The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1891-01-17
Charter Anne n..rl.entS.

/ session last Saturday the committee
I listened to some good suggestions from
/ different ones, and we think Mr.. James
Garden covered good deal of ground
in his remarks, and threw out good
many ideas that we may ali think over
4 with profit. Below we give the sub
stance Of his remarks before the com
mittee:
| have many ideas on different
Subjects which | have not exactly for
mUlated as yet, but which VIII present
at some future meeting. For instance
i'll the matter of city finances and the
issuance OF bonds Now, | think that
the park system bonds, which are issued
to pay for lands for the public park
system, should run fifty years At
present they run but twenty years.
The park system VIII not reach its full
mission in twenty years, and it is
hardly right to ask the present genera
ton to pay for this, when it is the next
generation which gets the benefit.
We at present have enough to 90 with
paving and improving streets, con
structing sewers. etc. 1t would also
be good idea TO let the sinking fund
be kept back for the first twenty years
and not commence to build !; sinking
fund until the twenty years are passed.
It Would also be we'll with other i'm
proyements toilet the bonds run longer
in certain cases. The charter should
be made q little more elastic as to the
number of years over which the pay
mcat CT assessments is distributed.
Vt present if You grade street it may
cost Only 5000 per NILE, whereas, if
YOU pave it, it may cost over* IL, 600 per
mile, Vt the assessments must all be
have to be paved again some time ana
the property ON lers may prefer TO put
4 stone pavement. NJ they should be
given 1t least 10 or fifteen years to pay
in their assessments in such an event.
This provision inserted in the charter
would lead to Il better class of improve
mentS. Another change which would
suggest is that bonds issued to pay for
street Improvements should be paid as
the money is collected. vt present
when the assessments are collected they
are placed in a sinking fund and kept
there until i've years has expired thus
drawing that much out of circulation.
| should make these bombs payable in
one, two, three Years and so on. Some
may say that this VIII prevent the sale
of the bonds bat the experience IF the
other cities has been that the short
bonds sell as well as the long ones.
THIS also might induce some of our
capitalists at home to invest in these
city bonds,
" Another view which have in re-
gard to street Improvements is this
would have the street pay entire
expense OF the Improvement, the city
to pay nothing. Tnit IS the property
ownyrs are topiy for cro5sw4llS, street
crossings and everything. This would
10 away with III loc..l contention.
y Il il property owner; on ! street asked
for Eavemcats il Wotll be entirely
thc.r own business. .nd Is not one cent
wouii come out Of the general fund of
th2 city, no other locality would com
plain against local favoftiSn. This
system is III operation in Duluth and is
considered very satisfactory
w hat about cross stre2ts:" said
ALI McEachern Should this expense
Of improving cross street be charged
tothe corner lot fronting on it = = o,
think that is unjust" answered Mr..
Blrdon. Il would have it as it is i'll
Duluth. The hall block abutting on
eaci. side OF the street should be charg
ed Another policy which think is
wrong is in grading street one Year
and paving it another. | think to
grade alone IS only Il d0uble expense.
| also would have no bonds issued to
t. pay for grading alone. 1t amounts
10 only $50 or 50 per lot.
"One Of the gTavest defects in the
charter is H. that there is no provision
made for second paving or grading,
no provision for charging the repairs
made on any street to the abutting
property According to our present
charter, when Tower avenue paving
wears ont the city Will be obliged to
pay for the second paving"
w What do You think ABOUT the board
Of public works. asked Aid Robert
Il think that it might be remodeled,"
rel lied Ny. Rardon At present the
only proper member is the city en-
giGyer. Neither the city attorney nor
the city comptrollershould be members,
These officers are kept busy with work
Of their respective offices. The board
shGUld consist OF three practical men,
contractors and bridge builders if pos
siblt, and they should serve for one,
two aud three yeays. In case the city
is obliged TO carry through contract,
as has happened the past summer, there
should lie men On the board who under
sand such work.
" The assessor should, not be a mem
Der of the board Of review, as he now
is The city should have three asses
sor,, and they should equalize the as
sessment and then present it to the
board of review. The city engineer
should be member OF the board of
review"
Dee s REYNOLDS VII sell YOU as