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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 1937-06-25ADJOURNED REGULAR I~EETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SO~H SAN FRANCISCO,HELD, FRIDAY,~UNE 25TH, 193V. A regularly adjourned meeting of the City Council of the City of South San Francisco was held in the City Hall, ~riday~ ~vening, June 25,1937. This meeting was Qlled to order at 7;30 o 'clock, P.M. by Mayor D.W.Ratto. ROLL CALL. Roll call found all members of the City Council present,as follows;- Councilmen, V.Boido,A.J.Eschelbach, J.F.Nager,M.Minucciani,.D.W.Ratto. The reading of the minutes of the previous meeting was dispensed with. Mayor Ratto brought up. the subject of equalization of the personal property of the local factories, speaking at length on it and stating it was a matter of vital importance to the city. He said that a year ago he attended a luncheon meeting of the Manufacturers Association .and told them at that time that he had such a program in mind. The "~ayor said that a couple of months ago the Board held a meeting with the Manufacturers Association at which time he laid before them the extraordinary expenses confronting the city during the next year.. The sum of $40,~00 was necessary to perform the various projects consisv- lng of a Club House, at the Orange Park; purchase of additional police car, painting of the City Hall, purchase of a street sweeper, cleaning of sewers, construction of additional sewers in South ~Industrial Area, cleaning of sand out of Colma Creek;taking care of water flow in the same creek; drainage problem at the intersection of Grand Avenue and the ~i ssion ~oad; raising Linden Avenue' to its proper grade and the improvement of Industrial Way from Grand Avenue to the Bayshore Highway.~ He also stated that ~ a meeting of the Board of Councilmen had been held with the Supervisors,Engineer and Health Officer, regarding county aid in the matter of the Linden Avenue raising and the sand and drainage matters in Colma Creek, at which meeting the Board requested the Supervisors to stand the expense of the Linden Avenue and the Colma Creek projects. The matter is now under consideration by the Board of Supervisors due to the fact that Linden Avenue was consvr~c- ed out of a bond issue by the county. .. The ~anufacturers Association appointed three auditors to work with the city auditor on he financial condition of the city as to available funds for the work outlined by the mayor. This auditing committee reported to the Manufacturers AsSociation that they estimated that by November lst, 1937, the city would have $42,000 available. The Mayor stated that estimating city receipts and disbursements was a rather ticklish business,but by,using the same method of estimsting, the ~ity Auditor reported that the General Fund would have $11,000 less than that reported'~by the ~ufacturers Association auditors. mayor Ratto said that he was well aware that the city was in a healthy condition and that~ he desired to maintain that position. He said that conditions throUghout the country were rather unsettled and that in the event ou~ city,which is industrial, should be visited with prolonged industrial lay-offs,he did~ not want to have the city funds placed in a precarious position due to the inability of homeowners to pay taxes when due. The Mayor stated that in the event the County ~upervisors consented to render aid in the projects submitted them by the Board, it would mean Just So much less that the city would have to ~a~se through taxation. He also said that the assessments of the local industries have no~ been equalized in relation to one another or against the man owning his own home~ that the industries have been enjoying low taxes for many years past, and that it was his desire to raise additional money needed fron the factories rather than from the home-owner,who has been paying taxes up to his limit. He wanted to see the small property owner's taxes left in the present state. The mayor stated that he wanted to see the city's business placed on a sound business basis~ with an eye to the future,and that it was not his purpose to get all that the traffic would bear, as nobody realized more than he did how important the factories are to this community. His purpose was to arrive at a reasonable basis for assessment. This matter of equalization, he said, called for the full co-operation of the entire Board of Councilmen, working with the City Assessor. He said that the assessor should call for~sworn statements of inventories from each of the plants, a~d if the the request was not complied with, the assessor or deputies, should go over the books of ~he plants to secure the necessary figures. The ~ayor stated that undoubtedly, the cry would go out, that the endeavor towards equalization of personal property taxes would drive the factories out of town, and'that no new plants would locate here due to higher taxes. He said that regardless of whether a plant was located here or elsewhere, they would still have to pay taxes,and that even with an increase, the local industri~es would be favored against outside industrial communities. The Mayor ended his talk stating tha~ he would like the individual expression of each member of the Board as to whether or not they favored equalization of personal property in the factories,and also asked for an expression from the AsseSsor, as to whether or not he desired the co-operation of the Board in makimg his personal property assessments. -The Mayor submitted a list of true values of personal property derived from City and County valuations~ showing the number of times the city's true values exceed the county's true values. Some discussion followed the statement.. Councilman Boido believed that after the long depression through which the companies had gone it might not be advisable to raise their taxes at present,Some other expressions to this effect were heard but no direct action was undertaken