1957 12 11 CC MinutesMINUTES OF THE REGULAR -
MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BAYTOWN
December ll, 1957
The City Council of the City of Baytown, Texas met in regular session on
Wednesday, December 11th, 1957 at 7:00 o'clock p.m. in the Council Room of the
Baytown City Hall with the following members in attendance:
James C. Garrison Councilman
W. C. Swain Councilman
Al Clayton Councilman
Lacy Lusk Councilman
R. H. Pruett Mayor
C. D. Middleton City Manager
George Chandler City Attorney
Edfia :Oliver City Clerk
Absent: P. H. Mears councilman
W. L. Ward Councilman
The Mayor called the meeting to order. Councilmen Clayton moved to dispense
with the regddng of the minutes of the regular meeting of November 26th and the
Special meeting of December 3rd and they be approved. Councilman Garrison se-
conded the motion. The roll call vote was as follows:
Roll Call: Ayes: Gounci.lman Clayton Nays: None
H Swain
" Garrison
It Lusk
Mayor Pruett
Williams and Martin - Reauent B&U Increase - Taxicab Servic
Meaars• Williams and Martin, local operators who hold a Taxicab Franchise
with the City of. Baytown, . petitioned the Council for an ordinance allowing a
rate increase for each company effective as of January let, 1958. They proposed
a 50 par mile increase, 35¢ to 40¢. and a $0.05 for each 1/5 mile thereafter.
Councilmen Lusk moved to adopt an ordinance granting the rate increase of $0.05
per mile with 5¢ for each 1/5 of mile beginning with the second mile of fare
travel, this to be effective as of January let, 1958- Councilman Garrison seconded
the motion. The roll call vote was as follows:
Roll Call: Ayes: Councilman Clayton Nays: None
Garrison
Swain
" Lusk
Mayor Pruett
The caption of the ordinane a follows-
ORDINANCE NO. 457
AN ORDINANCE REGULATING TAXICAB TRANSFORUPTION; DEFINING TERMS; PROVIDING
FOR ENFORCEMEWT; REQUIRING FM= AND INSPECTION; REQUIRING CERTIFICATE
OF PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY; REQUIRING STATE CHAtwinuR'S LICENSE;
SPECIFYING RATES AND FARES TO BE CHARGED; REQUIRING TERMINALS; REQUIRING
C INSURANCE; REQUIRING TAXI DRIVERS TO CONVEY PASSENGERS; SPECIFYING REGO-
LATIONS ON DRIVERS, PASSENGER, LOST ARTICLES; SPECIFYING LIMITATIONS ON
GRANT OR PERMIT AND PROVIDING MR SUSPENSION, REVOCATION, TERMINATION OR
CANCELLATION OF PERMITS; SPECIFYING PERMIT FEES; PROVIDING FOR TAXI METERS;
REQUIRING PASSENGERS TO PAY FARES; PROVIDING FOR PENALTIES; PROVIDING A
SAVINGS CLAUSE; PROVIDING A REPEALING CLAUSE; AND PROVIDING FOR THE
PUBLICATION A14D EFFECTIVE DATE HEREOF.
Honeycutt - Detention Ward Proposal
Rufus Honeycutt, manager of Brunson Theater, petitioned the Council to provide
facilities for a detention ward in Baytown. Recently the P,lice Department had been
faced with this need when juveniles were apprehended for destroying jltoperty within
the Brunson Theater. Since it is unlawful to place a juvenile in the same cell
block with adult prisoners, when arrests of this type are made at night the
prisoner must sit up all night or be taken to Houston. If they ]mow that they
will not be detained because of the lack of facilities to house them then the
police department is at a loss to thoroughly enforce the law against such '
juveniles. After some discussion, the Mayor referred the request to the Corpora-
tion Court Committee for study; a recommendation will be ;dada at a later
meeting.
The City Manager presented a letter from T. B. Trotter, Certified Public
Accountant, accepting the contract to addit the books of the city of Baytown
for the fiscal year 1957 -58; he also requested that the rate of pay be confirmed,
$40.00 per day Junior and $60.00 per day Senior accountants with total price
not to exceed $2,250.00 for fiscal year. Councilmen Garrison moved to make
confirmation of the contract price of $40.00 - $60.00 with a ceiling price
of $2,250.00 for fiscal year. Councilman Swain seconded the motion. The roll
call vote was as follows:
Roll Call: Ayes: Councilman Garrison Nays: None
" Clayton
" Swain
'_' :- Lusk
Mayor Pruett
All interested property owners met with the Council relative to the new
proposed plans of the State Highway Department to include an espanade in the
improvement of State Highway 146. A counter proposal was presented in that the
State would be requested to remove the present road bed, cut it to grade,
widen to a 4 or 6 land highway without an espanade. The question was dis-
cussed at length, the Council hearing a report from Mr, Chtds Myers, Chairman
of the Committee, appointed by Mayor Pruett to make a study of the needs of
the proposed highway project. He presented a petition listing the mates of
business men along Highway 146 who oppose the construction of an espanade on
the grounds that it would hurt their business. F. A. Richardson, local developer,
also presented a peitition urging the Council to do all things feasible to
hasten the completion of the proposed project of widening State Highway 146.
Councilmen Lusk moved to send a Committee composed of Mayor Pruett, City
Manager Middleton, Councilman Swain, City Attorney Chandler and Mr. C. R.
