HomeMy WebLinkAbout09/08/65 September ~, 1965
Regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Bremerton, Washington, was held in
the Council Chambers of the City Hall at lO:O0 AM D.S.T. September 8, 1965, with Mayor
Jarstad presiding. Also present were the following: Commissioner Clark, City Clerk Mc-
Gowan, City Attorney Fisher, ~tty Engineer Mebus; Fire Chief Tillett, Water Superintendent
Humble, Assistant Chief of Police Wes Henry and a representative o£ the press. Commis-
sioner Schoneman was on vacation.
Meeting was called to order by Mayor Jarstad and the invocation was given by the Mayor
City Clerk read the minutes of the last meeting and they were approved as amended.
September 8, 1965 (Cont'd)
City Clerk read the general claim covering the payroll period ended August 31, 1965,
in the amount of $63,828.08 approved by Austin C~ark and audited by Wendell Vas.
Motion by Mr. Clark and M~. Jarstad the claim be approved, carried unanimously.
City Clerk read a claim for damages signed by Michael E. Paulus covering damages
suffered when his car was hit by a street sweeper making a U-turn.
City Clerk reported the incident to the insurance company before the Claim for Dam-
ages came through because the operator of the sweeper had already turned in a report.
City Clerk read a letter dated September 7, 1965, and signed by Ted R. Tillett, Fire
Chief, requesting 1,O00 feet of 24" fire hose be declared surplus and disposed of in the
best interests of the City.
Motion by Mr. Jarstad and Mr. Clark to comply with the request, carried unanimously.
City Clerk read a letter addressed to Gerard Fisher, City Attorney, signed by
l~alph I. White, Attorney at Law, dated August 31, 1965 regarding his forwarding of an
original W~rranty Deed, signed by Mr. Leo Dallin and his wife, conveying property owned
by them to the City of Bremerton for the stated consideration of $8,000. The letter requested payment be made by September 5, 1965.
City Clerk announced that purchase of this particular piece of property had already
been approved by the Council on August ll, 1965.
During the meeting, Mr. White telephoned regarding the letter. Mr. Fisher assured
him the warrant would be in his hands by the end of the week.
Motion by Mr. Clark and Mr. Jarstad to authorize the City Clerk to issue the warrant
and transmit it to the office of the City Attorney, carried unan~.mously.
Mr. Clark commented that this particular piece of property has been in the heart
of the water sheet land for years and it is a pleasure to see the transactions to acquire
the land finally taking place.
City Clerk read a statement signed by City Attorney Fisher relative to the purchase
of property near the water shed from Robert F. and June A. Smith for a total cost of
~1,004.58.
~otion by Mr. Clark and Mr. Jarstad to approve the purchase, carried unanimously.
City Clerk had a voucher for rental on a roller used for the Job on Park Avenue
which exceeded the $500 limitation set forth in the charter. City Clerk requested
approval of the voucher and payment of the rental in the amount of $572.06.
Motion by Mr. Jarstad and Mr. Clark to concur with the request, carried unanimously.
City Clerk had a petition s i~ned by Dr. D. L. McCarthy and approximately ten other
people requesting establishment of a Local Improvement District on Park Avenue from
1Vth Street to the end of Park Avenue for removal of existing concrete walk and asphal-
tic concrete street and replacing with ~ew concrete walk, curb, gutter, and street.
Motion by Mr. Clark and Mr. Jarstad the petition be referred to the City Engineer
for preliminary cost estimates, carried unanimously.
Motion by Mr. Clark and Mr. Jarstad to pay all bills that are approved by a major-
ity of the iJommissioners, carried unanimously.
l~r. Clark reported on the August 31 position of the City's budget: to date, in
the tax supported funds as of August 31, cash on hand was $140,691.55, which is actually
double the amount on hand at this time in any one of the past seven years.
Mr. Clark also commented that the receipts have baen the highest at this point and
the expenditures the lowest at this point tha~ they haw? been in the last s~ven years,
but he also stated that this fact is affected by the status of some bills in progress
at this point.
City Attorney Fisher stated he was instructed to get Council approval at this
meeting concerning an easement from the school district for sewer lines and pump station
for the school district across state school property, but expressed a desire to talk
to Mr. Humble before he would advise the Council to accept the easem~n2~'.
Motion by Mr. Clark and Mr. Jarstad the easement be accepted subject to the City
Attorney checking it and determining that it is, in fact, complete, carried unanimously.
