08/23/82 Board of Public Works Minutes

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REGULAR MEETING AUGUST 23. 1982 Mr. Leszczynski advised that the Engineering Department was concerned about a dead-end traffic situation and cautioned the medical facility concerning leaving or developing any street or alley into a dead-end situation. The Area Plan Commission recommendation addressed the possibility of vacating the entirety of St. Peter Street and -the vacation of all alleys in the block west of St. Peter. If this was not feasible, the commission recommended that additional land in the center of the block would need to be dedicated to better facilitate turning move- ments on the remaining "L" shaped alley. In addition, the vacation of Madison Street was not consistent with the Michiana Area Council of Governments Transportation Plan under which the street was classified as an arterial city street. Upon a motion made by Mr. Leszczynski, seconded by Mr. Hill and carried,.the public hearing was closed. Mr. Hill stated that, because of the many concerns raised by adjacent property owners, he felt a meeting would be helpful and he encouraged hospital officials to set up such a meeting involving property owners and the Board. Mr. Kernan stated that he had recently been nominated to serve on the Board of Directors of the hospital and for that reason, he would abstain from voting on any matter involving the hospital. Upon (J a motion made by Mr. Hill, seconded by Mr. Leszczynski.and carried, the matter of the vacations was taken under advisement and continued to the next meeting of the Board pending a meeting with hospital officials because of the concern over the vacation of Madison and St. Peter Streets and the creation of a dead-end traffic situation. Mr. Kernan abstained from voting on the motion. DENIAL OF TAXI DRIVER'S LICENSE UPHELD (VERNON C. JOHNSON) Mr. Leszczynski advised that the Board of Public Works had denied the application of Vernon C. Johnson for a taxi driver's license on June 21, 1982, upon the recommendation of Controller Joseph E. Kernan because of the falsification of the application regarding arrest and conviction records. Mr. Leszczynski advised that Mr. Johnson had requested a hearing before the Board to discuss the denial. Mr. Johnson stated that, according to the police check, his driver's license had been revoked or suspended on two occasions; however, he stated that he had not been aware this had been done because he had received tickets for speeding and was unable to pay the fine. As a result, he forwarded the fine to Indianapolis.at a later date and never received word that his license had been suspended. He stated that another incident involved wheel covers which were stolen from his sister's automobile. He later discovered who had taken them and he claimed them back for her, because the police could not prove whose wheel covers they actually were, he was convicted of disorderly conduct. Mr. Hill asked why that information had not been included on Mr. Johnson's application concerning his prior record. Mr. Hill noted that the police check revealed the conviction of a misdemeanor on March 29, 1982, and on March 20, 1982. Mr. Johnson stated that he was not aware he had been convicted of any crime and he pleaded ignorance of the law. Mr. Hill advised Mr. Johnson that the Board's concern was the fact that Mr. Johnson had not provided the Board with all the informa- tion it required. He felt that, if all the conviction informa- tion had been provided, the Board could have made a decision as to whether or not the offenses were serious enough to warrant denial of the license. On the other hand, Mr.. Johnson had failed to even provide that information to the Board for con- sideration. Mr. Hill referred to the ordinance regulating licensing of taxi drivers and explained that it provided that any license can be refused if there is any false information or incomplete information provided. He stated that the Board was willing to consider that Mr. Johnson had been involved in two minor charges or misdemeanors in recent years; however, the Board was concerned over the fact that requested information had been withheld. He asked Mr. Johnson about the circumstances involving the disorderly conduct charge of March 20, 1982. Mr. Johnson stated that one incident involved the stolen wheel covers.