GREY BOROUGH COUNCIL

Grey River Argus, 20 July 1945, Page 3

GREY BOROUGH COUNCIL

monthly meeting HFLD The Mayor (Mr F. A. Kitchingham) presided over last evening’s monthly meeting of the Greymouth Borough Council. Also present were: Crs P. Blanchfield, J. E. Stokes, H. Hutchinson, G. R. Harker, J. B. Kent and F. F. Boustridge, also the Town Clerk (Mr F. H. Denton) and the Borough Engineer (Mr A. J. Fairmaid'.). The secretary, Grey Hospital Board forwarded a statement of accounts for 1944-45, estimated receipts and expenditure for the current financial year, etc. The Mayor remarked that the levy on the council was just a little below that of last year. The secretary, Municipal Association, advised that the Minister of Finance had agreed that any loss occasioned public abattoirs due to various control orders and rationing or due to wage increases would be met by allowing abattoir charges to rise after due investigation by the Price Tribunal and' the Department of Agriculture. —Referred to the Abattoir Committee. The sanitary inspector' (Mr L. W. Reid) forwarded a copy of, a requisition served on Mrs Swetnam that she carry out certain improvements to a house property at 3 Leonard Street. It was suggested that if the owner failed to take immediate action the council consider issuing a closing order. —The report was received and further consideration' held over till the next meeting of the council, when the time limit stipulated in the requisition will have expired. The County Clerk, Westland County Council, advised that the proposal to establish an abattoir to serve the whole of the Coast was not favoured by the council. The County Clerk, Grey County Council, asked for further particulars of the proposal. The Maypr said he thought it would be necessary to have some more concrete proposal than had been put forward in the past. At his suggestion it was decided to approach the Agriculture Department and the Medical Officer of Health for a report on suitable sites for an abattoir for the whole of Westland and to advise the Westland and Grey County Councils of what was being done. The secretary, Westland District Progress League, wrote asking that something- be done about the poor lighting of the street past the northeast approach to the railway station coming from and going to Cobden. —Referred to the Works Committee with power to act. The Registrar, Court of Arbitration, advised that the Court had on July 16 made an order amending the Greymouth Borough Council Labourers’ Award in terms of the agreement of the parties. The Karoro Bowling Club wrote, in connection with the proposed lease of a portion of the Borough Reserve to the club, stating that the committee was anxious to proceed with the formation of the green. The Borough Engineer had stated that owing to shortage of labour he would not be able to complete the work in connection with the drain for about three months. His willingness to assist was appreciated and the difficulties he faced were realised. What, concerned the committee, however, was the definition of the area available. It was understood that the council was negotiating with the Government on the matter and information regarding the position was asked for. —Left in the hands of the engineer for a reply. The Mayor read an extract from a report of a meeting of the executive of the Municipal’ AssociatiQp, which stated that in response to a request of the Association the Minister of Finance had agreed to pay rates on Departmental houses other than State rental houses and other than those occupied by employees of a particular department for the more efficient prosecution of the work of that department. Further, the Government had agreed to pay rates on houses where the State was the mor-tagee-in-possession on the basis of occupancy in future, in lieu of the present arrangement on the basis of rent received.

