BOROUGH COUNCIL MEETINGS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13861, 26 March 1907, Page 3

BOROUGH COUNCIL MEETINGS.

NORTH-EAST VALLEY. Tho monthly meeting of the North-East Valley Borough Council, held last evening, wa.3 attended by the Mayor (Mr J. Campbell), Crs Macandrew Mowat. Evans, King, Green, Bolting, and Thompson. The Mayor welcomed Cr Evans on his icturn to tho council table after his recent illness. REPORTS. The Public Works Commit lee reported as followsTho second year of the general surface work contracts expires on the 22nd inst. Mr Baleman's contract is in a s&tistactory condition. Your committee recommends that a labourer he employed at Mr Herring's expense to assist in performing the work. Your committee will allow Mr Herring to surface Woodlands load before comincncing his next year's -,vork, and got the remainder done at his cost. Your committee recommends that a labourer be employed at Mr Gaylor's expense to surface Wain street and to finish Evans street, and that Mr Gaylor be permitted to surface the remainder before commcnciiin next yoP.r's work. Tho work of widening tlie Bell road is well in hand, and satisfactory progress is being made. It has been found necessary .to increase the length of protective fencing slightly so as lo give additional security. The footpath between Signal Hill road and Wain street- lias been .formed and screened as directed by your council. Mr George Ca'.dor is proceeding with his contract on road to Scenic Reserve. Mr Morrison has refused to permit a stone retaining wall to be built for the protection of his property, and the straightening of the loadwav, on tho ground that the wall would at its base cncroaoli upon the land occupied by him. The street name plates have arrived from England, and' your committee recommends that they be placed in position. Protective fences have been erected in two places at tlio side of Pine Ilill road. Your committee - rocommends that the application of W. Oweu and others for concrete channelling in King Edward street 1m not entertained at present; that Mr Robert Watt be permitted to deposit, clay on George street for ono month, and that the council utilise the clay for widening the road at the corner of John and Calder streets, lengthening the culvert by means of a wooden box for that purpose. Mi' Christie, on belialt of Howmin Bros., has applied for permission to lay an iron pipe beneath tho Main North road, and your committee has granted that permission with the distinct understanding that the permission is net to include any permission to divert water from, any natural watercourseAdopted. The Financo Committee reported the. district fund account (dr) £805 15s lOd, and the drainage rate trust account (cr) £21 14s 2d. The sum of £2CO lwd been jeccivcd on , account. of the Scenic Reserve road, and sums of f3O and i'so had been paid over to the commissioners of the sinking funds. The -treasurer had reported that- £160 had been paid for coupon interest in respect of the special loan of JE9OOO, and that the Auditorgeneral had refused to permit the council to reduce its special rate to Jd in tho pound, r.s requested. The committee recommended that accounts amounting to £191 -Is Id; district fund account, and 120, drainago rate trust account, bo passed for payment. Tho committee recommended that particulars of Drainage Board rates be afforded tho board, as requested, but that the board be informed ■that tho council decline to summons for ciiainagc into alone. Tho committee recommend the council to decline responsibility for auy portion of the tramway shelter shed at Normanby. The committee further reported having instructed the borough solicitor to draft the necessary resolutions to give .(fleet to the decision of the ratepayers lo borrow £3000 at per cent, for water supply purposes.—Adopted. The General Committee recommended t-liat the proprietors of Clnrk'6 laundry ho forbidden.. to deposit ashes in Anderson street. The committee reported having received a report of the late Jiouse-to-house visitation from tho Health Department, and had deferred consideration until next meeting.— Adopted. The Inspector (Mr Theodore Arnold), re temporary bridge at Bccchwortii road, reported slating that it would he as well to put four other jack piles in position at the eastern end before the winter set in, so as lo n.ako the decking more secure should the hank got washed away. There was no immediate danger,—Adopted. BOROCGII LIGHTING. The Water and Lighting Committee ten; dered their final report, which dealt fully with the progress of ihe water supply scheme since its engineer had submitted a map showthe levels that could be supplied from Iho three schemcs at the disposal of the council to the sanctioning of iho proposal by the ratepayers. Tho committee further reported with regard to street lighting, skiing that during (ho same period it had given its best attention to the obtaining of additional street lighting either by electricity or gas, as the City Corporation would not extend its mains for this purpose. In reply to tho advertisements, inquiries had been received from both .gas and elcotrical companies. The engineer then prepared plans of the reticulation for 50 street lamps which wcro sent to soven different firms and the City Corporation. After consideration, on receiving replies, tho committee recommended the council not to proceed further at present in the direction of additional street lighting. The cheapest serviceable otter had been made by the city—£4 10s 9 3-5 d per lamp, and the borough could not afford to pay this. No other firm's offer could bo entertained unless the couuoil agreed to guarantee a certain piivalo consumption. The committee was of the opinion that a suction gas plant for tho generation of electric lighting could lie installed on the council's land for £1500, and this plant would bo ablo to Ripply the council with electric lighting at about £2 Gs per per annum. The present price was £5 ss. Further considnrnlion must be dealt with by the incoming council, hut meanwhile tlio committee suggested that tho City Council bo anked to inslal lights upon its tramway poles on Main rocd. The offer ot tile City Council was attached.—The report was adopted, and 1 it was further resolved to thank tho committee for its reports. CORRESPONDENCE. 11. P. Harvey, AVain street, wrote stating that the loose clay gutter into which i.lio drainage from the neighbours' above him was_ being disposed was likely lo have a decidedly insanitary effect.—lnspector to report, to (lie General Committee. Albert L. Queunell, Glenaveu, wrote complaining of tlio stato oi the drain opposite his property.—lnspector to report lo Works Committee. The Secretary Ocean Beach Domain Board wrolo slating that a, meeting would be held on Wednesday, 27th inst.. for the purpose cf electing one member of the beard in place of Mr Isaac Green, who wns eligible for reelection.—lt was resolved that as many councillors alteud the meeting as possible.' Father Coffey wroto direct-in" attention to a drain crossing the road at the back of iho Convent, which was in an insanitary condition.—Referred to the General Comniitteo to act. if neccssarv.

