Minutes 09/10/1957 - Laserfiche WebLink

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September 10th, 1957. At a regular meeting of the City Council, held on September loth, 1957, there were present: B.$. Baker, W. E. Hinton, JOh~o E. Scott, R. Irvine Smith, H. Earl Weiseman, I.G. Vass, City Manager, and ~.C. Barclay, City Attorney. The meeting was opened with prayer by the Rev. Wm. R. Wright. Councihlan Hinton spoke and presented to Miss Margaret~e S. Miller the resolution adopted by the City Council at the meeting of Augus~ 13th, 1957, in recognition of her work concerning the Bellamy Flag award. The following reports from the City Manager were read: 57-305 - "I am reporting that the Department of Mighways has received the resolution of City Council initiating an urban project on present Route 17 and Route 58, but rejected the Item B in the t resolution as not being on the Federal Aid Urban System and therefore not eligible for application of the Feder~ Urban funds. I~em B as you will recall was the extension of Washington St. to Gosport Road. I recommend that the Council concur in the action of the Department of Highways and that Item B be considered at a later date asan improvement from State-City matching funds, on s 50- 50 basis or that an effort be made to include it in the Urban Aid System for Federal,State and City matching I fud/ds. I am of the opinion that we should not hold up the entire project in an effort to try to have it~cluded st the presen~ time since Federal and State funds are available for that portion, of the project that they have approved." Motion of ~r~ Baker to concur in the recommendation of the City M~ager was adopted. 57-306 - "At a p revlous meeting of the Council you requested that I report on the number of court cases heard by the Judge of the Municipal Court on which fines were imposed. Please be advised that I have found 145 cases where fines were imposed for making left turns under the new street pattern. I do aor recommend the refunding of any funds imposed by the ~uni~ipal Court." ~otion of Mr. Minton to refer back ~o the City Manager for further information, was adopted. 57-307 - "I submit the attached letter from Paul R. Bousche, E~gional Attorney, Public Housing Administration, Washington, D.C., and recommend that the proper city officials be authorized and directed to execute the sales agreemen~ I am submitting for the acquisition of the four buildings designated as buildings 51, 53, 55 and 57 on Housing Project Virginia 44-244 (Carver Homes) Three of these buildings are now being used by the School Board as tempo- rary class rooms and one building is being used by the Co-ordinator of Civil Defense for meeting purposes as a headquarters building and for the s~orage of supplies." Motion of Mr. Hinton that the proper city officials be authorized ~o sign the sales agreement, was adopted. 57-308 - "I recommend that the regular Council meeting of September 17th, 1957 be canceled due to the fact that a number of Councilmen will be attending the League of Virginia Municipalities Convention in Riclunond at that time." Mo~ion of Mr. Scott to concur in the recommendation of the City Manager was adopted.. 57-309 - "At a previous Council meeting I was instructed by individual members of City Council to investigate a drainage condition in the 4000 and 4100 blocks of King St. I am submitting s letter written December 4th, 1956 which is my interpretation of the City's position in this mat~er. Until such time as the City provides for an extensive curb and gutter building program, I do not recommend that t~e City pay the f~ll cost of curbs and gutters for any specific pro~ect. There are no funds provided in the budget for such projects at the present time. On motion filed. 57-310 - "It is zn order ~o consider the one-way traffic on County St. I recommend that no change be made in the traffic pattern of County Street." Motion of ~r. Minton to concur in the recommendation of the City Manager with further study being given to County St. west of Sixth Ave., was adopted. 57-311 - "It is in order to consider a statement on annexation." "I wish to reply ~o certain statements made at public meetings by officials of Nor - folk County with regard to the pending annexation suit by the City of Portsmouth. Most of what I shall say is i~ reply to Nr. Major M. Millard, who seems to be the principal spokesman for the political leaders of the County. The fact that Mr. Millard is the chief vocalist for those opposing the annexation surprises me. While I concede that he is the acknowledged political leader of Norfolk County, I am not unmind- ful of the fact that he occupzes a more official position -- that of the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Norfolk County. It is in that Court, of which Mr. Hillard is a sworn officer, ths~ this case is being heard. I serious ly question the propriety of an officer of that Court endeavoring ~o try the case in the newspapers, or at a com- munity hall, a county firehouse or any other public place. Also, I am somewhat sorry to conclude from the inuendo of Mr. Miltard's remarks,that he ~ such a poor opinion of Portsmouth. It is the City where he has practiced law for his entire legal career It is also the City whose people t~ve elected him to the Legislature of Virginia as one of their Representatives for six four-year terms, beginning in 1932.