Minutes 03/24/1970 - Laserfiche WebLink

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March 24. 1970 it is important that you be made aware of the fact that a determination for the need of a Police-Community Relations Board cannot be judged adequately on the basis of consul- tation with the police ~hemselves. Rat.her~ it is the attitude of the people toward the po~ lice that is the determining factor. You ha~e been made aware of the feelings of a consider able nuraber of the people o~ this issue. To again ignore this matter as you did in Septembe~ of 1968 would be one of the most dangerous courses of inaction you could possibly chart.~? Motion of Mr. Eastcs that a blue ribbon committee be established to study the question as to whet~ a ~olice-~o~munity Relations Board be established and to make recommendations in that regard to the City Council was adopted~ without dissenting vote. Motion of Mr. Hotley that the Committee be allowed sixty days from the date of appoint- ment to make a report to the City Counci~ was adopted. Motion of Mr. King that the committee be appointed at the next regular meeting of Council was adopted~ without dissenting vote. - NEW BUSIN~ESS - 70-131 - The following letter from the City Clerk was read: '~The terms of office of the following Boards and Commissions will e×pire: Parking Authorit~ (five year term) Richard Ivins 801 Halifax Avenue Board of Architectural Review (five year term) Kirk Berkeley 6907 01d Suffolk Blvd. 5/1/70 5/14/70 Portsmouth ~aval Shipyard ~ (three year term) Donald C. Kilgore 403 Court Street 5/1/70 Phillip S. Beiton 4108 Sunkist Road 5/1/70 Mrs. R. M. Stokes~ Jr. 1 Elmhurst Lane 5/1/70 Mrs. H. Thcs. ~ennelt~ Jr. 2~2 Washington Street 5/1/70'~ On motion of Mr. Holiey~ referred to a conference. 70-132 - The following letter from Mrs. Everette T. Bedsworth was read: ~'Enclosed is a poem written by my son~ an eighth grader at William Waters Junior High School. It has prompted me tobring to the attention of the public a deplorable situation in our city. 'WRITTEN ON A BROKEN-DOWN BUS Here i sit on the broken-down bus~ I think that I am going to cuss. Because of ~he time and place and way~ The same thing happened yesterday. As Z sit and wave as the cars go by~ I think the driver is going to cry! I hope that someone very kind, Will pick us up - I'm out of my mind! Here we are, away from home, And feeling oh~ so all alone. I wonder if help will ever come~ Oh how I wish and pray,for some. Now some guys are trying to push us~ We're never going to start this tupid old bus! And all the people are raising a fuss Won't someone PLEASE come and help us? By: Kerry D. Bed~worth Bus 146~ Mrs, Foy~ Driver' As the poem states, this same bus broke down two consecutive days. What the poem docs not say is that sn many occasions there are over 100 children on the bus, which has a seatin capacity of less than 50. School officials tell me that six buses leave Waters every day~ packed to the doors~ and that it would take at least 5 more buses to relieve the situaiton. In early fall I was appointed by the Portsmouth Comncil of P.T.A's to investigate the bus situa~ion~ to see what could be done about the overcrowding. I contacted a member of ~City Council. He referred me to the City Attorney!s office~ to see if there were any ordin- ances covering the number of students on each bus. I waited over a month for the reply that there w~re no city u~les concerning thfs. ~ne City Attorney suggested that I contact the bus company. The bus company told me that they have to fill the buses in order to meet ex- penses. I called the School Board, the Portsmouth Police and the insurance representative of the company which insures the buses and igg6t no answers~ which'is the way the situation stands right now.