The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-05-31
RED TAPE DELAY.
Tedious Routine That is Neces-
sary to Secure Pavement.
Two Clerks Employed to Look
After the Details.
ENTAILS EXTRA WORK
City Clerk Must Certify Is, 900
Lot Numbers.
How the Rate of Taxation is
Figured.
ENTAILS EXTRA WORK

There is one element in laying pave
ment which is not nominated in the
bond, and yet people have to pay good
round price for it.
It is the element of red tape.
City Clerk Squires estimates that
every time a block of pavement is laid
it is necessary to unwind about one
hundred thousand yards of red tape.
Mr.. Squires keeps two clerks at work
all the time nowadays unwinding tape.
The city engineer also unWinds a great
deal of it. The mayor and councilmen
all lend a hand. And working as fast
as they can, all these people can I'M
wind the tape only fast enough to Sc
cure a bit Of paving in sixty days
time.
Here is exactly the routine which
must be gone through with to secure
a block of pavement in the city of To-
peka:
First, there must be a petition for the
pavement, signed by a majority of the
resident property holders on the block
to be paved. This petition IS filed with
the city clerk and by him is read at the
next regular meeting of the council.
When the petition is read to the coun-
ell, it is referred by the mayor to the
committee on streets and walks
The committee on streets and walks
examines the petition to see whether it
is legally drawn; whether the signers
are really the owners of the property;
whether majority of the resident
property owners have signed the petit
ton, and whether there are any objec-
lions of any nature to laying the
pavement.
Usually it is nearly or quite a month
before the committee on streets and
walks reports to the council on the petit
ton. If the report of the committee is
favorable, the council votes by roll
call on whether the report shall be
adopted
r.
instructed to prepare estimates on the
cost of the pavement petitioned for
After the estimate is made. some
councilm an, usually the one represent
ment is located, introduces a resolution
authorizing the pavement. If this reso-
luton is adopted, it is published six
times in the official city paper.
The men in the city engineers office
now begin the preparation of the plats
for the pavement. This must be care
fully done and the names of property
owners all plainly marked on the plat.
Twenty days are allowed for protests
against the pavement. Tt is during this
twenty days that the plats are pre-
pared, if there is rush about securing
the pavement.
At the expiration of the twenty days,
the mayor appoints three men to APP
praise the property liable for the cost
of the pavement.
The appraisers take the plats pre-
pared by the city engineer, and FIX the
actual value, as nearly as possible, of
the property liable for the cost of the
pavement This is the time when peo-
pie must file their kicks on the amount
of the appraisement.
Al special meeting of the council is
new called to consider the report of the
appraisers. At this N Getting the clerk
is usually instructed to advertise for
bids.
After the advertisement for bids has
hoe fGl ned for
council meets to open the bids and
award the contracts.
Next, the successful bidder must file
bond and enter into contract for the
faithful discharge of his duties.
After this is done, the actual work OF
laying the pavement can commence
But City Clerk Squires says that the
actual work of unrolling the red tape
is only we'll started.
The next step is the computation of
assessment. A good looking young
lady in the city clerks Office devotes
her whole time to computing assess
ments. 1t is a tedious, brain-racking
task Tt requires pages and pages OF
careful figuring. To obtain the rate of
assessment, she divides the price at
which the pavement contract is let,
plus 4 per cent. for grading, by the
total valuation of the property on that
block The curbing and paving are
figured separately The rate is carried
out to nine places of decimals! When
certained, the appraised value Of each
number is multiplied by this rate to
get the amount of tax due.
When this is done for each number
in the block, the result is set down on
the assessor ent rolls
Next. the city clerk sends out to each
property owner liable for the cost of
pavement an exact statement OF the
amount of tax due for the improve |
rnent If the whole amount of the tax
is paid within thirty days, there is no
interest charged
After thirty days have passed. the
assessment ordinance is passed by the !
council. and printed in the official
paper
As preliminary to selling the bonds. |
the city clerk is obliged to make an
abstract of all the transactions which /
were preliminary to their issue. Every |
act of the council relating to the bonds /
must be explained. This abstract is |
sent to those who are DESTROYS of sub |
hitting bids on the bonds.
and bids are usually asked for on the |
purchase of the bonds The property |
holder has to pay whatever rate of in /
terest the bonds sell at. The interest |
IS added every year to the amount of |
his paving tax, and he has ten years in I
which to pay out
Every year the city clerk sends to the /
county clerk statement of just how
much pavement tax and interest is due /
IN every number liable for such tax in /
the city. There are now about 5000 t
numbers in the city which have to be |
thus certified to the county clerk
The county clerk collects the money,
which is turned over to the city treas
lrv, and used to pay the interest and /
on the pavement bonds as
hey come due.
Twc,4~e;ons- Ts,e ear4e /