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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - May 2, 1956CITY COUNCIL, CITY OF LODI CUaCIL CHAMBER, CITY HALL MAY 2, 1956 This regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Lodi held beginning at 6:00 o'clock p.m. of Wednesday, May 2, 1956; Councilmen Fuller, Hughes, Katzakian, Robinson, and Mitchell l.ayor) present; none absent. City Manager Meller also present. C0i,IMU JICATIONS PINiSERTON- REYNCLDS- CL'JFF-FLORAL ROAD ABC LICENSES NEE UHAi%I SCHOOL PTA TRAFFIC :,IGHTS 'LAYGROUND URFINC iRRIS :TER .0 ULST CES - .TY �l �J Copy of a letter from County Cou,°sel Dickenson to Frank Reynolds in reply to Mr. Reynold's request for a single street name for Pinkerton -Reynolds- Cluff- Floral road. In his letter Mr. Dickenson outlined the procedure for changing the name of the street. Two applications for Alcoholic Beverage licenses as follows: 1. On Sale Beer for Adele S. Madrid of the Resbalon Cafe at 110 N. Sacramento St. 2. Off -sale Beer and Wine for Jerry Staveris at 125 North Sacramento Street. Letter from the Needham School Parent Teachers' Asso- ciation thanking the City Council for the installa- tion of traffic signals at the corner of Lodi Avenue and Church Street, and requesting that consideration be given to the additional installation of "walk and wait" at this intersection. Councilman Robinson stated that he wished to go on record as being in favor of the "walk and wait" signs. He stated that he had expected their installation to be made at the same time as the signal installation. Air. Weller explained that the installation of the signals had been authorized by the City Council and the "walk and :gait" signs would have been in excess of this authorisation. The Council agreed that the desir- ability of the "walk and wait" signs should be in- vestigated through the National Safety Council and school authorities. Letter from the Needham School PTA endorsing the proposal of the Recreation Commission to turf the playgrounds at designated public schools. It was agreed by the Council that consideration should be given this matter in the future and requested cost estimates be prepared for study. Letter from Dr. H. C. Harris, 39 North Ham Lane, requesting that the City Council authorize extension of water service to the Animal Hospital at the above address which is in unincorporated territory. Dr. Harris explained that he was agreeable to having his property annexed to the City at such time as his neighbors will join with him in a petition. His present source for water is from the Dow Nursery, but during the warm weather hr. Dow uses all the water his ouma can deliver. By general agreement the matter was held over until the next meeting to give the City Clerk the opportunity to check with the other property owners regarding the annexation possibility. Letter announcing the next meeting of the Cities and County of San Joaquin Association to be held in Manteca, May 10, 1956. 11 PJbL� h t_i. REZONING LOTS Layor I,'itchell called for those persons interested in 8AN D 9 the proposed rezoning of Lots 8 and 9 of the Barbour- 33riLBOUR- Beckman Tract from 0-1 to E-3 to address the City Lound:. :.o retests to ti:e rezcc:ir6, �I r.er :.ritten or oral, were . , _ presented. Ordinance No. 556, amending CRD. NO. 556 the Zoning 6rdinance to provide for the described INTttODUCED rezoning, was introduced on the motion of Councilman Robinson, Katzakian second. S. ChAz,-.; NTU ST .Mr. Arthur W. Hellberg, 8 Vilest Lodi avenue, aadressed SET-B.:CiL LIivESthe Council to request consideration to be given to his application for a building permit to make an addition to his building; at the corner of Lodi Rvenue and Sacra_ento Street. The City I•.anager explained that the recuested buildin7 permit was withheld because the proposed addition would be in violation of Or- dinance No. 536, establishing a building set -back of five feet from the present property line or 30 feet from the center line of Sacramento Street. He also submitted a drawing by the City Engineer which would provide a possible solution t:: the problem but would necessitate an amendment to Ordinance No. 536. The Engineer's proposal would not affect the ultimate width of the street for set -back line south of the alley between Lodi Avenue and Chestnut Street, but ould provide for the adjustment of the set -back line on the east side of the street north of the alley, extended easterly, to gradually :Hove the set -back line to the east until it reaches a point 35 feet from the center line of Sacramento Street at the Lodi Ave- nue intersection. The oresert curb line on the west side of the street north of the alley would not be affected except to narrow the sidewalk slightly in the immediate vicinity of the alley. The bacra- mento Street curb lines, north and south of Lodi Ave- nue, would, under this proposal, be in closer