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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02/19/1959 Business Meeting1 1 1 [i FEBRUARY 18, 1959 Due to the absence of Commissioners Schutt and Mathews,the regular meeting of this date was postponed until the hour of 2p.m. on Thursday, the 19th day of February, 1959, time for said postponed meeting being fixed by Mayor Alderson. POSTPONED REGULAR MEETING, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1959 2 O'CLOCK P.M. The City Commission met in regular session at this later time, Mayor Alderson, Commist sioner: Mathews and City Attorney Arntson present on roll call. Schutt absent This being the time for the hearing on the petition prayingfbr the vacation of "the east - west alley behind the Chinook Hotel, said petition having been duly filed by the Cahalan Investment Company and the Yakima Community Hotel Inc., the City Engineer-sub- mitted a sketch showing the requested vacation and the location. of an 8" sanitary sewer which serves about four city blocks and is located in the alley and stressing in his letter attached to said sketch that said sewer must be accessible for maintenance, repair° and reconstruction and that no building should be constructed over it and recommendodg; that a vacation of right of way be given only when it can be clearly shown that the need for such right of way no longer exists. Commissioner Mathews questioned the attorneys present, representing the petitioners, and it was determined that complete plans had not been drawn for the enlarged operations of the hotel. Commissione Mathews further expressed the desire to have more information on the project and that he would rather allow action by permit,if.' possible, than by vacation since a similar vacation in another location had been turned down. It was ordered that this matter be tabled for further consideration. This being the time to consider the bids for city printing for the year of 1959 and the bid of the Republic Publishin,: Company,being the only bid received, was submitted as follows: Solid Nonpareil type, at the rate of $1.30 per column inch until 3/15/59 Solid Nonpareil type, at the rate of $1.25 per.column inch or 11 ems or $1.15 per column inch if legal advertising is set in columns of 10.2 ems each. All of the above rates are on a column inch basis per insertion. Moved by Mathews, seconded by Alderson that this bid be accepted and the Mayor and the City Clerk be and are hereby authorized to enter into an agreement with said Republic Publishing Company for the advertising for the year of 1959: carried, Alderson and Mathews voting aye on roll call. Schutt absent. An ordinance appropriating the sum of $800.00 to take care of the water service for the Street Department, said item having been omitted from the 1959 budget, was read by the Clerk and ordered laid on the table for one week, to be considered at the next regular meeting of the City Commission. The following memorandum from the Chief City Accountant was read concerning the approval of claims paid in January: February 19, 1959 TO: The Commissioners SIT BJECT: Claims vouchers paid during.the month of January, 1959. Herewith are claims numbered 1 through 78 paid during the month of January, 1959 in the total amount of $10,668.03 for perusal by the Commission. RFMR/ j g Approval of-the aforementioned claims is recommended. R.F.M.Rotsa.ert Chief City Accountant The above mentioned claims accompanied this memo. No action was taken on this recom- mendation as'the Mayor wished to go over said claims. A resolution authorizing the purchase of rock salt for the Street Department without calling for bids, said purchase not to exceed $800.00 was read by the City Clerk and it was MOVED by Mathews, seconded by Alderson that Resolution No. C -1662 providing for said purchase be passed as read: carried,.Alderson and Mathews voting aye on roll call. Schutt absent. RESOLUTION NO. C -1662, A RESOLUTION authorizing the. Purchasing Department to purchase rock salt for the Street Department without calling for bids, and to spend in excess of $500.00. WHEREAS, it is immediately necessary to purchase rock salt for the Street Department, for proper maintenance and the public health and safety, and WHEREAS, an emergency is hereby declared to exist requiring immediate need for said rock salt at request of Street Department, now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF YAKIMA: Section 1. That the Purchasing Agent be and he hereby is, authorized, without calling for bids, to purchase rock salt for the City of Yakima Street Department at a cost not to exceed $800.00. Section 2. That an emergency exists by reason of the fact that, because of the weather and time of ,year, said rock salt -is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health and safety. ADOPTED FY. THE CITY COMMISSION, signed and approved this 19th day of February, 1959. ATTEST: J. A. SMITH JOE K. AL.DERSON City Clerk ( S E A L) Mayor 455. t� P7456 FEBRUARY 18, 1959 A resolution approving the acquisition of land, for park purposes located between Terrace Heights Way, Lenox Avenue and the new interstate highway and the Yakima River and directin the City Attorney to prepare the necessary Ordinances and Resolutions to appropriate 50,000. and to issue General Obligation Bonds in this amount for the ac- quisition of land for said park purposes, was read by the City Clerk. No action was taken, The following - letter received by Commissioner Mathews was read by the City Clerk: February 17, 1959 Hot. Larry. Mathews City Hall Yakima, Washington Dear Mr. Mathews: I am writings to.you on behalf of Myrlin Ackerman who owns and operates the Avalon Service Station on North lst Street here in Yakima. As you know, Mr. Ackerman in interested in the lease of the parking, lot out at the Muni_ci.pal Airport. We now understand that the City is going to postpone action for an indefinite period of time. It is my purpose in writing you.today to notify you simply that if in the future the City should decide that it was,in the•communi_ty ►s interest to make such a lease, then my client Mr. Ackerman would like to have an opportunity to bid for that job. SCS/b Respectfully yours, Richard C. Smith Moved by.MatLews, seconded by Alderson that the City Clerk be and is• h.ereby instructed to acknowledge said letter and that Mr.