Minutes 10/09/1956 - Laserfiche WebLink

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'333 October 9th, 1956. At a regular meeting of the City Council, held on October 9th, 1956, there were present: A.C. Bartlett, B. W. Baker, W. E. Hinton, Frank L. Kirby, John E. Scott, R. Irvine Smith, H. EaM1 Weiseman, I. G. Vass: City Manager, R.C. Barclay, City Attorney. The meeting was opehed w£th prayer by'Rev'. E.K. ~mraTian. Minutes of the previon~ meeting were read a~d-approved. Motion of Mr. Weiseman {o suspend the rules to hea~ from a committee from Norfolk in gard to Daylight Savings Time, was adopte~d. · W.B. Sutherland spoke for the conm~ittee requesting an expression from the Council with reference to daylight savings time for Portsmouth. The following reports from the City Manager were read: 56-295 - "I am reporting that Councilman Baker desires to'offer ~ resolution concerning a m~mber of City Ooumcil ~erving on the Planning CommiSsion." · Motion :e£F~r. Baker that the practice of the Mayor appointing a member of the City Coun- cil as a member of the Planning Commission be di-seentinued, ~ lost. 56--296 - "I am submitting a request from C.L~ Rauland, Jr., for a refund is the a~ount of $33.04, from t~ Police Retirement Fund. Mr. Ragland has been a member of the Portsmouth Police'Department. I recommend that a refund in the above amount be ~pproved.'~ ~tion of ~r.'Baker that the refund be g~auT~d, waS adopted. 56--297 - "I a~reporti~g that the PortSmOuth Theatre~ Association and the Portsmouth Gas Company have requested a co~Lference with the City Council, to di'se~/ss ~hg tax on admission zo theatres and the utility tax on gas sold for he,ting purposes. I recomm~end that at such timeas the Council is holding con -- ferences on the City budget tha~ the~f{rms-~be permitted to have i~pres~nta~i~' present to discuss these mat- Notion of Mr. Scott to concur in the rec~mimendation:of the City Managerwas adopted. 56-298 - "! am ~ubmitting an agreement between the City of Porgsmonth and the Nor~otk-- Portsmout~ Bel~ ~e ~ilroad ~mp~y f~ ~talli~ a con,it ~ ~o~ectien~with ~i~ light ~ ~u~ ITA by- ,ss. I ~eco~end t~t the proper city ~fici~ be autho~zed to ~ecute the agreement for and on behalf of the City a~d that t~ City Clerk a~tes~ th~ ~e ~d affi~ the City Seal.~ ~ ~otion offer.'H~on ~at the pro~'city ~ffic~s be ~thor~ed to si~ the agree~t ~bject to the ~pp~ of ~he City Atto~:~, w~ adopted. 56-299 - "I submit the attached agreement between the City of Portsmouth and the Vir - ginia.Electric & Power Company~ for an easementfor'installing one pole and erecting a power line across the cor- ner for a short distance'on city property~ iii connectian With the installation of the stree~ lighting system at the WoOdr%w Wilson High School. The at{achedplaua will indicate the location requested. I recommend that the proper city officials be authorized to execute the same for and on behalf of the City of Portsmouth and that the City Clerk attest the sau~ and affix the city seal." Motion'of Mr.Weisemau t~at the proper city officials be authorized to sign the agreement and that %he City Clerk attest the same and affix the City Seal, was adopted. 56--300 - on t~e Board of C~metery Trustees, "I am reporting that it is in order to elect two members o~ Council ~o ser~e as provided in Section 6-I8 of the City Code of 1951.'~ Motion of ~ir. Kirby to ~o into the election of Cemetery Trustees, was adopted. Mr. Smith nominated Mr. Baker Sir. Scott nomina~ecI ~r. Weiseman Motion of Mr. Kirby that nominations be closed was adopted. Vote being taken, bit. B~r and ~Lr. Weiseman were electe~l. 56-30i - "The City Attorney an~ I submit the following report: The question of licensing automobiles, peddlers and canvassers, was referred to the City Manager and qity ~ttorney for a report. We are reporting that we have met with the City Collector, License Inspector and 6hief of Police, at which time t~e question was discussed fu$1y and the following facts were obtained: There have been issued to date, by the office of the City Collector, 12,950 1956 auto- mobile license plates~ which is 345 more than had been issued on the same date last year for 1955 plates. The License Inspector has given warnings t~ 1~70 operators for not having purchased their 1956 license plates, 1,195 of whom purchased plates and 575 were summoned ~o appear in Court. The revenue realized was $17,725.00 for plstes and $2~176.00 for fines and costs. The minimum fine for failure to display a tag on the owner's vehicle is $10.00. In one case, an owner paid $48.00 fines and ~o~ts and was threatened with a jail sentence before he purchased his tag. It is estimated that there are between 600 and 700 service men who own and operate cars in the City who are exempt under Federal lam from purchasing city tags. The License Inspectors continue their efforts throughout the year to enforce the License Tax Ordinance. Since July 1st of this year, the Traffic Bureau off ac Police Department hms assisted the License Inspector in an effort to enforce the Vehicle license Cede. Under existing conditions, it is almost an impossibi- lity for any city ~o reach the desired g~al of 100% enforcement, due to the turnover in s~les Of new and used cars as well as the car owners moving from p~e ~o place~ and due also ~o the fact that the Stnte nags can be purchase~