The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-04-10
Extensions of Sidewalks and
Sewers Probably Cannot Be
Made for Two Years.
SALT LAKE AFFAIRS
ARE SADLY MINED UP
Whole Matter Is Gone Over at
a Conference of Mayor, COun-
Gil and Board of Works.

II is quite within the bounds Of pos
sibility that there may he an entire
suspension of extensions of city side
walks and sewers until after another
session of the legislature hns righted the
wrong done the city Of Salt Lake by
the amendments to the law relating to
city contracts at the last session.
Judge Ogden Hilos, at n conference
Of the council. Mayor and Board of
Public Works yesterday afternoon, took
practically the same view of the law
as the attorneys of the contractors who
refused TO carry out the contracts
awarded them. He advised that all con.
tracts FOR extensions must be separate
~ made and tenders separately adycr-
tlscd for. In effect. he held that the
law could not he construed otherwise
than that If there were ten separate
properties on a block and all were ask.
ing for the sidewalk, ten contracts
must be made, even if some Of the
properties were only few feet wide
Mayor Thompson presided AZ the con
terence, which was of an informal ma
ture. No definite conclusion was
reached, but all action was deferred for
a week, when the city attorney will
submit written opinion covering ey-
cry phase of the matter. In the mean
time all work is to cease and the checks
IN tne hands of the council from con.
tractors VIII be returned to them. At
the evening session Of the council the
contract of James Kennedy was except.
ed ffom this, Councilman Black stating
mar Mr.. Kennedy was willing to 90
ahcad ana make test case OF the mat.
Ter at ms own expense, il being claimed
tnat the contract was practically com
pleted March Is, and the legislation did
not come INTO force and effect until
March %. His matter was also sent
TO IN Inc city attorney for advisement.
Inc statement was made at the aft
ernoon meeting that if the work or.
dered for sidewalk district No, los
winch Is over fifty miles in extent had
to be readvertised the cost would be
nearly SIo,OOO. The delay would
amount TO several months.
Preliminary Expense.
Judge Hiles put another phase on the
matter when he advised that ii would
only be fair construction of the law
TO incRide all the preliminary expense.
such as engineering work. inspection
ana advertising in the contracts SO as
TO orIng 1t within the provisions Of the
new law which provides that only the
'hi'hhI VI tUt contract price
be charged upon the householder upon
whom the special levy for the work is
made. This increases the cost which
Will be entailed directly upon the prop.
ertY owner, n phase Of the question
winch the legislature seemed TO have
overlooked. Should this be done il
would be an increased cost for side.
walk extension of $40 to 500 in each in.
stance, no matter how small the piece
m
ton TO the assessment for the work as
now made. This would render so ex-
penslVe needed improvements that no
property owners could stand the strain.
Some of the councilmen were i'm favor
of dropping all work under the circum.
stances. 1t was finally decided TO wait
week and get written legal opinion
covering the whole matter.
Judge Hiles advised that the law as
TO payment by scrip did not ueces.
sarily repeal the law relating to paw.
ment by warrant. The latter form of
payment could still be used He thought
confusion might ensue in the treasury
department if both systems were used
on the same work, and to avoid this he
advised that both be not issued against
the same fund.
According to the opinion of the city
attorney contracts completed before
March 23 do not come under the new
law, but ali not approved by that date
must comply with the provisions
The City Council in the evening re.
ferred q number of petitions for exten.
sions to the city attorney. who with the
city engineer will endeavor to out.
line new forms of contract and all pro-
cedure under the new legislation.
From the matter as IL has so far de-
veloped. it may be taken for granted
that for tho next two years at least,
if there are any extensions of sewers
or sidewalks citizens on whose proper.
ties they abut will pay double at least.
for them what they would have paid if
the Legislature had not been so off.
cious in Salt Lake City affairs.