- Ackerman be notified whenever the matter of air".' parking comes before the City Commission for consideration: carried, Alderson and Mathews voting-aye on 'roll call, Schutt absent The following is a summary of the questions asked by the attending public, 150 people, and the answers as given by.-Mayor Alderson, Commissioner Mathews and Chief City Accountant Frank Rotsaert, concerning Commissioner Sbhutts trip to San Jose, California to attend IBM School. Questions were as follows: Does the City pay expenses for City Commissioners over Saturday and Sunday? How are the city cars used on business or entertainment? Who keeps track of city officials-as to where they are going and whether they are on city business or not? What recourse does the public have if Commissioner Schutt's actions aren1t to the Cityts interest? What was the idea behind'.changing the method of approving vouchers? Why was this change made before June, when the term of this commission ends? Does the change involve hiring new personel? Is there an audit of accounts each year? Will the books be re- audited before June 1959 when the new council takes over? Why does Commis-sioner Schutt need a car? Schould Commissioners attend all meetings? Is the City obligated to buy IBM machinery as a result of this trip? Attending citizens expressed the desire to have detailed explanation of Commissioner Schutt's actions upon his return to the city as they do not approve of the way the tax money is spent. They also expressed the belief that proceedures should be left as they were until the Council Manager form of government ak'es;:. e_ffe'ct in June of this year. Mayor Alderson declared that all employees at City Hall were not offenders and that he had just been made aware of the resolution'on travel expenses for employees (Resolution No. C -1401) which had been passed prior to his term of office. He also stated that the State Examiners had not questioned their expense claims in the past two years. With. regard to Commissioner's expenses over weekends, Saturday and Sunday, he believed this would be drawing a fine line but that it could happen. He also stated that he had been advised by the City Attorney that hedoes not have to approve Commissioner Schutt's trip expense. Mayor Alderson stressed the fact that the discussion had to do with an elected official and that he had an interpertation .of what his official business is and that whet he collects for expenses he signs an affidavit to the effect that the bill is true and correct and that he was on City business. In connection with changes inproceedures at City hall the Mayor explained that Commissioner Schutt believed that he was doing the. City of Yakima a service by setting up a system like the City of Tacoma, but that he did not vote for the Ordinance ('E -2235) making said changes because he felt that it was untimely. Also stated that since the change over he does not see the claim vouchers, but only receives the checks to sign and indicated that he did not object to the work involved in checking- claim vouchers, in fact that he would rather do it. Mayor Alderson also explained that it is not necessary for all commissioners to be present at the meetings, that it takes two Commissioners to carry on routine business and in case of emergencies, three must be present. Commissioner Mathews declined to speak for any other departments than the ones under his supervision. He commended citizens on their concern about affairs of City Governmen- and expressed the wish. that they had shown this concern on other items that had been before the commission. A summary of 'exp•enses was passed out by Commissioner Mathews, showing that he had done very little traveling except on official business. He then stated that the American way to do business is to let•the man on trial present his side of the case before judgement is passed. He explained that he does not have a city car at his disposal and that when he needs one,he relies on the heads of his departments and that only employees on emergency call take cars home. In regard to the change in the handling of claim vouchers he stated that the new proceedu.re was merely formalizing what was already being doe and that Dewey Frame, in 1955, as chairman of a Chambef, of Commerce Committee had made certain recomendations to change the bookkeeping and accounting proceedures and the changes made were in beeping with these recommendations. He "also explained that the City Commission did not have control over the audits made. fl 1 1 1 1 V 1 457 FEBRUARY 18, 1959 Chief City'Accountant Frank Rotsaert spoke in favor of the accounting changes made, in the absence of Commissioner Schutt and explained that he had suggested a claims audit board to pre -audit all claims before they were brought to the Commission for approval. Moved by Alderson, seconded by Mathews that we do now adjourn to meet again in regular session at the hour of 10 o'clock a.m. on Wednesday,the 25th day of February, 1959: carried, Alderson and Mathews voting aye on roll call. Schutt absent. ATTEST T Y C L E R K M A Y 0 R