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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/02/55 November 2, 1955 The. regular meetlng of the City Council of the City of Bremerton, Washing- ton was held in the Court Room, City Hall at iO:00A.M., November 2, 1955. Mayor Domstad presiding with Commissioner Cullin, Commissioner Wheaton, City Clerk Mc- Gowan, City Attorney Holland, City Auditor Vaa, City Engineer Severance, Water Superintendent Casad and representatives of the radio and press and a large group of local business and professional men in attendance. Motion by Mr. Wheaton and Miss Cullin that the minutes of the previous meet- ing be approved as written, carried. The City Clerk announced that it was the time and theplace set for the hear- ing on the proposed L.I.D. on Nipsic Avenue from East l?th Street to Cascade Trail and East 18th Street to 332.56 feet west. The City Clerk began to read the protests that had been received against the proposed L.I.D. but City Attorney Holland suggested that the Clerk turn them over to the City Engineer for duecking to see if they were valid, before he continued. It was decided to proceed with the remaining business until the Engineer returned with his recommendation. The City Clerk reported that the Police Department had requested authorization to call for bids for three 12 volt transmitters~ adding that the money will come from next year's budget. Motion by Mr. Domstad and Mr. Wheaton authorizing the City Clerk to call for bids on the transmitters, carried. The City Clerk announced that an election had been held on November 1st to determine whether or not the City's Retirement System should become coordinated with Social Security and the results were as follows: for coordination: 97~ against coordination: ?, three employees did not vote. Motion by Miss Cullin and ~r. Domstad to execute application and agreement to integrate Soc£al Security with the Employees Retirement System, effective Jan- uary l, 1955, carried. The City Clerk read notices of separation for Victor R. Kit~s and Daniel L. Olsen, Water Distribution Department. Motion by Mr. Wheaton and Mr. Domstad to approve the separations, carried. The City Clerk read changes in pay for: John P. Grande from extra labor Water Supply to Engineering Aide, Union River Development at $2.00 per hour; LaMar Keller from Motorcycle Patrolman ak $345.00 to Patrolman at $339.00 per month; William Williams from Patrolman 2/c to Motor Cycle Patrolman at $340.00 per month. Motion by Mr. Domstad and Mr. ~heaton to approve the changes in pay, car- ried. The City Clerk read notice of employment for Paul Knight, extra labor at $1.77 per hour in the Water Distribution. Motion by Mr. Wheaton and Miss Cullin to approve the employment, carried. November 2, 1955 (Con't) The City Clerk read payroll voucher for period ending October 31, 195'5 in the amount of $39,912.75, payroll warrant Moa.~ 60341 through 60888. Motion by Miss Cullin and Mr. Wheaton to approve~the vouhher, carried. The City Clerk read a letter from City Auditor Wendell Vaa which asked that the following emergency appropriation be made as the audit for 1984 has been com- pleted at a cost of $1,439.79 and in order to reimburse Kitsap County for this ex- amination the following will be needed: Salary, State Examiner, $209.1§ and Maint- enance and Operation for State Examiner, $209.15, making a total of $418.30. Motion by Miss Cullin and Mr. Wh~aton to approve the appropriation, carried. The City Clerk read a letter from residents and property owners of Baymount Place which requested that the City of Bremerton grade and fill the turn around area which has been established at the dead end road of Baymount Place. Mr. Wheaton asked that the matter be deferred for a week until the City has a chance to talk to the County Engineer as part of this property is in the County. The City Clerk read a letter from the Association of Washington Cities in regard to the Annual Water Works School which is to be held November 3, 4 and 5th at Washington State College at Pullman. The City Clerk read a letter from City Engineer Severance in which he' recom- mended that two deeds dedicating the right of way for the extension of East 29th Street in the Plat of Sierra Terrace Addition be accepted by the Council and re- corded. Motion by Mr. Wheaton and Mr. Domstad to concur in the Engineer's recommend- ation, carried. The City Clerk read a