| Show THE NEW CITY COUNCIL shortly after seven february 18 members and members elect of the city council began to arrive at the council chamber the old members took their accustomed seats w while hi e in a row of chairs just within the desks sat some of the liberal members and the contestants from the third and fourth wards the extra space in the council room and the ante room was occupied by spectators who were present in a dense crowd soon after the proceedings roce edings began by request orthe of the mayor treasurer whitney opened the proceedings with prayer 0 the minutes of the meeting beet were read and approve approved during the reading of the minutes mayor elect scott entered and took a seat by the side of mayor armstrong louis hyams recorder elect occupied a seat in the northeast corner of the chamber announced a number of petitions and communications had been filed and suggested that as they were new business the council should decide whether it would consider them or leave them to the new council on motion bottan they were laid on the table for the new council recorder wells made a report of the filing of a I 1 blat bat showing certain waterworks water works extensions which had been ordered received and adopted jesse W fox jr made a report odthe of the cites share of the capitol hill reservoir adopted marshal solomons report from jan I 1 to date vas accepted and the amounts called for there therein iii appropriated upon matters of routine but unimportant business were read and adopted the committee on sewerage reported favorably on a report of expenses on sewerage the committee on waterworks water works reported upon certain extensions that had been made adopted the committee on oil irrigation returned as unfinished business sev veral petitions which h id been referred to then them and reported on a number of minor matter which had been under consideration by them the committee on cemetery re commended that the former city sexton J E taylor be reimbursed in the sum of for cemetery lots lota sold but not paid for the certificates for the lots to be held by the city adopted and amount appropriated the committee on enrolment reported certain ordinances and resolutions which had been enrolled and published on the suggestion of recorder wells was appropriated to cover deficiency to date in the water department in themire the fire department to the contingent fund of the street supervisor to cover the cost of crushed rock and excavating for the new city and county building 2000 to the water works to liberty park department and to the sewerage fund the recorder here announced that the table was clear of all current business the mayor then said gentlemen of the council current business has all been completed mr hyams the recorder elect is present and has a bond in readiness for filing he will step forward and be sworn in mr hyams came forward and recorder wells administered the oath to hi him in his bond was tor for aud the sureties were jacob moritz and sam levy mayor armstrong then made a few valedictory remarks substantially as follows gentlemen of the council my successor is ready to be sworn sorn in I 1 thank each and every one of ewt for the support you have rendered to me and I 1 trust our relations will continue as friendly as they have been heretofore M J recorder hyams then administered the oath to mayor elect scott who at once assumed the presidency of the proceedings AS soon as mayor scott had signed the oath re order hyams called for the certificates and bonds of members of the new council without unnecessary confusion these were handed in while the new recorder was examining them ex recorder wells busied himself in arranging papers relating to the business the council bad just disposed of at length recorder hyams said mr president I 1 have here certificates of election accompanied by bonds of the following gentlemen naming all of the liberal members continuing be said 1 I have bonds filed by the following gentlemen not accompanied by certificates of election calling the names of the peoples peopled party members from the third and fourth precincts mayor scott said the gentlemen who have filed certificates of election with their bonds will please stop step forward and be sworn in R W young one of the peoples peopled party member select then said mr president I 1 respectfully ask on behalf of myself M J tuddenham J fewson smith oscar H hardy frank H hyde and ell eli A folland that our bonds be approved and that we be permitted to take the oath of office mayor scott the bonds cannot be accepted as aa they are not accompanied by any certificate of election nor can the gentlemen presenting them be sworn mr young we make the further request that tha the gentlemen pie benting certificates of election from the third and fourth precincts be not sworn in until the appeal taken from the decision of the district court in our favor shall dball be decided mayor scott not having had any official notice of the notion action of the court I 1 shall have to decline the request and allow the gentlemen to be sworn in who have certificates of election all ali the liberal members elect then tood stood in a group before the recorders table and that official administered to them the me oath of office mayor scott then made a few remarks saying substantially 1 I feel my inexperience and trust you will bear with me I 1 desire to be just and impartial and hope our labors may result in the best good of the city I 1 also appreciate the kindness of the retiring mayor and recorder and express my thanks to them he then announced that the next business in order was the approval of the bond of the treasurer J JB B walden which was done by vote of the council the bonds of assessor and collector E R clute and of marshal john M young were next approved after which they and the treasurer stood in a group and were sworn mayor scott tan toon arose and remarked substantially it is customary for the mayors of our cities on their inauguration to deliver a message to the city council making such suggestions and recommendations as they may may see fit in compliance with this custom I 1 dillwith will with your permission read what I 1 have prepared he then read his message as follows gentlemen of the atty C council bu neg we have assumed the highly important duty of administering the affairs of our city for the next two years an ordinance of the city makes it my duty to address communications to you from time to time and elsewhere it is the custom to do dose so at the first meeting after election with which custom I 1 now comply my want of knowledge of the details of the city government will be a sufficient excuse for brevity and for confining my remarks to matters of general interest and for hea bearing harng special plans and details until we have had opportunities for consultation and have obtained fuller information than we now have at hand band we have all been elected on a platform pledging us to a faithful and honest ad ministration administration of public affairs and to carrying forward in a vigorous and progressive mariner manner such public improvements as are necessary as fast as the revenues reveau of the city economically expended will permit the pledge to manage the business of the city honestly anti and faithfully to is one we can redee mand if we fail in this we can have no excuse to render to our fellow citi zens it is the