USA > Massachusetts > Hampden County > Wilbraham > Wilbraham annual report 1946-1950 > Part 9
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1947 Net Cost to the Town
1946 Net Cost to the Town
Aid to Dependent Children
$1,699.19
$434.71
$2,050.14
$586.63
$1,112.56
$853.54
Cemeteries.
1,085.33
1,085.33
134.08
951.25
884.67
Dental Clinic.
597.85
597.85
83.50
514.35
539.80
Garbage Collection
1,078.76
1,078.76
1,155.00*
76.24*
36.34
Highways-Bartlett Avenue
1,398.10
1,398.10
1,398.10
-Chapter 81
17,248.40
17,248.40
8,095.46
9,152.94
3,820.08
-Chapter 90 (Maint.)
1,499.58
1,499.48
999.72
499.16
299.96
-Chapter 90 (Imp. & rebuilding)
21,662.72
21,662.72
15,697.50
5,965.22
19.95
-Crane Hill Rd. Bridge.
6,908.69
6,980.69
6,908.69
2,594.91
-Forest Street.
1,323.57
1,323.57
1,323.57
-Miscellaneous ..
5,879.74
5,879.74
5,879.74
4,632.01
-Nokomis Road ..
1,208.37
1,208.37
1,208.37
..
-.
..
..
22
Library
1,403.75
815.59 9,071.17
2,219.34
294.15 9,746.68
1,925.19
2,040.00
Old Age Assistance
12,500.00
21,323.52
2,753.32
3,786.44
Planning Board.
65.26
65.26
50.00
15.26
294.15
Public Welfare.
7,046.12
7,046.12
1,695.26
5,710.86
1,332.80
Schools
83,553.02
83,553.02
14,007.53
69,545.49
70,496.73
Veterans' Benefits
1,054.72
1,054.72
491.10
563.62
683.49
Water Department:
Installations.
5,847.12
5,847.13
Water Bonds & Interest.
4,200.00
4,200.00
Maintenance.
7,387.73
7,387.73
17,104.06
9,791.27
2,583.65
Article 17
8,191.22
8,191.22
Truck
1,269.25
1,269.25
.. ........
* Credit
23
24
Jury List, 1947-1948
Allen, Richard H. Ardison, Robert J. Ayers, William R. Baier, Henry M. Backus, Charles J. Baker, Allyn Barber, Charles O. Behrens, Fred E.
Bennett, Francis J. Bogue, Howard C. Brassard, Joseph E. Buchanan, Leslie B.M.
Butler, Ray L. Clayton, Earl C.
Cohn, Frederick M. Converse, Howard L. Cutting, Howard H. Dobek, Frank Doe, J. Roberts Files, Gardner Galas, Gawat
Gebeau, Ellery C. Harrington, Edwin C. Hintze, Roger Howes, Albert H. Jerome, Edward D. King, Clifton F. Krzesik, Stanley J. Los, Thaddeus, J. Mallon, Charles H.
Mitchell, Frank Muir, David J. Nieuptski, Stanley Polaczak, John Presz, Peter H. Reid, Carlton R. Roach, William F.
Rodenhizer, Harold Ryder, Raymond J. Shaw, J. Wesley Tull, Robert H.
Wight, Sprague L. Young, Judson O.
403 Main St., W'ham Elm Circle, No. W'ham Elm Circ.e, No. W'ham 18 Ripley St., W'ham Chapel St., No. W'ham 300 Main St., No. W'ham Tinkham Rd., W'ham 716 Main St., W'ham Burt Lane, W'ham Boston Rd., No. W'ham
20 Manchonis Rd., N. W'. Typewriter Salesman 997 Tinkham Rd., RFD Electrical Engineer No. 1, Springfield Boston Road, No. W'ham Mill Fireman
