The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1898-09-09
NEW CHARTER.
Some Changes OF Importance
Proposed.
A Fire Board and Park Board, Serving
Without Pay, are Some of
the Features.

Just a quorum was present at the
meeting of the charter commission
Monday evening. The charter was gone
over in almost it's entirety in gen.
eral way, and the work blocked out.
o. o. Pitcher presented large
amount of rewritten charter, cover
ing some of the most important fea-
lures CT the city government, and
this portion was accepted.
AS finally decided upon. the coun-
Gil is to consist of seven members, one
from each ward and one at large.
The council will choose its own pre-
siding officer, and the mayor will be
relieved of the duty Of presiding at
meetings.
One important change adopted was
the establishment Of board Of fire
commissioners, to have general
charge of the fire department., the ap-
pointment and removal Of officials
and employees, and to hold the reins
over the department and relieve the
council of this work. The members
of the commission. three in number,
shall draw no pay. They are to be
appointed by the mayor and shall
serve three years, except that the
first three appointed shall serve one,
two and three years. These men,
bers are not to hold any other city
offices.
The board of public works is to con-
sist of three members, to be appoint
ed by the mayor. One is to be desig-
mated as the president, one as water
commissioner, and one as clerk. The
president is to have general charge of
all improvements going on, and is to
be assisted in this by the other two
members, The water commissioner
is to have charge of the water works,
and is to be assisted by the other two.
The clerk is to have charge of the
books. The members will serve three
years. The assessor is not to be a
member of the board, and is TO begin
his work in October.
A park commission of three men,
bers, to serve three years, and to re-
eeive no compensation, is also pro-
yided for, 1t will have general super.
vision OF the work on parks and have
charge of the park employees. The
council will levy certain amount for
park purposes, and the commission
will eXpend it.
The library board is continued, and
the council is directed to make an an
mail levy for the library of not less
shs n three-quarters of mill. which
will produce about So, 400 at present.
1t can levy as high as one mill, under
the law. -..-.-..
The number of police is not chang
ed, but the fixing of the number is
left with the council, as is also the
fixing of the salaries, except that the
Chief is to receive $780, All fees col
lected are to be turned into the city
treasury, and no officer will be per-
mitGed to serve civil papers outside of
the city limits.
The council is given the power to
condemn smoke nuisanceS.
It is the intention Of the trainers of
the new charter to make the council
as nearly a legislative body as posi-
bic, and to take from it the executive
powers which it now possesses. The
council will originate work and pro
vide the means of carrying it on, and |
the various boards will attend to the
doing Of the work.
The charter commission will meet |
again in few weeks on the call of the
chairman, after Mr.. Pitcher has pre-
pared some more of the charter on the
lines blocked out.