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Home My WebLink About12-16-58~~~~~0 Council minutes December 16, 195, !t p. m. Minutes of the regular meeting of the Town Council of the Town of Pulaski, Virginia, held on the 16th day of December, 1958, at 1~ p. m., in the municipal office. There were present: Mayor C. V. Jackson, presiding. Councilmen: W. F. White, W. A. Larson, Glen K. Aust, John W. Nash, F. L. Carrico, W. S. Cummings, T. J. McCarthy Absent: J. R. Martin Also present: Town Manager: T. B. Noland Clerk: Gladys R. Dalton Town Attorney: Garnett S. Moore Visitors: Evelyn S. Hall, reporter for Southwest Times C. M. Hayter Mr. Viers J. D. Johnston, Jr. Philip M. Sadler, Attorney for G. H. Johnston Mayor Jackson called the meeting to order and the prayer was given by the Rev. John Boyd, pastor of the Draper's Valley Presbyterian Church Mr. Hayter appeared before Council on behalf of the Pulaski County Chapter of the American Red Cross, asking for a donation from the town to help take care of the operating expenses of the Chapter for the year 1959, particularly the $250.00 APPROPRIATED TO RED CROSS Blood Bank program. After hearing other visitors, and later BLOOD PROGRAM in the meeting, Council discussed Mr. Hat'ter's request, and on motion of W. S. Cummings, seconded by T. J. McCarthy, and on the following recorded vote, the sum of $250.00 was appropriated from the General Fund to be donated to the Red Cross: W. F. White - aye W. S. Cummings -aye W. A. Larson -aye T. J. McCarthy - aye Glen K. Aust -aye F. L. Carrico - aye John W. Nash -aye J. R. Martin - absent Mr. J. D. Johnston, Jr. then asked the Council to reactuate the stop and go operation of the traffic light at the COUNCIL REQ. TO REACTUATE STOP corner of West Main Street and Randolph Avenue. & GO LIGHT MAIN & RANDBLPH Mr. Viers stated tiaat he had no business, but was BY J. D. JOHNSTON & P. M. SADLER only present as a visitor. ATTT. FOR GEO. JOHNSTON Mr. Sadler stated he appeared on"behalf of his client, 1 1 1 Mr. George Johnston, and asked the Council to reconsider their 30f 3i 1 Council mans. contd. Dec. 16, 1958, 1~ p. m. decision in the operation of the traffic light at West Main Street and Randolph Avenue, as well as the signers of that certain petition which was previously presented to Council, and asked Council to reactuate the stop and go light at this intersection. The Town Manager read a letter from Mr. Foy J. Howard, in which Mr. Howard asked that the traffic light situation at this intersection be re- considered. The Town Manager stated that since the Council and he personally had been severely critized in a paid advertisement in DISCUSSION the Southwest Times in the handling of the traffic control device at this intersection he wished to make a statement to Council. OF • Permission was granted. TRAFFIC LIGHT MAIN & RANDOLPH 1 The Town Manager stated that Mr. Trinkle Johnston, a pedestrian, had been struck shortly after 6 a. m. on a recent date, not in the intersection of Main and Randolph but at a point some !~7 feet to the north property line of this intersection and that because of this fact alone there could be no possible logical connection between the accident and the type of traffic control device in use. .Had there been a stop and go light in use this light could just as well have been on green, with obvious results. Various traffic engineering reasons for the successful operation of the traffic control device in its present form were given, f with explanation that in the opinion of the Manager the light as t now operated placed a greater responsibility on north bound i traffic on Randolph at the time of the accident than would have been placed by a regular stop and go traffic light. As other evidence that a stop and go light is not a guarantee against pedestr~.ans being hit, it was pointed out that of the eight pedestrians who had been h~t during 1958 three had been in intersections where a stop and go light, as petitioned for, had been in operation; with another three pedestrians having been hit between intersections, as was Mr. Johnston. The Manager stated that he proposed to leave the control device as it now is since he was acting under provisions 30~~~~ Council minx. contd. Dec. 16, 1958, ~. p. m. of the Town Code in doing so, but that the Code also provides a means whereby Council can overrule the administrative decision of the Manager and could thus direct the use of any other type device which Council may choose. He further stated that the presently operated traffic light at this intersection had been recommended by the State Highway Department. Mayar Jackson commented that it is not Council's intention to go against the wishes of our citizens, but that the governing body must rely on expert opinions in many of its decisions. He also stated that traffic flow at this intersection had been greatly improved. On motion of T. J. McCarthy, seconded by Glen K. Aust, and unanimously carried by those present, it was RESOLVED, that the matter of the traffic light at the SAFETY COMMITTEE TO STUDY MATTER corner of West Main Street and Randolph Avenue be referred to OF TRAFFIC LIGHT MAIN & RAND.AVE.the Safety Committee for study and to report back to Council at its next regular meeting. Mr. Larson,ehairman of the Street Committee, stated that his committee had studied the situation at lst Street SE, at the request of