Fergus County Democrat. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-1919, 1913-01-28
LARGELY ATTENDED MEETING Is
HELD IN NEW COUNCIL CHAM
BER AT CITY HALL,
THE PROPOSED NEW LAW
1t Is Explained at Length by City At.
torney Oekalb-Action Is Deferred
Pending Its Passage by Legislature
Sentiment Strongly Favors Local
Brick.

Interest in the plan for paving the
business district was shown Friday
evening by the large number OF prop
erty owners who assembled at the CITY
hall In response to the call of Mayor
j. S. Marshall All the seats were
filled and few remained standing
while the subject was being discussed.
NO definite action was taken be-
cause OF statement made by City At
torney II. l.. DeKalb to the effect that
the proceedings for the creation of the
district should all be taken under the
measure now pending in the legisla-
ture and which Is expected to shortly
become a law. This bill, explained
Mr. Dekalb, was drafted at the recent
municipal convention and was de-
signed to overcome the difficulties in
regard TO assessments and the issue
OF warrants or bonds met with under
the present law. That law was so in
definite and contradictory that It had
been construed half a dozen ways and
the general uncertainty as to its mean
ing mad held back improvements in
practically all the cities OF the state.
Under the present three law, three
separate methods OF initiating an i'm
provement district were provided. I'm
der the proposed law the council could
initiate without any petition, and
When 1t had given notice of it's inten.
tlon, ffty-one per cent of the property
affected could, by protesting, defeat
the plan. Six months later but not
before, it could be initiated again.
One OF the big problems was providing
an equitable assessment, especially
on corner lots. 1t was the view that
the corner lot was so much more val
liable than the inside lot that It should
pear greater proportion of the ex-
pense than the inside lot. The front
1oot plan assessed the proportion of
each lot on the basis of it's relation
to the whole district The area plan
permitted an extension of a portion of
the cost to lots not directly abutting
on the Improvement but which were
man1festly and positively benefited
by the Improvement. It was impos.
slDle to adopt definite system of
graduated assessments as to corner
lots and make 1t apply generally to
the state, because in many of the
cities such lots were of irregular form.
These two plans, the front foot and
the area, were optional with each city.
me assessment on intersections was
distributed over the entire district.
but the city had the power to pay for
the Improvement of intersections IL 1t
desired. Otherwise the assessments
FOR intersections would be pro rata on
the whole number of lots, whether
under the front foot or area plans.
Payment for such improvements
might be extended to period of
twenty years, or any less term, but
not longer. The form of either bonds
or warrants We're prescribed in the bill
and there could be no question as to
the marketableness of these securi-
ties. There was no limit to the
amount of such improvements except
ulat they must not exceed fifty per
cent OF the valuation of the district.
In conclusion, Mr.. DeKalb advised
the property owners to take no steps
in the matter of the creation of the
district until the proposed law had
been enacted, in order that the whole
proceeding might be under it's pro-
visions.
The Proposed District.
Mayor Marshall stated at the out
set that the boundaries of the pro-
posed district had not been definitely
fixed, but In general the proposition
was to pave Main street from First to
Sixth avenue, and to pave Third,
Fourth and Fifth avenues one block
on each side of Main street and to
pave Broadway from Third to Fourth
avenues.
Austin w. War; thought 1t would
be an excellent plan to include Just as
much territory in the district as would
be acceptable to those who had to
pay the bills. He hoped there would
be no restriction in that matter. It
seemed to him there was nothing the
city could do that would tell so much
for its advancement as street paving.
However, in view of the city attorneys
advice to await action on the pending
bill, he did not press the matter at
the time.
Andrew Green said he hoped to see
the district extended from First ave-
nue. to Miller street and perhaps High
street.
Walter s. Smith also wanted to see
The paving extended at least one
block east from First avenue. Mr..
Smith expressed a preference for local
prick, but thought the first thing to
10 was to fix the boundaries of the
district.
A. to Material.
David Hilger turned the discussion
o the question of material. Personally
1e said he strongly favored the local
vNA