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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06447 RES - 03/07/1962A RESOLUTION EXPRESSING THE POSITION OF THE CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI AS BEING OPPOSED TO THE ABANDONMENT OF A PORTION OF THE TEXAS AND NEW ORLEANS RAILROAD COMPANY LINE EXTENDING FROM KENEDY TO YOAKUM, TEXAS; DIRECTING THE CITY MANAGER AND THE CITY ATTORNEY TO FILE A PROTEST AND INTERVENTION BEFORE THE INTERSTATE COMMERCE COMMISSION AND PRESENT SUCH WITNESSES IN EVIDENCE AS IS MATERIAL, PROTESTING THE ABANDONMENT OF SAID RAILROAD LINE; AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY. WHEREAS, INFORMATION HAS BEEN RECEIVED THAT THERE IS PENDING BEFORE THE INTERSTATE COMMERCE COMMISSION UNDER ITS FINANCE DOCKET N0. 21705, CONCERNING THE APPLICATION OF TEXAS AND NEW ORLEANS RAILROAD COMPANY FOR AUTHORIZATION OF THE ABANDONMENT OF A PORTION OF ITS VICTORIA SUBDIVISION IN KARNES AND DEWITT COUNTIES AND A PORTION OF ITS FLATONIA SUBDIVISION IN LAVACA COUNTY, BRANCH LINES OF RAILROAD IN THE STATE OF TEXAS; AND WHEREAS, THE CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI, A CITY OF MORE THAN 175,000 INHABITANTS, IS A DEEP WATER PORT FOR IMPORT AND EXPORT OF LARGE VOLUMES OF SHIPPING IN THE TRADE TERRITORY SERVED BY SAID PORT AND CONNECTING RAILROAD LINES INCLUDING THE AREA SERVED BY THE RAILROAD LINES SOUGHT TO BE ABANDONED; AND WHEREAS, THE PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY REQUIRE THE MAINTENANCE AND CONTINUED OPERATION OF SAID RAIL LINES TO SERVE AS FEEDER LINES TO THE RAIL LINES WHICH SUPPLY THE PORT OF CORPUS CHRISTI WITH EXPORT MATERIALS OF PETROLEUM PRODUCTS AND AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS PRODUCED IN THE AREA OF SAID RAILROAD LINES SOUGHT TO BE ABANDONED AND WHICH RAILROAD LINES ALSO SERVE AS TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES FOR DISTRIBUTION OF MANUFACTURED PRODUCTS AND OTHER IMPORTS IMPORTED THROUGH THE PORT OF CORPUS CHRISTI AND DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT THE TRADE TERRITORY HAVING A RADIUS OF MORE THAN 100 MILES FROM THE CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI; AND WHEREAS, THE CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI AND OTHER GOVERNMENTAL BODIES HAVE PLACED GREAT DEPENDENCE ON RAIL FACILITIES AS A FACTOR IN THE INDUSTRIAL 644 a AND ECONOMICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE CORPUS CHRISTI AREA AND TRADE TERRITORY AND HAVE RECENTLY COMPLETED INVESTMENT OF SEVERAL MILLONS OF DOLLARS IN IMPROVING THE RAIL FACILITIES IN AND AROUND THE PORT OF CORPUS CHRISTI TO FACILITATE THE HANDLING OF IMPORTS AND EXPORTS THROUGH THE PORT OF CORPUS CHRISTI BY RAIL AND SUCH INVESTMENT WOULD BE SERIOUSLY JEOPARDIZED BY REMOVING OR ABANDONING ANY PORTION OF THE RAIL SYSTEMS AND FEEDER LINES NOW SERVING AS A PART OF THE TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES TO AND FROM THE PORT OF CORPUS CHRISTI; AND WHEREAS, THE UNITED STATES NAVAL AIR BASE STATIONED NEAR THE CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI IS AN IMPORTANT SEGMENT OF THE DEFENSE INSTALLATIONS OF OUR NATION AND IT DEPENDS UPON RAIL FACILITIES AND CONNECTIONS THERETO FOR ITS EFFICIENCY IN REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE OF AIRCRAFT AND THE SHIPMENT OF OTHER MATERIALS ESSENTIAL TO THE DEFENSE OF THE NATION, AND THE ABANDON- MENT OF THE SECTOR OF TRACK SOUGHT TO BE