Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrd 230 - department of municipal defense '(; ; I 222 ORDINANCE NO. ~ AN ORDINANCE CREATING A DEPAR'll,IENT OF :rvrUNICIPAL DEFENSE OF THE CITY OF WEST UNIVERSITY PLACE, TEXAS;. PROVIDING FOR THE APPOINTMENT OF A COMMITTEE Jj"'OR DEFENSE, PROVIDING FOR THE APPOINTMENT OF THE PERSONNEL OF SUCH C01v1MIT'l1];E, FOR 11~ITATIGNS TO AND INCLUSION OF COUNTY JUDGE AND COMMISSIONERS' COURT, TBE NAVIGA'rION BOARD, THE COUNTY SHERIFF AND 0THER OFJfIC lALS THEREIN; PROVIDI NG FOR THE APPOINT1vlliNT OF A CHAI~Uill OF SAID C0M11ITTEE; PRESCRIBING THE DUTIES AND FUNCTIONS OF THE COllIMITTEE AND THE CHAIRtvlAN AND THE MAYOR IN CONNECTION THEREWITH, PROVIDING THAT THE CITY SHALL PROVIDE THE NECESSARY FACILITIES AND OIDFICE SPACE FOR PROPER FUNOTIONING OF THE COMMITTEE, PROVIDING THAT ALL FILES, RECORDS .AND INFORrvIATION OF THE COMMITTEE SHALL BE DEEAmD'CONFIDE1~IAL AND FOR THEIR CUSTODY AND CONTROL, PROVIDING E'OR MEETINGS OF THE COMMITTEE, PROVIDING THAT FAILtJRE OF A MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE TO FUNCTION SHALL BE CAUSE FGR DISMISSAL THEREFROM, AND "~ROVIDING FOR THE ADOPTION OF RULES FOR ITS PROCEDURE; PROVIDING FOR THE APPOINTMENT OF A ]ULL-Tnl.!E SECRETARY OF THE comUTTEE, PRESCRIBING HIS DUTIES AND COMPENSATION; PROVIDING THAT THE CITY FURNISH SUCH STENOGRAPHERS AS WlAY BE NECESSARY FOR THE PROPER FUNCTIONING OF SUCH COMMITTEE, PRESCRIBING THEIR DUTIES AND COMPENSATION; PROVIDING FOR THE CREAmINN OF TTNO' (2) POSITIONS OF INSPECTOR OF THE COIvIMITTEE, PRESOR:EJBING THEIR COMPENSATION AND DUTIES; PROVIDING FOR THE CREATION OF THE POSITION OF RECORD CLERK, PRESCRIB- ING THE SALARY AND DUTIES THE HE OF ; PROVIDING THAT EACH MEIv.lBER OF THE COIvlli~ITTEE AND THE EMPLOYED PERSONNEL TA?~ THE PRESCRIBED OATH BEFORE KNTERING UPON THEIR RESPECTTVE DUTIES; PROVIDING FOR THE REPEAL OF ORDINANCES AND PARTS OJ!' ORDINANCES IN CONFLICT HEREWrrn AS CONCERNS SUCH CONFLICT; PROVIDING THAT IF ANY SECTION, PARAGRAPH, SUB- DIVISION, CLAUSE, PHRASE OR PROVISION OF THE ORDINMJCE IS JUDGED INVALID OR HELD UNCONSTITUTIONAL IT SHALL NOT EF.H'EGT OTHER PARTS OR PROVISIONS OF THE ORDINANCE; Aj\1D, DECLARING AN Elv'IERGENCY. BE IT ORDAI:NED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WEST u:rrrV.ti:R- SITY PLACE, TEY,AS: SECTION 1 Pursuant to the establishment of the National Defense Oommission of the If'ederal Government; the establishment of defense commissionsX' and councils of "the various states; and in keeping with the impending defense measures already inaUGurated, and to be inaugurated, in every city and town in the United States, all growing out of the threatening world crisis, and emphasizing the vital necessity for immediate and coordinated action in protecting the home front, comprising defense industries, light and power plants, transportation facilities, communication facilities inVOlving the telphone, telegraph, fireand . police alarm systems, wharves, docks, warehouse districts, oil refineries, oil docks and oil pipe line distribution systems, munici- pal water plants and their distribution system, hospitals and first~ aid stations, railroad, shi~ping and distribution systems for handling food and supplies and products of defenBB industries, the Municipal Airport, the gas utilities for commermfual and industrial purposes, public works activities involving military roads and high- I: c--., i ~ I I 223 L ways into and through the Uity of West University Place, in fact, involving every unit and b~anch of our municipalt commercial, industrial and transportation mechanism, upon which the life and security and welfare of this community depend, there is hereby created the Department of Municipal Defense of the City of West University Place, Texas, the functions, powers and coordinating responsibilities of which are hereby enumerated and descBibed. SECTTON ? It is clearly understood that the Department of Municipal De- fense is in no manner presumed to undertake, and be wholly res- ponsible for, the military defense of the Oity of West University Place, nor is it assumed it will supercede the various agencies of the ~ederal and State gavernments as regards counteracting espionage, sabotgge and other subversive activities of enemies wi thin or without, for which the j!'ederal J::lureau of Investigation, the military or naval authorities are primarily responsible. The primary object of the establishment of this Department of Municipal Defense is the efficient, continuous and cooperative of defense measures as they primarily affect the City Government, and for the coordination of which the Mayor and Uity Council would be, and should be, held Officially accountable, there being at present no one official in the City Gouncilcor among the heads of the various departments of the0ity Government who has the time to devote to such activity, nor the specialized capacity and training to under- take a coordinated and well-defined Municipal Program that will fit into the general plan for protecting all