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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 11/21/1957 I I I I Proceedings of the City Commission of the City of Port Angeles, Washington November 21 57 19_ .... 569 "'" . "'.", "on" ""..~", ,,,,,,,., ..... .... City Council met in resular ~ession at 7:30 P.M. and was called to order by Mayor Smith. Roll call the following officers present: Councilmen Brown, Sandison, ~~tthieu, Wolfe and.~xfield, Manager Attorney Severyns and Clerk Law. showed I Verieer t' It was moved by Councilman Maxfield that m_ inutes of thefrevious meeting be approved, Seconded by Coune il- man Sandison and carried. , , Under the h~ad of unfinished business, hearing on fina~ assessment roll for L.I.D. No. 175 wa$ opened. jThere having been no objections made or filed, it was moved by ~ourcilman Wolfe t~t hearing be closed. Seconded by (.;;ouncilman Brown and carried. Council considered request by Police Department that ordinance be adopted providing that $5.00 per working day be designated as subsi$tence allowance and exempt of income tax. Attorney Severyns advised that no State Statute permits subsistence allowance. The same must be authorized by State Legislature, and until enabling regulation is enacted, deduction cannot be claimed. It was moved by Councilman Wolfe ,that due to Statutes governing, the request be denied., Seconded by Councilman Matthieu and carried. Hal Robb appeared for the LionsClub and spoke regarding Liol1& Club t>lemorial Park on Mia 1;I00k and improve- ments installed. Mr. Robb then turned park over to the City, assuring that the Club would add other facilities when necessary. Mayor Smith accepted on behalf of th4:ity and thanked t\le Lions Club for job well done. Under the head of.new business. Milwaukee Railroad Co. 'filed claim for damages to rOad,bed in amount of $109.82. It was moved by.Councilman Brown that claim be filed and referred to the Attorney and insurance company. Seconded by CouncQ11lan Sandison rod carried. , Manager Vergeer read letter from J. D. Glann, School Supt., expressing sincere appreciation for cooperation , and assistance in re-locating wate~ lines at the Franklin School to permit grading necessary for curb and gutter installation. Claims paid November 7, 12 and 18 were approved in tot al amount of $14,060.09. It was moved by Councilman '"1 Maxfield t hat claims be approved as paid. Seconded by Councilman lvolf e and c;j.rried. Departmental reports were filed for Council approval as foll""s: Treasurer's financial report, monthly budget r~ports of receipts and disbursements, Police Judge report for October, Street department wott report, water and light department reper ts. It was m9ved by Councilman Brown that reports be accepted and filed. Seconded by Councilman ,Wolfe and carried. Report of the State Auditor covering operation of the Utilities was presented and comments read. Manager Vergeer inCormed of purchase from the Public Utility District, three light poles District after lengthy negotiations and cited what appears to~be new era of cooperation. from the Seattle l-oncrete Pipe Company for release of 500 feet of pipe from Valley Creek to City of Seattle which may be required for Ravenna District emergency. in the Penn St. Also reques t Flood Control Dr. Terry D. Munkeby requested permission to connect new residence with City sewer at Ninth and .Jones Sts. Council discussed possibility of other reques~ and establishing service charge. It was decided to prepare agreement for action at .the next meeting. Council considered 'an agreement between the City and Drive-In Pharmacy whereby tbe ,Pharmacy wi 11 act as collection station for 'utilities. It was moved by ~ouncilman Brown that City enter into agreement to de~ermine if collection station is justified. Seconded by Councilman Maxfield and carried. Mr. Vergeer read a letter from Ralph Amende, 1I0nd buyer, concerning redemption of unguaranteed bonds. Mr. Vergeer recommended redemption oC old bonds by L.I.D. Revolving Fund if the same is, approved by the Attorney General.. Council rece:ived recommendations for reappointment of Murray Randall to the ~ivil Service Commission as follows: Building Service Employees International Union, Local 196. Port Angeles Central Labor Council. Port Angeles Local 155, I.B.1'.S. and P.M.W. It was mOved by Councilman Sandison that appointment be post- poned until December 5 meeting. 'Seconded by C?uncilman Brown~ The question voted was two for and three opposed. Motion did not carry. Councilman Wolfe acknowledged recommendations for Mr. Randall and commended him for diligent service. Mr. Wolfe then cited qualifications, proposed and nominated Reverend Robert Lieby as member of Civil i Service Commission. Councilman Sandison suggested appointment of a representative of labor and appointment should not be made until return oC Councilman McFadden. It was the opinion oC Council members that the Civii Service program should be a Cair deal and \;ommissioners should not be responsible to any pressure group but representatives of all the people. The nonunation was then seconded by Councilman Maxfield. It was' moved by Councilman Wolfe that appointment of Reverend Lieby !>e' confirmed. Seconded by Councilman Maxfield and carried. Council suggested that letter of commendation be sent to Mr. Randall expressing appreciation for faithful and able service. William H. Gwyiln appeared before the Council with quotations as read at previous meeting, mainly directive, and requested answer to the same. Councilman BrCM'n answered that directive was issued in open meeting when representatives of the POllution'C ontrol Commission and !Jon Morrison of Olympic Health District refused to approve further connections to the present sewer system until some progress is taken toward pollution control. Mayor Smith told Mr. Gwynn the "ouncil and Manager met with the Pollution COl}trol Commission to stUdy plan,.s and considered the plan they thought to best interest to the City according to requirements demanded. Also that another meeting is requested at which time it is hoped for complete unddrstanding and all questions answered. It was moved by Councilman Brown that the following quotations be made a part of Council Proceedings. Seconded by Councilman Sandison and carried. The following was read at the City Council meeting November 7. 1957 by W. H. Gwynn: On Feb. 22. 