The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1895-02-21
A NEW PROPOSITION.
TWO AMENDMENTS MADE TO THE
WATER WORKS ORDINANCE.
THE SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING
The New Turn Affairs Have Taken in the
Water Works Matter-How and
Where the City Saves
500, 900.

The common council held an ad
iourned meeting at the council cham
bers Thursday evening for the purpose
of putting into legal shape the new
proposition made by W. H. Wheeler e.
Co. in relation to the water works.
The whole matter had been gone over
at the private meeting Of the council
the week previous, SO at this meeting
there was scarcely anything else to do
but to 90 through the formal motions
of enacting into law the propositions
made.
The council was all present except
Aid Holderness. The first business to
come up was the presentation OF a
snow cleaning ordinance. One was
already on the statute books OF the
city, but it would not hold water. 1t
was found when the city attempted to
enforce it, that it had never been
signed by the mayor and that there
was no proof of it's ever having been
published. These small matters rem
dered it nugatory. The new ordinance
was read and ordered printed.
Then came the proposition Of W. IL.
Wheeler & Co., relating to the water
works. A communication from Mr..
Wheeler was read in which he stated
that he desired to purchase the old
Park City Water company and the
North Side Water company; and add
their plants to his own, subject to sale
to the city at the purchase price when
the city sees fit to take the whole plant.
Then he wished to finance the whole
thing in something Of this way: $780,
600 bonds to be issued on first mort
gage on the plants, franchise, etc., at
. per cent. to run thirty years; and
$37, 900 5 per cent. bonds on second
mortgage, 500, 900 of this is to be used
for the purchase OF the old plant and
the bonds all to float here at home.
Arranging the plan this way neces-
STATED the removal from the original
ordinance Of the standpipe paragraph,
and that was repealed. 1t was stated
that difference of $4,000 would be
made to the city by the repeal of this
paragraph, and Mr.. Wheeler binds
himself to build the standpipe if wanted
within one year after the acceptance OF
the plant, for $1,000 All hydrant
rentals of the old water plant
are relinquished by Mr.. Wheeler when
the city takes the whole plant. These
hydrant rentals amount to about $4,000
per annum at present.
1t will thus be seen that the entire
purchase price becomes $137 900 in
stead of $125,000 as before, and the
hydrant rentals and the consumption
of water by private parties ought easily
to raise that amount in ten years, SO as
to clear the whole plant in that time
These bonds may be taken up at any
time at the option Of the city. as the
matter now stands. AS it formerly
stood the bonds had to run thirty
years, and by The time the interest and
principal were paid there was found to
be a sum equal to about $270, 900 paid
out for water works, and by that time
there would be no water works TO show
for it. Now the purchase price and in
terest can easily be kept within $780,,
900. That shows where the saving of
100000 comes in, on the new plan.
By careful and close figuring it is be-
lieved that the $4,000 can be brought
down to a smaller sum, and that it
undoubtedly will be.
This is practically the whole of the
proposition reduced to writing, which
was made at the special meeting held
in Cavanagh & Fishers Office one
week ago.
Mr.. Cavanagh, in speaking of the
matter Thursday evening said, that
he thought the bonded Indebtedness
should be so fixed as to compel the
city to pay at least $4,000 per year on
the debt. 1t could be raised in that
way in nine years. Then he said,
make the water rate so that no man
can afford to be without water. This
would not only help the revenue, but
raise the health of the city,"
The above proposition was embodied
in two amendments to the original or
dinance and were ordered published.
There being no further business the
Council oHionT11a1