letter from the Kitsap County Restaurant Association which stated that a meeting of their organization on October 13th a motion was passed opposing the increase in the bm~iness and occupation tax. The City Clerk read ~rdinance No. 2130 amending Use and area maps of Ordinance No. 1792 and declaring an emergency. Motion by Mr. Wheaton and Mr. Domstad to pass Ordinance No. 1792, carried un- animously. The City Clerk read ~rdinance No. 2131 relating to and regulating the loca- tion, storage, transportation~ hauling and use of liquified petroleum gases known as Butane, ropane and others, providing a permit therefor, and providing a penalty for the violation of this ordinance, amending Section 8 of Ordinance No. 1827 and declaring an ~mergency. Motion by Mr. Domstad and Mr. Wheaton to pass Ordinance No. 2131 carried un- animously. City Engineer Severance returned with the results of his checking on Ohe pro- tests received on the proposed L.I.D. on Nipsic Avenue. The City Clerk read protests from the following: John Leyden, Ernest Mac- Donald, Robert Maskinthine, Irvin Knopf, Harold and Mary Virginia Wickland, Minnie L. Grisson, L.B. Archer, Samuel Kahn and W.B. Saterwaite. He then read the letter and recommendation from Mr. Severance whA~ stated that the total protest was $1,266.22, the Assessment Cost, $13,266.71 and the percentage of protest was 9.54 and since the protest is not sufficient as provided by law, herrecommended that the necessary ordinance be passed and the district ~stablished. Motion by Mr. Wheaton and Miss Cullin to concur in the Engineer's recommend- ation, carried. The City Clerk read Ordinance No~ 2132 approving the maps, plans and specifi- cations for the improvement of Nipsic Avenue from East 17th Street to Cascade Trail and of East 18th Street from Nipsic Avenue to 332.56 feet west, by the construction of concrete curbs ~nd gutters an~ five foot concrete sidewalks. Motion by Mr. Wheaton and Mr. Domstad to pass the ordinance No. 2132, carried. The City Clerk read ~rdinance No. 2133 providing for the improvement of Nipslc Avenue from East 17th Street to Cascade Trail and East 18th Street ~rom Nipsic Ave. to 332.56 feet west by the construction of concrete curbs and gutters and five foot concrete sidewalks all in accordance with the plans, maps and specifications on file in the office of the City Clerk establishing an improvement district, providing for the levying of assessments for the payment of such improvement and making such im- provement payable b~. bonds. Motion by Mr. Wheaton and ~r. Domstad to pass Ordinance No. 2132, carried. The City Clerk read a report from the Citizens Committee and the Taxation Com- mittee of the Chamber of Commerce in regard to the 1956 budget deficit in the a- mount of $123,160.65. The report stated that #86,380.00 in savings and adjustments can be made by following these recommendations: 1. Business and Occupation Tax enforcement, $25,000.00 2. Net Saving of 1985, $37,380.00. November 2, 1955 (Con't) 5. Business and Occupation License Revenue increase, $9,000.00 4. Property Tax increase, $9,000.00. 5. Use of the City Hall Fundsi.$~2',000.00,. This will bring the deficit of $125,160.65 down to $37,780.65 and the com- mittee stated that in the past three years the budget expenses and the actual expense had been in excess of the needs for the year and they feel that 1956 will result in a reasonable excess, also. Mr. Domstad then asked City Auditor Vas if he had an opinion e~ethe matter and he gave the following report: 1. The $25,000.00 that was n~t collected was a comparison reported to the State and the City, the State collects Tax on liquor and gasoline and the City does not. 2. The figures given to the Tax Committee from Olympia covered the busi- ness done in the. Bremerton area, which would include business outside the city limits. 3. The Committee stated that 50% of the extracting in the County takes place in the City, and extracting is mining, lumbering and fishing and there is none of that in the City so these figures must include outside areas. 4. The net deficit that the committee gave of $37,380.65 gave no consider- ation to the Traffic Maintenance FUnd deficit of $3,000.00 and no consideration to the Street Department Fund deficit of $24,000.00. 