21 Ripley St., W'ham Springfield St., W'ham
No. Mt. Rd., No. W'ham
Pomeroy St., W'ham
38 Stony Hill Rd., Ludlow Machine Operator
Ripley St., W'ham Wilbraham
21 Weston St., Ind. Orch. Spfld. St., W'ham
So. Mt. Rd., Wilbraham
No. Mountain Rd. No. W. Insurance worker
7 Orlando St., W'ham 563 Main St., W'ham 41 Main St., No. W'ham 71 Stony Hill Rd., Ludlow Operator
Meter reader
92 Old Boston Rd. W'ham Mill worker Salesman 787 Stony Hill Rd., RFD No. 1, Spfld.
3 Orlando St., W'ham 2 Orlando St., W'ham Glendale Rd., No. W'ham Farmer
44 Weston St., Ind. Orch. Factory Worker
Manchonis Rd., No. W. Machinist
Delmore Ave., No. W'ham Safety Director 916 Tinkham Rd., Trans. Mgr. RFD No. 1, Spfld. 747 Stony Hill Rd., N. W. Bank Executive
517 Main St., W'ham 568 Main St., W'ham 791 Stony Hill Rd., RFD No. 1, Spfld. Faculty St., W'ham No. Mt. Rd., No. W'ham
Proprietor
Insurance worker Chemist Chemist Mill Supt. Insurance worker Maintenance Man Machinist
Farmer Factory worker
Salesman
Insurance worker
Dept. Salesman
Bank Executive
Supt. Filling Station Mill Worker Salesman Chemist
Draughtsman Insurance worker
Proprietor Insurance worker
Poultry Raiser Sales Manager Engineer
Insurance worker Merhcant
25
Selectmen's Report
Knowing of the interest shown by the entire Town in each Annual Report, your Board of Selectmen have this year inter- rupted our sequence of photographic covers to reproduce an editorial which appears in the Boston Herald commenting favorably on Wilbraham's last Annual Report. The fact that this same report placed second in our population grouping and fourth over-all in the state competition of the Massachusetts Selectmen's Association confirms the current general improve- ment of all Town Reports which promises well for the future of enlightened Town Meeting government in Massachusetts.
In this same statewide contest the 1946 report of Wilbra- ham's School Department ranked in first place in our population class and that of your Board of Selectmen was awarded second place in the same class.
Some further revisions in arrangement and a few additions have been made in this Annual Report for 1947 to adopt some of the general recommendations of those who judge the Annual Town report contests. The first section of this booklet on white paper comprises a complete, condensed Town Report of approximately fifty-five pages. In the rear of the booklet on two differently colored papers, as appendices A and B, we continue the departmental detailed reports and itemized ex- penditures as has been requested by vote of our Town Meeting.
Since our year end reports cannot be written until after January 1st and financial reports only after an even later date, it is possible to have this report published and distributed in advance of our February 2nd Town Meeting only by reason of the most diligent effort and cooperation of all Town Officials and Committees as well as of our printers.
The Town's highway program for 1947 progressed more satisfactorily than in 1946. The 1946 $12,000 Chapter 90 project on Springfield Street near the Taft residence was com- pleted this spring after exasperating and unreasonable delays in construction on the part of the Contractor. The 1947 project for $20,000 ($5,000 Town and $15,000 State and County) was perforce reduced to $12,400 when the State was unable to allocate its share of the larger amount. This original amount contemplated filling the remaining two gaps between new construction on Springfield Street from the Town line to Stony Hill Road. In view of the reduced total available, it was possible to undertake only that section just east of the Springfield-Wilbraham line. This project was completed in December 1947 and the section immediately west of Chapin Drive remains to be completed in 1948 with an unexpended balance of approximately $2,000 from the 1947 appropriation available toward the Town's share of this remaining Spring- field Street construction. Your Board of Selectmen recommend
26
that an additional $6,000 be appropriated by the Town for 1948 Chapter 90 construction, which would provide, with the County and State allocations, a total of $32,000 to be expended on the above remaining Springfield Street project and on widening and improving Main Street, starting near Gebeau's Garage and extending northerly in the general vicinity of the Town Lot.
When your Board of Selectmen appeared before the representatives of the State Department of Public Works and the County Commissioners, no petition for Chapter 90 main- tenance work was filed in view of the larger than usual Chap- ter 90 construction contemplated. Subsequently, your Board concluded that the Green-Towne Bridge was in urgent need of scraping and painting which appeared to be a $5,000 project, one-half of which would be the responsibility of Wilbraham and one-half of Ludlow. Your Board met with the Ludlow Selectmen and arranged for representatives of the two Boards to call on the Department of Public Works in Boston, seeking their approval of this bridge work as a Chapter 90 maintenance, and additionally the allocation of sufficient additional funds to each Town to make it possible. This visit was successful and subsequently the local County Commissioners were persuaded to allocate the necessary additional funds. As a result, Wilbra- ham's share of this bridge work will become less than $850 instead of $2,500 and an appropriation of the smaller amount is requested for Chapter 90 maintenance.
