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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - September 5, 1933S COUNCIL CHAMBERS -. CITY COUNCIL CITY HALL -- CITY Of LODI Tuesday, September 5, 1933 This re7ular meeting cf the City Ccuncil of the City of Lodi was colied to order at 8:00 o'cloc', P. U. on the date first above written, Councilmen Clark, ueagle, Spooner, 49eihe and Steele (1ayor) present, none absent. The minutes of the meeting held August 21, 1933 were read, approved as read, and so endorsed by the Uayor. Mr. H. J. Tolliver, representing Lodi Business ,:fen's Association, asked that the sum of $800.00 be set up in the next annual budget for the erection of an electrically lighted sign directing traffic on Highway U. S. 99 to t -e Business District of the City. This was taken under advisement, .and the City Attorney ,-ms directed to ascertain the effect of a neer state law .-overnino the erection of road side signs on the pro- posed location of the sign in euestion. The monthly report of the Chief of Police for the month of Aaeust was received, read and ordered filed; likewise the report of -the Cit;, Poundmaster for the same period. The a, -.plication of dike S—aris for licences to conduct card games and sell beer at .7121 north Sacramento Street was ordered held up for one weer pending investigation of his record. The Clergy: read a questionnaire from the State Engineer's office for District $, California State Highway System, concern- ing the propcseu method of use by the City cf its allocation of gasoline tax moneys. This was referred to the City Clerk and to - the City Superintendent of Streets for recommendation. In furtherance of the City' -s attempt to secure funds under the National Recovery Act for the construction of a Dower plant on the 21okelumne River, Councilman 'Ireihe, Spooner second, intro- duced -Resolution `1o. 687, and the same was adopted by the follow- ing vote: Ayes; Coincilmen Yleihe, Spooner, Clark Eeagle and Steele Noes: Councilmen - None Absent: Councilmen - None RESCLUTICit NC. 687 7=22-13, the City of Lodi is a corporate city of the sixth class, situated in to County of San Joaquin, State of California, and had according to the 1930 United States census, a population of 6,776, an increase of apnreximately forty percent over the United States census of 1920: and 4E-122-1.3, the Rural Area co_ti3uous to the City of Lodi is one of the most densely populated rural sections in the United States, there being more than sixty homes per snuare mile in parts of the area and twenty homes per sou:care mile being common; anal ;iH==:1.S, the principal cops grown in the intensively cul- tivated irrigated Raral Area are grapes, peaches, apricots, prunes, cherries, almonds, walnuts, alfalfa, truck produce; with vineyards predominatinz, because of the unusually favorable conditions for Tckay grape production which has given Lodi the distinction of being kno-wn as the To_.ay Center of the world; and 56 COUNCIL CHAMBERS - -CITY COUNCIL CITY HALL - - CITY OF LODI =_E $, the City of Lodi --as successfully operated its mu- nicipal electric distribution -:ani crater supply systems at profit since 1910, the profit for the last fiscal year ending June, 1933 being, for the electric system a net excess of revenue over operatin? expenses, bond redemption and interest of -32,759.02; — and for the water supply system, a similar net excess of ;18,859.77; and in order to distribute electrical energy to its inhabitants, pump its municipal water supply and supply elec- tricity icr park and street li+ghtin._ municipal baths, sewerage disposal plant, heatin.; and li-7hting public buildings, the City of lo -Ii purchases in excess of 5,500,000 kilowatt hours of electrical energy each fiscal year, t:_e total number of kilowatt hours so purchased for the fiscal year endin.- June 30, 1933 being 5,644,800, an increase of approximately forty-five percent during the ten years precedin..z, the cost of which, under its present contract with the Pacific Gas and Electric Company, the public service corporation serving the territory, was -52,209.95; and r73?S, in the Rural area contiguous to the City of Lodi, the primary,; irrigation dater supply is wit drawn from wells by means cf electrically driven pumps, and the average annual power cost is approximately -4.00 per acre thus irrigated under the present electric rates of the said Pacific Gas and Electric Company, zihich serves the Rural Area; and 7 2'AS, the domestic and purer rates charged the consumers in the Rural Area are considerably in excess of the rates ch-arged for similar service to consumers living within Lodi and served by the City of Lodi's Municipal Electric Distribution System; and ;75 -3 -REAS, in 1928 and 1929 the Lodi District Chamber of Commerce, subsequent to a recommendation of the City Council of the City of Lodi, caused a power survey to be made of the said Rural area conti?uous