The Oskaloosa herald., 1911-11-09

right to come in and protest II they
do not want the sewers. The council
may then reject it if they see Mt.
There is quite a misunderstanding by
the public regarding the sewer law
and it is my opinion that, If the
property owners in the city OF Oska-
loosa understood the sewer law, there
would be great many more applica'
tions for sewers than we have.
The new law provides that these
sewers may be constructed in two
ways, viz: -.r,.
1st-By an application of a major
ity of the property owners.
2nd-On motion of the counciL
These sewers are built and taxed
up to the property owners and, they
in fact own the sewer when COM
pleted.
The figures OF the civil engineer
show, as well as experience, that the
cost will run. generally from $l7oO
to $4,000 per lot of so foot frontage
and under the law tho property own
er is given seven years in which to
pay the cost of construction. In 9TH
err words, it will cost the property
owner, ordinarily from $3.50 to $500
per year to own his own sewer
| In this event he will not be re-
CURED to pay tappage fee OF $25.oO
for sewers as in the past; boiled
down, it means, that he can build and
own his own sewer for a little less
money than he has been paying the
city for tappage fee, and this is true
because the $500 tappage fee, which
he has been required to pay, repre-
scented the cost of construction OF a
sewer by the city.
Ny advice to the council is, thai
they should instruct the civil engin
eer to look the city over and prepare
plans for the building of sewers IL
different parts of the city and wher
ever sewers are needed, which VIII
be governed, of course, by the oppor
tunity to get city water; then for the
council to prepare to build the sewel
wherever it is possible and necessary
and | don't believe that when the
people understand this law and thu
cost, that you will meet with any
serious opposition. | do not believe
that the medical fraternity of this
4 city understand the law, or the!
would be before this council in
body advocating this proposition
There is nothing that is worth 81
| IA
sewer system.
Third.
am going to advise the buildin!
of storm sewers also, as rapidly a
possible and will recommend that tn
council make a levy of two mills 10
that purpose, which in connectloI
! with the levy already made, Will a.
. low you to eXpend from $4,000 to Sc
900 year to build storm sewers, t
take care of the storm water.
, This cost is so Insignificant that
will not be felt by the tax payer, 20
, viii have complete system of san
tary and storm sewers, of which W
, will all be proud, and of which non
, of us will feel the burden.
We have reached a point in tn
: growth of our city, that we must TAX
: forward step and prepare for tn
future. do not believe that W
ought to bond the city for storm sew
| ers and undertake to build them a
: in one year but | do believe that,
we will eXpend about $4,000 year i
the building of storm sewers, that W
: will soon have the problem solved.
Fourth.
The next qeustion that ] wish t
call your attention to is the subjeC
OF paving. 1t is too late in my opil
ion, to commence paving this veal
but we ought to make arrangement
and be ready for paving next sprin
at the earliest possible date. Their
is quite a diversity of opinion of tn
material to be used in paving, an
while some of you believe in bricl
some of you perhaps in concret
paving, some of you in bitcht
litchic paving and some of you, il
Guiding the mayor, believe in No.
Creooete Cedar Block on concret
base, it is impossible for us at tn
present time to get together on tn
material to be used, but by thoI
ough investigation of this, we ma,
change the brick man to the ceda
block man or the cedar block man t
the brick man, etc, but investigation
is the better and more thorough meth
cd and more likely the proper solu
ton.
A great deal of this paving ha
been down for many years. Some TO
twenty years That on First avenue
west, High avenue west and Soutl
First street is in bad condition ant
will in the near future require re
construction" and West First avenue
demands it at the earliest possible
date.
The reason | speak OF West Higl
avenue is because it is the main thor
oughfare of your city and is there
fore an advertisement OF your city
1t may be, and am inclined to thinl
that you can, procure a modern GOV
ering to go over the old paving, that
will make 1t better street and one
that will last a number of years
and IL 1t should have to be replaced
every four or five years, 1t will be