Fort Walton Beach Council minutes — 03-06-1956 Regular — reading text

118 MINUTES OF REGUIAR COUNCIL MEETING HELD MARCH 6, 1956. PRESENT: Mayor Thomas E. Brooks, James E. Miller, W. C. Walker, Theo Bass, ' W. C. Stacy. ABSENT:, W.. B. Harbeson, W. B. Williams, W. J. Roberts, Jr. VISITORS: Mr. Ray, Deal, Park Board, Mr. Harry Vandegriff, Recreation Board, Mr. Joe Guidry, Mr. Aubrey Robinson, Cemetery Board, Mr. Jim Starkey, Mr. Hilary Stewart, Mr. Gary Lee, Mr. Everett MpCrary, Mrs. Alma Nolan, Planning Board, Mr. D. Fager and others, Humane Society, Mr. Basil Boles, Mr. Joe Clements, Mr. Jerry Me1v1J1, Mr. Claude Group from Elliotts Point. Jenkins,' The meeting was called to order by Mayor Brooks at 8: 05 p. m. The visitors were welcomed and invited to address the Council. Mr. Ray Deal of the Park Board discussed with the Council the possibility of getting approximately 10 acres in the Ferry Road vicinity for parks. He was told that he should get with the City Engineer, Mr. DuBois, and choose the land the board felt would be suitable, consult the Planning Board and present their recommendation to the Council. They were told that they should decide which land they wanted before the owners went to the expense of having the land subdivided and planned in order to avoidounnecessary expense. , Mr. Vandegrift told the Council there were two inactive members on the Recreation Board, Mrs. Hill Mayes, inactive because of illness, and Mr. Allen Treute1. He said Mr. Treute1 had attended one meeting and had expressed the desire to re@ign from the Board. He told the council that they had set up their by- laws which provided that if a menber missed more than 3 meetings they were automatically dismessed from the board. He requested that Mr. Treutel fS resignation be accepted and Mr. Falken- berg be appointed to fill tthe vacancy. He said the board would like to wait and see if Mrs. Hill Ka7ea would be able to continue serving before taking further action. an,. A motion was made by Mr. Miller and seconded by Mr. Walker that the resignation of Mr. Treute1 be accepted and Mr. a1kenberg be appointed to fill this vacancy. Vote aye, unanimous. Mr. Deal told the Co~ cil that his Board was told they could spend $ 2500 for the services of a man in planning the parks. Mr. Earley asked if this person would serve in an advisory capacity. Mr. Deal said he would layout and plan the parks, and asked that the council provide the money in order that these services could be obtained. Mr. Earley aSked that toe Park Board contact the man and get him to come here and meet with the City Manager and Park Board and that the cost of the services and the method of payment could be determined at the meeting. Mr. Deal told Mr. Earley he would wi te a letter requesting that he come. Mayor Brooks suggested that the Boards discuss their problems with the City Ma~ ger before coming to the Council since a great many of the pro- blems can be handled by the City Manager and it would save time for the Boards as well as the Council.  1JB Mr. Fager told the Council that the Humane Society needs a shelter tor I the animals and they have secured the land and a person to take care or the animals but they need income and backing in order to obtain a loan to buil1dcthe she1 ters. He said they need between $. 500 and $ 800 and they thought 111 th the backing of the cities in the area they can get the loan. They said they had received $ 50 from Valparaiso and a pledge of more each month and asked for consideration from the City of Fort Walton Beach. Mayor Brooks asked what Valparaiso had pledged. Mr. Fager said they had pledged no actual amount but they felt they could depend upon $ 50 per month. Mayor Brooks asked if it would be necessary for the city to con- tinue the services of a city dog catcher, if the human society would take care of all calls on animals. Follwoing a discussion it was decided it would be necessary tor the city to keep a dog catcher. Mr. Bass asked if this would be a permanent organization. Mr. Fager replied they would have a charter and a board of directors and membership. Following a discussion, a motion was made by Mr. Bass and seconded by Mr. Stacy that the City pay to the Humane Society $ 50 per month for a period of 16 months until June 30, 1951, by resolution. Vote aye, unanimous. A group from Elliotts Point' told the Council that th e situation in dOCl El1iotts Point was serious and asked that some action be taken. They said they were not fam11ar with the ordinance on the books now concerning stray dogs but they felt SOMe stron er measure should be taken and sug- gested that a leash law be passed which would require all go" on the streets to be on leashes. Follwwing a discussion, the Ma,yor asked that the group get with the City Clerk and studT the present city ordinance I and if it does not cover what they feel is