to the City of Lodi, which survey conclus- ively indicated the economic need and desirability of securing an independent economic source of electric energy for irriga- tion and domestic use in the Rural Area at reasonable and re- duced rates; and 71 _AS, the City Council of the City of Lodi has been and is no-., striving to obtain an independent economic source of electric energy for its electric distribution system and mu- nicipal needs; and ;Tg✓'2AS, the Colorado Power Company, a California corporation, did own a low -head power site in Amador and Calaveras Counties, California, throuo-h which the Uokelumne River flows, located approximately twenty-five miles easterly from the City of Lodi, the Dower Teneration _possibilities of which have been investi- gated and LTineering reports made to the City Council of the City of Lodi, which investigations and retorts indicate the economic feasibility and desirability of developing on the site a hydro -electric Dower plant to supply electrical energy to the City of Lcdi and said Rural Area; and WHI'�3S, on January 9, 1929, the City of Lodi accuired by Deed from staid Colorado Power Company the above mentioned power _. site to be used by the said City or the City, together with s' Rural Area, for t::e construction_ thereupon and operation cf a municipal hydro -electric power plant as aforesaid; and 4T'= E_LS, subsecuent to ac-airinz the above mentioned Deed, the City of Lodi caused further engineerin-v investigations to be made upon the feasibility of economicaliy develcpinn- the said site by Consulting Engineers Messrs. Nelson A. Ec art, Walter L. Huber and. Frederick H. Fowler, which investigations confirmed reports made upon the said proposed project develop- ment by Consult -in? EnTineers Fred C. Herrmann and Louis F. Leurey, engineers for the Colorado ?ower Company, all of which investiga- tions imitated the project to be economically feasible and a desir- 61 COUNCIL CHAMBERS -- CITY COUNCIL CITY HALL - - CITY Of LODI able source of electric energy for the City of Lodi and a con- tigwcus '-Jural Area predicated upon the use of the natural and riparian flow of the said river; ,nd subseouent to the sail deed conveyance, litiX.-stion followed in the County of Calaveras, California, between the City o* Lodi, Colorado Power Company, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, and East Bay Municipal Utility District, which litigation has finally resulted in the City of Lodi and/or the Colorado Power Company, being assured through a State Supreme Court decision, of a certain re?ulated flow of water being returned by the Pacific Gas and 3leciric Company into the Mokelumne River above the above mentioned power site of the City of Lodi; the j.ast Bay Municipal Utility District 'caving been given, by final decree, the right to re -regulate, in its Pardee Reservoir immediately up -stream from the power site of the City of Lodi, the said waters released by the Pacific Gas and Electric Company as aforesaid, together with all other waters flowing in the said river, to the extent of such rexulation as will be necessary to permit of the diversion to the East Bay District of its ultimate proposed maximum municipal water needs of two hu-ndred million gallons daily or approximately one- fourth of the average annual flow of the said river and to oper- ate its Pardee Power Plant, at the base of said Pardee Dam; all of suer. power regulated water and residual flow as aforesaid being returned to the Mokelumne River above the site of the proposed Lodi Power Plant, and over which the said returned waters will flow; and dHE E S, in addition to the foregoing litigation, the City of Lodi, ir- protection of its municipal and domestic nater supply, broua'r-t an action in the County of San Joaquin, California, seeking t, enjoin the East Bay Municipal Utility District and the Pacific Gas and Electric Company from interfering with the natural flow. of E the said Mokelumne River, predicated upon the effect of interfer- ence with the underground water basin of the area in and about the City of Lodi, from which basin the said City and Rural Area obtain their respective municipal, domestic and irrigation water supplies; and P:1Z?EAS, on August 14, 1933, tre`Superior Court in and for the County of San Joaquin assured to the City of Lodi, b, Judgment and Decree, the delivery by the said East Bay Municipal Utility District of certain minimum flows of water into the said Mokelumne River at Pardee Dam, which the Court contemplates will serve to replenish and maintain the said underground basin and which minimum releases, together with: all other flows of said river, will flow over and across the power site of the City of Lodi; and WAREAS, a preliminary study of the power that could be devel- oped at the proposed Dodi Power Plant, utilizing the above mentioned minimum regulated flows of water together with such other flows as will be available at the site, indicates that the development of the Project is highly economic and desirable to the.City and the Rural area, and will result in an annual net saving of approximately forty percent of their combined present costs of electric energy pending the liquidation of the Project bonds and thereafter approxi- mately seventy percent annually; and W' '.?