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HomeMy WebLinkAbout15216 RES - 11/07/1979nh:11-5-79:1st A RESOLUTION NAMING THE PROPERTY RECENTLY ACQUIRED BY THE CITY FOR PARK PURPOSES AT RODD FIELD FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT "BILL WITT PARK" IN HONOR OF THE FORMER DIRECTOR OF THE CITY'S PARK AND RECREATION DEPART- MENT FOR 33 YEARS; AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY. WHEREAS, William P. "Bill" Witt was Director of the Corpus Christi Park and Recreation Department for 33 years, retiring in December, 1974; and WHEREAS, Bill Witt was a loyal and dedicated municipal employee, having devoted 37 years of public service with four different cities, Corpus Christi being the most fortunate in having him for three decades; and WHEREAS, Bill Witt chose as his major ambition the field of recrea- tion which he enjoyed so much from the beginning of his high school days in Weslaco, Texas and where he excelled in athletics, a field he pursued at the University of Texas, where he graduated in 1937 with a degree of Physical Education. It was the City of Lubbock, Texas that first recognized his talent and entrusted him with the post of Recreation Superintendent. His zeal for growth and development took him to Lamesa and then to San Antonio where he served two years. Corpus Christi became his next preferred home where he became the City's Director of Recreation activities from 1941 to 1942, but being a loyal citizen of this country, he entered the special services as a naval officer in the recreation field at the Naval Air Station in Corpus Christi, then to Cornell University and later to the Naval Air Station in Washington, D. C. In 1943, he was assigned to the 8th Naval District in New Orleans where he directed their recreation program. Upon retirement from the Navy, in 1945, as a Lieutenant Commander, he returned to Corpus Christi and to the position of Recreation Superintendent, and when the Park and Recreation Department merged, he became the Director of the newly created department; and WHEREAS, Bill Witt was a dedicated and capable person, noted for his outstanding accomplishments in the field of recreation, and his excellence in this area resulted in the remarkable growth of recreation developmenbin Corpus Christi during his tenure and he was recognized by the Texas Park and Recrea- tion Society for his leadership and as a result he served in vat?ioustices, - (/%19%0 1 t-2 • J including President in 1947-48 and again in 1963-64; and WHEREAS, Bill Witt was called to his eternal rest on December 22, 1978; and WHEREAS, the City has recently acquired from the Federal Government for park purposes property at Rodd Field; and WHEREAS, a group of former City of Corpus Christi.executives and the Corpus Christi Park and Recreation Board have recommended that the pro- perty be named "Bill Witt Park": NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS: SECTION 1. That the property recently acquired by the City of Corpus Christi from the federal government at Rodd Field for park purposes be named "Bill Witt Park" in honor of the long and dedicated service given the City by Mr. William P. "Bill" Witt. SECTION 2. The fact that the property at Rodd Field, recently ac- quired by the City for park and recreation purposes, has not been officially named or designated and it is deemed timely that the park be named "Bill Witt Park" in honor of the long, dedicated service given by the late Bill Witt 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 or resolution shall be read at three several meetings of the City Council, and the Mayor having declared that such emergency and necessity exist, having requested the Charter rule be suspended 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 its passage, IT IS ACCORDINGLY SO RESOLVED, this the November, 1979. ATTEST: ___,PW/2/e/ne City Secretary APPROVED: (p DAY OF NOVEMBER, 1979: J. BRUCE AYCOCK, CITY ATTORNEY By Assistant City, 7 day of TH CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI,, TEXAS .1 TO THE MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL Corpus Christi, Texas For the reasons set forth in the emergency clause of the foregoing 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, request that you suspend said Charter rule or requirement and pass this ordinance finally on the date it is introduced, or at the present meeting of the City Council. Corpus Christi exas 7 day of 19 77 The Charter rule Luther Jones Edward L. Sample Dr. Jack Best David Diaz Jack K. Dumphy Betty N. Turner Cliff Zarsky Respectfully, MA was suspended THE TY OF CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS following vote: The above ordinance was pass_ by the following vote: Luther Jones Edward L. Sample Dr. Jack Best David Diaz Jack K. Dumphy Betty N. Turner Cliff Zarsky 15213