Minutes 05-21-51MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COIYNCIL
OF THE CITY OF BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA, AT THE CITY
H~LL ON MAY 21, 1951.
The City Council convened at the City Hall at 7.30
on May 21, 1951.
Councilmen present: Mr. Fo L. Purinton. Mr. Alva Shook
Mr. Henry Merkel
Mr. C. H. Hood
Mr. Clifford Province.
The meeting was called to order by the Mayor.
Dorothy V.Williams,~ City Clerk, read the minutes
the previous regular meeting of the Council on May 7,
Mr. Hood proposed and Mr. Merkel seconded a motion
that the minutes of the previous meeting be accepted as
read. Motion passed unanimously.
BILLS 0,KAt~ED FOR PA~.~ENT:
Gen'l.Fund.
Dave Lanier 46.50
B.B. Fire Dept. 115.50
Jerry Mul$ins 8.13
Oliver Falcinelli 6.31
C. Ivan Peterson
Joseph Campbell 33.00
Henry Cooper 31.60
Levi Frederick _33~00
Leonard Harris 35.60
Frank Johnson 35.00
Dave Lanier 45.50
Sam~urray 31.60
Lee Thomas 39.60
Solomon Pitts 33.00
Parker Ward 35.25
Charlie Waters 33.~5
James Forrest 1.90
Good Year Service Store 96.26
Boynton Electric 19.75
Brown & Moseley 56.03
County Mercantile 900.06
Delray Ignition Service 6.73
RoD~Wood & Co. 41.70
Halsey & Griffith 3.50
Royal Palm Ice Co. 4.25
Pierce Tire Co. 36.60
City of Delray Beach 50.00
Water Fund.
of
1951.
Depos.
Fund
7.50
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Farmers Implement & Supply 12,55
Eureka Fire Hose 358.68
Shellrock Quarries 3.00
Neptune Neter Co.
Glen Murray
Trustees, Fia.East Cst.Rly.
So. Meter & Reapair Co.
Cameron & Barkley Co.
Farquhar Machinery Co.
Southern Bell Tel.& Tel. 78.A6
Pantry Restaurant 38.95
Rubin Construction Co. 169.25
Deerfield Quarries 174.50
The Court Records Co. 10o00
Watkins 2.87
Ocean City Lumber Co. 56.19
Fla. Power & Light 616.12
Craig Furniture Co~ 9.90
Austin Supply Co. 108,97
~ercer,s Service Station 43.05
Joseph Campbell 33.00
Henry Cooper 31.60
Levi Frederic k 33.00
Leonard Harris 39.60
Frsnk Johnson 35.00
Dave Lanier 45.50
Sam Murray 31.60
Solomon Pitts 33.00
Lee Thomas 39.60
Parker ~ard 36.00
Charlie Waters 34.00
~.C.Carver 138.00
Frank Mish
N,0,Marshall Jnr. 122.70
H.RoDaugharty 107.30
C.C.~eeks 100.00
D,V.~illiams 112.70
John Bell 96.80
Ruth L.Gr~m!ey .70.$0
John E.Raulerson 117.30
Katherine. ~ ~ Thompson 65.40
~chard F. Pot~ekus
B.B.State Bank for With-
holding 226.90
Eli ?Jit~ Tobacco Co. $1.30
Joseph Campbell 33.00
Henry Cooper 26.70
Levi Frederick 33°00
Leonard Harris 39.60
Frank Johnson 35.00
Dav~ Lanier 45.50
Sam Murray 31.60
Sclomon Pitts 33.00
Lee Thomas 39.60
Parker Ward 33.00
Charlie Waters 31.60
Nation,s Business 18.00
2~9.89
26.88
138o62
90. O0
31.96
131.29
7.50
7.50
Veteran,s Constr. Co.
Shaw Brothers' 0il Co.
Ra~!,s Auto Service
Shell 0il Co.
B~-yn~on Beach News
Elec. Rustproofing Corp.
Hill ~g.-Co.
John ~iley Jones Co.
Lindsley Lumber Co.
Joseph'Campbell
Henry Cocper
Levi Frederick
Frank Johnson
Dave Lanier
Sam Murray
Solomon Pitts
Lee Thomas
Parker Ward
Charlie V~aters
Leonard Harris
A.L.Edwards
Allen M. Curtis
Howard Lee Cromer
Gee. S. Brockway
Chase National Bank
-3-
~ 31.0o
226.75
5.85
18,55
135,0o
9.00
,~37o5o
500.00
33.00
31 °60
33.00
35.OO
45.50
34.75
33,oo
39.60
33.00
31.60
39.60
$il,O85.36
665.12
6.560.00
7.50
7.50
(Water Construction)
(Int. & Sinking Fund)
Mr. Walter Deutsch read a letter covering his pro-
posals for fire and w-lnd storm insurance on the City's
buildings, including contents. For 80% coverage he quoted
a figure of $837.20 for the first year, which he said is
15% less than the book rate. At the end of the first year,
the annual figure would be reduced to $669~76 on renewal
for four years. He strongly recommended 80% coverage
as being sufficient and most general~
Mayor Purinton thanked ~r. Deutsch for the time mud
consideration he had given to the matter.
