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06/22/1959 ":.:'.:~'~!: ,.......,.. ". . j':;'.''.:-."':' /?? ~Jt,.,_1 CITY COMMISSION MEErING June 22, 1959 The City Comndssion of the City of Clearwater met in special seesion at the City Hall, Monday, June 22, 1959, at 1:30 P.M. with the following members present: Alex D. Finch Cleveland Insco, Jr. James H. Watkins Herbert R. Fields Arno s G. 3rni th Mayor-Commissioner Conunissioner Conunissloner Cornmi s si one r Conunissioner Also present were: James R. Stewart H. H. Baskin, Jr. S. Lickton W. Booth City Manager City Attorney City Engineer Police Chief The Mayor cal~ed the meeting to order. The invocation was given by Dr. D. P. McGeachey, Jr., of Peace Memorial Presbyterian Church, Clearwater. The Mayor announced a public hearing on the proposed budget for 1959-1960 f~scal year and the proposed tax rate of 11.4 m1l~s for operating expenses and 2.6 rnd1ls for debt service. He asked if there were any objections and there were none from anyone in the audience. A letter concerning the budget in which the writer requested to remain anonymous was brought to the attention of the Camndssion. After discussion, it was decided no official action could be taken on an anonymous letter. The letter signed by Robert Freeze referred to an increase in payor shorter hours ror the Po1ice Department which would add approximately $45,000.00 to the budget. Co~ssioner Watkins moved since the letter does rerer to the present budget which is up for considerat~on and public hearing today that we receive it and make it a matter or record. Motion was seconded by Commissioner Fields and carried unanimously. Comrn1ssioner Watkins moved that the budget be adopted for the 1959-1960 budget year as legally advertised in the newspaper and as furnished to each member of the Commission and a~so that it be made a matter of public record in the Clerk'S office. Motion was seconded by Cornrrdssioner Fields and carried unanimously, Resolution 59-66 was read which would authorize the borrowing of $200,000.00 for interim financing and payment of current expenses in the natura~ gas conversion program. Commissioner Fie~ds moved the adoption of Reso~ution 59-66 and the proper authorit~es be authorized to execute it. Motion was seconded by Cornmdss~oner Watkins and carried unanimously. CommiSSioner Insco moved the minutes of the regular meeting or June 15th and the special meeting or June ~7th be approved in accordance with copies submitted to eacn Commissioner in writing. Motion was seconded by Commissioner Fields and carried unanimous~y. Regarding the lease approved for the lunchroom in the Marina~ the City Attorney reported Mr. John Bonner had requested that the lease be drawn in the name of Biffburger of Tampa, Inc., instead af Messrs. Bruce E. Brane and Earl P. Brane. Commissioner Watkins moved that the substitutLon be allowed in the contract. Motion was seconded by Commissioner Fields and carried unanimously. Commissioner Insco moved the regular meeting of JUly 6th be changed to July 13th. Motion was seconded by Commissioner Fields and carried unanimously. The Engineer stated he had received requests to proceed with the paving, drainage and sanitary sewer project on Rogers Street from M[ssouri to Lincoln by paying assessments in advance. By consent, the Engineer was instructed to send letters to each property owner suggesting advance payment of estimated assessments. Commissioner Smith and Commissioner Insco complained or the litter left on the publiC beach on weekends and recommended those persons littering the beach be arrested and fined. The Mayor recommended using as much force as possible to prevent this cluttering of the beach and that it be cleaned every morning. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 2:35 P.M. Attest: ~..t;Vk~ Cit y '-Or erk l .;'..',-. .',-' " ... ", \ !~~~~~~~~t"i(i:i~;)L; . ... Fr..rI,....~~..~{.#\r\<;.~..:t,t...l...H."~.,,.-..,:1,. ..'. . ~r.;~~.i~~ ~':~l; .~:j~.4....~'".r:.:?~:-:il ~J'I ({ ::"~\.::, ~.~.. " ' , I. y.r;'1~.