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R. C. P.
<br />
<br />July 18, 1919
<br />
<br />At a special meeting of the City Council July 18th there were pre~ent:
<br />
<br />Nessrs-- T. A. Bunting, iq. P. Claud, C. D. Deans,
<br /> J. T. Hanvey, C. H. Herbert, E. H. Wright,
<br /> Also the City Man, ger.
<br />
<br />The following directions were read for the special meeting:
<br />
<br /> "Portsmouth, Va., July 17, 1919.
<br />"Mr. L. C. Brinson,
<br />
<br />City Clerk, City.
<br />
<br /> "Dear Si~:--
<br /> You will please call a special meeting of the City Council' for F3iday,
<br />
<br />18th, at 8 o'clock P. N., to consider a report from the ~.~ater Cormnittee.
<br />
<br />July
<br />
<br />"Very respectfully,
<br />
<br />the
<br />
<br />The "ca!l~ havin~ been read, the Special ~ater
<br />S~oerintendent of the -~Vater Department:
<br />
<br /> "Mr. C. H. Herbert,
<br /> Ch. Water Committee,
<br /> Per t smot~th, Va.
<br />
<br /> "Dear Sir: --
<br /> As. per your request, I m~ke the following suggestions as to the request of
<br />Admiral Fechteler, Commandant of the Fifth Naval District, tD~t Portsmouth supplement Norfolk's~
<br />water supply to such an extent as to relieve the shortage of wa%er at the Naval Base, Norfolk.
<br />
<br /> "I think we should assu~e the Admiral of ou_'~ desire and willingness to do anyth~ing possible
<br />to protect the interests of the Goverr~ent and assist Norfolk without serious sacrifice of the
<br />interests of Ports~outh.
<br />
<br /> :'i thim_k that as no Norfolk Official has acknowledged that their supply is inadeeuate, or
<br />requested assistance from us, we should be careful in answering the Adl~irat's letter {o d~se!ai~_
<br />any intention of passing judgment uJpon Norfolk's water supply or of injecting ourselves into the
<br />affairs of that City.
<br />
<br /> "It appears to me that the first step is for Admiral FechteleP to convince the Officials of
<br />Norfolk that additional water must be secured.
<br />
<br /> "The second step is for Norfolk to decide whether to obtain water from the Portsmouth system
<br />with all four of the N~nsemond Lakes as a unit for the supply of Norfolk, Suffolk and Portsmouth,
<br />or duplicate the cost of mains ahd works by develOPing for the use of ~orfolk, Burnt Mills and
<br />Phillips Lakes, th~s is of the. u~most ~mport~nCe because the cost of additions necessary to sup-
<br />ply Norfolk from Portsmouth w~ll be too great to warrant the axpenditure merely as a temporary
<br />expedient to car~y Norfolk over the period necessary to develop Burnt Mills and Phillips Lakes.
<br />
<br /> "We ~houtd ~remind the ~dEiral that Portsmouth has Just purchased ~.he %~ater V~or~s property
<br />at a cost of $9,800,000.00, that the U. S.' Government has expended on mm~.provements $~,.~00,000.00,
<br />and. tP~t the value of these improvements as appraised three years hence must be paid by Ports-
<br />mouth.
<br />
<br /> "A schedule of rates has been prepared which it is estim~ted will barely support the pro-
<br />perty wit~out taking into consideration' the value of the GoverDJ~ent improvements. Our responsi-
<br />bilities are heavy and the situation must be carefully handled to avoid seri6us financial em-
<br />barrassment for the City.
<br />
<br />"I suggest the following:
<br />
<br /> "I. That the Government install the cast iron mains (item No. 7) as listed in the eontract~
<br />with the City,
<br />
<br /> "2. That the government co~plete the installation of meters in Portsmouth, Berkley and Suf-
<br />folk ~item No. 1) as listed in the contract with the City.
<br />
<br /> "3. That Norfolk, or the Government by agreement with Norfolk extend~a 20" cast iron main
<br />from the intersection of Wythe a~d Thir8 streets, Portsmouth, under the Southern Branch, across~
<br />Berkley, under the Eastern Branch and to such location in Norfolk as may~be proper for the~con-
<br />nectio~ with the distribution system; a meter to be inst~lled at the river shore in Portsmouth.
<br />
<br /> "4. T~hat Norfolk will t~ke what water is needed,~ within the limits Portsmouth may determine
<br />to be possible without creating a shortaoe ~ Por~amo~tho
<br />
<br /> "5. That Norfolk pay for the water the same rate charged Const~aers in Portsmouth, with
<br />the understanding that these rates ar'e to be reduced to all consumers ali~e whenever the revenue
<br />is sufficient tS warrant such reduction, ha~ing in view a proper reserve for depreciation and
<br />s tr~ki ~ ftmd.
<br />
<br /> It appears ~h tmf the above i~provements are made Portsmouth can 'suoplv about four million
<br />gallons~per day without necessitating the L~ediate' installation of additi~a~ m~chinery; in the
<br />near· future, however, it will be necessary to install additional high s~rvice and low service
<br />
<br /> J.. T. Hanvey, Prest."
<br />
<br />Committee submitted the following report~ from
<br />
<br /> "Portsmouth, Va., July 18, 1919.
<br />
<br />
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