alighnment. Councilman Robinson stated that the present set -back line was established by ordinance after public hear- ings were held before the City Planning Commission and City Council and the City Council is now powerless to grant a building permit until the ordinance is am:•.ended. r.e added that other people may be interested in the proposed change. On the motion of Councilman Hu�hes,`Katzakian second, the Council set the cuestion of a^endinr the set -back ordinance for oublic hearing before the City Council at its next meeting, May 16, 1956, and referred the Natter to the Planning Commis- sion for a report and recommendation to be presented at that meeting. F PUNT GF THE C ITY 'ANIAGER „ILicU;D The City Manager reported that Southern Pacific Company C,H;_S61NG had submitted an agreement for approval of the City LJGHT5 Council providing for the installation of two flood liF-hts at the Elm Street crossing and four flood lights at the Pine Street crossing of the railroad ??-S. #1922 tracks. Under the terms of the proposed agreement i,DU: TED the City would install the lights and the Southern Pacific Company will reimburse the City for 50% of the cost. Resolution No. 1922, approving: the terms of the contract and authorizing the elavor to execute the same on behalf of the City, was adopted on the motion of Councilman Fuller, Hughews second. 13 i.Li!%_5 Claims in the amount of 4`102,593.93 v:ere auDroved on the motion of Councilman Katzakian, Fuller second. F O,•: YaRD ^e City Lanager nresented a recommenaatior, from the i=•. I c� i :;LJ 'lanninR- Commission for the amendment of Sections 5.3 and 7.3 fo the Zoninz Ordinance, Ordinance No. 409, to provide for reducing the minimum set -back require- ments in residential districts from 25 to 20 feet in the r-1 and R-2 Districts and from 20 to l5 feet in the R-3 District. The Cit-, Clerk was instructed t�, set the ratter for public hearing on :,la,j, 10, 1950. recommendation from the Planning Commission that the C:{, 1;,, City Council authorize the extension of North Central avenue north across t:re railroad tracks to intersect with Lockeford Strtet. The suLsestion of Councilman Fuller that no action be taken on the matter until a report could be secured from the City anyir.eer was accented . ithout ob ecti or.. it final mao entitled ":.ontclair Park" was Dresented :..u.: L,It or aD_ r;roval. T: -e final :rap ryas approved ana the FlnzXV :ayor was authorized to sign said c:ap on the motion of Councilman Fuller, Hughes second. The accec•tan.ce of the streets offered for dedication is sub.lect to improvement of the streets to Cit;; standards before they •rill be maintained by the City. r i•ia;ror il•iitdhell then stated that it was his understan - _'iI? :�Pj S inv Councilman Robinson had incurred some _personal expense in connection with his recent trip to 9ashin.- ton, D. C. which was made at the request of the City Council. In reply to a :question directed to him by e mayor, Councilman Robinson stated that his total expenses incurred on behalf of the Cit_✓ was X192.50• ::.otion by Councilman Fuller, Eu -hes second, that the Pity rei:;.burse Councilman Robinson in the am=ount of 1'=_.50 was passed 'bv unanimous vote. d 3;�J :UV yor.'•:itchell then stated that he wished to appoint C.r Councilman Hu?hes to the City Planning Commission as the representative of the City Council ane to serve at the pleasure of the Cit-: Council. FGLLE TO r•avor r•.itchell then announced the anuointment of ic.; �5D. Cp•ancilman Fuller to the Pension Board on the same basis. �/ «� tnh.ell ''en no ced/zhe o�tm t/of CC/ IT: Ci'z Fu�le� �o thPer rsion oapfi orf tKe ea^e t a s k. ,'-ayor V.itCaell also asked that Gouncil.^.an Pushes con - L,_3 CO?•:•.ITTEE tinue to represent the Cit-; of Lodi on the County -wide committee stiudyin the dog and Pound problem. LODI LAKE PARKThe City Manager read a letter from Mr. Newton B. Drury, Chief, Division of Beaches and Parks, dated April 30, 1956, stating that the deed for Lodi Lake Park had not been recorded by the State Director of Finance, and until this is done the Division of Beaches ` and Parks is unable to expend money for its develop- ment and operation. His letter explained that although the Legislature provided funds for the acquisition of 14 the Park, these funds will not be availble in time for acquisition of the Park prior to the summer season. He suggested that the City budget funds ofr operation through the summer under the terms of the contract between the State and the City. He finally stated that under the proper conditions the State may be in a positior to assume operations of the Park as of October.. 