HomeMy WebLinkAboutReso 558-1936RESOLUTION CORRECTING A PORTION OF ~vIINUTES
OF THE CITY C0~'.!CIL ~,~EETING I~ELD ~iA¥ 6 1936
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RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of South San Francisco that the portion
of the minutes of the meeting of said City Council held Wednesday evening, Nay 6, 1938,
dealing with the discussion following the reading of the letter of the Baden Kennel Club
dated Nay 4, 1936~ and addressed to Board of Councilmen, City of South San Francisco,
California, and the vote called for on the motion to grant the permit, be amended so that
said min~.tes, as amended, shall read as follows:
A con~munication was received from' the Baden Kennel Club stating their summer meet
would start on Nay 16, 1936, and enclosed their check for $30~.00 covering license foe
for the first six days. They adked for police and fire protection as formerly arranged.
Councilman Boido made a motion the permit be granted. The motion was seconded by Council-
man Escnelbach. Councilman Ninucciani said he was not prepared to vote and suggested the
granting of the permit be held oVer. Councilman Eschelbach said he wanted the motion to
go through owing to the fact that since he was returned to the Board he did not want any
ill feeling.
Nayor Ratto then stated he would explain his action in voting "no" on any im-
portant matter coming before the City Council. In this connection he said the Baden Kennel
Club originally conm~enced.~operations paying a license fee of $~.00 per night, and later
the fee was increased to $80.00 per night by gentlemen's agreement. He further stated
citizens protested that the amount as originally placed was too low and that the Board
was requested by various business men to raise the nightly fee to $~0.00, but when these
same business men were again asked about the license fee they requested the Board to
charge $$0.00 per night.
The Nayor also stated that about 30 citizens called at his office asking that
the Baden Kennel Club be charged $B80.00 per night. He interviewed an additional thirty people
and with three exceptions they favored the fee of $~80.00. He stated that the arguments
given him in favor of the $~$0.00 per night fee were as follows:
"Prior to legalization of horse-racing, the City of San Bruno received $~80.00 per day
from Tanforan Race Track for each day operated. After legalization, the City~ of San Bruno
received $100 per day, and in addition, the state of California collected 4% of the money
bet. The daily papers list each day's betting at over $100,000; at this rate the State
collects ~4,000 for each day that the track operates."
"A license of $~0 per night would place the average cost to the Kennel Club at $~.00
per race."
In the matter of donations to charity, religious organizations, etc. "They paid out big
money because they made big money, and the donations were made simply.to buy goodwill,
stop criticism and mould public opinion."
"The~Bay Shore Track is paying $10,006 per year'to the City of Bay Shore."
"The license fee of $~0 will not come out of the pockets of the stockholders, but will
be charged up as overhead, and as such, come out of the pockets of the speculators."
The Nayor further stated that in addition to the above arguments, suggestions
were made to him regarding employment, as follows:
That the recommending for employment, or the employment of all persons be re-
moved from the jurisdiction of the City Council, Chief of Police, or other city employees,
and be left entirely in the hands of the Baden Kennel Club; that eight percent of the
employees be residents of this city and that employment be rotated, and preference
given to the unemployed; that at the end of each week the Kennel Club file a sworn state-
ment with the City Clerk showing the names and addresses of employees, number of days
employed and amount of salary received; that no appointive city employee be employed at
the track or receive pay for services of any k~nd from the track under penalty of dis-
missal from the service of the city; the track to hire its own special police who shall
be deputized upon application; that the penalty placed u0on the track for violation of
these recommendations be cancellation of operating permit. He said he considered that
the suggestions given him to be sound although the percentage of local men to be em-
ployed rather high.
He further stated that the city ordinance called for $~8.00 per night fee without
~nending the ordinance the Baden Kennel Club agreed, under gentlemen's agreement, to
pay$80.00 per night. He suggested that under a like agreement the $~80.00 per night
fee could be paid by the Kennel Club, and by paying this fee and abiding by the stipu-
lations set forth it would materially aid in removing politics from the City Hall and
all its departments, also on the basis of a 60 day meet, the city would receive $1~,000.00
instead of the $3000.00 received at the $80.00 nightly fee, making a difference of
$1B,000.00, which would buy plenty of playground equipment, provide for park improve-
ments and lessen the taxpayers' burden.
He suggested the matter be brought before a mass meeting held in the City Hall.
Councilman Nager asked City Attorney Coleberd regarding the ordinance. Nr. Coleberd
said the ordinance called for a license fee of $~8.00 per night and by gentlemen's agree-
ment the Baden Kennel Club agreed to pay $80.00 per night. He said that under the present
ordinance the city could not deny the permit as long as the club complied with the ordinance.
Councilman Nager stated that only one person approached him on the subject of
raising the fee, and that was in an indifferent sort of way, but nevertheless he would
invite a mass meeting if no agreement could be reached by the Board. He said he con-
curred with the motion.
Councilman Boido said that no one approached him to raise the license fee from
$80.00, therefore he though the fee was O.K.
Nr. Fontana then made a request that the City Council call a mass meeting of the
taypayers.
A vote was then called for on the motion made by CounciLman Boido to grant the
permit. The City Councilmen voted as follows:
Ayes, Councilmen A.J. Eschelbach, J.F. Mager, V. Boido Noes, Councilmen D.W. Ratto
Councilman Minucciani refused to vote.
Mr. Signorelli asked when the mass meeting would be held and Mayor Ratto
said it would probably be announced in the paper. CounCiLman Minucciani stated
that every meeting should be a mass meeting so that people would know what is
going on in the city.
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I hereby certify that the foregoing resolution was regularly introduced
and adopted by the City Council of the City of South San Francisco, this 15th day
of June, 1938, by the following vote:
Ayes, Councilmen: V. Boido, A.J. Eschelbach, J.F. Mager, ~. Minucciani, D.W. Ratto
Noes, Councilmen: None
Absent, Councilmen: None
Attest:
Daniel McSweeney
City Clerk