1974-01-07 - Laserfiche WebLink

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/36 2 REQUEST RE: CHARLOTTESVILLE HOUSING FOUNDATION MR. GILLIAM STATED THAT THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH INFORMATION TO REALLY MAKE A SOUND JUDGEMENT AND EXPRESSED CONCERN OVER THE WIDE DISPARITY BETWEEN PUBLIC COST AND PRIVATE COST. DR. SUTPHIN RESPONDED THAT THE SCHOOL SYSTEM WOULD NOT PAY ANY TAXES AND THEIR GAS WAS TAX-FREE. MR. TENNEY ALSO STATED THAT THIS WAS NOT AN EXPERIMENT AND THAT IT HAD WORKED VERY SUCCESSFULLY THROUGHOUT THE STATE. MR. WILEY REFERRED TO CHAPTER 22-285.1 DF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA WHICH, IN HIS OPINION FROM A FIRST READING, WOULD MEAN THAT PRIVATE CONTRACTORS COULD GET THE REIM- BURSEMENT FROM THE STATE SO LONG AS THEY WERE ABLE TO MEET THE EQUIPMENT STANDARDS AND SAFETY REGULATIONS. DR. SUTPHIN STATED THAT THE REQUIREMENTS WERE VERY HARD TO MEET. MR. EWERT, DEPUTY CITY MANAGER, ASKED THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS HOW SOON THEY COULD GO TO BIDS IF THE COUNCIL GAVE APPROVAL OF SUCH A SYSTEM. DR. ELLENA REPLIED THAT THEY WOULD MOVE IMMEDIATELY AND IT WOULD BE 5-4 WEEKS BEFORE BIDS WERE ALL IN. HE STATED THAT HE BELIEVED THEY COULD OBTAIN THE BUSES WITHIN AN 8-MONTH PERIOD OF TIME. MR. EWERT ASKED DR. ELLENA WHAT WOULD THE SCHOOL SYSTEM DO IF ON SEPTEMBER 1, 1974 THE BUSES HAD NOT ARRIVED. HE RESPONDED THAT THEY WOULD DO THE BEST THEY COULD WITH THE SITUATION AS IT WAS OR BORROW FROM SURROUNDING SCHOOL SYSTEMS MR. BARBOUR ASKED REV. MITCHELL ABOUT THE SAFETY FACTOR OF FLASHING RED LIGHTS NOW ON THE BUSES OWNED BY MR. GRAVES. REV. MITCHELL SAID THAT MOTORISTS DID NOT HAVE TO STOP BY LAW FOR CHILDREN GETTING ON OR OFF THE BUSES BECAUSE THE BUSES WERE NOT STATE OWNED. MR. WILEY STATED THAT AFTER SOME DISCUSSION WITH AN OFFICIAL IN THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, HE HAD TOLD MR. GRAVES TO INSTALL THE FLASHING RED LIGHTS ON HIS BUSES. DR. SUTPHIN POINTED OUT THAT THE SAFETY REQUIREMENTS WERE VERY STRINGENT FROM THE STATE IN ORDER TO GET REIMBURSEMENT. MR. WILEY ADDED THAT THE SECTION OF THE CODE SHOULD BE STUDIES CAREFULLY. MRS. RINEHART ASKED DR. ELLENA IF THE S~HOOL SYSTEM HAD SENT OUT A QUESTIONNAIRE TO THE PARENTS IN ORDER TO DETERMINE HOW MANY CHILDREN WOULD BE RIDING THE BUSES NEXT YEAR. DR. ELLENA SAID THAT THEY H~D NOT DONE SO AND THAT THEY HAD USED A FORMULA PROVIDED BY THE STATE. HE ADDED THAT THEY FIGURE WOULD BE REDUCED IF THEY WENT TO A QUESTIONNAIRE. MRS. RINEHART ALSO ASKED DR. ELLENA WHAT SOURCES WOULD BE UTILIZED TO OBTAIN DRIVERS FOR THE BUSES. HE SAID THAT THERE WERE MANY SOURCES INCLUDING UNIVERSITY GRADUATE STUDENTS, SCHOOL SYSTEM MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL AND HOUSEWIVES. THE FOLLOWING CITIZENS SPOKE IN FAVOR OF THE SCHOOL OWNED TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM, JACKSON-VIA SCHOOLs MRS. NANCY ROGERS AND MR. WILLIAM D. CoLEMAN~ VENABLE SCHOOL PTA, MR. BEN BATES, MRS. MARTY BASS, MRS. KEY HANSEL AND MR.CLARENCE ROBERTS~ GREENBRIER SCHOOL PTA, MR. JACK WINN~ NAACP, MR. GEORGE R. FERGUSON~ LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS, MRS. JEAN MINEHART~ AND MR. ED BARKER, A SCHOOL EMPLOYEE. THE FOLLOWING PERSONS FROM THE PUBLIC SPOKE IN OPPDSITION TO THE SYSTEM~ MR. C. E. ANDERSON~ MR. VAUGHAN SMITH~ MR. J. CRAFAIKI AND MR. JOSEPH TEAGUE. MR. VAN YAHRES ASKED DR. ELLENA ABOUT THE 66-PASSENGER BUS AND ITS INABILITY TO NEGOTIATE CERTAIN STREETS IN THE CITY. HE REPLIED THAT THERE WERE IN FACT SOME STREETS WHERE THE BUSES WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO TRAVEL, BUT HE WOULD PROPOSE STATIONS RATHER THAN PICKING UP A CHILD HERE AND THERE. DR. ELLENA ALSO ADDED THAT THERE WOULD BE STAGGERED OPENINGS FOR ELEMENTARY CHILDREN IN THE FALL. COUNCIL AGREED THAT IT SHOULD HAVE A SPECIAL WORK SESSION TO STUDY THE PROPOSAL AS PRESENTED IN VIEW OF THE COMPLEXITIES INVOLVED WITH SUCH A SYSTEM. IT WAS AGREED TO HAVE A SESSION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. MR. BRANDT ALLEN, REPRESENTING THE HOUSING FINANCE STUDY COMMITTEE, PRESENTED A REPORT TO THE COUNCIL RECOMMENDING THE GRANTING OF AN ADDITIONAL SUBSIDY TO THE CHARLOTTESVILLE HOUSING FOUNDATION FROM FUNDS PREVIOUSLY APPROPRIATED FOR THIS PROGRAMs