
1,662,995.00
3,191,923.40
Libraries
125,565.50
244,428.10
Recreation
114,251.00
142,860.30
Pensions
95,827.66
229,728.00
Unclassified
131,116.93
278,080.80
Water Maintenance
159,500.00
192,925.50
Cemeteries
51,164.84
63,176.00
Interest & Debt
140,965.00
552,380.00
Articles
758,864.60
627,262.81
Total Appropriation
$ 5,693,096.85
$ 8,905,115.80
Loan
- 150,000.00
- 100,000.00
Gross To Tax Rate
$ 5,543,096.85
$ 8,805,115.80
370
ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
COMPARATIVE
DEBITS
"Cherry" Sheet 1953
"Cherry" Sheet 1961
Audit-Muncipal Acc'ts
$ 5,979.82
$ 7,342.32
Audit-Retirement System.
560.92
233.59
Smoke Inspection
946.43
1,597.55
Metro. Parks.
62,120.46
89,820.20
Metro. Sewer.
94,172.37
179,366.83
Metro. Water.
48,843.78
148,685.36
Bos-Met-District .
285.50
118.96
M.T.A. - Includes Debt. Payments.
161,844.77
415,134.28
Charles River Basin .
19.81
County Tax .
157,085.12
280,826.06
County Hospital
44,206.56
65,202.42
Underestimates
576,065.54
27,931.60
Total Debits
$576,065.54
$1,216,259.17
CREDITS
Income Tax .
$294,497.41
$ 555,047.52
Corporation Tax.
221,078.49
303,248.49
Meals Tax.
9,909.64
20,523.34
Overestimates
30,870.61
9,200.44
Library Aid.
10,490.13
Total Credits.
$556,356.15
$ 898,509.92
NET DUE STATE
$ 19,709.39
$ 317,749.25
COMPARATIVE "ESTIMATED RECEIPTS"
Other Income
1953
1961
Motor Excise.
$ 330,000.00
$ 705,905.37
Licenses & Permits
7,361.05
7,651.60
Fines
1,682.05
3,036.00
Special Assessments.
89,311.03
107,539.65
Gen. Government .
15,724.91
14,328.66
Protection of Persons Property
2,449.16
3,555.25
Health & Sanitation .
23,677.12
5,732.36
Highways
2,865.08
11,180.56
Charities
291,864.21
278,232.71
Vets. Benefits
11,898.89
20,103.76
Schools.
89,656.96
66,784.92
Libraries
3,460.86
6,340.52
Recreation & Unclassified
24,873.19
3,351.02
Water Receipts
213,454.36
331,767.48
Cemeteries
13,053.01
20,136.65
Int. on Taxes & Assessments
8,651.03
20,861.52
Dog Licenses. .
3,025.54
State Wards Tuition
6,863.88
24,625.58
Local Tuition.
8,409.09
6,320.10
Misc.
23,201.31
Total
$1,148,281.42
$1,660,655.02
371
REPORT OF THE TOWN MANAGER
COMPARISON OF SCHOOL APPROPRIATION 1953 and 1961
SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
1953
1961
Increase
General Control .
$ 28,641
$ 76,223
$ 47,582
Instructional Services .
1,238,798
2,499,563
1,260,765
Operation of Plant
187,295
358,107
Art. 6
Art. 16
10,943.40)
180,462
Maintenance of Plant.
113,060
111,767
Auxiliary Agencies .
28,510
44,680
16,170
Capital Outlay .
45,231
47,006
1,775
Vocational School Tuition.
4,760
2,000
(-
2,760)
Athletics.
6,000
15,000
9,000
Cafeterias.
6,000
24,779
18,779
State Aided Vocational.
500
3,000
2,500
Out of State Travel
200
1,000
800
Study - School Sites
4,000
$1,662,995
$3,191,923.40
$1,528,928.40
SCHOOL DEPARTMENT COSTS and ALL OTHER DEPARTMENT COSTS as ADJUSTED FOR 1953 and 1961
The total appropriations for Warrant Articles in 1953 and 1961 were $5,543,096.95 and $8,805,115.80 broken down as follows:
Total Appropriations for Warrant Articles
1953
1961
SCHOOL DEPT.