The new bridge over Twelve Mile Brook on Crane Hill Road and the relocation of the brook was completed this year after overcoming many unforseen obstacles; a photograph of this most attractive bridge is reproduced on the back cover of this booklet.
As a result of disappointing recordings on existing pressures in the Springfield water mains at Sixteen Acres after the City of Springfield had completed the new Parker Street cross mains, the Board of Selectmen conferred with the Water Commis- sioners and the Financial Committee in view of the potential effect on the water program adopted by Wilbraham's 1947 Annual Town meeting. Acting with these two Boards, your Selectmen have helped to develop a plan whereby the 1948 Annual Town Meeting can effectively reconsider the adopted plan for improving the volume and pressure of water in the light of latest developments which are covered in the detailed report of the Water Commissioners in Appendix A of this booklet.
In order to carefully develop plans for the needed new central school and community building along lines of the best possible townwide thinking on the subject, your Board of Selectmen appointed the following to the special committee to develop plans: Carl F. Alsing, Doris C. Bowman, Irving J. Cordner, H. W. Cutler, Oren K. Gilbert, George E. Murphy, Jr., Esther S. Preston, Ralph S. Stedman. This committee
27
includes the entire School Board and representatives of the Parent Teachers Association, the Planning Board, the Play- ground Commission, The Financial Committee as well as the Board of Selectmen. A great deal of effort and careful thought has gone into their report which is printed herein, directly following this report.
From the figures received on current building costs, it is apparent that the Town will need Federal or State aid to effectively cover the minimum needs for efficient school con- struction if the Town is to be protected from a top heavy, un- duly burdensome overhead. It seems likely that the similar problems of other towns who have not even accumulated normal reserves for school construction will stimulate some action toward State or Federal subsidy for school construction in the near future and that it would probably be wise for Wilbraham to delay actual construction committments pending the probability of such aid and to send an additional higher grade or two of students to the Springfield schools in the meantime, if necessary.
The Massachusetts Department of Health has advised your Board of Selectmen that under state law and subsequent supplementary rulings, Wilbraham is required to discontinue discharging untreated sewage into the Chicopee River. Your Board has advised them that our sewage system at North Wilbraham serves less than 50 houses, and that the one in West Wilbraham serves less than that, and that the indicated cost of the minimum sewage treatment plant for either point would be prohibitive for the small number served and would in fact exceed the total cost of installing individual septic tank sanitation system for each building on the sewage lines. The Massachusetts Department of Health has advised that they are sending an engineer to inspect and consider our problem. In the meantime, your Board of Selectmen have determined that our West Wilbraham sewage lines can be discharged into the sewage system of the City of Springfield and that Spring- field will be willing to make such arrangements with us. How- ever, this in itself will be costly and still leaves an extraordinarily major potential problem for the North Wilbraham system.
With the full cooperation of the Town Meeting, the Finan- cial Committee and all Town Officials, it has been possible to stabilize Wilbraham's tax rate at a uniform and reasonable level for a number of years and at the same time to build reasonably substantial reserves toward future capital outlays. However, the greatly increased cost of all materials and services will inevitably force some increase in the 1948 tax rate even with the most conservative approach to each appropriation. To continue anything like our policy of a moderate, stable tax rate in the light of present costs, with our current water system needs, the State's requirements on sewage disposal and the urgent need of a new school presents a real challenge to the entire Town and will require the soundest possible conserva- tive thought on the part of us all.
28
REPORT OF THE School Survey Committee
To the Selectmen of the Town of Wilbraham:
This committee, appointed by the Selectmen, was formed for the following purposes :
1. To investigate and determine the need and require- ments for a new school building.
2. To recommend an architect to draw plans incorporating such requirements.
The members of this committee are as follows:
Mr. Oren K. Gilbert, Chairman, representing the Planning Board
Mr. Irving J. Cordner, representing the Selectmen
Mr. George E. Murphy, Jr., representing the Financial Committee
Mr. Ralph S. Stedman, representing the Playground Committee
Mr. H. W. Cutler, Mr. Carl Alsing, Mrs. Esther Preston, members of the School Committee
Mrs. Doris R. Bowman, representing the Parent-Teachers Association
Your committee held frequent meetings, to all of which the School Superintendent, Mr. Harold A. Truell, was invited to act in an advisory capacity; and in addition inspected schools in North Adams, Stockbridge, Great Barrington, Granby, Agawam, and Sixteen Acres, all of which are schools of relatively recent construction and embody features which were being given consideration by this committee.
