Ottawa County news. (Port Clinton, Ohio) 1931-1956, 1949-10-14
TEmPERS Simmer
AT COUNCIL SESSION
NEEDING HINTS
ELECTION NEAR
Naft Fence, New BulldOZer
and STRAINED" Budget
Provoke Session

OF those hectic sessions tuesday
night in which some business was
transacted, some problems were
discussed, and above all, great
many needles" were planted,
leading an innocent observer to
suspect that it must be getting
close to election time.
The session started in a gen.
erous tone when Mayor Carl
Becker reported that the new Ca
tawba fire department wanted to
buy one of the city's old Civilian
Defense sirens, now out of use.
AS the sirens didn't cost the city
anything, it was quickly approved
that Catawba should be given a
siren now installed in the court
house tower.
Councilman Julius Jensen pre-
sented a petition signed by Ia
Wilson Avenue property owners,
said to be 100 per cent represen-
tation, requesting that the city
determine the cost of construct
ing a new sanitary sewer for Will
son avenue with outlets for each
property.
1t was decided that Carlton
Finkbeiner of Toledo, the city's
sewer engineer, should be called
in to the next meeting to give
an estimate of such cost from
plans already on file. Mindful Of
a $4,000 loan from the govern
ment for those engineering plans
several years ago, Councilman
Paul Schmitt raised the question
as to whether the city would get
that $4,000, council agreed that
this question would bear further
investigation before any further
steps were taken.
Reports Water Bill "Kicks"
Waterworks manager William
Crohen was the Nrst official to be
put son the spot" when Council
man Schmitt inquired as to why
SO many people were complaining
about high water bills. Other
councilmen also reported receipt
of such complaints but Crohen
retaliated with, Someone is US
ing tive were pumping two mil
lion gallons day in a one mil
lion gallon plant" Questioned as
to whether the meters might be
wrong, Crohen stated, "We've
never found a fast meter-they
get slow with age instead of fast.
(Bill Crohen is we'll accus-
toned to hearing complaints
on water bills as he gets them
every day despite his slogan,
"A Ton of Pure Water for
Six Cents" In collecting
what's coming to the munich
pal plant his attitude is, "It's
your money, not mine" From
the number of complaints re-
ceived, one might think that
Crohen has some secret pro-
cess of diluting water to
make it register twice as it
passes through meter.)
Raises Naft Fence Issue
Councilman Carl Waggoner then
raised the issue of the Naft fence
case on Route 2, now pending in
court. He voiced the hope that
this issue could be settled during
the present administration so that
he and other retiring councilmen
could not be blamed for not hav-
ing seen the case through to settle
ment. Mayor Becker reported
that this case was coming up for
hearing shortly, as soon as the
court docket would permit.
What About the Bulldozer?
Councilmen Eugene Collins then
raised the issue of the bulldozer
recently purchased by council,
asking whether anticipated reve-
nues from use of the bulldozer
had been reimbursed to village
funds. Discussion indicated that
the princial use of the bulldozer
had been on the lakefront i'm
provement, that there hadn't been
any revenue to date, and might
not be unless that cat-taiI fund
got a lot bigger than it is today.
However, some bulldozer revenue
is expected from the water works
contractor who may use it for
grading purposes as that project
nears completion, it was said.
Ut was Mayor Becker who
originally urged the purchase
of a bulldozer. He now says
that the bulldozer and loader,
purchase of which upset the
budget the most, have almost
already paid for themselves
through 400 loads of stone for
village streets reclaimed from
the old o. p. S. Rwy. right
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