1, 1956. MAYOR'S REMARKS Mayor Mitchell then addressed the Council with the following remarks: , !':I have a few remarks that I would like to make at this time. As I said, when I took the office of Mayor, one thing I would ask for was that of harmony and cooperation. In addi- tion to that, I am requesting that all of our undertakings be honest and above -board. Also, that the decisions we make are properly understood and that alibis are done away with. In- stead, let the citizens and taxpayers have an honest answer as to why things are delayed or put off. "That we quit stalling when certain things are set to be acc (fplished and get the job done instead of taking a couple of years to do it. If there is a delay, let's have the answer from the department involved and the reason why the work was not completed when delegated to them to do. "I for one, as your Mayor, and I believe I speak for the rest of the Council, do not like to be insulted and to be called a 'do-nothing' Council. I am not going to sit still and listen to these statements without getting an answer as to why the insults and statements are made. I fully realize that we must plan for the future, but I do not believe that -some of the things that have not been completed in the past two years should be put off for another two years. "There are some items on our capital outlay program that cannot be completed in two or three years, but there are many things that could and should have been done these past two years. If they had been completed, we would not be in for the reputa- tion of being a 'nothing done' Council. "I believe that when the taxpayers of Lodi put tax money into our capital outlay fund each year, that they want it spent for current improvements now instead of setting it aside for some year in the future where many like myself would never see any benefit from our tax money. The criticism that we received from our Recreation Department, for example�on the building of the two swimming pools, was right in condemning us for our stall- ing or their own stalling or passing the buck. In my opinion one pool should be under construction at the present time or near completion as well as the turfing of some playground. "And regarding some of our street work, I believe the property owners should be given an answer when they ask about a street being improved, for example, South Lee Avenue. I realize that all jobs cannot be completed at once, but for example the work on North Central Avenue, which was dele.vated to be done when Councilman Fuller was the Mayor, has just been or is ' being completed. Another example of delay is the widening of East Oak Street. We are also being condemned every day in regards to the bottleneck on Lodi Avenue between School Street and the Southern Pacific tracks. I recall that when our former Mayor, 'Millard Robinson, asked me to check with him to see if we could help in getting things going in this Minutes of May 2, 1956, continued 1 5 situation, we were told by a member of the Council that we had no business in sticking our noses or something to that effect, into this project at all, so accordingly we did not, and the bottleneck still exists. "Another thing I wish to call attention to is the dirt levee on Laurel Avenue. Let's give the property owners an answer as to what the Engineering Department plans to do. "Now regarding the new fire house, which Willard drew so much criticism from some members of the Council and Management, I probably should share in those statements that were made con- cerning location. I probably was one of the first and still do believe that the Emerson School location was an ideal spot for a new fire house. I do not agree with everything in the Master Plan, but I wish you would read pages 94 and 95 regadding our Fire Department for Lodi. "I am requesting at this time that each member of the Council be given a plot map of our property at the Sewage Dis- posal Plant and locations of the present buildings. I am told this consists of about nineteen acres. I also wish a map made in like manner of the No. 1 Fire House and of the City Water Works location ana also of the Emerson School block. A map in like manner should be made of Blakely Park. "Members of the Council and Management, all I ask is your cooperation and I know if we all work together, we shall do much for the betterment of our City. "And to the Citizens of Lodi, I invite you to attend our meetings which are on the first and third Wednesday of each month. If you have any complaints or ideas, will you kindly give them to our City Manager in order that he may investigate and bring them before the City Council for action. "I thank you for the time I have taken, but this is my thinking in a few words. It is also my desire that no discus- sion or remarks on the subjects mentioned be made at this meeting." PLOT MAPS Mayor Mitchell also requested that plot maps of the 19 acre sewage disposal area, the 303 acre disposal area, and maps of other City installations be pre- pared for each Councilman. There being no further business, -the meeting was adjourned at 9:50 on the order_; the yor. ATTEST: HENRY . GLAVES City Clerk jjj///