CITY OF AUSTIN, TEXAS: MINUTES OF THE CITY COUNCIL CITY OF AUSTIN, TEXAS Regular Meeting April 09, 1964 10:00 Α.Μ. Council Chamber, City Hall 373 The meeting was called to order with Mayor Pro-tem LaRue presiding. Roll call: Present: Councilmen Long, Shanks, White, Mayor Pro-tem LaRue Absent: Mayor Palmer Present also: W. T. Williams, Jr., City Manager; Doren R. Eskew, City Attorney; Reuben Rountree, Jr., Director of Public Works; Robert A. Miles, Chief of Police Church. Mayor Palmer absent due to illness. Invocation was delivered by REVEREND ED ROBERTSON, Wilshire Presbyterian Mayor Pro-tem LaRue gave a report on Mayor Palmer's health. Mayor Pro-tem LaRue recognized REVEREND WESLEY SIMS, stating the Council would like to ask him a question if he would permit. REVEREND SIMS stated he preferred not to answer questions at this moment, and would not yield the floor. After the Council heard Reverend Sims at length, Councilman Long tried to make a statement, but Reverend Sims would not yield the floor. After trying to make a statement for the record, and Reverend Sims' continuous refusal to yield the floor, Councilman Long stated the only alternative then was for the Council to adjourn. Councilman Shanks moved that the Council adjourn. The motion, seconded by Councilman White, carried by the following vote: Ayes: Councilmen Long, Shanks, White, Mayor Pro-tem LaRue Noes: Absent: Mayor Palmer None The Council adjourned at approximately 10:30 A.M. subject to the call of the Mayor. The statement Councilman Long wanted to get into the record was that Reverend Sims had said the N.A.A.C.P. wanted to postpone this hearing until the Mayor was well but that the City Council had refused to do so, and she wanted to get the record straight and get it into the ATTEST: CITY OF AUSTIN, TEXAS April 9, 1964 211 Minutes that the members of the Council had agreed to recess this hearing until MAYOR LESTER PALMER could return; and during the recess the Council would continue to work on solutions, but the Council could not get an agreement by the N.A.A.C.P. to halt the hearing unless the City Council halted all other business. Councilman long stated this business was important, but there was other City business that must be transacted also. She expressed regret this had to happen, and stated she felt it could have been avoided. Councilman Long expressed hope that good relations could be continued and the lines of communications would remain open. Councilman Shanks stated for the Council to be accused of not listening to the group was the understatement of the year; that it was the misstatement of the century. The Council had not had a chance to make a proposal. Councilman White said the Council had been meeting up here for many hours and many days, and had not had a chance to say anything. The group would not listen to the Council, and it was high time the Council took the action it did this morning. Mayor Pro-tem LaRue noted the average number of years the individual Council members had lived in the City was some 40 years. The Council members have lived here more than 30 years, and no one would be more concerned about the welfare of the individual citizens who have lived in Austin and watched the City grow, than the Council. Mayor Pro-tem LaRue stated he had contemplated presenting the "San Antonio plan" which seemed to have been 99% effective in getting voluntary cooperation and managed to integrate about 99% of the facilities in San Antonio. Only two motels and restaurants had refused to integrate. He wanted to say that the Council had worked to the point of exhaustion, and it felt it could not do anything to improve the situation by sitting any longer; and to continue this "talk-in" would only impair the relationship they had. City Clerk APPROVED Mayor Pro-tem