The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1914-09-18
KATO TO BE SUED
THAT IS THE TALK
From Mondays Daily.

Improvement OF Main street hill
now seems certain. At the meeting
of the city council this morning
seven written protests against the
assessment were presented by City
Clerk Bates, These protests were
signed by eighteen property owners
There was little discussion of the
matter among the councilmen them
selves. Commissioner Lamm re
marked that the council and other
officials had acted according to the
charter and had made the assess
ment in the best way they could
II there was anything illegal about
II, that would better be threshed
out in the courts. He therefore
moved that the assessment be con.
firmed. and this motion was car.
ried without division.
The signers of the protests were
Judge w. L. Comstock. p. F. Com
stock. Bertha Olson, John Doyle
Florence X. Stubs, Grace Fletcher
A. d. Fletcher, John Koch, Kruse,
Coughlan, L. B. Lewisohn, A. Bills
senbach. s. E. Comstock. NJ. G.
Willard, II. c. Schildknecht, Henry
Heidwinkel, Frances L. Saylor, Mary
Wittmer and Katherine Udelhofen.
Pretended improvement"
The protest signed by Judge Com
stock spoke of what was done on
the street as a pretended improve
ment" and of no substantial benefit
TO certain lots that were assessed
in Branson's addition. II was fur
Their declared that the assessment
was unauthorized by the charter and
was void and unlawful. II was
pointed out that the city of Man
katO had levied a tax on two oc.
casions for the very improvement
for which the assessment was now
being made. Two separate tax
levies OF $1,000 each for the i'm.
prOvement of Main street hill were
called to mind. 1t was also pointed
out that $1,000 had been received
by the city from the county for
this improvement on the theory that
II was a general public necessity.
1t was alleged in the petition that
no part Of those funds had been
paid out for that improvement, and
these funds must be used for the
improvement before any assessment
was made against the neighboring
property to pay for It, The same
petition stated that the property
owned by the petitioners in Bran
sons addition was three blocks from
the Improvement, and was not at
all benefited, that these lots would
in time have assessments against
them for grading. sidewalks, curb
and gutter and the like. and il was
not fair to assess them also for
such improvements on Main street
hill
NJ. G. willard spoke OF the as
sessment as confiscatory. Henry
Heidwinkel declared that the I'M
provement was not done in n work.
manlike manner. City Engineer
Blomquist said It was not finished.
On motion by Councilman Bradley,
the petitions were placed on file.
North Fourth Street Improvement.
The proposed settlement of the
problem of the improvement of the
east side of North Fourth street,
rs recently agreed upon between
the members Of the council and
many Of the interested property
owners, appeared this morning still
be meet with universal favor.
This plan was embodied in a petit.
ton presented at the council meet.
ing. According to this plan the
sidewalk on the east side OF Fourth
street between Elm and Lafayette,
where the street Is of uncommon
width. is to be twelve feet west
OF the property line. The sidewalk
is TO be six feet wide West OF
that is to be a six-foot boulevard.
West of that is to be a cement
curb and gutter and then a twenty.
foot driveway. which is to be gravel
ed to n depth of four inches. Then
there is to be parkway, forty
six. feet wide, bounded on the west
side with a cement curb. The city
is to pay for this cement curb,
and is also to improve the park.
way from time to time and take
care of II. The rest of the expense
for these improvements is to be
raised by assessing the abutting
property.
The mayor remarked that he
would be in favor of that arrange
ment, on condition that the city
would not be required to put in
the curb on the outside, next to the
main roadway. before spring. There
was not enough money available for
IL now and II would cost about
$500.
Wanted Work Started.
Attorney A. r. Pau, Jr., stated
that the property owners desired
to have the street improved as soon
as possible. He suggested that the
council place itself on record at
,once as favoring the whole plan
but City Attorney Schaub raised
an objection to this, stating that
the business would have to be done
according to the regular prescribed
forms for making such improve.
ments. However. resolution was
passed, instructing the city engineer
at once TO give the people their