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Home My WebLink About00116 MINUTES OF REGULAR SESSION OF DECELibER 2, 1958As there was no further business to come before the Council at this time, it was moved by uncilmen Sullivan and seconded by Councilman Lindsey that the meeting adjourn, Upon roll to all seven councilmen present voted in the nffirmitivo and motion carried. 1 1 • ATTEST �ityCer� jI Y • li 1 'i u t j ;f .' 1 •1 MINUTES OF REGULAR SESSION OF DECELibER 2, 1958 Port Townsend Washington December 2, 1958 ROLL CALL Officers and members present were as o ows: Mayor Leighton, City Attorney Abraham, ,.ity Clerk Youngblood and Councilmen Mueller, Lafferty, Avery, Siebenbaum, Lindsey and vouncilman Swinhoe. MINUTES OF PREVIOUS SESSION! The minutes of the previous session were read in full, and it was moved by Councilman Dueller and seconded by Councilman Sullivan that the minutes be approved as read and that the xayor and City Clerk be authorized to sign same. Upon roll call vote all seven counci ran present voted in the affirmitive and motion carried. Councilman Sullivan arrived duri the reading of the minutes and participated in the remainder of the meeting. BILLS AND CLAI',,S Approved bills and claims as audited by the Finance Committee for the month of November 1958 were presented end read. Current Expense Fund ----------------------- $2 611.57 Olympic Gravity Y.'ater Fund----------------- a Library Fund--------------------------------w 321.35 Park Fund---------------------------------- y 159.56 City Street Fund----------------------------226.06 From the Port Townsend Dater Works and System Construction Fund in the accordance with ordinance No. 1321. Shirele E. e . D lone Clerical ______ C eric 1 Services for Y Nov. 1958-- -- Y, $75.00 Crown Zellerbach Corporation, Engineering Cost and Cathodic Protection From Au. 1 1958 to Oct. 31 1958------ $5,673.99 Del Guzzi Brothers, Estimate No. 4, Contract No. WER No. 5 November 1958--------------------------------------$2,319.82 It was moved by Councilman Avery and seconded by Councilman Sullivan that the bills be -pproved as read and that the �:ayor and City Clerk be authorized to draw warrants upon the proper funds for payment of same. Upon roll call vote all seven councilmen present voted in the affirmitive and motion carried. REPORT OF OFFICERS . vLERi: The City Clerk reported the regular salary warrants fox' the Month of November 1958 as lollews. Current Expense Fund ---------------- a4,577.46 Oly:pic Gravity Water Fund--------- y1,335.21 Library Fund ------------------------ $ 329.25 Park Fund------------------------- 257.16 City Street Fund------- ---- 91,466.59 rHr'.AS1J:•cI•Ti Firemen Relief and Pension Fund-----$ 225.00 The Treasurers report for the month of November 1958 was read and eras reffered to the xinance cor.:rittee. BUILDING ERtaTS The following building permits were presented and read. nary 11'cCullem, Repair Bathroom, 5IX51, "Frame, 19th & Haines, $450.00. mary C. Daly, Repairs & Improvements, 535 Pierce, j300.00. ;.alter L. LaDue, Re -model & Rewire, Frame, 1002 Cass St., $250.00. Mt was moved by Councilman Lindsey and seconded by Councilman Sullivan that the building permts be granted. Upon roll call vote all seven councilmen present voted in the affirmiti and motion carried. L.OViI:G PR:::IT Balch, wove house, 121f_191, franc, From 19th & Sheridan to 3rd & S:cPherson. Councilman Sullivan said that Mr Balch had moved the building sometime ago and that in h opinion all moving permits should be applied for far enough in Advance 50 as togive the ,ouncil tir..e to take action on the permits. e,t that Councilman Sullivan mored and seconded Dy C anzilr..an Siebenbaum that the moving permit be granted. Upon roll call vote all seven iy ! �or�' yu x, �` ` s � I ��' kY t � s 0e �. a Vs)r t Y'It r + a e lYu [t Z ; F t l a '3ryi. ri f n roc All r =3` th i �� I u - •�zr> ice.. . .y. r { I i f 4 �: lt J :� � k4 »�k h Sal i o- t L� r u' n M ''' ;C' MINUTES 0 REGULAR SESSION ON i ER 2, 195B CONTINUED Councilmen present voted in the affirmitive and motion carried. NEVI AND UNFINNISHED BUSINESS Councilman Siebenbaum said that he 'mould like to give a report on a joint meeting that two hold at Councilwoman Averys home and the Anna wbb were present were i:iayor Leighton, the Police and License Committee and the Finance Committee. He said that they discussed taxation) In general and out of the meeting they were all assured that if it wasent for taxation that the United States 'rrouldnt be operating and that hte States mould not be operating and the cities and towns would not be operating. After considerable discussion they came up with th surprising decision that taxation was an absolute necessity. He said they then brought up the subject 6f the ticket tax was unfair and at the last meeting there were four citizens who said that they felt the tax was unfair. The Committee considered that and all angles and after all there were between 4500 and 4600 citizens of Port Townsend and that the few who spoke were not a majority and so the committee did not abide to what the four citizens thought was right. He said that the co:cmittees discussed if the theatres were a necessity, and after the discussion they came up with the decision that they were not a necessity and if the theatres were not a necessity then the theatres came under the heading of a luxury and were subject to tax and considered that the tax was fairs He pointed out that people did not object in paying the excise tar, and state tax on luxuries in