HomeMy Public PortalAbout10-03-1974 273
BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS & SAFETY OF THE
CITY OF RICHMOND, INDIANA, OCTOBER ;3, 1974
1 The Board of Public Works and Safety of the City of Richmond, Indiana,
2 met in regular session October 3, 1974 at the hour of 9:00 a.m. in
3 the Municipal Building in said City. Mr. Judge presided with Mr. Burton
4 and Mr. Willis present. The following business was had to-wit:
5
6 Mr. Willis moved to approve the minutes of the previous meeting, seconded
7 by Mr. Judge and on unanimous voice vote the motion was carried.
8
9 Mr. Burton moved to approve curb cut as requested at South 9th and U.S.
10 27 South for Central Kitchen, Richmond Community Schools , seconded by
11 Mr. Willis and on unanimous voice vote the motion was carried.
12
13 Mr. Burton moved to take under advisement a curb cut request at Lawson's
14 South 9th and "E" Streets, seconded by Mr. Judge and on unanimous voice
15 vote the motion was carried.
16
17 Fire Chief William Berry reported to the Board that the Fire Department
18 is discontinuing assisting people locked out of their homes unless it
19 constitutes an emergency.
20
21 Mr. Judge moved to submit an' ordinance to Council for an appropriation
22 in the Fire Department budget in the amount of $14,800.00 for rental
23 of fire hydrants and gasoline, seconded by Mr. Burton and on unanimous
24 voice vote the motion was carried.
25
26 Mr. Judge read a letter regarding pedestrians on the promenade having
27 to stand and wait for a walk sign before crossing the intersection.
28 Safety Director, Donald Strahan, explained the reason traffic lights
29 were left at the intersection of the Promenade was to give the pedes-
30 trian a chance to cross.
31
32 Captain Scott Loper, Traffic Division, reported that busses and trucks
33 have been violating the three ton limit and using the North 19th Street
34
35 overpass.
36 Mr. Willis moved to take under advisement the closing of the North 19th
37 Street overpass to vehicle traffic, seconded by Mr. Burton and on unani-
38 mous voice vote the motion was carried.
39
40 Mr. Burton moved to execute the Lease Agreement with Stanley W. Hayes
41 Research Foundation, Inc. for rental of about- half of an acre for a
42 City Fire Station at One Dollar per year for seventy-five years , seconded
43 by Mr. Judge and on unanimous voice vote the motion was carried.
44
45 Mr. Burton moved to execute an agreement on behalf of the City of Rich-
46 mond for architectural services of Richard Terwilliger subject to
47 elimination of page six (6) , Article 8, paragraph 8.1 .1 and contigent
48 upon lease being accepted by Hayes, seconded by Mr. Judge and on unani-
49 mous voice vote the motion was carried.
50
51 Mr. Judge read a letter from Quinn Lodge No. 28 expressing their appre-
52 ciation to the Board and the Traffic Division for their splendid coopera-
53 tion at the recent parade.
54
55 Captain Scott Loper, Traffic Division, presented plans to widen South
56 "E" Street at South 13th Street intersection to create a left turn lane.
57
58 Mr. Judge moved to authorize the Traffic Division to procede with their
59 plans, seconded by Mr. Willis and on unanimous voice vote the motion was
60 carried. - - "
61
62 Mr. Judge moved to approve agreement with Refrigeration Equipment Co.
63 in the amount of$3,112.00 for maintenance of the Air Condition system
64 in the City Building, seconded by Mr. Burton and on unanimous voice
65 vote the motion was carried.
274
Board of Works Minutes
October 3, 1974
Page 2
1 Administrative Assistant, Charles Howell , suggested for the Board's
2 approval a policy to be used in disposing of vehicles held at the
3 impounding area. He classified the vehicles as follows:
4 (1 ) Junked autos good only for scrap.
5 (2) Vehicles towed in by order of the police, on which the owner
6 declines to pay towing and impounding costs, but which may
7 be suitable for salvage operation.
8 (3) Abandoned cars which may be suitable for overhauls or for
9 salvage .
10 Bids will be accepted periodically when there is an accumulation of
11 junk cars, dealers will be notified of the time and place. Salvage
12 value cars will be listed individually and notice will be sent to
13 all dealers as to when bids will be received by the Board of Works.
14 Sealed bids will be received in the City Clerk's Office.
15
16 Mr. Judge moved to approve the plan for disposing of junk vehicles,
17 seconded by Mr. Burton and on unanimous voice vote the motion was
18 carried.
19
20 Mr. Judge moved to take bids for junk vehicles next Thursday, October
21 10, 1974 at 9:15 a.m. , seconded by Mr. Burton and on unanimous voice
22 vote the motion was carried.
