HomeMy WebLinkAbout02/19/1959 Business Meeting1
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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
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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.
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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