Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1921-05-13
CITIZENS DISCUSS
WATER QUESTION

ARTEs1AN WELLS FAVORED
BUYING OF ELECTRIC SYSTEM
AT SANE TnE;F FAVORED
The city council met in adjourned
regular session Monday evening. Al
derman Blake was absent.
Bills of the sewer committee for
labor and material, totaling $2,lll.92
and N. N. Bergheim $30.5C, expense Of
trip to Crosby, were allowed.
Engineer Reilly reported that Fourth
street northeast is fairly near the old
Cappellen grade and that it would re-
ouire only about $500 cubic yards of
earth to bring it up to the proper level.
Curbs would have to be installed for
drainage and surfacing material
would be required, this being consider
ed permanent and hence assessable to
the hbutting property: Estimates on
fixing road from Broadway to tracks
was as follows: Crowning roadway,
$2S5.OO; filing and grading up to grade
$2,775.O0; filling and grading up to
grade and surfacing with tarvia or
similar material, $3,855.OO. The cost
of the second item would be about 50
cents per foot, and item ; at "a cents
per foot. No action was taken on this
matter by the council.
"A report was submitted by. Mayor
~Bergheim of the council committee
Crosby and Brainerd.
h The report stated that Crosby pur-
chased the water distributing system
from Mr.. Crosby in 1918 for $76.OOo.OO.
The people are satisfied with the sys-
The city was bonded for as $1$5. q 900. 90 END
used for extensions and improvements.
The purchasesufice was paid out of the
general fund. 4 sinking fund has been
created to take care Of bonds as they
They have s22 water users. se5 of
their own meters. The charge fer
wa5sa s9H &c cents 1t I,~1i per Thousand for first
Tor the next i've thousand: 81 cents per
! thousand for the next five thousand.
the city Of Brainerd on the same day
mission showed them their system OF
fhs h.i y and tn
ceedings the old plant I'm 1910 for, the
sum Of 81. 10000: which price was alto.
%afs %e. a. ot ae Of etx s e
have been replacing with cast iron
| mains as fast as they can afford it. but
mains. They buy the power from the
Guyana Range Company at " cent per
K. w. The Department. has not saved
any money because it has been obliged
70 oil tha ivnrp Fr,r ni~~k0
ance and improvements. Extensions
are paid out Of the earnings but very
few extensions have been made be-
cause Of lack Of funds; d., BrnineTd a3eSe else
system and while they keep separate
books for each system. they operate
both with practically, the same crew
TeSy Sy ats man II sle9tSe
water users all on meters and 230o
make a flat Charge for water. the
tGs bath snd ssoo for
making $500 per year.
The meter rate is 40 cents per
city has ~ hydrants. for which it
Water supply:-Brainerd gets its
water ,,tS,s% supply from IL 81 IT. wells: one
wells; The water. is pumped through
an an IL nfa fa main from the station to
ey aes anS large TasH sn he
tank holds 100000 gallons and > costs
s2S.O0o.00. The pump. station . wells
and reservoir cost $13.oo0:oo The cost
water came to about $5.000.00 The
pump station. is supplied with two sets
OF pumps and one set turned by cleo
tricity and another. by gas. the. gaso-
mn NV in Of
gency when the, electric current is cut
Off: The commission admits that the
proper system of paying for the mains
is to assess the cost Of it to the abut-
the start will relieve the commission
from considerable trouble in the build
ing of future extensions.
At the request Of Mayor Bergheim
500 was appropriated from the music
fund for the services Of the band on
Memorial Day.
Mayor Bergheim opened discussion
On the water supply question by ex
planning the situation here and what
the purchase of the plant by the city
involves. He also told Of what the
committee had found in their investi
cations Of the water supply systems in
other cities in the state. He said the
city has four ways Of acquiring plant
either by direct purchase, through
condemnation proceedings or through
arbitration. The city can also disre
gard the company's system and put in
its own new system. Mr.. Bergheim said
that this is big problem and requires
great deal of study and responsibility;
Should the city take over the plant, he
said, the state would no doubt require
the installation Of filtration plant, to
purify the water. As a first step, he
suggested that tests be made to learn
whether . sufficient supply of water is
available from artesian wells, as this
would prove the best and cheapest
method eof supplying it. He said that
the method Of paying for the system is
matter for consideration. It can
be paid: for by general taxation; by as.
ses3ing the cost to the property or by
paying for it partly by both these
ways. ~
u; W. Falk asked what the company
asks Tor the system. The mayor said
that tho tentative price was 1922, 900
with a discount sof SIC, 900, If purchas:
ed before Aprill. Mr.. Falk said that
as conditions are now, it would not be
wise tosbe hasty in this matter.
q. Vasaly said it takes time to
sEetzaeeurate data on all questions per
talnfng to this proposition, and more
concrete proposals should be secured
before any particular discussion Of i,
takes place, and that the proposals
should be such as would appear as
reasonable to the people generally.
"A. v. Taylor Of the company said