Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutMIN JAN 10 1984 REGULAR SESSION CITY COUNCIL - CITY OF BEAUMONT HELD JANUARY 10, 1984 BE IT REMEMBERED that the City Council of the City of Beaumont , Texas, met in regular session this the 10th day of January, 1984 , with the following present : HONORABLE: William E. Neild Mayor Bill Cox Councilman, Ward I Evelyn M. Lord Councilman, Ward II Joseph D. Deshotel Councilman, Ward III David W. Moore Councilman, Ward IV Karl Nollenberger City Manager Hugh Earnest Asst . City Manager Kenneth Nall City Attorney -000- The Invocation was given by Mr . Winston Hamby, Ridgewood Church of Christ . The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Mayor Neild. -000- One proclamation was issued : "Jaycee Week in Beaumont" January 15-21 , 1984. -000- The following items of the Consent Agenda were considered: Approval of the Minutes of the regular City Council sessions held December 20, 1983 and January 3, 1984 ; Resolution 84-12 authorizing payment to Strand Book Store in the amount of $1 , 096. 53 for books for the Beaumont Library System; Resolution 84-13 authorizing purchase of 1 , 000 feet of 15-•inch. sewer pipe from Bib State Utility Supply; Resolution 84-14 authorizing purchase of a rescue tool for the Beaumont Fire Department from Claude Wright & Associates @ $1 , 165. 00; Resolution 84-15 authorizing purchase of Civil Service Examinations (50 for Grade II , Detectives/Sergeant and 30 for Grade III, Lieutenant promotional exams) from Wollach & Associates of Greenwood, California for the Personnel Department ; Resolution 84-16 authorizing purchase of 50, 000 parking citations for Municipal Court from Moore Business Forms at $1 , 100. 00; and Resolution 84-17 authorizing purchase of a computer for the Health Depart- ment from IBM in the amount of $3,783 . 00. The Consent Agenda was approved on a motion made by Councilman Lord and seconded by Councilman Moore. Question : Ayes : All Nayes : None --000- Resolution 84-18 authorizing purchase of four (4) bobtail trash trucks with boom loaders for the Sanitation Division from Tidelands International of Beaumont in the amount of $264, 800. 00 was approved on a motion made by Councilman Lord and seconded by Councilman Cox. Question : Ayes : All Nayes : None -000- -6- January 10, 1984 Resolution 84-19 authorizing purchase of 27 light bars for police vehicles from Emergency Products, Inc. , of Kemah, Texas, at $1 ,007. 00 each or a total of $27, 189. 00 was approved on a motion made by Councilman Cox and seconded by Councilman Moore. Question : Ayes : All Nayes: None -000- Resolution 84-20 adopting a policy relating to Industrial Development Revenue Bonds was approved on a motion made by Councilman Cox and seconded by Councilman Moore. Question: Ayes: Councilman Cox Nayes : . Mayor Neild Councilman Deshotel Councilman Lord Councilman Moore -000- A public hearing to consider certain dilapidated structures was called. Mr. Milton Palmer , Director of Code Enforcement , told Council that all the below-listed structures are in violation of Article III, Sections 14-50 and 14-51 of the Dangerous Structures Ordinance of the City of Beaumont , that all notification procedures have been met and that all structures are vacant : 1325 Bradley - Bertha Leaven, owner (17 violations) , recommendation to raze within 30 days; 1227 Broadway - Mary C. Shaw Estate, owner (9 vio- lations) , recommendation to raze or repair within 30 days; 2670 Lela - Oscar Comeaux, owner (7 violations) , recommendation to raze within 30 days; 2155 Pope - Silverine Wheaton Decquir, owner (11 violations) , rec- ommendation to raze or repair within 30 days and 650 Terrell - Dickie Lee Colwell and 0. F. Barton, owners (19 violations) , recommendation to raze within 30 days. No one addressed the public hearing. The hearing was closed. Ordinance No. 84-8 declaring certain dilapidated structures to be public nuisances and requiring their repair or removal was considered : ORDINANCE NO. 84-8 ENTITLED AN ORDINANCE FINDING CERTAIN STRUC- TURES TO BE PUBLIC NUISANCES, AND ORDERING REPAIR OR DEMOLITION; PROVIDING A PENALTY; AND PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY. The ordinance was approved on a motion made by Councilman Moore and se- conded by Councilman Cox. Question: Ayes : All. Nayes: None -000- Mrs. Delia Harrington, 815 Willow Street , addressed Council to compliment the Beaumont Jaycees for their help in trash cleanup projects; to complain that ditches are being dug too deeply for mowing; to complain that trash is left by crews installing traffic lights and further to suggest that Magnolia Avenue be renamed to Dr. M. L. King Drive. Bishop Bernard Ganter, 2090 Broadway; Mr. John Bell, 1940 Thomas; Mr. Patrick Phelan, 2460 Long; Mr. Ed Dix, 1420 Continental ; and Mrs. Patty Cantella, 955 Hibiscus; members of the Human Relations Advisory Committee, addressed Council in support of their recommendation to rename Washington Boulevard to Dr. Martin Luther King Drive and further suggested that the issue be placed on the ballot for the April 7th General Election. Mr. Tobe Duhon, 2545 Amarillo, addressed Council to request the issue for renaming Washington Boulevard not be placed on the April ballot so that it will not become a political issue. Mr. Marty Green, 6090 Pan Street ; Mr. Aduwin Samuel, 3670 Bowen; Mrs. Lin Owen, 845 Edson, representing the League of Women Voters; Mrs. Suzie Juncker , 165 Ridgeland; and Mr. Kevin Brady, representing the