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R, C, P.
<br />
<br />January 20, 1~17.
<br />
<br />At a specisd meeting, of the City~Counci2 January~2Oth there were present:
<br />
<br /> Nessrs--Gscie Dashiell, J. T. Hanvey, C. H. Herbert,
<br /> Jno. A.~ Norris, W. D. Morgan, 5.
<br />The following directions for the special meeting were re~d:~,
<br />
<br /> "Mr. L. P. Slater, "Portsmouth, Va., January 17,-1917.
<br /> "City Clerk, City.
<br /> "Dear Sir:--
<br /> "You will please call a special meeting of the City Council for Saturday,
<br />January 2Otb, at 7:30 P. M., for the following purposes:
<br />
<br /> "First: To consider a report from the head of the Department of Finance on the issuing of
<br />bonds for Schools. .
<br />
<br /> "Second: To confer with the Water Commission, the Engineer for the Water Commission, and
<br />the City Manmger, on the status of the water supply for Portsmouth.
<br />
<br />"Very truly,
<br />
<br /> "J. T. Hanvey, President."
<br />
<br /> The ~cal!" having been rossi, the Chairma~ of the Finance Department stated that his De-
<br /> partment had asked for bids on $150,000. of School Bcnds~ had received several bids for same,
<br /> but that nons of them were satisfactory, s_ud he asked that his Department be authorized to re-
<br /> advertise.
<br /> Mr. Dashiell moved that the authority~be Erant~ed..
<br />
<br /> M~r. Eorg~n noted that~-mNr. James A. Eulvey,?representing one of the bidders for the bonds,
<br /> was present, and that he wished to ~ddress the Council on the m~tter~ and he moved that the
<br /> privilege of the floor be gra~ted him. The motion-wis ~doPted.
<br /> Mr. Hutvey spoEe. He claimed that there was not time enough given in the a~tvertisement
<br /> for the bonds, and neither was the rate nor length of time for which the bonds were to run given
<br />
<br /> The Chairman of the Finance Department answered Mr.~ Mulvey. He stated that his Department
<br /> had received several bids for the bonds, notwithstanding the.lack of time claimed, by Mr. Mul-
<br /> vey; that his Dep~rtment was the Judge as to how the ~onds should be haudled; but that it h~d
<br /> decided to report that none of them wms s~tisfactory.
<br />
<br /> Then Mr~ Morris moved to~ame~d~ the motion by Hr. Dashietl, that the. re-advertisement state
<br /> the rate th~ bonds ~r~e to ben,r, the leng~h of time for which they are to run, the bidders to
<br /> have the privilege of bidding on either $1,000. or $500. denominations, the bld~ers to give a
<br /> certified check ~or $1,000.00; and that the Finance Department be authorized to reject any or
<br /> mll bids. The mmendment wms adopted~ ,~
<br />
<br /> The Finance Department reported further thmt it had received from the School B°~rd the
<br />followA~g..~epoz~ in substance: That the~e would b~e needed $229,110. for the erection of the
<br /> white a~d colored~School buiXdings, which does not i~clude'~the cost of the furniture for the
<br /> High School Building, ~nd that the following amounts a~e av~ilmble: F~om bond issue,' $150,000;
<br /> site for High Sch~ol, $ 0,000, proceeds from s~le of building on High School site, $9~; m~king
<br />
<br /> It was reported further that the bals~uce needed for the entire completion cZ ~he two
<br /> buildings w~s $58,111.00, and that the Board proposed to borrow $30,000. from the Literary Fund
<br /> and to issue shor~ term notes for the balance of $28,111.00.
<br />
<br /> The Chairman of the Finance Department stated that this step could not be ~ken; as it
<br />would causethe bonded indebtedness of the City to be in. excess of what is allowed by Law.
<br /> After a discussion of the matte=,
<br />the
<br />
<br /> Er. Morris moved th~t.m conference be.arranged with
<br />School Board on the Subject for next Friday night, January 26th.
<br /> The motion was adopted~
<br />
<br />Second. ~To confer with the Water Commission, the Engineer'for the Water Commission, and
<br />
<br />the City Hanager, on the status of the
<br />
<br /> Several members of the Water Commission~nd the Engineer for said Commission being present,
<br />Mr. Herbert called on them for ~n e~pression of their views as to the w~ter situatio~ in the
<br />City..
<br /> Mess~s. Pa~andLash, of the Oommission, its Engineer, and the City Hanager spoke on
<br />the subject.
<br /> M~. Dashiell asked the commissioners if they thought it necessary to carry the engineer
<br />a~y longer on the
<br /> Mr. Pa~ke~ stated that he thought the services· of the Engineer could be dispensed with.
<br /> Whe~ Hr. Lash stated that the Engineer had asked some time ago to be relieved from ser-
<br />vices With the Commis~ion.
<br /> The City Manager stated that before the Engineer retires from office, he should submit
<br />a full report of the activities of the Commission to the Council. The Engineer stated that
<br />it would take ~ ~ull month to prepare this report.
<br />
<br /> Wherempon, the Council concluded to request the Commission to dispense with the services
<br />o~ the Engineer~a£ter March let, 1~17.
<br />
<br /> In mnswer to the question as to ~nat is to become of the office room used by the Co~mis-
<br />sion, Hr. Parker s~id that the Commission would turn over to the Council the maps, instruments,
<br />&c., in the office.
<br />
<br />On motion of ~. Dashiell, the Council wenm in~o executive session for further discus-
<br />
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