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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1919_12_29 Town Board Minutes (2) Minutes of a Meeting of the Joint Tom Board of the Town of Idamaroneck held December 29, 1919. The meeting was called to order by Supervisor Burton at 9:10 P.M. PRESENT: Supervisor Burton, Justices Collins, Dudley and Shafer, Boyd. Superintendent of Highway Hickey, John C. Fairchild, Town Clerk, Ralph A. Gamble, Counsel. Upon motion duly seconded, it was VOTED, that the reading of the minutes of meetings not yet approved be dispensed with. A communication was presented from County Super- intendent of Highways Charles McDonald, in reference to the completion of the Winfield Avenue Bridge. Upon motion duly seconded, it was VOTED, that the communication be received and filed. A communication from County Superintendent of Highways Charles McDonald was read in reference to the com- pletion of the Forest Avenue Bridge. Upon motion duly seconded, it was VOTED, that the communication be received and filed. A communication was read from County Superintendent of Highways Charles McDonald, in reference to the Palmer Avenue Paving. Upon motion duly seconded, it was, VOTED, that the same be received and filed. Superintendent Hickey reported that the work on Forest Avenue had been completed with the exception of rolling the street with a steam roller. Superintendent Hickey recommended that the Board inspect the Vinfield Avenue Bridge, Forest Avenue Bridge and the Palmer :venue pavement. Upon motion duly seconded, it was VOTED, that the Board inspect the afore- said improvements on Tuesday, December 30, at 10:00 A.M. Superintendent Hickey recommended the acceptance of the Winfield Avenue Bridge, Forest Avenue Bridge and the Palmer Avenue pavement. Upon motion duly seconded, it was VOTED, that the bond of the Superintendent of Highways be fixed at the sum of $2000.00. Upon motion duly seconded, it was VOTED, that the Supervisor appoint a Com- mittee of two to draft a suitable resolu- tion regarding the retirement of Superinten- dent of Highways Hickey from office, and that he be presented with a copy of same. Supervisor Burton appointed Justices Shafer and Collins. The Board declared a recess and upon reconvening, Justice Shafer presented the following resolution as drafted by the Committee: WHEREAS, John Hickey has served the Town of Mamaroneck, as Superintendent of Highways, for the last twelve years, industriously and efficiently; AND WHEREAS, his associates on the Town Board desire upon his retirement from office to record their recommendation of his services: THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED: That they express to him their appreciation of his long and competent service, and their good wishes and sincere interest an his future success and happiness. Counsel reported that he had received from Eugene F. McKinley, Esq., Attorney for the New York & Stamford Railway Company, a certified copy of a resolution passed by the Board of Directors of said Company regarding the finan- cing of Palmer Avenue. Upon motion duly seconded, it was VOTED, that the communication, together with the Resolution be embodied in these minutes, and are as follows: NEW YORK & STAMFORD RAILWAY COMPANY LAW DEPARTMENT White plains, N. Y., September 27,1919 Ralph A. Gamble, Bsq., Counsel to Town Board of Mamaroneck, Larchmont, New York. in re: Palmer Avenue Improvement. Dear Mr. Gamble:- I am enclosing herewith certified copy of resolution passed by the Board of Directors of the New York & Stamford Railway Company regarding the financing of the Palmer Avenue Improvement. As soon as the exact cost of said improvement and our share of the same is determined, will you kindly write me to that effect and I will draft - the form of an agreement submitting same to you for approval before having it executed by Mr. Miller. Yours very truly, (Sgd) Eugene F. McKinley EFM/HLP Attorney WHEREAS, the authorities of the Town of Mamaroneck, Westchester County, New York, have entered into a contract for paving Palmer Avenue from the southerly boundary of the Village of Mamaroneck in a southerly direction a distance of approxi- mately Two thousand sixty-three (2063) feet; and, WHEREAS, the New York & Stamford Railway Company has its tracks located upon and along said avenue, and is obligated under the law to pay for the pavement between its, rails and two (2) feet outside; and, WHEREAS, the cost of the portion of said pavement belonging to said railway compare will amount to a sum around Six thousand six hundred ($6,600) Dollars, the exact amount of which cannot be determined until the work is completed; and WHEREAS, the said railway company is without the necessary funds to pay for said improvements at the present time; and, WHEREAS, the authorities of the Town of Mamaroneck have signified their intention of financing said improvement and arranging with said railway company to be reimbursed for the amount a money advanced on behalf of said railway company for the same; and, WHEREAS, tentative aggrangements have been made for the repayment of said advances in ten (10) installments run- ning over a period often (10) years with interest on any bal- ance of principal payable annually at the rate of 6% per annum. THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the President