of the vital services, defense industries and distribution systems above outlined; a plan that will coordinate with and become a municipal effort to assist the various organizations and law-enforcement agencies such as the j!'ederal Bureau of lnvestigation, the District Attorney of Harris CountYrc1nd the United States Attorney; the Sheriff of Harris County, and the Uni ted.States IViarshal; the West Uni versi ty Safety Association, the directing heads of the various utilities; officers and officials of the Federal and State Governments; the officials of the Harris County Navigation and Canal District; the commanding officers of the Army and Air Service units in the vicinity of the City of West Uni- versity ~lace; the officials and officers of the Home Defense Unit set up by the State Government; the officials of the Am~rican Legion in the Eighth District of Texas, all of whom are vitally concerned in the program of coordinating and providing for a twenty-four hour home defense, involving air raids shelters, fire defense organizations, Health and Welfare measures, food supply lines, plant security, and all such allied activities outlined by the very latest improved and accepted metnods of safe-guarding the modern city against all dangers arising from natural elements, subversive agents within Qr without, not primarily the responsi bili ty of the JJ'ederal .l::Iureau of Investi- gation , the military or naval command, or the officials of the State and Federal Governments. I : LI SECTION :J The Department of Municipal Defense is to act as a liaison be- tween the Mayor and the City Council and all of the various govern- IDentaland defense agencies hereinabove described. It is to conduct '..:rr:: T. II ]"-:-- ~ Ie H 11 224 careful studies, from time to time, reg~~ding all defense needs; to make 'recommendations and reports to the ~ayor and vity uouncil as to existing and future municipal defense requirements, to the end that ,~ the City government of the City of West University ~lace may be at i : all times completely abreast of the problems of. defense, should our '~ local security be threatened by any dangery within or without. SECTION 4. The Department of Municipal Defense shall also act in an advisory capacity to the Mayor and vity uouncil and the heads of all departments immediately or remotely interested in its functions; make investigations of matters brought to its attention ei~her by private citizens or public agencies and officials, her~or in other. cities. S"fijCTTON I) The Mayor ,is hereby empowered to appoint a Committee for Defense, subject to confirmation by the vity Council, Which shall consist of representatives of Civic and Patri.cbtic Organizations, together with representatives of Industry and such bther persons as may be deemed necess'ary to the complete and proper functioning of such committee. It appearing that the proper defense of the Uity of West University Place will 'necessitate the defense'of 'territories adjacent to its. boundaries, it is deemed advisable that the personnel of such Committee should be augmented by invitations to and inclusbon of the County Judge and Gommission~rs' Court, the Navigation Board, . the County Sheriff and other officials whose positions indfcate that jhey share the responsibility for participation in the defense pro- gram. The members of the Committee for Defense shall serve Without pay. II I I ' __J SF.CrrTON t:iC II ----.J The Committee for Defense shall, through its Chairman ascertain the de~ires of the representatives of the War Department, other agencies of the Federal Government, and the Adjutant General of Texas, and any other proper agencies, in the matter of caring for and (- i I i I~ 225 protecting life and property, plans for the feeding and care of persons and animals, even to the extent of evacuation or the acceptance for care of evacuees, for uninterrupted continuation of utility services, for supervision of facilities for recreation, for prevention of sabotage, and concerning all other matters which may appropriately be of concern to such agencies, and shall for- mulate a comprehensive plan for cooperation between the various municipal departments and the representatives of such agencies. SECTION 5D The Chairman of such Committee shall formulate a comprehensive plan for local security and shall submit same, through the Adjutant General of Texas, to the War Department and other proper agencies for approval, and thereafter it shall be made effective. SECTION 5E It appearing that many organizations of a volunteer nature but with no responsibility to any duly constituted authority, have been are being, or will be organized, for the stated purpose of aiding the defense program, it shall be the duty of the Chairman of the . Oerami ttee for Defense to coordinate the efforts . of such organizations to the general plan formulated-by the Committee for Defense. SECTION 51!' . All such organizations referred to in Section .5E, which may be organized within the City, shall before they coramence