Borough Council's Monthly Meeting

Chronicle (Levin), 17 June 1949, Page 2

Borough Council's Monthly Meeting

Two special meetings were held by the Otaki Borough Council durxng May. Town p anning was the important tooic dis^^s^ed and tb first med-ing decided to ask Mr. C. W. Foster to prepare preliminary plans, and to meet the council and discuss them. The second meeting agreed that Mr. Foster proceed, and also that -the town clerk prepare a pian of the beach front to be forwarded to the Minister of Health, with a suggestion that ihe sections adjacent to the Health Camp be subdivided for leasing. At Wednesday 's council meeting the c'erk, Mr. Alex. Wilszm, advised that this had been atlended to. The contemplated autobahn road from Wellington to Napier was discussed by the council when advice om the distrjct engineer of the Works Department was :.o the effect •shat a detailed rurvey of "Route A," which crosses Tasman Road, was being carried out. Final appr'jval wou d depend on this investigation ' and on investigations /e-t to be carried out on a tentative route north of the borough, at the railway end. The Works Deoartment also forwarded a reply to the councii's request that .he widening . of the main highway through Otaki Railway be given early attention, The rep y, which was considered favourable, was to the effect that a special survey had been csrried ou't ind that it was proposed to recommend that funds for this 'work te set aside. The Pa'merston North Hospital Board estimates for xhe year showed an inci'ease in the councii's .evy from *£797 5s in 1948 to £842 13s lOd this year, "aJkxwing for substantial increases in the cost of all services to meet changed conditions." The general manager of Ne^ Zealand Railways stated, in replying to a request from the council for a railcar to and from Wellington, that all railcars' were ful y ultilised and that from evidence available it was not considered Ihat the amount of traffic offering warranted any additional, ser.vic|s from Otaki to Wel'ingtoh 'ffieahfcime. The transoort serviceK 'however, would be reviewed. Council ors expressed the ooinion that the evidence referred to could only have been arrived at by reviewirig the present unsatisfactory ^ervice and decided to thank the railways manager for his reply, but to re^ commend that a bus service - be operated three times weekly to ieave Otaki at 8.30 a.m., retuming at 4.30 p.m. Tne council was advised trhat its /3hare of the health inspector's salary for the year was £83, coffiputed on a population basis. The Government Statistician gave Otaki's population as 2250. ■ . 1 The Deputy Valuer-General advised that the typing of 'the new valuations had been completed, and that checking was now under way. It was ^expected that the rolls and not'ices* wou'd be posted within about three weeks from the date of the communication, May 18. The council is anxious that there be no further de^ay owing to- the fact that estimates cannot be prepared until the new valuations are known, and the c^rk is to ask the Valuation Department for any further news, as more than three weeks has oassed since the letter was written. Levels in Rangiuru Road are to be taken so that surplus stormwater may be dealt with. It was decided a^o that the forming of the road in front of the State housing block adjacent to the courthouse he nut in hand as soon as possible, the help of the county grader at present pngaged in Rangiuru Road to be soueht. The winner of the Otaki scholar-' ship th^'s year was Mr. Ian Rettie, who would te visiting New Zealand in August, arriving on the Rangitiki. Mr. A. G. Harper, the UnderSecretary of Internal Affairs, submitted this information, and expressed the wish that a day could be spent in Otaki instead of half a day, as on former occasions when scholars visited the town. The Mayor offered to hospitabny receive this youthful gueSt, and he and the clerk will arrangs for an itinerary covering a full day.