or Vice - President of the New York & Stamford Railway Company be and he hereby is authorized to enter into an agreement or arrangement with the town authorities of the Town of Mamaroneck having the matter in charge for the repayment of said sum so advanced for said improvement providing for payment thereof in ten (10) installments running over a period of ten (10) years, each payment to be approximately one-tenth of the total amount of said indebtedness including at the same time of each of said payments as made interest on the unpaid balance of said principal at the rate of 6% per annum and the said President or Vice President is hereby authorized to enter into any other agreement or arrange- ment for the carrying out of said plan of payment which in his judgment may be deemed wise and proper in case the foregoing arrangement should not prove feasible or practicable. The foregoing resolution was passed at a reg- ular meeting of the Board of Directors of the said New York & Stamford Railway Comany held on September 23, 1919, a quorum being present. (Sgd) A. E. Clark, Secretary Supervisor Burton stated that he had received a let- ter from L.S. Miller, President of the Westchester Street Railroad Company, regarding the abandonment of the Shore Line Electric Railroad property and the change in schedule between Larchmont, Mamaroneck and White Plains, which is necessitated by the lack of revenue. Upon motion duly seconded, it was VOTED, that the communication be re- ceived, filed and made a part of these minutes, and is as follows: "WESTCHESTER STREET RAILROAD COMPANY General Offices East 180th Street and Morris Park Avenue NEW YORK, December 18, 1919. Mr. George W. Burton, Supervisor, c/o Town Clerk, Town of Mamaroneck, N. Y. Dear Sir:- In the matter of the abandonment of the Shore Line Electric Railroad Company property and the change in schedule of the line between the Bandstand, Mamaroneck, and White Plains, discussed with the Board on November 28th. I am enclosing you herewith statement showing the "Operating Revenue", "Operating Expenses", "Taxes" and "Deductions from Income" of the Mamaromeck Line and the total for all lines of the Company from April 1st to September 30th inclusive. They reflect the conditions discussed with your Board on the evening of November 28th, with the exception that they omit the results for the three months ending March 31st, for in that period the new zoning plan had not become operative and the results were even less satis- factory than in the six months following. These same figures have been submitted to the Board. of Trustees: of the Village of Mamaroneck. From the statement you will note that the Mamaroneck Line failed to pay its "Operating Expenses" for the six months period by $16,399.77 and the loss was further increased by the amount of "Taxes" and "Deductions from Income" pro-rated to the Mamaroneck line by $8,305.22, a total loss of $24,704.99 for the six months. These six months, are the best months of the year, so far as "Earnings & Expenses" are concerned; the remaining half of the year will show even a greater loss. This large deficit in the "Net Operating Revenue" of the Mamaroneck Line absorbed something over $12,000.00 of surplus in "Operating Revenue" derived from the other lines and caused a deficit in this account of over 84,000.00 in all lines of the Company. This does not take into consideration. "Taxes", and "Deductions from Income" which increased this loss to $25,732.38. Our proposition submitted to the Board, on the evening of November 28th, was that the Board approve of the abandonment of what as known as the Shore Line Electric Railroad Company property, that is the line from the Band- stand in the Village of Mamaroneck to the Larchmont- Mamaroneck Town Line and a change in the service between the Bandstand and White Plains to a half-hourly service in the rush hours, morning and evening, and an hourly service for the balance of the day, as now comprised in the present schedule, and I would now add to that plan the abandonment of the runs leaving White Plains after 11:00 P. M. and returning leaving Mamaroneck after 11:30 P.M. As I said to the Board the loss from operation justifies us in asking for the abandonment of the entire line from Larchmont to White Plains, but, if we can secure the per- mission to abandon the Shore Line Electric, we will try the operation of the remainder of the line on the schedule suggested above for the purpose of seeing if by so doing we would be able to meeet our "Operating Expenses" at least. Our conclusisions have been reached on the fol- lowing data., which may be helpful to the Board in reaching a.decision: The length of the line from Chatsworth Avenue to the Mamaroneck Village-Harrison Town line is 3.4 miles; the distance from the Bandstand to White Plains 7 miles and from the Bandstand to Bloomingdale Switch 5.5 miles. Based upon the present rates, of pay, it costs per day per crew from $9.00 to $10.00 for motormen and conduc- tors alone; two crews necessary for all day service from $18.00 to $20.00. Power costs us $.06 a mile. Our total average operating cost is a little over $.30 a mile (not including "Taxes and Interest"). From an actual check of the riding, the average fares collected between Chatsworth Avenue and the line be- tween the Village of Mamaroneck and the Town of