Minutes 06/09/1936 - Laserfiche WebLink

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June 9th. 19M6. At a regular meeting of the City Council, held June 9th, 1936, at there were present: Vernon A. Brooks, Leslie To Fox,J. T. Hanvey, W. R. Hutehlns, ~.B. Moore, J. Alden Oast~ J. R. Stewart, City Manager. Minutes of re~mla~ meeting held Nay 26th were read and approved. The following communications from the City Manager were read: 1st ~In reference to the request of Austin R. Davis Camp ~o. 4, U.S. War Veterans, that the City donate a section of Olive Brmuch Cemetery, for a monument and'burial claes, for the remaining Members of the Portsmouth Volunteers, I am advised, in an opinion of ~he City Attorney, which is attached hereto, that the City can not,' l~gally, donate the crc - perry. - - However, the C~m-o may be especially interested in the erection of a monumen% Rna if so, it a Dears to me t; - . ~. . · nat the City Park is an appropriate place. I there - z ore recommenG t.hat shouiG the Camp desire to place a monument ' '~ ' , zn ~ne Czty Park that the privilege be gra. nted, the site to be subject to the s~proval of the Superintendent of Parks.~ Motion of Mr. S~ewart that the recommendation of the City Manager be concurred in, was adopted. 2nd - ~On the subject of'the resolution, adopted by the Council on April lhth, 1936, petitioning the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, to close the beer parlors in Ports - mouth at 1:00 A.M., on week nights and all day on Sundays, a communication was received from the Board, dated May 9th, in which the Board takes the positionthat enforcement of the general law of the State, without recourse to the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act, is sufficient to ac- complish Sunday closing, sund ~ ' w~_.~e the Board expresses a willi~gness, by regulation, to re - quire ~all licensees to refrain from selling wine and beer, after l:O0 A.M. each week day, it request~ a clarification of the Council's position in the mattsr of "~beer parlors% as speci- fied in the resolution. It is pointed out that the term ~beer parlors~ as properly used, has no legal identity; tluat establishments are licensed tmder the classifications of .~restaurants~ ~hotels~, etc., as defined by the Act. The question raised in the minds of the Board is ?~whether or not, it is the desire of the authorities of Portsmouth, for the order of the Board to affect all licen- sees, including restauramts and hote!s~ as well as other establishments; such as confectione- ries, etc., and those places of business which are commonly known as mbeer parlorse~. In a conference of the City Attorm. ey, the 0cmmonwea!th~s Attorney, the Chief-of Police and the City Manager, the subject was discussed, at some length, and the una- nimous conclusion was tha~ conditions~ in certain sections of the City, will be greatly im - proved, if all restaure~ts, Dee_ parlors, beer gardens, etc., are required to close from l:O0 A.M. to 6:00 A.M., on week da~s, and'the sale of beer and wine is prohibited from 12:00 P.M. Saturdays to 6:00 A.~.. Mondays, and if dmucing and the playing of piano players and like musi- cal instruments, in such establis_hments, are pro_,zbite~' by ordinance. The A.B.C. Ac*~ and amendment thereto, in naming places with reference to t~Ye sale of beer and ~ine, mentions ~hotels, restaurants, clubs, boats, dining cars, buffet and club care~ ~ud no menti'on is made of beer parlors. I~ therefore, recommend that the term ~beer parlors~ be so clarified as to convey to the A.B.C. Board the kind of businesses which it is the Council's desire to h~.ve closed from l:O0 A.M. to 6:00 A.M. In reference to the sale of beer and wine on Sunaays, I do not believe, for obvious reasons, that it is practical to regulate this by existing state laws. I there- fore recommend that the Council so advise the AoB.C. Board, and insist upon th~ enforcement of such a reg~!ation by the A.B.C. Board. I further recommend the passage of an ordinance prohibiting dancing in restaursuuts, bee~ parlors and beer gardens, also prohibiting the playing of oiano players mud such mechanically operated musical instruments in all such places. ~ ' Motion of Mr. Fox that we petition the .%lcoholic Beverage Control Board to pro- hibit the sale of wine and beer, at all places for which a license is issued in Portsmouth, from l:O0 A.M. to 6:00 A.M., on week'days and from 12:00 P.M. Saturday to 6:00 A.M. Monday, was ~d~opt ed. ' Motion of Mr. Fox that the City Attorney prepare sun ordinance prohibiting danc~g, playing of piano-play,rs, and such mechanically-operated musical inst~ments in res= taurants, beer parlors -=nd bee~ gardens, was adopted. 3rd - ~In the matter of fire damage to the Armory~ a settlement of has b~en agreed to~ and I am advised by the Insurance Adjustor, that p~yment w~ll be made, within a few daye~~ - On motion of Mr. Hutohins, same was ordered filed. 4th - eThe ~rmory, which was reoen21y damaged by fire, if repaired and placed in the same condition as previous to the fire, will not be satis.~aotory to the &~mo~y Commis- sion of Virginia, as a suit~ole place to house its equipment. The A~mo~y is smaller thsuu the present regulation armories, and lacking in several eesen~_al facilities. After a conference with representatives of the Armory Commission of Vir- ginia, suud ~he Federal Works Progress Administration, I s~ advised that there is a strong pos- sibility of securing State and Federal funds for the erection of a $60,000. A~mory, with a cash outlay by the City of only $~_,000. The City's contribution of $8,000. will be forthcoming from the insurance, obviating the necessity of the City,s ma~ino' ~ any appropriation from General Fun~ Captain ~merson has assured me that, with the new building and its fae~ ilities, his organization w~l meet all o ~ · - - and water. .-- pera~ing expenses w~th the possible exception of lights The items which will m~e up ~he $60,000, are as follows: