Minutes 05/24/1960 - Laserfiche WebLink

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409. - NEW BUSINESS 60-153 - The Clerk announced that the term of Donald H. Sandie, a member of the Planning Commission, expires June 1st, 1960. Motion of Mr. Weiseman to refer {0 the next conference of the Council, was adopted, without dissenting vote. 60-~54 - On motion of Mr. Breedlove, all c6mmunications from PoT.A. organizations, re - garding the School budget, were referred to the next budget conference, without dissenting vote. 60-155 - The following letter from the Superintendent of Schools was read: It is the opinion of the School Board that the school budget as presented for 1960-61, requesting ~n appropriation of t~o 'mil'lion seven hundred one thousand one hundred fifty dollars ($2,701,150.00 from the City of Portsmouth, represents the minimum amount needed to operate an efficient school system. We are sure that you are as much ~c~ncerned with good schools as the Board is and that you will appropriate as much of the amount ~equested as possible, but it is of the greatest importance that the Board knew immediately what .the appropriation will be in order that teachers may be offered contracts. Until we know the amount 'available we can not revise our budget intelligently. Any cut will be damaging but we shall do the best we can with the amount appropriated. Now it is sot only a question of getting new teachers but one of holding those we have. During the past ten days many of our present teachers have s~gn~d contracts to ~each elsewhere because of the uneer~ain~y 'here° (Signed A.J. Mapp)" In this connection, Mr. Walker requested that a resolution he is preparing be placed on the a~enda at the next Council meeting. 60-156 - On motion of Mr. Weiseman, several communications regarding the re-election o£ Mr. J..T. English to the School Board.w~r~ referred to the next Council conference. 60-~57 - The following letter from Carl L. Rosecrans was read: "Regarfling the recent a~noun~ement by the City Council that insufficient money is avail-I able to cover an increase of salary for school instructors, I wish to make a suggestion as to a ng the requ~red revenue to cover the wage mncrease. That the City of Portsmouth levy a garbage collection £e~ of twenty five cents a .month $3.00 yearly per house or apartment uni. t~and proportionately.larger for business establishments whose volume of refuse is much larger. That the co~lec Cionbe made through addition of the lev to the water bill. This method of collection would no~ entail additional cost of collection. I feel that the citizenry of PoMtsmouth could have no legitimate objection ~ this charg, as many cities have charged for garbage collection for years back. That all money collected thru this garbage collection fee be put zn a special fund for additions to school instructors salaries and sot be allowed to be used for any other purposes. I feel that an increase of three hundred to four hundred dollars par year above the an - aual increment, should be the very minimum to be considered as this would still leave them with salaries much below the average income of professional people." On motion of Mr. Breedlove, referred ro the next conference of the Council. 60-158 - ~/le following letters from the Portsmouth Transit Company were read: "Since the presentation of our forms, petition for an increase in fares on February 9, 1960, the results of oar operations for the three months' period, January- March, 1960, have been much worse than anticipated and during that period we have lost $1~,641. The Portsmouth Traqsit Company can not continue to sustain such losses and remain solvent. It has become increasingly clear that a fare increase, an extension of our lines into the annexed area without unlawful competition and adjusuments in service to conform to riding demands are all necessary in order that Portsmouth may have an efficient and stable city-wide transportation system. The Portsmouth Transit Company feels that it is to the best interests of all con - cerned to effect an early settlement of these matters; therefore, with the proposed fare of 4 tokens for 90¢ (which is 22 ~9 per ride for our regular riders) and a 25~ cash fare for casual riders, the extension of our lines into the a~uexed area without unlawful competition, and the adjustments in service to conform to riding demands, the Company will: (1) Inaugurate a new line from the Navy Yard to the Naval Hospital; (2) Inaugurate a 10¢ downtown shoppers' bus on a 60 day trial basis; * (3) Combine the Portsmouth Truck Repair operation with the Portsmouth Transit Company; and (4) Purchase five new buses. $ This shoppers' bus will operate Monday through Friday between the hours of 10:00 A.M, and 4:00 P.M., over the following route: BegiRning at Effingham and ~igh Sts., along High St. to Water, along Ware r to London, along London to Crawford, along Crawford to High, along High to Chestnut, along Chestnut to County, along County to Effingham along Effingham to point of beginning. No transfers will be issued or accepted on the shoppers' bus. Since we can not s~ay in business very long under existing conditions, we earnestly request your favorable action immediately. (Signed) Warren Ro Pollard." "Following the suggestion of Councilman William R. Breedlove, made last night during the hearing on the petition for an increase in fares and adjustments in service by the Portsmouth Transit Company, I wish to confirm in writing the statements I made at that hearing regarding a program for the orderly replacement of all the present fleet of buses with new buses. First, I agree in principle with Mr. Breedlove that an orderly replacement progrm for the buses over a period of ten years is desirable. In fact, we are agreeable to take the first step in such