BOROUGH COUNCIL

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 5, 16 September 1942, Page 5

BOROUGH COUNCIL

SEPTEMBER MEETING

COMPARISON OF HOSPITAL RATING

The question taken up by the Whakatane Borough Council last month relative to the incidence of Hospital taxation as levied on the Borough and County properties and referred by it to the Municipal Association was reintroduced last Monday evening when a letter on the subject was received bacik.

The question raised by the council covered the valuation basis upon which the tax was laid and referred to the standing charge on the county in spite of the large building ventures which had taken place during recent years, as against the steadily rising rate within the borough owing to persistent revaluations. The Valuer General to whom the council's representations had been referred also wrote on the subject setting out the difficulties which confronted, the position. The council decided to write back urging that the subject should be given the fullest consideration with a view to arriving at a fairer bas'is of rate levy. Access to River It Avas intimated that the land owners who were required to remove the fence lines in order to give access to the river at the western end of James Street had failed to do so.. The council decided to give the

persons concerned 14 days to remove them and failing that to undertake the work at the ratepayers expense. Rubbish Dumping 1 at Heads Cr Good introduced the matter of the growing habit of certain householders at the Heads ol" dumping their rubbish on the area comprising the Centennial Park. This he claimed was deeply resented by other residents and was disfiguring tlie area and making it unsightly. Other speakers endorsed the above remarks and it was decided to erect a notice regarding the disposal ol rubbish and to prosecute offenders in future. General An application from the W.te.A. for a donation towards its l'unds ay as declined. Permission was granted the local brancli of the Plunket Society to hold a street collection 011 Friday, October 23. It was also agreed to supply free electricity for the V.A. training rooms in the Whakalane Hotel build-

ings. Letters from sundry property owners of premises in the Strand were received in response to the council's requisition that repairs should be made to the verandah roofing and spouting, and stating that such matter would be put in hand. Messrs Parry Bros wrote intimating with regret that after 10' years service their cargo vessels would be withdrawn from the Wh.afcatane run owing to Government appropriation in the interests of the war effort. The Foreman-Engineer reported respecting the provision of a ramp to the Flat Rock at the Whakatane River Heads for access to the river by the tire engine, a ramp with concrete sides and rock tilled, 14ft wide was estimated to cost £58.

Resolved to recommend that the work be put in hand.