Seward seaport record., 1955-01-21
City Council Puts
 In Overtime Session
, (Continued from page one)

(COntlHueu rom page On0) possibly might be subject to the "fall-out" dusting shown in the film
 Under stepped up program Seward is going to be built up to accommodate refugees and Jim Kirkpatrick has been named to take over as regional Director of the Civil Defense program replac- ing Col. Johnson.
 Under this intensified program, Fortier said the City of Seward would be called upon to bear the cost of moving supplies from An chorage to Seward and warehous- ing them here. Later it is hoped that the Territory may foot some of the bill since it is not strictly program of taking care of incor- porated Cities. In the case of the supplies for the Seward buil0-up equipment moved here will be used in all the villages of the eastern Kenai Peninsula, not just Seward.
 The Mayor pledged the City's cooperation with the local Civil Defense Director.
 TAXES
 The matter of writing off uncol- lectable personal property taxes was once again before the Council. It has been up for action twice before but had been held up while investigations were conducted to see if some of the money could be collected.
 Perhaps on the theory that the third time never fails, the list was presented and the $939 in uncol- lectable items was written off by the Council.
 ORDINANCES
 The first of two ordinances con sidered at the meeting was one which would establish new rates and policies in the Water Depart ment.
 The ordinance was back before the Council after the Utility Board had declined to make a change ill section 4a of the document which places the responsibility for thaw- ing on the water customer and leaves the burden of proof that the cause of freezing was faulty installation or some other City responsibility up to the customer. Once proved, the City would as- sume the cost of the thawing Some of the Councilmen seem to feel that no such responsibility should be assumed in the Ordin- ance but that it should be left as a policy matter to be decided in each individual case of whether or not the particular instance of freezing was the City's or the customers responsibility.
 The Ordinance was placed on its second reading without any change being made.
 The second ordinance up for con- sideration was the one calling for an election to authorize $3,500.000 for the construction of a hydro electric plant, trarsmission and distribution lines from Crescent Lake to Seward.
 There were two points of con- troversy in this Ordinance. The first was that the Ordinance as written by the Bonding firm pro- vided for a $500O XIV plant and the Revenue Bonds to bear inter- est at not to erceed 6 percent. It was felt that the suggestion to the voters that it might be possible for the Council to issue Bonds bearing percent interest would defeat the proposition.
 The explanation for the 6 per cent figure was that it was the maximum limit allowable under Territorial Law and for that req son the Bonding firm haC likely "AAtIOh thC III lHdl iudll- ner, even though the Bonds would likely carry interest of "A per cent interest or possibly slightly more.
 Since there was so much doubt about the matter 1t was decided to call the City Engineer Mir. How ard Harstad and ask him to come to Seward and discuss the pro- ject and the Ordinance further on Wednesday evening of this week.
 LETTERS
 A reply from w. c. Strand was received by the City in response to letter written by the City Manager to the Secretary of h. terior in regard to the matter of Sea Trains and their adverse eff feet on Seward.
 The letter from the Director of Territories, Strand, reiterated pre- vious statements by the Secretary of Interior and suggested that the City contact the probable sea train operators for the answers to their nnaSti0nc