history of all cities entering upon a of rapid growth that its public improvements are inadequate and new improvements must be made on plans and in magnitude looking not only to the present but also to what may reasonably be antica anticipated abed in the future all growing cities cities meet this state of affairs and we should be encouraged rather than discouraged by the fact that our city has reached this stage of growth and development and and that we have now to provide for this new condition of things thing of course our first duty is to continue the municipal government of the city in this we shall be guided by the charter and ordinances and we have the power within the limits prescribed by the charter to make such further ordinances as may be required to preserve good order peace and morality it is doubtful whether within the limit of taxation we eau can command the revenue required to carry on all desirable improvements at the same time if we cannot we should select those which are most necessary to the welfare and prosperity of the city and which form the basis of the improvements to follow and complete what we un stanislal der e in the best and most substantial manner one of our most pressing needs is a sufficient clent water supply in our climate we require for sprinkling streets and lawns and for trees and irrigation a more abundant supply or of water than cities of uke like size and similar prospects elsewhere but I 1 do not doubt that practical plans to obtain an ample supply of water at reasonable expense can be found various plans have been suggested and I 1 do not now feel sufficiently informed as to their relative merits to make any specific suggestions at this time but I 1 recommend that this subject be taken up and pursued as soon as possible and that cihat steps keps be taken to protect and preserve such water rights as an the city now has and also procure further supplies all who see the condition of our streets and sidewalks will agree that their improvement is a sub act only second in importance to the water question and that measures for their improvement should be taken at once and followed as fast as revenue can be provided permanent grades should be established and the work so far as it progresses thoroughly done with a view to permanence the sewerage system inthe in theida sewerage district lot is so far adeau that it can be considered in connection with the streets street and sand sidewalks of that district the laying of the sewerage pipes in that district should be corn completed feted and the connection of the gidings buildings with the pipes be required for sanitary reasons and also to prepare the way for a more permanent improvement of the streets and sidewalks in other districts outside of district number one the urgent necessity for some improvement of the streets and sidewalks will probably not permit the question to rest to await sewerage and in the residence portion of the city a paved side walk narrower than the space allotted to sidewalks would be adequate BO so sewerage connections made later on would not materially affect it my attention has been called to the sprinkling of the streets the improvement pro of city parks ana and to other subjects connected with public improvements prove ments all of which are desirable and should have your attention I 1 strongly recommend that all work done by the city as far as possible shall be done by contract in accordance with the ordinance on that subject the subject of listing real estate for city taxation by blocks in place of the present method has been suggested ea to me and the reasons in favor vor of it seem to be strong it gives the assessor an opportunity to see me that no property is omitted the taxpayer has the best opportunity to compare the valuation of his own property pro arty with wit that of the land and improvements adjoining and the board ard of equalization q tion has a like advantage van e of combar comparison on and can see that the assessments are fairly and equitably made I 1 commend this subject to your attention the city and county are jointly erecting a public building for the use of both As work and expenditures have begun an I 1 think the city should unite with a the county in hastening its completion whatever we may do or attempt t to do we shall constantly have to keep in view the question of revenue and that we must be limited by a reasonable taxation not oppressive to any class of our citizens I 1 recommend that as soon as our committees are formed there be a C careful are ful inquiry and full re report on oil the financial condition of the city showing the probable available revenues of the city the sources from which it will be derived what power the city has haa to borrow money and an estimate of the probable expense of the city for ordinary municipal business we can then arrive at an approximate estimate of the sum we can expend for permanent improvements in a growing city and for necessary improvements I 1 thick it is proper to use the credit of the city to a reasonable extent the city should get money at a lower rate of interest than it is now worth to the taxpayer and if the growth of the city meets with our anticipations the payments will be easier from the increase in the value of city property it is both unnecessary and impractical to now take up the details of city business and after consultation and deliberation on the various sub geots as they arise from time to time I 1 hope we shall be able to reach the best conclusions and adopt the plans and measures most beneficial to the city the message was received with applause hall moved that the message be filed with the city recorder carried recorder hyams then read the resignation of city attorney rich ards and the council decided that it should take effect february 21 the recorder also read the resignation to take effect immediately of alfred solomon as chief of police I 1 jailor market master and inspector of provisions the council voted to accept it but no date was mentioned mayor scott said chere were a number of petitions and commini on the table and a motion to ly lay them over would be proper the motion was made and carried ar ried hall asked if marshal solomons resignation took effect tonight and thought if it did a chief of police ought to be arranged fori for at once As there was a doubt as to the effect of the vote on the resignation he moved that john M young be appointed chief of police carried he also moved that john M young be appointed jailor carried mayor scott suggested that the offices of market master and inspector of provisions might remain unoccupied till the next meeting of the council he also suggested that a committee on rules and order of business should be appointed A motion to that effect being carried he appointed parsons anderson and karrick hall moved that members of the council be provided with copies of the revised ordinances of the city by the recorder carried at th this 18 j juncture re H S flauey j justice us of the peace elect from the first precinct stepped forward and said mr president the legislative and executive departments of the city being now organized we naturally come to the judicial I 1 ask that my bond as justice of the peace be approved and that I 1 be sworn in the oath of office was administered by the recorder when the council adjourned the business was all dispatched quietly and with perfect order |
