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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - March 8, 1954 - CC281 CITY HALL AZUSA, CALIFORNIA MONDAY MARCH 8, 1954 8:00 P.M, TheCity,Council of the City of Azusa met in adjourned meeting at the above time and place. Roll Call: Councilmen: Barry, Ortuno, Johnson -` Memmesheimer, Jackson Roll Call City Attorney, City Clerk ,Mpyor Jackson read an invitation from the City of Monrovia to participate in their annual Monrovia Day ' Pa'r`ade on Saturday May 22, 1954, Moved by Councilman Memmesheimer, seconded by Council- man Ortuno and unanimously carried, to refer the invi- tation�to the Chamber ofCommerce for action by them Monrovia Day if they desire. Parade The Regional Planning Commission notified the"City of the time and place for a second public hearing Regional Planning in"the matter of a request for a change'of"zone Commission Hearing from R-1-40,000 to C-2 for.property located at -'the most northerly corner of the"junction of Sari Gabriel Canyon State Highway Route No. 62 -with Azusa and San" Gabriel Canyon Road. Hearing to be held at 11:00 A.N. Tuesday, March 16, 1954. Moved by Councilman Barry, seconded by Councilman Ortuno and unanimously carried, letter be filed with the Attorney,who will represent the City at the hearing. Request from Office of Civil Defense for Council to have representative at the coming meeting on March 12, 1954 at 10:00 A. M. for discussion on the employment of a Civil Defense and Disaster Area Coordinator. Moved by Councilman Barry that Miss Boyer,,of the Civil Defense office, be present at meeting. Moved by Councilman Johnson, seconded by Countilmen ' Ortuno and unanimously carried,, that Councilman Barry represent Council at meeting and Miss Boyer also to be present. Councilman Ortuno offered the following amendment to Resolution 2974: Amendment to Resolution 2974 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE ACITY OF Election ,_AZUSA, COUNTY OF IAS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA AMENDING RESOLUTION NO. 2974. The City Council of the City of Azusa does hereby resolve as follows: SECTION 1. That resolution No. 2974 relating Resolution No.2975 to Municipal Election to be held in the City of Azusa 'on April 13th, 1954, be amended by adding a section thereto to be known as Section 6J, said section to read as follows: That the election polls at said election be opened at 7:00 o'clock A.M. and to be kept open. continuously until 7:00 P.M. of said election day. ''SECTION 2. It is further resolved that the ' Mayor shall sign this resolution and the City Clerk shall attest the same and certify as to the passage and adoption thereof. Mayor of the City of Azusa Moved by Councilman Barry, seconded by Councilman Memmesheimer and unanimously carried, resolution be adopted as read and numbered Resolution No. 2975. eq 00 cq CITY_HALL AZUSA, CALIFORNIA MONDAY, MARCH 8, 195+.. 8:00 P.M. Mayor,' Jackson read letter, from .the Azusa Ministerial Union regardirig'action of Council on the anti -gambling' Ordinance Discussion of as,proposed'and`requestii%'Council reconsider and -have .. Proposed Anti- Ord1nan'ce'pliced on the ballot to be voted on by the people. Gambling Ord- - inane Councilman'Barry stated_ "I voted for Mrs. Johnsonis'Anti-- gambling.ordinance at last -Monday night' -s Council meeting. At .that ,time I - took Xti,16hnsonIs word that present lays prohibited -only draw poker; I voted for it becatise - I am in 'favor of strict gambling'laws.- The next -day I read.Ordinarices No: -23 and•37. They prohibit every tgpe of gambling. They are even more"effective than"tier`ordinance. Referring to Sections 1 acid 2" of'.Ordinaiice, 37' the phrase '"any other'devioe" covers more than -just "Blot' machines and mechanical device" Either Mrs: Johnson' misunderstood the existing ordinances or she deliberately misspresented-'them. .1 -ask -Chief Kendrick; if 'in'his past experience as Chief of the Uusa`Pol-ice Department, he has encountered any game that is not `covered by ;the 'present' laws: ' I ask" Attorney Tscharner if there. -is any single type of -gambling not covered -by existing laws? Mre:'-4ohnson was quoted in public -print as saying there was. no restriction on-gamiiling'except draw poker. 'and that she was proposing the only real anti -gambling law for the City. trJe already have a -much better "law than the one proposed. The-- City' is- in" no danger,. -I-object .to -"misleading' and scare infor- mation`giv`en out to the'public.`­The"present ordinances are in force -and could be repealed only -by Council vote:' The publiceWuld oust immediately,'any councilman Who *attempted to".tempet`with them: I"will not -stand for weakening•these ordinances at this meeting or any time in the future.