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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1974-12-02 Board of Public Works Minutes December 2, 1974 Meeting of the Board of Public Works opened in Room 16, Municipal Building at 7:30 P. M. Present were Chairman Blood, Secretary Reed, Board Members Russell , Dustin and Price, Superintendent Louanis and Mr. Richard Evans of the Finance Committee. Minutes of the previous meeting were accepted as corrected. Read Notice of Public Hearing relative to easement through private property at 572 Haverhill Street for drainage and sewer- age purposes . Mrs. Shirley Querolo attended the meeting. The Board reviewed letter from Attorney McDuffee wherein further considerations are required before the easement will be granted. Mrs. Querolo stated she wished thirty feet of chain link fence to prevent ingress to the property at 572 Haverhill Street and the sum of Seven Hundred and Twenty ($720.00) Dollars to abate the present remaining assessment for betterment for sewer front- age. There was a brief discussion and the Hearing was closed. The matter was tabled until later in the evening. Read letter from Father Hickey of Saint Agnes Church re- questing that the section of Salem Street between Lowell and Main Streets (Route 28) be closed to vehicular traffic from 3:00 P.M. until 6:00 P.M. on December 22d and that the Board of Public Works have the reviewing stand erected in order that the Reading Association of Clergy may celebrate its program, "Christmas on the Common". It was moved, seconded and voted to grant the request subject to the standard restrictions, as follows: 1 . Proper liability insurance be obtained. 2. The area be policed and completely returned to its original condition after the event. 3• No alcoholic beverages be allowed at the site. The meeting scheduled at 8:00 P.M. with the Reading Youth Senior Baseball Association was cancelled. This will appear on the agenda for December 16 when there will be a discussion relative to possible new parks. The Board reviewed the tentative schedule for future meetings. It was determined that the Board would meet at Batchelder Field on Franklin Street at 8:30 A.M. on December 7th and that further , meetings would be held in the Board Room as follows: 7: 30 P.M. on December 9, 16, 30, January 6, 13, 20 and 27. The Board discussed the Equipment Replacement Program in detail recognizing the need of the Department of maintain and replace necessary equipment in a reasonable manner and try to reconcile the cost of this with the Town ' s ability to pay. The Superintendent was instructed to review the Equipment Replace— ment Program and report back to the Board with information on the estimated cost of maintaining the equipment for the next year. The Board discussed the possibility of purchasing a new high velocity sewer cleaning machine and truck at an estimated cost of $24,000. After considerable discussion it was agreed that this be presented at the Annual Town Meeting in a Special Article with a factual story of the need for such equipment and the anticipated upgrading of the level of sewer maintenance ' throughout the Town. Also discussed was the need for a new seeding machine. It was felt this would upgrade the level of maintenance in the parks but no decision was reached. Read memorandum from John Agnew, Executive Secretary stating that the budget for the ensuing year is due on February 1 , 1975. It was moved, seconded and voted with Mr . Price opposed to grant Mrs. Querolo the following considerations for giving the Town of Reading a drainage and sewerage easement through her property at 572 Haverhill Street. The Town of Reading agrees to give Mrs. Querolo a sewer connection to her property at 572 Haverhill Street, access to her land from the rear where the Town land abuts her land subject to the existing zoning: The Board of Public Works will abate the present remaining assessment for betterment for sewer frontage in an amount not exceeding Seven Hundred and Twenty ($720.00) Dollars: The Minutes - continued December 2, 1974 Board of Public Works agrees to provide a thirty foot chain link fence near the street line of Haverhill Street to prevent the public from using the easement as a right-of-way. The Board of Public Works agrees there will be no additional betterment due to the placement of any sewer line through her property. The Board adjourned temporarily to meet as the Board of Survey and reconvened at 10:45 P.M. The Superintendent reported that he discussed the sewer problem at 39 Ellis Avenue with the Health Agent and was informed that because of the slope of the land it would be impossible to construct a new or remodel the existing septic system at 39 Ellis Avenue in light of the present sanitary regulations. It was moved, seconded and voted that the sewer be extended in Ellis Avenue to Mr . William Parker ' s lot and that he be assessed his full frontage and further that the work be included in the next sewer contract. ' Mr. Dustin brought up the need of the Town to develop a position relative to the anticipated extension of the M.B.T.A. to Reading and vicinity. The Board was concerned that an effective leadership had not been developed in the community to formulate the Town ' s position and to that end the Chairman has agreed to discuss the matter with the Chairman of the Planning Board in the hope to arrange a meeting as soon as possible between the Board of Public Works, the Planning Board and their Consultant to establish the Town 's position prior to meeting with the M.B.T.A. before the end of January. The Board discussed the present sewer rental charges and instructed the Superintendent to make a study of the present rate structure to develop a new rate structure which would pro- vide sufficient funds to off set the cost paid to the Metropolitan Sewer District Commission for pumping the Town' s sewerage with consideration given to the possibility of off setting some of the maintenance costs. These rate increases whould take into con- Minutes - continued December 2, 1974 sideration possible and potential changes in the charges to be levied by the Metropolitan District Commission and any new state or federal regulations that might effect them. The Board signed the Payroll for the period ending Decem- ber 1 and the Bill Roll dated December 6, 1974. Notes from the constituents were introduced, discussed and the meeting concluded at 11 :40 P.M. Respectfully submitted, Secretary OFFICE OF LAWRENCE R. BWOD, CMI m n TOWN OF READING M Mlff E. REED, See eWn JOHN H. RUSSELL BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS PAUL C. DUSTIN TORN W. PRICE J MUNICIPAL BUILDING E. ROGER LOUANIS, Supe ntepdent -J e READING, MASS. 0I667 MASSACHUSETTS COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS Middlesex, ss. The undersigned, Board of Public Works of the Town of Reading, in compliance with the provisions of General Laws, Chapter 80, as amended by Chapter 63 of the Acts of 1933, here- by certify that the lists herewith contain the names of per- sons against whom we have made betterment assessments, to- gether with the location of the land benefited by the improve- ment and the nature and amount of such betterment assessment. Sewer Frontage $123,266.36 Sidewalk 1 ,989.66 Curbing 401 .60 Sidewalk and Curbing 599.36 Sewer House Connection Construction 84,862.58 TOTAL $211 , 119.56 Such list is certified to you for the purpose of committing the same to the Tax Collector, as provided by law. WITNESS our hands this sixteenth day of December A.D. 1974. See Commitment Sheets ,r For Lists