Harrison are 1,144, or $57.20 for 104 trips per day (the present schedule). Of these fares, 178 originate between the Larch- mont Village-Mamaroneck Town line and the Bandstand or $8.90 per day; 247 cash fares (in addition to the 178) are received from passengers originating from points beyond the Shore Line Electric. In other words, the total number of fare passen- gers handled over the Shore Line Electric per day is 425, $21.25, $12.35 of this is collected beyond and a part of it only should be credited to the Shore Line Electric but, giving the Shore Line credit for all this revenue, the service warranted, at $.30 a. mile, is 23 round trips a day; this would mean pradically an hourly service which in a walkable disiance, similar to the Shore Line district, is not adequate service to hold the business and the result would be that a large amount of the revenue would be lost or diverted to the other line. It seems to me that this answers any question of the justification of continuance of the Shore Line Electric Service and there is left for us to consider the service from the Bandstand to White plains. In this case the service called for is a through one for the accomodation of travel between White Plains and Mamaroneck and a longer interval between cars is not as serious as in strictly local service. Of the total of 1,144 fares collected between Chatsworth Avenue and the northerly Village line, 450 per day are through riders to White Plains, there is no local business in the Town of Harrison nor in the City of White Plains east of the Bloomingdale Switch. Assuming that no business would be lost by the abandonment of the Shore Line Electric (which is not prob- able), then the average daily earnings from the Bandstand to White Plains would be approximately $100.00, repre- senting at $.30 a mile, without considering "Taxes" or "Interest" charges, 23 round trips, the schedule we sug- gest. "Taxes" add $11.00 per day to the expenses. To put it in another way, the total possible daily revenue, Mamaroneck local and through between White Plains and Mamaroneck, as well as the intermediate loca, will not pay the ''Operating Expenses" for 30 round trips a day be- tween the Bandstand, Mamaroneck and Bloomingdale Switch, White Plains, to say nothing of the additional revenue that would be required to pay for the haul between Bloomingdale Switch and the center of White Plains, for the total earn- ings collected for the entire trip we could only carry the passengers between Mamaroneck-Village and Bloomingdale Switch and pay expenses for 30 round trips a day. The Board will, I believe, realize that the situ- ation is critical and that was cannot maintain longer a ser- vice which is resulting in such a great drain upon the finances of the Company and that the only remedy, unfortunate as it may be, is eiiher the plan of abanonment of the entire service of the Westchester Street within the Town and Vil- lage of Mamaroneck or a curtailment in the present service both in the territory served and in the amount of service rendered. Very truly yours, (Sgd) L.S. Miller President." THRE 17ES`T'CIS18 STRIIET RAIIOID COMPANY OPB,BL TING ER'77ENUE SND EXPENSES SIX MONTHS EAiDING SEP TE`LIBER 30th, 1919 Operating Revenue Operating Expense Mamaroneck Ave. $33,756.31 50,156.08 Net operating revenue $16,399.77 Taxes (Est.) 2,005.82 Deductions from Income 6,299.40 Oorporate Income $24,704.99 12/11/19 Aec t. .Dept. ARK Total $166,234.10 170.358.98 $ 4,124.88 5,513.50 16.094.00 25,732.38 Upon the recommendation of Eupe rintendent Hickey, it was, upon motion duly seconded and upon roll call, unani- mously VOTED, that whereas it has been brought to the attention of this Board that the Bond given by J. J. Burnett for the faith- ful performance of his duties as Com- missioner of Highways for the Town of Yariiaroneck for the years 194 and 1905 has never been cancelled; and 14tH EIIZ, upon information Messrs. D.-IcKeand and Dean were sureties on said Bond; and THERF;'13:S, the Bond is still a lien against the property of both principal and sureties on said Bond., o4 the records of the Town Clerk of the Town of Mamaroneck, Wlestchester County, N. Y., because said Bond has never been cancelled; and �THERE'113, a request has been made that said Bond be forthwi th cancelled so that said lien may be removed; and WEITUMS', it wouldap pear to this Board that said J. J. Burnett ha,s fullr::idischarged the duties of his position and rias accounted for ana paid over funds received by 'nim as a Commissioner of highway's, and that said Bond should be cancelled, and that the failure to cancel same heretofore has apparently been and oversight; THEREFORE, BE IT:tCR,SODVED, that the bond of J. J'. Burnett given by him for the faithful performance of his duties as Commissioner of 187 Highways for the flown of Mamaroneck covering the term of office to which he was elected, which term of office has long since expired be and the same hereby is cancelled and the said J. J. Burnett and the said sureties on the aforesaid Bond, Messrs. McKeand and Dean be discharged of and from any and all liability in connection (herewith. AI, BE IT =RTIER RBSOZUED, that a certified copy of this Resolution be filed with the proper officers so that the lien created by said Bond on the records may be discharged. Upon motion, the meeting adjourned. Town Clerk.