° Attorney Tscharner stated he knew of no -'games and did not Wish' -to tie'=asked.' He also stated "there is'much to do'about little'"or-"'nothi.ng." The_ Ordinarice-from"Culver City (proposed) was'desinged for'and attempts only'to cover that which the state 'law' does not -cover: He further" made `comparisons of the present.ordinanee and state laws covering gambling. Councilman Johnson stated the proposed ordinance"wa"s not misleading'or the public misinformed These -ordinances (Nos; -23 and 37) could-be-repealed'by this -"Council or-Any- other'Council thereby allowing- dutside- interests ah'oppbr- ieoentrance. The following statement was made for theror'di "To complete the record in'this matter, I wish to refer to a few'faets which seem to have'been'forgotten: It - is a fact of "record'-ttiat' ttie majority -of the previous Council did fire the -Chief of'Police. 2.; • ' It - is - a ' fact o�'record' that the majority of the Pprevious Council, at the'last'possible moment, ordered on the ballot a substitute civil service ordin- ance which would'have given the Council complete control over,"every-City employee, including every member of the Police Department. OMJFU I . 4 . 1 285 3 CITY HALL AZUSA, CALIFORNIA MONDAY MARCH 8, 1954 8:00 P.M. 3. -It"is a fact"of record'that-all of these -efforts to gain control of the Police Department failed,..at great cost to the City. 4. -It is a fact of record that these actions, and others, of the majority of the previous -Council resulted in their repudiation and recall by the people of the City of Azusa. No one has yet given any valid -reason for these actions ' of record, which coupled with the fact that-laws:against gambling in Azusa -could be repealed or amended by"the--Council in a matter of two weeks, makes the conclusion'irievitable that the people have no protection against commercialized gambling -now or in the future. - I - - My opinion in this matter has-been ridiculed by those who"appear to defend gambling. Why should they fear to - have the people vote on'this?' They'must fear that the people will lock the door and turn the key. - Now --is my position ridiculous or not? I wish to quote from an article in the Sacramento Bee to insert in this record what Governor Knight has to say. "Governor Goodwin J. Knight disclosed that 4hile"lie was vacationing in Palm Springs,- -a'few persons 'slyly suggested' they be permitted to have legalized gambling in -the community. The governor's reaction was brief and to top point. He stated: "I -made it pretty plain that I didn't think'_ gambling is good for California and that I am against it. I said it would destroy the quality of our state.-' "He said if Palm Springs people cannot get along without gambling they had better give it back to the Indians.---" ' "Very likely the people of the town feel no'different about gambling than do other Californians who stated decisively at the polls that they do not want it: "Governor Knight has -the correct answer. -There should be no opening wedge to gambling on the sly.---" When the governor of this state is approached to permit legalized gambling in Palm Springs, is it impossible to believe a City Council would not be approached to permit the same thing in Azusa. It all adds up to one thing --THE COUNCIL SHOULD GIVE THE PEOPLE -A CHANCE TO PROTECT THEMSELVES. Rev. Parloulek addressed Council in behalf of the Ministerial Union stating the Council has, since the last meeting and after studying the ordinances, seemed to have encountered coercion. He stated his desire that the Council'reeonsider and place the proposed ordinance upon the ballot so the people may show, by election, their wish in the matter. Rev. Doyle Brown stated he had no desire to enter into political controversies but, as the law could be'changed •by Council action, he would prefer to see the ordinances on the -ballot. Rev. Barnhart spoke in favor of placing the ordinance on the ballot. Councilman Barry stated that the City had been publicized as,,a city'with no gambling laws and if it was thought he was involved in any manner with gambling interests he would gladly subject himself to any lie detector test; he felt that the -present ordinance was stronger than that proposed. OMJFU 0 b 4 CITY HALL AZUSA CALIFORNIA MONDAY MARCH 8, 1954 8:00 P.M. Councilman Johnson stated that the League of California Cities had suggested the proposed ordinance as one that would prohibit all forms of gambling. City Attorney Tscharner stated that the State and City Ordinances furnished reasonable protection but that a vote by the people would be notice to outside interests to stay out. Mr. A. Kloepfer questioned the City Attorney on his inter- pretation of Section 2 of Ordinance No. 23 regarding 'being present". Mrs. S. Winokur stated that the Chief of Police was governed by the Council as he was under Civil Service. Upon the question of