Imperial Valley press., 1908-07-04
CITY FATHERS MEET WEEKLY TO GET NEW MUNICIPALITY
 STARTED OFF RIGHT.
STREETS TO BE IMPROVED
City Engineer Proposes Plan for Shady Sidewalks-Fire Limit Ordinance Held Over-Telephone Franchise to be Offered for sale-Ditehes to be Protected.

 ture great municipality, the city trus- tees of El Centro found more work blocked out for them than could pos sibly be accomplished by monthly ses- sions. They have, therefore, been holding adjourned sessions weekly, and it is probable that the press of business will require frequent ad- iourned sessions throughout the sum- mer.
 An adjourned session of the city trustees was held at the City Hall Tuesday night, with all members pres ent except President Pearson. Trus- tee Brown was elected to serve as president pro tenn of the board.
 An ordinance establishing fire limits, prescribing the character Of buildings within the limits and regu- lating the storage of explosives and combustibles was presented: Trustee Brown called attention to the effect of the ordinance in preventing the erec- tion of corrugated iron warehouses back of shops, and said it would be a hardship to force merchants to build brick storage places. Corrugated iron, he said, was no less fire-proof than the ordinary brick building.
 No Discrimination.
 The city attorney said the board could permit iron buildings if it should see fit, but could not confine them to back lots. If it was safe to build of iron back of a shop, it was safe to put up the same kind of building on the street front. An ordinance mak- ing a distinstion between back and front construction, for the sake of ap- pearances, would not stand as meas ure of protection against fire.
 No solution of the problem was reached and the ordinance was laid on the table until the next meeting.
 An amendment to the tax ordinance extending time of assessment was giv- en it's first reading.
 Henry Mcconnell petitioned for permission to operate bootblack stand on the sidewalk in front of the Hotel Fl Centro. Petition was filed.
 Street Improvements.
 City Engineer H. B. Pearson, Jr, presented a report on the proposed plans for sidewalk and street grade and width. After discussion, the city engineer was instructed to prepare plans and drawings for establishing the official grade for the district from Date canal to the Southern Pacific Railroad; and from the settling tanks to Orange avenue and to report at next regular meeting. The plan pro- vides for twelve-foot sidewalks on business streets, similar to those con- structed on Main street. State, Main, Broadway, Fourth, Fifth and Sixth are designated as business streets. On all other streets the distance from prop erty line to curb will be fifteen feet. The plans provide for four-foot cement sidewalks, three feet from the property line, and eight-foot strips to be planted with trees and grass. If property owners cooperate and plant trees along the fence lines, the sidewalks will be shady lanes between rows of trees.
 Franchise for Sale.
 The Imperial Valley Home Tele- phone Company, through F. s. Web ster, made application for a telephone franchise for the City of El Centro. City Attorney Conkling was instructed to prepare an ordinance of intention to sell such franchise and present same at the next meeting of the board. During the discussion it was said that the telephone company now using the streets by sufferance had threatened to withdraw from El Cen tro unless the board should reduce it's license tax. One trustee promptly moved that the tax be increased to a figure so high as to insure the early exit of the company He said the concern could not take his phone out any too soon, as he never had been able to make any use of it. The mo- tion was not taken seriously, but the prospect of losing the services of the