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Show Water Bond Is Important Issue In City's Development Comprehensive Study Shows Need For Improvement Conditions Favor Immediate Im-mediate Action to Insure Future. Investigation by city officials of the necessity of bonding the city to improve the water-works system has brought out some interesting inter-esting facts. The system was first installed a little more than twenty years ago, at Which time the total bonded debt limit was about $1 7,-50'0.00. 7,-50'0.00. The cost of the system was about $35,000.00. To supply the deficiency some of the leading' patriotic citizens borrowed 'on their personal notes $15,000.00. and guaranteed the payment, to enable them to complete the system. However, at that time, event with the expenditure of all funds obtainable, it was not possible to mstall anything except wood pipe. i vote at a special municipal election on Saturday, May 9, 1931. If this election elec-tion carries, the city officials will have $30,000.00 available with which to pay for the outstanding bonds of $4,700.00 and replace all of the worn-out worn-out pipe line. The time for issuing these bonds is particularly opportune now because: first, the cost of cast iron pipe is now the lowest in history; second, municipal munici-pal bonds can be sold at a very good interest rate; third, because of the construction of the state highway between be-tween Gunnison and Sterling, and the state road commission and Sanpete county will replace approximately 4,500 feet of the existing line with new eight-inch cast iron pipe at a The system consists of nearly nine ' miles of main line six-inch wood stave pipe, besides ' the street latterals, most of which are two-inch galvanized galvaniz-ed iron pipe. For a great part of the distance the main line runs through soil heavily impregnated with alkali and other minerals very destructive to wood pipe. The inevitable result of this has been the almost continual replacing and repairing of the main line, involving in-volving an expenditure of several hundred hun-dred dollars each year. Notwithstanding all of this expense, Gunnison City has overcome all of these financial difficulties, having paid off all of the indebtedness originally origin-ally created for the installation of the water-works system with the exception excep-tion of $4,700.00, which amount repre- sents the balance of the unpaid outstanding out-standing bonds which were issued at the time the system was installed. In fact, this amount represents the total outstanding bonded indebtedness of Gunnison City. Now, however, the old wooden pipe line is practically worn out and in many places has completely broken down, to such an extent that a recent survey disclosed that 46 per cent of the water which is being turned into the pipe at the spring at Sterling is lost through leakage before it reaches reach-es the supply tank above Gunnison. It is for the purpose of replacing this line that the city officials have decided to hold a bond election for the purpose of raising funds with which to replace the broken-down main line ; and a bond election at which all qualified quali-fied voters who are taxpayers within Gunnison City are called upon to cost to the city of only about 25 cents per foot. I It is estimated that the replacing of this old worn-out pipe line will re-! re-! suit in the delivery to the 'citizens of nearly double the amount of v.-:. or now available. The most important part of any debt is the payment thereof. But under un-der the plan which has been proposed propos-ed and definitely arranged by the c.y council this proposed $30,000.00 ; nd will be paid off without any raise or increase in taxes or without any increase in-crease in the rate to water users. This is possible because the proposed bonds, when issued, will become due at the rate of $1,000.00 per year, and the present rate of taxation and of water rental, plus the annual saving in repairs to the system, will be ample to pay the $1,000.00 each year on the bonds and the accrued interest as well as to care for the general upkeep of the system. There is probably not a single other element so important to our daily comfort and to the development of our city as an adequate and efficient waiter wai-ter system, and to maintain such a system necessitates the expenditure ot money for replacing the present worn-out worn-out pipe line, and every good citizen of Gunnison is urged to give this matter mat-ter serious thought and support the improvement of the present water system by voting for the issuance of bonds at the coming bond election to be held on May 9, 1931. |