{...., 1'''.';' '~ Ji~,~lt..~\~:.... ~ 'J l- .,,; :-:J.1.', ~ \,s. I,,~ 1- ;~:~~,1~.~:~,s,:}~,~.:.~tt.~~'~~~/.\:;:,:;~i:;A:,~4,:~;...~t.,' #.~.. -.'. '~"~~"",""'n;-i'.:'j,\.~;t;J 1, ...r.,,' :~._-. , " '.:,: - . ';'i:~~~~;'~;',~;;j~~,j:'~~~ '..~~l::;':.\\\;'.~~~j'r~~~:,:..::' :,.:.\~...i. .'. ';~:.:\:..::~.:.~:.:i;"~:':''''k\; ..... . .,. , . . ....::.:~. ~..:'I.~ ;..~:;;:.i..~~:U:.1. .l~~d~~~'L'W;.i~d~~~~:.~;.;r:.::'..: .;;:'. ..;.;,' :::(~':"l:'; i.~.i::\:.~..~..~;h~~,.. ~ 1,.;....~)....~1. ..:-,'.' >~<.:i:~....~';' . ;~'J ~".:.:1~;i~{~]~~i,i~i~~~ CITY COMMISSION MEETING June 22, 1959 Honorable Mayor and Members of C~ty Commission City of Clearwater Clearwater, Florida Gentlemen: June 19.. 1959 The City June 22.. Cornmdssion will meet in Special Session on Monday afternoon.. 1959, in the City Hall Auditorium to discuss the following items: Public Hearing on the 1959-60 Budget Request for perm1ss~on to borrow an additional $200..000 for the Na~ural Gas Program Changing dates for July meetings Such other business as may be presented Sincerely yours, /s/ James R. Stewart City Manager 1. 2. 3. 4. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RESOLUTION No. 59-b6 WHEREAS.. the City of Clearwater is committed for certain immediate obligations which must be paid in order to complete its fiscal year; and.. WHEREAS.. the revenues which were anticipated at the time the current budget was prepared and adopted have not been sufficient to balance said budget; and, WHEREAS, by virtue of Section 7 of the Charter of the City of Clearwater, Chapter 9710 o~ Special Acts of Florida, 1923, the City has the power to borrow money for current expenses providing the amount thereof shall not be more than fi~ty percent (50%) of the revenue of the City in anyone year; and, WHEREAS, the City is in need of $200..000.00 for interim financing; and, WHEREAS, the aforesaid $200,000.00.. as well as any and all short term ~inancing now outstanding, is less than fifty percent (50%) of the current revenue of the City as set out in the budget of the City for the current year, which has hereto~ore been duly adopted; and, WHEREAS, the City National Bank, Clearwater.. Florida, has agreed to lend the City $200,000.00; NOW, THEREFORE.. BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA, IN SESSION DULY AND REGULARLY ASSEMBLED, AS FOLLm'JS: 1. The proper officials of the City of Clearwater are hereby authorized to borrow not to exceed $200,000.00 for interim financing and payment of current expenses incident to conversion of tteCity gas plant to natural gas, the opening o~ a retail of~ice.. together \nth ~urnish1ngs, fixtures, improvements.. salaries and other contemplated items necessary to acquaint the public with a natural gas program and sell natural gas in the community, said loan to be derived from the City National Bank, Clearwater, Florida, in the amount of $200..000.00, bearing interest at a rate not to exceed four percent (4%) per annum, to be repaid on or before one year from date of said loan.. and with interest payable semi-annually. 2. The proper City officials are hereby authorized to execute such prorrdssory note, as well as any other necessary instruments as may be required to accomplish the borrowing of such amount from the above source for the purposes indicated. PASSED AND ADOPTED, this 22nd day of June, 1959. /s/ Alex D. Finch Mayor-Commissioner Attest: /s/ R. G. Whitehead City Clerk --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Honorable James R. Stewart City Manager.. City of Clearwater City Hall Clearwater~ Florida Dear Mr. Stewart: June 22.. 1959 If you will recall.. several weeks ago.. a group consisting of Mr. Paul F. Randolph, Mr. Donald H1bbard~ Mr. Courtney Campbell, Mr. George Linder.. Mr. Wesley Short, and others, after having taken the following matter up with Chief of Police Willis D. Booth~ did converse with you in reference to the possibility of our local police department receiving a five-day work week or a raise in pay. We were informed that the City of Clearwater was not in a financial condition to do either of the foregoing. However, a~ter having read the newspaper account o~ the city's budget for the coming fiscal year.. we are ~nclined to bel~eve that perhaps the city is in a better financial condition than originally thought. (Continued) . ."'" ~ '.