It was felt that the soundest point of beginning was to determine the needs for additional school facilities from the members of the School Committee. They report as follows:
"Based on recent census of pre-school children now living in the town, and continued use of all three of our present school buildings, all pupils can probably be taken care of as at present until September, 1949. At that time, however, at least two additional class rooms must be found, another room will be required in September 1951, and still another in September 1952. These are minimum requirements and provide only two rooms for 7th and 8th grades, whereas in the past we have used three rooms for the departmental form of instruction. These
29
requirements do not provide for additional pupils who may subsequently move into town.
The above four additional class rooms could be used to excellent advantage as follows:
One room Presently
A 2nd room in September, 1948
A 3rd room in 1949
A 4th room in 66
1950
Temporary relief for two or three years might be secured by installing a class in the corridor at the Pines School, or by conducting school in two sessions, or by sending 7th and 8th grades to Springfield, any or all of which plans would be very undesirable, both from the standpoint of cost, and efficiency of instruction.
A building containing four class rooms, with the continued use of the existing school buildings on Springfield Street and at North Wilbraham, might take care of school requirements until September 1952.
A building containing ten class rooms would probably take care of school requirements until the same date, i.e. September 1952, and permit abandonment of the two old buildings on Springfield Street and at North Wilbraham for further school use.
If a new school building is built, it would seem desirable to include a combination auditorium-gymnasium for school use and other town and community purposes. although this need pertains to general community demands much more immediately than it does to school requirements.
The present does not appear to be a favorable time to dis- continue the use of the two old three-room buildings at Spring- field Street and North Wilbraham, because of the high cost of replacing these six rooms in a new building.
The above are estimates on school census and any change in child population could readily change class room require- ments."
Having the estimates contained in the foregoing report in mind, this committee recommends that plans be drawn which will make provision for ultimate construction of ten class rooms, space for a cafeteria, and a combination auditorium-gymnasium, the, plans to be prepared in a manner which would permit the construction of four, six or ten class rooms, with or without auditorium, progressively as found desirable.
The current building situation is such that it is difficult to obtain close and accurate estimates regarding construction costs, but it appears that a ten-room school building would cost approximately $290,000, a six-room building $185,000, and a four-room building $135,000. An auditorium-gymnasium
30
of a size to accommodate the seating of between 800 and 1000 would cost approximately $90,000 additional.
Realizing early in our investigation that the cost of a ten-room building with auditorium would exceed the statutory borrowing capacity of the town, your committee, in collabora- tion with Representative Raymond Beach, prepared and the Selectmen have filed a bill to be considered at the 1948 session of the Legislature, known as House Bill No. 602, copy of which follows, wherein the Legislature is asked to authorize the town to borrow for the purpose of constructing and equipping a new school building.
HOUSE NO. 603
By Mr. Beach of Wilbraham, petition of Albert L. Martin and others (selectmen) that the town of Wilbraham be author- ized to borrow money for the construction, equipping and furnishing of a new school building. Municipal Finance.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
In the Year One Thousand Nine Hundred and Forty-Eight.
AN ACT TO AUTHORIZE THE TOWN OF WILBRAHAM TO BORROW MONEY FOR THE PURPOSE OF CONSTRUCTING, EQUIPPING AND FURNISHING A SCHOOL BUILDING.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
SECTION 1. For the purpose of constructing and orig- inally equipping and furnishing a new school building, which may include space for town offices and be a memorial for the men and women of Wilbraham who served their country in time of war, the town of Wilbraham may borrow, from time to time, within a period of five years from the date on which this act becomes fully effective as provided in the following section, such sums as may be necessary, not exceeding, in the aggregate, dollars, and may issue bonds or notes therefor which shall bear on their face the words, Wilbraham memorial school building loan, act of 1948. Each authorized issue shall constitute a separate loan and such loans shall be paid in not more than twenty years from their dates. Indebtedness incurred under this act shall be in excess of the statutory limit
31
but shall, except as provided herein be subject to chapter forty- four of the General Laws, exclusive of the limitation contained in the first paragraph of section seven thereof.
SECTION 2. This act shall be submitted for accep- tance to the voters of said town at any town meeting held within three years after its passage in the form of the following question which shall be placed on the official ballot for the election of town officers, if action is to be taken at an annual town meeting, or on a printed ballot to be prepared for use in connection with the voting list if action is taken at a special town meeting: "Shall an act passed by the general court in the year nineteen hundred and forty-eight, entitled, An 'Act to authorize the town of Wilbraham to borrow money for the purpose of constructing, equipping and furnishing a school building'," be accepted? If a majority of the votes in answer to said question is in the affirmative, then the act shall there- upon become fully effective, but not otherwise.
