249 REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL: Austin, Texas, August 21, 1919. The Council was called to order by the mayor. Roll call showed the following members present: Mayor Yett, Councilmen Graham, Haynes, and Ward; Councilman Alford absent. The minutes of the last meetings were read and upon motion of Councilman Haynes, were adopted by the following vote: Mayor Yett, Councilmen Graham, Haynes and Ward, Councilman Alford absent. Councilman Graham moved that property owners along the north side of West Fifth Street between Nueces and Rio Grande Streets be requested by the City Engineer to appear before the City Council on the 4th day of September next at ten o'clock A. M., and show reasons why certain improvements should not be made on said streets. Motion carried by a vote of 4 ayes, no nays; Councilman Alford being absent. Filling Station A. J. Edrington The application of A. J. Edrington to erect a gasoline filling station at No. 801 East 23rd Street was read, and with the provision that it be erected under rules and requirements provided by law and ordinances governing the same, and under the supervision of the City Engineer, said application was adopted by a vote of 4 ayes, no nays; Councilman Alford absent. Motion was made by Councilman Ward, seconded by Councilman Graham, that the Mayor be authorized and instructed to execute on behalf of the City of Austin triplicate copies of an Easement Agreement submitted by the I&GN Railway Company for a sewer pipe line across the north one-half of Block No. 187. Motion carried by a vote of 4 ayes, no nays; Councilman Alford absent. Councilman Graham moved that the City Attorney be instructed to notify the Austin Street Railway Company of certain bad conditions existing in various streets of the City along its trackage, said facts to be furnished by the City Engineer and that they be required to remedy such conditions without delay. Motion carried by a vote of 4 ayes, no nays; Councilman Alford being absent. The Mayor introduced the following resolution: BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN: Special Election That Councilmen Graham, Haynes and Ward be and they are hereby appointed a committee to canvass the returns of a Special Election held in the City of Austin on the 31st day of July, A. D. 1919, at which election the proposition of amending Subdivision 2, of Section 2, of Article 12, of the Charter of said City was submitted to the qualified voters of said City for their action thereon and said Committee are hereby instructed to report to the City Council the result of such canvass. The above resolution was adopted by a vote of 4 ayes; no nays; Councilman Alford absent. The Council then recessed until 3 o'clock P. M. AFTERNOON SESSION: Mayor Yett presiding. The following report from the City Clerk was read: The Hon. Mayor and City Council, City of Austin, Texas. Gentlemen: I beg to report, as required by the City Charter, that I have canvassed --- Page break --- 250 the returns of a Special Election held in the City of Austin on July 31, 1919, to amend Sub-division 2 of Section 2 of Article 1 of the Charter of the City of Austin, so that same shall hereafter read as follows: To raise such further amount as may be necessary for the maintenance of the Public Schools of the City, not to exceed sixty cents on the one hundred dollars' worth of taxable property in the City. I herewith certify the result of said Election as follows: FOR AGAINST Ward No. 1 - - - - - - - - - - - - - 50 18 Ward No. 2 - - - - - - - - - - - - - 51 19 Ward No. 3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - 173 43 Ward No. 4 - - - - - - - - - - - - - 218 54 Ward No. 5 - - - - - - - - - - - - - 113 33 Ward No. 6 - - - - - - - - - - - - - 66 25 Ward No. 7 - - - - - - - - - - - - - 50 30 721 222 The total vote cast at said election was 943. Respectfully submitted, (Sgd) Joe Hornsby , City Clerk. The following report from the Committee appointed by the Mayor to canvass the returns of the Special Election was read: Austin, Texas, August 21, 1919. THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL, Austin, Texas. Gentlemen: We, your committee to canvass the returns of a Special Election held in the City of Austin on July 31st, 1919, for the purpose of submitting the proposition to the qualified voters to amend Subdivision 2 of Section 2 of Article 12 of the Charter of the City of Austin, beg leave to report that we have canvassed the returns of said election and find the result to be as follows: FOR - - 721 AGAINST - 222 Respectfully submitted, (Sgd) Jno. B. Ward, J. W. Grones, H. L. Haynes, Committee. The Mayor introduced the following resolution: "WHEREAS, on the 5th day of June, A. D. 1919, the City Council of the City of Austin duly passed a resolution, directing the Mayor to give legal notice of the intention of the City Council to pass an ordinance on the 28th day of June, A. D. 1919, for the purpose of submitting to the qualified voters of the City the proposed amendment to the Charter of the City of Austin hereinafter set out; and WHEREAS, in accordance with the terms of said resolution, the Mayor [illegible] --- Page break --- 251 did give such legal notice by causing same to be published in The Statesman, a newspaper published in said city, on the following dates: June 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 17, 18, 19, 20, and 21, A. D. 1919; and Whereas, the City Council did on the 28th day of June, A. D. 1919, duly pass an ordinance, ordering an election to be held