R. C, P.
<br />
<br />September
<br />
<br /> $150. for Cont~ngent~ for the Oity Collector~s Office, $60, fo~ ,Contingent~ for
<br /> the City Treasurer~ Office, and $200. for "?~terlal~ in Repairs to Streets.
<br />
<br /> (Signed) C.H. Herbert,
<br /> Chairman.
<br /> On moti~n~ the report of the Department w~s adopted ~nd by the following vote:
<br />
<br /> Ayes--Bunting, Claud, Hanvsy, Herbert, Morris, Culpepper,
<br />
<br /> The ~ity ~a~ager m~de the following report for the Public Service Department:
<br />
<br /> "With reference to the question of the City furnishing its own teams, I beg to advise
<br />that I h~ve been in co~,ferenoe with the City Attorney and he informs me that,owing to the
<br />existing contract between Beazley & Blanford and the City of Portsmouth, it would =ct be a~!-
<br />visable to undertake equipping the City with necessary teams, wagons, carts, etc., until the
<br />expiration of said contract.
<br /> "Owing to the lack of funds remaining out of this year's budget, a~llotted to the va-
<br />rious departments, it will be impossible to undertake the pu~chasing of the necessary equip-
<br />ment and teams until next year's appropri&tlons, I, therefore, request t~s matter to be
<br />held over until a later date.
<br />
<br /> "Reg~rding the purchase of benches to be placed on the lo~ owned by the City at the
<br />southwest corner of High and Washington s~eets, I beg to advise th~t,~ owing to the lateness
<br />Of the semson and the shortness of funds, this mmtter be taken up in tae early spring, so
<br />that adequate seats m~y be furnished for recreation purposes, ~
<br />
<br /> "Regarding the cause of flooding at the intersection of High and Washlngon streete~ I
<br />beg to advise that the City Engineer;in connection with the Street Inspector, h~ve no~ been able
<br />as yet to finish the clean[ng~p of ~he drain in Washington street at the lower end and, for
<br />that reason, a thorough inspection hms not been made. Progress, however, is being made and
<br />I am of the opinion~th~t it will be necessary to reconstruct the lower section of this drain
<br />in the near future. I will be glad to keep the committee advised as soon as all of the facts
<br />o~n be ascertained.
<br />
<br /> "In regard to the communication from the engineer of the Norfolk & Portsmouth Belt
<br />Line Railway Company, referring to draiD~ge conditions near Glasgow street, I beg leave to
<br />report that the City Engineer has furnished me with an estimate of the cost amounting to $350.00,
<br />which embraces necessary labor, pipe andpaving, as per estimate of the City Engineer.
<br />
<br /> "With reference to improvements at the intersection of Court, Wythe and Fourth streets,
<br />I beg to advise that orders h~vs been placed for material necessary for the curbing, and the
<br />railway company notified to change their poles a~d tracks~ as per blueprint submitted August
<br />14th."
<br />
<br /> On motion, the ssvereJ[ recommendations of the City ~=mger were a~iopted, ,the
<br />commended appropriation of $350. to remedy drainage conditions near Glasgow street being~e-
<br />ferred to the Finance Department.
<br />
<br />The following communications were re~d from the City Nam~ger:
<br />
<br /> First:
<br /> "Portsmouth, Va.,
<br />"To the City Council~
<br /> Portsmouth,
<br /> Virginia.
<br />
<br />September
<br />
<br />ll, 19!7.
<br />
<br /> ~Gentlemen:
<br /> "At a meeting of the Council and Water committee held in my office on Wed-
<br />nesday, August 29th, m resolution was prepared authorizing me, as a committee of one, to pe~
<br />tition you= Hon. Body as follows:
<br />
<br /> "'Resolved, That a committee of one, the City M~n~ger, be appointed for the special Water
<br />Council and. Citizens Committee to petition the City Council for authority to employ an expert
<br />or experts, for the purpose of examining the whole w~ter question. First, the P. B. & S.
<br />Company's plmnt; surveying and reporting on any other possible supply that may be suitable
<br />for municipal purposes~and report-his findings in detail to the City Council at an early
<br />
<br /> "I trust that your Honorable Body will not delay the employment or the authority to em-
<br />ploy an expert, o~Img to the shortness of time and the necessary negotiations and delibe~a.
<br />tions before a final decision can be reached on whatever course that ia fin~lty determined
<br />we should adopt. There a~e unquestio~bly a number of very important questions to be de-
<br />cided before we can intelligantly enter into negotiations.
<br />
<br />"Respectfully ~=bmltted,
<br />
<br />"W. B. Bates, City N~n~ger..
<br />
<br /> After some discussion of the communication,
<br />ate for the employment of an expert or experts for
<br />question, and to report to the Council ae~o sa~e.
<br />
<br />the City Man, get was authorized ~o negoti-
<br />the purpose of examining the whole w~ter
<br />
<br /> Second:
<br /> Attaching a bid from M~o R. Wo Nurden, Jr,, regarding ce~tain necessary im-
<br />provements at the fire engine houses, stating that the most important is the floor of the
<br />Chambers Engine House,which is in a dan{erous condition; and requesting that the committee
<br />in chmrge o£ public safety m~ke an investig~ion of the needs of the v~rious sub-divisions
<br />on the bid and report a~ the meeting of the Council September 1Sth.
<br /> On motion~ the matter was refer~ed to the ~blio Prooertv mhd Fin~n~a Deo~zrtmanta
<br />
<br />
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