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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1945-04-09 Meetingi • z~ MINUTES LA PORTE CITY COUNCIL APRIL 9, 1945, 8:~0 P.M. Meeting was Balled to •rder by Mayor Ruff with the following Aldermen and City Officials prasent: Ald. M. D, Burgin, J. N, Johnson, P. L. Beffison, George F. Norris, T. F. Smith, City Atty. giibler, City Secretary Sharp. ~, 11~`' r Minutes •f the last meeting were read and approved. Bills M+ti+n by Burgin, seo+xd by Snith,that the f+llowing schedule •f bills in the an+unt •f ~46s.84 be allowed and ordered paid. 9Pn. H. Baugh 5, pp Burroughs Adding Machixe Co. .97 The Cargill C+. 1.41 Daily Sun 37.®® Gibb's Sh+p .90 H+ust+n Lightixg & Power Co. 161.98 H+ustom Natural Gas C+rp. 10.51 Humble Oil do Refining Co. i4.2rj Office Supply C+. 11.50 Ferber Motor Co. ,85 La Porte Hard~,re Co. 16.04 La Porte Luxber Co. 13.15 McMillan Chevrolet Co. 19.5i Magnolia Petroleum Co. .98 Meyer*Blanke Cs. 24.A0 Muaioipal Supply Co. 52.0 Pfeiffer Electric C+. x.•85 Mrs. Harold H. Sharp, City Secy. 4.73 S+uthrrestern Bell Telephone C+. 15.5® Le• J. St+up 5.5® Thomas Hardware 67.65 fright Motor Freight Lines.` .57 - ~ - Carried. Dan Gates M+tiox by Ssi.th, ssdend by Benson, that the asiouat •f refund Reid due D~ Gates, on his shell dep+si t, •f X74.66 be paid. Carried. .Bill, Kilgore M+ti+n by Norris, seoond b Bens+a, that the bill froggy Johx gilgore in the aat+unt •f $79.6® be tablei• Carried. Electi+n board Motion by Burgin, seoond by J+hnson, that the Mayor and City Secretary be authorized to issue warrants t• pay the Election B+ardf amount i• be paid #5.®0 each. Carried. Southwestern Bell The Secretary presented a check in the amount •f ~178.~9 in Telephone Co. payment •f tax +n gross reoeipts due the City •f La Porte, Check for Texas for period Prom January 1, 19h4 to December 31,°1g44 Gross Reepts. ~io119~e, together with annual report for year ended Ded. , 2S0 • r~ Motion by Burgin, seoeYd by Snith,that the City accept the South- western Bell Teleph•nes Company's check, that the report be placed on Pile and •ffiaial receipt issued t• the Telephone Co. Carried. City Lets Motioa by Johnson, second by Smith, that the sale •f City lots behind the, La. Porte Hardware Co. be turned over t• the City Attorney t• be worked out with approval •P Cousail. '' Carried. Texas Liquor Motion, by Smith, second by Johnson, that the City Secretary be `'ontrel Beard instructed t• write a letter t• the Tezas Liquor Coatrol Beard aivising that the Council has approved application •f Forbes Li~aer Stare # 2 lsaated at West Main Year nth t• move to property sow •aaupied by C. C. Williams at 3A9 West Main St. Carried. ~ffiae •f De- Motion by Benson, second by Burgin that the City Secretary be fense Trans. authorised t• write,a letter t• the Of'fiae of Defense 'Pxanspor- tation recommending Bill Jones •f La Porte for a permit to •perate a tazioab in La Porte. Carried. Dead End St. Motisn by Benson, eea•ad by Johnson, that the aatber •f the sign "Dead End Street", placed by Mrs. Helen Rich es East Maier Street be turned •ver t• the Street ~ Alley Ce~nittee t• work out with Mrs. Rich and property owners en So, lgth St. Carried. Ming machine Motion by Norris, second by Johnsen, that the City purchase International Mowing Machine from Browning-Ferris Machinery Co., Houstoxi, Tezas. Carried. Toppimg Sts. Alderssat Norris reported that he and Aldermen Smith and Qohnsoa inspected the material for topping streets at Parker Bs~s., Houston, Tezas ssd that it set with theft approval. Grading e Mr• F• R• Boyle appeared before the Council in regard t• the grading •P streets at Blocks 292, 293 and '' v, La Porte. Motion by Norris, seaond;by Smith, that the streets at Blocks 292,, 293 axid 3A6 be graded as soon as weather permits and grass .has been mowed by Pfeiffer Electric Co. Carried. Eleatien Re- Motion by Johnsen second by~Benson, that the returns •f the City turns. Eleetien held on April 3, 19l~5 be oamvassed. Carried. The Eleatien Report was presented as f~llewss For Aldermen to sotto two yearsa Jesse J. Roark 111 Votes J. Nt Johnson 135 Votes T. F. Smith 126 Votes J• L• ~nhan 2 Votes S. P. Merrit 2 Votes fan ~ylor 1 Vote George Sha la Votes i ''~ . Janes DeLaw er City Mari hall 1 Vete ~ ~ ~i The Mayor declared J.N. Johnson, T. F. Smith and Jesse J. Roark eleoted t• serve as Aldermen for the City •f ~. I~;' ~ Porte far two years. The aew11 eleoted •ffieers were sworn in axd administered the vatli •f •ffice by Mayor Ruff. Motion by Burgin, second by Benson, that the meeting ad~oura. Carried. The new City Council was called t• •rder by Mayor Ruff with the following Aldermen and City Officials present: Ald. J. N, Johnson, P. L, Benson, J. J. Roark, T. F. Smithi Geo. F. Norris, City Atty. Kiibler, City Secretary Sharp. Mayor Ruff addressed the members •f the Council, advocatin a change in the farm •f the governing body •f the City •f Porte. The following is a copy •f the address made by the Mayor: Ror the past several years I, as well as ether membbrs •f the City Goverxmeat and ether citizens, have advoeated a ohange is the form •f the governing body •f the City •f La Porte. I personally favor a farm •f government whereby the aembers oP the City Council •r geveraiag body will be reduced to three members and whereby one individual will be employed om a full ~~' time basis for a reasonable aompensatioa, t• attend t• the ie- '~!"