11-05-63SpMtg NOVEMBER 5, 1963.
A special meeting was held in the Council Chambers at 10=00 A.M.,
Tuesday, November 5th, 1963, with Mayor Walter Dietz in the Chair,
City Manager Robert J. Holland, City Attorney John Ross A~ams, and
Councilmen Al. C. Avery, EmorY J. Barrow, George Talb°t, Jr. and
Oliver W. Woodard, Jr., being present.
Mayor Dietz called the meeting to order end announce~ that same
had been called for the purpose of considering need for additional
supervision of the City's Water 91ants, and for any other business
that may come before the meeting.
An opening prayer was delivered by City. Clerk worthing.
City Manager Holland informed the Council that Mr. Arthur Cook,
the South Water Plant operator, would be hospitalized for some time
on account of a double cataract operation, also that there is no
night supervision at the present time at either the North or South
Water Plants. The City Manager said he would like to hire a Mr. Jerry
Colvin who recently left the employment of the City after having
worked at the North Water Plant for a couple of years, to replace }~r.
Cook during his absence, further, if the Council authorizes an addi-
tionai employee for night supervision at the Water Plants it would
be worked out between Mr. Colvin and Mr. Cook, when he return~s, as
to who would work days or nights, and the additional employee would
be hired at $350.00 per month which would necessitate an appropriation
of $4,200.00 for salary. The City Manager informed the Council that
during Mr. Cooks' absence from work the night supervision of the two
water plants would be taken care of by himself and other City em-
ployees, which should not be longer than approximately six weeks time.
City Manager Holland said that if for some reason Mr, Cook did not
return to work, the authorization of the additional man and salary
would permit him to hire a man for the night supervision of the two
water plants.
City Manager Holland advised the Council that Mr. Ed White, the
water meter reader, had turned in his resignation. To date there are
4,937 meters to be read and that number goes over 5,000 during the
peak of the season. The City Manager said Mr. White had agreed to
remain with the City another week in order to break in'a man that may
take the job, further, he along with Mr. White, Water Superintendent
Paul Nicolls and City Engineer Fleming have come to the conclusion
that it is'impossible for one man to read all of the water meters,
which may be the reason for complaints to the Finance Department con-
cerning water bills. The City Msnager said Mr. Nicolls had asked fo~,.
an assistant for Mr. White in the proposed budget for 1963-64'bUt he
had deleted same, and to provide an assistant water meter reader would
require an expenditure of from $3,?00.00 to $4,000.00 to get someone
capable as the wage scale starts at $308.00 per month, but the new
man to take the job vacated by Mr. White would receive $380.00 per.
month which'is what Mr. White is now making and is the top of that
wage bracket. Further, that an assistant would have to be furnished
a truck equipped with radio as he would work in all parts of the city
and would need to be contacted, and that he would recommend a small
pick-up truck. '
The City Manager r~commended the hiring of a Water Plant super-
visor at $350.00 per month which would be $4,200.00, an assistant
water meter reader at from $3,700.00 to $4,000.00 per year plus a
small size pick up truck equipped, with radio for approximately $3,000
which would total approximately $11,200.00 and that this amount wOuld
come from the Contingency Fund of the Water Plant. Mr. woodard moved
that the request be granted, and the money to come from the Water
Plant Contingency Fund, the motion being seconded by Mr. Talbot and
unanimously carried.' '.
City Manager Holland informed the Council that the Eastside
swimming pool would not fill on account of sand in the intake line
which damaged the mechanism to the extent that operation had to be
ceased, and in the past he has had to replace a $640.00 pump every
three months.. The CityManager said he had talked to an employee
of the PO~ell Brothers Construction Company who believes he w£11 be
able to find the. pipe .within a day or two by divingand that his
charge for "tha~'service..would be $200.00 a day for his divers and
equipment, following which~e would make his recommendations for
correcting the situation.
Following diSc~ssion, City Manage= Holland said he .would like
Council authorization to instruct said employee of Powell Brothers
Construction Company to find the intake pipe at the price quoted even
if it takes as much as two days, following which there would be re-
commendation fo=correcting the situation. The Council would be in-
formed of the recommendations as soonas they were made and the ap-
proximate cost to carry them out~
Following further discussion, Mr. W0odard moved that the neces-
sary.fun~s for this. project be taken fr°m the Beach Disaster Fund, the
motion being seconded by Mr. Talbot and unanimously carried.
