Feilding Borough Council.

Feilding Star, Volume XV, Issue 329, 2 June 1894, Page 2

Feilding Borough Council.

A special meeting of the Feilding Borough Council was held in ibe Council Chamfara yesterday afternoon to receive the report on the damage done within the Borough by the recent floods Present— The Mayor (Sir WCarthew), Crs. J C. Thompson, J. Gould, W. A. L. Bailey, F. Y. Lethliridge, H. Worsfold and T r R. Chamberlain. A letter was read froth Mr W. B. Reteraeyer asking the Conncil to remove certain willows in the Kiwitea stream opposite his property, which kept the flow of water against his land. Mr O. Habr.er wroke asking the Conn cil to take over the material (timber and iron which cost him £21 15s 9d) used by liio in (he rersiir^tothe Wwwiek street bridge, which . had • jffered serious datn. age By the recent floods Aleo, to refund him a portion of the cost of the labor and to relieve him from the contract. ,* J : The Engineer's ■ rej^t^waV^Teifcd, tb« principle features of uhich haya already been . pubUahed. The following reoom-v nieidations were made' : in , the report :— Kiwitea bridge— After "ri^rnri^to the course the river has taken, an'dthe dam* age done the report says: A»; Iq a ford, it will be expensive and difficult" to make one at the site of the bridge owing to the deep ledge and scour, at ;:lHtf^Joot ; of it. There is, however, ; in excellent site To* » ford about ten chains beloiv the bridge, if arrangements can üb6:u b 6: thi X owners' of the land it would be necessary to pass through, fieferring: to tHe damage by the Mikinp etreain the report Bays : The western approach to the Derby street bridge will require a small outlay in protecting it fjom damage' by: future floods. A trestle can be erected under - ; the end span of the Beattie street bridge (the sill of which has oeenandermiaed) as'socn as the 'water goejs down. For permanency it will be necessary to drive three piles and lengthen the bridge by erecting another ispan'. Warwick street ■£ bridge -It will be necessary to erect another span at, the eastern end of the bridge, bat before anything permanent be done it would be advisable to divert the stream and bring « m a. more direct course to the bridge; ; The report stated that damage of a ; less serious nature in v different parts of the Borough was being ropoired. .-., „.; ; -^ ;. „ \ ::\ > : /A)%- >- : -. -■■ The Mayor thought it would be advisable to leaye the matter of a bridge across the Kiwitea stream in abeyance for the present, and to construct it under the Public Works and Government Loans to Local Bodies Actß. ' An expert's opinion should be obtetinetl as a first step, and -lie was in favor of more than one opinion being; obtained. : It might be advisable to leave the matter of a ford to the PubKcWorkß Committee, who could areange with the owners of private property If necessary. The question of way s and means appeared to be the gre t bugbear. It might be arranged by converting the t£6ooo loan into a £10,000 loan. He thought the Government Life Insurance Department would : agree' \o lending anotbeY £4000. They paid ? per cent, to the Insurance Department, but under ihe Government Loans to Local Bodies Act the interest would be 5 per cent; There might be a difficulty to obtain money from the Insurance Department, as he had been informed they had refused to lend money at 6£ per cent. Cr Bailey thought they wereadvertis. ing money to lend at 5^ and 6 percent. Cr Lethbridge informed the Council they would not have ta take & poll under the Public Works Act for ■ the construe- ' tion of this bridge. <> : .%■ It was then proposed by Cr Thompson, and seconded by Cr Gould, That the Public Works Committee be requested to make arrangements for making a ford over the Kiwitea river: in lieu of the Kimbolton road bridge without delay. — Carried. ;;> - : Cr Lethbridge .thought it would be advisable to formulate .a scheme for a bridge over the Kiwitea and report by the ordinary meeting on Thursday next. The Mayor suggested that the> Council's Engineer <Mr Hill) and Mr C. Bray (senr) should be askedto report at next meeting as to . the probable cost of a bridge. ■'■<■■-"■ -, -.*,-: ■■■:■■ . -;;. , Cr Bailey thought it was more a question of protective works than that of a* site. „ It would be best to proceed under the Public Works Act. Cr Lethbndge believed the Manchester Road Board would agree to contribute a part of the cost. and the Kiwitea County Council might be induced to assist. . \ -i .v The Mayor said* they could only borrow for tho Kiwitea. bridge and not for the others as they were not ~6n a main road. > -..-.,;. -. . ( Proposed by Cr Chamberlain seconded by Cr Thompson, That Messrs C. Bray senr., and G. C. Hill be asked to inspect the Kiwitea -stream, and report at the next meeting of the Council as to the most suitable site for a new' bridge and the cost of some.— Carried, Cr C. Brayj junr., here took his seat at the Council table. :. ■' ■' ?V " Proposed by Cr Lethbridge, seconded by Cr Worsfold, That the works recom* mended by the Engineer's report on Makino stream aa far as Denbigh street, be carried out.— Carried. Cr Gould thought the only -think to save future, trouble was to straighten the stream through the town. There, had been a great error, in the thetpast in making the bridges too short. * Cr Thompson thought a system of protective works, such as groins, "would be better than lengthening the spans. Referring to finance, the Mfcyor said the limit of the overdraft at the Bank was i"800, and they were already £500 overdrawn: Cr Sandilands here took his seat in the Council. Proposed by Cr Fowles, seconded by Cr Bray, That the work to Beattie street bridge be carried out as recom* mended by the Clerk of Works as re* gards driving piles and extending the span.— Carried.* Be Manchester street bridge, the Engineer reported that since he had written the report the water continued to wash out behind the street piles protecting the western approach, and he recommended that three piles be put iv and planked, with a crate~behiud. Proposed by Ur Lethbridge, seconded by Cr Worsfold, That the repairs to the Manchester street bridge be left in the hands of the Public Works Committee to deal with.— Carried. Proposed by Cr Thompson, seconded by Cr Gould, That in consequence of the increased damage to the Warwick street bridge by the late 1hio&, the contractor be relieved from his agreement and that he be paid for the material ou the ground ; also, i'lo for labor done. — Carried.^ Crs Sandilands and Bray opposed the resolution, and voted against it on the grounds that it was setting up a dangerous' precedent. They were willing to pay the contractor for the material i on the ground. ■ Proposed by Cr Lethbridge, seconded by Cr Worsfold, That the request of Mr Retemeyer be referred to the Public Works Committee, with power to act.— Carried. j , '. Proposed by Cc Thompson, seconded by Cr Gould, That Messrs^ <?. C, Hill and C. Bray, senr., be requested to report on Warwick street bridge and the stream between that bridge and Manchester street bridge by the next meet? ing of the Council. — Carried. The Council then adjourned,.