HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Meeting - Council - Minutes - 04/14/1954 tjaG
Kent Washington April 3-4, 1954.
Special meeting of the City Council called by Mayor Mooney,
present ..I=iayor Mooney, Councilmen Curran, Schultz, Shaffer,
Thornton; absent Blessing, Lamb, Randall;
'�-layor Mooney stated that this special meeting was called
for the purpose of passing a resolution by the council,
being opposed to unlawful gambling in South King County.
That his investigation shows one plave at the East High-
way and Renton Junction Cutoff has been operating since
October of 1953, and one at South Park since 1952, large
number of cars at each place until all hours of the night e
encluding Sundays, and still the Sheriff' s Deputies have not
made an arrest. , _ received letters from various persons re-
questing him. to do something about the situation. Questioned
people residing in the vicinity of said establishments, and
they stated that. the places are a nuisance to the community.
Letters were read from interested people in complaint of
the continued use of the establishments for gambling,
petition presented to the IIayor at the meeting from the
O'Brien Community Club requesting that he do something about
the gambling in South King County.
Mayor Mooney stated that the City of Kent is spending
some p'15,000.00 this year to better their Recreation Park
in Kent to give a spotts program to the Juveniles, and that
alone cannot correct the situation, and he is determined to
get to the seat of the condition that exist.
Sherriff Calahan was invited to the meeting but did not
attend but in turn had I4r. Sayne Ambrose one of his Deputies
present, and at this time presented the iiayor and each
Councilman with a letter from Sherriff Calahan, the I-iayor
read the letter to the Council, the theme of the letter was
that the Miayor was taken this means for political purposes,
and he had not brought this to the attention of his office ,
instead it was taken to the Office of. the Governor of the
State for action.
Mayor Mooney stated that he was not doing this to run for
office of Sheriff and never intended to but as long as he
had a breath in his body, he was going to .fight crime and
Juvenile Delinquency, and was going to hit the base of it
no matter who it hurto. Mooney said he did not' file a
complaint himself because the I'iayor' s job only pays �1509,00
per month. I-Ie has to work at an other job for a living,
and he could not afford the tim_(17�o do a job the County is
paying approximately one-half million dollars per year to 4�`
have done for it.
Mooney stated that the South Park Club had been operating
in the North Land of the County prior to the 1952 State Crime
Commission Hearings, and then moved to the present location.
Councilman Shaffer asked questions of the Mayor, Shaffer
wanted to know why the Council was not notified of the
condition before it had been published in the paper, "this
places the Council in an embarrassing position". Mooney
replied that the P.I . reporter had contacted him a his
office in the City Ball Saturday morning, and a him
what he knew about the gambling in the south end of Bing
County, . Mooney replied that he eras not ready to break the
news at this time, but if he wanted a story he would give
him one, and at the same time instructed the City Clerk of
a special meeting of the Council, and to notify the council-
men of same.Shaffer asked why he did not turn it in through
the proper channels for enforcment , that would be to the
Sheriff' s Office. Mooney stated that thrice he had tried to
contact Sheriff Callahan by phone but he was out, and owing
tothe fact that the situation had been operating so long,
and was very obvious to others, that he did not believe the
Sheriff was interested, that is why he resorted to the
Governor for help through the State Patrol,
continued
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continued from April 14, 1954.
as long as the legislature had given them police power for
such operations. :3haffer stated that he thought that this
should be cldhed up, but consideration of the Sheriff should
be had, because he was well thought of on account of the
large vote the people gave him at election time.
Several persons from the audiance gave various talks on the
subject , some thought the council, should pass a resolution
on the matter and others had other vi��wsj that the council
should not take any action. HY-9-
Councilman Curran stated that the ,natter might not e!!f been
handled right but he was in favor of the resolution as
presented by the 1,layor be read and some kind of action
taken as of now.
Resolution road and a discussion follo,red by tide council,
that the resolution as rc ad did not fit their vic,;,rs on the
matter, and requested for a few minutes recess, for the re-
va:nping of same. Council returneC.l witii a ncv; resolution, and
by motion passed adopted the Resolution No. 45 by. the unan-
amous vote of the council present .
Resolution No. 315 on file in the office, of -tlie City Cleric
and is a part of '',he minutes of tlii- special_ meeting.
i T = 'T11TG 11 JC)UTIT',;T)
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l tayor Chas. '-,ridges city clerk
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