Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-01-22

tllSlUle Tor tn6 same Office. The fuel,
provisions, supplies and such other ar
tieles as the nature of the case will adj
init, purchased for use at the city aims
house and. the farm connected there
with, shall be obtained by said over
seer upon annual contracts made in
writing. and filed with the city clerk,
after notice for proposals therefor pub-'
lished in at least two newspapers in
said city representing different politi-
cal parties, such contracts to be
awarded to the lowest responsible bid
ders therefor, reserving. however, the
right to reject any or all bids and to
advertise anew.
Section 5. The care, construction, re-
pair. and maintenance of all the
streets. roads, ways and bridges in
said city is hereby vested in a board of
commissioners to be known as high
way commissioners. Within 80 days
after this section takes effect, the
mayor shall appoint three such COM
missioners, whose terms of Office shall
expire respectively in one, two and
three years from the third Monday of
March, A. d. 1897. And annually
thereafter the mayor, on the third
Monday of March, or as soon there
after as conveniently may be, shall
appoint one such commissioner for
term of three years In case of a
vacancy like appointment shall be
made for the uneXpired term thereof
Not more than two members of said
beard shall be members of the same
political party. They shall designate
one of their number to act as chair
man and another to act as secretary.
The secretary shall keep a full record
of all of the doings of said board,
which record shall at all times be
open to public inspection, and he shall
make report thereof to the city council
quarterly, or as much oftener as Or
dered, of the work completed on in pro-
cess of completion, and said city coun-
Gil shall have power to inquire into the
action of said commissioners at all
times and to require of them a full eX-
PLANTATION of their doings. They shall
be furnished a room by the city where
all their records and accounts shall be
kept. They shall hold public sessions
at least once month at regular times,
at which interested parties may be
heard. The secretary shall receive one
hundred dollars in full for his service
and the other commissioners shall
serve without pay. They shall appoint
a superintendent of streets who shall
be a practical road builder and who,
under the direction of said board, shall
perform all the duties incumbent upon
the present street commissioners of
said city, which offices are hereby
abolished, and fix his compensation,
which shall not exceed the sum now
paid to the two street commissioners of
said city. The said board shall have
sole charge of the maintenance and re-
pair. according to law, of all streets
and public ways in said city of Au-
gusta, including sidewalks and bridges,
and of all public sewers and drains.
and of the construction, maintenance
and repair of all culverts and catch
basins hereafter authorized by the city
councils; shall have sole charge of the
methods Of construction and of the
construction of all new sewers, streets,
sidewalks or bridges hereafter laid out
and ordered to be constructed by the
city council; shall regulate and control
the erection and maintenance of all
posts and wires for purposes of cleo
tricity; shall establish regulations, and
enforce the same, to see that the use
of said streets by public corporations
shall not injure the pavements, grades
or construction thereof, or of any NUM-
cipal structure therein, and shall take
general care of all property belonging
to the city which pertains to their
duties. They are authorized to pur-
chase everything necessary or con-
venient to conduct the business of their
department. to employ all assistants
foremen and laborerS, necessary there
fore, provided, however, that no in
debtedneSS by contract or otherwise
shall be incurred in excess Of the ap-
preparations first voted by the city
council and for any violation of this
provision they shall be removed from
office and thereafter be ineligible to
the same. Whenever they shall find it
to be more economical to cause any
part of their work. for furnishing labor
or materials, to be done by private
contract, they may make such con-
treats as hereinafter authorized. All
purchases of material exceeding one
hundred dollars in amount, shall be
made in writing, after notice for pro-
posals therefor published in at least
two newspapers in said city represent
ing different political parties, such
contracts to be awarded to the lowest
responsible bidder, and all private con-
tracts above authorized shall be so
made. They may reserve the right to
reject any and all bids and to advertise
anew. The city council shall annually
appropriate such sums of money as
they deem necessary and sufficient for
the purposes of said commissioners,
not less than three mills upon the
valuation of the city as fixed by the
assessors thereof for such year. Such
appropriations shall be credited by
the city treasurer to said highway
commission and he shall pay there
from all orders thereon drawn by the
secretary, and countersgned by the
chairman. specifying the appropriation
out of which payment is to be made.
Annually at the organization of the
city council of said city, or as soon
thereafter as may be, the mayor shall
appoint two members of the board of
aldermen, both of whom shall not be
members of the same political party,
if more than one party is represented
in said board, and the president of the
common council shall appoint two
members of the common council, under