1954-02-23 Regular Meeting487
Meeting of February 15, 1954, oontinued.
? Considerable discussion followed and Mr. Love suggested we adopt Mayor Ymite's suggestions as a basis
in preparing a resolution to the I4avy Department.
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Thereupon Ma.yor White moved and it was seconded by Mayor A.L.Mansfield and unanimously adopted, that a resolution
? be prepered by the committee along the lines suggested by Mr. Love, an3 that a copy oS the same be forwarded
to Lt. General W.O.Brice, Chief of Marine Aviation, Washington, D. C.,
P. M. Camack, P'aecutive Secretary of the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce, was aske3 to have Civic Organizations
/?- ?/and the Chamber of Commerce to also write supporting letters.
The Cnairman of the Board and members of the co;rcaittee named, and the County Attorney then retired to
draft the proposed resolution, . , N.onday, February 22, 1954 being a legal holi3ay ( Washington's Birthday ), and falling on the dato of the
?Ci?i' next regular meeting of the.Board, a recess was taken until 10:00 o'clock A.hf., 1liesday, February 23,1954,
as provided by Section 25-5 of the General Statutes of North Carolina.
erk.
Wilmington, N. C., February 23, 1954.
PursUant to recess taken February 15, 1954, in accordance witn 5ection 25-5 of the General Statutos of
North Carolina, the weekly meeting of the Board was held this day at 10:00 o'clock A. M.
Present: R. T. Horton, Chairman and Commissioners Claud O'Shields, Thurston CL Davis, Hal J. Love, Raiford Trask,
Cicero P. Yow, County Attorney and T.D.Love, County Auditor,
The meeting was opene3 with prayer by the Reverend E. W. Pate, Pastor of Calcary IIaptist Chiarch.
Copies of the Ninutes of the mesting o£ February 15, 1954, having been maile.: to each member of the
O Boar3, the same wore upon motion of A1r. Love, secon3ed by Mr.Davis, approved.
?PP?e The following resolution prepared by the Committee named at maeting of February 8, 1954, to assist the County
Commissiorers in their efforts to t'aapen negotiations with the Navy Department concerning the use of
$luethenthal F`ield as a 2?^.arine Corps Airbase, was presented to the Board by the Chairman, and upon motion
of Nr. Davis, secon3ed by Ns. Lovo, was unanimously adopted:
WHIItEAS, that at a regular meeting of the Board of County Gommissioners held on Nor_3ay, February 8, 1954,
a committes vtas appointed to work with the County Commissioners to an end that negotiations could be reopened
concerning the location of the Marine Air Group at our Bluethenthal Airfield here in Wilmington, North Carolina.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the undersigned committee, after considerable discussion, has gone on
record unanimously urging and soliciting the location of the Marine Corp Air Group here and to that end
shall'exert every ef£ort in following this to a mutual and successful conclusion.
We feel that the money and efforts a]re9,3y spent on this airbasec:by the Governmant makes it necessary
,r for us to re:ich an understanding with reforence to the joint use o£ the same by the ]davy and Ivow HEnover
? County. Wo £urther fsel that in keeping with the econoiqy policy oP our President and the ilefense ilepartment,
the Govornment would save millions of dollars by the use of this field, for it is an adequate airbasa with
housing facilities and that Wilmington's excellent water supplies, housing, hospitals, schools, deep water port,
excellent labor market now prevailing in Wil.mington and the recreational facilities, ircluding beaches, will
not only add to the comfort an3 convenience of the personnel, but will save the Government millions of dollars
if the Marine Corps Airbase is locate3 here. Some of this committse have seen the airUasa at Fdenton, North
Carolina, and have reportsd to us that it is in a very run 3own condition compare3 with Bluethenthal and
from a monetary standpoint, the Navy wou13 not have to spend one-third as much ma Bluethenthal as they would
on Edenton, North Carolina, or Beaufort, South Carolina.
This committee £urther fsels that the construction at either of theso other bases would oost from two
• to thrse dollars to every one dollar that would have to bo spent at Bluethenthal to receive the same benefits,
an3 that the personnel would enjoy the facilities that are quoted here.
By reason of the above, we fsel that our Government's interest would best be sorved by the location o£ the
Marine Air Group at Wilmington, North Carolina.
