Minutes 07/21/1915 - Laserfiche WebLink

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R. C. P. 155 JUly ~1, 1915. The Sixth Ward to pay the t~tal cost for the improvement of Pearl street. To authorize the City Treasurer to renew notes to amount of $4~., 500. falling due in July, 1915. To make award to T. W. Thomas Roofing Co. 'to repair the roof of the Municipal Building, f~r $81.50. To authorize the Water & Sewerage Committee to use o~e-sixth of i-ts appropriation allowed in the Budget. Fourth. Reports of Officers and other unfinished business. The regular reports of Officers for the month of June, 1915, were presented and were order- ed to take the usual course. The City Attorney returned the following opinion "as to the legal statue of the School Board as now constituted," requested of him by the two branches of Council June S-17th, 1915: "To the Hon. ~ity Council, "Portsmouth, Virginia. "Portsmouth, Va., July !~th, 1915. "Gent~emen:-- "Repl~ing ~o your request that I give a ~written opinion ae to the legal statue of the School Beaz4as now constituted,' I beg to say: "The Oi~y~ving~b-~en~edi~tr~cted by making the FirSt, Secondhand Third ~s Di~trie~ No. 1; the Fifth amd Sixth ~rds District No. ~; and the FOUrth and Seventh ~arde District No. ~; and while ~i~'~dUoe~ the number of School Trustees from twenty-one to 'nine, I see no way by ~hich suchredu~txon can at present be made. "While a School Trmstee~s Office may be abolished by redistricting the City, (Va. Code Se~ 15ZS)~.yet it seems to me not to have been done in this case fSr the reason, that you can dete~sne which of said Trmsteee would go ~ut of office, all beimg elected for three years. can ri. et be said that the Trustees from the First Ward go out of office any more than those from thetSec~nd Ward, nor from the Third Ward; these, three Wards making District. No. 1. The same may be said as to all the other Wards of the City. "It is my opinion that the proper solution of the question is for the Council not to elect until the proper number in each District, as now constituted, is reached. same "Respectfully, "Juo. W. Happer, City Attorney." On motion; the opinion was ordered t~ file, and the Clerk instructed to send a copy of to the Clerk o~ t~e School Board. NEW BUSINESS. A notice was received from the Superintendent of Schools of a vacancy in the Second School District, caueed by resignation of M~. Geo. N. Wony¢ott ef the Fifth Ward, and the filling of eaid vacancy was referred to a Joint ~ession of the two branches of Council, A communication was read from the Secretary of the Board of Health notifying Council that terms of'~members of theBoard~expi=ed July 1st, 1915, and requemting the election of their suc- cessors at.an early date. On motion, the election of members. Of said Board was referred to a Joint Session of the two branches of Councii.~ The resignation eftA. C. Thomson as Chairman of the Park and Playground CommiSsion of this City was read and the elect~ion ~of his successor referred to a Joint E~ssion of the two branches of City Council. A report of the Chambers Fire Company of paid men elected for the ensuing ~ear was referred to the Fire Committee. - Mr. Frey called attention to a vacancy on the Sixth Ward Improvement'Board and the filling of said vacancy was referred to a Joint Session of the two branches. M_v. Langhorne wished to know whether the special committee appointed last year to take up with the Portsmouth Gas Company the question of reduced price of gas should be retained, since the Gas Company had reduced the price of gas. The President suggested that the Committee be continued, as other matters concerning gas would perhaps have.to be coneidered~by them. On motion of ~r, C~rr, the.advisability of providing the Street Inspector with an office was referred to the Street Commmttee. ~Mr. Langhorne excused from further attend- ance)° The cOndition of the boiler room of the Municipal Building was referred to by Mr. Markham. He said ~h~Jroom~was flooded whenever there was a hard rain and he moved that the matter of correcting the same be ~eferred to the Public Property Committee. The motion was adopted~ Mr. Privett moved ~o refer to Public Property Committee the advisabiiity of providing a fan for the office ef the Police Justice. The motion was adopted. Mr. Markham moved to refer to the same Committee advisability of providing fans for the Council Chamber. Th~ motion was adopted. Mr. Cart moved to refer to Street 'Committee to consider requiring all property owners tak- ing up bricks from the sidewalks temporarily to replace them in the same~manner as is done by the City, the replacing to be done under the supervision of the City Engineer. The motion was adonted.