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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMIN APR 20 1982 REGULAR SESSION CITY COUNCIL - CITY OF BEAUMONT HELD APRIL 20 , 1982 BE IT REMEMBERED that the City Council of the City of Beaumont , Texas , met in regular session this the 20th day of April , 1982. . MAYOR MEYERS: I ' ll call this very meaningful session of the Beaumont City Council to order. We are particularly pleased that so many of you are present today to witness the swearing in of our new Council and I am pleased also at this time to ask Rabbi Herbert Rutman , Rabbi of Temple Emanuel , if he would come forward as we rise for the Invocation , please. RABBI RUTMAN: Or, Lord, we ask Thy benediction upon those devoted public servants whose term of office concludes with this meeting. We thank Thee for the satis- factions of duty faithfully performed and for responsibilities completed with fidelity and compassion . We are grateful to Thee for the devotion to public service which called them to seek election and for the efforts and achievements which have resulted from all they have done. May they go from strength to strength. We ask Thy blessing also upon those who continue in office. May they draw strength and inspiration from their accomplishments of the past and may this strength and inspiration be com- bined with determination to complete the tasks of the future with devotion and understanding. And, confer, Oh, Lord, Thy special benediction upon those whose term of office begins this day. As they face the future , may the high ideals which they cherish; may their fondest hopes ; and may their dreams for the future ; motivate them to actions and achievements which are in harmony with these ideals , these hopes , and these dreams. So, then , will this day be a source of blessing not only for them, but for the City of Beaumont which they both lead and serve. Amen. -000- Mayor Meyers led the Pledge of Allegiance. -000- MAYOR MEYERS : Before calling the roll , I would explain that Councilman Combs . . . it was . necessary for him to be out of the City , as I understand it. And, for Councilman Turner who certainly would have preferred to have been here for his swearing in were it not for a softball game that I think perhaps he may not be involved in again very soon. I would like to read a note from Councilman Turner: "I truly regret that I am not able to attend this morning' s Council meet- ing and to participate formally in saying goodbye to Maury Meyers , Tom Combs and Calvin Williams. I look forward to taking my place with the new Council and working with Bill Neild, Bill Cox and Joe Deshotel. "' Councilman Turner had surgery on his knee yesterday and is in Orange Memor- ial Hospital and I am sure that he ' ll be back at Council very soon, but he did do some damage to his knee over the weekend and regrets his inability to be here. Call the roll , please : HONORABLE : Maurice Meyers Mayor Evelyn M. Lord Councilman , Ward II Calvin Williams Councilman , Ward III Absent : Tom Combs , Jr. Councilman , Ward I Wayne Turner Councilman , Ward IV -64- April 20 , 1982 Staff members present : Ray Riley City Manager Kenneth Wall City Attorney Myrtle Corgey City Clerk -000 The Minutes of the regular City Council sessions held April 6 and 13, 1982 , were approved on a motion made by Councilman Williams and seconded by Councilman Lord. Question : Ayes : All Nayes : None --000- Ordinance No. 82-43 canvassing returns of the Saturday, April 17, 1982 , Run-Off Election was considered: ORDINANCE NO. 82-43 ENTITLED AN ORDINANCE CANVASSING THE RETURNS OF THE RUN-OFF ELECTION HELD ON THE 17TH DAY OF APRIL, 1982 , TO DETERMINE WHO SHALL BE COUNCILMAN FOR WARD III ; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY AND PROVIDING FOR REPEAL. Votes cast at said election for the candidates for Councilman , Ward III , were as follows : Joseph D. Deshotel 5,327 Tom J. Ivey 3,956 The ordinance was approved on a motion made by Councilman Lord and seconded by Councilman Williams. Question : Ayes : All Nayes : None -000- MAYOR MEYERS : At this time , before. I would call on Dr. Bill Scales of the Trinity United Methodist Church, who will come forward in just a moment and make a few comments that he would feel appropriate, and then ask the new Council to come forward for their swearing in , _T would just like to, on behalf of the present City Council and the staff , express my appreciation to all the citizens and all of those working within the City who have certainly made this a most pleasurable experience for all of us. We thank you for your cooperation in the past and I am sure that the incoming Mayor and Council will receive in-kind cooperation and support to keep all the programs and objectives that we are working on moving forward. And, with that , if the new Council and Mayor would come forward please and assume their seats , we will take the seats to the right and ask you, Dr. Scales , if you would come to the microphone , please. DR. BILL SCALES, PASTOR, TRINITY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH: Ladies and Gentlemen , it seems to me significant that the