necessary to come to the meeting to be held next week with a recommendation to the Council. Mr. Starkey, Chairman of the Planning Board, told the Council they had been preparing themselves to meet the projects to be referred to their board and the,y were now organized and read,y to undertake the projects referred to them by the Council. He asked that all city boards meet wi th them at their next meeting. He said they had thought that the chair- men of the other boards would serve as ex- offico members of the planning board in order that the boards could work together. He said the board felt they should be informed of things which come up before the Council, that they realized the minutes were open to the publif and they could have a member pllesent at the meetings, but requested that they be notified instead. Mr. Gary Lee said he felt that if they were going to operate they should go ahead and if not, they shoule quit. He said he did not feel that the Council was sending what should be sent to the Board, and he wanted to go by the ordinance. Mayor Brooks asked what it was the Council had handled that mould have gone to the planning board. Mr. Lee said they had passed an ordinance rezoning property on Shell Street without referring it to the Planning Board and he felt that if one matter should go before the Planning Baord then all should go to the Board. Mr. Earley told Mr. Lee that the Board of Adjustment acts under the Zoning Ordinance and is an independent board that makes its recommendations directly to the Council. Mr. Bass suggested that a member of each Board serve on the Zoning Board. Mr. Lee said also the city had set up a city I garage without consulting the Planning Board. Mr. Earley and the Council adrised. Mr. Lee that their Board had nothing to do with the organization of the administration of the cit,y, and a city garage would not pertain to the Board. He was referred to the ordinance which sets out the duties of the Planning Board. 120 Mr. Melvin, Manager of the Chamber of Commerce, suggested that the BoardS ask for recommendations from the people. He said he wrote the Board and asked that they consider the traffic and parking problem and that he had not heard from the.. Mr. Starkey said they had eonsidered the problem at their first meeting. Mr. Melvin said he also offered movies that had been made at considerable cost which would be of assistance to them but they had not replied. He said he felt they should go to the various clubs and groups for recommen- dations from the public as to what they want. He asked that they let the people mow what was going on. He said that by Resolution breth. t,y City Council the Boards were to let the City 81erk, Chamber of Commerce, Radio and Newspapers know when they 'Were going to meet but they had not done so and it would appear that they did not want any help. Mr. Bass said the town needs parking lots and a committee was appointed years ago to study parking lots but no action was taken. He said the business men are sitting around and l" etting the to"n grow out of the city limits. He said we need 3 parking lots on Main Street and he thought it would be a good problem for the Planning Board. He said the public ex- pects the Council to run the town but the people have to get behind the Council to provide facilities for the town. He said he felt that the people should be interested and help. Mr. Starkey said he agreed 'With Mr. Melvin, but in a long range planning program they could not skip around, they had to get a general overall plan of which will be the best over- all plan and he thought the boards want to take more time and be sure that their plans will be feasible before presenting them to the Council. Mr. H. Stewart suggested that the Planning Board call the chairman of all boards to meet and set up a operating procedure. Mr. Stacy saiW he ." as proud of the boards and knew they had great possi- bi1ities. Hl'' aaid ' all boards had trouble getting started. The Boards set a meeting with the City :t1ana. ger and City Surveyor at the City Hall March 14th. The Cemetery Board presented the following resolution: J A RESOLUTION PROVIDING FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF ALLOTTED LAND KNCMJ AS THE BEAt MEMORIAL CEMETERY. BE IT R:fl)OLVED BY THE FORT WALTON BEACH CITY COUNCIL: THAT monies currently resting in the Cemetery Fund of the City of Fort Walton Beach be utilized to accomplish the following: 1. The clearing and grading of that portion of the Baal Memorial Cemetery lands designated on the Wyrick Plan as one- half of Sections I and 6, all of Sections 2 and 5, 3 and 4, said clearing to allow fora sizable shade- tree to be left standing approximately every 40 feet.  12t 2. The grading and paving of a circular road around the area designated in paragraph one ( I) above as follows: I a. b. c. Six- inch (6") clay base