Minutes 10/24/1944 - Laserfiche WebLink

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WHEREAS, said Offer has been duly read in open meeting, fully considered in accordance with all pertinent rules of procedure and legal requirements, and made a cart of the O~er's public records; and WHEBJEAS, it is deemed advisable and in the public interest that said offer be accepted: NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Oity of Portsmouth that the said Offer, a true and cor- rect copy of which~ includin~ the Terms and Conditions, is hereto attached, be and the same hereby is accepted without reservaDion or qualification." Motion of Mr~ Hutchins that the City Attorney tsd~ proper steps looking to the issuance of bonds for Sewage Disposal,was adopted. Ur. Howard stated that the annexation o f certain territory from Norfolk County to Portsmouth is being considered and he thou~,ht it merited serious consideration and his motion that the Chair appoint a committee of three members as a fact- finding committee and that an ~opropriation of $900.00 be made for their expenses, was adooted, and by the fol- lowing vote: - Ayes: Fox, Grimes, Howard, Hutchins, Lawrence, Sturtevant, Warren, Weiseman, %~ilson Nays: None The Chair ~opointed on this committee Messrs. Lawrence, Hutchins and Howard.. In connection with t he annexation, the privilege of the floor was grant- ed Mr. James N~Garrett, who presented the following resolution: ~RESOLUTION 0 F NORFOLK COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE WHEREAS, the Norfolk County Chamber of Commerce is advised that there is underway a movement initiated by certain persons and interests in the 0ity of Portsmouth lookSng to the annexat%on of large sections of Nor- folk County, and WHEREAS, the Norfolk County Chamber of Commerce believes ~hat the institution of annexation proceedings at this time would be-unwise and unsound; and that the interests of both the City and the County would suf- fer and the following results would obtain, namely: 1. Deny to citizens of Norfolk County now serving in the Military and Naval Forces of this Nation in distant corners of the world the oppor- tunity to be presen~ andprotect their interests. 2. Also force Norfolk County citizens in the proposed area to be annexed to become citizens of the City of Portsmouth because of the inability to obtain building materials and labor to construct homes elsewhere. 3. Annexation would throw this entire area into confusion and destroy the harmonious relations now existing between.the City and the County. 4. Annexation would seriously disturb.~the War effort in this vital War oroduction center by creating doubt and resulting recriminations. 5- Annexation would impose ~non County residents a tax rate of $2.50 per $100. in place of the present 0ounty levy of $2.00; this rate would be applied to both real estate and personal property: and in addition the assess- merit on real estate would be increased from 30 to 60 per cent over the present assessment; in ~ddition license taxes on automobiles and all types of business enterprise would be imposed by the City. 6. The Norfolk County-City of Portsmouth Ferry interests might be seriously Jeopardized. ~. Annexation under the present inflated War conditions would be in - Jurious to interests of the City of Portsmouthbecause much of the area annexed might become vacant and non-productive property a s was the case following World-War~I. 8. Under present inflated War conditions, the City of Portsmouth would be required to purchase County property and utilities at abnormally high War prices. 9. Annexation of the large area~ mentioned in the Public Press would require the City of Portsmouth to take over the education of approximately ?,500 additional school children; and the State appropriation for this set - vice would be decreased some 15 per cent since the allocation to the County on per pupil basis is based on ~he figure 34 while that to the City is based on a teacher unit of 40 pupils. I0. The State Highway Department constructs and maintains County streets and roads at the present time but this tremendous cost and burden would fall upon ~he shoulders of the City and its taXpayers as to all annexed territory. ll. Portsmouth business and industrial houses may suffer because of ill feelings and resentment engendered by War time.annexation. 12. Annexation suits are very expensive to~ the taxpayers of both the City and the County. lS. Annexation of Norfolk County territory a~ this time is not e~sen- rial to the War effort nor to the best interests of the majority of the cit- izens of either the City or the County. IN CONSIDERATION WHEREOF, NOW THEREFORE, BE IT P~SOLVED that the Norfolk County Chamber of Commerce by a~d through the undersigned Committee,