swearing in this morning will be done by a mere citizen of this community and I ' ve had to exercise considerable restraint not to do what the City Manager invited me to do and that is to take twenty (20) minutes to deliver a sermon . I do not know whether this invitation is any indication that this group needs it any more than anybody else in the community, but we' ll let you deal with that after you are sworn in. It will give me a chance on behalf of this entire City however .to say that the prayers of every citizen in the City of Beaumont are lifted up this morning on your behalf. Our hopes are very high for you as they were high for the previous administration . Every one of us, wishes for you who will be received into office this morning the very highest and the best of which this community has to offer its public ser- vants . It seems to me that what many of us would like to say to you is that there are few ideals higher or any more cherished by us than the very things that your election to these offices has come now to symbolize. The -65- April 20, 1982 DR. SCALES continued: best thing a democratic society has to offer is the free, open , honest , election where leadership is chosen by those who are going to consent to be led. You've been duly elected in free and open elections giving graphic expression to the very best this Nation has to offer. The posi- tions of leadership over citizens of our community will demand that you put aside your own self-interests at those moments when you are already so bone-tired that you simply can ' t stand. the thought of the phone ring- ing one more time, and yet , you will answer it , receiving requests and demands that cannot possibly be met ; but because you are the people that you are , you will try. We do not expect you - if I could speak on behalf of the entire City - to be super-human. We only expect you to be human, which is to say humane and caring and responsive to the needs of these citizens. You follow in the footsteps of leaders who have gone before you and who have made your task a lot easier because of the way in which they performed in the offices which they now vacate. They've left good examples. of public responsibility and you dare not drop the torch lest those who come after you have a more difficult time than they would have had had your opponent been elected. Public confidence in the leadership of the City of Beaumont right now is very, very high and we pray and we hope that you will continue to merit that high confidence and moral cour- age which your election has now come to symbolize. Remember that when you do right , the universe fights with you and when you do wrong, it will fight against you. It is a day of great hope and we pray that God will fill you with courage and determination to mirror for all of us the unity that we desire for this community which will be the fuel of all great future accomplishments for the City of Beaumont . Now, may I ask you on behalf of the citizens of this City, please to stand and to raise your right hands and please repeat after me: Oaths of Office were administered to Mayor Bill Neild, Councilmen Bill Cox, Evelyn M. Lord and Joseph D. Deshotel. DR. SCALES continued: May the peace of God rest on you all. -000- Mayor Neild issued the following proclamations : "Volunteer Awareness Month in Beaumont" - April , 1982 and "Texas National Guard Week in Beau- mont" - April 19-24 , 1982. -000- MAYOR NEILD: I think the next order of business is that as Council always needs a Mayor Pro Tem, I 'm beginning to get copies of my schedule and as you know the Mayor Pro Tem sits in the absence of the Mayor or if he is not avail- able is able to provide the functions that the Mayor provides. So, at this time , I would take a nomination for the Mayor Pro Tem. COUNCILMAN COX: I think I ' ll do this. It ' s indeed my pleasure to endorse the lady next to me for this position , Ward II Councilman , Evelyn Lord, to be the next Mayor Pro Tem for the City of Beaumont . COUNCILMAN DESHOTEL: I happily second that motion. I think she's well qualified and deserving of this position. -66- April 20, 1982 MAYOR NEILD: We have a motion and a second. All those in favor , say Aye. Ayes : All Nayes : None Do you abstain? COUNCILMAN LORD: No . . . no . . . I 'm . . . MAYOR -NEILD: Would you like to make a comment? COUNCILMAN LORD: Well, I guess the only comment I would like to make is that it really is a very solemn privilege to be returned and given the responsibility of serving in public office and I think it has just become a little more solemn and a little bit more of a privilege and I thank you and pledge to do my very best . MAYOR NEILD: Thank you, Evelyn. There will be coffee and cakes, I think they are covered up in the back back there and you are welcome to stay and have some fellowship .with us after it ' s over. If there is no further business , I call this first meeting adjourned. -000- I , Myrtle Corgey, City Clerk of the City of Beaumont , Texas , certify that the above is a true copy of the Minutes of the regular City Council ses- sion held .April 20, 1982 . Myrtle Corgey City Clerk -67- April 20 , 1982