The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-06-10
.REvOkES ITS
FIRST ORDER
COUNCIL REcoNsIDERs ACTION
ANENT CEMENT SIDEWALKS.
LOT OWNERS To Be HEARD
Mayor Thinks Certain Officers Should
Have Better Saiaries-AIso Ad-
vises More Policemen.
LOT OWNERS To Be HEARD

Instead of being obliged to yield in
stant obedience to the recent sum-
mary order or the city council requir-
ing them to at once construct cement
sidewalks in front OF their property,
the owners of lots l3 to "a, block 81,
will be given an opportunity to be
present at the next meeting of the
sanhedrim and show cause why they
should not make the demanded i'm
provement.
This cange was brought about at
Tuesday evenings session Of the
board OF aldermen, when the men
owning the lots appeared and pro-
tested against the order. E. H. Beck
er, one of the interested parties, in
formed the council that he had in
tended to have a walk of that kind
built, but not until after the compile
tion of the new court house, as in his
OpAA1oA IAdC WOulu U0 LlHO SuOuSu,
considering the little use the present
walk on that side of the street was
put to by the public. He wished to
know whether the council would con-
sent to a postponement until that
time.
A. H. Barth was another who pro-
tested. He owns some lots on the
opposite side of Twenty-seventh
street. The walk in front of them,
he said, was in good repair and suit
able for all purposes. He further
more questioned the councils author
ity to compel him to construct a ce-
ment walk at this time
Mayor Foster took part in the
discussion and called the attention OF
the council to ordinance No. 1877,
which provides that property owners
shall be given the right to appear
and state any objection they may
have to improvements of that sort
ordered by the city. In his opinion
the action taken at the last meeting
had been hasty and he counselled re-
consideration. Notice had been serv-
ed upon him by Mr.. Barth, through
the sheriff, that resistance of the
order would be made, as he, as mayor,
had no authority to approve of the
| councils action in ordering the pro-
posed improvement. In view of the
existing complications he advised that
the provisions of ordinance No 1877
be complied with and the parties at
interest notified to appear before the
council at it's next meeting, so that
they could be heard.
Alderman Bennighoff objected and
said that the legislature had enacted
law giving the city power to order
condemnation of sidewalks believed
to be defective and to have them re-
placed with proper ones at the ex-
pense of the abutting property. The
ordinance referred to by the mayor
he declared, had been adopted as a
matter of courtesy to property owners
and not as a matter of right demand
ed under the law.
| The discussion covered a wide
range, but finally ended by the pas
sage of motion reconsidering the
councils action and directing the city
clerk to formally notify the owners
of the lots in controversy to be pres
ent at the next meeting, June 21, in
order that they could he heard and
enter such objections as they saw fit.
sprinkling Ordinance Amended.
/ Under a suspension of the rules an
ordinance amendatory of the old
sprinkling ordinance was adopted AS
now situated Is per cent of the cost
of sprinkling shall be assessed as a
special tax against abutting property
and the amount thereof is to be in
cluded in the regular taxes as certi-
4 fed to the county treasurer for col
lection. This, however, does not ap-
ply to the sprinkling of public parks
or places or to the intersection of
streets with avenues or alleys. The
tax against private property is to be
collected in proportion to the number
of feet of frontage.
Recommends More Pay.
i Mayor Foster called attention of the
1 council to the natter of the nav now