23
24 Mayor Byron E. Klute read the following letter from Robert Godsey,
25 Executive Director of the Housing Authority:
26
27 September 27, 1974
28
29 Mayor Byron E. Klute
30 Municipal Building
31 Richmond, Indiana 47374
32
33 Dear Byron:
34
35 I am so impressed with the work of the Fire Prevention Bureau
36 of the local Fire Department. I 've just participated in a
37 Fire Training School conducted in the Council Chambers. This
38 school was conducted for the new Homebuyers in the Turnkey
39 III Program under the Housing Authority. The training was
40 very much to the point and left the tenants well informed
41 about theier own actions necessary to perserve life. In
42 this and other occasions I have participated with the Fire
43 Prevention Bureau starting back as early as the days when.
44 I was on the staff at the college. At that time we were
45 training students who had the capacity of fire captains in
46 the art of fire fighting and life preservation.
47
48 I just thought you would like to know, that at least from
49 my point of view, that the Fire Prevention Bureau is a great
50 access to our city at this time.
51
52 Sincerely,
53 /s/ Robert G. Godsey
54 Executive Director
55
56 Mayor Klute made a final appeal for the cooperation of everyone in
57 the City for a complete weed cutting and clean-up of right-of-ways
58 particularly at intersections.
59
60 Mayor Klute said that Building Commissioner, Claude E. Goins ,
61 reported we have had better cooperation from the citizens regarding
62 the weed problem this year than ever before.
63
64
Board of Works Minutes
October 3, 1974
Page 3
1 The following press release on Gasoline Tax was presented by Mayor
2 Byron E. Klute.
3
4 NEWS RELEASE
5 TO: ALL NEWS MEDIA
6 FROM: Office of the Mayor
7 FOR RELEASE: Thursday P.M.
8 SUBJECT: Gasoline Tax
9
10 Inflation and declining revenues from gasoline tax
11 collected by both state and federal governments is causing
12 serious problems for state, county and city road departments.
13 Road building and maintenance cost have skyrocketed by 40%
14 in the past year.
15
16 The fact that revenue from state fuel tax declined more
17 than nine million dollars during the first seven months of
18 this year as a result of less highway travel and the fifty-
19 five (55) mile per hour speed limit has reduced the income
20 to every city and county in our state. "The way things are
21 going" , the Mayor added, "Hoosier motorists will end up
22 paying about four hundred and fifty million dollars more
23 for fuel this year, because of the big jump in gasoline
24 prices. At the same time, revenues from gasoline-based
25 fuel tax, the principle source of money for road and street
26 improvement, will be down from 1973.
27
28 There are some answers to this problem in Indiana and
29 in my judgement they do not and should not include an increase
30 in gasoline tax laid on by the state and federal governments.
31
32 There are some changes which could be made at the state
33 level which would go a long way toward solving our local
34
35 problems:
36 * Limit to the statutory fifty per-cent (50%) that portion
37 of the State Police budget financed with highway-users
38 taxes. At present, seventy-five per-cent (75%) of all
39 State Police operating and pension fund are being deducted
40 from the monies that would go to repair and resurface
41 city, county and state roads. Reducing this by twenty-
42 five per-cent (25%) would make about five million
43 ($5,000,000.00) more dollars available annually for
44 road and street programs.
45
46 Stop immediately charging a sales tax on top of the
47 tax we already pay on gasoline. Replace these fund
48 from the one hundred and fifty million dollars ($150,000.00)
49 surplus which the state has now collected from the 4%
50 sales tax. Use these funds to provide revenues for
51 cities and counties whose yearly requirements now
52 exceed available funds by fifty-five million.
53
54 A new federal gasoline tax would be harmful to the average
55 working man and woman while the persons of high income would
56 continue using whatever amount of gasoline they so desired
57 with very little change in their driving habits. In our state,
58 additional revenues for street maintenance can be taken from
59 the surplus of funds collected by the state government under
60 the 4% sales taxes. There must be no additional taxes at
61 this time in our history.
62
Board of Works Minutes
October 3, 1974
Page 4
1 Mr. Burton on behalf of the Board spoke in memory of Dr. Thomas
2 Shields. " Dr. Shields was a man dedicated to the practice of
3 medicine in his special field and was especially devoted to the
4 care of children. He had the courage to be willing to take a stand
5 and speak out on issues. The Board of Works will miss him very
6 much."
7
8 There being no further business on motion duly made,seconded and
9 passed, the meeting was adjourned.
10
11
12 Jerald J. Judge
13 President
14
15 ATTEST: Margaret Mellen
16. Clerk of the Board
17
18
19
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