authority for setting policy, Mayor Jackson stated that the final determination of policy was made by the Council. Mr. W. Kloepfer stated that a law adopted by referendum must be changed in the same way. Therefore, in order to strengthen a law,it must still go to election; whereas, if it is adopted by Council action.it could be strengthened in the same way. The law, if circumvented by undesirable persons, could quickly have action taken by the Council instead of the lengthy time needed to call an election. Mayor Jettison felt that the ordinance would be stronger if it wae.on the ballot and he would prefer the people to vote on it. Councilman Ortuno stated that, since so much reference had been made regarding organized gambling and taking over the Police Department, perhaps an investigation by the district ' attorney would be in order. Councilman Memmesheimer stated that Mondy he had voted for the new ordinance to be presented as a resolution and,upon reconsidering, felt that the present ordinance granted pro- tection to the City and he suggested that, instead of the new ordinance proposed, Ordinance No. 23 be put on the ballot as it -mandate of the people. He believed the new ordinances would be hard to handle in the matter of amendments and un- wieldy if it needed amending by an election. It is a question whether it is wise to place Ordinance No. 23 on the ballot. Any bid to exert pressure to change the gambling ordinance would be"inviting the wrath of God and the people would resent any such act. He would go along if the Council wished to place Ordinance No. 23 on the ballot. The following resolution entitled: AN ORnINANCE SUPPRESSING AND PROHIBITING CERTAIN KINDS OF Ordiance GAMF,e AND GAMBLING HOUSES IN THE CITY OF AZUSA. No. 23 was offered by Councilman Ortuno, who also moved its offered adoption. Mr. Lavern Rueter questioned the advisability of placing the ordinance on the ballot. He stated that last summer at the time of the recall he was told that gambling interests had tried to get into the City. Upon questioning by Councilman Barry, Rueter explained that his information had come from Mr. "Bunk" Thompson who had told him that gambling interests were trying to enter the City. Councilman Barry sugg5sted that the City place paid advertisements in various newspapers setting forth the present anti -gambling ordinances., The resolution which had been offered and moved died for lack of a second. OMJFU 00 WM �AGo V 5 CITY HALL AZUSA, CALIFORNIA MONDAY MARCH 8, 1954' 8:00 P.M. A resolution on the installation of stop signs on c§rtain-streets was introduced by the Attorney but the matter was tabled until further investigation could be made by the Police Department to include intersections of Cerritos and Fifth Street. Crosswalks were recommended in the vicinity of the Lee School. written protest was made by Mr. Norman W. Brownyard re- garding the operation of a "rest home" by Mrs. Ada McDonald a_t 628 W. Third Street without city or state Complaint on ' license. Since the matter had been temporarily postponed operation of until the request of Mrs. McDonald to the state for a "rest home" license has been granted, Council tabled this matter until further report is made. Request was received from Mr. Patrick Brady of Swords County, Ireland, regarding information pertaining to his deceased uncle, William Brady, who lived in Azusa about 1884. Information Moved by Councilman Barry, seconded by Councilman Memme- requested re: sheimer, request be referred to Secretary Smith, of the Wm. Brady "Chamber of Commerce. Motion carried unanimously. A communication was read from League of California Cities stating that the cities should protest A.B. 8 and its counter- part S:B.2 regarding state taxes which bills would affect the income of cities from liquor licenses. Moved by Councilman Memmesheimer, seconded by Councilman Barry -and unanimously carried, Clerk send telegrams protesting the enactment of A.B. 8 and S.B.2 to Assemblyman Geddes and State Senator Tenney. Moved by Councilman Johnson, seconded by Councilman Bills & Req. Barry and unanimously carried, the following bills and requisitions be granted: ' GENERAL FUND 7006 John Avedesian $993.50 7007 L.F.Pack, Eng. 141.00 7008 Chamber of Commerce 62.50 Moved by Councilman Barry, seconded by Councilman Ortuno that Attorney draw resolution authorizing the payment of cost of printing Ordinance No. 23 and 37 in the following papers: Canyon City News, Azusa Herald, Pasadena Star News, Valley Tribune, Monrovia News Post, Pasadena Independent. Motion failed by the following vote of Council: NOES: COUNCILMEN: Johnson, Memmesheimer, Jackson AYES: Councilmen: Barry, Ortuno Moved by Councilman Ortuno, seconded by Councilman Johnson andunanimously carried, meeting adjourn until March 15th 1954 At 7:30 P.M. y Clerk of e usa UMJFU