WAITAKI COUNTY COUNCIL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26631, 29 November 1947, Page 4

WAITAKI COUNTY COUNCIL

Mr Adams Appointed Chairman At a special meeting of the Waitaki County Council yesterday morning, Mr J. S. Adams was appointed the new chairman of the council. There were two nominations for the position, Crs Adams and S. M. Taylor, and each received four votes in the ballot. Tire name of Mr Adams was drawn from a hat. The chairman’s honorarium was fixed at £IOO a year, or £SO for the remainder of this financial year. Crs Taylor, D. H. Scott, and W. J. Gillies were appointed the Finance Committee. Mr James Rodman, the retiring chairman. said that it was a privilege to inrial Mr Adams in the chair, because as far as he could remember the previous retiring chairmen had not had the opportunity of installing their successors. He congratulated Mr Adams, saying he was sure that, under his guidance, the work of the council would progress with satisfaction to the ratepayers. Cr Taylor also congratulated Mr Adams, who had been his colleague for 12 years, and he assured him he would assist him to the best of his ability. Mr Adams paid a tribute to Mr Rodman's services to the ratepayers for 21j vears as councillor, and 324 years as chairman. Mr Rodman, he said, had served the ratepayers well and faithfully, and he was sure the ratepayers realised and appreciated it. In resigning his office, Mr Rodman said he had derived a great deal of pleasure from his association with the council, and he hoped he had given some satisfaction to the ratepayers. During the war period, the work had been fairly strenuous, but they had surmounted their difficulties, and the council’s position today was much better than it had been for some considerable time. The finances were buoyant, and the county was free from any burden of debt, having valuable assets in houses and plantations. The programme of works, under the direction of the engineer. Mr Horner, and his assistants, would progress and would be of benefit to the ratepavers. He paid a tribute to the work of the retiring councillors. and congratulated the new councillors on their election. The chairman’s other duties, he said, would include his position on the Waitaki High School Board of Governors, the Glencoe and Moeraki Domain Boards, and on the Centennial Building Trustees. Monthly Meeting

Mr J. S. Adams presided at the monthly

meeting of the council, and also present were Crs S. M. Taylor, W. Muldrew, M. Francis, D. R. Borrie, D. H. Scott, R. N. Paterson, and A. H. McKinnon. A resolution of appreciation was recorded of the long and faithful services to the ratepayers by the retiring councillors, Messrs J. Rodman (21J years), R. B. Meek <214 years), W. E. Aubrey, and E. H. Aubrey. The resignation of Mr H. R. Stewart, Kurow, a lorry driver, was accepted with regret.

The North Otago Ladies' Golf Club, in a letter, sought improvements to the road between the town boundary and the golf links.-<-The request was referred to the chairman, Cr Taylor, and the engineer, who will make an inspection and present a report.

The Public Works Department at Waikouaiti wrote thanking the council for the work of the assistant engineer in connection with the recent deviation of traffic while the Kakanui bridge was closed. The engineer and county clerk will present a claim to the department for the replacement of metal on the roads usod during the deviation. The District Highways Council at Dunedin advised that the deviation of the Waiareka-Ngapara-Duntroon highway at Weston had several advantages, but agreed that the question should be shelved at present, and a dust-laying seal coat provided from the end of the present sealing to the second railway crossing, continuing thereafter with the normal type of sealing.

. m f, di c a l officer of health at Timaru advised that the charge for the health inspector s services would be assessed at the rate of 7d a head, scaled down to 66 miV Ce ™’ 0f cost fr °m October 1, 1947. The conditions were accepted bv the council, the arrangement with the Oamaru Borough Council to be continued Hprhpi-f S decided to support the Mount «nM?i e r f ol i n 1’ Councils remit to the !S”L, L K a C °SS?y

It was agreed to support the movement advocating reforms in the system of charging for State hydro-electrib power £™v?° Unt! i‘ ?? sseci for Payment totalled Board iivy S ot H°»Pital if 6 e b r“ n S|,r mltS '° lhe »'

Engineer’s Report r Jw! engineer.. Mr B. H. Horner, rcporteci that during the month the fourinile sealing stretch of highway from t‘m°h V aH C h the l l Vaitaki hydro-electric stat.on had been given a top course of metal fw£ rete , h i d r een P° urecl for the main Thc k n-J ab 0f ,le Q ue en’s Flat bridge. i oad c . ontract was almost completed and work on -the Fuchsia Creek bridge hod been started The engineer reported that the Public Works Department had informed him that a permit would be issued for the replacement of the Awamoko bridge, which would receive first priority. He was awaiting advice as to the type of bridge lequned so that plans could be prepared Mr Horner was authorised to proceed with preliminary arrangements for providing foundations for the bridge and to call for tenders for the construction of the bridge. Mr Horner also submitted a comprehensive report on the removal of willows from the Kakanui River and Island Stream at Kakanui. It was agreed to send the report to the Public Works engineer for consideration.

The engineer’s recommendation that the road to Colonel Cowie Nichol’s property at Kuriheka, which bad been ir. use for 20 years, be taken over as a legal road, was approved, the owner having signified his willingness to give the land free of cost.