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May 14th~ 1957~
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<br />the ~ilapidated sections of the~tei~inal be made and if funds are not available in the present budget Io do the
<br />work that the City Manager report a~ the next meeting of the Council with a recommendation for an appropriation
<br />sufficient to take care of the cost of the project.i'
<br />
<br />Motion of Mr. Kirby to concur in the recommendation of the City Manager, was adopted.
<br />
<br /> 57-168 - "At the Febr. uary 26th meeting of Council, you referred to me for a report,
<br />the reques~ of several local cab owners through Attorney william T. Parker, for increases in taxi ra~es, the re-
<br />location, of certain cab stands and the establishment of new stands and the elimination of all or a portion of cab
<br />stands.
<br /> I am reporting that i requested Mr. Parker to furnish me certain financial
<br />information concerning the operat$on of the cabs in Portsmouth. Mr. Parker and others very kindly furnished me
<br />statements of their operatiDns; however, the nature of the statements varied 5o the extent that it was impossible
<br />to determine what percentage, if any, the owners were earning on their capital investment.
<br /> I also investigated the rates charged in other Virginia cities for cab servine
<br />and found that Bristol charges $.35 fo/' the first mile, Charlottesville $.50 for the first 1½ miles or fraction
<br />thereof, Falls Church $.55 per zone, Lynchburg $.35 for the first ~ mile or fraction thereof, Newport News $.40
<br />ior the first mile or fraction thereof, Newport News $.40 for the first mile or fraction thereof, Norfolk $.35 for
<br />the first ~ mile or fraction thereof, Radford $.40 to $.75 on zone system, Richmond $.45 for the first ~ mile or
<br />fraction thereof.
<br /> From the above it appea~s tha~ $.35 for the first½ mile or fraction thereof
<br />wQuld be in line with charges in the other Virginia cities. I therefore recommend that the City Attorney be re -
<br />quested to prepare an Amendment 5o Section 27.9 of the Code of the City of Portsmouth 1951 to read for the first
<br />one-half n~le or fraction thereof $.35 and the remainder of the section to remain as it now reads except that the
<br />following be added:
<br /> $.10 per package unless passenger transports packages to and from cab and
<br />holds packages on lap in transit.
<br /> I do no~ recommend that the c~b stud a~ Washington and High Sts. be changed
<br />from the southwest corner to the southeast corner, ~or do I recon~memd.~ae change from High and Court Sts. on the
<br />northwest corner 5o the southeast corner of High and Court Sts.
<br /> I recommend that a stand to accommodate two cabs be lo~ated at the northeast
<br />corner ar the intersection of Washington and South Sts. on South St.
<br /> I do not recommend the elimination of stands at Court and Clifford Sts., nor
<br />ar the Park View Gate to the Naval Hospital."
<br />
<br />Motion of Mr. Hinton 5o concur in the recommendation of the City Manager. was adopted.
<br />
<br /> 57-169 - "I am reporting that the following bids were received at 10:00 A.M., May 14th, [
<br />1957 for the construction ~f concreze sidewalks on High Street and recommend ~hat the City award the contract to
<br />the lowest bidder."
<br />
<br />~'Sids - Viola Brothers, Portsmouth, Va.
<br /> Aldo Engineering & Construction
<br /> Corporation, Portsmouth, Va.
<br /> Constructio~ Engineering & Development
<br /> Company, Inc., Portsmouth, Va.
<br /> Robert R. Marquis,Portsmouth, V~.
<br />
<br />$~,014.04
<br />6,374.00
<br />
<br /> 6,598.12
<br /> 9,071.50."
<br />
<br /> Motion of Mr. Scott ~o concur in the recommendation of the City Manager and award the
<br />contract to t~e low bidder, Viola Brothers, in the amount of $6,014.04, was ~dopted, aud by ~he following vote:
<br />
<br />Ayes: Bartlett, Hinton, Kirby, Scott, Smith~ Weiseman
<br />Nays: Baker
<br />
<br /> 57-170 - "I submit the attached letter from the State Director of Babe Ruth League Inc.
<br />and recommend that the Council adopt s resolution inviting the State Director to have this year's State Tournament
<br />in Portsmouth."
<br />
<br /> Notion of I~r. Weiseman to concur in the reeonn~endation of the City Manager, and uhat a
<br />resolution be forwarded to the State Director, requesting the State tournament to be held in PeEtamout~,was adopte .
<br />
<br /> 57-171 - "I have attached~ hereto a resolution adopned by the Hoard of Supervisors of
<br />Fluvanna County, Virginia, concerning the proposal of Judge Catteral of the State Corporation Commission recently
<br />issued, to the effect that he recommended to the Commission s~ar~ing with the tax year 1958, that Public Utili -
<br />ties be assessed throughout the VirginiaCounties of the Commonwealth of Virginia ar the same ratio of market
<br />value as is assessed by the respective counties, cities and ~oWns throughout the State on other real estate and
<br />tangible property.
<br /> In my opinion, this is the most progressive step that has been taken by the State Cot -
<br />potation Commission to~ endeavor to equalize the assessmgnts of proper~$i~s td~at are assessed by the. State Corporr
<br />ation Con~nission throughout the State, to my knowledge, in many years.
<br /> i ~oncur heartily with Judge Catterall's statemen~ and I am of the opinion that it will
<br />be fair and equitable to all parties concerned and that it will place/the cities in a position where they will be
<br />able to increase the assessed values of proper~y and lower the tax levies proportionately to produce the necessary
<br />revenues 5o operate their respective governments and that if the percentage of assessed value To actual value is
<br />increased, it will provide for the cities a greater bond margin under the 1S% Constitutional clause than we now
<br />have which will improve our status in the~Bond Market if and when the City desires to'issue bonds. I there-
<br />fore recommend that the Council go on record as approving the recommendation of Judge Catteral."
<br />
<br />Motion of Mr. Kirby to concur in the recommendation of the City Manager,was adopted.
<br />
<br /> 57-172 - "I submit the attached letter from Harvey N. Johnson, Jr., to which is attache(
<br />a proposed petition. Since matters of this nature are the responsibility of the school authorities, I recommend
<br />that the matter be referred to the school authorities for such action as ~hey deem advisable.
<br /> It is my understanding that plans are being considered that will undoubtedly
<br />remedy the condition referred to in't~e letter and petition."
<br />
<br /> Petition- "Whereas, a serious lack exists in the availability of adequate educational facilities
<br />
<br />
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