_'.;S, the above recited benefits may be secured by the City of Lodi individually, or the City of Lodi and a Rural Area jointly, at total capital costs of less than 4000,000.00 and X800,000.00 respectively; and ++ 3 ,S, the annual report of the City Cleric of the City of Lodi for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1933, shows that: the total tax rate per y100.00 of assessed valuation is :`1.00; the present outstanding bonded indebtedness of said City of Lodi is x215,200.03, of which amount the. City Treasury now holds an amount of 'i78,469.43, and the oresent total bonding capacity, exclusive of the issuance of Revenue Income Bonds, is •;705,338.00, predicated upon a maximum bondin= capacity of fifteen per--ent of the 15,32 non-operative 58 COUNCIL CHAMBERS - - CITY COUNCIL CITY HALL - - CITY OF LODI assessment roll, where principal and interest are wholly dependent upon funds derived from taxation; and the City of Lodi can now issue bonds in the amount of 0569,607.40. when the present Treasury hold Lodi City outstandin;r bonds shall have been canceled; and W=AS, by Resolution No. 683 passed by the City Council on Aueust 21, 1933, the City Council employed "Consulting Er-gineers tressrs. Nelson A. Eckart, 'Walter L. Huber and ?red C. Herrmann to fully and completely investigate and report upon the present facts concerning costs, markets, fir_ancirg and economic feasibility of the construction and operation of the power project as hereinbefore referred to, and as it may be adapted to the needs of the City of Lodi and the adjacent territory"; and WHERI�'AS, the said en?ireering report, ordered in accordance wit^ Resolution I -To. 683, together with such other information as is required in an application for a Grant and Loan from the Federal Emergency administration of Public 4vorks, 'Washington. District of Columbia, in accordance with Circular N). 2, dated August 1, 1933, will not be available for several weeks; and iui_:'RE_S, the City Council of the City of Lodi is apprehensive that such a delay in filing a full and complete application under the provisions of the said Circular No. 2, may jeopardize the con- sideration of such a Grant and Loan by the State Advisory Board created under the National Industrial Recovery Act. Il0 i T:L�'EF03E 3E IT R3SOLVEL; that the City Council of the City of Lodi hereby directs and orders the City Attorney to file such certified copies of this resolution, together with such other facts and data as may be required and available at this time to conform with the requirements of the aforesaid Circular No. 2, with the said State Advisory Board of the Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works, signifying thereby the intention of the City of Lodi to file a complete and detailed application for a Grant and Loan in accordance with the provisions of the Rational Industrial Recovery Act; and BE IT 'RT FR RESOLVED; that the City Council of the City of Lodi does herewith request that the State Advisory Board of the Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works file and record this resolution pending the filing of an additional and final application in accordance with the terms and conditions recited in Circular No. 2, dated August 1, 1933, as hereinabove recited; and said City Council further requests that, upon the filing with said State Advisory Board of. such additional and final application, the same be considered and Riven preference as of the date of this resolution. - The Cit;; Clerk stated that the Caretaker of the bath -house park had asked for a power lawn mower as the amount of grass was now too great for hand mowing. The matter was laid over for con- sideration in the next budget. One buildir-g permit for addition to a dwelling costing;'700.00 was ordered granted. The moving of the dwelling houses from the new post office site over the City streets was discussed, and the City Clerk directed to cooperate with the Street Superintendent in seeing that no damage would occur and that the City and its utilities would be protected by proper bonds or cash deposit. Bills in the amount of :9,776.04, as approved by the Finance Committee, were allowed and ordered paid on motion of Councilman Weihe, Clark sec-ind. 51 COUNCIL CHAMBERS - -CITY COUNCIL CITY HALL -- CITY OF LODI At 9:15 o'clock P. .7. the Council was resolved into Committee of t2ne ,hole, returniziR- t:) open session at 10:00 o'clock whan adl,,ournrnent was taken to 7:30 o'clock P. 11. of :ridaj. Set-tember 8, 1933 on motion of Councilman Weihe. Attest: City Clerk. me e i n f 3 i L