The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1909-07-15
TO EMPLOY EXPERT ENGINEER
Plans for the Sewer to be Given the
Sanction of Consulting Engineer
Before Council Takes Final
Action on Them

/
last night for a general discussion of
the plans for the sewer and while no
final agreement was reached the alder
men and the property owners got
closer together and it is believed that
both have a clearer understanding of
/ the matter. The Council decided to
employ consulting engineer to go
over the plans for the proposed sewer
and make such suggestions as he may
see fit. The engineer to be employed
will be one fully conyersant with the
demands of cities in regard to sewers
and one who will be able to go fully
| into the sanitary questions involved.
The report Of this engineer will be
submitted to the Council within the
next four weeks and while it may not
be possible to get the sewer started
this year majority of the Council
feel that it is better to have the sewer
started right when it is started rather
than to rush into the work without max
ling proper Investigations. The deei
sion of the Council was that the sewer
when built should be built large enough
not only to take care of the property
at the south and west ends Of the city,
but to permit the building of laterals
which would make possible the drain
age OF all the territory known as Rice
Park and other territory in the north
west portion of the city. The plan of
the city engineer as presented to the
Council provided for the building of
sewer which at the opening would be
seven feet in diameter and taper
to five and half feet at the west
limits of the city. 1t was the opinion
Ct many of the property owners and of
many of the members of the Council
that the plan did not propose a large
enough sewer and it is pretty certain
that when the sewer is built it will be
at least eight feet at the lake and
seven at the western limits
Among the property owners who
spoke on the question were Philip
Harmon, COL w. w. Strong, H. L. Gold
berg, A. E. Buckmaster, Joseph Bendt,
John M. Kehlor, Louis Nelson, DR.. E.
is. Meers, Michael Bode, John I. Ches-
ter and George Hoppe Nearly every
one of the property owners insisted
that the city should build the sewer
larger than proposed by the plan and
nearly all of them were in favor of
adopting the so-called "Ohio Street,
route for the sewer. John NJ J<ehlor
opposed this route and insisted that
the city could save money and get just
as good a sewer by following the
course of the creek.
Alderman Pirsch spoke against build
ing the sewer to close up the creek and
urged that the engineer prepare plans
for sewer on Strong street to take
care of the south and southwest part
of the city with the understanding
that the creek be left open This
raised storm Of protest from the
property owners who insisted that the
main cause for building such a sewer
was to clean up and close up Jerome
Creek. These held that there were
hundreds Of sewers being emptied into
Jerome Creek at the present time and
that the building of a sewer on Strong
street and in this way taking the sur
face water from the creek would re-
suit in it becoming continual menace
to the health of the people in the
portion of the city that it passed
through.
The matter of cost was discussed to
small extent and the estimate of
the engineer was that the sewer with
a seven foot outlet and tapering 515
feet would cost 100000. He held that
it would cost $4,000 to $4,000 more
for each foot of increase in the size
of it. The question of issuing bonds
was brought up and Alderman Hege-
man declared that he believed that if
the matter were submitted to the peo-
pie at this time they would vote in
favor of the bond issue. This was not
the opinion of several Of the. north
side aldermen who insisted that the
people of that side of the city would
never vote for the bond issue. 1t is
certain that the city will have
to find some way to pay for the
sewer if the plans are properly made
and the work started.
The work will be delayed for a few
days on account of the fact that the
Council has granted the city engineer
q ten days leave of absence and it
will be impossible for him to continue
with the plans with the aid eff the con-
sUlting engineer until after his return
from his short vacation, but it is
thought certain that the report of the
engineer will be ready within the four
weeks limit. It is thought that the
Council will secure the services of J.
". Alvord, the Chicago expert who has
already made Big study of sanitary
conditions in Kenosha. but this matter
is wholly in the hands Of the sewer
committee and the city engineer.