Show FROM MAYOR TURNER OGDEN utah march 1 1892 to the honorable members ot of the city council of ogden GENTLEMEN the first year of the term for which we were elected having passed away I 1 hare have thought that a brief report from myself to your honorable body would oot not be inappropriate but might be appreciated perhaps not only by youre elvea bat but by the citizens of ogden generally during the be past year I 1 have taken occasion to make many from I 1 the chair all 0 of f them have been tre treated a t by you with respect and considers tion and many if not the moat most of them have been wholly or partially carried out it la is impossible to condense into a bri brief report any considerable part of the details of the cites badness business and affairs and I 1 am relieved from the necessity at of euch such an attempt by the reports already submitted to yoa from the beads heads of the various departments depart mente I 1 theae these reports will give you a synopsis of 0 the work done in the various departments the expenditures in each etc which if it printed would give tho the cid citizens I 1 Z ans and taxpayers general information ae as to bow how and where the funds have been used As you are aware when the present administration was inducted into office city treasury was empty and the city wae was about fifteen dollars behind in meeting obligations already contracted tr FINANCES owing to the stringency of the money market and the depre depressing aging effect which this bad had on business for some time before we took our seat si the outlook for us was not very glittering flittering flitt ering bat on oa the contrary rather gloomy our very efficient committee on clances finances at once set to work to devise plane plans whereby to raise funds to redeem the unpaid warrants of the city some of which were I 1 in n the hands of parties who badly needed the cash and could not afford to carry i the paper or part with it at a discount the committee succeeded in borrowing ten thousand dollars for ninety days from three of our local banks which was need used in canceling the outstanding indebtedness of the city as far as it would go the same committee then recommended the issuance of one hundred thousand dot dol lare lars six percent per cent bonds which recommendation men dation wae was rati ratified by the council these bonds were sold at par and five per cent commission paid to the agent who was concerned in making the sale considerable unfavorable comment was indulged in about this at the time but when all things were taken into c consideration on I 1 it seemed to be e the very best beat that could be done at that time having secured this one hundred thousand dollars the proper committee at once made preparations to use the same to the best advantage possible in making many needed permanent and sub substantial improvements these improvements can ba be seen on every band hand CUT JAIL the first very important step made wa wae a to replace the old and inadequate city jil jail with a new and substantial structure which would not only answer the present need of our city but which would meet the demanda of the city for many years to come this structure ia is now dow a about bout completed and can be pointed to with pride as the most complete combined jail jalk and policy police court building bull dins for mn many v miles around it is not only a cr credit dit to the city in ite its exterior but its inter interior ioria is a model of convenience not only for the officers of justice who have business there but for the inmates of all classes who from tima time to time may be placed therein the general details show much good judgment on the part of all who have figured in ita its construction and equipment the total cost of this improvement will not be less than about twenty two thousand dollars FIRE department our fire department which had bad been receiving our attention to some extent was now seriously considered and such apparatus purchased ed as was considered to be absolutely necessary to conform to the demands of a growing city the old quarters not being at all suitable for the growing department it was deemed adas advisable able and I 1 consider averyt very wisely too to build two new stations a one on grant avenue for a central station and another on the bench rench the land for the bench elation was purchased at a very reasonable figure oar our own architects and contractors wera were employed in designing and erecting the buildings boil dinca and today to day I 1 a am m glad to report that both stations are on n the verge of completion and both buildings will ba be a credit to the city and ornain ornaments ente to the parts of 0 the city where they are located the effi efficiency clency this department part rement ment has now attained cannot but 9 be duly appreciated by all the citizens it speaks volumes in of the good judgment exercised by your body in preparing means for protection against fire to our constituents the cost of land and buildings and new now apparatus will not be much less lose than twenty five thousand dollars but this outlay will not have to bedur occur again for many years HOSPITAL the demands for a hospital had grown upon us to such each an extent that it seemed the fact could not be overlooked any longer that the present building buil dine and facilities were altogether Ina inadequate dequa is to 0 the demands made anade upon us un T this his matter received your our earnest attention and a very sultanie sul suitable tabie location consisting of an acre and a quarter of land wae purchased at a cost of three thousand five hundred dol dollar I 1 are plans prepared and a new building er erected the site is large and the building large e enough for many y years ears to come if proper arrangements can be made wi with t h other officials it seems to me that aid id should be given us to maintain this much heeded and greatly appreciated r belated institution so that the good safe ob objects acts sought by us mi might be attai attained ned without being very burdensome to the ct city I 1 the new hospital and farilla furnishings bings wilosn will cost about twelve thousand dollars exclusive of land SEWERS sewer ge district Li lie strict no 1 which was in an unfinished abata when we entered on our official duties has been completed and is to working very ite its benefit and advantages are being duly appreciated by many of our citizens and 1 alt although althon houth eh all adjoining property owners have not as yet taken advantage of its benefits I 1 trust and I 1 believe all will see the necessity y of connecting their premises prem with the sewer at no distant day other sewer districts have been established and about one end a half milea miles finished in districts te two and three and about three miles mues mote more are now la in of coa 1 I 1 1 tk k I 1 r I 1 1 it 1 A str action which when completed will be of creat great benefit to the localities through which it passes bat little has as yet been done towards paving our streets so many things were ere required that all could not be done at once and water gaa gas and sewerage connections should naturally be done as far as possible before paving ie is commenced your street committee have now under investigation the diff different trent