HomeMy WebLinkAbout1978-09-11 Board of Public Works Minutes September 11 , 1978
' Meeting of the Board of Public Works opened at 7:30 P. M. in
Room 16, Municipal Building.
Present were Chairman Dustin,- Secretary Price, Board Members
Russell and Testa and Superintendent Louanis. The Finance Committee
was represented by Jose Canto,. Paul Metcalf and Gail Wood.
Minutes of the Meeting of August ZS; 1978 were accepted as
written.
Read letter dated August 22d from the Metropolitan District
Commission and reviewed chart indicating the ratio of contribution
to the sewage system based on the census returns of 1975 as deter-
mined by the M. D. C. Sewerage division. The information was accepted
as a point of information. Mr. Russell , however, requested the
Superintendent assemble available information indicating whether the
rate of assessment was increasing or decreasing for the Boards re-
view at the next meeting.
Read letter from the Metropolitan District Commission stating
a comprehensive planning effort to control discharge of combined
' sanitary sewage into Boston Harbor and its tributary waters has
been initiated recently. A public meeting is planned for 7: 15 P. M.
on Tuesday, September 19th, 1978 to discuss the proposed two year
study and participation by surrounding cities and towns is requested.
Superintendent Louanis stated he planned to attend the meeting which
will be held at the N. E. Aquarium, Central Wharf on Atlantic Avenue
in Boston.
It was requested that Item 5, "Letter from Allan W. Drachman
re: Town of Reading A.F.S.C.M.E. contract" be tabled until later
in the evening and be taken up in Executive Session. As the Board
of Public Works Union Labor Contract has not been signed, it was
moved, seconded and voted to discuss the matter later in the evening
in Executive Session.
The Board reviewed bids received on September 7, 1978 for two
new 4-door sedans, as follows:
Smyly Chevrolet, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 8,834.80 Net
Stoneham Motor Company. , _ _ . . . . . . . * * * * 9,072.00 Net
Burlington Dodge, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9, 142.76 Net
It was moved, seconded and voted 4-0 to award the contract for two
new 4-door sedans to Smyly Chevrolet, Inc. in the amount of $8,834.80
as per the bid of September 7, 1978.
The Board reviewed bids on Contract 78-6 Applying Bituminous
Concrete Pavement, Overlay and Cross-Section Improvements, as '
follows:
Warren Bros. Co. . . . . . . . . . . . $ 26,453.70 $17.29/ton
Trimount Bit. Prod. . . . . . . . . . . . 28,687.50 18.75/ton
Starrett Paving Co. . . . . . . . . . . . 30, 141 .00 19.70/ton
,Essex Bit. Concrete . . . . . . . . . . . 30,600.00 20.00/ton
Sarao Brothers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32, 130,00 21 .00
/ton
Warren Brothers Company has satisfactorily completed a number of
street resurfacing contracts for the Town of Reading and Superin-
tendent Louanis recommended that Contract 78-6 for Applying Bitum-
inous Concrete Pavement on Birch Meadow Drive, Cross Street, Harri-
man Avenue, Virginia Road, Virginia Circle and Track Road be awarded
to Warren Brothers Company. It was moved, seconded and voted to
award the contract to Warren Brothers Company in the amount of
$26,423.70 subject to the provision that they provide the proper
performance bond.
Secretary Price read Notice of Public Hearing requesting per-
mission to relocate pole 95/1 approximately fifteen ( 15) feet
easterly on Warren Avenue. Neither utility company was represented. '
Superintendent Louanis stated that a citizen had requested the pole
moved to allow better access to his driveway. It was moved, seconded
and voted to close the Hearing. It was moved, seconded and voted
4-0 in favor of granting permission to relocate the pole.
Read letter from property owner as 84 Cross Street and 8 Read-
ing Terrace indicating in each instance, for a variety of reasons,
that engaging a licensed drain layer to install a sewer house connec-
tion would impose a financial hardship. The former applied for a sewer
house connection by Town forces on October 3, 1977 while the latter
applied February 22, 1977. The Board of Health has checked both
properties and has determined that each is a health problem. Mr.
Russell stated that the Board' s policy was to abide by the list and
install the house connection taking the oldest application first
and to deviate from such policy would set a dangerous precedent.
