The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-10
A QUESTION IN PAVING
ABILITY OF THE BOARD TO ADOPT
ALTERNATIVE RESOLUTIONS.
This Course Adopted for 81 Number of
Streets-New Detectives
Employed.

Last year the Board OF Pubic WORKS 1oi-
lowed a new procedure in street improve
ments, adopting two separate sets of reso-
lutions, one providing for creosoted block
pavement and the other for macadam pave
ment on North Capitol avenue, announcing
that this course was followed to ascertain
the wishes of a majority of property own
ers in regard to which kind of pavement
should be made. When a majority remon-
strated against certain kind of work the
board intended to take final action for the
other kind. Owing to litigation that was
begun, however, after block pavement was
ordered, all proceedings were rescinded and
a new resolution was adopted Owing to
this fact a very interesting question was
not raised at that time. That was whether
the board had the legal right to adopt two
separate sets of resolutions covering the
same section of given street, each provid-
ing for different sort of improvement. 1t
had been announced that the board intended
to follow that course with reference to the
Improvement Of the east-and-west streets
south of Sixteenth street this year. Yester-
day morning the board adopted resolutions
providing for both asphalt and creosoted
block pavement on Eleventh, Twelfth,
Thirteenth, Fourteenth, Fifteenth, st. Joe,
Pratt New Jersey streets and Southeast
ern avenue intending to allow the majority
of the property owners on the respective
thoroughfares decide which sort of pave
ment should be used. Members of the Board
of Works heard that attorneys were as
sorting that the board had no right to adopt
such halfway course under the charter
and that it must decide at the outset in IA
vor of one particular material. 1t was as
serted that if the course outlined were pur-
sued a suit to stop ali Improvements would
be instituted. In view of this fact the board
held conference with City Attorney Kern
in the afternoon. Mr.. Kern held that the
board could legally only adopt one resolu-
ton providing for the sort of pavement
that was to be laid. Consequently the board
decided to rescind the action it had taken
at the morning meeting for both kinds of
pavements on each street and will to-mor-
row adopt resolutions for asphalt pavement
on Eleventh, Twelfth, Thirteenth Four
teenth, Fifteenth, st. Joseph and New Jer-
sey streets and creosoted block for Tenth
and Pratt streets and Southeastern avenue.
The work on these improvements will be
pushed as rapidly as possible, as it is the
hope Of the administration to have all east
and-west streets south of Sixteenth told
SEVENTH street permanently improved ere
the l.. A. w. meet in August. 1t is under
stood that if there is a sufficient number
of remonstrances to defeat the improve
ment OF the several streets that the resolu-
tons will be sent to the Council.
The streets named above divided into
dlnerent sections in the resolutions adopt
ed, and separate contracts will be let on
different sections. Some of the property
owners owner ,t object to this; they say that if a
street that Is to be improved continuously
from one given point to another We're in
cluded in one big contract, the price would
be materially reduced on the whole and
residents of the street would have a uni
form price to pay. Under the system that
is to be followed one section OF a street
dents in the next block. In answer to this
IL Is SAID that some portions Of
street are wider than others, and
that it is only fair that the residents
of the wider portions should pay more
than those li<-ing on narrower sections The
streets that gre to be improved by sections
are as follows: Pratt street from Delaware
street to Senate avenue; Pratt street from
Delaware to Alabama street: Pratt street
from Alabama street to Fort Wayne ave-
nue.; ST. Joseph street, from Illinois to
pennsylvania street; st. Joseph street from
Delaware street to Fort Wayne avenue:
Tenth street, from Illinois street to Senate
avenue; Tenth street. from Meridian to IIji
nols street; Tenth street, from Pennsylva-
ma TO Delaware street; Eleventh street
from capitol TO Senate avenue Eleventh
street, from Delaware to Alabama street:
Twelfth street, from Illinois street to SEN
ate avenue; Twelfth street, from Delaware
70 Alabama street; Thirteenth street from
Central to College avenue; Thirteenth
street, from Delaware street to Central
avenue; Thirteenth street, from Meridian
to Illinois street: Thirteenth street from
Illinois street to Senate avenue: Fourteenth
street, from Pennsylvania to Delaware
street; Fourteenth street, from Meridian to
pennsylvania street; Fourteenth street,
from Illinois street to Senate avenue:
southeastern avenue, from Washington
street to State avenue Fifteenth street
from Central to College aVenue. Eiftaaptb
street, from Delaware street to Central
avenue: Fifteenth street, from Illinois
street 10 Senate avenue; New Jersey street
from Thirteenth to Sixteenth street
M A. Downing, president of the Board of
WORKS, said that the decision of the city
attorney would have no effect on the Can
ItoI-aVenue Improvement, inasmuch as the
BOARD only adopted one resolution on the
proceeding that finally went through. Pre-
1 Elous resolutions for block and macadam
both were rescinded -''