Myers, to Austin to confer with State Highway Officials and present the
counter proposal of removing the present road bed, cutting highway to grade,
widening to 4 or 6 lane without an espanade. Councilman Clayton seconded the
motion. The roll call vote was as follows:
Roll Cell: Ayes: Councilman Clayton Nays: None
" Garrison
" Swain
it Lusk
Mayor Pruett
The Committee appointed to make a study and recommendation for charge
fee per front foot of paving for property onwer participation in the Street
Paving Program for Baytown presented its recommendation for Council considera-
tion. It was recommended that there be a charge of eight ($8.00) dollars per
front foot to each property owne� or street pavement where the pavement and
the street parallel the property,4hat each petition requesting the City to
pave certain streets, or parts thereof, shall be handled on its own merits
by the Council; and (3) there will be a two (21) foot turn -out constructed
for each driveway, the length being of no concern with measurements from the
back of the curb. Councilman Clayton moved to accept the recommendation
of the Committee; the fee of $8.00 per front foot straight dharge be adopted
with the merits of the street and driveway turn -out. Councilman Garrison
seconded the motion. The roll call vote was as follows:
Roll Call: Ayes: Councilmen Clayton Nays: None
Garrison
" Swain
" Lusk
Mayor Pruett
The bids on the concrete pipe meeded to make installation of theWood-
lawn street storm sewer project were opened and we tabulated as follows:
1
/ /a7.
General Concrete Company 42" - 36" - 1811 reinforced concrete pipe
and 5000 brick - Less 24 -30 days $3,785.15•
Shaffer Brothers 42" - 36" - 18" reinforced concrete pipe
5000 brick - 2% -15 days - net 30 days $3,790.05
White Supply 42" - 36" - 18" reinforced concrete pipe
5000 brick - 2$-15 days - net 30 days $3,785.15
Councilman Lusk moved to accept the bids of White Supply and General
Concrete Construction Company; the order to be so given as to make purchase of
one -half of the concrete pipe and one -half of the brick from each company.
Councilmen Swain seconded the motion. The roll call vote was as follows:
Roll Call: Ayes: Councilman Clayton Nays: None
Garrison
" Swain
" Lusk
Mayor Pruett
Advertise — Mow Meters Main Line
Councilman Lusk moved to authorize theCity Manager to advertise far
bids on three 8-inch main line flow meters and two 6-inch main line flow meters.
Councilman Clayton seconded the motion. The roll call vote was as follows:
Roll Call: Ayes: Councilmen Clayton Nays: None
P. Garrison
" Swain
" Lusk
Mayor Pruett
Police Committee Recommendation
The Police Committee reported that a study had been made of the effec-
tive needs of patrolmng Oak Addition, a negroid subdivision, with people of
its kind. It was recommended that a colored patrolman be hired. Contacts
had been made by the Committee and a man can be hired, however, he is too old
to comply with the Civil Service requirements. City Attorney Chandler recommended
that he be given a salary by the city, however, his fob classification can be
designated as under the Constable of Precinct No. 3 with cooperation and
assistance to the Baytown Chief of Police. Such an arrangement can.be dram up
in a written agreement whereby he will be compensated by the city but job classi-
fication be designaged as a Deputy Constable under the direct supervision of
the Constable of Precinct No. 3. Councilrmn Garrison moved to accept the
recommendation of the Committee and the City Attorney; theCity Attorney be
instructed to prepare such an instrument for the signature of thecolored
Deputy; theCity Manager be instructed to make proper appropriation to cover the
salary of said patrolman on the basis of $125.00 per month for the remainder
of the fiscal yearp effective as of December 16, 1957. Councilman Clayton
seconded the motion. The roll call vote was as follows:
Roll Call: Ayes: Councilman Clayton Nays: None
" Garrison
" Swain
" Lusk
Mayor Pruett
The caption of the ordinance follows:
ORDINANCE NO. 458
AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER OF THE CITY OF BAYTOWN
TO APPROPRIATE ELEVEN HUNDRED HI6'HTY -SEVEN DOLLARS AND FIFTY -CENTS
($1,187.50) FROM THE UNAPMOPRIATED SURPLUS GENERAL FUND TO CLASSI-
FICATION 201 A -5.
1-Uscelleaous .
1k. LeFevre, City Accountant, was asked to make a separate audit of the
records of the Corporation Court.
The City Manager submitted sopies of two (2) proposed ordinances,
trailer courts ordinance and subdivision development, to the Council for
study and possible passage at the next regular meeting of the council.
Mr. Grantham, Director of Public Works, submitted copies of estimates
on the possible cost to the City should it do the construction work.on the
proposed improvement projects included in the street and storm sewer issues
recently approved by the voters of Baytown. The estimates included the
machinery, trucks, supervision, however, it excluded labor costs. The
Council accepted the estimates but no action was taken on them at this
meeting.
Bond Litigation -
The hbyor informed the Council that Ernest Brown, Jr., representative
of Moroney, Beissner & Company, had contacted him by telephone relative to
a recognized registered engineering firm checking the plans of the proposed
water and sewer projects outlined in the forthcoming improvements, approving
the proposed plans and signing and sealing such in preparation for a brochure
which will be presented to all interested bond buyers prior to the sale
on January 27th. Representatives from two engineering firms, Hedrick, Stanley
and Lightfoot, engineering firm of Houston and Broyles and Bynum of Baytown,
were present to submit qualifications of each firm and submit a proposal.
The Council favored using its own city engineer, A. J. Busch, Jr., insofar
as possible, and what he was unable to do will be given to a local firm for
completion. Since the program wns to be of such a long-range nature, it
was felt that a favorable solution could be worked out which will be agreeable
and acceptable by all concerned, giving the city the most money for the
least interest rate. After much discussion the group retired to the office
of the City Attorney for further discussion and a possible agreement, subject
to the approval of the City Council.
Ad iouraomrt
Councilman Garrison moved for the meeting to adjourn. Councilman
Lusk seconded the motion. The ayes were unanimous and the Mayor declared the
meeting adjourned.
. H. Prue t, Mayor
A=ST:
ulna Oliver, City Clerk