stores so why should they object in paying the city tax on theatre tickets. He said that 16r Thompson di not pay' the admission tar, himself all he did was collect the tax that the theatre goer was the one who paid the tax. He said that the committees disaused whether the tax was to high and aft the discussion and all considerations the y decided to recommend to the Council to lower the admission tax on the theatre from five percent to 3 percent. Councilman Sullivan said that he would like to discuss the problem of the theatre tax. He said that Mr. Thompson has been paying u50.00 per theatre each year and that he was the only one in business who naid a license to the city and thought that it was unfair to pay both license and admission tax. In his 6pinion the admission tax should be exempt from the theat- a 1' Thompson e and if the tax was not eliminated he was sure that �.r. hemp n would not reopen the theatre: Councilman Councilman Lafferty said that he thought the same as councilman Sullivan , the 3100.00 xxx that tar Thompson pays that no one else pays, and that the tar_ should be exempt. Mayor Leighton informed the Council that Mr. Thompson was not the only one who is lisenced by the City to operate different businesses. Councilman Swinhoe said there was nothing unfair about the tax and thought that should be understood by every citzen in Port ri'ownsend. They have been working under the mixx:np.Vzsnn= misapprehinson that W'r Thompson has been paying the admission tax, it mil3ht have worked out in via,,,., of the fact that there was a considerable delay in paying the city in what was propel due the city under the existing ordinance that he may have been called upon to pay the tar., however if had did it was his own fault. The idea behind the admission tax is that if a - ticket coat 24� there is a 1 cent tar, the individual going into the theatre pays 25y, the tax is graduated depending upon the age group•you air -in, as the result we have been led to believe in this very council room that this is a personel proposition ...ith Mr 'Thompson and that is untrue. Mr Thompson is not paying the tar_ the theatre goer pays the tax or should pay the tar.. Councilman Sw:inhoe said that some people have added discriminator to the word o an ir. town :r Thompson happens to be the only m e' is no didcriminator. 6 m and that is wren there Y a g P PP who has theatres but if there were two other theatres in town and only taxed one then that r+oald be guilty of discrimination . Councilman Swinhoe said that in regards to lisences man; the citizens were in the opinion that ttr 'Thompson pays more lisences taxes than anyone in town and that again is untrue and the records of the City Clerk are available to anyone who might be interested to see that he dosent pay the most tax in town. It is unfortunate that the theatres are closed and personally fell that they should be open but ,you can not operate the city if you are going to forget all the ordinances that have been brought out to operate the city. Councilman Swinhoe said that he erould like to go on record now that he was in �favor in leaving the licence fee as is and in favor of the reduction of the city admission tax from five percent to three percent. Mayor Leighton asked if there were anyone else who would like to say anything, whereupon Mr Jack Shortly said that he had a message from Mr. 'Thompson Buying that he would go along with the Lisence fee but if the City Tax was not cut out then he would not reopen the theatr Councilman Seibenbaum made a motion and seconded by Councilwoman Avery that the City Attorne be authorized to draw: a amendment to the Ordinance leaving the theatre tax as is at $50.00 per theatre and reducing the admission tar. from 5 percent to 3 percent. Upon roll call vote Councilman Sullivan, Mueller, Avery, Siebenbaum and Councilman Swinhoe voted yes. Councilman Lafferty and Councilman Lindsey voted no. 1:otion carried. Councilman Sullivan made a motion and seconded by councilman Lafferty that the admission tax be exempt from the theatres. Upon roll call vote Councilman Mueller, Avery, Seiebenbaum and Councilman Swinhoe voted no. Councilman Sullivan, Lafferty and Councilman Lindsey voted yes. Lotion did not carry. Mayor Leighton asked for a report on the garbage situation at north beach. Councilmen sullivan said they ':ere still dumping garbare at north beach. Street Supt. Arey said that he had placed signs in the area and at the i Lac could see no garbage and presumed that the tide had taken care of the garbage that had been dumped previously. Councilman Mueller reported on the health district meeting taint was held in Port Angeles. He said the budget was passed for the ensuing yearand that it was adeficit budget. and it seee.e that Port 'Townsend had not paid their yearly allotment for the year. However the budget was passed on the dcf&cit bases and were hoping that the Indian Service would be able to appropriate an additional 5000.00 for service to the Indians in Jefferson and Clallam County Mayor Leighton informed the Council that the Citys contribution of 3500.00 dollars would he paid in December of this year. City Attorney Abraham said that on page 33 of the October addition of the western magazine there alas an item of interest on trailer courts and some good ideas on trailer courts. Adjournment As there '.:as no further business to come-56f re the Council at this time, it was ma ed by Councilman Sullivan and Seconded by Councilman Siebenbaum that the meeting adjourn, upon R I E . �n of 0 c i 1 i