Putnam patriot., 1913-09-12
MAJORITY REPORT

TO tie Court Of the Common Council
 Of the City Of Putnam.
 The undersigned committee. ape nointed by your honorable body for The purpose of preparing a proposed assessment Of such part Of the cost of the sewers as they deem reason able upon the property abutting upon 4he streets and highways through which the sewers are laid, or upon property which may be in any way benefited or improved thereby, beg leave to report that they have given the matter their attention. They find chat the amount Of money already ex= pended on the sewers and necessary ahis and appurtenaaees, including Interest is One Hundred Twenty Three Thousand, Three Hundred Twenty Six Dollars and Eightyone cents (sf23,32e e81.
 Your committee has given much time and thought tg the question Of she most equitable method of distrih. atiug the cost of the sewers among me parties specially benefited and fhose generally benefited The me
 hods employed in other cities in the State have been carefully studied. These methods are of all kinds rom those that assess practically the whole cost on those specially benefit ed 10 those that place the burden wholly on the general tax payer
 The portion assessed 10 these spec 5ally benefited is distributed in many ways by different cities. In some cities 1t is divided in direct propor- s{on to the lineal feet of the land abutting the sewers. regardless of the depth or shape of the land There has been q decision of the Conneeti= zlt Supreme Court that this method ts not lawful
 Several cities apportion q certain amount 10 each lineaf foot abutting en the sewer and each square foot of Ihe land within specific distance. laeh as one hundred feet, from the street. where tae sewer has been laid.
 Some cities assess an annual rent n. Your Committee believes that in Putnam it would be reasonable for l 1roperty on line of sewer to be as. eessed about thirty per eentum of the m already paid by the city for the ] sewers and that due, al specified l Gates. Your Committee are of the | opinion that each lineal foot of land | ubuttlng on the sewers should be as | eassed ten cents and each square foot | o' land within 100 feet of the street ! line opposite each sewer and 90 feet | NeyoBd upper end of sewer, should be l assessed two mills.
 Tn order to provide for various ir | regular cases. your Committee thinks | the above rule should be modified as l follows:
 |. Corner Lots to be assessed on | frontage on the longest side where | one frontage is less than 100 feet | and fo be exempt on frontage for a | distance of one hundred feet where | each frontage is over 100 feet This | rale not to apply to land practically | covered py buildings utilized for bus | mess ar manufacturing purposes.
 9 So much of any lot as is less | than thirty (30l feet deep where | bounded on one side by a river or | pond should be omitted.
 3. Sc much of any land that lies | lower than the bottom of the sewer | (akcn iu a direction sixty f60) de | erpes upward from the line Of sew. CT should Dc omitted,
 Property owned hy one party | extending from one street to another | street less than one hundred and ht. ty f3el feet therefrom. shall be as eesscd on area one hundred G00l feet | deep from one street. with the eNeep- | tion of property utilized for manufac | turing or business purposes. practical | ly covered by buildings, which should i be assessed on entire area
 5 Where property is reached by 1 a sewer built by the city over pri l xate right of way. it should be as l eessed mills sor each square foot of such property that is within one hun ored l100) feet of the sewer.
 The committee recommends that sewer assessments be made payable either in one payment due on the first day Of November 1913. or in five installmeats. the first one of twenty per cent due and pay able November lst, 1913, and each of the four remaining instalments toge ther with interest from November ist | 1913, al six per cent. per amman there 1 on. due and payable on November lst of the following four years.
 Your committee also believes that !, sn annual rental fee of s200 for De riod of five years. be charged for each tenement on the line of the sewer. or
  with the sewer. The first payment be due and payable November lst. 1918 and the remaining four payments on ahe 1st of November of the follow ing four years. Your committee also recommends a similar annual rental fee for stores. offices. hotels. school houses, churches. garages. stables, manufacturing establishments and all , ether buildings requiring sanitary 1 drainage AS appears equitable to your l committee. Easements and floors ! above the second floor where used | for storage only be exempt from this | fee. Any building hereafter erected | to be subject to this fee. the first pay. l ment due and payable on November | list of the first year after completion | or occupation Of the building and the ] remaining four payments on Novem- Der lst of the succeeding four years.
 Your committee recommends that the proposed assessment. provided for a sfssA of ha