till future meetings. A street decorator who had been inquiring for a license to sell decorations,etc, was expected at the meeting. Not having appeared before the Council, Councilman Minucciani moved to adjourn ~ntil Tuesday evening, June 29,1937,at 7;30 o'clock p.m. The motion was seconded by Councilman Eschelbach and regularly carried. Time of adjournment, 8;45 o'clock P.M. ~spectf~ s~bmitted, ~Mayor of South San Francisco~C~~ He said that a year ago he attended a luncheon meeting of the Manufacturers Association .and told them at that time that he had such a program in mind. The ~'~ayor said that a couple of months ago the Board held a meeting with the Manufacturers Association at which time he laid before them the extraordinary expenses confronting the city during the next year.. The sum of $40,300 was necessary to perform the various projects consisT- lng of a Club House, at the Orange Park; purchase of additional police car, painting of the City Hall, purchase of a street sweeper, cleaning of sewers, construction of additional sewers in South · Industrial Area, cleaning of sand out of Colma Creek;taking care of water flow in the same creek; drainage problem at the intersection of Grand Avenue and the Mi ssion ~oad; raising Linden Avenue' to its proper grade and the improvement of Industrial Way from Grand Avenue to the Bayshore Highway.~ He also stated that a meeting of the Board of Councilmen had been held with the Supervisors,Engineer and Health Officer, regarding county aid in the matter of the Linden Avenue ~ raising and the sand and drainage matters in Cclma Creek, at which meeting the Board requested the Supervisors to stand the expense of the Linden Avenue and the Colma Creek projects. The matter is now under consideration by the Board of Supervisors due to the fact that Linden Avenue was cons~r~c- ed out of a bond issue by the county. The ~anufacturers Association appointed three auditors to work with the city auditor on · e financial condition of the city as to available funds for the work outlined by the mayor. This auditing committee reported to the Manufacturers Association that they estimated that by Novenbe~ lst,1937, the city would have $42,000 available. The Mayor stated that estimating city receipts and disbursements was a rather ticklish business,but by using the same method of estimsting, the 6ity Auditor reported that the General Fund would have $11,000 less than that reported~by the ~anufacturers Association auditors. mayor Ratto said that he'was well aware that the city was in a healthy condition and that~ he desired to maintain that position. He said that conditions throughout the country were rather unsettled and that in the event ou~ city,which is industrial, should be visited with prolonged industrial lay-offs,he did'not want to have the city funds placed in a precarious position due to the inability of homeowners to pay taxes when due. The Mayor stated that in the event the County ~upervisors consented to render aid in the projects submitted them by the Board, it would mean Just So much less that the city would have to ~a~se through taxation. He also said that the assessments of the local industries have no~ been equalized in relation to one another or against the man owning his own home~ that the industries have been enjoying low taxes for many years past, and that it was his desire to raise additional money needed fron the factories rather than from the home-owner,who has been paying taxes up to his limit. He wanted to see the small property owner's taxes left in the present state. The mayor stated that he wanted to see the city's business placed on a sound business basis~ with an eye to the future,and that it was not his purpose to get all that the traffic would bear, as nobody realized more than he did how important the factories are to this community. His purpose was to arrive at a reasonable basis for assessment. This matter of equalization, he said, called for the full co-operation of the entire Board of Councilmen, working with the City Assessor. He said that the assessor should call forsworn statements of inventories from each of the plants, ahd if the the request was not complied with, the assessor or deputies, should go over the books of ~he plants to secure the necessary figures. The ~ayor stated that undoubtedly, the cry would go out, that the endeavor towards equalization of personal property taxes would drive the factories out of town,and'that no new plants would locate here due to higher taxes. He said that regardless of whether a plant was located here or elsewhere, they would still have to pay taxes,and that even with an increase, the local industries would be favored against outside industrial communities. The Mayor ended his talk stating tha~ he would like the individual expression of each member of the Board as to whether or not they favored equalization of personal property in the factories,and also asked for an expression from the AsseSsor, as to whether or not he desired the co-operation of the Board in making his personal property assessments. -The Mayor submitted a list of true values of personal property derived from City and County valuations~ showing the number of times the city's true values exceed the county's true values. Some discussion followed the statement.. Councilman Boido believed that after the long depression through which the companies had gone it might not be advisable to raise their taxes at present,Some other expressions to this effect were heard but no direct action was undertaken till future meetings. A street decorator who had been inquiring for a license to sell decorations,etc, was expected at the meeting. Not having appeared before the Council, Councilman Minucolani moved to adjourn ~ntil Tuesday evening, June 29,1937,at ~;30 o'clock p.m. Councilman Eschelbach and regularly carried. Time of adjournment, 8;45 o'clock P.M. Approved · Mayor of South San Francisco The motion was seconded by ~espect f~ s~bmit t ed,