~'..">" ,.;:(~.;~:,: ~. '.: '~';,.:' ;.", ' .' , ';: ?~\. . :' :.~ , ,:, ';'; rlll.~. """'.~,_ .,.:::-.~~-".~r'.,. 72. '-;l ..:;J.::J ".: ,',; '~tC:~~:~:-',",d"_~~:d;.!C:'..""'","~""",~:';'d..~",:S~.",,,:..,.. .:.:'..-. ,/ ~ I L I~.r 7' CITY COMMlSSION MEETING June 22, 1959 (Cont:tnued) We would like to take this opportunity to express our appreciation and thanks to you and the members of the city commdss1on for the ~ong hours you have been ~oraed to work in preparing th:ts budget, and rully realize and apprea:tate the responsibil:tties placed on you while doing so. Howeverl we would like to bring to your attention the fOllowing facts, and again appeal to you and the Eoard of C:tty Commissioners ror farther consideration of this matter. We have learned through our own investigat:ton that no less than five applications have been filed with the Sheriff of Pinellas County, by members of our local police department for jobs with his office as deputies, and that there are at least two other officers of our local police department who have already taken examdnat:tons ~or pos:ttions with the United States Post Office Department. Needless to say, that the standards and morale o~ our local police department are 100% higher than they were several years ago, and we feel that in order to ma:tnta1n these high standards and good morale of our police department, it is incumbent upon the city to offer either higher wages or shorter working hours to the police department. While we are on th:ts point it might be well to point out that the C:tty of Clearwater lost Sheriff Don Genung to the County of Pine11as, due to this aforement:toned con- d:tt:ton. Recently Officer Oscar Underwood resigned to accept employ.ment ~th the Sheriff's office, simply because he could not support h:ts farndlyon his salar.y with the Clearwater Police Department. In passing I would like to point out that in a survey recently made, based on 1959 salaries paid to beginning patrolmen or cities ranging in population from 35,000 to 50,0001 said survey comprising 42 different cities, Clearwater was listed 36th, or 6th from the bottom on their beginning salaries. Again we would l:tke for you gentlemen to please reconsider this matter, and we have the confidence in you to know that if at all possible you will grant the request as heretofore made by the pOlice department. We would again like to say that we will appreciate it if we, the a~orementioned persons as well as the writer of this letter, remain anonymous so that no one other than yourselves will know of this situation as well as the attempt on our part of betteri~ our working conditions for the pol~ce department. We are very proud of our city and espec:tally of its police department~ and we want to be in the position to obtain better men, and continue to be proud of the law enforcement. Howeverl we do feel that there is a great possibility of los~ng excellent police material and not being able to cont:tnue to obtain the type of individual that we need as a police officer here in Clearwater. If at all possible we would appreciate meeting w.1th you gentlemen to d:tscuss this situation, and we feel that you will consider th~s matter prior to mak:tng any final decision. jse cc: Respectfully submitted, JSI Robert A. ~Teeze Mayor Alex D. Finch 308 South Garden Avenue Clearwater, Florida Commissioner Cleveland Insco, Jr. 406 Sunburst Court Clearwater, Florida Commiss:toner James H. Watkins 312 North Jefferson Clearwater, Florida Commiss:toner Herbert Fields 2282 Gulf-to-Bay ~ulevard Clearwater, Florida Comm:tss:toner Amos Smith 55 Gardenia Street Clearwater Eeach Clearwaterl Florida --------------------------------------------------------~------------------------------