WORKS IN BOROUGH

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 52, Issue 3767, 10 June 1936, Page 5

WORKS IN BOROUGH

SEVERAL STREETS TO RECEIVE ATTENTION. WORKS COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN’S RECOMMENDATIONS. ADOPTED BY COUNCIL. Cr J. C. Monteflore, chairman of the Works Committee, presented the following report to the Borough Council on Monday evening, explaining that he and the works foreman had devoted a good deal ot time and thought to spending the available money to the nest advantage, and the outcome was tho recommendations contained in tho report:—

In presenting my report of the most desirable street works to be un dertaken this ensuing year, I want particularly the whole of the Council to carefully peruse it. We must fully realise that the work we are putting into process is of a permanent nature, and therefore after completion cannot be easily altered, so that it is imperative that the whole Council should be in unison with the specifications or take this opportunity of reconstructing or deleting any part as it thinks necessary. When that is done, I can assure you, my committee will do its part to sea that the wishes of the Council are fulfilled.

Alexandra Street, from College Street to the railway station road: I propose to lay down a foundation of cheap rubble with a covering of two yards to the chain of clean metal, rolled lightly and sealed. This road will be sealed then from kerb to kerb a distance of 54 chains and costing £226. I am basing all my estimates on £4 per week per man, and they are included in the total expenditure. From Rewi Street to College Street: Twenty chains on each side. This could be left until later in the year, although I would like to see it done if we have funds in hand. This job only requires scarifying the present metal with a little screenings added, rolled lightly and sealed. The cost would be £45.

College Street: This is a very difficult street owing to its wide footpaths and narrow, cocked-up-in-the-air roadway. I propose to save the present bitumen and by cutting back the footpath to 10 feet, which gives an extra 14 feet road, on the eastern §ioe, kerb and channel 14 chains, metal and seal to channel. Cost £145. This will leave the southern side until money is available to enable it to be done when it becomes necessary. George Street, from Arawata Street to the corner opposite the park gate: A concrete path 10 feet wide, to be continued from that point to Park Road 7 feet wide; 16 chains in all. Cost £153. Fraser Street: This street carries a lot of heavy traffic and to ease the cost of upkeep I would suggest sealing the whole 20 chains, the estimate of which will cost £154. Jackson Street: This street has given me much thought, inasmuch as whatever you do it will cost a good bit of money. There is only one practical way of doing it, and that is to reduce the hill grade. At this point you will have to cover the sewer with a concrete cap, as it will only be a foot under the surface. Kerb and channel both sides, make up filling at the bottom in conformity with the gn.de and provision made to carry all water to the southern side, removing of metal and replacing same, including sealing. Total cost £265. The bigger part of this work is labour. Young Street: This street is another of the wide footpath style with a narrow roadway, carrying a lOin camber. What I propose to do in this street is to lift the metal, take the belly out, reduce the camber down to 3in, put the metal back again, and roll it tight. It will then be ready at any time to be sealed, when money is available. This is purely a labour job. Cost £l2O. Wallace Hill: Kerbing and channelling 12 chains, grading and forming footpath. Extending kerbing from Teasdale Street to the hollow at foot of hill. The hollow to be filled in and graded so as to meet both grades for a distance of half a chain, the filling at the deepest point will be 2ft 6in. The road to be piped so as to carry the water from Teasdale Street to the watercourse on the southern side. The total cost will be £BB, df which three parts will be labour. Park Road: Lifting of the kerbing from the Sloane Street intersection for 5 chains and concreting the water table for 32 chains. Concreting footpath from brickyard entrance to connect with the portion already sealed, a distance of 14 chains. Kerbing and chinnelling 10 chains and forming footpath to George Street. Total cost £9B 15s.

Sloane Street: Concreting footpath fiom Les. Armstrong’s building to Park Road corner, 10 feet wide.

The whole total of expenditure is £1374 15s.

The Mayor said Cr Monteflore had put in a good deal of time with the works foreman in preparing the report. It was a very comprehensive one. The Works Committee had made no recommendation, thus leaving the Council as a whole a free hand in the matter of accepting it wholly or in part. He commented that the recommendations were thoroughly considered, and prepared with a realisation that there is only a limited amount of money available. Cr Monteflore explained that the report did not place streets in order of preference or urgency. They were merely the streets most in need of attention, and the Council could indicate which should be dealt with first. The Works Committee would then be able to proceed. Cr Monteflore, as chairman of the works Committee, explained the report more fully, and said that the whole cost was £1364, and this estimate was on the conservative side. He anticipated that there would be a Government subsidy (on labour) of about £5OO, thus reducing the borough’s liability to about £850.’ 4 The Council considered the report. Cr Rainey expressed full support of the recommendation regarding Alexandra Street.

The Mayor said he was assured the Beautifying Society would appreciate the improvements. Cr Brown inquired re Laurie Street, and he was assured that planned work there is practically completed. Cr Wallace commended the second

plan for College Street. He liked to see the wide footpaths. The Mayor said that street is in need of repair, and he indicated that when he subdivides his property there would be increased traffic. Cr Brown said the footpath between the hospital and Alexandra Street is urgently in need of repair. The Mayor commented that if the works approved cost the Council £lOOO it would still be well within the estimate.

To Cr Rainey, Cr Monteflore said the work in Jackson Street would result in improving the junction with Herbert Street.

It was suggested that some of the streets be sealed straight away, but it was pointed out that best results can be obtained by sealing in the summer time.

To Cr Jourdain, Cr Monteflore said Young Street could not be sealed without reconstruction. The scarifying should be consolidated by traffic before sealing is done. Cr Jourdain feared that the sealing, it delayed, may not be done at all. The Mayor commented that if that happened Cr Jourdain would be very remiss for allowing it to be left unfinished.

Cr Monteflore said Young Street metalling had been used for about eight years, and the surface was fairly badly worn. Cr North explained that in lifting the kerbing in Park Road only a short length from Sloane Street was affected.

Cr Gifford remarked that when the £40,000 streets loan was expended a few years ago Park Road did not receive its full allocation.

With regard to Sloane Street, the Mayor said the Post and Telegraph Department had, long ago, undertaken to reinstate the footpath in front of its premises. Cr Gifford called attention to the pot holes in Sloane Street footpath, from Rickit and Sons’ shop premises almost down to Herbert Street, except for the length of concrete , in front of Holmes Bros.’ premises. The bitumen was perishing. Cr Gifford said it would be inadvisable to renew the footpath in front .of the post office property in view of the remodelling of the post office at an early date. The Council approved the Committee’s recommendations affecting Alexandra Street, College Street, George Street footpath, Fraser Street, Jackson Street, Young Street, Wallace Terrace, Park Road and Sloane Street

Cr Rainey congratulated Cr Montefiore and Mr Close upon their very comprehensive report.