Minutes 08/19/1975 - Laserfiche WebLink

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288 August 197 1975 75-358 "Consideration of a resolution appointing viewers for closing of 10-ft. alley adjacent to Craford Place. This resolution is the authority for appointing v~ers and has been recommended by the Planning Com~ission." O~umotion of Mr. Oast and seconded by ~fr. Barnes, the following resolution was adopted, and by the following vote: '*A RESOLUTION APPOINTING VIEWERS FOR CLOSING A TEN FOOT ALLEY ADJACENT TO CRAFORD PLACE. WHEREAS, Bonn Boyd Griffin, John R. Hill and Genevieve L. Savage have made application to vacate and close the hereinafter described portion of a certain alley, and it appearing that the notice of the application and resuest for appointment of viewers was duly posted July 18, 1975, on the bulletin board of t~e Circuit Court of the City of Portsmouth, and at two other public places within the City of Portsmouth, Virginia. NOW, TiIEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the City of Portsmouth, Virginia, that Frank N. Bitisoly, Raymond Tweed, Louis J. Leitner, Zalmon t. Blachman and James L. Choate be appointed viewers to view %he hereinafter described portion of such alley and to report to this Council in writing whether in their opinion, any, and if any, what inconvenience would result in vacating and closing the following: All those certain portions of an unnamed alley located in the City of Portsmouth, Virginia, as shown on that certain plat entitled :~PROPERTY OF THE CRAFORD PLACE CORPO~iTION," made by Heber C. Cassell, dated March 20, 1920, recorded in the Circuit Court of the City of Portsmouth in Map Book t, at page 35, a copy of which is hereto attached and made a part hereof, and with reference to which plat said portions of the alley are bounded and described as follows: To establish a point of beginning, begin at a point which is tho southwestern intersection of Craford Place and Washington Street; thence westerly along the northern boundary of Lot 34 for a distance of 90 feet to a point; and from said point of beginning thence southerly along the western boundary of Lots 32, 33, and 34 for a distance of 100 feet to a point; thence westerly along the north- ~m~boundary of the Portsmouth Orphan Asylum property for a distance of 10 feet, mD~re or less, to a point; thence northerly along the eastern boundary of Lot 43 for a distance of t00 feet to a point; thence easterly for a distance of lO~f~e~ mo~e o~ less, to the point of beginning.~ Ayes: Barnes, Early, Elliott, Holley, Oast, Wentz, Davis Nays: None ?5-328 - "Report from the City,State§er on,the utility billing system and meter reading as related to tabled Ordinance 75-328 from the previous meeting.~ '~At the August 12, 1975 City Council meeting, the present system of reading water meters was questioned, and Mr. E. L. Morris of Park View cited several cases that raised doubts as to the quality~and frequency of reading water meters, and of maintaining meters. Mr. Brady has personally reviewed the cases cited by Mr. Morris and on August 14 visited Mr. Morris and inspected the meters serving his residence, the residence of his uncle and another random meter in the general area. In the cases he visited, the readings observed verified the readings taken for the current billings. Mr. Morris' meter was ~n excellent condition, having been replaced in August, 1971. The dirt on the meter face was only that which fell into the box when the meter box top was opened. His unc!e's meter was older, was placed in May, 1963, and the dirt on the face appeared to be that which fell into the box when the top was removed. The glass was missing but this is not unusual with older type meters and does not prevent registration of readings. We also checked the meter at 216 Webster Avenue~ and, although the box was nearly full of leaves and dirt, the meter was accessible and was of the new straight reading type which is easily read. I cannot com~ment on ~4r. Morris' state~ ment concerning his recollection of the meter being buried at Maryview Hospital, since this was over S0 years ago when ~lr. Davis was Superintendent of the Water Department. Maryview Hospital has for many years been a monthly account. The major points of concern raised at the August 12 City Council meeting appeared to be control of meter reading and maintenance of meters. It is the policy of the Public Utilit ties~Dep~artment to render bills based on actual metered consumption, tn cases where meters fail to register properly, the City Code provides for estimated bills; however, this is rare and not done bi[ the reader. Th meter reading procedures include ~spot checks': to verify read'ingsl In ad~-i-~ion,~_e meter reader does not know the previous reaa~n~. The reading sheets, since June, 1975, may i~dicate a "range of reading:' and readings out of range m~st be verified by the reader and the sheet so ma~ked. This range is not always printed, thUS, providing a method of insuring that meters are read. We no longer use meter ~ooks with previoFs consumptions sho~. From January 1974 to December. 1974 the readin~ sheets contained only the previous reading with no ~nd~cat~on of read~ng range or consumption aha ~he reader had no means of estimating readings. From January to May, 1975 neither previous reading or range of reading was shown and the reader could not possibly estimate the reading. Other readings are verified when consumption is unusually high. Meter changes and removals provide a form of verification since in some cases a meter no longer exists and in others the range will not apply.