$1,662,995.00
$3,191,923.40
ALL OTHERS
3,880,101.95
5,613,192.40
TOTAL.
$5,543,096.95
$8,805,115.80
For a more accurate determination of relative costs, the above figures should be adjusted by transferring to "School Dept." costs, the cost of debt payments on School Department borrowings presently included in All Other Costs; also the figures should be further adjusted by adding to both cate- gories the proportionate share of the Overlay Account as shown in the As- sessors' Recapitulation Sheet for both years, as follows:
School Dept.
All Other Departments
Costs for 1961
$3,620,952 (1)
$5,377,894 (3)
Costs for 1953. 1,756,502 (2)
3,885,034 (4)
Cost Increase $1,864,450
$1,492,860
Percentage Increase . . 106%
38.4%
Notes: (1) Includes Payments on Debt of $357,330; Overlay $ 71,699
(2) Includes Payments on Debt of 57,075; Overlay 36,432
(3) Includes Payments on Debt of 195,050; Overlay 122,032
(4) Includes Payments on Debt of 83,890; Overlay 62,008
INDEX
A
General Index
Index to Accts. Report 325
Accountant, Town Report .
316
Animals, Inspector of, Report.
133
Appeals, Board of, Report .
142
331
Appropriations, Town Meeting
59
Assessors, Board of, Report
110
325
Assets and Liabilities, Statement of.
317
B
Balance Sheet, December 31, 1961.
317
Betterment Assessment Collections.
322
Births Registered for the year
106
Buildings, Inspector of, Report .
137
331
Buildings, Insurance Fund
306
Budget Statement, Town Accountant
352
C
Cemeteries, Commissioners of, Report
145
346-347
Charities
336-337
Civil Defense, Department of, Report.
135
333
Clerk, Town, Report . . 104
327
Collector of Taxes, Statement of
312
325
Committees, Town, Appointed.
11
Constables
10
Contributory Retirement System .
313
Custodians & Maintenance, Supervisor of
126
327
D
Deaths by Months .
108
Debt, Municipal
346-347
Development Commission, Report of
133
Dog Officer, Report
143
Dogs Registered.
104
E
Election, Annual Town, March 6, 1961
44
Elections and Town Meetings, Payments.
146
327
Excise Tax, Motor Receipts
322
F
Fees, Town Clerk.
326
Finance Committee, Report
116
325
Fines and Forfeits .
322
Fire Department, Report .
209
330-331
Fire and Police Signal System
217
331
Forestry.
Fund, Annie L. Hill Poor Widows 305
Fund, Maria L. Hill Poor Widows
306
Fund, Children's Book .. 299
Fund, Dexter Rawson Fay Library. 299
Fund, Trustees of Elbridge Farmer. 293
Fund, Henry E. Dodge Library
294
Fund, Louise S. Gruber Library
300
Fund, Ellen W. Hodgdon Library
298
329
Engineer, Town, Report of .
333
INDEX - CONTINUED
General Index
Index to Accts. Report
Fund, Emma L. Sprague Library. .
296
Fund, Emma L. Sprague Poor Widows'
Fund, E. Nelson Blake Library . . 310
296
Fund, E. Nelson Blake, Jr., Memorial
303
Fund, E. S. Farmer Poor Widows'.
304
Fund, E. S. Farmer Relief . 305
Fund, Henry Mott Library 295
Fund, Julia Fillebrown 304
297
Fund, M. M. W. Russell School
308
Fund, Mary Cutter Poor Widows'
303
Fund, Muncipal Buildings Insurance
Fund, Nathan Pratt High School
306
Fund, Nathan Pratt Poor Widows'
307
Fund, Perpetual Care, Cemeteries
301
Fund, Cemetery .
