1953/12/21~inutcs of the Meeting
December 21, 1953
TOWN OF BERLIN
OFFICE OF THE SELECT~N
The meeting opened at ¥:3v ~.M. witn the t~ree selectmen
present. The minutes of the previous meeting were re~d and accepted
as a~nuended.
Mrs. Mahan and Mr. Covini representing the press were
present.
Three bids for the re-piping of the house at the Town
Farm were received, opened and discussed tnis evening as per letter
sent to several plumbers by Mr. Graham.
A motion was made, seconded, and unanimously carried, tnat
the d.?~te mentioned in letters to these plumbers be considered the
dead line, that date being December 21, 1953.
Wilfred ~cKeon submitted a total price
J. Langdren ~ " "
L. Cistare " '~ "
All tt~ree of the above plumbers recommended t~at a comolete
re-piping job be done instead of a partial Job.
A motion was made, seconded, and unanimously carried theft
Mr. Graham check into the bidders soecifications and report back at the
next regular meeting.
Mr. Graham read a letter received from the Clark Bros.
roofing contractors, in which they revised their bid for re-roofing the
buildings at the Town Farm from $635. to $835. thus disqualifying their
bid.
Mr. Graham reported that Town Counsel checked their
credit rating and it wa~ found to be reliable, and their work in this
area was found to be satisfactory. ~'
A motion was made, seconded, and unanimously carried that
the Clark Bros. not be allowed to bid on any other town work,.'~nd that the
re-roofing contract be awarded to the next lowest bidder, E namely
the Coty Roofing Company at a total price of $~94.~0.
Mr. Ntls~on asked Mr. Graham to check to see if Coty's
Workmans Compensation and Public Liability is State approved. Mr. Graham
to report back.
Mr. Graham reported that the family occupying the Municipal
Court Building were supposed to vacate the premises by December 31, 1953
but doubted t~at t~ey would be able to vacate by this date.
· ~' ? Mr. Graham ~*urtner reoorted that the Evans family, the
new!~occuoants of the Municipal Court Building, were being strongly
urged by Mr. Troup of the Prentice Mfg. Co. to vacate their quarters on
New Britian Road by December 31, 19~3.
Mr. Graham to speak to Mr. Troup to see if a time
extension can be obtained for this family until the court build~ng is
re ady ·
A motion was made, seconded, and unanimously carried that
Robtndale Drive be accepted on the recommendation of the Tov~ Engineer
Arthur Bacon and First Selectman Jo~u Graham.
Mr. Graham reported that t~e bridge on Toll Gate Road
was inspected by Grant Skinner, C. M. Hamilton and himself and found
the footings and wing-walls of this bridge to be in poor condition.
It was Mr. Hamilton's recommendation that the footings
have sandbags applied for the winter months, and then in the spring
pour new footings and wing walls.
Mr. Graham stated that he is having signs madB up
limiting the capacity- to 5 tons.
A motion was made, seconded, and unanimously carried
that Mr. Hamiltonts recommendation relative to this bridge be carried
out and that the repair be deferred until the summer of 1954.
Mr. Graham presented a break-down of the fuel oil
consumption used for heating puru. oses of the Municipal Buildings and the
Fire Houses.
A motion was made, seconded, and unanimously carried, that
Mr. Graham contact Mr. Warren of ~arren~s Super Service, ~ud if there
is no formal contract in existance, that he be notified that after
January 31, 1904 the fuel oil business for the Municipal Buildings and
the Fire Houses would be divided as follows~
Warren's Super Service - To supply the Hurray House and the East
Berlin Fire House
Pure Ice Company
- To supply the Kensington Fire House and
the Berlin Fire House.
Bruno' s O~_l Service
To supply the Town Hall and Police
Headquarters
It was agreed that Mr. Graham try to locate a ~uitable
place in which to garage the ToTnn grader.
Mr. Graham to chec$ a bill received from Arthur E. '~eb~er
for markers and street posts before payment is made.
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Er. Graham reported that he contacted Nr. Kelleher's
office, First Selectman of Newington, relative to hourly rates paid
their town employees.
