Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout1963-07-06JULY 6, 1963 PURSUANT TO THE FOLLOWING CALL, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY SUPERVISORS OF ALBEMARLE COUNTY, VIRGINIA~ MET IN SPECIAL SESSION AT 10:00 A.M, ON THIS DATE, IN THE COUNTY OFFICE BUILDING, CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA, WITH THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS PRESENT: MESSRS. JOHN W. ~ILLIAMS, EDGAR N. GARNET'T, H. ASHBY HARRIS, GEORGE C. PALMER, I1 AND M~;~¥;'!'S~THERLAND, JR. ABSENT: MR. ROBERT THRAVESo THE UNDERSIGNED MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY SUPERVISORS, ALBEMARLE COUNTY, VIRGINIA, HEREBY REQUEST THAT A SPECIAL MEETING OF SUCH BOARD BE CALLED ON SATURDAY, JULY 6, 1963, AT 10:00 OtCLOCK A.M. FOR THE PURPOSE OF CONSIDERING THE FOLLOWING MATTERS: (1) THE DISSOLUTION OF THE PRESENT SCHOOL BOARD AND THE REORGANIZATION OF SUCH BOARD. (2) To PERMIT THE APPEARANCE OF MR. WILLIAM H. CHISHOLM AND TO RECEIVE SUCH EVIDENCE AS HE MAY PRESENT TO SUBSTANTIATE CERTAIN ACCUSATIONS RECENTLY EEVEEED AT THE BOARD OF COUNTY SUPERVISORS'. (SIGNED) GEORGE C. PALMER, II EDGAR N. GARNETT DUE TO THE NUMBER OF PERSONS PRESENT, THE CHAIRMAN MOVED THE MEETING TO THE COURT'HOusE. THE CHAIRMAN READ THE F~RE~GOING CALL WHICH WAS FORWARDED TO EACH MEMBER BY REGISTERED MAIL ON MONDAY, JULY 1, 1963. OFFICERS PRESENT: .COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND COMMONWEALTH1S ATTORNEY, THE CHAIRMANTHEN CALLED ON ~]R. ~ILLIAM H.' CHISHOLM TO APPEAR IN RESPONSE TO THE" FOLLOWING LETTER UNDER DATE OF JULY 2, 1963: "MR. ~ILLIAM H. CHISHOLM 205 SEVENTH STREET, S. ~. CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA DEAR BILL: BY CALL OF CERTAIN MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY SUPERVISORS, THERE WILL BE A SPECIAL MEETING OF SUCH BOARD ON SATURDAY MORNING, JULY 6, 1963~ AT 10:00 IN THE BOARD ROOM. ONE OF THE PUBPOSES OF THE MEETING IS TO PERMIT YOU TO APPEAR AND GIVE SUCH EVIDENCE AS YOU MAY POSSESS WITH RESPECT TO CERTAIN ALLEGATIONS MADE IN A LETTER TO CITIZENS OF THE CHARLOTTESVILLE MAGISTERIAL DISTRICT AN9 RECENTLY RELEASED TO SUCH PEOPLE. THE MAIN ITEMS UNDER REVIEW RELATED TO YOUR STATEMENTS AS FOLLOWS: (1) UTHE COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS WAS THE FIRST BODY TO ARPROVE THE SPORTS BAN.u (2) UTHE MOST DEPLORABLE THING IS THE FACT THAT AFTER SPENDING ALMOST ~100,000 SUPPOSEDLY FIGHTING ANNEXATION, WE DISCOVERED THAT A SECRET DEAL HAD BEEN MADE BETWEEN THE CITY AND SOME OF THE PRESENT SUPERVISORSo~ AS COUNTY EXECUTIVE, I HAVE BEEN REQUESTED TO COMMUNICATE THE BOARDtS ACTION TO YOU AND TO REQUEST YOUR APPEARANCE AT THE MEETING ABOVE MENTIONED. SINCERELY, (SIGNED) M. Mo PENCE, COUNTY EXECUTIVE~ ~R. CHISHOLM WAS NOT PRESENT AT THE MEETING. HOWEVER, MR. GEORGE PALMER MA~ THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT TO THOSE PRESENT: UTHE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS SHOULD NOT USE THEIR OFFICIAL POSITION AS ELECTED REPRE- SENTATIVES OF THE PEOPLE TO ENGAGE IN RUNNING POLITICAL BATTLES WITH ANY INDIVIDUAL CITIZEN OR PERSON ASPIRING TO ELECTED OFFICE. HOWEVER, YOU THE PEOPLE SHOULD BE IN- FORMED WHERE YOU CAN GET LEGALLY ~OCUMENTED ~ECISIONS MA'DE BY THIS BOARD. YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE TO RELY ON UNFOUNDED STATEMENTS