1957 the "Evening News" quotes Mr. Vergeer as saying, he thought statements government oC the city should be answered and the pUblic should be advised of the true quote) . ref1ect~ on the situation. (end of .' This is one statement of Mr. Vergeer's on which we all agree, but lets go further. In this same article Nt. Vergeer said (quote). The city has a Directive from the state to control pollution in the harbor, so had no alternative but to proceed as it did. The primary obligation of the city is to protect the health and welfare of the people. It is not fishing nor coloration of the water, nOr any other condition that has no bearing on health. The installation of the pollution control sewer is for sanitary reasons only and is on recommendation of the State 1I0ard of Health (end of quote). The public should also be advised of the true situation when an official of the City Government makes public statements, and ~ ,.. 570 Proceedings of the City Commission of the City of Port Angeles, Washington NoVllmber 2' ('nqti '"led 19-51_ "," . .""" ""'" """'",,. ","'" ..... ..... when asked for proof of statements cannot or does not come up- with the answers. :Especially when large sums of money are involved. As a governing body of this city, the CounCil's duty to the people is to investigate, check the statements with the records and clear the air once and for all. If the Council does not find the time, then an investigator should be hired, especially in view of the following: I On Monday Nov. 4, 1957, the. "Evening News" quotes Mr. Vergeer as saying at a meeting of Mayors, and other city. officials of Sequi11l, Forks, Winslow, Paulsbo, Bremerton and Port Townsend: The City, officials decided they must adopt a "wait and see" attitude regarding sewage disposal. A state official present said he felt the day when all cities would be required to build sewage disposal plants is not far in the future. Vergeer related the experiences of Port Angeles, where plans for the new $700,000 interceptor sewer system were first approved by the State Pollution Control Commission,-then called back for "restudy". As far as I know, the Commission is still studying the plans" Vergeer said. "HOW can you proceed with any plans if the state approves them, then changes its mind? The $20,000 we spent for'those plans may be money out the window, even though we .ve done our best to comply with state requirements" I cannot agree with Mr. Vergeer when he says the $20,000 we spent for the interceptor sewer plans may be money out the window, even though we have done our best to comply with state requirements. The State I P~llution Control COlIUIlission actually did a service to the people of Port Angeles. Had our city officials I had their way the people would have been in debt another million dollars or so. Fibreboard Products I bill would have been $50,000 or more, and last but not least our fishing and recreational area off Ediz Hook would have been the receiving waters for the-city's domestic sewage. I Port Angeles should be well aware of the activities which took place on .l!diz Hook itself and the waters outside the Hook this summer. It would be a crime to ever put an interceptor outfall in that area. Does the Council feel that Mr. Vergeer is doing a good jOb making this kind of a statement, knowing the Pollution Control Oommission will hear about it? I j[M~. Gwynn then presented statement read by John Trumbull which appears in Pollution Control Board minutes " of April 25, 1957, also published in the Evening News. It was moved by Councilman Wolfe that statement I be embodied in Council Proceedings. Seconded by Councilman . Brown and carried. ~ THIS IS MY STATElolENT READ TO THB"POLLUTION CONTROL C~IISSION ON RBC~D APRIL 25, 1957 BY JOlIN TRUMBULL. I am strongly opposed to the proposed tie-in of the discharge of sulphite waste liquor into the inter- ceptor sewer of the City of Port Angeles because SUlphite waste liquor is our largest single destroyer of young saloon and in ,the proposed project by the City of Port Angeles it would be discharged so as to con_ tact and kill young salmon migrating out of the Blwah river. ~ I am also opposed to any large 'expenditure of public funds for sewage disposal either by the proposed " "interceptor or by treatment until more pollution tests to determine the necessity therefor are taken and I made pUblic. The above statement was pUbliShed in the "Evening News" on -April 27th, 1957. Under the head of introduction of ReSOlutions, the following was introduced and read: RESOLUTION NO. 28- 57 A RESmLUTION transferring budget appropriations within the same classification in the Engineering Depart- ment of the City of Port Angeles. It was moved by Councilman Sandison that the foregoing Resolution be adopted. Seconded by Councilman Matthieu 81 d carried. Under the head of reading and passage of Ordinances, the following was placed on second reading: I ORDINANCE NO. 1405 AN ORDINANCE providing for fees for connection, inspection of pubHc sewers,' s~ptit tanks and other ,plumbing installations and amending Section 7 of Ordinance No. 930 of the City of Port Angel es passed ion the 4th day of MarCh, 1931. , ~,It w.../moved by Councilman Brown that the foregoing Ordinance be passed second reading, and finally adopte~. Seconded by Councilman Sandison and unanimously carried. l ' Under the head of introduction and reading of Ordinances, the fOllowing was introduced and read in full: I ' ORDINANCE NO. 1406 ,AN ORDINANCE of the City of Port Angeles, Washington approving and confirming the assessments and aSSess- ment roll of Local Improvement- District No. 175 for the improvement of the alleys in BlockS 33 and 34 by the construction of sanitary and storm sewers in said alleys and with 3" Type F asphaltic pavement 'and by doing all work necessary in connection therewith, levying and assessing the amounts thereof against the several lots. tracts, parcels of land and other property as shown on said assessment rOll,providing for the payment of such assessments into Local Improvement District No. 175 llund created by Ordinance No. 1386 of the City of Port Angeles passed and approved March 7, 1957. I ,.It was moved by Councilman Wolfe that the foregoing Ordinance be approved and adopted. Seconded by Council- man Brown and carried. ] No further business appearing, the meeting..... declared adjourned. I I 9 8,_ f ~ u~ (/ ~ Cler~ ,Jt.kfi-~ Mayor I ~