City Manager Holla~ informed, the Council that he had calls from
different sectionsof theCity:~lative to the sandbetween the pave-
ment and sidewalk of private property where the sewerProject con-
struction .hms been going on. The sand is loose and people are con-
tinually gettingstuck or are unable to get into their property, fur-
ther0'that some of these areas had not been~rocked for parking or
driveway purposesbut over the years the sa~d had packed and was
suitable fo=parking. It was brought out that the sewer contracts
called for streets, driveways, etc. to be restored to equal or better
conditions than they had been.prior to sewer construction, and where
· an area had been .parkable it should be restored to a parkable con-
dition.
Mr. Woodard reported that while touring the City with Mr. Switzer,
of.,Russell &Axon, Mr. Switzer had indicated that he expected those
areas that had been suitable for parking would be compacted and made
firm.
Mayor Dietz suggested that if the contractors don't move, the
City~ should have the Engineers declare them in default and notify the'
Bonding Companies.
Mr. woodard reminded the Council that Be=ha=ossa has all of his
work crews in the N. E. ?th Avenue area to try as nearly as possible
..to meet the November let deadline. Thi, s has kept them from working
in other ar~as.and Bathe=ossa's representative had asked him if they
should continue removing a few manholes or continue to use the crews
in the area where there is a seasonal deadline. Mr. Woodard said he
had advised them to stick with the seasonal deadline and then put
their work,crews back in the other areas.
The C~ty Manager said he knew of no way to.compact this sugar
sand, but that he would like to be able to tell the people who ask him
that it is the contractors problem and they will be pushed as fast as
possible to get the situation taken care of.
City Enginee~Fleming.said normally in a contraot where this is
desired it is specified as stabilized shoulders which entails adding
clay or some mixture to the Sand~in order to stabilize it to e certain
compaction, and that specification-is not in the sewer contracts, The
contractors are only bound.unless therewas somepavement or some
evidence of rock in the shoulder, he is only bound to return the
material that he toOk out of 1~; and believes there will be difficulty
in forcing the contractors ko stabilize it to the pOint where it will
carry 9a~king.
M~yor Dietz said his understanding was that the road was to
put back in the same condition, or better,and he felt the side of the
rosd is just as much a p&r~ of the road as the middle of the road.
Mr. Avery suggested giving the City Manager the authority that
if the contractors cannot be forced to take care of 'this ~tem, he be
authorized to proceed to take care of it.
Mayor Dietz said the City Manager should report ba~k to the
Council i~ the consulting engineers say the City is in e~ror in this,
and the next step would be taken at that time, that fo= ~he City to
undertake getting all of the shoulders in parkable con~i~ion would
take a t~emendous amount of money.
Mawr Dietz said he would call a special Council meeting con-
cernin~"t~.is at any time the City Manager desired.
City Manager Holland reminded the Council that they had autho-
rized the installatio~ of a sprinkling system at the North entrance
of Tropic Isle, and that he had received numerous requests to 91ace
muck and.sod in that area, further, that he could have it done and
charge it to the Parks Department if the Council deems that to be a
9ark, and that it'would take approximately $300.00 to cWmplete the
pro~ect. Mr. Wade Cartee, Director of Parks, informed the Council
there was no surplus money in the Parks Department F~nd, at this time.
It was mentioned that there had been discussion before the
sprinkler system was installed if the City would do that ,the Beauti-
fication Committee would take care of the grass and plantings.
It was questioned as to whether it would be setting a prece6~nt
as far as other subdivision entrances were concerned if this was
declared to be City park area.
Following discussion, Mr. Barrow moved that this item be referred
back to the Beautification Committee for their, reco~mendations.
motion was seconded by Mr, Avery and carried unanimously.
Mayor Dietz said he would like $1,500.00 to c~mp~te the N~rth
and Bast sides of the grounds at the new West Side Community Cehter.
He said he had discussed this with Parks Director Cartee and the' City
Manager.