This Act, if passed by the Legislature, must be submitted for acceptance to the voters of the Town at a town meeting within three years after its passage, and further provides that the vote for acceptance shall be on printed ballot, and shall not become effective unless a majority of the votes cast on the question are in the affirmative. The Act further provides that the authority to borrow and issue bonds and notes runs for a period of five years from the actual acceptance of the Act by the Town and, in accordance with the provisions of the General Laws, requires a two-thirds vote to authorize the issuance of bonds or notes. The amount of authorization to be requested is not to be inserted until the townspeople have considered the subject in town meeting, and by vote have instructed the Selectmen in this regard. This Act does not alter in any way the general requirements of the statutes regarding town financ- ing, except that it will by its passage, enable the town to borrow in excess of its present borrowing capacity if it seems advisable to do so.
By the requirements of the Statutes, any bond, issue voted by the Town would have to be in the form of serial bonds (a certain amount maturing each year) and the entire issue would have to be retired within a period of twenty years. Bankers have estimated that such bonds would probably bear interest at a rate somewhere in the vicinity of 2% to 212%, although it should be borne in mind that if and when the Town should vote such a bond issue, the common practice is to submit the issue for bids, and of course, the ultimate cost of such financing will depend upon the desirability and marketability of the bonds at the time of issuance.
In the matter of financing, this committee wishes to direct the attention of the people to the availability of a nucleus in
32
the Postwar Rehabilitation Fund which now amounts to approximately $85,000. It will be recalled that the planning which made possible the accumulation of this fund had as its objective this particular type of postwar need.
In the interval of time since the special town meeting held June 3, 1947, at which meeting the town voted to authorize the Selectmen to apply for a loan of Federal funds in the amount of $7455. for the purpose of preparing plans for a school, it has been definitely determined that Federal funds will not be avail- able for this purpose. However, in the event that Federal funds were not found to be available, the town voted at the same meeting to transfer $7455. from available surplus funds, to defray the cost of preparing plans, and this amount has therefore already been set aside for this purpose.
Several architects have been interviewed in the course of . the committee's investigations and it is the recommendation of the committee that Mr. Morris W. Maloney, of Springfield, Mass., be engaged as architect and instructed to prepare plans as outlined above. Mr. Maloney is well recommended both by his work and by the individuals for whom the work has been done, and in the judgment of this committee, possesses the qualifications and abilities needed to satisfactorily carry out the wishes and needs of the town in the development of this project.
The foregoing embodies the highlights of the investigations of your committee. Early in our deliberations, however, it became apparent that the project under investigation was of such magnitude and importance that it probably could not receive the time and attention it merited at an annual town meeting in addition to the regular items of business which necessarily are time consuming in themselves; and it is the recommendation of this committee that the matter be re- ferred to a special town meeting in the near future, to be held in the evening in Fisk Hall if it can be arranged, in order that the townspeople may have an opportunity to thoroughly discuss the matter and express their desires with regard to the size of the project they may wish to have undertaken.
OREN K. GILBERT, Chairman DORIS R. BOWMAN, Secretary IRVING J. CORDNER GEORGE E. MURPHY, JR.
RALPH S. STEDMAN H. W. CUTLER CARL ALSING ESTHER PRESTON
33
Report of Water Commissioners
Regarding Increasing Water Supply and Pressure
At the 1947 annual Town Meeting, $55,000 was appro- priated to provide adequate supply and pressure of water in the existing water mains of the Town by interconnecting with the Springfield Water System on Springfield Street and the Boston Post Road, and the construction of a standpipe on the municipal lot on North Main Street together with the laying of the necessary pipe lines in connection therewith.
Materials were ordered for the construction, but due to the scarcity of these materials, delivery could not be obtained until late in the fall. In late June and July through the courtesy of the Springfield Water Department, tests were made of pres- sures in their system in the locations of the proposed connec- tions. These tests showed a loss in the Springfield distribution system of 55 feet of head. Unless radical changes are made in the Springfield System, this loss of head can be expected to increase in the future. The filling of the proposed standpipe in the future became questionable and further studies as to possible methods of increasing flows and pressures in Wilbra- ham were made.
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