Done 'in Wilmington, this the 15th 3ay of February, 1954.
/s/ R.T.Horton, Chairman, Board of County Commissioners,
I9ew Hanover County.
E.L.White, Mayor, City of Wilmington.
A,L.N,ansfiel3, Mayor, Carolina+Bcaach.
J.T,Russ, Nayor, Y,ure Beach.
M.C,Brown, Dlayor, Wrightsville Beach.
P.P4.Camack, &.ecutive Secrotary, Chamber of Commerce.
(?kpPP' Upon motion of Mr. Trask, seconded cy Mr. 0'Shields, Samusl Jones Butlar' 65 year old physicslly disabled
citizen, was on recommendation of the Supt., of Yublic WelfarQ, admittes to the County Home on condition that
he work as agrsed under ldr. H. C. Rivanbark, 5uparir.tendent.
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`? Application to a3mit William Allison Rasinger, 77 year old disabled patient, to the County Homc account of having
? been discharged £rom the hospital and no place to go, was referre3 to the Chairman for investigation and with
power to act. •
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N,r. W. R. Davis o£ Kure Baach appoared to complain of business ostablishmants on the fishing pier at Kure Bcach,
he saia paid no privilego tax and vary littlQ ad valoram tax in competition with legitimate business and
contamplate3 further oxoansion of the shopping center over the water. His complaint was referre3 to the
County Attorney to handle with the Town Attorney of Rure Beach.
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Meeting of February 23, 1954, continued.
A petition of 24 property oianers asking that Yaupon Drive and Cypress DrivQ in Masonboro township be paved from
Laka Shore Drive to where it intarsects Cypress Drive, thence back to Lake Shore Driva, a distance of 5/10 of a
mila on which 12 houses aro located, was upon motion of Ns. Lova, seconde3 by Ifr. O'Shields, approve3 and
ra£erred to the State Highway and Fublic Works Coninission for investigation.
A lotter was received from Dr. Ellen Winston, Conunissionars, State Boara of Yublic Wslfare, advising that
6p Nrs. Eva Long, 4607 Wrightsvilla Avenua, was re-appoir.ted to serve as the Stato's board Appojntee on the
? Naw Hanover County 'elfaro Board for a three year term, beginning April 1, 1954•
Ido objections were indicated by the Board to the application of E.S,Knott,Sr., for a State parmit to sell bcer °
at "Rnotts Grill,;and destaurant" 723 N. /,th St.,
With raference to the purchase o£ half page back cover advertisemsnt in the "Retailer" the Official montlily
r? Publication of the Ivorth Carolina P4erchants Association, foaturing the Azalea P¢stival, which the Chairraan refarrcd
-G? to the Chamber of Commerce an3 was returned, stating all the funds appropriated to the Chamber by the County
had bsen expended. It is the consensus of the Board to stan3 b,y its previous action that the allotment of the
appropriation included a11 advertising. Mr. OfShields movcd that the following resolution be adoptod:
WHEREAS, the Boar3 of Commissioners desiras to sall at this tima $993,000,00 School Building 13onds pursuant
to the bond order entitlad "Bond Order authorizing the issuance of $2,993,000.00 School Boxrls of the County
of New Hanover", adopted Uy the Boar3 of Corunissioners on April 7, 1952; NOW,
TIEREFORE,
BE IT RESOLVED by the I3oard of Commissionars of the CjurTV of New Hanover, as follows:
(1) School Building Bonds of the County of Naw Hanovcr of the aggregata principal amount of $993,000,
suthorizad by said bond or3er, shall ba issued as soon as may be practicabla an3 said Uomis shall be numbered
from 1 to 993, ir.clusive, arni shall be payabla in annual installments on June 1 in aach yasr as follows, viz.:
$18,000 in the year 1956, $45,000 in each of the yaars 1957 to 1960, inclusive, $50,000 in the yoar 1961,
,?`ib5,000 in the year 1962, °,?,S,ODO in each of the years 1963 to 1965, inclusive, $50,000 in each of the years
1966 to 1969, inclusivo $25,000 in each of tha yaar•s 1970 to 1981, inclusive, and $45,000 in the yetzr 1982.
Fa ch of said bonds shaltbear the 3esignation "Saries C".
