Minutes 09/22/1953 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

September 22nd, 1953. On motiqn filed. 9th - "I submit for your consideratim, the following letter from the Postmaster, S.F. Kirby: 'The purpose of this letter is to ask that the name of Howard Street in this City be given another name. Within our postal district there is a Howard Avenue, a Howard Road and a Howard St. With this many streets bearing the same name, you can easily understand how confusing it can be in the discharge of our responsibilities co our patrons. We are requesting the Norfolk County Board of Supervisors to change the ~ame of Howard Road. We did this because Howard Avenue is the oldest of the three streets. If you find it possible to change the name of Howard Street, it will be most helpful to us." Motion of Mr. Hawks to refer to the City Manager was adopted. loth - "I recommend that the City Manager be authorized and directed to receive sealed bids for the sale of the City ~arket Building." M~tion of Mr. Houghton that the City Manager be authorized to advertise the City Market building for sale and to receive sealed bids for same, was adopted. llth - "On July 14th, 1952, you referred to me a petition that had been filed by James O. Ballentine, Secretary of Local #~39 I.A.F.F., Portsmouth, Virginia, which petition was sanctioned by the sig- natures of seventy officers and members of the Fire Department and dated June 24, 1953, with the request that I hold a hearing on the petition and make a report. I submit the following: On July 15th, 1953, a conference was held with the Chief of the Fire Department and a committee from Local 539 filing the complaint to consider arrangements for holding the hearing. Hearings were held on Wednesday, July 29th, Thursday July 30th, and Wednesday August 5th, 1953. At the hearings there were submitted 188 pagss of written statements which were recorded on ta~e. Mem- bers of the press were present at the hearings and reported through the press each day as the hearings progressed., Since the hearings, the Manager has held conferences in his office with the Chief of the Fire Department and eachl of the Assistant Chiefs and also the two highest ranking members of the Department under Civil Service in the clas- sifications of Captains, Englneersand Hosemen and with the President of Local ~539 concerning the complaints t~ filed by the members of the Department, and to consider the procedure to follow. .Since a large number of the complaints filed concerned the rules and regula- tions now in effect governing the department, it was determined that the first action to betaken would he that of d~afting new rules and regulations. The committee, consisting of the Chief of the Fire. Department, the Assis. tent 'Chiefs, the two highest rankingmembers of the department in the classification of Captain, Engineer and Hosemen, together with.the City. Manager, .acted as a committee to draft new rules and regulations.The City Manager requested the Local #539 to appoint a committee in an advisory capacity to work with the committee at the time they ce~e~ed the rules end'regulations. The rules and regulations have been practically completed and will be published and put into effect for the future government of the Department ~ Each man in the department will be fur- nished a copy ofthe rules and regulations for his use. Many false rumors were circulated concerning the hearing, one of which was that the Mayor and Council were trying to influence the Manager's decision in the case. This, the Manager empha- tically denies and states that neither the ~ayer nor any member of the City Council nor 'any citizen of the City of Portsmouth did in anyway influence or ~ry to influence his decision in this ma~ter. All the e~ldence sub- 'I mitred at the hearing was read and carefully considered and every phase concerning the functioning of the depart~ merit.was taken into consideration. From all of the evidence presented from all sources, it appeared to the City M~nager that ~he Chief of the Fire Department had failed to gain,or if~gained, had lost, the confidence and respect of a large majority of the officers and men in the department, which is so necessary to operate an efficient and ef- fective fire-department and it was the opinion of the Cily Manager that the unrest and uncertainty existing in the 'Department at the present time, made it impossible for Chief Mart to gain the confidence, co-operation and respect from a majority of the officers and men. It was therefore my responsibility and duty to take steps co correct the condition which I found ~o exist. I therefore terminated the services of Chief Hart as Chief of the Fire Department as of September 30th, 1953; however, due to the honest effort and sincer~y that he exhibited in his work for the City for the past twenty four years, deserves consideration and I am of the opinion that he can render valuable service to the City in another department where he would have entirely different working condi - tions. I therefore offered him the positim of Superintendent of City Parks or if he did not choose ~o accep~ the offer he had the choice of making a request to be reinstated to his former position in the department as provided under Rule 40 in the Civil Service Rules and Classifications. If he did no~ choose to select either of the above he was given an opportunity to request retirement subject to the plan to be adopted by the City Council for re - tiring all employees in the Fire and Police. Departments. Upon receipt of my letter to Chief Hart, ] received th~ following reply from him, dated September 18th, 1953, addressed to I.G. Vass, City Manager, Portsmouth, Va.: 'Dear Sir: This is to advise you that I wish to request my re-instatement to my former position ef assistant chief in the fire department, as provided under rule 40 in the Civil Service Rules and Classifications. I notice in your letter of the 17th, that I am given credit for only twenty two years servzce in the department. My record shows I was appointed on September 13, 1929, which I think should entitle me to twenty four years servzce. Respectfully yours, Howard S. Hart.' This letter has been submitted to-the Civil Service Commission with the reques~ that they act upon the request of I~r. Hart. If the Civil Service approves the request, he will be given his former po- sition as Assistant Chief iht he Fire Department. ! also desire to report tb~t by authority vested in me under Chapter 14 of the Charter and Code of the City of Portsmouth, Va., 1951, I appointed B. Odell Benton Acting Chief of the Fire Division of the City of Portsmouth, effective 12:01 P.M., September 17th, 1953." On motion filed.