ABANDONED IN SAID PROCEEDINGS WOULD AFFECT THE DIRECT CONNECTION BETWEEN RENEDY AND HEARNE, TEXAS, AND OTHER POINTS NORTH; AND WHEREAS, THE REMOVAL OF CONNECTING RAIL LINES HEREIN SOUGHT TO BE ABANDONED WILL SERIOUSLY ADD TO THE ALREADY OVERLOADED TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES NOW OVERCROWDING THE STATE HIGHWAYS OF THIS AREA OF THE STATE OF TEXAS WHICH COULD BE AVOIDED BY CONTINUING THE MUCH NEEDED AND HIGHLY IMPORTANT RAIL SERVICE NOW BEING FURNISHED BY THE OPERATION OF FREIGHT RAIL TRAFFIC HEREIN SOUGHT TO BE ABANDONED: NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS: SECTION 1, THAT THE CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI, ACTING HEREBY THROUGH ITS ELECTED PUBLIC OFFICIAL REPRESENTATIVES HEREBY DECLARE ITS POSITION TO BE ABANDONMENT OF THE RAIL LINES SOUGHT TO BE ABANDONED IN SAID PROCEEDINGS AND THE CITY MANAGER AND THE CITY ATTORNEY OF THE CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI ARE HEREBY AUTHORIZED AND DIRECTED TO FILE FORMAL PROTEST AND INTERVENTION IN SAID CAUSE -2- I OPPOSING THE ABANDONMENT OF THE RAIL LINES SOUGHT TO BE ABANDONED AND TO OFFER SUCH WITNESSES AND TESTIMONY AS IS MATERIAL TO EVIDENCE THE IMPORTANCE OF SAID RAIL LINES TO THE CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI AND SURROUNDING AREA AS A TRANSPORTATION FACILITY. SECTION 2. THE PUBLIC IMPORTANCE OF IMMEDIATELY PREPARING OPPOSITION, PROTEST AND INTERVENTION IN THE MATTER OF ABANDONMENT OF SAID RAIL LINES CREATES A PUBLIC EMERGENCY AND AN IMPERATIVE PUBLIC NECESSITY REQUIRING THE SUSPENSION OF THE CHARTER RULE THAT NO ORDINANCE OR RESOLUTION SHALL BE PASSED FINALLY ON THE DATE OF ITS INTRODUCTION AND THAT SUCH ORDINANCE DR RESOLUTION SHALL BE READ AT THREE SEVERAL MEETINGS OF THE CITY COUNCIL, AND THE MAYOR, HAVING DECLARED SUCH EMERGENCY AND NECESSITY TO EXIST, HAVING REQUESTED THE SUSPENSION OF SAID CHARTER RULE AND THAT THIS RESOLUTION BE PASSED FINALLY ON THE DATE OF ITS INTRODUCTION AND TAKE EFFECT AND BE IN FULL FORCE AND EFFECT FROM AND AFTER S PA��SS�nAGGE(QE,� IT IS ACCORDINGLY PASSED AND APPROVED, THIS THE DAY OF a� __7 1962. 4� ff-�- ��� THE CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS AT7rt l CITY SECR'TA APPROVED AS TO LEGAL, FORM IS DAY OF MARCH, 1962s n t. CITY ATTORNEY TO THE MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS 1 CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS / -DAY OF I l9 FOR THE REASONS SET FORTH IN THE EMERGENCY CLAUSE OF THE FORE- GOING ORDINANCE, A PUBLIC EMERGENCY AND IMPERATIVE NECESSITY EXIST FOR THE SUSPENSION OF THE CHARTER RULE OR REQUIREMENT THAT NO ORDINANCE OR RESOLUTION SHALL BE PASSED FINALLY ON THE DATE IT IS INTRODUCED, AND THAT SUCH ORDINANCE OR RESOLUTION SHALL BE READ AT THREE MEETINGS OF THE CITY COUNCIL) I, THEREFORE, HEREBY REQUEST THAT YOU SUSPEND SAID CHARTER RULE ©R REQUIREMENT AND PASS THIS ORDINANCE FINAR.LY ON THE DATE IT IS INTRODUCED, OR AT THE PRESENT MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL. RESPECTFULLY, kAYOR CORPUS CHRISTI, , THE CHARTER RULE WAS SUSPENDED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTES BEN F. MCDONALD TOM R. SWANTNER DR. JAMES L. BARNARD JOSE R. DELEON M. P. MALDONADO W. J. ROBERTS /1 JAMES H. YOUNG THE ABOVE ORDINANCE WAS PASSED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTES BEN F. MCDONALD TOM R. SWANTNER DR. JAMES L. BARNARD JOSE R. DELEON M. P. MALDONADO W. J. ROBERTS JAMES H. YOUNG