In answer to a question Mr~ Deutsch said he proposed
to use the Pennsylvsnia Mutual and the Iowa Mutual insur-
_nee ~o~panmes and, ~D case of fire or wind storm damage,
ne woul~ use any one the regular adjustment agencies em-
ployed in the County.
The City Clerk read an offer from Mr. Meyers of $812.91
annually for the five-year policy.
~'ir. Hood made a motion, seconded by t~.Merkel, that
the City,s insuranca be given to Mr.Deutseh as the lowest
bidder° ~otion passed unanimously.
A delegation of about nine men from the Negro Civic
League being present, the Mayor. called upon their spokes-
man to express their views.
Frank Smith, Chairman of the League, said there were
several matters which the colored people would like to
bring before the Council for consideration and action:
1. They desired to have more land allocated as a resi-
dential section. They could not expand Eas~ward~ West-
ward or Southward, so they must expand ~o the North.
In reply to a question as to ~hy not ~estward, Smith
replied that Cherry Hills prevented that.
The Mayor said there were over 500 ampty lots,- to
which the reply was that there was a possibility of e boom
r~ising the price of the lots, which at present are about
$300.
The ~Ma~or expressed the Council's willingness to .get
the matter mroned out, and said he had lots for sale at $200.
Smith said he had never seen any advertisement abou~ these
lots and so did not know the price or what was being
offered.
The ~ '
mayor sazd any 0olored people who wanted ~o buy
lots over there 'could have bought them.
When one of the delegates said that some of the lots
were $700, the Mayor replied the~ these were for commercial
property.
Another delegate said that Boynton consisted of seven
square miles, and that only half a mile was out aside for
the colored people. He requested a subdivision for negroes
and said there had been agents who had tried ~o open
subdivisions but had been t~rned town by the Commissioners;
that there were several people who own lots in Cherry Hills
and are not able to build on them. The negroes want the
City to go along with them and re-zone some of this 12nd
to correct the present overcrowding. He said they would be
willing to go anywhere, even to Korea, but they just want
some land set aside on which to,build homes.
Mr. Shook said that no new line has been ~rawn for
negro subdivisions since 192~.
The Mayor said the question of overcrowding was new
to him, but that of course if anyone owns a piece of land
he can hold it for any price he wishes.
Smith then drew attention to ~he following needs:
2. Playground facilities for colored children ~o help
in overcoming Juvenile delinquency and to keep the
children off the strsets.
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Be~ch facilities for negroes, ~ncluding rest rooms,
showers, parking space, etc., ~n order to help them
feel that they ere really citizens of this greet
American democracy.
The widening of the streets in colored town, which,
he said, were all too narrow.
were
that
The Mayor said that over two years ago the negroes
asked to come forward to express their desires and
this was t~e first time anyone had come.
AL'delegate asked whether the beach was paid for from
taxpayers, money, in which case the negroes were helping
to pay for it.
The Mayor said that last year taxes received from the
negroes amounted to $1,361o6O, which amounted to a little
over 5% of the entire tax collection, and that $61,830
of negro property comes under Homestead Exemption.
Mr. Shook said that the negro tax receipts were not
enough to cover the cost of their garbage collection, and
that more has been done in their section in the last
three years than ever before.
.The Mayor said if the City must spend three times as
much as now, he wondered where the~money is to come from.
Did they want their taxes increased~
Willie Miller said the main objective was to get the
City to consider some of these requests, which they claim
as their constitutional privileges. He spoke of their
request for a new school in co$ored town and that they had
only received an addition of two rooms to the old building.
Mr. Hood pointed out that this was a matter for the
County School Board and not for the City of Boynton.
Mayor ~Qrinton said he fully agreed with their need
for e recreation center and added that the Commissioners
have been trying for some time to get such a ground, having
considered several sites. He asked for cooperation from
the Negro Civic League and said the City will work with
them one hundred percent°, if land can be found, and that
City-owned ~quipment would be loaned for necessary develop-
ment.
It was stated that two lots had been donated .by Mr.
J°~.Pipes for a playground for the use of the Church chil-
dren, that a fence was being put around it, and that although
other children would be allowed to play there~ it was not
a comunity park.
The Mayor again said he fully apprecimtes the necessity
for such a playground, but where?
Willie Miller said there are 500 lots not being Used
and couldn't the playground be mad~ there.
The Mayor said there might be various odd lots for
sale but that the owners of those lots in between might
not be willing to sell, and what could be done about that?
Mr. Hood asked if the negroes had ever thought of
getting their property zoned so that no one could put up
a tin shack next to a good house. He suggested they get
together and lay the town out~ and said the City Zoning
Board would cooperate with their Zoning Board.