Both Mr. Jarstad and Mr. Clark expressed their sorrow at the recent passing of
City Employee, Howard Finn, and County Commissioner Frank Young.
Mr. Jarstad reported on the Second Street Dock stating that it is in poor condition
and work is in progress tearing up planking in front of the Second Street Building to
use the area for street purposes.
Mr. Jarstad also indicated his pleasure with the construction under way in the City
providing for more and better p~rking facilities.
Mr. Jsrstad reported the night Council meetings will res~me again in October meet-
ing the Second Thursday of each month.
Mr. Jsrstad mentioned the problems in the Cities with deterioration resulting in
poverty and crime and the constant efforts to beautify the cities. He also expressed
the hope that a possible improvement in Bremerton would be taking the telephone poles and
lines underground--a project which has been done in many cities and which greatly improves
the areas.
September 8, 1965 {Cont'd)
Several. people were present concerning proposing a leash law to be passed by the
City.
~rs. Dombrausky approached the Council first and stated that Mr. Bucholz, the ~an
who started the leash law action, could not be present and had appointed her as spokesman
for him. He had contacted several businesses in the downtown area and seven out of ten
of them were in favor of having a leash law. Also, people from out of state vlsit~ng
Bremerton ~ave commented on the number of dogs running loose in Bremerton. Mrs. Dom-
brausky further pointed out that several cities and towns in the state have had leash
laws for some time. She then pointed out that she and a few other citizens have circu-
lated petitions and obtained 1,180 signatures plus outstanding petitions.
Mrs. Lloyd Outzen commented that she has had to clean up after dogs on her property
and also mentioned the hazards which dogs running at large present to bus and car drivers.
Mr. Barber inquired as to what theCouncil has done toward preparing for a leash haw.
Mr. Jarstad stated the real problem would come with enforcing the law and policing
it. 'i~nis is the reason the Council is taking a long time to indicate any specific action
on the matter.
There was some discussion as to why the Humane Society stated there will never be
a leash law in Bremerton as was alleged by one of the people present.
In reply, Mr. Clark stated he did not know the reason for such a statement, but that
the Bremerton area has taken some rather progressive advances in the creation of a very
active Hu~mane Society and County-wide operation theft has at least bean a~step in the
right direction. He further commented that the purpose for delay in this matter is to
try to interpret as best can be done tha wishes of tha majority of the people and try
to meet the neeSs of the majority; and as to whether or not we have taken any steps
toward passage of a l~w, we have not taken any at this point, but we listen and try to
reflect the interests of the people. The simple passage of a law is not enough. If
it is passed, it is going to have to be enforced, and this is where both the financial
and programming problems will arise.
at this point, Josephine Milton approached the Council and stated in her opinion it
would be better to have a law that you could enforce ~an to have no law at all and one
of the first steps in passing a leash law would be the beautification of the City.
Mr. Barber than approached the Council and wanted to know just what they would have
to do to try to get the law passed.
City Attorney Fisher replied they could bring the matter before the Council in the
form of an initiative accompanied by an Ordinance which would then be taken to a vote
of the people. But, Mr. Fisher cautioned the people to seek legal Council in these
matters. Mr. Clark commented at this point that the initiative would require 25~ of
the registered voters of the last election that v~ted for the office of Mayor.
Mr. Clark further commented he would like to confer more with the indiviUuals in
the ~zmane Society and the Police Department before he would really say for sure what
his decision would be.
City Clerk pointed out that the ordinance to be attached to the initiative petition
should be very carefully ~rafted because it cannot be changed after submission to the
Council. If the Council rejects the Ordinance, it must go to a vote of the people in
the form in which it is presented to the Council.
After some discussion on th~ part to be p~ayed by the Ht~ane Society, City Clerk
pointed out that the Humane Society is not the men who drive the trucks. There is,
in fact, a commission comprising the Society and those are the people to whom ques-
tions should be directed. The decisions are made by the Board of the Humane Society,
not by the men who drive the trucks.
Mr. Verhaege approached the Council stating he had parked his car behind the Skipper
Tavern and went to catch a ferry. The car was towed away and damaged in the towing
process~ He had the car fixed and wanted to know the proper procedure for submitting
the bill to the towing company.
Mr. Jarstad stated the proper procedure would be between the private property owner
and the towing company an~ the City is not involved.
Meeting adjourned. APPROVED:
GLENN K. JARST~- MAYOR
E. H. T. McGow'an, City Clerk