The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1902-10-10
STREET LIGHTING
Council Will Ask for Bids for
Doing the Same.
Council Again Delays Paying Off Any
of the Floating Debt-Predica-
ment of Contractors.

The council will advertise for bids
for lighting the streets after Dec. LIST,
when the present contract with the
Mankato Gas and Electric Light COM
pany expires. Bids for doing the
lighting for one, three and FIVE years
will probably be called for, and per-
hsps other systems of lighting than
electricity will be entertained as bid
ders
The matter was brought up at Friday
nights meeting of the council by Aid.
Heinze, who said that it was about
time that the council was adyer Using
for bids for lighting the city. Ar
rangements must be made for year
or more. The contract, if there is one,
will soon expire.
AID. Deebach advocated getting
bids on city lighting. He moved that
bids be received for lighting the
streets. This received no second.
Aid. Heinze said that he did not
know that the council could enter into
contract. 1t would do no harm to
advertise, as the present company has
promised to make lower rates. Under
Judge Cray's decision the city can
not enter into contract for term of
years.
| Recorder Williams asked for an opin-
ion on this point from City Attorney
Daley.
Mr.. Daley said that the council
should make contract and let some
body try to stop it. The question
could then be determined
Aid. Taylor thought that the matter
should not be acted on hastily, but an
advertisement for bids be carefully
drawn.
Aid. Heinze moved that the matter
be referred to the lighting committee
to frame an advertisement for bids, to
report at the next meeting. Aid. Eich-
staedt was added to the committee
and the motion was adopted.
HastY Action Charged.
| Rose Westhoff and Anna Wittrock
handed in a protest against what they
termed the "high handed action of
the city engineer in having new side
walks in front OF their property con-
structed by the city contractor. They
want to let the contract themselves,
and have the walk built under their
own supervision.
! Engineer Thompson said that it was
case where the property owners had
refused to build walks themselves,
after the council had condemned the
old walks. The other walks in the
block were being built and the
contractor had been told to complete
| the block.
b. L. Schmitt appeared for the
protesting property owners and
thought that the board of public
works had acted with indecent haste
in the matter.
Aid. Leonard said that walks that
had been condemned much longer had
not been rebuilt, and he thought that
the board had acted with too much
haste in this matter. The walk was
condemned Aug. 3Oth.
Aid. Heinze thought that the council
should back up the board as long as
the latter is acting within Its duty.
The walk must be built under city su-
pervision in any event
Aid. Taylor did not see how the
council could 60 back on the board,
after having condemned the walk.
Mr. Schmitt stated that Mr.. West
heff would put in the walk and extend
it to the alley on Elm street If the
city will raise the gutter.
Mr.. Westhoff was present and said
that the walk was good for two years
yet. Water stands in the gutter and
smells the year around and it should
be fixed.
On motion of Aid. Taylor, it was
voted to leave the matter with the
street committee and board of public
works to see if the matter can be ar
ranged satisfactorily today.
The board of public works was in
structed to raise the gutter on Elm
street by Mr.. Westhoff's property.
No Pay for Contractors.
The matter of paying off some of
the floating debit was talked over,
and Mayor Petersen said that if these
debts are not paid the contractors
should be paid. Some contractors say
they will not bid on city work again,
and others say that they will bid
higher. as they do not know where
the money will come from The citi-
zens will be forced to pay ten to
twenty per cent more for improve
ments than they will with competi-
ton.
Aid. Heinze said that there should
be some way to place money In the
Improvement funds. The city has
plenty of money in the treasury, lying
idle.
City Recorder Williams remarked
that the city has had a law on this
subject.
Mayor Petersen said that the city
has paid the contractors in the past
years as fast as the money was due
them.
Mr.. Williams said that this policy |
had resulted in tie city having $12. 900
in special assessments outstanding,