Fort Walton Beach Council minutes — 04-15-1958 Regular — reading text

have received .for our retarded children' s school, and just recently by the support we received .for our bazaar. We thank the City o.f Fort Walton Beach for the use o.f the Community Center Saturday, April 12, 1958, for our bazaar, with only a nominal charge af$ 5. 00 . for utilities, etc. We want to particularly thank the two 8ntlemen from the Fire Department who are taking care of the Community Center. These two gentlemen gave us every assistance in setting up our bazaar and cleaning the Center afterwards. In fact, they insisted that we go home and rest after we closed the bazaar Saturday night, and they took care of taking down the booths and cleaning the building. For this we are very ~ ateful. Also, the City Police Of.ficers were very helpful to us in that they kept the receipts of the bazaar in a safe for us Saturday night, since we had no secure place to keep the money at that late hour. Our bazaar was a big success. We actually cleared $ 100. 00. and spent only $ 25. 00 out of our treasury in financing the whole a.f.fair; everything else was donated. Eleven o.f our 18 conces- sions were sponsored by other Fort Walton Beach civic minded organizations and individuals. We mention this, as. an example o.f the tremendous amount of support we are receiving .from the community in working toward a solution of this community prob- lem of providing training for our mentally retarded adetuate children and adults. t Thank you again .for our help; without it we would have a very 11 1 di.f.ficult time indeed." Councilman Pelham moved that this letter be made a part o.f the I records. Seconded by Councilman Walker. Letter .from Mrs. Vote aye, unanimous. Frances McCartney regarding commercial water rates,-- copy of which previously was sent to each Councilman was di scussed. Councilman Roberts moved that thi s letter be tabled. Seconded by Councilman 8mi the Ci ty Manager advis'ed he had talked with Mrs. McCartney in this reg4rd and that her letter is a . for. m of protest against rates being charged. Vote aye, Walker, Smith, Pelham, Walker and Long. Nay, Cahalan. Councilman Roberts asked per.mission to withdraw his motion and have this letter read. Councilman Pelham, as second, agreed 220 and the letter was read: May I ask by what means the City of Fort Walton Beach raised the minimum rate of water for the businesses in this city? Did the Bonding agents request it? Was it done by Ordinance? o Having worked for the city in the past and noting that the water bill shows a minimum of $ 2. 00 Fipst 3, 000 Gallons or less, I was amazed upon receiving first water bill for the Credit Bureau in new location, for a minimum of $ 3. 00. In talking with a city employee regarding the above. I was ad- vised that the city had raised minimum rates for commercial establishments to $ 3. 00. Is this fair? Should the small busi- nesses pay a penalty of higher rates because he is trying to help build the area? When you add this to the increased valuation of property plus the increased mileage, it is no wonder that more and more busi- nesses are settling in Wright and in Ocean City. I believe in paying for. services rendered but when normal users pay eix and two- thirds cents per hundred gallons and I paid twenty- eight and four- sev~nths cents per hundred gallons, more than four times the amount paid by residential users; then I feel that the business man is having to pay more than his share It I will appreciate a wri tten. reply to the questions above. Councilman Cahalan moved that the City Manager write a letter to Mrs. McCartney answering every question askedahd that before it is mailed that it be read to this Council. Seconded by Council- man Pelham. Vote aye, unanimous. Letter from T. F. Anderson, rewater service, was read: a property owner and tax paying citizen of Fort Walton Beach, As I wish to focus attention on a matter which I feel warrants the attention and consideration of the City Commissioners for early remedial action. My street, North Bay Drive, is served only, by a two inch ( 2") water line, which was installed as an emergency measure in the spring of 1957. Since that time, however, additional houses have been constructed and connected to this two inch line, which is not capable of delivery of our water require- ments even for domestic consumption, plus the fact that the non- existence of fire protection facilities ( mains and hy- drants) in this area create a hazardous condition and is also o he primary factor for the, high property insurance rates im- posed on property owners on this street. Request these discrepancies be earnestly considereS! for early action."  