~ tailed affairs •f the City, with the governing body noting as an advisory board, with power amd authority t• employ or appoint all other City •ffioials and employees. Our present farm •f government, with a Council composed •f sin men who are engaged in earning their living elsewhere and who serge without due compensation axd at an expense out of thedr own packets, has, in ~sy opinion, proved unsatisfactory. As I understand the laws applicable to towns •f the sizo and popu- lation •f La Porte, the most feasible form, without necessity •f an enactment by the Legislature of the State, would be a commission Porn •f government. Our govermment can be s• changed by an election •f the people after proper petition and other procedure. The governing body would consist •f a Mayor and two C~mmissioaers, who would have the power and duty t• appoint and employ a City Clerk, with all the duties of City Secretary, City Treasurer, Assessor and Collector, to appoint all ether •ffioials and employees •f the City. The Commission would fin the compensation •f all •f such •fficiale and em- ployees~and would h,we p~rwer to disohar~e say axd employ ethers. The compensation •f the Mayor sad Commissioners would be Pined by the City Csamissioa themselves. 'Tho Nayorts ecs+~ssation is a town the size •f La Porte could be as high as X1,200.00 per year sad the salaries •f the Coms-issioaers vould be as high as ~6EiO.t~0 pa~sh per year. At the election which ohaxges the form •f government would be eleoted tyro Commissioners, who would serve until the first Tuesday •f the following April sad thereafter be eleoted every two years for a term •f two years. The present Mayor would hold over and serve out his unexpired term and thereafter be eleoted for a ~~/ ~,. '~ r .. Appointments • taro of two years, at the City general election. The cast t• the City for the present City Council is the sum oY ~72A.AA per year. IInder the City Commission Perm •~ Qevernaent the eoat can be, and in all probability would be X2,40®.00. How- ever, I believe that the City would be acre efficiently operated axd that it would be a~ney well spent. I would like t• have the cooperation oP the Guneil, the sitizens of La Porte mad all civic bodies in bringing A11t~t such a change in our government and I will assist in the preparation and circulation of the required petitions. It undoubtedly will .require several months t• go through proper procedure and hold the election. If the election is held a taw months frog now the Mayor will hold over until next April and the two newly elected Commissioners will `serve oYly until next dpril, at whieh tine the City would have t• have another electidn only a few months later, with a lame duck administra- tion during the meantime. I think it would be bettcr for us to arrange to have the election for the change ix the fora of government set for the Pirst Tuesday in next April, at which tine the Mayor's tern oP office will expire, ud all three members of the Comnissioa would be elected then and thereater the City would have an eleetion o81y Query other year and then for the full Commission. I will appreciate your givin these matters your seriouw eon- sideration. and I would like t• have your ideas about a better form of government for the efficient operation of the city SIGNED Fred R. Ruffy `Mayor The Mayor announced the following appoixtmonts for the fiscal year •f 1945-1946• Fire Committee l~-ater Committee J. ~1. Johnson J. N..Johnson P. L. Bexison Sewer Committee Geo. F. Norris Tax Committee T. F. Smith `J, N. Johnson P. L. Bensox J. J. Roark Police Committee Relief Committee P. L. Benson J T. F. Spith . J. Roark J. N. Johnson Finance Committee Bldg. Committee T. F. Smith J. J.~RoarY Goo. F. Norris Geo. F. Norris St• ~ Alley Committee Mayor Pro-Tea Geo. F. Norria Geo. F, Norris J• J. Roark T. F, Smith ;'I~I ~ ;,, G City Attorney Jxo. S. Kiibler- Health Officer Electrical Board D. R. Aves P. L. Benson C. 0. Crenshaw Water Mell ~, White ~topreseatixg ~. Dasnenbaum Co, appeared before the equip. Council and discussed dater Well Equipmext and supplies. Johnnie ~otios by Norris, second by Johxson, that Johnnie Throxtox be Thornton employed by the City at 70~C per hour t• start immediately if satisfactory with him axd that he be raised t• ?5¢ per hour after two weeks if his work proves satisfactory. Carried. Motion by Smith, seeoxd by Norris, that Mayor Ruff retaix the general supervisiott •P the water system for the Doming year. Carried. a prices, Motiox by Johnsox, secosd'by Norris, that the City ixvestigato deters ~ prices on rYater meters axd pipe, t• be purchased wher. seeded. Pipe ~,rried. Motion by S~eith, seeoxd by Norris, that the ~aeetixg adjourn. Carried. ~~ ~ ~ i~. ~ ~ -= , ecretary,City •f Ports, xas ~ yor, ity •f •rte, 293