The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1908-04-16
Board of Water Commissioners
Not Ready To Act in Regard
To Building Intake
CITY MUST PROVIDE FUNDS
Amount Now in the Treasury of the
Commission Unequal to the Heavy
Demand For the Building of
the New Intake

The Board of Water Commissioners
met on Thursday afternoon and it was
expected that at that time some steps
would be taken to complete the ar
rangements for building a new intake
for the water plant, but the matter was
laid over and the time for taking it up
is very indefinite. The fact is just
this that while the members Of the Com
mission feel that there is an immediate
need for new intake for the water
system there are no funds in the treas
ury of the Commission which would
warrant the work being started and no
contract will be let until the city has
given assurance that funds will be pro-
vided to meet the cost Of the work as
it goes along. Plans and specifications
for the intake have been made and
contractors have been in the city for
several days planning to bid for the
big job, but no bids have been asked
for and none have been received The
cost of the intake will undoubtedly be
in the neighborhood Of 100000 and it
is pretty certain that it will not be a
cent less than this amount. At the
present time the Board Of Water Com
missioners have about $4,000 in the
fund for extensions and it is possible
that at the end Of the present year
$4,000 will be added to this fund. It
would therefore be necessary for the
city to provide a manner for raising
at least $4,000. The Commissioners
had planned to have a conference with
the city attorney in regard to the rails
ing of the fund by the city but the
fact that a new Council will soon go
into office seems to have caused them
to lay the matter over until it can be
properly explained to the new members
Of the Council who will be asked to
deal with it. The only manner to raise
the money seems to be by the issue of
bonds. This matter has been discussed
before the present Council and it was
generally understood that if bonds were
issued they would be bonds on the
property Of the water plant only and
that in this way the city would not be
forced to raise the money for the pay
ment of the interest The work Of issu-
ing the bonds will require considerable
time even in case the Council gives per-
mission for such an issue and it would
be hard matter to have the bonds is
sued and sold in time to permit the
laying Of the intake this year. The
members of the Board seem to have the
idea that it will be necessary to lay
over the plans until next year and this
will probably be the outcome Of the
matter If at the opening of next
year the Commission is able to appro-
pirate $4,000 toward the expense Of
laying the intake it is possible that
the Council would be willing to vote
for bond issue. There is some doubt
as to the attitude of the new Council
on the question of a bond issue. Ma
yorelect Scholey in his platform de-
clared himself against the issue Of
bonds and it is possible that his ideas
will dominate the new council to such
an extent as to make a bond issue an
impossibilty. The question of building
"a municipal lighting plant will have to
be taken up at once and it is possible
that the Council will be forced to strug-
gle with the question Of bond issue
in connection with this plant.