301
Fund, Robbins Cemetery .
302
Fund, Robbins House Maintenance 307
Fund, Robbins Library Art. 294
Fund, Robbins Print 295
308 302
Fund, Sarah Ross Vaughan Memorial . 297
Fund, Soldiers Monument. . 309
Fund, Francis E. Thompson Library 297
Fund, Francis E. Thompson Scholarship. 310
Fund, Timothy Wellington Library. 298
Fund, William Cutter School. 304
Fund, Workmen's Compensation . 311
G
General Government Receipts & Expenses 317
324
Grants and Gifts.
322
H
Health, Board of, Report
226 332-333
Highway Division, Board of Public Works 249
334-335
Housing Authority. . 144
I
Income and Corporation Taxes, State . 320
346-347
Interest
346-347
J
Jurors, List of.
274
L
Legal Department. 232
327
Librarian, Report. .
238
Libraries, Receipts and Payments.
340-341
Library, Robbins, Report of Trustees
235
Licenses and Permits
320
Fund, M. Helen Teele Library
309
Fund, Martha M. W. Russell Poor Widows
306
Fund, Nathan Pratt Library
300
Fund, Robbins Scholarship .
Fund, Samuel C. Bucknam Cemetery
Indebtedness, Muncipal
INDEX - CONTINUED
M
General Index
Index to Accts. Report 325
Manager, Report of ..
358
Marriages, Registered for the Year.
107
Meeting, Annual Town ..
15
Moth Department, Report.
119
Motor Excise Tax Receipts
322
O
Officers, Town Appointive
9
Officers, Town Elective.
3
Officials Appointed by Town Manager
9
P
Park Commission, Report
121
340-341
Parking Meters Receipts
322
Payments, Departmental
325
Pensions and Annuities
343
Personnel Board, Report .
205
325
Physician, Town, Report
200
Planning Board, Report
197
327
Police, Chief of, Report.
171
330-331
Police, Department, Officers and Men
171
344-345
Public Welfare, Dept. of, Report
200
336-337
Public Works, Dept. of, Report .
245
327
Purchasing Dept., Report of
207
327
R
Receipts, General Revenue.
320
Recreation, Receipts and Payments
340-341
Registrars of Voters, Report .
223
Retirement System, Contributory
313
Robbins Library, Report of Trustees
234
S
Sanitary Division, Dept. of Public Works
258
332-333
School Committee, Report .
186
Schools, Receipts and Payments
338-339
Schools, Superintendent of, Report.
188
Sealer of Weights and Measures, Report.
109
331
Selectmen, Board of, Report.
221
325
Sewer Division, Dept. of Public Works
259
Special Agencies and Funds
348-349
Special Assessments.
322
Statistics, General
170
Streets, Public and Private
148
Survey, Board of
327
T
Tax Rate, Recapitulation
112
Tax Receipts
320
Tax Refunds
321
Tax Revenues, How Spent.
114
Town Accountant .
316
325
Town Clerk, Report
104
327
Public Service Enterprises
INDEX - CONTINUED
Town Counsel, Report .
Town House Grounds, Report
119
Town Hall .
329
Town Manager, Report of.
358
325
Town Meeting, Annual, March 20, 1961.
15
Town Meeting, Members, List of.
4
Town Officers, Appointive
9
Town Officers, Appointed by Manager
9
Town Officers, Elective.
3
Town Records
14
Treasurer, Town Report
314
325
Tree Warden, Report
118
330
U
Unclassified Receipts and Payments
342-343
Unexpended Balances, Appropriation Accounts.
350
V
Veterans' Services, Report of.
W
140
336-337
Water Division, Dept. of Public Works
262
344-345
Welfare, Public, Dept. of, Report
200
336-337
Wire Department, Report. ..
139
331
Workmen's Compensation Insurance Fund.
311
General Index 232
Index to Accts. Report 327
DO NOT CIRCULATE
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