~ecember 9, 191~.
<br />
<br /> "Acting, as I believed, for the best interest of the City, a general meeting was called of
<br />representative citizens and at this meeting a~sub-committee, composed of Capt. Jno. W. Happer,
<br />Mr. Frank L. Crocker, Mr.~ E. R. Barkedale, Mr. Jno. Howard Hall, Dr. }Jos. Grice, Mr. Nm. Parker
<br />and Dr. F. S. Hope, wac appointed to handle the question.
<br /> · With no other purpose save the City's interest, I have the honor to submit to you this re-
<br />port with the recommendation that it be accepted, unless something better is offeredj
<br />
<br />(Signed) F.S. Hope,
<br /> Mayor."
<br />
<br />Report of the Special Wate~ Committee:
<br />
<br /> "To the Honorable City 0ouncil of the City of Portsmouth:
<br />. "The Committee herein mentioned,
<br /> which was called together by the Mayor of the City, desires to sub,it ~o your'honorable bodies
<br /> the following report:
<br /> "Some time in 1911, whsn both the cities of Portsmouth and Norfolk were considering the ques-
<br /> tion cf a new or additional water supply for themselves, the Board of Water Commissioners of the
<br /> City of Portsmouth, which was~reated by an.act of the Legislature, and the Water Commission of
<br /> the City of Norfolk, which was appointed by the Council of Norfolk~ began the consideration of
<br /> the question of the expediency or practicability of the two cities unitings in some way, in a
<br /> Joint water supply. A number of conferences was had between the two commissions on this subject.
<br /> Largely as anoutcome of these conferences, the Legislature i~ 191S passeA several acts which
<br /> had for their purpose the authorizing cities to either unSte in a joint water supply, or one City
<br /> to furnish the other with water,upon certain terms a~d conditions mentioned in the acts. After
<br /> the adjournment of the Legislature O~ 191S, the two commissions had several conferences which
<br /> resulted in a proposition from Norfolk for the joint aoquisitionand operation by the two cities
<br /> of the Portsmouth, Berkley and ~uffolk Water Comnany and the Portsmouth ~uburban Na~er Compamy~
<br /> T~e terms upon which thiswas to be done were no~ acceptable to the Portsmouth Commission, as ~t
<br /> dmd not think they were beneficial to She~City of Portsmouth. The negotiations between the two
<br /> Oommissione were then practically broken off. and the Council of Norfolk appointed a 9ommittee
<br /> to confer with a li~e ~ommittee to be appointed by the Council of Portsmouth, to consmder the
<br /> water situation. The Co,mncil of Portsmouth, however, never appointed its committee. The nego-
<br /> tiations were again ta~_en up between the water commissions cf the two cities for the considera-
<br /> tion of the expediency of a pla~ by which Norfolk was to acquire the Portsmouth, Berkley~and
<br /> ~folk Water Company and the ~burbam Water Company and fttrnish water to the City of Portsmouth
<br /> ~d the terrimory within a radius of two miles cf its corporate limits, as they now exist,
<br /> yhere~fter be extended. After these negotiations hadreached a point where the matte= had
<br />taken some tangible shape, the Portsmouth Commission'bromght the matter to the attention of the
<br />May~r ~f the City of Portsmouth. Whereupon, the Mayor called a conference of the presiding of-
<br />ficer of each branch of the City Council, the members of the_joint Finance Committee, and of the
<br />Joint Water Committee, several other members from each branch of the Council, the Board of
<br />Commissioners, the City Attorney,.the City Clerk~ the counsel for the Board of ~ater COmmission-
<br />ers~ and several representative cmtizens, to advmse with him about the matter. At this meeting
<br />a number of suggestions were made am to certain ~changes in the proposition submitted, and a sub-
<br />committee was appointed to meet with the Norfolk Water Commission and discuss.these ohanges and
<br />additions. This sub-committee had several conferences with the Norfolk Commission and reported
<br />back to the general committee the results of thei~ conferences, ~oget~e~ with the suggested con-
<br />tracts to be entered into between the two cities, in the event the proper authorities of said
<br />cities should deem it wise to enter into an arrangement by which Norfolk was to furnish Ports-
<br />mouth with water. At that general meeting the following resolution was adopted:
<br />~ ."That the Mayor be requested to present to the Councils the propositions submitted to this
<br />meeting ~y the ~ater commission of the City of Norfolk for supplymng the City of Portsmouth with
<br />wate~,'wxth suc~papers as he may th~nkproper to Offer with such p~oposition,,
<br /> "~co. py~e~ a;iette~... ~.. ~ from Mr. ~At~an HaZen, the water expert emp~o~md· by Norfolk, to the NOr-
<br />f~kCommissien, is ~iled rherewith, together with ~he last draft of the suggested contracts and
<br />a te%ter of th~Norfclk Commission.
<br /> "The suggested contract provides, in general terms, that the City of Norfolk is to
<br />Portsmouth, B~kley and ~uffol~ ~ater .~.mp~my and. t~e Portsmouth ~uburban ~ater Cemzpany, andto
<br />ope=at? the two plants, together w~th mrs owm municipmlwater p!~nt, and to furnish to ~he City
<br />cf ~or;smouth~ free of charge, all water necessary for sewers. ~lre -hydrants. nublic ~buildin;s.
<br />schools and-ali other City.purposes, and to furnzeh to persons wzthzn the corporate lzmxts of
<br />the City of P0;temouth, a~ they nqw exist, or may hereafter be ex~ended, and ~ithin a radius
<br /> les of sa~d corporate limit~,, water~o~ the same quality, and at the same rates, that is
<br /> Consumers of ~he Samg class in Norfolk; that the money coming in from the operation
<br /> ;em to be used in the cost of operation and maintenance, payment of interest
<br /> for a sinking fund, and betterments, &c., t~ the wmter system itself, none
<br /> from said~ater enterprise tcgo into the general treasury of the City. of
<br /> he profits of said water enterprise, the City 9f Portsmouth is to .be paid back,
<br /> ye ~s, of the mone~ expended.by it in c~nnection with the Por~smonth MUnicipal
<br /> Plant, for rights of way~ diggiDg canal, and all other;expenses
<br /> ~neys p ~f~r~ of ~smouth t~ ~ecure it~ ow~ w~ter ;upDly; and a~tso~ to p~v to
<br /> ~k the incurred by £~s water ~cmmission, the amount to be paidNorfolk,
<br /> ,.eXoee amount pard tO Portsmouth; Norfolk. to maintain an offige in Portsmouth for ~he
<br /> ~ti0nOf rater rents~ &c., an mnnual a~t robe made of theoperatxon of the entire water-
<br /> system ~y a certified ac~cu~nt, and & copy of said audit to be sent to the councils of
<br /> of the c~ties ~d of A~ltration to settle disputes between the two cities ;rowing out
<br /> ~ · of Po=ts~outh to gi~e Norfolk~ thirty year .franchise fox ~he use of
<br /> f~anchise is to be renewe~ e~ch thirty year period for the next thirty years,
<br /> to make it perpetual.
<br /> "This-C~ as we~tl as t~e:Water Commission, i~ what ~hey have done hav~ been actuated
<br />by and ha~a endeavo=e~ tO have tlhe~s~ggested agreement put in s~ch
<br />as e. t~ bot~ of the .communities c~ncerned, and they now su~mit to you the
<br /> result of their labors for your oameful consideration.
<br />
<br />~Ve=y respectfully,
<br />
<br />Hope,
<br /> Mayor and Chairman."
<br />
<br />
<br />
|