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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02922 ORD - 11/06/195011/6/50 (5) AN ORDINANCE CREATING A MUNICIPAL CIVIL DEFENSE COUNCIL; PRO- VIDING FOR THE APPO NTMENT THE THERE- OF; PRESCRIBING THEIR DUTIES AND POMMS; PROVID- ING FOR ADDITIONAL EMPLOYEES; PRESCRIBING THE OATH TO BE TAKEN BY MEMBERS AND EMPLOYEES OF THE UMCIL; PROVIDING FOR LIMITATION OF EXPENSES, CONTAINING A SAVINGS CLAUSE; AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY. WHEI,EAS, There now exists a world-wide revolutionary move- ment, the avowed purpose of which is the imposition of a communistic dictatorship in all countries of the World, including the United States, and WEEREAS, Such movement is predicated upon the precept that its acceptance must come about through the violent overthrow Of legally constituted governments; and WHEREAS, The threat of such movement to the security of the United States, and, consequently, to the State of Texas, and the City of Corpus Christi, Texas, prevails to the extent that a clear and present danger exists to such security; and 69HEREAS, An armed conflict in which the military and naval forces of this country are engaged now exists in the Republic of Korea through which it is hoped to impose a totalitarian and co*mmun stio govern - msnt upon such free Republic of Korea; and WBEREAS, There is a threat that such armed conflict will spread throughout the world and encompass all free nations; and WHERF.kS, Because of such threat, and because of its reoogni- . tion by our Federal Government, it is deemed most imperative and urgent that the City of Corpus Christi, Texas, provide for the protection of life and property within the City of Corpus Christi in the event of enemy attack. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS: SECTION 1. Municipal Defense Council Created. That there is hereby created the Municipal Defense Council of the City of Corpus -1- 01'� 3 Christi, Texas, hereinafter referred to as the Defense Council. The Mayor of the City of Corpus Christi shall serve as Chairman of the Defense Council and such other persons, not exceeding ten (10) persons in number, shall be appointed by the Mayor to serve as members there- of. The Mayor shall designate one of the members so appointed ae vice - Chairman of the Defense Council, who shall be known as the Director of Civil Defense of the City of Corpus Christi, Texas, and who shall supervise and direct the activities and functions of the Defense Council, which activities and functions are hereinafter specified. Each member of the Defense Council shall serve at the pleasure of the Mayor or until the repeal of this ordinance. SECTION 2. Survey to be Made by Defense Council. With a view toward the provision of an adequate civil defense plan for the City of Corpus Christi, Texas, the Defense Council shall immediately upon appointment undertake a survey which shall include, but not be limited to, an appraisal and evaluation of (1) the availability of existing fire fighting, engineering, oommunications, rescue, health, medical, police, transportation, construction, or other facilities and the minimum requirements for such services or facilities in the event of enemy attack upon the City; (2) the type and structure of a civil defense organiza- tion which could most efficiently and satisfactorily administer the civil defense program of the City; (3) the personnel presently employed in the service of the City who are available for oivilian defense work and the additional personnel which would be required as the result of the adoption of a final and adequate civil defense plan for the City; (4) the extent to which volunteer civil defense workers would be required, together with a study of the legally incurrable liabilities, tort, contract or otherwise, of the City with respect to such volunteer personnel; (5) the means by which protection from sabotage or other internal hostility may be supplied; (6) the extent to which training courses should be in- stituted for civil defense workers in order to pro- vide an efficient and capable corps to handle dis- asters caused by enemy attack; -2- (7) the type of public information program needed to appraise the civilian populace of the pro- posed civil defense plan, and the manner in which such an information program should be maintained; (8) the feasibility and desirability of providing for the evacuation of the civilian populace, or portions thereof, in time of an enemy attack, as well as the provision of air raid warning systems, bomb shelters, and emergency medical, police, fire and similar centers; (9) the adequacy of available equipment, supplies, food, clothing, medical supplies, and shelter, and the extent to which they should be supple- mented or increased; (10) the maintenance of liaison with adjacent or other mnnioipalities and with