Beaumont Cham- ber of Commerce; addressed Council in support of the recommendation by the -7- January 10, 1984 Human Relations Advisory Committee to rename Washington Boulevard to Dr. Martin Luther King Drive. Mr. Gordy Nesom, 390 Bradford Drive, addressed Council to express his con- cern for the lack of parking in the downtown area. -000- There being no further business, the meeting was recessed before continu- ing with the City Council Workshop Session. -000- I , Rosemarie Chiappetta, Deputy City Clerk of the City of Beaumont , Texas, certify that the above is, a true copy of the Minutes of the regular City Council session held January 10, 1984 . Rosemarie Chiappetta Deputy City Clerk -8- January 10, 1984 CITIZENS ' PORTION FROM CITY COUNCIL SESSION HELD JANUARY 10, 1984 Mrs. Delia Harrington, 815 Willow Street, adressed Council to suggest renaming Magnolia Avenue to Dr. Martin Luther King Avenue. Mr. Tobe Duhon, 2525 Amarillo, urged that the issue of the Washington Boulevard name change to M. L. King Boulevard not be placed on the ballot for April 7th and said "therefore, it cannot be an accusation on the part of anyone that the City Council played a part in a Section II violation. " Marty Green, 6090 Pan Street, said, "I would hope that eventually we would look upon the Reverend Martin Luther King not just as a leader of the Black community but as the leader of the rejuvenation of the American right to assemble and petition one's government for regress and to be heard. " Audwin Samuel, 3670 Bowen Street, said, " . .It is up to the leaders of Beaumont to create a bond between both communities, bringing about this harmony that we are trying to seek. At hand, we have something that can bring about this bond in the resolution to name Washington Boulevard after Martin Luther King. Patrick Phelan, 2460 Long, said, " . . .As a member of the Human Relations Committee, we really studied this question a lot. All the people who were on this commettee felt that something with proper dignity and proper significance should be chosen as the memorial and it's a hard decision because you want to do the right thing. . . .After very, very careful consideration of all the options, we chose the one we did and I would like to endorse that stand and secondly I 'd like to endorse the idea that it be put to the voters. . . " Lin Owen, 845 Edson, representing the League of Women Voters, read a position of the local, state and national League of Women Voters: "We will promote social justice by securing equal rights for all in combating discrimination and poverty. " She said, "When the Human Rights Committee came to us and asked us to endorse their recommendation that they change the name of Washington Boulevard to Martin Luther King Boulevard, it was because of this position that we chose to support their recommendation. We could think of no citizen in this Country that more exemplified that position than Dr. Martin Luther King. . . .I would urge the City Council to support it. I think it is probably wise to put it before the voters. We believe the voters of this community will support this. " CITIZENS ' PORTION FROM CITY COUNCIL SESSION HELD JANUARY 10, 1984 Page 2 Ed Dix, 1420 Continental, member of the Human Relations Advisory Committee, said, " . . .Most people are willing to acknowledge that Dr. King was the most important Black leader of this generation, but he was much more. . .Dr. King was not just a champion of the civil and human rights of our Black brothers and sisters as for us Whites. He was able to hold up for our inspection the very core of some of our beliefs and do it in a way that required us rather than him to pass judgement on ourselves and that's the core of the issue before our community and before you. The Committee that has labored for weeks to find a suitable memorial is truly a representative cross-section of the ethnic, economic, political and social fabric of our City. I can't help but feel that the spirit of brotherhood, cooperation and mutual concern that has been generated among these individuals is in some small way representative of Dr. King' s great dream that we in this City truly are in the painful process of passing judgement on ourselves once again. . . .Today almost every American city - be it northern or southern - has a Martin Luther King Boulevard. It is a source of constant embarrassment that we are still bickering. . . " Suzy Juncker, 165 Ridgeland, said " . . .I see a need for unity and understanding in our community. Renaming Washington Boulevard for Dr. Martin Luther King would be a symbolic gesture. It would acknowledge the validity of Dr. King in particular and our Black population in general. If Blacks and Whites are in harmony, what possible difference can it make what a street is named? Patty Cantella, 955 Hibiscus, said " . . .Our heritage and the economic implications of naming Washington Boulevard for Martin Luther King have been put forward by sincere men as the issue on the table for consideration by this Council, but in truth the issue is the attitude of the majority population toward its minority brother. I encourage each citizen to examine why, if we are all equals, it is such an affront to live or work on Martin Luther King Boulevard. . . .I further request that Council vote to place this item on the April ballot. To fail to do so would be to sweep racism back under the rug. Do not deny this community the opportunity to take the next logical step in its forward progress.