materials used need for paving and arid I 1 fee feel well satisfied that when we do commence cwi mence to pave our streets tre etts the materials will be leod which experience has demonstrated to be the beet best so we certainly cannot afford to be the work ex peri mentore ora ia in this expensive i considerable work has bas been done the past year oa on our streets and for the amount expended viz about thirty i thousand dollars some it excellent xcell ent and permanent work has been done among the work accomplished I 1 would like to call your attention to the following ter very Y much needed and excellent work namely three blocks graded and graveled on wall avenue three blocks graded and graveled on lincoln avenue eight blocks graded and graveled on adams avenue three blocks graded and graveled OB olit thirtieth street abre blocks graded on jefferson narth washington avenue for over one mile has been graveled on the west half and I 1 would recommend the east half done to correspond as eoon soon as practicable twenty third street east ol 01 washington which has been an eye eore sote and a menace to the public for so many years baa has received our attention and it is now in a fair way to be made into a respectable and arid much ampro improved v ed thorough thoroughfare far e considerable work has also been done on twenty second awen ty fourth T twenty w enty sixth and twenty seventh streets etre ete and on hudson avenue on union square and I 1 trust your policy will be to let the good work go on and arid make street improvements just as fast as our finances will permit our streets were well sprinkled during the past year at no extra expense to the tax payers BRIDGES during our term we have paid off the debt amounting to on the washington avenue bridge and have contracted aeed tor for a new steel bridge across the weber at the foot of twenty fourth street this new steel bridge is in course of construction the old wooded bridge at this point having completely given out this new bridge is to cost about six thousand dollars one third of which ie is to be pid paid by weber county I 1 regret to eay say that very little has been done the past year in laying good permanent sidewalks eide walks property owners riving for their reasons for not doing th this 11 much nee needed d and im important work be scarcity of nione money y in many maidy instances and in others that it was their intention to build soon boom and they did not wan want t to construct good sidewalks now and have to p pull a 1 I 1 them up later on this matter t e r should not be overlooked b by y you 0 as it ia is certainly an injustice T t I 1 ca to those who have made this improvement to be compelled to travel over rough broken and muddy walks in the very heart of the city when others have is comp complied W with the requirements of the ordinances in ath other er parts of the city not near so densely traveled the complaints to me about this have been many and I 1 trust the matter will receive your attention at once PUBLIC GROUS our gar parka parks and public proux grounds ids have been well kept up I 1 and many have been abe compliments ad praises showered not only from visitors to our city but by our own citizens liberty park ie Is now almost ready to be opened td the iwho I 1 am confident will highly commend the good judgment and labors of the present and the former councils in beautifying this park one half of lester park ie is broken up and under way to be made an ornament to that agart part of the city and a pl place ace where abe tired citizen may retreat and seek that recreation which is cal calculated culat I 1 d to make him thankful that be he lives in ogden A very valuable ad addition has been made to the city ball hall grounds which adds much to the beauty of that part of ithe abe city some parts of union square I 1 are still in a very uninviting condition and should be cleared of 0 useless buildings ings and mat material matei exial ial and filled up as soon as practicable some more suitable eui table place than this tenure should be provided for bay wagons and carmera far mera teams steams if it it is the cites a duty to provide such a place it should not be in the very heart of the city where the nuisance caused is a great annoyance to passers by and at times become almost unbearable to the residents of the neighborhood A great many complaints have bave come to me about this always growing nuisance I 1 trust it may be remedied as soon av possible ELECTRIC LIGHTS it has been the policy of this administration to g grant rant about all of the petitions from citizens for street lights the con sequence is the service baa has been greatly extended the number of street lights having been increased from about thirty a year ago to seventy now of course this increase of I 1 light has greatly added to our expenses but it is in my judgment one of the most important im movements prove menta we have made as the taxpayers probably receive more value for their taxes from this one item of light at night than any other and besides it him proved to be a great preventative of crime SANITARY the sanitary condition of the city has greatly improved mostly on account of the bowers sewers but we are still without the means to effectually do away with dead animals and disease breeding garbage as burying these things under the surface of the ground only abates the evil for a short time the danger soon asserting itself again by filling the otherwise pure atmosphere with fumes fames the most annoying and pregnant with disease the matter of bury burying edg dead animals and keeping them buried has been a continued annoyance and expense per aland and I 1 am glad your honorable body bwy have now under unde consideration th the erect erection I 1 on of a crematory furnace to effectually t calit do away with all these things which ten tend to work against our good health and what is life without health while I 1 em am on this subject I 1 beg to call your attention to the present city cemetery which ia Is rapidly filling up and and we must soon be prepared to close the present cemetery altogether and open a new 0 one n e in connection with this I 1 will state th that f d the city owns forty acres of land about two miles south of the city hall bell which could be made a suitable place in my opinion roecs considering the size of our city the police force Is not large in numbers reports show the force has been active and efficient in its public service harmony prevails among the members and the work done seems very satisfactory grime crime seems to be decreasing especially holdups hold ups upa and burglaries the accounts and all business buel nesa matters of 0 the city and au clerical work of the I 1 1 1 4 ill reorder auditor and assessor and collectors offices are done and kept in the most thorough thoro agh abd businesslike manner and so far as I 1 know give universal satisfaction conclusion in conclusion I 1 wish to bay say my per tonal banks thanks are due to members of the council and all other members of the various departments of the city for their harmona and the courtesy extended to me and I 1 feel assured from the way yoo you have acted in the past plat that all will anile unite with me in working for the befit best interests of 0 the whole city WM H turner mayor |