5. The license increase of $2,000.00: Mr. Vas stated that he had checked and there is $2,000.00 idfference between the licenses sold from the first of October of this year the the first of October of last year. 6. The estimated saving of $37,380.65: No consideration had bee~made for the $21,000.00 and the saving and expendituresof $23,000.00. Mr. Vas then stated that the property tax increase is all right and if the Council wishes to use the money in the City HallFund the money is available, he also stated ~that if the Cit~ is losing $25,000.00 in the business and occupation tax it would be based on $25,000,000.00 worth of busines~ and it doesn't seem possible in Bremerton. Thbse present at the meeting expressed the following opinions: Lloyd Dunning stated that if the Commissioners would make every effort pos- sible to save they could save, the saving depends on their efforts. The only way we can see what is wrong is to enforce the collection of the business and occupation tax. He stated that the Tax Committee has begun to see what a pro-~ blem the City has and they are trying to work with the Commissioners on this problem. ~r. Domstad said that he appreciated the Committee asking the City to work with them. Miss Cullin said that the City is planning on hiring an auditor to go out to all business firms to check their records and see if they are paying their business and occupation tax. Mr. Pineo stated that he knows of a contractor who hat not been paying bus- iness tax and he asked if the ~ity had been checking all businesses, there must be some who are not paying. ~r. Vaa said that the Treasurer checked in the telephone directory and found about half a dozen firms that were not registered with the City. Mr. McCallum said the Tax Committee learned of some outside businesses that were doing business inside the city limits that are not paying the tax they should. Mr. Wheaton stated that he would go along with ~r. Vaa's figures and also that he th~ks them for making the effort they have made. The City Clerk read a~proposed ordinance relating to and providingfor'the exaction and collection of a license upon the act or privilege of engaging in certain business adtivities, occupations, pursuits and privileges, amending Section 2 of Ordinance No. 191? as amended by Ordinance No. 2002 and 2221 to take effect on the 1st day of January, 1956. Motion by Miss Cullin and Mr. Wheaton to approve the ordin~ce on first reading, carried. Mr. McCallum asked if the Council was going to approve the ordinance today and then pass'it if they are not satisfied with'the recommendation of the Com- mittee. He further stated that this was the third time that the committee had been asked to give an opinion and they have not been used. The ordinance will be up for referendum if it is passed. Mr. Dunning stated that they are still opposed ~o any increase in the bus- iness and occupation tax. Merle Budd stated that everything was going along fine and they were work- ing as a team, it seems to him that they are taking away a lot of good will in adopting the ordiAance. You will hav~ time to study it and still put the tax in effect, if you won't cooperate with the Chamber there is nothing they can do. Mr. Bryan stated that it doesn't seem that the Council should have to go to another board to get advice about making up the budget. The purpose of the Council is to run the City on the money available. The citizens are against the increased tax for city purposes. Mr. Domstad stated that he has only been in office a sh~t time,but it the tax increase passes he will take the blame for it if the citizens feel he is at fault. November 2, 1955 (Con't) Nr. Couse said that the group feels that the City needs more money but he understood that other means were to be ~und for raising the money other than the raising of the business and occupation tax. ~e thinks tha~ a further study should be made. Nr. Baker asked if the Council. realize~ what harm they were doing to the City. What is ~he increase going to do to new businesses that want to come to Bremerton, they won't settle here because the business and occupation tax Will be higher than in other cities. This tax is not fair or just. Nr. McCallum stated that the committee feels that no additional money is nec- essa~y if the City will use saving. Mr. Holland stated that the Court Case on the ~ane~eABridge will be held Fri- day, in Olympia and the public is invited. Notion by Nr. Domstad and Niss Cullin that the bills be paid, carried. Notion by Mr. Domstad .and Nr. Wheaton that the meeting be adjourned, carried. APPROVED: City Cl~rk