The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1908-06-11
The City Council Orders Plans
Drawn for the Building
of a Trunk Sewer
PLAN NEW SEWER DISTRICT
Attorney Slater Gives the Council An
Opinion AS to the Rights Of the
City in Constructing the
Proposed Big Sewer

The big project for the building OF a
sewer to drain the south and west ends
of the city is on at least, for at the
meeting Of the Council last night the
aldermen found time to direct the city
engineer to draw plans at once for
the building Of trunk sewer to follow
the lines of Jerome Creek and the work
of making the plans will be taken up
at once and it is possible that the work
on the sewer will be started before the
close Of the present year. The action
was taken after an opinion had, been
presented by the city attorney in which
he gave the Council an idea of the
rights of that body in the building Of
the new sewer. In his opinion Mr..
Slater went into the history Of the
building Of sewers in Kenosha and
showed that in order to build the new
trunk sewer it would be necessary to
make an addition to the present sewer
districts of the city or else make an
entirely new district on which levy
could be made for the payment of the
sewei. He reviewed the provisions of
the general charter act in regard to the
building of sewers and other public
Improvements and held that the city
had the right to construct such sewer
if it was deemed necessary to the best
interests of the city and for the promo
ton of the general health He stated
that the city could provide for the cost
of such a sewer either by assessing the
entire cost on the city at large or by
assessing part Of the cost on the city
and portion on the property owners to
be directly benefited by the sewer It
was stated that this district might in
clude other property than that directly
AUDITING on the sewer. The attorney
held that if the Council deemed it wise
it would be possible for them to make
an annual levy not to exceed one-fourth
of one per cent to pay for the sewer and
that this might be levied for term of
years if necessary. He stated that the
city, if it is deemed necessary to have
the money at once, could anticipate the
collection of the tax by issuing bonds
for the construction of the sewer, but
that before such bonds could be issued
it would be necessary for the matter to
be submitted to the voters. He re-
ferred to the decisive defeat Of a SINH
lar test Of two years ago and stated
that in case the people should refuse to
sanction the issue of the bonds the
money could be raised by making an
assessment on the city and on the prop
erty owners, but that under the law no
property could be assessed for a sum
more than two dollars for each lineal
foot Of the frontage. The great cost
OF the sewer as contemplated could not
be met by such an assessment and it
is certain that the city will be forced
to pay a portion of the cost of the
building. There seems to be a general
sentiment in the Council favorable to
the building Of the trunk sewer. The
men from the south side of the city
are united for the plan notwithstanding
the fact that many of the property own
ers in their wards will not be benefited
by It, However, the time seems to have
arrived when the city must deal with
the problem and the aldermen are plan
nlng to meet it squarely and settling it
once and for all.