The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1914-08-28
Money For Improving
! Main Street Diverted
from Mondays Daily.

from Mondays Daily.
What has become Of the money rails.
ed by a special tax levy some years
ago for the improvement of Main
street hill was a question, the answer
to which was desired at this mornings
meeting of the city council by Fred.
erick Kron, Judge W.. l.. Comstock
and others who are interested in
property that is listed for assess
ment for the betterment OF that
thoroughfare. The plans for the inn
provement of the Main street hill in
clude the grading OF the three long
blocks from Sixth to Charles street;
also macadamizing the same three
blocks, curb and gutter on both sides
Of the street, and a storm sewer.
Mr.. Kron remarked that money
had been raised for just such a set
Of improvements Of that street some
years ago. The property holders OF
the district would like to, know
what had become OF that money. He
remarked also that the street ought
to be widened out. -
Councilman Geriich remarked that
this would be a very expensive uns
dertaking.
Mayor Meyer remarked that the
levy OF that money and It's diversion
TO other purposes occurred before
the time of this council.
Possibility Of Car Line.
Mr.. Kron spoke Of the possibility
OF a street a line being run up
that hill some day and said the
street should be wider. City Engi.
neer Blomquist stated that he had
talked with President Schultz about
that, and the latter .hsd said u
would be out of the question to u
a track up there. The company did
not wish TO run a line on any steep
er a grade than eight TO ten per
cent.
Judge Comstook remarked that
Main street hill was really a thor.
%oughfare of very general use and for
that reason the city council some
years ago had made a levy to i'm
prove 1t at the general expense of the
city.
First there was n levy of 1000
That money a raised by taxation
and was diverted TO other expendi-
lures. Then there was another levy
OF $4,000. That likewise was unlaw-
fully diverted to other channels. In
addition to the $4,000 raised. by the
city for the Improvement OF that
street, the county had given $1,000.
This made $4,000 that had been paid
for the improvement Of that street
The judge went on to say that the
council did not contemplate making
the assessment when the improve
ment was first undertaken, as the
property owners were not consulted
as to the kind of an Improvement,
there was to be. IL they bad been
consulted they would have wanted
a thorough and better improve
ment than the one that had been:
planned.
Mayor Meyer, stated that the city
council held a public hearing on this
matter.
The Judge said that II there had
been a public hearing duly adyer-
tised he had been misinformed on
the matter. He had understood
from certain OF the property owners
whose holdings were listed for as
sessment that they had had no
chance for Al hearing.
Was Not Fair.
The Judge went on to say that he
understood that a large part OF the
money TO be raised by the assess.
ment was TO be used for the curb
and gutter. That was not fair to
those whose property was not on
the street. but was at some distance
from il, for IL had always been the
practice of the city to assess for the
curb and gutter Of any street only
the abutting property. In this case
the assessment seemed to be spread,
and the property paying for the
curb and gutter on Main street, but