Mr. Testa did not feel that as a member of the Board of Public Works
assessing needs of a citizen came within the realm of determinations
and decisions to be made by him. However, Mr. Testa did state he '
did not feel that a letter from an individual was sufficient evidence
that a hardship did indeed exist. Mr. Price indicated that in his
opinion the Board should remain flexible and when letters are re-
ceived from constituents they should be reviewed on an individual
basis and a determination made by the Board as to whether the home-
owner be moved ahead on the list of applicants for house connec-
tions by the Department. It was moved and seconded to authorize
town forces to install sewer house connections at 84 Cross Street
and at 8 Reading Terrace at the early convenience of the Depart-
ment. The vote: 2 in favor, 2 opposed. The motion did not carry.
Meeting adjourned temporarily in order that the Board could
meet as the Board of Survey and reconvened at 9:25 P. M.
The Board, at this point, requested the Superintendent to re-
port on Batchelder Field. Superintendent Louanis stated that
following the Hearing of August 28th and a subsequent meeting with
some of the neighbors of Batchelder Field on September 9th he re-
viewed the plan for construction of a baseball field at Batchelder
Field with the Engineering Division and concluded the location should
not be changed as it provides open areas for future needs of citizens
of the area. The proposed plan provides off street parking for 57
cars and this should alleviate congestion on Franklin Street. To
avoid fly balls entering the area provided for the horse ring it
is now proposed to extend the fence to a height of ten feet. The
Superintendent assured the residents and the equestrians that the
budget will allow an area to be leveled to the west of the horse
ring which will be sufficient to provide parking for a horse show.
It is planned to have the Engineering Division stake out the park
on October 5th and 6th and for the National Guard to move in during
its drill session on the 7th and 8th to commence construction con-
tinuing this operation on a monthly basis until weather curtails
operation and begin again in the spring weather permitting to do
the loaming and seeding. Chairman Dustin then agreed to have the
Board answer questions from the abutters and equestrians present.
The question arose from the floor as to whether the Board would
continue with the project prior to Special Town Meeting since the
work is scheduled on the same day as the Special Town Meeting.
The Superintendent was instructed to continue with his program in
a manner that was not detrimental to the area should the Town Meet-
ing reverse its previous vote.
Mr. Price moved for reconsideration on the vote re moving
84 Cross Street and 8 Reading Terrace forward on the list of property
to be connected to the sanitary sewer by Town forces. It was seconded '
and voted. A lengthy discussion ensued. Mr. Russell suggested
this is a matter that should be handled by a department dealing
in human services, and further to accommodate these two people would
result in bumping two others who had applied earlier for perhaps an-
other year since a limited budget for this service was approved. Mr.
Price then moved that 84 Cross Street and 8 Reading Terrace have
sewer house connections installed by the Town before the close of
this year ' s construction season. It was seconded: the vote: 2 in
favor - 2 opposed. The motion did not carry. The Board agreed to
take the matter up again when a full Board was present.
THe Board reviewed bids received on August 24, 1978 for trees
and shrubs. Bids were received from seven nurseries but only two
bid on all items, as follows:
Bigelow Nurseries . . . . . . . . . . $ 1 ,879.50
Princeton Nurseries . . . . . . . . 3, 388.50
It was moved, seconded and voted to award the contract for trees
and shrubs to Bigelow Nurseries, the low bidder, in the amount of '
$1 ,879.50.
It was moved, seconded and voted to sign letter committing
the following:
Sewer frontage betterments. . . . . $ 434.40
Sewer house connections. . . . . . . . 731 .50
to the Tax Collector and assess betterments accordingly.
The Superintendent reported that 3/4" of S. T. Mix was
placed on the Mineral Street Bridge on August 21 , 1978 after an
asphalt emulsion was applied to the existing deck; a week later
investigation revealed that a section, approximately a yard square,
had lifted and that other areas along the middle and northerly side
of the bridge had sustained wide cracks the full depth of the pave-
. ment. These areas were repaired on September 6th but have cracked
again. The Superintendent informed the Board that Mr. Milton Heffron
of Heffron Asphalt agreed to inspect the bridge and offer an alter-
nate solution to the problem, if possible.
The Board signed the Pay Roll for the period ending September ,
10th and the Bill Roll dated September 15, 1978.
It was moved, seconded and voted to go into Executive Session
for the purpose of discussing labor negotiations and not to return
Minutes - continued September 11 , 1978
to open session. Roll call vote as follows:
John Russell _ In favor
John Price In favor
David Testa - In favor
Paul Dustin - In favor
Meeting adjourned at 10:45 P. M. °
ct�!/ mitted,
ecretary �