The Key West Citizen

Ordered That Sealed Bids Be Received For Waterfront Property At Foot Of Simonton Street

The City Council, at a special meeting held last night, rescinded the action taken at a previous meeting when they agreed to dispose of the city's waterfront property at the foot of Simonton street, which is better known as the Wagner property.

The proposition at that time was to issue a quit-claim deed to the property to A. Maitland Adams, who was to pay $7,500 to Mrs. Carlotta Riley of Baltimore, in satisfaction of the mortgage held by Mrs. Riley against the property.

The rescinding action taken last night was also by resolution, and was unanimously adopted.

The meeting was presided over by Jim Roberts, president of the council, with Councilmen Marcus Mesa, W. P. Aicher, Frank Delancy, F. O. Roberts and William Freeman also in attendance.

Following the adoption of this resolution, it was ordered in another resolution that an advertisement, calling for sealed bids for the purchase of the city's equity in the property be inserted in The Key West Citizen, Miami Herald, Miami Tribune, Jacksonville Times Union and the Tampa Tribune.

The bids are to be opened on November 26, with a specification that each bid offered must be accompanied by a certified check to the amount of $500.

Attorney George G. Brooks addressed the council and started his talk by asking the members of the body if their action in rescinding the matter was for political reasons. After this Mr. Brooks made several suggestions, from a legal standpoint, relative to the drafting of the resolution calling for bids for the property, one of which was that a reasonable time be given prospective bidders on the property, and the council agreed with him, making the time for opening of the bids thirty days from now. Mr. Brooks offered his services in cooperation with the city in order that the city may profit to the greatest extent in the event that a buyer is found for the property, which is to be offered for sale to the highest bidder, with a proviso, however, that the city reserves the right to reject any and all bids.

Roy Rogers addressed the council, stating that he had the city at heart and that he was very much opposed to the previous action taken by the council relative to the proposed disposition of the property in question. He said that due to the fact that some of the councilmen were closely associated with certain business interests in Key West, that he felt that they may have been swayed to some extent, and stated that the rescinding of the action was the proper thing to do, which would clear them of all blame in the previous transaction. He also stated he was speaking as a taxpayer, and claimed that he felt the city should realize as much as possible from the sale of this property.

Each of the councilmen who voted for the resolution to dispose of the property stated that they did not feel that their action would meet with such great opposition. They declared that they felt that it appeared to them at the time that there was nothing else to do, inasmuch as the person holding the mortgage was threatening to foreclose, with the city having no funds to help the situation.

There were a number of interested citizens in attendance at the meeting, all of whom were invited to address the council on the matter, but there were no others, except those mentioned, accepting the invitation.