Council because of a recent petition for opening 1st REPORT OF ST. Street SE to Holly Street. Because of the dangerously steep COMMITTEE ON OPENING ~ ST grade of this proposed street, his committee recommended that & HOLLY nothing be done about opening this street, but suggested that a five or six foot wide pathway be made for thos people who must use the street by foot, and that ears would naturally go around, as.' in the past. On motion of Glen K. Aust, seconded by W. F. White, and unani- mously carried, the following resolution was adopted. RESOLVED, THAT Council accept the recommendations of the Street Committee with regard to 1st. Street SE. REPORT OF Mr. Larson, as chairman of the Finance Committee, gave FINANCE COMMITTEE ON AUDIT OF a report on the audit of the town's books for the last fiscal year. TOWN"S BOOKS 1 ~0~-3 Council rains. contd. Dec. 16, 1958, !~ p. m. A discussion followes, chiefly about lowering of General Fund reserves by the annexation program but no action was taken as no action was necessary. 1 Mr. White stated that his Water Committee had met three times and had decided upon a policy recommendation with regards to furnishing water outside the corporate limits. After POLICY FOR FURNISHING an informal discussion of the recommendation of the Committee, WATER OTTTSIDE CORP. LIMITS Council directed that each member of Council be provided with a copy of the full report of the Water Committee so that formal action on the report can be taken at the next meeting. On motion duly made by W. A. Larson, seconded by Glen K. Aust, the following resolution was adopted; it BE IT RESOLVED, that the Council ratify the action of the Town Treasurer in not offering for sale that certain group of properties listed and deemed by the said Treasurer as being ADOPT ION OF delinquent, which sale was scheduled for the second Monday in RESOLUTION December, 1958, for the years 19119, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 19511, RATIFYING 1955, 1956 and 1957; and that further action thereon is reserved ACTION OF by the Council for its considerate on and reference to such sale TREAS. RE: as shall be scheduled for the second Monday in December, 1959; DEL. TAXES BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this action is taken in vidw of Council's actions in the past years; That the said Treasurer is authorized and directed to continue to make collection of all delinquent taxes, and to report her collections at the proper time in 1959 to the siad Council. There was a discussion with regards to giving town employes Friday, December 26, as an additional holiday, and. on EMPLOYES GIVEN DEC. 26 motion of F. L. Carrico, seconded by W. S. Cummings, and unanimousl~t ADDN. HOLIDAY carried, it was RESOLVED, that Friday, December 26, be declared an STORAGE OF PART 0~" 200-BE~vilian Defense Hospital, and general items could be placed in CIVIL D H OSP.I the Town Building on Washington Avenue. On motion of F. L. Carrico, TOWN BL G. seconded by Glen K. Aust, and unanimously carried, it was additional Christmas holiday for town employes. ', The Town Manager advised that Dr. Pope of the Health Department had advised that his Department would be responsible for the storage of heated and refrigerated items of the 200-bed RESOLVED, that the 200-bed emergency Civilian Defense hospital unit be accepted, and stored as suggested by the Town Manager. 300 Council rains. contd. Dec. 16, 1958, 4 p. m. It was directed that the minutes show a tabulation of the various bids which had been publically opened at 2 p. m. on December 11, on the proposed construction of the Sewage Treatment Plant and Sewer lines, the bids being as follows: Proposal No. 1 -Division 1 SEWAGE TREAT- English Construction Co., Altavista, Va. $ 647,600.00 MENT PLANT J. M. Turner, Inc.; Roanoke, Va. 664,990.00 BIDS & OUTFACE F. L. Showalter, Inc., Lynchburg, Va. 678,200.00 LINES Vanderit Constr. Co., Norfolk, Va. 708,393.00 Thorrington Constr. Co. 791,225.00 Proposal No. 2 - Division II M. S. Hudgins, Contractor, Roanoke, Va. $ 295,000.00 Davis & Armentrout, Pulaski, Va. 325,000.00 Ray D. Lowder, Albermarle, N. C. 342,200.00 F. L. Showalter, Inc., Lynchburg, Va. 349,782.00 English Construction Co., Altavista, Va. 357,000.00 Aaron J. Conner, Roanoke, Va. 397,?09.75 Proposal No. 3 - Div. I and II, combined F. L. Showalter, Inc., Lynchburg, Va. $1,027,982.00 English Construction Co., Altavista, Va. $1,004,000.00 There was a discussion of the various bids and of a letter from the consulting engineers in which they recommended that the award be made to the two low bidders, subject to the approval of the U. S. Public Health Service. The final break- down made by the engineers indicated, including the funds which will be received from the U. S. Public Health Service, there will be a minimum of $150,000 for sewer line construction in addition to the work on which bids were opened on December 11. On motion of W. S. Cummings, seconded by W. A. Larson, and unanimously carried, it was RESOLVED that the two low bids, English Construction ACCEPTANCE OF BID OF ENGLISH Company $647,600.00 and M. S. Hudgins, Contractor, $295,000.00 CONSTR, CO. & M. S. HUDGINS be accepted, subject. to the approval of the U. S. Public FOR SEWAGE PCT. AND LINES Health Service. at 5:45 p. m. the meeting was adjourned until December 30th, at ~. p. m. APP/ROVID yor Attest: .~ f' ~ ~. ~ C er