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90
<br />
<br />January !lth, !9~8
<br />
<br /> At a regular meeting of the City Council,-held January !!th, 1938~ at g:O0
<br />there were present:
<br />
<br />Leslie T. Fox, George L. Grimes, James N. Howard, W~ R.Hutchins, Frank D. Lawrence,
<br />C. E. Warren, H. Earl Weiseman~ Pearle J. Wilson, City Nanager.
<br />
<br />Vice President im_ the Chair.
<br />
<br />Einutes of regular meeting held December 28th, 1936, were read and approved~
<br />
<br />The following commtuaications from the City Manager were read:
<br />
<br />1st - The Eanager presented the fo!lowing petition:
<br />
<br />section
<br />certain
<br />roblee
<br />
<br />suRk~der,
<br />
<br /> "We, the undersigned residents, property owners and taxpayers of t~hat
<br />of West Park View, south of Leckie St., ttUderstand mu effort has been instituted by
<br />residents north of LeckieSt., seeking to have the bus service restored to i~s former
<br />
<br /> Extension of the bus service into this section of West Park View, last
<br />was hailed as the fulfilment of a long-felt need, prior to which event some of the
<br />
<br />undersigned were forced to walk as far as five blocks in inclement weather, and then stsmd
<br />waiting, often as much as ten minutes at the corner of Leckie St. and First Ave. - sometimes
<br />while ~he bus stood idle at the end of the line.
<br /> Now, these certain residents above referred to (which we believe to be
<br />only a very small minority), are complaining that, because of this additional territory added
<br />to the route (which is only 7 blocks), they are delayed in reaching their destinations. This
<br />contention is absolutely erroneous, for, ~nereas the bus formerly usually stood at the-inter--
<br />section of Spratley St. and First Ave. (then the end of the line) for several minutes, only
<br />about t_hree minutes are now necessary to traverse the present'additional look- ~ud, even then,
<br />the bus now often stends at its present terminus ("B~ St. end First Ave.) as much as five
<br />minutes.
<br /> So, we fail to see how the residents north of LeckieSt. could be af -
<br />fected disadvantageously, either as to time or convenience, for (being s~ready on the bus)
<br />they are not forced to often stand in rain and cold, sometimes as much as five minutes or
<br />more as we formerly did, while the bus stood idle at the end of the line.
<br /> As residents whose convenience and health are as equally entitled to
<br />consideration, we respectfully petition and urge that the present route of the West Park View
<br />bus line be maintained. Any service you may render in behalf of this petition will be great-
<br />ly appreciated by the undersigned.
<br /> Respectfully yours,
<br />
<br />Walter L. Clinton, 1625 AnnSt., and s~nd~y others.~
<br />
<br /> Motion of Mr. Fox to receive and file the petition, and that the Clerk no,i-
<br />fy the first signer that the Council has no knowledge of say change in the routing of buses
<br />in West ParkView and should the question come to the Council, the petitioners against said
<br />change will have due notice, was adopted.
<br />
<br /> 2nd - "I herewith hand you a statement showing what the City Council and
<br />City Manager have accomplished, for the City of Portsmouth, by teamwork, during the year
<br />193Y.
<br /> let - We have succeeded in improving both the moral and financial conditions of ~he
<br />City.
<br /> 2nd - Renovated and rebuilt the dilapidated quarters of the City Home.
<br /> 3rd - Ran the City the whole year, on a pay-as-you-go basis, which had not been done
<br />since l~lT.
<br /> ~th - Raised the pay of policemen, firemen, school teachers and nearly all of the
<br />other City employees.
<br /> 5th - Reduced the tax ra~e from $2.~5 ~o 82.50, which rate will be maintained this
<br />year.
<br /> 6th - After meeting all of the City's obligations ~hrough ~he year,~ including schools,
<br />payrolls, interest on bonded and floating debts, paying $73,000.00 to the Sinking Fund and
<br />contributing the following amounts to charity, etc.:
<br /> To charit~fo!e institutions ~ !9,~92.00
<br /> Renovating dilapidated buildings at City Home
<br /> Direct Relief - Virginia Public Assistance Fund 12~650J00
<br /> Matching State and Federsl funds for W.P.A. Program 24,509.00
<br /> City's part of cos% building new Armory 9~000o00
<br />
<br /> Total - $ 68,611.00
<br />we curtazl~ the City's Floating Debt at the banks from $610,000.00 to $210,000,00 - a net
<br />reduction in the City's indebteSmess of $~00,000.00o
<br /> 7th - Made the City a clear profit of Two Hundred Thousmud Dollars, $20,000.00 a year
<br />for ten years) by the contract with the Virginia Electric & Power Compmuy. The Power Company
<br />through an agreement with the Corporation Commission, has since reduced the cost to indivi
<br />dual consumers about $2,000.00 a month, msking a total saving to the City Government and the
<br />people, of approximately $44,000.00 a year.
<br /> 8th - Secured reduction in telephone ehe~ges - this reduction is optionel with the
<br />user, and if taken advantage of, will benefit nine-tenths of the people, at least twenty per
<br />cent.
<br /> 9th - With the aid received from the State ~ud Federal funds, built over six miles of
<br />macadam streets. We h~oe to build several additional miles during 1938.
<br /> 10th - Saved $2,500.00 a year, expense of the City Treasurer's office, without affect-
<br /> ing the Treasurer's ss~ary. The State now pays all of it.
<br />
<br />
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