The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1952-08-26
CITY VIII. COMPLETE

tCoE''nued Ff"n Page One)
litions prevalent in the neighbor
hood. In his letter, Dalton said
that, among other things, the
area had been. found to be
/ grossly infected with rats" The
area, he said, is also being used
as a garbage dump and is /,
breeding place for mosquitoes
and flies. The area is also filled
with polluted ground water and
| houses an unbearable stencil, the
health director added. 1t was
also deplored as ian unsightly
entrance to Key West"
After a heated discussion, the
commission voted for the motion
paving the way for City Manager
King to begin construction of
the street and authorizing him to
use funds from the cigarette tax
fund for that purpose.
King had earlier objected to
starting the work unless the
property owners were forced to
agree, in writing, that they
would fill in their lots when the
road is completed. King con-
tended that the section is an
undeveloped area and that the
construction of the street would
not solve the sanitation problem
if the property owners did not
eliminate water on their prop
erty.
The property owners, led by
Elio Garcia and E. u. Valdez,
protested this proposal vigorous
ly. They added that they would
be only too happy to do their
part.
Garcia, in particular, said that
he has invested $4,000 in two
houses on Staples avenue and
invited the commissioners to
spend the night in his front bed
room and see if you can stand
the stencil" Garcia added that
ne has already spent $500 in fill
ing in the area near his home and
that the section, with its ten
residents is definitely develop
ed area. He said that although he.
has, on many occasions, stopped
people from dumping garbage
and trash in the area, he cannot
devote his time to such police
work.
King estimated the cost of
filling the area at $4,000, which
money will come from the
cigarette tax fund. He said that
in places the water covering the
site of the construction reaches
a depth of 10 feet.
King did not indicate when
the work will get underway. He
said that the street will be 30
feet in width.
Mayor c. B. Harvey went on
record as asking that more re-
ports from the County Health
Department be forthcoming.
Earlier, Key Vests jumblei
Taxi licensing situation had
split the commission down the
middle when they we've unable
to agree on what would consti-
tute a workable ordinance to
limit the number of taxi licenses
to be issued to local war vet
erans..
After an hours debate, the
city fathers tabled a proposed
amendment to the taxi cab ord
nance which would have limited
the number of special veterans
permits to Is.
The present city code sets the
number Of regular licenses at n
and allows the issuance of an
unlimited number of veterans
permits.
Commissioner Jack Delaney
pointed out that at the present
time, there are nineteen holders
o. veterans licenses and hat
under the current setup, it would
be possible for scores of others
to be licensed to operate cabs.
This statement set off a round of
haggling that eliminated in the
tabling of the proposed measure.
One faction said that the re-
sulting curbs on the taxis, if the
ordinance is passed would re-
suit in greater safety on the
streets of Key West.
When the commissioners final
| ly got down to business, they
approved unanimously, the grant,
ing of a 15-month lease Of city
property on Stock Island to the
American Telephone and Tele-
graph Company's Bell labora-
tory.
The company had asked FOR .
lease on so by 100 foot square