in the City of Austin on the 31st day of July, A. D. 1919, for the purpose of submitting to the qualified voters of the City of Austin the proposed amendment to the Charter of the City of Austin hereinafter set out; and Whereas, said ordinance was published in The Statesman, a newspaper published in the City of Austin on the 30th day of June, A. D. 1919; and Whereas, on the 28th day of June, A. D. 1919, the Mayor issued his proclamation, calling said election as provided by the terms of said ordinance, and caused said proclamation to be posted at each of the various voting places in the city, named in said ordinance, on the 30th day of June, A. D. 1919, and also caused said proclamation, which contained a copy of the proposed amendment to the City Charter hereinafter set out, to be published in The Statesman, a daily newspaper published in said City, on the following dates: July 10, 11 and 12, A. D. 1919; and Whereas, the City Council caused the City Clerk to mail a copy of the said proposition to amend said charter to every qualified voter in the City of Austin as appears from the Tax Collector's rolls for the year ending January 31, A.D. 1919; and Whereas, in accordance with the terms of said ordinance, a special election was duly held in the City of Austin, on the 31st day of July, A. D. 1919, at which election there was submitted to the qualified voters of said City, for their action thereon the proposition to amend the Charter of the City of Austin which proposition was as follows: Shall Subdivision 2 of Section 2 of Article 12 of the City Charter be amended so as to read as follows: (2) To raise such further amount as may be necessary for the maintenance of the public schools of the city, not to exceed sixty cents on the one hundred dollars worth of taxable property in the city. The board of trustees for said schools shall determine and advise the City Council as to what amount of said tax shall be levied and collected each year, and the City Council shall levy and collect such tax, but if at any time said board fails to do so, the City Council may levy such tax at the same rate as levied for the last preceding year; and Whereas, the votes cast at said election were duly counted, returned, and canvassed, and it has been found that there have been 721 votes cast for said proposition and 222 votes cast against said proposition; now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN: That the amendment included in the proposition hereinabove set out, having received a majority of the votes cast at said election, the same is hereby declared to be adopted and to be a part of said Charter, and it is declared that Subdivision 2 of Section 2 of Article 12 of the Charter of the City of Austin shall hereafter read as follows: (2) To raise such further amount as may be necessary for the maintenance --- Page break --- 252 of the public schools of the city, not to exceed sixty cents on the one hundred dollars worth of taxable property in the city. The board of trustees for said schools shall determine and advise the City Council as to what amount of said tax shall be levied and collected each year, and the City Council shall levy the amount so determined, but if at any time said board fails to do so, the City Council shall levy such tax at the same rate as levied for the last preceding year; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That the Mayor be and he is hereby instructed to certify to the Secretary of State an authenticated copy of said amendment, under seal of this city, showing the approval of same by the qualified voters, as hereinabove set forth. Councilman Haynes moved the adoption of the above resolution. The motion carried by a vote of 4 ayes, no nays; Councilman Alford absent. Councilman Haynes introduced the following resolution: BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN: That the sum of Thirty Dollars ($30.00) be and the same is hereby appropriated out of the General Contingent Fund of the City of Austin for Warrant the purpose of paying in full the claim of W. A. Newton for damages on for Payment account of the killing of one Jersey heifer on September 5, 1918, at the of corner of Red River and East Second Streets in the City of Austin, Texas; W. A. Newton and the clerk is hereby instructed to issue a warrant for said amount, Claim. payable to said W. A. Newton. The above resolution was adopted by a vote of 4 ayes, no nays; Councilman Alford absent. The Council then recessed. SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL: Austin, Texas, August 27th, 1919. The Council met with all members present. The Mayor laid before the Council the following resolution: RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN, TEXAS: That the Superintendent of the Water, Light and Power Department Lease to State be authorized by the City of Austin to lease the property known as the auxof Texas iliary pumping station for Camp Mabry to the State of Texas for the use of Camp Mabry Div. the Adjutant General's Department and for the purpose of furnishing fire profor Payment tection to said Camp Mabry for one year, or until the first meeting of the State Legislature thereafter, in consideration of the sum of One Dollar ($1.00) per annum, it being understood that an effort will be made to have the State take over said property. Motion was made by Councilman Haynes, seconded by Councilman Ward, that the above resolution be adopted; Motion prevailed by a vote of 5 ayes; no nays. The Council then adjourned. Yancy [illegible] J.W. Miller.