Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1889-04-16
PAYING FOR SEWERAGE.
A P.vn outlined by @. F:
Lowe Ii, Civil Engineer.
Suggestions Relative TO ire Expense
Of Sewerage improvements

Charles f. l.. Loweth, Of Ut. Paul,
who made the sewerage plaps Tor the
cisy OF Yankton, submits the following
supplementary report, which is OF value
in connection With tie construction oil
sewers:
To the Hon. Mayor and City c uncil
Yankson, ID. T.-Gentlemep: Il has
seemed best to embody IN q supple.
mental report the consideration OF the
question OF assessments rathe
than add it 60 the general sewerage re-
port.
l have at vsrions times ~endesvored 10
gather information OF the gent rhl prac-
tIoe and method OF paying for saver im-
provements as In vogue in oar smaller
western cities; but the work has been
difficult q replies TO inqu' RIGS are often
brief and indefinite, and very frequently,
the method or practice in use is so ILL
def aed and haphazard that it is diff
cuit So arrive at any general plan. As
o rule, st appeers that the property
abuttiDR along the eGe is assessed q
certain amount Tor the Improvements.
In Eau Claire, Wis, sixty cents per
loot front is assessed against the abut-
ting property on each side OF the ctr Get,
and the balance OF the expense OF the
improvement is paid out Of the general
ward fund OF the ward In which the
sewer is built.
The same general plan i. in use In
Minneapolis, the direct tax on the prop
e.ty. however, being $l.5o per foot front
instead OF SIXTY cents per foot front
Ins epd OF sixty centsi and also in It..
Panl and Sioux City. Iowa; in tho for
mer the asse ssnent being $l.75 per foot
front.
In Duluth, however, the total cost of
the Improvement 10 assessed directly
Upon she property benefited. The Is.
81 ssment is in the hands OF o board Of
public works consisting OF three APP
pointive members who have arbitrary
power to determine benefits and fix as
~sessrnents.
For the construction OF all main
severe, q certain per cent IL assessed
directly on the abotting property by the
foot front, the remaining per cent being
divided proporiionateiy. by area, oyer
all lots and lands IN the drainage area.
Lateral or branch severe, however, are
paid for In full and diseetly by she pro.
perty drained by .hem, proportioned
generally by area OF property
La Orease. WIS.,, sppeRra TO have 3
carefully prepared ordinsnce covering
this point. II provides that the board
OF pubsic works "shsll make OF
cause to be made IN assessment against
all lote, part OF lots and parcels OF land
fronting or sbutsing on the work SO con-
tracted to be done on each side Of the
same fos its whole length, and which
have not before been 30 assessed for
beverage purposes, at the rBte OF eighty
cents per lineai foot of the whole 'front.'
Isss Of each lee part OF los OF Lets OF
parcel OF land fronting or abutting on
either side OF such sewer, except corner
lots, which shall be assessed therefor as
follows: Oornor lots noe subdiyided IN
ownership. and subdivisions OF. corner
lots. constituting the actual corner OF
corner lots HubdiyIded in ownership,
shall be entitled to D deduction In max
ing such assessment, OF one-tnird from
the aggregate OF the street lines OF such
corner lots or corner subdivisions thereof
oE oil the streets in front thereof; such
deduction TO be made in she assessment
OF the longest line OF such CORNER lots or
Q inner subdivision thereof, OF, in the case
OF equal street lines thereof in the assess.
ment for the second sewer to winch they
are liable; provided. however. that when
the actual COST OF any sewer shall be less
than n dollar aud sixty cents per
lIneni foot, then, and in that case. the
assessment shall be for the actual cost
OF such sewer per lineal foot, one-hslf
theseof to be ~ehargeable against the pro.
pesty fronting or abntting thereon on
each side thereof Whenever o lot
which, as originally plated, fronts or
aonsB on any sewer, Is %subdivided, and
the subdivisions thereof are owned by
different persons. no subdivision Of such
lot, not fronting or sbotting on such
sever. and not owned by the same per
son who OWNS the Subdivision fronting
or AUDITING on such sewer, shall be rs.
sessed for the cost OF ssch sewer
"The cost OF ali ewers in street and
alley crossings. and OF ell sewers in ex-
cess OF q dollar aud sixty oents per
lineal foot chargeable 20 lots and lands
az provided in section 9 Of this chapter
-os ell catch basins for receiving the
water from she GutteFs, and of the over
now pipes connecting them with she
sewers-of all Temporary catch basiny-
o OF b repairing and cleaning OF
~sewefs-and all expenditures for tempo
Rafy work necessary TO carry out che
system OF sewerage herein provided, and
all coats Tor constructing sewers not
provided for by special assessment shall
be paid ous OF the general fund, and sll
eleaning q repairing of sewers
and chsch oasins, and all temporary
work necessary to be done as above
stated shall be done by the authority OF
necessary"
II further provides that the oommon
cooncil shall have power TO levy Q special
sewerage tax. mot to exceed in any
one year the sum OF two aud one hall
mills on the dollar on all property. real
and personal, subject to taxation within
said city" and to be collected in the
same way as all other general texes.
Then follows . provision which to me
seemH oblectiopal. viz: ANY person 10
whom . contract 10 awarded for the JON
strnction OF a " shall receive in
payment certificates ,against she lots OF
parcels Of land % heretofore directed 10
DO assessed, SO fer as the same
will 60 in liquidation Of the amount
OF such contract, and shall be entitled
to receive city orders for the balance dpe,
payable ont OF the general fund: and ii
shall be the duty OF she board OF public
works. after the completion Of any con-
tract and the acceptance OF che work. to
issna such certificates on the request OF
she person entitled TO receive them; asd
where any cum is found 20 be due 6
contractor over and above The amount
OF certificates issued and received In
|psYs payment, to certify the came IN the