New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1918-12-11
fire COMMISSION
WANTS To BE PAID
Charter Change Recommended
May Sell Park Bonds

The charter revision committee
held another meeting last night in the
II. p. Richards presided. At the
meeting the board Of public works,
the water board and the fire and pO-
lice boards were TO be heard from.
All of them did not appear and it was
voted that they be communicated with
again and that they appear before the
board at its next meeting if they hUrG
any proposed changes in The city's
charter to offer
City AEaps Delayed.
City Engineer William II. Hall ap-
poared for the board Of public works
and stated that the board had nothing
to recommend further than the men,
ton of icy and defective sidewalks
which was made at the last meeting.
He asked, however, that the board be
allowed to present to the commission
any new changes which might posi-
bly, arise Alderman Richards advised
that all possible proposed changes be
presented in writing to the committee
before the end of the present month.
In reply TO d query from Corporation
Counsel j. E. Cooper, MI. Hall stated
that the city maps would not be COM
p1eted until October, 1919. The maps
should have been finished before this
time, Mr.. Hall stated, but due to the
fact that many of the men in the de-
partm ent enlisted and the others were
busy on the proposed water extensions,
no work has been done on the maps
in the past five months. He said that
If enough help can be obtained the
maps may be completed before Octo-
Der, 1919. These maps, when finished,
will be complete in every detail and
will be q great source Of help. They
will show all street lines, curbs,
buildings, and even the measurements
Of the pieces Of property. Not a de-
tail will be lacking. These maps, in
Mr.. Halls opinion, will more than
earn their cost in a little while. Real
estate men will grab them and pay
well for them, for they will eliminate
mucla OF the work which has to be
done now before q real estate man
opens up new territory to sell. AL
ready several men have requested Mr..
Hall for a map.
Discussion on Sidewalks
IlSIG LOlloWctt d discussion OH icy
and defective sidewalks. At the pres
ent time the city is liable for all falls
on icy sidewalks, whether they are
defective walks or not In city
where there are 100 miles of side
walks if they were all slippery the
same day but not defective neces-
sarily, and several people fell on each
walk, the city would be forced to pay
q q
Cooper stated the foregoing and also
stated that, in his opinion, the city
should not be responsible unless the
walks were defective and thus caused
the person to fall and be injured AL
derman \. f. Spencer then asked Mr.
Cooper just what would constitute a
defective sidewalk, and the corpora
ton counsel gave several illustrations
in which it would be perfectly legiti-
mate that the city should be response
BILE. It was his belief that the board
of public works could inspect the citvs
sidewalks perhaps twice q year and
report on conditions. Where defective
walks would be found the property
owners could be notified by the city to
repair the walks and thus the city
would not run the chance of paying
out considerable amount of money
through falls. 1t was the general
opinion Of the committee that the in !
spection twice a year would have re- .
suits
Fire Board Wants Pay.
The next communication read at the '
meeting was one from the board of .
fire ssOners asking that the
mem bers of this commission be com .
amount to be named by the common
council. "A part Of the communication !!
also dealt with the fremen's pension
fund. The flremen at present are
compensated through the compensa-
ton act if they are injured They
wish. however. to have Il good perma-
nent fund that may be used as the
pension fund and will not have to de-
pend upon various approximations
from the city from time to time. The
matter of the pension fund was dis
cussed at some length and Corporation
Counsel Cooper recommended that
Chairman A. z. MMgnell, Of the fire
board, get in touch with some insur-
ance man of ability who might recon-
mend a permanent basis for the cit1-'a
pension fund. This would place the
fund on Il business-likc basis and
there would not result the constant
changes which must be made accord
ing to the present system.
water Board Unpreparcd.
chairman w. 3. ROssbcrg. of the
board of water commissioners, thcn
appeared before the committee and
stated that his board would probably
have some changes to recommend, but
they have not had time to prepare the
changes The board will try and have
the changes ready at the next meeting
of the charter revision committed
The clerk stated that no commune