The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1912-03-21
CITY COUNCIL NOTES.

ClUy SACA N lACo q VlIhC lOi VIA SNss
council to meet to decide what kind of
paving shall be laid. Pursuant to this
provision the council met last Monday
evening. If the owners of majority
OF the frontage on any street present
verified petitions for anyone kind OF
paving it requires three-fourths vote
of the council to prescribe any other.
A contest for signatures has been wag-
ing for some days between the ex-
ponents of brick paving and those
favoring asphalt. When the council
met in the special meeting to decide
on the kind of paving there was
large audience of interested parties
and some attorneys. Schellin sug-
gested that the meeting adjourn for
week to give time to straighten out
the confusion which he said existed in
the matter of petitions. He said that
some people have signed for both kinds
although the statutes forbid anyone
Withdrawing his name from the pc
tition he first signs.
The meeting then adjourned for one
week and the council re-convened
in regular council session. All mem
bers were present, Goetzler having
returned from his long sojourn at Chi
cago.
Several petitions were read asking
for refunds for alleged illegal or excess
sive taxes and were referred.
The fire and water committee by
Thorison reported on the fire chiefs
report, and recommended that the city
attorney draft an ordinance creating
the Office of electrical inspector The
report was adopted. There will be no
motor driven fire apparatus purchased
for this year.
The financeS committee reported on
the request of the new owners of the
Shoyer property on Cleveland avenue
asking that litigation pending over
the street improvement tax. be com
pIOulioCu. hC SoIihiitVSS fShtbi W
the opinion that the assessment was
fair and just, the proceedings regular
and the claim legally enforcible
charge and recommend that no con-
cessions be made. The report was
adopted.
Apropos of nothing in particular, the
mayor said that the city ought to stop
squandering money on temporary
street improvements and begin cover
ing all macadam with an asphalt sur
face.
Aid. Zeman promised to report at the
next meeting on quarters for the city
sealer to be appointed.
A sewer on Hamilton street between
18th and 10th streets was voted.
A request from the new police pen
sion board, of which the department
has of the members, asking that
the legal percentage of all licenses
collected during 1911 be turned into
the pension fund was referred to com
mittee on claims.
The old question of the city paying
part of the paving cost to the relief of
the abutting property owners bobbed
up. The mayor although expressing a
desire to relieve the property owners
was insstent that the funds be provid-
ed for if the city is to pay part of the
cost. 1t was explained that the prop
erty cannot be taxed in excess of an
assessment of benefits that will stand
the test in court and further that no
property owner can be exempted from
paying any part of the actual benefit
, until he shall have paid an aggregate
of $500 per square yard, means that
the council cannot shoulder part of
the cost even if it wants to, unless the
benefits as finally determined are less
than the costs. To reassure the pro-
perty owners resolution was intro
duced by Schelln to the effect that it
is the sense of the council that the
paving of 1912 will be of no more bene-
fit to the abutting property per lineal
foot than was the paving.of 1910 The
benefits assessed in 1910 were S4.00 per
lineal foot. AS the council makes the
final determination of benefits it seems
that the cost to the property owners
cannot be more than S4.00 per foot I'M
less the council changes its mind.
The clerk read a commication of
Thos. Higgins accompanying his check
ror S427.50, the amount agreed upon to
settle disputes between his company
and the city.
The Boys Club asked or free water
in communication signed by Presi-
dent Markham and Secretary Book.
The council usually comports itself
with almost oppressive decorcm and
dignity but the purchase of Solar, the
fire departments old gray horse,
"chief's horse, by the water depart
ment created considerable fun inn
mediately before adjournment. Sever
al members assured the mayor that
Chief Kratz and the fire committee
had Skipped one over" on the water
commission. Nearly everyone took
hand in the banter.
Nineteen Miles A Second.