Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1922-04-19
SUGGESTS CITY GO
UNDER STATELAW
Annual Charter Meeting Of City
Council Held Last
Thursday

Thursday
The meeting Of the old and new
city councils required to be held on
the second Thursday after election
was held April 13. The old council
met at ISIS, heard the readings of the
minutes, awarded two sprinkling con-
tracts to Rudolf Fyrk and H, H. Han
son, and adjourned sine die.
The official oaths of the newly ele-
cted councilmen and other elected Of
ficials were all declared properly filed
by the city clerk and the roll was call
ed the first time for the new council.
The only change was in the First ward
delegation, where Anton Peterson and
E. T. Sandbo took their seats.
Mayor Lawson read the following
message: - ~
The Mayors Message
Gentlemen of the City Council:
The fiscal year of the City of Will
mar just closed was busy one for
the City Council, and City officials in
all Departments. The extensions of
miles of water mains, storm sewers
and sanitary sewers and grading of
many outlying streets were on scale
that spelled great progress for Will
mar as better place to live in for
hundreds who have built homes here
in the last few years. The street de-
partment has done good work. Miles
of streets turnpiked, many new con.
crete crossings and more than seventy
new culverts laid help tell the tale.
The municipal water and light de-
partment has made good showing
altho rates have been reduced below
what is ordinarily charged by private
plants under like conditions.
The past winter has been hard one
for many families in the city, where
the breadwinners have been without
work, altho the total number of such
have been largely exaggerated in the
public mind. The position of overseer
OF the relief funds is a trying position,
especially in such times of financial
depression as these How to assist
those needy and deserving, and yet
not encourage shiftlessness IS hard
problem. Acknowledgment is due the
Red Cross, Salvation Army, the Coun-
ty Nurse, Churches and other agen-
cies for good work done to help tide
over the situation.
The financial condition of the city
is good. Twenty thousand dollars of
old Waterworl1s bonds which were a
general charge against the city and
which became due during the past year
were paid off. Five thousand dollars
in bonds issued two years ago to en-
large the permanent improvement re-
vo!ving fund and which were taken by
the Sinking Fund Commissioners have
been retired. There is sufficient mo-
ney in the sinking fund to pay off the
nine thousand dollars city hall bonds
which become due in June. Several
drains we're made on the general fund
during the past year including the
payment for the street tractor, a new
sprinkler and preliminary expenses
for the paving job. Some of the lat
ter are chargeable to the paving fund,
when the proceeds of the bond sale
are received. A large share Of the
100000 Of sewer and water mains
bonds sold last year will be paid by
assessment against benefited proper
ty, and these bonds will be retired at
the rate Of $4,000 per year during the
next ten years.
One-third of the purchase price of
Block Twenty has already been paid
from the Water and Light Fund. 1t
will be necessary to provide for the
payment of half Of the purchase price
of this block when possession is CIV
en- the city to remaining parts next
fall. No doubt a proposition covering
this matter will be worked out and
be submitted TO the people at spe-
cial city election to be called for at
the same date on which the June pri-
mary election will be held. At least
part of these lots should be cleared
and made available for the public use
for which they are intended at the
earliest possible date. ~
The change from the old order to
the new made possible by the adopt
ion Of the charter amendments a year
ago, under which modern street i'm
provements were made assessable to
abutting property was accepted in
good faith and cheerfully by the many
people using Of the same IN all outly-
ing districts Of the city. Unfortunate
~, however, some Of the owners Of
property in the down town district
along Litchfeld and Benson Avenues
are resisting the payment of assess
ments for the Benson Avenue sewer
on the alleged ground that they will
receive no benefits. The sewer was
ordered in by acton Of the Council as
part Of the pre-paving work to pro-
vide properly laid sewer for these
lots as we'll as other lots fronting on
Benson Avenue Litchield Avenue is
to be paved and the question of relay.
ing the privately laid sewers which