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May 23rd~ 1941.
<br />
<br /> At a called meeting of the City Council, held May 23rd, 1941~ at 7:00 P.M.,
<br />there were presentl
<br />
<br />John P. Leigh~ Leslie T. Fox, George L. Grimes, Russell M. Hall,
<br />Jas. N. Howard, We R. Hutchins, Frank D. Lawrence, G. Eo Warren,
<br />Pearle J. Wilson
<br />
<br />The following call for the meeting was mead:
<br />
<br />~You are requested to attend a special meeting of the City Counsil,
<br />in the Council Chamber, at 7:00 P.M., on Friday, May 23rd, for the
<br />our-oose of declaring the office of City Manager Vacant.
<br />his meeting~is to be an executive session, with only the members
<br />of the City -ouncil present.- -
<br /> By order of the Mayor."
<br />
<br /> Notion of Mr. Fox to go into an executive session, was adopted.
<br />
<br /> Mr. Fox offered the following resolution:
<br />
<br /> "Be it Resolved by the Council of the City of POrtsmouth, Virginia,
<br /> that the office of City Manager be declared vacant, as of tl~s date,
<br /> salary to be paid the retiring City Manager hntil'June 15th.~
<br />
<br /> -~he following letter from Mr. Harper was read, and ordered filed:
<br />
<br /> "Since I was made City Manager~ in December, 1936, I have given the affairs
<br /> of our City a great deal of thought. In fact, I have done my best every day and my sole con ~
<br /> cern and ambition has been to promote the best interests of the City and to round out a very
<br /> successful business career by being a very successful City ~anager.
<br /> I~have rendered faithful, honest and efficient service. In all of my de -
<br /> oisions, I have been as fair as I know how to bec It is a very difficult task to satisfy nine
<br /> Councilmen and to keep them all working in harmony over a long period of years, and until
<br /> right recently, the co-operation given me by the Council has been almost one hundred per cent,
<br /> at all times. By team work between the ~ayor, Councilmen and the Manager, we have been able
<br /> to do great things for the City. I shall mention only some of the most important ones.
<br /> !. ~n the City four and one half years on pay-as-you-go' basis, without borrowing
<br />any money.
<br /> 2. Paid off Floating Debt of $610,O0©o00, whiCh had bee~ standing a long time.
<br /> 3- Paid and canceled bonds that came due and were not renewed, to the amount of
<br />$429,000.00~ $9,000,00 of which was paid out of current revenue,~ the balance out of the Sink-
<br />ing~Funds. The ann~al interest on the $610,0OO.OO Floating Debt and the $429,OOO. O0 bonds
<br />~hich have been paid, amounts to $48~9OO.OO a year, ~hich the 0ityhas been saving since these
<br />debts were paid.
<br /> 4. Contributed to the Sinking Funds $553,757.O0.
<br /> Built the Armory, to which ~he City contributed $9,O00.00.
<br /> ~ Built the Stadium, to which the 0itycontributed $90,OOO~OO.
<br /> ~. Made public improvements as follows~
<br /> 20 miles streets Dared
<br /> 140,921 lineal fe%t new curbs and gutters
<br /> 16,718 feet storm drains
<br /> 32,~2S " new sanitary sewers
<br /> Built 1,525 feet sea wall on water front to protect the shore line.
<br /> 8. Established summer playgrounds for both white and colored children°
<br /> 9. Lowered tax rate fifteen cents.
<br /> 10. P~ised pay of school teachers sixteen per cent,
<br /> ll. Raised pay of street hands twenty per cent and provided for them no loss of time
<br />in bad weather.
<br /> 12. Raised pay of policemen and firemen and other city employees, including the Wa-
<br />ter Department, fifteen per cent.
<br /> 13. Reduced working hours.
<br /> I Assisted the Scnoo_ Board in finishing negro high- school, building new gymnasium
<br />at Woodrow ~ilson High School, ahd building new school for negroes at Mt. Hermono
<br /> 15. Fought off the proposed sewer tax for three years, ~?nioh ~ouldhave cost our
<br />people not less than $150,OO~.Ob a year additional tax.
<br /> 16. Secured, by the help of Congressman Darden, a gr~ut of seventy five per cent, or
<br />$375,00o. oo, to replace the thirty inch wooden water main between Suffolk and Portsmouth. The
<br />City's portion of this cost ~_ll be approximately $125,0OO,O0,
<br /> 17. Secured from the Federal Government~ an agreement whereby the Oity will be reim-
<br />b,3n~sed for Public Service, including schools, at Dale and Swanson projects. Tl~s agreement
<br />was secured only after a hard fight ~ththe Federal authorities in Washington, and will save
<br />the taxpayers of Portsmouth approximately $30,000.00 a year for sixty years.
<br /> 18. Demolished sixty seven dil~oidated, insanitary buildings and caused more thmn
<br />that number to be repaired and rehabilitated.
<br /> 19. In 1938, inaugurated ~nnual 0lean-Up Campaign and put on ~n extra Sanitagy In -
<br />specter; furnished li~e end white-wash to all unable to purchase same. This campaign has been
<br />renewed from year to year and has had the co-operation of Garden Clubs, Chamber of Commerce,
<br />civic orgaD~zations, the press and the people, and have brought about considerable improvemen~
<br />in sanitary conditions of the City.
<br /> 20. One of the things of which I think we all have Just cause to be proud, is the
<br />renovation and rebuildin~ of the quarters for the inmates at the Almshouse. That money was
<br />well spent in msking those old people more comfortable and I believe this met with~the ap -
<br />pl~ova! o f everyone.
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