HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - November 28, 194516
COUNCIL CHA1BE?S CITY COUNCIL
CITY HALL - CITY OF LODI
::1LNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28,1945
Pursuant to the adjournment taken fron the regular meeting of
November 21, 1945, the City Council of the City of Lodi met at 7:30
o'clock P.M. of Wednesday, November 28, 1945, Councilmen Coffield,
Tolliver, 'Weihe and Mayor Rinn present at roll call, Councilman Riggs
appeared at 8:30 P.M. and took his seat in the Council.
City Attorney Glenn .'Jest, Deputy District attorney Robert Blewett,
Fred Spiekerman, President of the Board of Trustees of Lodi School
District, W. J. Coffield and Reuben P.Rott, members of that Board,
together with Leroy Nichols, superintendent of Schools sat at the
Council table at the invitation of the Mayor. Representatives from
various civic organizations were in the audience.
Mayor Rinn, in opening the meeting, stated that as the City
Council had received many letters and resolutions regarding the impend-
ing sale of the Old Salem School Grounds by the School District, that
the Council had requested that the Board of Trustees, their Attorney
and interested persons meet at this time for discussion of ways and
means whereby this lot could be kept in public ownership as the
opinions expressed in these co :munications, by the public at large
and by the newspapers all favored such retention.
Acquisition by the City of this lot for play -ground and recreat-
ional purposes was advocated by:
Mrs Ruth Declusin of Business & Froffesional :Jomans Club.
Mrs C. H. Blewett of Parent Teachers Association -
Mrs Mabel Barron . of Childs Service (Childress Day Care Center)
Rev. F. I. Gross
Ur Roswell P. Barbour.
Mayor Rinn read copies of the resolutions and letters received by
the City Council at its November 21st meeting.
Messrs Rott and Spiekerman stated the position of the Board of
Trustees of the School District as that of a public body owning prop-
erty not suited for school purposes and as seeing that this time of
high real property prices presented an opportunity for the District
to convert unneeded land to needed money.
Arguments were presented that the City as a possible purchaseor
would have to compete with private persons under the law and that
it would simply be transferring money fran.the City Treasury to the
School District. Also, that as 4/11ths of the School District was
without the City limits, it would seem more logical that the District
retain this property for recreational purposee open to the whole
district.
Mr '.Pest read extracts from the " Community Recreation Enabling
Act " of 1939 setting forth the powers of Boards of School Trustees
in acquiring and operating recreational facilities. It was pointed
out that the existing agreements under which the present Recreation
Commission operates is evidence that the School District and the
City, one as owner, the other as operator could handle these grounds
by cooperative agreement without the City being forced to buy and
own them.
The meeting adjourned on motion of Councilman Weihe after Mr
Blewett stated that he would endeavor to secure the opinion of the
Attorney General on the propriety of the District holding unused
lands, not suitable for school buildings for recreational uses.
J. F. LAZILY, CitCleTk,
for - minutes read before the orf
City Council cn Decem er 5,:91.5 and
='7,Drov9._ as writter.