St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-01-23
A FAR-REACHING BILL
Synopsis Of the Proposed New
Charter for Government
of st. Paul.
Drastic Changes Which Call
for the Closest Attention
Of Citizens,
Conclusively Demonstrating
That Hasty Action Ought
Not to Be Taken,
But That Time Be Allowed for
the People to Express an
Opinion.


the People to Express an
Opinion.
Corporation Attorney Holman has
prepared an abstract of the Sanborn
bill, which provides for radical change
in the municipal government OF st.
Paul. 1t is a matter of the utmost I'M
portancc to all citizens, and therefore
Mr. Holman's comprehensive abstract
Of the bill is appended:
Municipal Assembly.
The legislative power of the city shall be
vested in council and house of delegates.
The council shaiheousiSt Of seven members
one of whom shall be its president. They
shall be elected on general ticket by the
voters of the city, and shall hold office Tor
four years, The house OF delegates snail
consist OF one member from each ward 10 De
elected every two years by the voters OF the
several wards. The present common councI
shall be the house OF delegates: the mavor
shall appoint the council OF seven mem
bers. who shall serve until the elecuon
1892 The presiding officer of the Gouncn
shall be designated President and shall be
elected every four Years on the general
ticket; the presiding officer OF the House OF
Delegates shall be designated Speaker. and
shall bc elected by the members thereof No
ordinance shalt be passed except by bill -and
every bill shall be read on three dlHetept
days in each house, and shall hot be con.
sidered for final passage unless reported
mon by 4 committee Every bill-shali be
presented to the Mayer for his approval or
dis-approvai.
Mayor. 80,
The mayor shall be elected at the election
to he held in Nav, 1892, and shall hold ONCE
for four years The mnyor shall call together
the heads of departments for consultation
and advice upon the affairs of the city at
least once month and may call Tor reports
from the heads of departments. Rules snail
be adopted at such meetings for the ADMINS,
iration of the affairs of the departments ana
| for II systematic method of ascertalnlng-I the
fitness of applicants to Office, without regard
to political opinions or services. The mayor
shall have the power to supervise, or revoke
the decision of the head of any executive de-
partment. Ali appointments made by tne
| mayor shall require the continuation OF the
council.
Executive Departments.
The following departments are established:
First department of public safety: second.
| department of public works; third, depart
| ment of taxes and accounts; fourth, depart
ment of treasury; fifth. department OF law;
sixth, department of education; seventh, de-
| partmenL OF charities and corrections.
Public Safety.
| Tbi, department shall be in charge of one
! director, who shall be known as director or
/ Public Safety" The administration OF all
! the police affairs of the city. all matters re,
| latilig TO the public health, the inspection OF
buildings the fire department. and the inspec-
| ton Of markets and food sold therein shall
| be in charge of this department.. Upon the
| recommendation of the director, the mayor
| shall appoint chief OF pollee ehiet ehgi-
= tIa fro damn art hptfIth Oil
| and building inspector. The police force
| shall he appointed BY the director, the mayor
| ard chief of police. The director. mayor
| and chief engineer shall appoint all EN-
! pIeyes of the fire department.
| Public Works.
| This department shall be in charge of one
! director who shall be the head thereof.
! All water works now or hereafter owned 6y
| the city, the supply and distribution OF water
! ana gas, the grading paving, repairing
| cleaning and lighting OF streets. the con
struetion and repair of sidewalks, public
buildings. bridges, sewers. parks. engineer
| ing, and the condemnation or Iand Tor
streets and parks shall be i'll charge OF
| this department. The mayor and director
| shall appoint an engineer, who snail be
! charged with the erection and supervision of
| all sidewalks streets, bridges and sewers,
| and with the cleaning of the streets; the
| director shall appoint six persons, who snail
| pafform such duties as the engineer shall
/ ments shall be made by the director OF the
l departmeut of public works whenever the
| municipal assembly shall order the making
| of public Improvement which shall require
| the appropriation of any land.
The Director
shall Assess the damages due the owner of
the land taken, and shall assess the expense
thereof on the property benehted PERSONS
shall have the right OF appeal to the district
court from the award of damages made by
tort tu ,l6
court shall either affirm or annuI the assess
/ ment. If the assessment is lnnulled the di-
rector shall assess the expense or erection OIL
sidewalks, street sprinkllng, grading ana
paving of streets, construction of sewers and
bridges change of street grade, and other To-
cal improvements upon the property bene-
fitted, and such assessments when confirmed
| by the director shal be IN Il and conclusive
| on all parties interested. and no appeal
shall lie in any case from the order con
! tirrnation. The director shall advertise for
bids for making all local improvements,
! shall open the same and subject TO the ap
! proYal of the assembly shall award all eon-
| tracts. The city treasurer shall collect all
/ assessments. and if the same are not paid i'll
thirty days after notice that they are due he
| shall make n duplicate of the warrant aud
| transmit the same to the county auditor. and
the same shall be collected in the same man
ner rs the general taxes. sales for DELHI
| euent assessments shall be made by the
county auditor in the same manner as sales
| Tor QeIlnquellG SSHSrdI ldAeS are -toW ustue,
subject to redemption by the owner at any
time within two years. Delinquent assess
| ments shall bear T. per cent interest Ex-
cept as above noted the whole law app1ca-
bic to the pres mt board of public works is
| Incorporated into this act.
Park Division.
ALL parks shall be subject to the control of
! tho director OF the department. of public
crks. He shall have power TO devise sys
tem of parks, and Willt the approval of the
municipal assembly shall designate the land
to ne appropriated for such purposes He is
authorized to obtain title to lands desig-
| mated by the municipal assembly by gift. de
wise or purchase, and on behalf of the city to
| condemn any tract or tracts OF land, which
the municipal assembly may have designated;
he shall cause the same to be plated and
stall assess the damages TO be paid to the
parties entitled thereto, and shall assess the
! benefits TO the amount of 90 per cent OF the
cost of the park on the land benefited and
| shall make said assessment III like manner as
/ in other cases of condemna ton under the
provisions of this act
Water Division.
The director of the department. eff public
! works shall have charge of the water works
of the city: he shall supply the iHhabitant:
! with water, and shall make such extension:
| as the majority of the property owners abut
| ting on the extension of the health depart
ment may demand. He shall have the power
| to condemn land for water purposes He
shall assess the water rate to be paid by con
suIuers and all annual tax of II cents pei
| Iineal foot of the frontage of lots i'll front. OF
| which water pipes are laid.
Taxes and Accounts.
This Department shall be under the con
troll of the city comptroller, who shall b.
, elected at the city elections and shall hole
: | offif.n for two wears On Or before fhe 1St m