The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-02-16
PARK TERESTS
HELPED BY BILL
Measure Is introduced in the
House for Identification
of Cities.
COMMISSIONERS GIVEN
MUCH MORE LATITUDE
Fruits of Conference Between
Boards of Salt Lake City
and Ogden.

The efforts Of the boards of park com
missoners OF Salt Lake City and ogden
To further legislation in behalf OF park
Ing interests in general In the state oi
Utah was evidenced by the presentation
| Of q bin IN the house Of representatives
by Mr. Russell of Salt Lake, Wedne sday
This bill is the result ~ the labors OF
| the combined boards OF Ogden and Salt
Lake. working in conjunction with The
| Parks and Fairgrounds association OF salt
| Lake CITY and the park committee of
/ the Commercial club. II also has re-
| celVed tho hearty Endorsement Of the
mayor Of Logan, 10 say nothing OF meet
| ing the approval OF many of the largest
! property holders in Salt Lake and ogden
! The bill is copied i'm the main and con-
| taIns most OF the provisions which are
In the bills establishing such boards IN
the states OF Colorado and california
| Salt T.akers who have had the pleasure
OF passing through Denver, Colorado
| Springs. Los Angeles and san Francisco
| have carried away strong impressions OF
| what their park legislation has done to-
wards the beautifying OF those cities. and
II is believed that public opinion viii have
q strong bearing upon the passage OF This
| bill
The bill In general contains many Of
| the provisions which were In the bilI
which failed OF passage I'm the last lesis-
| have been persuaded through the necesst-
ties OF both Salt Lake and Ogden that
| stronger legislation Is necessary.
Important Provision.
| One of ;he main provisions OF the DILL
| is that which gives TO the boards OF park
commissioners through the city councils.
authority to assess. levy and collect. as
are other special taxes. q tax on curb
borders and intersections after such In
tentions have been placed before the
| property owners in such parking districts
as may be created. in accordance with
| the present law. This special tax. OF
| y,sl,. 1. f,f
| the property owners object TO such i'm
proycments. II is said in this connection
| that the tax on such improvements viii
be trivial TO cause little or no OBJ
| lection by the property owners through
out the city. This tax will he levied In
proportion to the linear foot frontage and
will become delinquent in sixty days after
the date of the levy, and will carry in
tcrest at the rate OF per cent per an
mum, TO be collected as are other special
taxes. This provision in the bill will de-
eide a long -mootcd question and will give
the board authority to compel the disln-
terested property owner to place in lawn
the curb border in front of his house.
Release Of the Tax.
At the present time the beauty OF the
city suffers greatly from the lack OF In
terest shown by the residents along
many curb borders. which overgrown
with weeds and covered with refuse and
permission Will be given to any prop
erty owner 10 grade. plant and main
tain, under the supervision OF the board, |
his own lawn. and the owner in turn will |
be released from the special tax In Ques- |
ton.
In this connection it is pointed out 10
property owners, and particularly those !
who have no lawns, bu, contemplate seed |
ing their curb borders. that the water |
works department OF Salt Lake City fur
nishes water free of charge for the pnr,
pose Of sprIngling such lawns. This viii |
bring 20 The property owner only the !
question of first cost.
Another provision OF the bill is that
providing for the sale OF bonds by the |
commissioners for the purpose OF purchas- |
ing lands for parks, boulevards or other |
parking purposes. This clause OF the
bill. however. contains a strong prohbl- |
tory section. inasmuch II requires a /
petition signed by electors who must be |
property holders equal in number TO one |
tenth OF the electors voting at the last |
general election OF the city and the bill !
further provides that the question shall |
then he put TO vote OF the electors of
the city AT the next general election.
Bonds Far in Future.
II is hardly probable that. in the event |
of the bill passing. the citizens of Salt
Lake or Ogden will be called upon to
vote upon the issuance Of bonds for the |
purpose OF any purchase OF land within
fortunate, In possessing much PROPERTY |
suitable for parking ard boulevard pur-
poses
At the present time. cities OF the first
class in the state of Utah are dependent
upon their respective city councils for
any and all moneys which they may need
for the maintenance OF their parks. The
proposed bill does not change the provis-
ions as az present exist, but states that
the councils shall annually levy. assess
and collect for the purpose Of establish
ing the park fund not more than one and
one half mills on the dollar OF all the
taxable property IN such cities. This
is % be deposited In the city treasury
TO tho credit of the park funds and shall
he kept separate and apart from other
city funds. as at present. but at The end
OF the fiscal year II shall not he possible
to convert II into the general fund. as is
now the custom. This clause however /
councils arc compelled TO levy much
as one and onc-half mills on the dollar,
but they may levy all any part of that
sum.
Other Provisions.
= Other than the above features. the hill
contains many OF the provisions of the
one now on the statutes. inasmuch as IL
provides Tor the employing of the varl-
The now bill provides for the appointing
OF six commissioners instead of five. as
at present, and they shah serve. one
half for two years and one half for four
years; they will be appointed by tine
mayor and enter into ooud In the sum
of $500 each. and no member of the
teresteh, directly or Indirectly. III any
contract or business which may become
In any way connected with the comn1is=
sion At the expiration OF the terms OF
the respective members the remaining
members are empowered to choose the
new members az the board. This pro-
OF mon and citizens who will he known
for their ability and public spirit
New Board Proposed /
House bin No. lai, by Nj. Hayes. In
troduced In the horse Wednesday puts
nj hpg g,n ~ oil, /