The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-10-10
CITY CoUNcIL--oFFiCIAL.
REGULAR MEETING.

CfTY HALL, NEW ORLEANS,
Tuesday, October 0, 1877. I
The Council met this day Ut IL O'Clock m. in
regular session.
Present: Hon. Ed. Pilsbury, Mayor, presiding,
and Administrators Brown, Cavanac, Diamond,
MoOsffrey and Hengstortf
The minutes OF the previous meeting we're app
proved and their reading was dispensed with.
Communications from the Mayor ana
Administrators.
The following communications were received
and ordered spread on the minutes:
DEPARTMENT OF IMPROVEMENTS,
Room No. 16, City Hall,
New Orleans, October 8, 1877.
To the Honorable the City Council.
Gentlemen 1t becomes my duty to report that
during the month of September much difficulty
Was experienced in the direction of work TO be
done by the contractors, and in consequence 1
of the bills on the LIST inst, until the parties
would per form the work required.
There seems TO be disposition on the part OF
contractors to perfor II only suoh work as may be
pointed out to them in detail, while the necessity
Tor cleaning streets and CUTTERS repairing and
grading, il manifest everywhere.
The only shell road in the CITY that can be said
to be in good order for winter Ia Canal street
When ordered TO repair other roads the con-
tractor simply fills the ruts with ballast. and in
some cases With brickbats, and even with mud
from the adjoining cutters. only using shells in
such small quantities az TO cover the surface with
. thin coating, which sooa disappears under the
slightest traffic.
Toe CUTTERS and streets in the central portion
OF each district are kept reasonably clean, but
the suburbs are left almost entirely neglected
When ordered to clean or repair the rear Of a
district the contractor sends his men from the
front, and, III consequence. that portion IL left
neglected.
short time ago communicated through the
Surveyor with all the street contractors, calling
attention to their deficiencies, and urging the
employment OF larger force in order TO do the
work he essary for the season, but our sugges-
tons were unheeded. Now the fall Ii upon us,
with our streets aud cutters checked with decsyed
vegetable matter, aud many of the paved streets
out OF order the effect Of unstable REPAIRS while
IL is not In the power ii this department to OBJ
tain better state OF affairs, owiug TO The ambi-
guilty OF the specifications.
II would be more to the interest OF the city to
annu all the contracts by the first OF January,
1873 aud in the meanwhile order specificationa In
be 30 prepared 10 to compel parties contracting
With tho city to do their work. Contracts oan
then be sold BY wards, and 1t IL probable that
work can be done to the satisfaction Of the au.
thorities and the pc pile.
The late storms have caused much damage TO
canal levees and bulhheads, which should be
promptly repaired. / respectfully recommend
that al the levees be raised alb ut two feet above
their present grade and strengthened at various
points. The bdkheads at intersections Marigny
csnal and Oanal Uarondelet, Hsgan Avenue and
Canal Uaropdelet, Hagan Avenue and Orleans
tail-rsce, and Harrison Avenue and Orleans tail
race, need immediate repairs, as the timbers are
much decayed, and their condition was the cause |
of great auxetv during tho late storms.
In the specifications adopted for the contract |
system no provision 10 made for repairs to gutter
plapks Of the unpsved or ballast Streets The |
drainage IL greatly impeded by the decayed con- |
dition OF the gutter bottoms throughout the |
whole city, and much Of the stagnauon often |
Of is Attributable to that cause
respectfully ask permission to retain the ser. |
vices OF Mr.. VIM. Stetnbaek az chief carpenter, |
1t salary OF $l25 per month, Ia order to carry |
out the repairs as above; besides, the services |
,f such an officer are indispensable to my depart
ment.
Respectfully,
JNO. McOAFFREY, Administrator.