One~f the delegates asked if the City owned and
maintained the Gasino, the Shuffleboard Court, Pence Park
and the park across from the school.
He was told that the City owned all this property,
and maintained the Casino, but not the SSuffleboard Court,
and that the park across from the school has all been de-
veloped by the women of Boynton Beach.
The delegate said that as a City enterprise owned and
operated by the City is it not constitutional that every
citizen should share the Casino and the beach.
The ~ayor agreed but added that there was only 210
feet of beach, and did the negroes want to share it with
the whites.
The delegate said they did no~ w&sh ~o share it all
they wanted was a very small p~rt.
It was pointed cud to them that all land outside of
the beach was privately owned and was very expensive, even
if purchaseable.
The discussion ended and the delegation expressed their
appreciation to the Mayor and Commissioners for having
g~ven them an opportunity to come and express their views.
Miller said all they wanted was to have contact with
the City CommissiOners and to find out what is theirs, and
what there is for them to have. At presen~ they do not
know.
Mr. Shook suggested that their women get together
and do something towards the playground.
Miller said all they wanted first was the lend, then
there would be no question of having e good park.
-7-
The Nayor suggested they look around and find out
where they could get the land, and they could have a really
big park°
Police Chief Carver asked Willie Miller to See if
someone could be found to build a subdivision, and he was
sure they could get the land.
The Mayor, in wishing the delegation good-night said
he hoped it would not be ~oo long before they came again.
Mr. Merkel suggested that one solution for the beach
was to secure it from the County, even if it was Some dis-
tance away, and that it must be a County business.
Mr. Griffdth said the County could not do it without
buying property, which would be too expensive.
After a long discussion on the possibilities of pro-
viding the facilities requested, Mr. Hood asked who owned
all the lots West of the Section, where there were many
vacant lots.
Mr. Province asked whether information could be pro-
vided to the negroes showing them who owned suitable lots
which could be bought°
The ~ayor suggested acreage North of the Section, and
asked what the next move should be.
Mr. Hood suggested the first step was to find a plot
of land somewhere so that they could start a playground,
and then get land to the West to be developed.
~r. Merkel suggested cleaning up the streets of the
Section.
Mr. Shook said they had had more than their 5% share
of the taxes spent on them so far.
Mr. Merkel thought that if a playground was built
further out it might decide Some of the colored people
to build homes out there,
Mr. Merkel made a motion, seconded by I~r.Hood, that
the City Council look into the matter of a playground for
the colored section. Motion passed unanimously.
Mr. Province made s motion, seconded by Mr.5~erkel, that
a check for $6,560.00 be forwarded to the Chase National
Bank for interest on Water Revenue Certificates. The motion
was passed unanimously.
-8-
The City Clerk read a Resolution covering the payment
of $750.00 to the City Attorney for legal fees in connection
with the water bonds.
Mr. Hood made a motion, seconded by Mr. Shook, that the
Resolution as read be adopted. The motion was passed unan-
imously.
~.Griffiths read letters which he had written to the
Seaboard and Florida East Coast Railways with reference to
making Boynton Beach a flag stop. He said the Florida
East Coast had replied that the matter will be given careful
consideration in msking up the schedules for next Ea~ll, but
that no reply had yet been received from the Seaboard. He
said he would write agaih to the railways about July if no
definite replies had been received by that time.
The Mayor said the Lindsley Lumber Company are asking
for payment for supplies furdished for the Scarboro house
and he hoped that sufficient money would result from the
sale of tickets for the midnight show at the Boynton Theatre
on Saturday to meet this bill. The Chairman of the Scar-
boro Sand had been the then Baptist Minister, Mt. Day, through
whom all donations had been received and all expenditures
made. The balance now remaining in the bank was $250.00
and the outstanding bills amounted to about $1,200.00. The
Council did not 0.K. any of the bills, and about 90% of the
labor had been donated. He thought payment of some of the
bills might be delayed but the Lindsley people insisted on
immediate payment.
Mr. Greenwood, Building Inspector, suggested thaD the
plumbing license of Wade Green be restored, and the Mayor
recommended that this should be done in line with the Build-
ing Inspector,s suggestion.
Mr. Shook made a mo~ion, seconded by ~.Hood, that the
plumbing license of Wade Green be restored. ~otio~ passed
unanimously.
Mr. Johnny Bell drew attention to the necessity of sprink-
lers for the lawn round the Casino, and was authorised to
purchase one.
-9-
The ~Iayor asked Mr. Shook to get together with Mr.
Bell ko inspeat the playground equipment received from
West Palm Beach, to see if anything can be done with it.
There being no further business, the meeting was
adjourned by the Mayor.
ayor.
City Clerk.
~te~, ~s~em ~m~ ~aa2 .~s. $~mA, ~e~ein mentieae~ be ~ is hereB~ hel~ ~s a~
expenae off e~usi~n off ~i~ ~a~er ~s~e~,