221 Councilman Walker moved that this be turned over to the Public Works Committee. Seconded by Councilman Cahalan. Vote aye, unanimous. For the benefit of the visitors present who might be inter- ested in this water service, Councilman Roberts stated that I the Public Works Committee has discussed this situation and is working on the possibility of coming from Cinco Bayou into this area with a 6" line. Letter from Cecil Anchors relative to the County Commission' s consideration of a County- wide plumbing code was read: You and members of the Fort Walton Beach City Council are invited to attend a special meeting of the Board of County Commissioners on Wednesday, April 16th at 10 A. M. There will be a discussion of the bill pertaining to the Plumbing Code at time and you are urged to attend." that Counci man Pelham advis~d the Commissioners are interested in the Ciy' s particip~tion and that the local plumbers are in favor of this County code. Mr. Rodgers advised we have re- ceived a letter fram the Plumbers' Association requesting our support of this proposed County plumbing code. Councilman Ca- halan stated that \1t11le the conditions in the City at the present time do not warrant any of our neighboring people to run down and ask to be annexed, we must look to the future when we have more pleasant times. He feels it would be a very fine thing if those areas presently outside the City are gpverned by good plumbing laws such as are set up by the State Statutes. Councilman Cahalan moved that the Council approve the Commission putting themselves under the Federal Plumbing Control Act of 1951 and that this info~ ation be conveyed to the Commission at i I 10: 00 A. M. tomorrow in Crestview. Seconded by Councilman Pelham. I I Vote a:ye, unanimous. 1 I Councilman Cahalan will personally present thi s l8tilBr of approval I to the County Commissioners.. I 1 Letter fram Mr. G. C. Hastings asking sett1ment' for land deeded the City for West Hollywood Blvd., right- of- way was read: Reference is made to a letter addressed to Mr. Bob Traber, Gulf Power Company, Pensacola, Florida, by Mr. O. M. Earley, i~ i I fo~ er City Manager of the City of Fort Walton Beach, on August 6, 1951; my letter to Mr. J. J. Balcer dated AU8Ust 13, 1951, and letter received by me from Mr. Earley in August of 1951. f~ Approximately three years ago, I. dedicated 30 feet of my ppe- I perty adjacent to Hollywood Boul. ard for street right- of- way. In exchange the City was to deed to methe property of the Old i County Road between Beal and Shell Streets on the north side of the Gulf Power Substation. All parties were under the impres- C! I sion that the City of ~ ort Walton Beach had clear title to the 222 property of the Old County Road; however, upon closing this road, it was determined that the City only had a dedicated right- of- way across this property. Therefore, upon closing, the property was divided in half, with each half going to the adjacent property owners. As a result, the property which I received was shy by five feet in width to that property which I deeded to the City of Fort Walton Beach for Hollywood Boule- vard right- of- way. I feel it reasonable and equitable to request payment for 5 feet of property facing both Beal and Shell Streets, which I was unable to recover in the exchange..- I would appreciate Council' s consideration of this settlement, and am sure that Council is equally' anxious to clear up the matter." Councilman Walker moved, that this be turned over to the Admin- istrative Committee. Seconded by Councilman Smith. Vote aye, unanimous. Referring again to the land sought by the Okaloosa Association for Retarded Children as discussed earlier in this meeting, Councilman Roberts. with the consent of Councilman Pelham, second, withdrew his motion still on the floor for action. Thereupon Councilman Cahalan moved that Vesta Corp be obligated to dedicate the required park area as a prerequisite to approval of a proposed subdivision in the south one- half of the northeast quarter of Section 10, Township 2 South, Range 24 West, Okaloosa County, Florida, be satisfied upon compliance with the following conditions: ( 1) that 3. 2 acres, or more, of said subdivision, acceptable to the Okaloosa Association for Retarded Children be deeded by Vesta Corp. to said Association with a provision in such deed that the land and structures threon revert tp the City of Fort Walton Beach in fee simple upon cessation of use by said Association of the land for the charitable purposes expressed in said non- profit Association' s charter; ( 2) that the land pres- ently leased on West Hollywood Blvd.~ Fort Walton Beach, Flo r. fia , to said Association by the City of Fort Walton Beach, be canceled and terminated. Seconded by Councilman Pelham. Vote aye, unani- mous. Letter of resignation from the