|
341
<br />
<br /> At a called meeting of the City Counoil~ held July 2nd~ 194!, at 7:00 P.M.,
<br />there were present:
<br />
<br /> Leslie T.Fox, George L.Grimes~ Russell M. Hall~ Jas. N. Howard,
<br /> ~Y._.R'~. Hu~ehins, Frank D~ Lawrence, C. Eo~farren, Pestle J.Wilso~,
<br /> aha ~.E. F~ug~ City Manager.
<br />
<br /> Vice President Frank D. La~ence in the Char.
<br />
<br /> The following call for the ~eZing was read:
<br />
<br /> "Please attend a called meeting of the City ~unc~ in the Council Chs.mber
<br />at 7:OO P.M., on ~fedhesday, July 2nd, to consider the sewage orob~em~ in connection .with the
<br />~ton Roads Ss~ita~ion District. - -
<br /> By O~der of the Vice President."
<br />
<br /> The 0ity Manse_ er p~esented the following:
<br />
<br /> ~I talked with Congressm~u Harris, last night, conoernin~ the orobability of
<br /> the~oassage of an Ap~>ropriation~ Bill~ to carry out the purposes of the L,c~nnam~ ~ Bil~_. He informed
<br /> me that it is possible this will be done next week~ and that we may be cal_~ed u_non to
<br /> Washington within the next week or ten days. appear in
<br /> The morning's~,~ press, which reports what Congressman_ Harris told me, also re-
<br /> ports that Norfolk and l.~e~,ro_ort News i~ave s~plied for sewage disoosal facilities and plants und~
<br /> this Bill. The City of PortsmouV~h has not made anysuc_~'~ request.
<br /> On April 22nd, the City Council passed a resolution to the effect that it
<br /> was Portsmouth's intention to ~thdraw fro~ the Hampton Roads Sanitation District~ and that if
<br /> a sewage disposal system is reu~uired by law, we will establish a separate sewage disposal sys-
<br /> tem~ On May 13th~ in taking action on the recommendation of City Manager Harper that neces -
<br /> sary steps be t~ken to test the Sewage Disposal Act, as passed by the Legislature, a motion to
<br /> refer to the City Manager and City Attorney for investigation and report, was adooted. No re-
<br /> port has been made to the Oity Council, on this matter.
<br /> The City Atto~ey informs me that it will be a useless gestur~ and merely a
<br /> source-of expense to attempt to upset the Act of the Legislature ~nich recuires these sewage
<br /> disposal facilities. ~- -
<br /> In view of the fact that the other communities are asking the C~overnment for
<br /> assistsmee in constructing sewage disposal plants~ it should be ~!l for us to consiS~er doin~
<br /> likewise, if we are certain that this burden will be imoosed upon us.
<br /> This issue has come to a point where it is of vital interest tg us, and I am
<br /> asking advice of tha members of. the Council, and ~mall ap~reciate it if the Council will make
<br /> known their-wishes, in~_tvidually, or promptly call a soecial meeting of the City Council.
<br /> would prefer a special meeting of the Council, in orde~ that the City Attorney and I may place
<br /> our views before you in a body, and where we could have some Joint discussion."
<br />
<br /> ~?ne resolution which the City Council passed on April 22nd, ~ud the subse-
<br />quent notices which were sent to the Hampton Roads Sewage Commissions were accepted by only
<br />three members of the Commission: the other two having resigned or refused their appointment be-
<br />fore action w~s taken by your body. The Commissions at that time, had no C_hair.nan, s~.d the no-
<br />tice which was sent to Mr. Phelan, the Governor's appointee, as Chairman, was returned to us by
<br />Mr. Phelan~ ~rlth a letter stating that he had not accepted the appointment. I will recommend
<br />that the City Clerk be instructed to send notices to the new C?~irman, Admiral Jose.oh Taussig,
<br />and the new member, ~r. Braden Vs~deventer~ in order that our notice may be considere~ strictly
<br />legal. I believe that we should go ~2to this matter independent of a ~etrooolitan set-up and
<br />preferably in an arrangement with Norfolk County on this side of the river-~ which woutd orove
<br />economics~ for both parties concerned. -
<br /> The estimates prepared by the engineers for the Sewage Commission, were
<br />$1,300,OOOOO0 for the above mentioned Portsmouth-Norfolk County set-up on this side of the
<br />river. Due to the great increase in the cost of labor ~ud materials i believe .it would be well
<br />for us to apply for $2,O00,OO0~OO for this sewage disposal system for Portsmouth City and ~on -
<br />tiguous NorfoI2~ County territory, under the Lar~h~2 Bill as a protection measure.
<br /> I firmly believe that some consideration ah~ould be given as to the advisa -
<br />bi!ity of atte~oting to build a sewage disoosal systems d;~ring this National Emergency~ Per -
<br />sonally, I do not believe that the condition of the waters in F.~mpton ~Moads is such a menace,
<br />at this times as to be considered s~ emergency~ I believe we should take into account the ef -
<br />feet that tlmis vast project would have on the National Defense program, due to the fact that it
<br />wou,~-d divert much needed men and materials from actual military Defense work~ I am basing my
<br />conclusions as to the ~mergency nature of this work strictly on the report made by the Public
<br />Health Service, with their engineers~ at a cost of $50¢000~OO, in 193~¢ end which is fsmiliarly
<br />known as the Crohurst report.
<br /> ?ne items which we have ~o consider in determining an emergency created by
<br />pollution, are as follows;
<br /> l. Public Health
<br /> 2. Bath_nc in the waters of Hs,%oton Roads
<br /> ~. Fis.hing industry
<br /> . Shellfi¢¢, industry
<br /> 5o A_.opearance of the waters of Hampton Poadso
<br />
<br /> In tZae following, I will quote verbatim from the Crohurst report:
<br />
<br /> 1. Public Health - Page !0, quote: '~General ~alth conditions in the Hamoton
<br /> Roads area appear to be about the average for communities similarly lo~ated
<br /> and having the same climatic conditions."
<br />
<br />Bathing in the waters of Hampton Roads - Page 9, quote: ~The extent to
<br />which the waters of bathing beaches can become polluted ~,~ith s swage ez~d
<br />
<br />
<br />
|