state and Federal civil defense agencies, as well as a consideration of the need for mutual or reciprocal aid agreements with such other municipalities; (11) the methods by which alternate supplies of elec- trio, water, telephone or other essential public utility services can be provided in the event of disruption of the present sources of supply; (12) any additional matters which are deemed necessary for the formulation of an adequate civil defense program for the City. SECTION 3. Report to City Council. At the earliest practic- abledate upon the completion of the survey required to be made in the preceding section, the Defense Council shall report its findings to the City Council in detail, and shall include in such report, for the purpose of authorizing an adequate civil defense plan for the City, recommendations as to each of the matters specified in Section 2 of this ordinance. In addition, the Defense Council shall provide an estimateto the City Council of the cost which would be etailed through adoption of each orany of its recommendations, and shall also outline the sufficiency of existing legal authority in the City of Corpus Christi to accomplish and effectuate the specific recommendations of the Defense Council. In the event that inadequate enabling authority is found by the Defense Council to exist, its report shall then con- tain recommendations as to the type of authority needed, together with suggested ordinance provisions, charter amendments, or state legislation which would supply the required legal authority to the .City to act. -3- SECTION 4. Personnel of Defense Council. Subject to the prior approval of the City Manager, the Director is authorized to Council +s employ such persona as may be necessary tocarry out the /functions. Persons so employed shall be subject, however, to all laws, ordi- nances, and regulations now existing in and governing the employees of this City. SECTION 5. Oath of Defense Council Personnel. Each person appointed by the Mayor to the Defense Council and each person who is employed by the Defense Council pursuant to the authority contained in the preceding section of this ordinance shall, prior to assuming office or employment, take an oath which shall be substantially as follows: "I, , do solemnly swear (or affirm that I will support and defend the Consti- tution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Texas, against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I do not advocate, nor am I a member of any political party or organization that advocates the overthrow of the Government of the United States or of this State by force or violence; and that during such time as I am a member of the Municipal Defense Council oft he City of Corpus Christi, I will not advocate nor become a member of any political party or organization that advocates the overthrow of the Government of the United States or of this State by force or violence." SECTION 6. Expenses of Defense Council. The Defense Council shall have no right to expend avy public funds of the City without prior approval of the City Council, nor shall it have any right to bind the City by contract, agreement or otherwise without prior and specific approval of the City Council. SECTION 7. That in the event that amy portion of this ordinance shall be declared void, then the remaining portions there- of shall remain in full force and effect. SECTION S. The findings of fact as set forth above being of the greatestpublic importance and interest creates an emergency and an imperative public necessity requiring the suspension of the Charter rule that no ordinance or resolution shall be passed finally on the day it is introduced and that such ordinance or resolution shall be �4- read at three several meetings of the City Council, and the Mayor, declaring such emergency andnecessity to exist, having requested the suspension of the Charter rule above mentioned and that this ordinance be passed finally on the date it is introduced and that it take effect and be in full force and effect from and after its passage, IT IS ACCORDINGLY SO ORDAINED. APPROVED AND PASSED, This the 1day of November, 1950. ACIA •°-. MAYOR The City of Corpus Christi, Texas a. M lit M11 'imly, M".. APPROVED AS TO LEGAL FORM: Ulty t may Corpus Christi, Texas November 6 , 1950 TO THE IVABERS OF TM, CITY COUNCIL Corpus Christi, Texas Gentlemen: 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 or requirement and pass this ordinance finally on the date it is introduced, or at the present meeting of the City Council. Respectfully, v� D?�YOY. City of Corpus Christi; Texas The Charter rule was suspended by the follmving vote: Leslie Wasserman Jack DeForrest Barney Cott Sydney E. Herndon George L. Lowman The above ordinance was passed by the follrnTing vote: Leslie rasserrnan Jack DeFor-rest Barney Cott Sydney E. Herndon George L. Lowman