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Julv 8th, 1958,
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<br /> Ayes: Bartlett, Baker, Hinton, Kirby, Smith, Weiseman
<br /> Nays: None
<br />
<br /> 58-220 - "At a previous Council meeting, I recommended that-the City Manager be au -
<br />thorized to offer for sale at auction, house No. l?ll and house No. 1715, located on Gosport Road with the idea
<br />of the houses being moved to a new location.
<br /> Since this action was takem, I have had the Building Inspector re port on
<br />the condition of the houses and based on his report, I recommend that the action of Council authorizing the houses
<br />be offered for sale be rescinded and that the City Manager be directed To have the buildings razed using city
<br />forces and salvage all material suitable for use by the City on other projects."
<br /> Motion of Mr Weiseman to concur in the. recommendation of the City Manager, was adopted.
<br />
<br /> 58-221 "Earlier this~yesr, I informed you that I would reach the normal retirement
<br />age of sixty five in. March, 1959, and that it would be my desire to retire not later than that date.
<br /> Since writing the letter referred to above, I have decided that for the best
<br />interest of all parties concerned, I should retire at an earlier date. I therefore applied to the Retirement
<br />Board for retirement as of August SOth, 1958, and this has been approved by the Retirement Board.
<br /> I have Two weeks vacation due me under the City Code and it is my desire to
<br />take the vacation beginning August 16th, 1958~ and To he'relieved.of further responsibility in connection with
<br />the position of City Manager and other related memberships on any committees or commissions as of August 15th~1958!"
<br />
<br />Motion of Mr. Kirby that the request be granted was adopted and by the following vote:
<br />
<br />Ayes: Bartlett, Baker, Hinton, Kirby,
<br />Nays: None
<br />
<br />Smith~%?eiseman
<br />
<br />be arranged to discuss the appointment of
<br />
<br /> Motion of Mr. Smith that aconferencehh~te
<br />an acting City Manager, was adopted.
<br />
<br /> 58-22~ - "The following letter from the City Attorney was read:
<br />
<br /> "You recently referred To me the request of Mr. Francis L. Parks for information con -
<br />cern~ng the rental of the premises at EI15 ~amden St., by a r~cipient of Welfare funds. Federal laws and regula-
<br />tions concerning disbursement of Welfare funds prohibit any conduct on the part of Welfare workers which might ap-
<br />pear to be a restriction on the grant of such funds. In ether werds, welfare workers may not advise or direct the
<br />recipients as to how or where the money will be spent.
<br /> If the City's Welfare Department fails to conform to these requirements of the Federal
<br />Government, the State would be compelled ~o take over administration of the Welfare laws in the City or forfeit
<br />Federal participation' because the program must be administered uniformly thrguEhout the State.
<br /> An example of what is.inv°lved occurred about three years ago. One of the local Wel-
<br />fare workers assisted a recipien~ of Welfare funds by transporting her to a grocery store for the purpose of cash-
<br />ing a check. The Federal Government learned of this incident and refused to pay its share of the funds involved.~
<br />
<br />On motion filed.
<br />
<br />UNFINISHED BUSINESS -
<br />
<br /> 58-192 - An appropriation of $60,000.00~ for drainage and street improvements on ap -
<br />preach streets to the Mid-City Shopping Center, plaqed on first resoling at last meeting~ was taken up. ~
<br />
<br />Motion of Mr. Baker to suepend the rules to hear from interested parties, was adopted.
<br />
<br />Lewis H. Keller, President of the West Side Civic League, presented the following:
<br />
<br /> "The West Side Civic League protests the treatment that the present, and the previous
<br />City Councils have been ~iving the annexed territory since 1948. The taxpayers in this area have been request-
<br />lng curbs, and gutters since annexation, and have always received the same answer - No Funds..
<br /> The last petition presented to this Council by the West Side Civic League, and the
<br />Westhaven Park Civic Lea~e was in June 1967, at which time representatives of both leagues were present, and
<br />pointed out to the Council the conditions that existed in these areas due to the ~ack of curbs, gutters and storm
<br />drainage; and of the broken promises you and Four predeaessors have allowed to exist these past ten years~
<br /> At this poin't I would like to ask tkis question of Mr.Vass, or~r~. Bgrgeron - "Who
<br />was responsible for permitting the contractor who put in the sewerage in the annexed area to g~ade the streets
<br />higher th~n the adjacent properties, which causes water to drain back on to the properties instead of running off
<br />as it did before sewerage was,~nstall d. ~It appears this error alone might cost the City thousands of dollars
<br />to rectify the situation before curbs and gutters can be put on some of the streets.
<br /> It seems strange that every time s group like or similar to the above-named Leagues
<br />make a request to the City Council they always get the same answer, "We do not have the money." One would think
<br />the City is read~ to ~old up due to lack of funds; however, if certain other .groups make a request for some pro -
<br />ject, Mr. Vass recommends it.; r. egardless of the cost, the request is ~ranted. A few projects more recently passed
<br />or pending are ~ $300,000.. for parking lots~ $10,000. do~ payment on Merrimac Park, and now as passe~ on first
<br />reading by council $60,000. for streets and drainage for the proposed shopping center.
<br /> A. Parking lots - we feel that the downtown merchants, should have provided their own parking lots;
<br />as did Sears Roebuck, Bank of Virginia, and a number of other stores and banks. We believe it would be ~ progres-
<br />sive step if the downtown merchants purc~ha~ed the three par~ing lots from th~ City and made them free to their
<br /> customers. The saying seems to be "We buy where it is convenient to park, and there is free parking." .
<br /> B. Merrimec Park -~own payment was made with the hies.sings of a certain group, but not 'Mt.Average
<br />Taxpayer'. This item will be settled]by '~r. Average Elector' at the polls.. At a special meeting, %his City
<br />Council voted To make necessary arrangements to pay $300,000. to the Seaboard Railroad for this waterfront pro -
<br />petty, and it seems certain that there will not be a Merrimac Park an this land. It appears to be s gamble with
<br />the City's funds; which they do no~ have, that ~his deal will pay off in the future.
<br /> · C. Proposed Shopping Center. Proposed shopping center in the W~sthaven Park area, we think this is
<br />to be a step of progress, and hope to see it accomplished. It is not the shopping center we are unhappy about,but
<br />the unfair treatment we have received, from our requests; and then -see that a corporation can request streets and
<br />storm drainage adjacent to their property at the city's expense to the tune of $60,000:., and have their request
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