CITY COUNCIL.

Globe, Volume VII, Issue 779, 19 December 1876, Page 2

CITY COUNCIL.

Monday, December 18. The usual weekly meeting was held in the Council Chamber. Present—His Worship the Mayor, Crs Ick, Nathan, Thomson, Turner, Bird, Gapes, aud Jones. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed, The Mayor said he had seen the Hon E. Richardson with reference to obtaining information from Wellington as to how the Council should act under the Registration of Electors Act, and that gentleman had told him that if the matter were referred to Wellington, a reply would doubtless be sent back asking the Council to take the advice of their solicitor on the question. He had happened to meet Dr Foster subsequently, and that gentleman told him he was quite in a position to advise the Council, and had been consulted in this direction by other bodies. The question of charitable aid was under the consideration of the Government, and he (his Worship) thought that, eventually, a joint commission, composed of members of the County of Belwyn and other public bodies, would be called to consider the whole question and be asked to assist in its management and the best means of work* iug such an institution. He had to mention that the annual meeting p| the Council, for thp adjustment of the Council's accounts, would be held on Wednesday next. The town clerk reported as follows : - Received for week ending 9 th December — On account of general rates, 1876, £3ll 4a ; Waimakariri do, £sl 17s 4d ; watering rate, £7 7s lOd ; fines from R. M, Court, £5 15s ; rent of market place, 7s ; carriers' licenses, 15s; unclaimed account, 10s 6d; from Mr Hassal, for forming Baton Place, £42; by-laws, Is. Total receipt for week, £419 17s Bd. Received for week ending 16tb December—General rates, 1875, £3 6s j

Waimakariri do, 10s lOd; general rates, 1876, £246 2s ; Waimakariri do, £4l Os 4d ; fines from B. M. Court, £8 5s ; rent of market place, 7s. Total receipts for week, £299 10a2d. Grand totalfor fortnight, £719 7s lOd. Credit on general account, £3647 2 * 8d ; drainage loan account, Or, £5!37 2s 3d; drainage rate account, Or, £3127 9s 6d; wages and accounts to be paid on general account, £944 12s lOd ; on drainage Joan account, £B9O 6s. On a question of an amount of £302 17s, included as a credit in the general account, to be paid to the Waimakariri Board for rates collected on their behalf, Or Turner said that for a long time the Board had been asked to furnish a statement of the disbursements of the rates received from the Council, but this had not been supplied. Under the circumstances he considered it only fair to the ratepayers that they should be informed to what purposes the rates received from the city had been applied. He would move—* 1 That the amount payable to the Board mentioned in the town clerk’s sheet be struck out.” Or Ick seconded the motion. After remarks from members in favor of excising the amount, the motion was put and carried unanimously.

The city surveyor reported—”l. A plan showing the contemplated alteration opposite the Junction Hotel, Whately road, will be laid before the Council. The coat of the alteration will be about £l6. “2. Aldred street has been formed and shingled in a fit condition to be taken over by the Council, “ 3, I have examined Oliver street, and find that the question is one of drainage more than mere forming. The channels of the street are six inches below the concrete channel in Durham street, and therefore another means of surface drainage must be provided ; this, it appears to me, can only be done by running an open drain to the south drain or a covered one to the south belt sewer. The street is 40ft wide, and is about five chains from the south drain. “ 4. The channelling of Latimer square is finished ; that of Cranmer square will be finished in two or three days time, and similar work is commenced in Montreal street south. “ O. Walkdbn, City Surveyor.” No 1 paragraph of the report was agreed to. , . On No 2 clause being discussed, it was resolved, on the motion of Or Gapes, that Aldred street be taken over, it being understood that the ratepayers have the opportunity at present of altering the name of the street if so desired by them. After some discussion on paragraph No 3, Cr Gapes wishing that the surveyor should be asked to prepare art estimate of the cost of draining the street, it was eventually decided to refer the matter to the inspector of nuisances. The remaining clauses of the report were adopted. A letter was read from Messrs Packe Bros giving notice that unless the nuisance caused by the Council draining the side channel sewerage water through the watercourse originally called Free’s creek, and running from the North belt to Manchester street, through a section for which they are agents, is abated within fourteen days from date, steps would be taken by them to have this done. It was stated that a similar letter had been received by the Drainage Board, and that body had taken action in the matter. A letter was read in reply from the Avon Road Board, expressing their opinion that a footbridge would answer the requirements of traffic ever the river at the continuation of the East belt, and that they would be willing to contribute a sum of £SO for the purpose, In conjunction with this letter, the following resolution of Cr Hawkes’, deferred from last week, was considered—-” That competitive designs for a bridge over the river Avon, in continuation of the East town belt be advertised for, a premium of £4O to be awarded to the design accepted, and £lO to the second in order of merit. After Or Hawkes had addressed himself to the motion be was allowed to add the following words—” The cost of the structure not to exceed £2000.” After very lengthy discussion, the resolution was lost, only two members voting for. . „ Cr Turner moved—” That a sum of £ be appropriated to the purchase from Mr Morten of ten feet of land for the purpose of widening Colombo street.” In the coarse of his remarks Cr Turner said he had seen the owner, who was prepared to receive £3sooJor the land, and though prepared to give a title at once, would not be prepared to give up possession for sixteen months. The rentals would be retained by Mr Morten. Believing in the necessity of the city acquiring this land, he would move that the blank be filled up with the amount of £3500; if not, he would withdraw his resolution, It was necessary that an immediate answer should be given.

The Mayor seconded the resolution pro forma. Or Nathan considered that the price asked was positively exorbitant. Be would prefer in the interests of the ratepayers that the matter should be left over until the Public Works Act came into operation, so that the additional value which would accrue to the land might be included in any arbitration value that might be made. After further discussion, the resolution that Or Turner have permission to fill up the blank with the amount of £3500, was put and lost. Or Nathan moved the following notice of which he had given notice:—“ That the Council at its next sitting go into committee to consider a general schema for asphalting the footpaths within the city.” The mover in his remarks said that the result of a careful estimate had shown that the asphalting, which amounted to 4019 chains throughout the city could be done at the rate of 2s per yard, or £3 Ga per chain. The whole work would cost £13,262 14s, and giving an amount of £3OOO already voted by the Council, there would be left a sum of £10,262 14s to be provided, A penny rate in the £ on the assessment would produce £615 9a 3d, and this amount, at 6 per cent interest and 1 per cent sinking fund, would yield a sum of £BSOO, leaving a balance of £1462 14a. He proposed, however, to levy a special footpath property rate of £1 per chain over such portions as was proposed to be asphalted; this would yield £4019, leaving a balance of £2550 to the credit of the sum so raised, which, he thought, might bo well expended in asphalting street crossings throughout the town. So far as the special rate was concerned, he should like the opinion of the ratepayers taken as to its advisableness, by means of a

poll. It was his opinion that the advantages which would accrue to the ratepayers would be far greater in proportion than the small increased burden they would be asked to bear. As he saw the Council desired the resolution altered in the wording, he would ask permission to move the following—- “ That the scheme for asphalting the footpaths be referred to the works committee, with instructions to consider the plans proposed, and to submit the necessary details to this Council for its approval, with a view to taking the vote of the ratepayers at an early date.” Cr Turner seconded the motion. After a slight discussion the resolution was put and carried, with an understanding that the works committee should bring up a report at an early date, with a view to a poll of the ratepayers being taken. The usual weekly report of the Inspector of Nuisances was road and approved. The Council then adjourned until next Wednesday, at noon.