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HomeMy WebLinkAboutRES NO 3-43RESOLUTION NO. S-4S VfHEREAS a plan has been submitted to the Electors of the City for the acquisition of the facilities of the California Water Service Company, which plan will appear on the ballot at the coming City Election to be held on March 23, 1943, and WHEREAS, there appears to be some lack of public understand- ing of the situation and some declaration on the matter is deemed advisable; NOW, THER~0RE~ BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL that the following statement of fact and policy be made: FIRST: The City Council was compelled to submit such proposition by reason of an initiative petition having been filed under a provision of the Charter. SECOND: If a favorable vote is registered on the proposition, it will not necessarily mean that the City will acquire the system, as surveys and estimates will first have to be made to determine the cost of acquiring the. system, and after the cost has been determined by appraisement by the Railroad Commission the matter will again have to be submitted to the people in a bond election to vote bonds to raise the sum necessary to pay the purchase price. In other words, if a majority of the people vote on March 23, 1943, in favor of the propo- sition which shall then appear on the ballot, they will have to vote bonds at a later election before the City could purchase the system. THIRD: It is not the opinion of the present City Council that a bond issue should be submitted during the present emergency or perhaps until after the probable outcome of the War shall have become fairly certain; and if there should be a favorable vote on the propo- sition on March 23, 1943, it would have to be followed by the survey and appraisement and perhaps some other proceedings which would probably require a year or more before a bond issue could be submitted even if the matter were pursued with all possible dispatch and diligence. FOURTH: It is not the disposition of the present City Council to crowd or rush the matter in the event of a favorable vote, but it is rather the disposition of the Council, in case of a favorable vote, to proceed cautiously and deliberately with the view of getting in position to submit a bond issue when the people appear to be ready to be favorably inclined and when the time shall seem propitious. There is nothing in the Charter which compels the Council to proceed with subsequent steps in securing the appraisement or to submit the bond issue in any speci- fied time or according to any time schedule; and if a favorable vote should be cast on March 23, 1943, the Council would probably not proceed to subsequent steps for some time. FIFTH: The majority of the present Council is of the opinion that a favorable vote on the water proposition which will appear on the ballot on March 23, 1943, would be decidedly to the best interests of the City. There are many reasons for this opinion which cannot be expressed'in a resolution such as this; but one of the chief reasons for a favorable vote is that it will amount to notice to the water company and to other public utilities that the people of this City are keenly alive to their own interests in the matter of service and rates. A favorable vote would doubtless have a good effect on both service and rates. SIXTH: It is the opinion of the present Council that municipalities should ovJn and operate their ovmwater service distri- bution system, and perhaps other public utilities; that the acquisition of the water distribution system by the City should be completed as soon as general conditions warrant our doing so; and that the matter should be prepared and ready and put in position for final and definite action as soon as the present emergency has passed away. .......... o0o .......... I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing Resolution was passed and adopted by the Council of the City of Bakersfield, at a regular meeti~ thereof held on the l~th day of March, 1943, by the following vote: AYES: CLEMENTS, MARMAD UKE, NORRIS, SIEMON, SMITH, VANDERLEI, VERCAMMEN NOES: _~ ................................................. ABSENT: ~ .............................................. Cit~~io C~erk of the Council of the City of Bakersfield. APPROVED by me this 15th day of March, 1943. MAYOR of the City of Bakersfield.