09-18-47SpMtg A Special Meeting of the City Council ef the City of Delray Beach was held ia
the City Manager's Office at 7:30 P.M. to censidar the cha~ ef the tax levy
as set up ia the budget prepared fer the fiscal year 1947-19~8, te previde fuads
for repair~ dasageo caused by the ster~ disaster of September 17th, with Mayer
M. M. De Witt in the Chair, and City Manager H. P. Edmend, City Atterney J. W.
Newli~, and the fellowing C~uncil~en present: F. B. Mc~eece, and J. B. S~ith,
a queru~ beiag present. :
~ayor De Witt advised the Council that Mr. 6arland P. Thayer~ Building Cc~-
tractor had asked that the City request all Roofing Contractors to pool their
facilities in repairing damaged properties before continuing with their ccatraot
work.
After discussion, the Council instructed City M~mager Edmond to write letters
to all Roofing Contractors asking the~ to cooperate ia repairing stora damaged
roofs as quickly as possible, in accordance with the above request.
~ayor DeWitt then explained that no provision had been ~ade in the new budget
for an emergency such as ~as caused by the hurricane on September 17th, and so~e
~eans would have to be provided for cleaning up the ~Aw~ge in the town iaeediately,
as the tourist season would soon be here.
City M~aager Edacad outlined a plan for raising the necessary funds, suggesting
that an emergency levy of two ~ills be placed on the Tax Roll, which would raise
appro~tely $18,000.00, and should cover the cost of cleaning the street~ and
carrying away trees and shrubbery which were blmm down, this e~ergeaey levy to
be set aside for only e~ergen~y work caused by the storm damage.
As the Tax Roll had been completed, and the tax bills were ready to be ~ailed
out, it would mean adding an extra emergency ~dJ.lage to each bill, as the ~ Ms
too short to rewrite the Tax Roll and prepare new bills.
The consensus of opinion of the Council was that the best ~ay to raise the
funds needed for repairing the storm damage would be to add an emergency levy of
two mills to the Tax RoLl, as outlined above, the revenue to be set aside for
only emergency work, for ~aking streets safe for trafffic, and taking a~ay blewn
do~n trees and shrubbery, includ~-~ debris frc~ private property, especially
.where houses were beiag endangered.
City M~er Edmond was instructed to contact the State Road Department at
once, asking then to start a survey of the d~-~ge to the State Road aleng the
ocean, and also to ask the County Cc~missioaers and Research Develelment Bcar~
to assist in getting i~aediate action.
Xt was pointed out that no repairs could be made to the beach pavilio~ o~
a~ restoration of the beautification of the beach ~ade until the Beach road
has bean rebuilt, and that it would be necessary to use the City mined lot Just
nm-th of the Seacrest ffotel~for parking purposes this winter.
City ~anager Ed~ was given full authority to clea~ up the streets and
damaged property as quickly as possible, using all privately oened trucks a~d
equtl~aent available, as MI1 as City forces a~ equipment.
19/7
C~uneil then adjourned to the next r~. gular ~eeting to be held ea Tuesday,
September 23rd, at 7:30 P.M.
~ - -- city' Clerk