Tho Auditor-general, in roplv, wrote stating that he could not consent to tlio spceial rato bt>inj! reduced and to the security for the loan boiiit? thus lessened, in anticipation of the present rateable value of the rateablo property being sufficiently increased to warrant tho reduction. There would be loss objection to the council collecting without his approval 110 more of the special rate tlmn was sufficient to pay (lie loan charges. The uncollected balance would then remain a legal liability for at" least two years after the rate bccamo due.-teeived. The Secretary ot Duncdin Drainage Board wrote enclosing copy of special resolution to act as special order which, if confirmed, would be duly forwarded to the council. The order recommended a general rate of 9d in the pound 011 the animai rateable value of every sewered property, •lltl in the pound 011 every miscwcrcd property, and 2d in the pouild oil the unseivercd property 111 the outer drainage area.—lleceivcd. The Secretary of tho Drainage Board wrote stating that the board, after making due inquiries, had Tcsolved to agree to •the council's recommendation to exempt the whoio of the outer drainage area within the borough Irom rating for out year from March 31, 1907. lveeeived. J. 'Wilkinson, solieilo!, wrote forwarding certificate required bv the Land Transfer Department as to Birchfield avenue being r.n existing road, and ashing that same be complete:!.—Left in the hands of the Mayor, chairman of Works Committee, and tho town clerk to act.

George Gorman wrote asking leave to take the soil off the road line between Birchtiehl avemio and Pleasant place.—Referred to tho Mayor, chairman of Works .Committee, and tlio town clerk. ' A petition was received from a number of residents in Sunnydale stating that they had learned with regret that tlio kerbing of tlie footpath in John street had not been proceeded with. It. wa9 requested that instructions be given tlmt Die work bs cxocuted at once.-Cr Green said lie thought the work should Ik carried out according to the resolution of the council, and he moved to that effect.—The Mayor said he had refused to sign the order for the work to go on. He considered that the road should bo widened at the same time, and tlie culvert lengthened, otherwise tile rood would he a veritable death tiap to vehicles. lie thought the matter should be referred to a committee with power to act.-It was decided not lo give effect lo "tlio petition. GENERAL. The General Committee was instructed to examino and report on the deed between the City Corporation and the borough with tcfercnoo lo the water supply.' It was resolved to accept W. W. Beid's tender for the lease of the council's endowment at Waijiori at 4d per acre per aniniiu for a period of seven years. A special meeting was held prior to the ordinary business for tho purpose of confirming a special order declaring certain private streets within the borough public streeis, Tho Works Committee was instructed to report oil the matter of 10 chains of concrete lterbing and channelling at Glonaven, for which the ratepayers have been specially taxed. Ihe Mayor, Cr King, and the inspector wore instructed lo wait on Mr F. Smith, factor of the Church Board of Property, with a view to obtaining permission to erect a training wall on Morrison's boundary road at Opolio. POltl- CHALMERS. Tho fortnightly meeting of the Port Chalmers Borough Council was held in tho Council Chambers last evening; present— The Mayor (Mr Isaac Stevenson), Crs Cable, llor gan, Shanks. Edgar, Brandham, Mawson, M'Donald, and M'Phorson. An apology for non-attendance was forwarded by Cr Barker. SPKCIAI, MEETING. Before proceeding with the general business a special meeting was held for tlie purpose of striking tho following rates for the 12 months commencing on April I:—General rates, Is 3d in the pound; water rates, in terms of section 102 of "The Corporations Act, 1900"; and the sanitation rates in terms of section 10S of " Tlie Municipal Corporations Act, 1900." CORRESPONDENCE. The District Engineer of Railways wroto stating that his attention had been called to the state of the sewer outfall at Mussel Bay, and that tlie matter would bo looked into at an early date.—Received.

J. M. liarland, secretary of the District High School Committee, wroto stating that tlie committee declined to tako any responsibility re retaining mil, and urging tho council to bring the matter before the proper parties as soon as possible with a view to its being repaired before an accident happened lo any of the school children.—Cr Edgar stated that the matter was being attended to, and tho letter was received. Mrs M. ltitchie wroto asking permission to make an addition to the ground floor of her premises in George street to accommodate tho tenant until the present building is replaced by one to bo built of brick.— Request declined, being 'contrary to the bylaws. ' I REPORTS. The Finance Committee reported that accounts received ' since last meeting amounted to £70 5s 8d; accounts amounting to £62 18s lid were recommended for payment. The committee reported having forwarded the council's quota towards "the cost of actuarial lcport on the proposed superannuation scheme, with a memo, stating that the council does not bind itself to accept any scheme put forward.—Adopted. The Works Committee reported that the formation of the footpath, in Burns street had been completed, and the weather being favourable for other work, matters had been temporarily left in abeyance. The sewer outfall at Mussel Bny had been attended to, and the footpath on Flagstaff Hill had been made up with quarry spoil. Various footpaths had been asphalted and repaired as required, aud in some instances widened and .raised lo a >higber level. Portion of the Peninsula Beach road had received a topdressing of cinders, and several crossings had been similarly improved by a coating of tar and sand. Water channels in Grey, Magnetic, and Currio streets are now bsing attended to, whilst the work of asphalting and repairing footpaths will be pushed on as quickly as possib'c. During the sexton's leave on holiday the cemetery had been placed under tho control of tho inspector.— Adopted,