to function submit their plans and program to the Chairman of the Committee for" Defense for approval. SECTION .5G The City shall provide the necessary facilities and office space that Shall from time to time be found necessary for the proper functioning of the Gommittee for Defense and for the safeguarding, to the fullest extent of any and all of its files, records and in- format ion. . SECTION 5H All the files, records and infoTInation of such committee shall be deemed confidential and shall be kept at such place or places as may be determined from time to time by the Chairman of the Commi:ttee for Defense. They shall be under the direct control of the Mayor and the Chairman of the vommittee. Their use shall be according to the policies of the duly constituted authorities directly connected with or having superior authority in their use. SECTIONSI TheComniittee for Defense shall meet in a meeting place pro- vided by the City, at such times as may be deemed necessary to its proper functioning as called together, by the Chairman or the Mayor. \ l~." ..=---;.1' ,- .1 " . 11 226 SF:CrrlON 5:r Each person appointed a member of the Oommittee for Defense shall be informed of the nature and amount of committee work that will be required of him and that failure to function de- ligently shall be cause for dismissing him from the Committee. The failure of any such per~on to function diligently, in the opinion of the Chairman or ~ayor, in whatever capacity the appointee shall be assigned, shall be sufficient cause to dis- miss such appointee from the Committee. SECTION 5K The Committee for Uefense shall prepare and adopt rules for the procedure and proper functiom~ng of the Uommittee and also provide for the amendment of such rules, which rules shall be subject to confirmation by Uity Council. ~he presence of five members of the Committee at any meeting shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of any business. FiR(YPTOl\T 6 There is hereby created the office of Secretary to the com- mitt.ee for Defense, who shall receive a salary of.not to exceed $100.00 per month. He shall do such work and perform such duties as shall be prescribed from time to time by the Mayor and the Chairman of the Committee for Defense. Any vacancies to said office shall be filled by appointment of the Mayor, subject to con- firmation by the City Council. . . . SEc'rION 7 The City shall furnish the Chairman of the Committee and the Committee for Defense, such stenographers as may be from time to time required for the proper fun~tioning of such committee. Each stenographer shall receive a salary of not more than One Hundred and ffive (~105.00J Dollars per month. The exact amount to be fixed by the Mayor and the vity Council. Their duties shall be such as may be designated from time to time by the Chairman of the Committee~and by the Committee for Defense. S.e;CTIUN 8 . There are hereby created two \2) positions of Inspector of the Committee for Defense. Each such Inspector shall receive a salary of not more than One Hundred (~lOO.OO) Dollars per month. ~he exact amount to be fixed by the Mayor and City vouncil. They shall conduct such inspection and investigations as may be ordered and~required by the Ch airman of the Committee, and they shall perform such other duties as may be assigned to them by the Chairman. SEC'l'ION 9 There is hereby created the position of record clerk of the ~ommittee for Defense. Such clerk shall receive a salary of not more than One Hundred (~100.00) Dollars per month. The exact amount to be fixed by the Mayor and City Countil. The'duties of ---..J I I ---) --, I r- '-- r- '----- I L-, 22'7, such clerk are to consist of keeping adeQuate and up-to-date re- cords of the tJommittee and to perform such other duties as may be assigned to -him from. time to time by the vhairman of the CO!l1.'Ui ttee. SEC'1'luN 9A Each member of the Committee for Defense, including the Chair- man, 3ecretary, and all employed personnel shall take the pre- scribed oath before entering upon their respective duties. SEC'l'..LUl\i 9B All ordintlillces and parts of ordinances in conflict herewith are hereby repealed to extent of such conflict ohly. SECT1UN 9C If any Section, Paragraph, dubdivision, Claus.e, Phrase or l'ro- vision of this ordinance shall be jUdged invalid or held un- constitutional the same shall not affect the validity of this ordinance as a v~lo1e or any part or provision thereof other than the part so decided to be invalid or unconstitutional. S~CT;ON 9D There exists a public ~mergency, growing out of the National Defense Emergency, requiring that this ordinance be passed finally on the date of its introduction, and the Mayor having in writfng declared the existence of such emergency and requested such pa~sage, this ordinance shall -be passed finally on the date of its intro- duction, this day of , A. D. 1941. PASSED this the day of day of , A.D. 1941 , A. D. 1941 APPRO'iJED this the ~ ~~ ~~~~~I Mayor, vity of West University Place, Texas n ::::'~~.'.: