01/14/1957 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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352 THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION BUILDING, 275 SEVENTH AVEoNUE EAST, THE FORMER OLD WASHINGTON SCHOOL. As A RESULT OF THIS APPROVAL, THE DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD HAS ASKED 'THAT A REQUEST B~ SUBMITTED TO THE CITY COUNCIL TO VACATE THE ALLEY NORTH OF SEVENTH AVENUE BETWEEN PEARL AND HIGH STREETS THROUGH THE SCHOOL PROPERT~ TO THE POINT WHERE THIS ALLEY INTERSECTS THE ALLEY CONNECTING PEARL AND HIGH BETWEEN SIXTH AND SEVENTH. THE REASON fOR THIS REQUEST IS THAT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO EX- TEND THE PRESENT ADMINISTRATION BUILDING IN ANY DIRECTION EXCEPT WEST AND TO DO THIS REQUIRES VACATION Of THE ALLEY. As A BASIS fOR THIS REQUEST, THE BOARD HAS DIRECTED THAT THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION BE ~UBMIT~ED: I. THE ALLEY HAS, IN EFfECT, BEEN VACATED SINCE 1941 WHEN THE CITi PERMITTED ~HE SCHOOL DISTRICT TO ERECT A fENCE ALONG SEVENTH AVENUE THUS CLOSING THE ALLEY TO ANY EXCEPT PEDESTRIANS. PRESUMABLY THIS HAS ENTAILED NO GREAT PUBLIC INCON- VENIENCE AS THERE HAS BEEN NO CONCERTED EfFORT TO HAVE THE fENCE TAKEN DOWN EVEN THOUGH ~HE 'LOtATION HAS NOT ~EEN tiSED A~'~ SCH60L ~L~~~RO~~D SIN~E 1950. 'T HAS BEEN d~siRVED THAi THREE OR fOUR PERSONS, MECHANICS, USE THE PEDESTRIAN WAY EACH DAi IN GOI NG 'TO A LUNCH STAND 'ON SI XTH. To DO "THI ~,THEY MUST "JAYWALK" 'I N THE MI DDL:'E --Of THE BLOCK ON BOTH SI'XTH AND SEVENTH. 2. THE RAPID AND CONTINUED GROWTH Of THE DISTRICT SINCE 1950, WHEN THIS BUILDING WAS OCCUPIED fOR ADMINISTRATIVE PURPOSES, A PERIOD WHICH HAS SEEN AN INCREASE IN THE SCHOOL CENSUS fROM 11,661 TO 17,449 REQUIRES THAT THE DISTRICT HAVE ADDITIONAL OffICES FOR PERSONNEL, STOREROOMS AND MEETING PLACES. 3. ARCHITECTS HAVE ESTI'MATEO THAT 'AN ADDITION TO THE EXISTING BUILDING CAN BE MADE ~O SERVE PRESENT NEEDS FOR $85,000. To GO ~LSEWHERE AN~ DUPLICATE THE EXISTING BUILDING IN ANOTHER LOCATION WHERE NEEDED EXPANSION COULD'OCCUR AND eROVIDE THE ADDITIONAL SPACE NEEDED AT THIS TIME WOULD COST IN EXCESS OF $300,000. IN THE OPINION Of THE MEMBERS Of THE'DISTRICT BUDGET, COMMITTEE, THIS EXTRA EXPENSE SHOUL~ BE AVOIOED IF AT ALL POSSIBLE. 4. ECONOMY TO THE TAXPAYERS Of THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND Of THE CITY SEEMS TO INDICATE THAT I TIS MORE' DES I RABLE TO CONTI NUE THE USE Of 'THE PRESENT aUI LDI NG, WH I CH WI.LL BE USABLE fOR MANY YEARS If AN ADDITION CAN BE MADE, THAN TO TRY TO GO ELSEWHERE AND SPEND A LARGE SUM Of MONEY TO DUPLICATE USAB(t OUARTERS WHICH ALREADY EXIST. THE DISTRICT HAS TRIED TO SELL THE PRESENT PROPERTY AND HAS BEEN UNABLE TO DO SO. 5. MOST Of THE BUSINESS AND LEGAL AfFAIRS OF THE DISTRICT INVOLVE THE BANKS AND COUNTY OFFfcIALS. THE