MADE BY ANY CANDIDATE FOR HIS POLITICAL EXPEDIENCY. FIR6T, ALL ANNEXATION PROCEEDINGS WERE REGULARLY REPORTED AND RECORDED IN THE COUNTY MINUTE BOOKS. THESE WERE READ AT EACH PUBLIC MEETING. THEY WERE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AT ALL TIMES. NO ACTIONS CAN BE OFFICIALLY OR LEGALLY ACTED~ON EXCEPT AT A PUBLIC MEETING. SECOND, IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS THERE HAS NOT BEEN ANY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ACTION TAKEN PRIOR TO THIS DATE ON EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES IN OUR.SCHOOLS. THIS CAN BE PROVED BY THE LEGAL MINUTES WHICH HAVE BEEN READ PUBLICLY AT OUR MONTHLY MEETINGS. FINALLY, ALTHOUGH MANY OF YOU FEEL WE SHOULD MAKE AN ISSUE OVER THE ERRONEOUS STATEMENTS RECENTLY MADE OVER THE RADIO AND IN THE PRESS BY MR. CHISHOLM, I PERSONALLY BELIEVE HE WAS MERELY MISLED BY HIS ADVISORS AND EITHER THEY OR HE DI~ NOT TAKE THE THE CHAIRMAN STATED THAT THE NEXT ITEM TO BE CONSIDERED WAS THE PROPOSED DISSOLUTION OF THE PRESENT SCHOOL BOARD. COMMUNICATIONS WERE RECEIVED FROM MRS. JOHN E. SCOTT, JR. AND MR. AND MRS. ROBERT SMITH, OPPOSING THE SCHOOL BOARD IN ITS STAND AGAINST ATHLETICS. MR. SUTHERLANQ OFFERED MOTION TO RETAIN THE PRESENT SCHOOL BOARD AND TO WORK TO 91SSOLVE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TWO BOARDS. THIS MOTION RECEIVED NO SECOND. MR. PALMER OFFERED THE FOLLOWING RESOLUTION WHICH WAS SECONDED BY MR. GARNETT= @E IT RESOLVED 8Y THE BOARD OF COUNTY SUPERVISORS OF ALBEMARLE COUNTY, VIRGINIA, THAT THE MEMBERS OF THE ALBEMARLE COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD BE AND THEY ARE HEREBY DISMISSED WITH REGRET, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, AND FURTHER, THAT THEY BE CONVEYED THE THANKS OF THE SUPERVISORS FOR THEIR DEDICATED SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY AND FOR THEIR UNPARALLELED CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE EDUCATION SYSTEM OF THIS COUNTY. THE CHAIRMAN THEN ASKED FOR DISCJSSION ON THE FOREGOING. MR. SUTHERLAND READ PETITION RECEIVED FROM PERSONS IN HIS DISTRICT FAVORING DISMISSAL OF THE SCHOOL BOARD WHICH HE STATED CARRIED ~02 SIGNATURES. HE STATED THAT THIS PETITION HAD BEEN CARRIED FROM DOOR TO DOOR, SO HE MUST ASSUME THaT THE LARGE MAJORITY OF PERSONS FROM HIS DISTRICT WHO DID NOT SIGN THE PETITION, FAVORED RETAINING THE PRESENT SCHOOL BOARD. A NUMBER OF PERSONS PRESENT STATED THAT THEY FELT AS HR. SUTHERLAND DID IN THE MATTER. HOWEVER, ONE CITIZEN~STATED THAT HE FELT THE PETITION DID NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT THE MAdORITY OF PEOPLE IE THAT HE WAS NOT CONTACTED AND THAT HE WOULD NOT HAVE SIGNED, AND FURTHER~ THAT HE FELT THIS MAY HAVE APPLIED IN MANY OTHER CASES. HR. PALMER EXPLAINED TO THOSE PRESENT THE POSITION OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS IN THE ISSUE. HR. HARRIS ALSO STATED THAT IN TAKING HIS POSITION HE HAD TRIED TO REPRESENT THE MAdORITY OF PERSONS HE REPRESENTED. ~. ~ARNETT EXPLAINED THAT THIS ISSUE HAD DEVELOPED BECAUSE IT COULD NOT BE RESOLVED BETWEEN THE TWO BOARDS. AFT.ER THE FOREGOING DISCUSSION~ MR. PALMERtS RESOLUTION WAS ADOPTED BY THE FOLLOWING RECORDED VOTE: AYES - ~ESSRS. ~ILLIAMS, ~ARNETT, HARRIS AND PALMER. ~AYS - ~R. SUTHERLAND. NOT VOTING - THRAVES (ABSENT). ON MOTION, THE MEETING ADOOURNED.