City Manager Holland explained the fill that had been placed
around the building would disappear if the area was not sodded and
~rotected.
Mayor Dietz reported that there was approximately enough money
left in the Community Center fund for the work he wanted done to the
grounds, but it had been allotted for use by the City Manager to
cover water department charges, grass seed and labor of installing
playground equipment, Which detail was 9resented to the Council at
their regular meeting of October 14th, and that if those items could
come from another fund he w~uld have approximately enough money to
take care of his item.
Following lengthy discussion, Mr. Woodard moved that the pipe,
sod and grass seed be installe~, the sod and grass seed funds to come
out of the trust fund that was establ-ished, and' the pipe extension to
come out of the wa~er department if possible. Mr. Avery suggested an
addition to the motion that the sod and grass see~ would not excee~
$1,350.00 but Mayor Dietz s~.'he did not think that would be suffi-
cient, so Mr. Wo~dard added ~ ~is ~t~on that ~Same was to be d~ne a~.~
~.~.~
minimum expense, but not to exceed $1,500.00. Mr~Avery seconded the
.Motion which carried unanimously.
City Manager Holland asked if by the motion just passed the
Council..had ordered him to order the Water Department to install said
water pipe as soon as possible. Mr. Woodard said that was correct
and the water pipe would be paid for out of the Water Department funds
if possible.
Mr. John Kabler, taxpayer, but not a resident of Delray Beach,
informed the Council if they would spend a few minutes time listening
.to him he could show them how to make a half & million dollars for
Delray Beach. That most of the money he has made in Florida has been
made from the potential of real estate, further, that he wanted to go
on record as being violently and strictly opposed to trading any por-
tion of the City property at S. E. 10th Street at this time. He
appreciates the effort and time spent to secure parking for Delray
Beach and endorses this project 100 per cent, but that he is in favor
of buying parking lots in order to promote and facilitate the mer-
chants along Atlantic Avenue, and if Atlantic Avenue is improved and
promoted the economy of the whole community has been improved.
Mr. Kabler talked at length about the size, highway frontage and
potential value of the City-owned property at S. E. 10th Street, also
about the purchase of the proposed parking. ~ots' for _cash, and pro-
fessional appraisals of the lands involved.
During discussion, Mr. Woodard stated he felt the City was
trading comparable values on todays market.
Also during the lengthy discussion, Mayor Dietz said the ap-
praisal made by the Ehrenborg Company in 1961 was relative tO the
whole City of Delray Beach and was a factor in determin'ing~the valu-
ation of City property and the private property involved in the ex-
change.
Mayor Dietz said the only way he could summarize Mrl Kabler's
presentation is that he is fundamentally against the exchange of pro-
perty and thinks the property for parking should be paid for by cash,
further, that Mr. Kabler feels the Council did not w~igh heavily
~9ough the future value of the lOth Street property.
City Attorney Adams said he believed the Council action so far on
~his property exchange would be completely defensible in accepting the
Ehreqborg appraisal of properties.
Mr. Kabler suggested paying approximately $18,000.00 cash for the
property that is obtainable for cash between S. E. 5th and 6th Avenues
also pave N. E. and S. E. 7th Avenues the full width of the right-of-
way and use the sides for parking, and retain all of the City-owned
property at 10th Street, further, that the First Federal Savings &
Loan Association are offering their North parking lot for public use.
Mayo'r Dietz said he felt Mr. Kabler, being on the Planning Board,
should have presented his facts and proposals to the Council before
they had taken any action on said transfer of lands.
Mr. Kabler said as a member of the Planning Board he has not and
does not approve of said exchange of properties.
City 'Clerk ~0rthing read the proposed lease that had been pre-
.pared concerning the Vos property.'
(Copy of the Lease ~is attached hereto and made a copy of this
set of minutes}. (See Pages 506-A and ~06-B)
City Clerk Worthing said this was a proposed lease and if it was
the pleasure of the Council it would be sent to the property owners
for their approval and acceptance, it being so moved by Mr. Barrow,
seconded by Mr. Avery and unanimously carried.
The meeting adjourned at 11=35 A. M. by order of Mayor Dietz.
R~, D. WORTHING
City Clerk
APPROVED:
MAYOR