PRESENT BUILDING IS WELL LOCATED FOR THIS PU~POSE,PAR- TlCULARLY WITH THE NEW 'COURT HOUSE BEING LOCATED AS IT WILL BE. 6. THE SEVENTH AND HI GH LOCATION I S NEAR THE GEOGRAPHIC AND POPULATI'ON CENTER Of THE DISTRICT AND SO IS WELL SITUATED TO SERVE SCHOOL PATRONS 'AND SCHOOL PER- SONNEL. MEMBERS Of THE BOARD AND THE ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF WILL BE GLAD TO MEET WiTH YOU; MEMBERS Or THE COUNCIL, OR A COMMITTEE DESIGNATED BY THE COUNC~L, TO DISCUSS THIS MATTER AND FURNISH ADDI- TIONAL INFORMATION IF YOU WISH TO HAVE'US DO SO~ IT IS IMPORTANT THAT'THE DiSTRICT KNOW THE COUNCIL'S DE~ISION ~T THt tA~LiESi POSSIBLE TIME'AS ARCHITECTS CA~NriT PROCEED WITH PLANS fO~ AN ADDITION io TliE BUILDiNG UNLESS THE: COUNCIL IS WiLL,ING TO'VACATE THE ALLEY. BECA.USE OF THE NATURE OF CONSTRUCTION, WORK MUST BE STARTED IN THE EARLY SPRING AND COMPLETED DURING THE SUMMER IF THE ADDITION IS TO BE MADE." IT WAS MOVED BY MR. WATSON SECONDED BY MR. SHEARER THAT THE COMMUNICATION BE REfERRED TO THE PUB(IC WORKS COMMITTEE. MotiON CARRIED. 17 COMMUNICATION FROM GEO. E. OwEN WAS SUBMITTED AND READ AS FOLLOWS: "I' REGRET BEING UNABLE TO ATTEND THIS MONDAY NIGHT COUNCIL MEETING AS ,I HAVE 'BEEN STAYING AT MCCREDIE SPRINGS, WITH A CREW, :CLEARING FLOOD DAMAGE, EXCEPT A FEW HOURS A DAY TO TAKE CARE OF MY BUSINESS IN EUGENE. WHILE I WOULD LIKE TO BE THERE MONDAY NIGHT IT PROBABLY ISN'T ESSENTIAL ~ROM THE STAN~POINT 6f THE INTEREST Of THE CITY, INSTEAD THOSE Of US RETIRING WILL PROBABLY BE TOLD WHAT "NICE fOLKS" WE ARE FOR HAVING: DONE A GOOD JOB AND CERTAINLY I DO THINK THE LONG, fAITHfUL, AND FINE SERVICE Of MAYOR JOHNSON, CARL KOPPE, JESSE GODLOVE AND BOB BOOTH DESERVES THE HIGHEST COMMENDA- TION. My OWN SERVICE WAS'NEITHER LONG NOR SPECTACULAR YET I SINCERELY HAVE ENJOYED My WORK ON THE CouNCIL, WORKING WITH A GROUP Of VERY HfGH TYPE PEOPLE. AND' HAVE ALWAYS F'EL T nfE CI TY BUSI NESS WAS MORE I MPORTANT THEN M'l1 OWN, AND HAVE 'BEEN ABLE TO ATTEND ALL BUT THREE MEETINGS IN FOUR YEARS WHICH, I BELIEVE, IS A GOOD ATTENDANCE. I WAS ESPECIALLY.SORRY, HOWEVER, 'TO HAVE MISSED THE LAST MEETING AS I DID WANT TO TELL OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL WHAT A MISTAKE I THOUGHT THEY WERE MAKING IN PASSING THE TRAILER'ORDINANCE. BUT SINCE I KNEW EACH Of YOU HAD MADE UP YOUR MINDS MY VOICE WOULD HAVE BEEN LIKE THE LONELY fLOWER THAT "WASTES ITS SWEEtNESS ON THE DESERT AIR"~ BESIDES YOU ARE ALWAYS ENTITLED TO MAKE A MISTAKE ONCE IN A WHILE AND I SHALL fORGIVE YOU BECAUSE YOUR BATTING AVERAGE HAS BEEN GOOD! I SHALL CONTINUE TO WATCH AND folLOW WITH KEEN INTEREST PROBLEMS Of THE CITY, WHICH I KNOW TO BE MANY, fOR WHILE IT HAS MANY PROBLEMS I KNOW THESE ARE IN ABLE HANDS AND WILL BE SOLVED WITH NO UNHAPPY RESULTS. YET IT ISN'T THE PROBLEMS OF THE ~ e i II I, I I: I e I I e I , r I I e I; , I' I I ----