The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-04-05
CHARTER TINKERING.
Collection OF Assessments by
County Officials.
The Commission Votes Not to Have Two
Heads in the Engineering
Department.

pointed to prepare plan for redis-
tricting the city into seven wards
This committee consisted of W. B.
Davies o. Bierbauer and Paul liver
son. The report was presented and
was adopted without amendment
Mayor Currier thanked the commit ee
for it's expeditions work.
J. B. Ogle moved that the commits
sion reconsider it's action taken at the
last meeting approving the recon-
mendation of the judiciary committee
regarding the duties of the city engi-
neer and providing for a superinten-
dent of public improvements. At
the last meeting motion to reconsider
had been lost by vote of seven to
three.
Several technicalities were raised,
when 81. L. Schmitt said that he was
opposed to standing on technicalities.
The people would vote on the charter,
and the commission was appointed
simply to prepare one for submission
to the people. Each section should be
considered as many times as it is ne
cessary.
The motion was then carried, and
Mr.. Ogle moved that the supplement
tary report of the judiciary commit
tee, providing for dropping the pro-
posed superintendent of public i'm
provements, giving his duties to the
city engineer and providing clerk
for the latter at salary of not to ex-
coed $4OO per year, be adopted.
Frank Halstead thought that this
would give too much authority to the
city engineer, who might not always
be qualified to perform duties of SO
varied a nature. The clerical wor
could be done without extra expense
by the city recorder or other officials
in the city hall, who had plenty of
time, as ne personally knew.
Gus Widell said that the city can
not have two heads in this department.
He favored the motion.
7. R. Coughlan agreed with Mr..
WideIl, but did not think that the
engineer should have the right to ap-
point foreman. He thought that the
mayor and council should do this.
W. NJ Farr said that the council
would have to sanction the appoint
ment of foreman.
W. E. Young said that it was the
intention to have clerk employed at
all times except during the four win
ter months, and to have him receive
about $50 month. He would not only
do the clerical work but answer the
complaints Of citizens.
| Alex Bashaw favored having the
engineer supreme in his department.
He would not have il so that an alder
man could change the orders that are
given to the foreman by the city en-
gineer. For that reason he thought
that the engineer should appoint the
foreman without reference 70 the
council
Mr.. Halstead thought that the fore
man should obey the alderman, as the
council is supreme.
| Mr.. Widell said that the alderm an
ought not to stop the foreman but
should go to the engineer with any
suggestions that he had to make.
Mr.. Coughlan concurred in this, and
said he did not think that there ever
was an alderman who would do such a
thing as interfere with a foreman. II
there was one, he ought to get out Of
the council.
Mr.. Bashaw said that he had known
of work being done at the direction OF
an alderman, when neither the en-
gineer, mayor or the other aldermen
knew it.
DR.. Andrews favored having two
heads in the department., as he didn't
want the city engineer to be dictator.
He thought that the city government
would be more efficient with a super
intendent of public Improvements.
Several members argued that if there
was only one head he could be held
directly responsible.
The motion was carried, nine tc
two, DR.. Andrews and Mr.. Halstead
voting in the negative.
| The manner of collecting assess
ments was next taken up, and DR..
Andrews favored having the assess
ments collected by the county treasurer
with the taxes.
Mr.. Young explained how the pre-
sent system operates, the assessments
being payable to the city treausrer, a
penalty attaching after certain time,
| judgment being secured later and
bearing interest, and finally the pro-
perty being sold for the judgment. He
said that the city has bid in nearly all
of the property sold for judgments and
has over $40, 900 outstanding in this
way. Nobody will redeem when the
assessment and interest exceed the
value of the property, and tax titles
are very hard to dispose of. Mr..
Young favored having the county
! auditor and treasurer collect the assess
ments if it could be done legally. He
said that he had not yet looked this
up.
Mr.. Halstead favored a plan that
would allow the assessments to be paid
in several yearly installments.