Rocky Ford enterprise., 1903-05-22
ROCKY FORD A MINIATURE CITY.
Its Needs IS Such Presented to the City Council.
Valuable Suggestions from Mayor Pollock
Relative to Sewers, Water Supply and
Bonded Indebtedness.

extended to the other two-thirds
as the pressure is now twice as
, great in some parts of the town
as in others. The present mains
were laid when Rocky Ford was
a village, and we have outgrows
, them. We are greatly the losers
by our shortage of water. and
the smallness OF our mains. Last
year our entire collections fo'
water rentals did not reach ST.
10000, when il all residences
could have been reached We
could have collected SIa.oooyoo
as did La Junta. with no greater
population. and no higher water
rentals.
Fourth-Wc have no sewer
system. This we undoubtedly y
must have. A good sewer sys,
tenn is indispensable to the
health and prosperity OF any city
ard without which we canno,
longer grow. Our vaults are
shallow and open. vessels and
slop pals are cmpticd on the sur
face. and as a rcsul, the soil is
saturated with filth. The dust
blown in our faces must there.
fore be filthy and highly infected
and the sanitary condition Of our
otherwise hcalthful city is no,
the best.
II a franchise for a private sew
cr system be granted the com.
pany asking for it, the city
through It's subscribers would pay a
least 10 per. cent interest on the
capital invested, the statement
having been made by their repre-
sentative that an investment
would not be made that would
!, I yield at least 10 per cent per
annum. The city would in ad'
dition be asked to enter into :
contract agreeing TO purchas,
within twenty years the entire
system at first cost. | very mucl
doubt the wisdom OF granting ;
franchise so c,p-,sS e. when thu
money can be obtained at S pc,
cent. and the city own and con
troll its own system.
Rocky Ford is not now heavily
bonded. In fact her bonded in
dcbtcdncss is far below the aver
age OF cities OF her size, it being
less than S2S,ooo.oo. Grand juno
tion bonded for S3I5,ooo.oo fo'
water works alone, when thci,
population did not exceed ours
Fort Collins voted this year tt
bond for Saoo.oo.oo for waite
works. The issue in the las
election at Greeley was on bond
ing for S2oo,ooo.oo for waite
works, which they expect to de
this summer. La unta is carry
ing a bonded indebtedness o
|SI53,ooo.oo. The cities that pros
per are the cities that bonded
heavily for permanent improve
ments. A young and growing
city, that makes no such indebt
edness, is non-progressive, an'
rapidly falls to the rear. Take!
on property are collected so long
after the improvements are made
and needed improvements are 5,
many and varied. that debt be
comes as necessary to growtl
as does the outlay at seed time
become necessary to a profitable
harvest.
l suggest for careful consider
alton the advisability Of issuing
| 5 per cent interest bearing bonds
ample for the following purposes
First-To take up the presen
floating outstanding warrants
amounting to about $2o.ooo.oo
now drawing 8 per cent interest
and convert them into S per cen
interest bearing bonds.
Second-To establish sewel
system, owned by the city, per
manent and sufficient in capacty
for generations to come.
Third-To lay double set o
mains and water pipe linss on,
of large capacity, (using as muci
of the present pipe line system
as possible), to carry surface ans
ditch water for lawn irrigation
closet and sewer purposes. The
other, of less capacity, for pure
artisan water for domestic ant
bath room purposes.
| Fourth-To connect the sewe,
system and both pipe lines witt
every residence inside the cor
poration, and to meter the arti
sian Watar systenl, to proven
waste, The expense OF sewer
pipe line, andmeter connections
could be assessed against tn,
property, and be paid by the Ia,
payer. in say ten annual pay
ments, if thought best. and thu
save an immediate outlay.
BY carrying out this policy, on