The Mayor said that a question arose where the Government had taken over a property and paid special rates on it but when the loan in respect of which the special rates were levied was paid off the Government’s liability was at an end. Municipalities continued to borrow, and it was a question as to whether Gov-ernment-occupied houses would be free of special rates when the loans were paid off or whether’ they would be liable for special rates under loans raised later. It was decided to write to the Municipal Association asking for information on the question of whether Government houses would ' e free of rates except general rates. Reference to the erection of the Neon-lighted clock in Tainui Street was made by the Maypr and it was decided to thank the donor. In the course of his monthly report the engineer stated that the resevoir had been kept full by an average daily pump run of 17.43 hours. The northern end of the Recreation Ground had been ploughed and thusjeft exposed to the weather pending sowing in due course. Seven building permits for work valued at £1,896 had been issued during June. WORKS COMMITTEE Westland Auction Co. Ltd. wrote asking for permission to construct on the west side of their premises in Mackay Street a short verandah of wood and iron. The recommendation of the Works Committee, that Westland Auction Co. Ltd., be granted a permit for work in conformity, with the Borough By-laws, was adopted. Mr. Gordon Patterson wrote stating that no purpose was served by stipulating the building of a parapet on the back wall of the garage he was building and asking the ' Council to give this matter consideration as it added unnecessarily to the cost of the building. The Works Committee recommended that Mr. Patterson’s application with reference to the building in the course of erection in Tarapuhi Street be declined. The Mayor said that the pap'aret on the side of the building had been waived as there was space at the side of the building, but at the back Mr. Patterson was building right up to the boundary. The case was a difficult one as it was in a residential area, and if they were going to have parapets at all this was a case where there should be one. Cr. Kent said that as there was to be glass along the back of the building no useful purpose would be served by a parapet. It would only be a penalty and he did not believe in that. Cr. Hutchinson said he agreed with Cr. Kent. It was only nutting the builder to unnecessary expense. The Mayor said that Mr. Patterson had come and asked for a concession which had been 1 granted and now he had come back and asked for more. After perpsing the plan the Mayor said that Mr. Patterson had asked for exemption from parapets along each side ;■ and when the matter was discussed an 18-inch parapet at the back * of the building was stipulated. / The recommendation was adopted. Mr. W. Caldwell. 36 Chapel Street, wrote stating that he intended to terrace the front fef his property by putting in concrete' walls. To do this it would be necessary to encroach on

the street line and he asked whether the street was likely to be continued on the south side past the Alexander Street intersection. .The Works Committee recommended that Mr. W. Caldwell be advised that he may, terrace the street on the frontage oi the property provided that the retaining wall close to the formed roadway shall not encroach upon the street, beyond a line from the intersection of the south eastern building line of Alexander Street with the southern building line of Alexander Terrace, and 30 feet from the intersection of that building line with the northern building line of Chapel Street, the footing of the wall to be at a depth to be fixed by the Borough Engineer' and the whole work to be done to the satisfaction of the Borough Engineer. The recommendation was adopted. The secretary of the Blake-town-Preston Road Ratepayers’ Association, wrote asking if it would be possible to make a rounded corner on Mr. De Goldi’s section at the intersection of Rigg and Reid Streets. It was stated that children crossing the street were unable to see approaching traffic, and that there was danger of a fatal accident. The recommendation of the Works Committee, that Cr. Herring and the President of the Blaketown Ratepayers’ Association interview the holder of the' property which would be affected by the proposal to set back the corner at the intersection of Rigg and Reid Streets, was adopted. It was also decided on the recommendation of the Works Committee to accept the resignation of Mr. H. T. Trouland and to write to him expressing appreciation of the services given by him. Other recommendations of the Works Committee were: (1) Th&t the Borough Engineer’ report upon plant for the carrying . out of Borough works, and upon the use which would be made of that plant; (2) 'Drat the Borough Engineer arrange for the erection of street lights in Monro Street in accordance with the spacing elsewhere adopted in the Borough; (3) That the site of the old Fire Brigade's reel house on the Tainui Street frontage of the Children’s Park be approved for the erection of Public conveniences for both sexes, and that the Borough Engineer prepare plans accordingly,; (4) That concrete kerbing and channelling on the north-western side of High Street between Buccleugh and Franklin Streets be proceeded with following completion of footpath work on the block bounded by Shakespeare, Marlborough, and High Streets and' Paroa Road; (5) That the Borough Engineer be authorised to negotiate with the Grey Hospital Board for the connection of the hospital sewers to. the borough sewerage system ,the basis of negotiation to be nett cost of carrying out the work; (6) That a new station governor house be erected at the gas works upon completion of the Preston Road sewage pumping station. These were adopted.