HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes City Council - 12/07/1962•
CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS
RECESSED REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
December 7, 1962
2:00 p.m.
PRESENT:
Mayor Ben F. McDonald
Commissioners:
Tom R. Swantner
Dr. James L. Barnard
J. R. de Leon
M. P. Maldonado
W. J. Roberts
Jim Young
City Manager Herbert W. Whitney
City Attorney I. M. Singer
City Secretary T. Ray Kring
Mayor McDonald called the recessed meeting to order at 2:00 p.m. on
December 7, 1962.
City Secretary T. Ray Kring called the roll of those in attendance.
Due to the absence from the regular meeting on December 5, 1962, of
Mayor McDonald and Commissioner Young, now present, City Manager Whitney ex-
plained the purpose of the recessed meeting was to consider an ordinance which
had been introduced calling an election on the question of the granting of a
franchise to Southern Community Gas Co. for the sale of natural gas in the
Central and South Areas of the City described as Areas 1 and 2, and on the same
question regarding the Northwest Area of the City, described as Area 3, and
briefed the Council as to the rights of the parties as set forth in the proposed
franchise for each of the two proposals.
Since there vas no objection to the suggestion, Mayor McDonald called
a Committee -of -the -Whole meeting, and invited all interested parties to the
Council table, for the purpose of clarifying the understanding and interpreta-
tion of certain terms and details.
At the conclusion of the Committee -of -the Whole discussions, Mayor
McDonald asked City Attorney Singer and Mr. Robert Burns, attorney for Southern
Community Gas Co., if each of them was satisfied with the language of the pro-
posed ordinance being submitted, and each answered in the affirmative.
Commissioner Swantner requested the ordinance be presented for action.
ORDINANCE NO. 6718
ORDERING AN ELECTION TO BE amr.n ON THE 29TH DAY OF DECEMBER, 1962, AT WHICH
ELECTION THERE SHALL BE SUBMITTED TO THE QUALIFIED VOTERS OF THE CITY OF CORPUS
CHRISTI THE QUESTION OF WHETHER OR NOT THE CITY COUNCIL SHALL BE AUTHORIZED TO
ENACT AN ORDINANCE GRANTING A FRANCHISE FOR A TERM OF TWENTY-SEVEN (27) YEARS
TO SOUTHERN COMMUNITY GAS COMPANY TO CONSTRUCT AND OPERATE GAS PIPES AND MAINS
IN, ON, UNDER AND ALONG THE STREETS, AVENUES, ALLEYS AND PUBLIC PLACES OF THE
CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI AS FULLY DESCRIBED IN SAID ORDINANCE; FIXING GENERALLY
THE RIGHTS OF THE PARTIES UNDER SUCH FRANCHISE, CONCERNING THE TWO SEPARATE
City of Corpus Christi, Texas
Recessed Regular Council Meeting
December 7, 1962
Page 2
AREAS IN THE CEN'T'RAL AND SOUTH AREAS OF THE CITY FULLY DESCRIBED IN SAID FRAN-
CHISE ORDINANCE, WHICH PROPOSED ORDINANCE GRANTING THE SAME IS MADE A PART
HEREOF; AND ORDERING AN ELECTION TO BE HELD ON THE 29TH DAY OF DECEMBER, 1962,
AT WHICH ELECTION THERE SHALL BE SUBMITTED TO THE QUALIFIED VOTERS OF THE CITY
OF CORPUS CHRISTI THE QUESTION OF WHETHER OR NOT THE CITY COUNCIL SHALL BE AUTH-
ORIZED TO ENACT AN ORDINANCE GRANTING A FRANCHISE FOR A TERM OF TWENTY-SEVEN (27)
YEARS TO SOUTHERN COMMUNITY GAS COMPANY TO CONSTRUCT AND OPERATE GAS PIPES AND
MAINS IN, ON, UNDER AND ALONG THE STREETS, AVENUES, ALLEYS AND PUBLIC PLACES OF
THE CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI AS FULLY DESCRIBED IN SAID ORDINANCE; FIXING GENERAL-
LY THE RIGHTS OF THE PARTIES UNDER SUCH FRANCHISE, CONCERNING THE NORTHWEST AREA
OF THE CITY FULLY DESCRIBED IN SAID FRANCHISE ORDINANCE, WHICH PROPOSED ORDINANCE
IS MADE A PART OF THIS ORDINANCE; DESIGNATING THE PLACES FOR HOLDING SUCH t+3.F'C-
TION; NAMING THE OFFICERS THEREFOR; PROVIDING FOR THE SUBMISSION OF THE FRANCHISE
ORDINANCE FIRST MENTIONED IN THIS CAPTION TO BE VOTED ON AS PROPOSITION "A" AND
PROVIDING FOR FRANCHISE ORDINANCE CONCERNING THE NORTHWESTERN AREA OF TIit, CITY
TO BE VOTED ON AS PROPOSITION "B" AT SAID ELECTION; AND ENACTING PROVISIONS IN-
CIDENT AND RELATING TO THE HOLDING OF SUCH ELECTION AND THE RETURNS THEREFOR;
AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.
The Charter rule was suspended by the following vote: Mayor, McDonald,
Commissioners Swantner, Barnard, de Leon, Maldonado, Roberts, and Young all pres-
ent and voting "Aye`.'. '
The foregoing ordinance was passed by the following vote: Mayor
McDonald, Commissioners Swantner, Barnard, de Leon, Maldonado, Roberts, and Young
all present and voting "Aye".
Mrs. Elizabeth Airheart, former Councilwoman, stated that she had no
quarrel and was 100% in favor of all of the gas utility system being under one
group, preferably the City, but that she questioned the method being used to
accomplish it. She asked a number of questions relevant to the matter which were
answered by Mayor McDonald and Assistant City Manager Townsend.
There being no further business to come before the Council, the regu-
lar, meeting of December 5, 1962, recessed to December 7, 1962, was adjourned.