Minutes 05/08/1923 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

May' S, let.. "I am enclosing herewith an ordinance relating to poles, wires and conduits within certain defined ~reas of the City of Portsmouth. It is recommended that copies of this ordin~nce be sent to the Virginia Railway and Power Comps~my, the Chesapeake and Poton~c Telephone 0o., the Western Union Telegraph Co., ~ud the Postal Telegraph Co., and that the Council hold a special meetix~ at which these comp'a~ies be given s~x opportunity to be heard, should they so desire. The ordinance proposed is in my opinion a reaso~ble one, and its passage as submitted, or with such minor amendments as the Council m~y deem advisable after he~lng the co~porations interested, is recommended, n The following is the ordinance: An Ordinance Relating to Poles, Wires and Conduits within Certain Defined Areas of the City of Portsmouth. On motion of Mr. I~hite, the ordinance was placed on its first reading. 2nd. Recommendation that he be authorized to pay H. B. Shannon, hcseman of Engine Co. No. ~, for time lost on account of having broken his arm while cleaning windows in the Fire Station. On motion, ~he recommendation was referred to the Finance Committee. 3rd. Recommendation that the 0ity pay bill of Jno. W. H~pper to amount of $100.00, for services in connection with-the defense of Police Officer L. B. Moore, in the case in which Officer Moore was charged with false arrest. On motion, the recommendation was referred to the Finance Committee. ~th. Recommendation that the wages of the colored delvers employed in the Street Cleaning Department be increased from 25~ to 30~ an hour, as per their petition. On motion, ~he recommendation was referred to the Fi.r~ance Committee. , 5th. Recommendation that the application of E. F.. Gray and J. W. ~est for their wages to be increased ~rom 37~ to ~2~ an hour, be approved. On motion, the recommendation was referred to Finance Committee. ~th. "I am inclosing herewith report of the Board of Arbitrators in the matter of the valuatio~ cf the wa~er works property in Berkley and the Washington Magisterial District of Norfolk County in pursuance of a contract executed on the let d~y of October, 1~17, between the PortSmouth, Berkley and Suffolk Water Company and the City of Norfolk, Va., in which the City of Portsmouth h~s become successor to said ~ater Company. ,This Board finds that the commercial or fair value of all of said property without any allowance for franchise is $~05,000.~0 ~s of thc 15th of M~y, 1~22. It is to be noted th'at ~s' Allem~zen, arbitrator appointed by the City of Portsmouth declined to sign the a result of Mr. Mazen'e failure to sign the report, I,in co-operation with the~ City Attorney An~ the Superintendent of the Water ,Department h~ve carefully investigated the m~tter and .have a~$o consulted with Messrs. Crocker and H~pper in a legal cap~city relative to it. Mr. Davis, Mr. Barclay a~l I also mede a trip to ~ew York and went carefully over the entire matter with o~t~ representative on the Board, ~. Allen H~zen. As a result of this investigation, I h~ve been u~ble to find any proper grounds on which we could contest the amount of the award. Ou~ represen~tative ~d h~ed for approximately $600,~0.00 f~anc~se ~e or $~6,~0.00 exclu~ franchise v~lue. I pezso~12 ~d hoped we migh~ get $500,~0,~, ~ho~ neve~ ~s ~ny claim or de~nd Been made by the City of Portsmouth for the ~nt of one million dollars, w~ch h~s been r~eatedly quoted in the p~lio p~ess, o~ for ~o~t. It is interesti~' ~o ~te ~t the ~c~ffield ~pr~ls~l made fo~ the ~ity of ~:ortsmouth in 1~18 fixed the then value of the property, i~lu~ ~25,000.00 set aside for meters i~t~l- led ~y the Federal Gover~ent, w~l~ be ~271,000,00. ' ~ So f~r ~s I ~Ye Be~n ~le to ~so~t~ ~e v~ue fixed on the pr~e~y By the ~rfolk representative w~a $325,611. ~ It w~/~ f~e mppe~ ~ ~h~ ~w~d is no~ ~ dis~t~e~s one from our vie~oin~ ~nd our r~resen~xve ~eserves ~ne ~e~e c~e~t ~nd the t~ of the 0ity in his s~ccees~l efforts to get ~ f~r ~lu~tion of the p~operty. In ~ coherence hel~ with the 01fy ~ge~ of ~orfolk on ~y 7th, 1~23, the m~tte~ should be ~e to the p~p~ lndlC~t'ed in or~e~ ~o ~xxy an~ mere aez~m~e ~ese p~a~aphs: Pa~. 1- 1~ inch ~b~ine ~e po~tion of this main to be conveye~ to the O~ty of ~fotk begi~ at the ~e of the s~th ~ch of the Elizabeth ~ver. ~e o~tion ~ ~u~miSh ~a~r um~ this ~a~a~h is a~eepte~ ~y th~Ity of POrte. th with t~e ~na~ificati~m that neithe~ City will ~a~ steps to~ ~vi~ th~ ~ ~ wi~ ~the~ ~o~y~be ~e~i~e~o ~make ~ecial t& m~ ~y portion of this ~m afte~ the tr~sfe~ of the property to the City of ~o~oA~. In the event elthe~ City desires t~ ~ake ~water t~ough t~s main~ S~d City s~ll m~ke such ~epai~s at its own e~e~e as ~e necess~y to put the ~in i~ condition fo~ conveying wate~ au~ will ~intai~ it in thio con. fica ~ing th~ pe~io~ in which water is bei~ taken. City ~pplyi~ the wate~ s~ll net be put to a~y e~ense in co.corian the~ewith~ Par. 2- Title to meters i~e~ in BerEley by the U. S. ~ve~ent. The S~ ~ of $2~.~to be place~ im escrow by t~ City of ~o~folk. sh~l be ~posite~ at the ~isk ~f an~ as ~e~e~ by tha~Oity Of Po~t~outh a~d shall be~ inte~st at the u~ ~ate fo~ such ~esXts, ~whic~ interest togethe~ with the p~ln~lpaI ~nt shall be paid to the City of Po~tsm~th whom the title te the~e mets~s is conveye~ to the Olty P~. 6- AS water ~t be~pplie~ to the at.al ~te of t~a~fe~, the c~rges for which will a~e to the City of Po~'~o~th, w~.~ ~es the'City of Po~t~outh Will ~e ~n~le to collect ~f~om the 'co~e~, t~ Oi~y of Norfolk will p~y tO 2he Oi~y of Por~sm~th ~1 ~ch Bills