04-30-41 Special
1.701
COUNCIL CHl\1!ffiER
April 30, 1941
The Council met in special session at 7:30 1'. II. for
the purpose of receiving a recommenoa tion from the Chamber
of Commerce on a proposed City planning board, and for the
transaction of other busi:rn 3S deemed re cessary at this time.
The Citv Attorney ano the following councilmen were
present: l'r." Hill, !,lrc. Miller, l'r. 3abath and Mr. Scott.
!,(r. Jacobs waco ab~;en t.
Hr. Evving, Cha:il'man of' t)1e Chamb er of Comrrerce Planning
Board Committee, a(ldressed the Council in regard to tM
proposed plan, outlining its purpose and scope. He said there
seemed to be a little confusion in the mim s of' some people
in recopect to City plBIlning and City zoning, vihich though
overlapping in a measltr e, were not one a nd the samE, thing. In
City planning, he said it was usually considered necessary
to have a specialist come in, layout streets, suggest
recreation centers, location of publiC' buildings in regard to
centers of population &c., and particularly it had to ao
with the laying out of streets, ann their relation to the
main thoroughfares for the convenient and pror.>er flow of'
traffic, by eliminating pockets, dead End streets, and such
like. He said the proposed plan takea into consideration the
future growth of' the City, and oontemplates having some
control over street lay-outs in subdivis ions adjoining the
City limits, which may later becane pat't of the municipality.
He claimed the whole plan made for an orderly growth, instead
of P' rmi tting things to spring up haphazardly. He said the
Chalrber of Commerce had merely accepter, the planl in substance,
ann asked that the Council aVlrove it only tentatively in
arder that the rEecluired advertising might be started.
Thf: City Attorney explained that tl'11e Chanber's desire
was to create a regularly established planning board for the
city, and in order to give it legal status it would be
necessary to get an act 'of legislamre, amenning our charter
so as to provide for the creation of such a board. Therefore
if the Council approved of the proposal arrl decided to
make such application, it ','10110. be n;cessary to anvertise
its intention imdiately, in or"er tha t the notice might
run the required 30 days before presentation of the bill.
It was further eJqJlained that the bill cOlld be ilrawn either
as a manclatory or a 11ermissive law, ei ther ordering the
Council to create a Plannir,g Board or else permitting t,he
Council to create auch a board if and when it sees fit.
Mr. Miller obje cted to the latter, contenning tha tit would
leave a loop hole for some Counc'il maybe in the fu ture to
jump in and set up such a board wi thOllt due thought or
consideration for interested citizens. Thf: City Attorney
felt there was no danger of' this and stated that the Charter
already gave the Counail unlimited authority in almal t every
other direction, and tha t these privileges had rot been abused.
1.702
After some discussion, it was moved by Mr. Sabat'll that
the Council authorize tht' publica tion in this week's paper,
of the City's intention to app ly to State L/igislaturl! for
power to creat e a pla nni~; board, by amendi rg th? City Charter
to provide for this. Mr.l.!iller seconded the motion and on
roll call the vote was as followS: Mr. Hill ~s, l,!!'. Miller
yes, Hr. Sabat'll yes, ~"r. Soott Y<!ls. 'rhe motion carried.
Mr. Miller tl:en addressed his fellow councilmen, ex-
plaining his position and reason for his resignation as Mayor,
tendered at last meeting. He said he had IDt wanted to take
the office at the beginning of tha term buJafter some
persuasion bad agreed to do so, on certain one'. it ions ; one)
that resolutions be passed givcing him autho ity to set up a
diff"erent type of administration to wret the City them had.
He had nfusl!d to accept the office he said, without the full
cooperation of tlvl Council, which the members had agreed to
give. H<I! begm, he said, by appoint:iI1g Howard Cnomer as:
City Engineer to work out dletails so thi IlSs would run smoothly,
ann the agf'eel1lent was that all departl11mts of the City would
be brought under the administrative control of the City Council
and Mayar, which was done, unt il the golf c curse question came
up, and when this occunlCt, he considllred the Council had stripped
him of' his authority by a vote of 4 to 1 giving the Golf
Committee the authority they had previously accorded him;
also giving them the authority to handle golf course affairs
as they saw fit. He felt the Council had broken faith with
him, he said he also thought the Council han not the power to
delegate such authority to any committee. Under the circumstances
he said he felt the only decent thing to no was to resign.
C'ouncilmen Sabat'll and Scott both denied any intent ion of
breaking faith stating they red taken the posit ion they did
beoause of the golf course resolution originally adopted by- the
Council, and because they fel t the dtllmlmd far daily reports
unnecessary during the s1.l[ll!rer'months vhen there was little
business.
There being no further bus iness to cor:Je before the Council,
it was regularly maven, seconded ann carried that the meeting
adjourn.
~oJb_U)- ~~ff
CITY CLERK.
APPR OVED :
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