Minutes 12/18/1945 - Laserfiche WebLink

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December 18th, 19~5. were present: proved. At a regular meeting of the City Council, held December i8~h, 19~5, there Leslie T. Fox, george L. Grimes, James N. Howard, Frank D. Lawrence, E Robie S~urteva ~, G,.. E. Warren, H.Earl ~eiseman', Pearle J..Wilson, and Arthur S. Owens, City Manager. Minutes of regular meeting held November 27th, 1945, were read and ap - The following report was received f~om the Committee on Pensions: "The Committee on Pensions which is composed of E. Robie Sturtevant, the City Manager and myself, is making definite progress on information relative to the pension plan for our city employees. We have been called to a conference in Richmond relative to the cost, and we expect to meet directly after the holidays. There is considerable detailed information that has to be. co,piled ~ud this committee would like to report definite progress." The Chair announced tha~ as advertised a~ take up the public discussion of the 19~6 Budget. The following spoke and several oresented crease in the recreation.budget: this time, the Council would resolutions asking for an in- Mr. Ray J. Dunn, who presented the following - "Disturbed by prevalent r~mor that the recreational portion of-the Welfare De - partment's Budget appropriatiom for 19~6 is scheduled for drastic curtailment, members of the War Recreatiomal Committee me~ with otker~ln~erested Portsmo~da citizens in an effort to determine the faets.~ Following ~wo meetSng~ of t~evgeneral body, a subrco~mi~tee was autho- rized to determine the true situation and oppose curtailment of such fun s before any hearing called for such purpose by this respected as~embly~ It is not our intention to presume on ~he valued time of t~he Council, but as citizens, we are deeply concerned relative to Portsmouth. The Portsmouth of ~he present, as well a s the Portsnouth of the future. During the~past year, ~e have witnessed much com - men~abl~ action ca 'the part of you city officials, which bids well for our~Gity. You have undertaken steps to~ settle the 18ng discusse~ annexationproblem; provided for a Planning and Zoning Commit~ee~ long needed in the City; started action toward construction of a ~O0,000. auditorium: ~mp~6ved your water system as well as ~he sewage system; have provided new fire fighting equipment and housing for such equipment and are presently in the midst of ~erious study o~ the ~ransportaticn problems in the City. The past year has marked openings of t~o new hospitals. But, ~here ~s s~ill much to be-desired. Tonight~ as spokesman for this citizens Committee, I appear here not as a critic, but as one of a group interested in seeing an adeGuate and ~tl recreational program carried out in the City of Portsmouth in 19%6. We have been handicapped in our effort to determine the facts by the decision of City Mans~er Arthur S. Owens to not make available for study and review a copy of the proposed budget and ~he anticipated or rumored reduction. Perhaps the true facts are not similar to~ ths~e obtained through conversation and observ&tion. It is to be regretted that the City Manager's policy prohibits such infor- mation to an interested citizens committee because for all we know the facts might not be as bad as we have been informed. It is, therefore, a strange Rosition in which we find our- selves ~his evening, but if your honored body will so advise us we will appreciate being in- formed of any proposed reduction in the recreational-budget for 19~6. Much could be said relative to the need of recreational activities in the try- ing immediate post-war years. However, it ~ot our intention to take up your time with a de - tailed recital_.~factors leading to our objection unless you so desire. Since publication in the local newspapers ~hat this committee~was opposed_to a reductian and that we intended to appear at this meeting tonight to voice such objection, other stories have been received by the Committee to the effect that perhaps it was a question of how and where the 19~5 appro priation was spent. Our interest is not.in the administrative affairs of the Welfare or Re- creational Departments as ~e view that as a du~y of the City Manageraudfeel that he is well qualified to act in the matter. By-passing any such possible lack~ faith in the administra- tive heads of the Department, it is this Committee's view that ~u adequate recreational pro- gram is not possible under funds reported to-be yoted~by this group for such purpose. If the City Council, or any of its members lack cohfidence in its administration, it ~rtainly is their duty to report such feeling to the City Manager. It must be remembered that the City Government recently esgaged a reputable organization to make a survey of conditions in the City of Portsmouth, ~elative to r~crea- tional matters. Further, we are advised that the Batchelor organization after.thorough study recommended a minimum requirement of $1.OO per capita, with a recommendation that a ~.50 per capita would be in order. This would certainly place ~he budget appropriation far in ex- cess of the $16,200. reported to be voted on here this evening. Therefore, with the highest regard for the sincere interest and civic pride of all members of this City Council, ~e re- ~ues~ that our opposition be-recorded to ANY c~rtailment whatsoever in recreational funds br 1946, and further that full co nsiderat'i6n be given the fact that no Federal Funds_will be available for such wo~ in 1946." Mr. Glazer, who p~esented the following: "WHEHEAS, Child Delinquemcy is a major problem ~hroughout the Un~ ed States and particularly, in congested cities, and WHEREAS, The City of Portsmouth is cgng~sted and due to the war has many tran- sit families, and WHEREAS, Child Delinquency could become an extremely dangerous problem in bmr