(2) The Local Government Commission of North Carolina is hcreby requestcd to sell said Series C I3onds in
the manner proscribad by the Local Governmcnt Act of tdorth Carolina, and to state in the notice o£ the salo of
said bonds given pursuar.t to Section 17 of said Act, that bidders may name one rata of intorost for part of
the bonds and anothar rate or rates for the balance of the bon3s. The bon3s shall Uear intarest ai such rate
or rates as may be nameci in the proposal to purchasa the bonds which shall be acceptcd trjr the Local Government
Commission in accor3ance with said Act.
(3) Thc Chairman and Clarlc of the Board of Cotruaissioners are haraby authorized and dirocta3 to sausa thc
bonds to be prepax-e3 and, when thQy shall have baen duly so13 by said Local Uovcrnmcnt Commission, to oxecute
the bon3s and to turn the bonds over to the State Trcasurer of North Carolina, for delivary to the purchasor or
purchasers to whom they may ba sold by said Conunission.
Mr. Davis secondod.the motion, an3 tho motaon was adopte3 by the following vote:
Ayes: R. T. Horton, Claud 0'Shields, Thurston C. Davis, Hal J. Love and Rai£ord Trask.
Nays: None.
r9?) The County Auditor arnounced that he had receivad $"p2,250.00 intaresi: on, not immediately neaded, County £unds for
Y?`?PM October, Idovember and Decembcr, 1953, and a3vanced a suggestion that i£ bond £und anticipated notQS were negotiatad
whan funds aro neoded to be repaid out of the proceeds from the bonds when sold, would Ue a saving of Prom
$101000.00 to k15,000.00 to the County. Tha mattar was referrad to the County Auditor and County Attorney for
further investigation and report to the Board.
Acknowledgment was raceiveci from 'L'he Commercial National Bank of Charlotte, N. C., of our letter of February 8,1954,
authorizing the releasa o£ $25,000.00 United States Treasury 2J% bonds, account of with3rawal of deposits which
they were holding for the 13ank of Carolina Beach, pledged to socure deposits of county funds.
A letter was received from Congressman F.Ertel Carlyle acknowledgir.g receipt of a copy of our leLter writtem to
x:r. Jack E. Cochrane, Chief o£ i3ureau nf.;YardsL?and?D"ocics„ concerning the 16avy-Airport matter, assuring us every
assistance will be given toward reaching an amicable and mutual bene£icial contract vrith the Navy.
A letter was received from Senator A1ton Lennon enclosing a letter he received from Mr. Hillery A. Tolson,
,? Acting Direct?ar Natioral Park Service, advising the Service could not encourage the proposal to establish
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?A ?? Fort Fisher as a National hionument, and ex.pressed his keen disappointment of the unfavorable action of the
Department.
At this point 1ix. 0'Shielcls urged that the residents within the territory where the Volunteer Fire Departments
have had occasion to extingui.sh a fire, watch the grounds closely and keep the fire down, perchance, from hot
?'+? ashes or smouldering embers it may start again.
N,rs. Buis of Cape Fear township appeared to inquire about the status of the Ivavy-Airport matter and negotiAtions.
She was advised -by the Chairr,ian that nothing had been received from the Navy Department since our last communication
with the Department. She then complained of the use of the airport as a t,arine Airbase as it made living very.
un-pleasant residing in an area with; plains tal;ing-off over it, and strongly opposed occupancy and use o£ the
airport by the Navy and suggested the field be put to a better use,
The Chairman read a copy o£ a letter he wrote to Mr. M.P.McLean, President of McLean Trucking Company,
- Q? 617 47aughtown Street, Winston-Salem,N.C., expressing the Board's appreciation and congratulations for having
0 given consideration to this port for the establishment of hea3quarters for its mammoth water-land system of
-(Z truck-steamship transportation, which was approved by the Board.
Monthly reports were received from Community Hospital and Board of Health for January and North Carolina Fublic
Welfare Statistics for October, and report of Airport receipts £or February 12th and 15th, were received and filed.•
Upon motion of i,1ir. Davis, seconded by I4r. Love, County bills No. 2453 to 2593 were approve3 £or payment.
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The meeting then adjourned.
?!. A-Aw Clerk.
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