Minutes 11/24/1953 - Laserfiche WebLink

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November 24th 1953. Motion of Mr. Grimes to place the following ordinance on first reading, was adopted: "AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND AND RE-ORDAIN AN ORDINANCE ENTITLED 'AN ORDINANCE TO CLOSE PORTIONS OF EFFINGHAM STREET AND GAYLE AVENUE' AND TO ADD CERTAIN PROVISIONS TO THE AGREEMENT NAPE A PART OF SAID ORDI~N~E" 7th - "I submit the attached reporz on the office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court of the City of Portsmouth, Virginia, for the calendar year 1952. This is for your information and for filing in the Clerk's Office." On motion filed. 8th - "I submit the a~ached letter from L.McCarthy Downs, Chairman of the Compensa- tion Board, Richmond, Virginia, giving notice that the Board will begin hearings on November 23, 1953, on salaries and expenses of the Attorney £or the Commonwealth, Commissioner of the Revenue, Sergeant and Treasurer of the City of Portsmouth for the year beginning January 1, 1954 and;ending December 31, 1954. I also submit the attached expense accounts of the Court of Bustings, Common- wealth Attorney, City Sergeant, and Commissioner of Revenue, as submitted by them to the State Compensation Board.'~ Motion of Mr, Bilisoly that the report s be received and the City Manager instructed to advise the Compensation Board tha~ the City makes no recommendation, was adopted. 9th - "I submit the attached easemen~ forms in connection with a twelve inch water through Alexander Park, Virgmnia Project 44-183, between the Housing Authority and the City of Portsmouth, and rec- ommend that the proper city authorities be.authorized and directed to execute the same for and on behalf of the City of Portsmouth and that the City Clerk be authorized and directed to attest the same andaffix the City seal thereto." Motion of Mr. Wilson that the proper city officials be authorized to sign and that the ! City Clerk be authorized re arrest and affix The seal of the City thereto, wasadopted. " 10th - I submit the attached letter from A. E. Parker, City Collector, wherein he recommends that since December 5, 1953 comes on a Saturday a day that the office will be closed, that he 'be permit~ ted to extend the penalty period through Monday, December 7, 1953, on all city tax collections. I heartily recom ~ mend that the Council concur in thi~ request." Motion of Mr. Lawrence to concur mn the recommendation of the City Manager,was adopted. llth- "I have received a petition from the E~ghth Ward Welfare League requesting that a s~andard stop .and go street traffic control light be installed at the intersection of Kirn Avenue and High Street I have had a check made of this intersection by our Electrical Department em- ployees who are in charge of these signs being installed and they have reported that there was not sufficient traf- crossing High Street at Kirn to justify a traffic signal; however, the pedestrians who use the street for boarding the bus on the south side claim it is difficult to cross High Street through the moving traffic. I am submitting this for your information and consideration." Motion of Mr. Howard that the City ~ana~er be instructed to place a traffic light mt Kirn Avenue and High Street, was adopted. 12th - ~Se~eral months ago you referred to me the question of a grade separation~at the intersection of High Street and the Portsmouth-Norfolk Belt Line Railroad Crossing. I have found in the files of the Director of Public Works an estimate of the cost of constructing an underpass at this location,prepared by Phillip D. Freeman for our former City Manager, Arthur S. Owens. The date of the report was January 14, 1947. The estimate of a four lane underpass was at that time $905,000.00. The pres- ent cost of construction is approximately one third greater than in 1947 which would increase the estimated cost tc approximately $1,206,666.00. There is no estimate of the cost of acquisition of proper~y or for property damage should there be any in connection with the construction of the underpass. Mr. Freeman estimated at the same time that a two lane underpass would cost $375,000.00 by adding one third for increase of cost of construction would make a two lane structure cos~ $500 , 000 , 00 'which does not include damage or rights of way' costs if they should be required. With the heavy traffic on High Street, I do not believe it feasible to con- struct a grade separation at this site without providing another vehicular facility for the use of traffic~dur~ng the construction of an underpass. The Planning Commission has recommended that County Street be continued through to Rodman Avenue. Should this be approved~by Council, I am of the opinion that County Street should be constructe~ before any action ms taken on the construction of a grade separation. It may be possible that it would be more de~ sirable to build a grade separation on County Stree~ than on High. This certainly should be given very serious con-I sideration. TM Motion of Mr. Howard that the City Manager investigate the possibility of opening County Street across the Belt Line Railroad and consult with the State Highway Department regarding the possibil- ity of themr participation financially in opening this street, and to report back to-the City Council,was adopted. 1 t " ' 3 h - The questmon of acceptmng or rejecting the bid for the City Market Building should be ac~ed upon at this meeting. If the Council should rejec~ the bid for the~building, it is absolutely necessary that a minimum amount- ~f repair y~ork be done on the building including a new roof and the matter can not be put off longer without much more damage o~6~ring to the building. If'the hid is rejected, ~ recommend tha~ an appropriation in the sum of $10,000.00' be placed on first reading, for repairs to the building. This will pu~ a new roof on the building and do some of the most needed repairs to the other part of the building unless we have timber ~o replace when the roof is removed. If the building is sold and the Council desires to continue a farm market for the City, I recom- mend that something on the order of the photograph attached hereto from the City. of Syracuse, New York, be con - structed. This would be a mos~ economical structure and at the same time be more convenient for the farmers and local people to ~use than the presen~ place they occupy due to the f:act that this type of market can be locate~ at a place where parking space 'can be arranged." Motion of Mr. ~oughton that the City accep~ the high bid of George T.McLean for the