Mr. Graham found that their base hourly rate if $1.35
,~,hich is paid to part-time employees. Truck drivers receive $1.59
per hour.
back.
Mr. Graham to get further information and report
The converting of the Town Hall was discussed and
Graham reDorted that he sent out letters to each of the Commissions
and Committees asking that they list their recommendations and
requirements for office space etc., and asked that this information
be returned to the Selectmen by December 98th. 19~$.
The Selectmen agreed to hold a joint meeting with
the Co~nittees and Com~aissions after their reoorts were received to
discuss the matter, and then a meeting arranged with architect
Hollis Kincaid and the Selectmen.
Mr. Grah,~m to check with the Telephone Company to see
what would be ~nvolved in moving the Police Headquarters to t~e Town
Hall. Mr. Graham ~ stated that this would save the cost of heating
the present police headquarters.
A letter was received from the Town Planning Commission
which was read and discussed, regarding tae Farmington Ave. by-pass
walc~ they regard as their number one project and solicited all the
cooperation of the Board of Selectmen.
~r. Grahmu recommended that a meeting with Commissioner
Hill and the Selectmen be arranged to discuss t~is matter. ~r. Graham
to check the Planning Commission to find out ~.netner or not a copy
of tae Planning Commission's letter was forwarded to Com~nissioner Hill.
Their letter, however, indicated tnat a copy was not sent to Hill.
A bill for $8~. for the printing of the Town Report
was discussed and Mr. Graham e~plained the additional cost was for the
setting up for additional pages required by William Day, Town Auditor.
The Selectmen agree.i that the bill be paid.
Mr. Nilsson brought up that the Town Report for the next
fiscal year be revise~ to include a column head, Actual Exw~.enditures.
Mr. Graham reported, that after checking Mr. Josep~ Godak~s
assessment it was found that Mr. Bomba, A~aessor, had depreciated it to
practically nothing. Mr. Graham indicated t~at it would be advisable
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for the town to purchase this piece of property.
Mr. Nilsson brought up the matter of conflicting
minutes taken at the Sel~.ctmen meeting of November 16, 19~3. (Minutes
were taken by ~r~ A. Mahan in the absence of t~e regular secretary
Jack Ross)
Copies of the minutes supplied Nr. Dehan and Mr.
Nilsson differed in paragraph #10 as follows:
~r. Graham's Copy-
"Mr. Graham discussed with thee board the need for
additional office space in Town Hall snd recommended that the Berlin
Playhouse be notified that the Town Hall will no longer be available
to them and request that all pl~yhouse property stored in Town Hall be
removed as soon as possible. All members concurred."
Mr. Nilsson~s and Mr. Dehan~s copy-
"Mr. Graham discussed with the Board the need for
additional space in Tovm Hall and recontmended that the Berlin Playhouse
be notified that all playhouse property stored in the Town Hall be
removed as soon as possible. All m~m~ers concurred."
Mr. Ni!sson made a motion, seconded by Mr. Dehan, that
the minutes, namely paragraph #10, be corrected as per Mr. Nils~on~s
and Mr. Dehan's copy a~ this was the way it was voted.
Mr. Nilsson and Mr. Dehan voted in favor.
Mr. Graham opposed.
Mr. Granam stated that he took official action according
to the minutes he received and did so in good faith and conscience.
Mr. Nilsson brought uD that Mr. Pacyna is continuing
to dumO on his property on 01d ~iddleto,~'~ Road.
~Ir. Graham reported t~at Dr. Chotkowski, Town Health
Officer, is to contact the To~n Counsel relative to this matter and
make the necessary arrangements to turn it over to the prosecutor for
court action in as much as Mr. Pacyna iE has not cooperated with the
T own.
Mr. ~illtam Bomba and Mr. Alva Root, members of the Berlin
Playhouse met with the Selectmen this evening to discuss the matter
of t~eir vacating the Town Hall.
After a long discussion, Mr. Bomba and Mr. Root were
infom~ed by Mr. Nils~on that the Playhouse could go along as before
until such time that the Town took steps to remodel the town Hall~ ~ '~
Meet~ing adjourned at 11:55 F.M.