The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-06-20

was characterized by the complete
Knockout of the asphalt pavement
scheme. In anticipation of seeing q
lively meeting, the chamber was
crowded with citizens, but they werc
disappointed. The paving question
came up, was quietly and effectively
knocked out and the usual routine of
the Council proceeded with. There was
no wrangle, no heated debates, no eX-
citing scenes. Tho members of the
Council quietly stated their objection to
street asphalt, and they were largely in
the majority, or their views in favor of
it.
The street committee submitted tho
following report:
''At the meeting of the street com
mittee Of the City Council for Roanoke
city, Virginia, held in the Office OF the
city engineer OH the 18th of June, 1891.
present, Messrs. Mcconnell, Skinker
and Scott, the bid of the Barbour AS
phalt Paving Company for 10000 square
yards of asphalt which had been
referred by the City Council at its pro-
vious meeting was considered.
ut SJTtcl COul ullGLcc recommend TIL III
the Council accept the bid of said COM
pany for 10000 square yards, class A,
at So per square yard, and 100 square
yards, class Ii, at S?.7O per square yard,
and that the Donation OF tho said pave
mcnt DO hereafter determined by the
Council, the city reserving the right to
postpone the execution of the contract
until such a time as the matter of
assessing property owners AUDITING
upon tho improvements contem plat
shall have been satisfactorily shared.
THE committee further recommends
that the entire cost of laying the pave
ment be assessed against the property
abutting upon the street improved, and
that where street railway runs, the
amount paid by TIC Street Railway
Company to be deducted from the total
cost and the residue of the cost be
charged against the AUDITING owners &C
cording to their front footage.
They further recommend that an
option be given to all of the property
owners upon the line of Improvement,
| to pay tho amount of their assessments
in twenty-four equal monthly install
ments to be evidenced by negotiable
notes bearing per cent. interest.
The committee further report that in
view of the advice of the city solicitor,
that in order to validity assess the prop
erty owner there must bo petition of Il
majority of the property owners or that
the entire Council must concur in order
ing any improvement, the bids of Kelly
~ Lair, and of the Anderson Brown
Stone Company. were returned without
any recommendation except that the
| property owners on Jefferson street be
notified that the city is ready TO consider
a petition from them for the improve
ment Of Jefferson street.
The committee at this time deem it
| opportune to call the attention of the
| Council to the fact that heretofore a
resolution has becn adopted that mono
| OF the streets of the city be perman-
emily improved until the sewers of those
streets are completed and the gas and
water mains have been properly
adjusted. 81. A. MCCONNELL.
81. IL. SKINKER.
an. p. ScoTr.'
Mr.. Sheehan moved that the report of
the committee be adopted. Mr.. Trout
offered substitute for the motion that
the report OF the committee DO post
poned until the first meeting in July.
In offering this substitute Mr. Trout
said that this Council. which now goes
out OF existence in q few days, had
already accepted a number of bids and
awarded Il number of contracts. He
thought that courtesy demanded that
the new Council should have something
left for them to act upon. Another rca-
son was that it would not be known un-
til the first OF July how many bonds had
been sold. Bids had already been closed
that would require $4,000 or $4,000
worth of bonds and he was not sure
there were over $4,000 worth of bonds
sold. lie was not prepared to act
on this subject tonight.
MIR. Woodward was opposed to sheet
asphalt. 1t was not clear to his mind
where the committee intended to place
this asphalt. but ne was very much op-
posed to its being placed on the bust
ness streets of the city. From what he
could learn Roanoke was being charged
20 cents more than the city of Washing
ton. Sheet asphalt is luxury, but we
are in no condition to spend money for
luXuries. He was perfectly willing to
vote for belgian block or any other pave
ment that would be a permanent i'm
provement. He also objected to it on
the ground that property holders would
be assessed to pay the cost of laying the
pavement, and as property holder he
objected to paying for any experiments
Mr.. Huff agreed with Mr.. Trout.
Courtesy demands that the next Council
should be given showing. He had
studied the question of sheet asphalt
very closely. He had been informed by
the engineering department of Louis
vile, Ky, that if they had a contract to
keep the city streets in repair for life
they would not recommend asphalt. but