The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1916-10-12
ENGINEER KELSEY
HIRED BY CITY
Acts as Consulting Engineer
on New Water Works
MUST HAVE PLANS READY BY
FIRST OF FEBRUARY.
Engineer j. VI. Burkett Applies For
Consideration But Is Turned Down
By the Council.

This contract calls for estimates on
the waterworks sites and plans for
their construction not later than Feb
ruary l, after which it will be consid-
cred by the council and the people,
probably throughout the month of Feb
ruary. after which there will be the
months Of March and April to dispose
of the bonds and get things under way
for beginning construction by May l.
After that time I imagine that mem
bers of the present council will have
little to do with the management of
city affairs. If things are well under
way so that the city will be assured Of
pure water system, / shall leave Of
flee with a feeling of satisfaction If
the plans submitted are not satisfac-
tory to the people and they defeat the
bonds, / shall feel that we have been
remiss in some way in the perform
ance of our duty. If we do not act an
other council may take up six months
discussing the question of securing an
engineer as we have done. We have
talked about this matter for months.
1t has been discussed, and l have been
'cussed' by our friend THE TIMES,
but we still have no plan and no
means of securing water beyond that
+ which we had. The water is coming
down from the clouds tonight and we
f have no means of catching it, and un-
> less we do something like what is pro-
. posed we ought to get our friend Kel-
v sey to devise plans for a catch basin
Z to collect the water from the rains"
: The above remarks among others
n were made by Mayor E. M. Sweeley at
9 a special meeting of the council last
q night which eventually failed to act
: on the application of j. M. Burkett
. that local engineers be given a chance
7 and entered into contract with Louis
c. Kelsey, of Portland, Oregon, as con-
sulting engineer in locating the pro-
! posed water works site and getting up
! plans and necessary data. For his
!. services as consulting engineer to pass
:, upon the work done by the city engi-
neer or other local engineers and for
!, drafting plans for a waterworks sys-
4 tenn on the sites recommended or in
vestigated, Mr.. Kelsey is to get the
SC sum of $1,000. In the event that his
- plans are adopted, bonds voted and
the contract let in accordance with his
recommendations, he is to supervise
the work of construction and do all
subsequent engineering work. for
:. which assistance he is to receive five
Y per cent of the total cost of the new
~ system. In this case the $1,000 is to be
applied as part payment of the five
r. per cent.
al When the meeting was called to or
der, Mr.. Burkett asked leave to speak
and when 1t was granted made appli-
cation for consideration. He said thai
D. he had been a resident of the city fol
ne some time, and was a taxpayer. He
as believed that he was competent to dc
1t. the work as we'll as Mr. Kelsey. who's,
c. ability he did not question. Mr.. Bur
he kett said that he had been in the en-
:" gineering business for fourteen year.
at and had handled jobs costing 81 900,
de 600 and was sure that he was compel
le. ent to handle this one Engineer Ear
b. Ahern followed, saying that he regard
a ed the hiring of foreign engineers 70
.y- this work as an insult to members. O
to the profession here He said that Buh
re had no scruples about hiring Mr.. Bur
Ii kett for a $4,000 engineering job OF
he the waterworks system there. MI
ot- Burkett had served two terms as as
it sistant state engineer, had recent
10 been appointed field engineer by tn
M United States government and ha
nd shown by his work that he was com
ub petent
20. Mayor Sweeley stated that the pro
he position was to have Mr. Kelsey d
of the consulting work and outline gen
an eral plans for local engineers to fol
M low and to compile the data collecte
di- in manner which the members of tn
lot council could understand He was NO
competent personally to understan
the meaning of engineers notes. L
response to questions by Councilma
Bobier, Mr.. Burkett said that he fel
himself competent to do the work re
Ill quired of Mr.. Kelsey under the cor
X tract. Mayor Sweeley said that locs
engineers should have called attentio
ish to their qualifications in the matte
no. earlier. 1t was up to them to bring I'll
matter before the council.
Mr.. Ahern attacked the propositio
nd of including provision making it in
the perative that the city retain Mr. Ke
fid- sey as supervising engineer should h
ats. plans as consulting engineer be adop
an ed Councilman Bracken said tn;
son such was not his understanding of II
'dy, original informal understanding wit