St Albans Borough Council.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5108, 16 September 1884, Page 3

St Albans Borough Council.

An ordinary meeting of this Council was held last evening ; present — His AVorship the Mayor, Councillors Summerton, Bull, Dickinson, Smith, and Salter. Leave of absence was granted to Councillor Turner. NEW COUNCILLORS. Messrs AVilliam Brown, John Mann and George Kelly, the newly-elected Councillors, made the usual declarations and took their seats. BOROUGH AVORKS. Mr Eric West waited on the Council and represented that he was much inconvenienced through water lodging on a blind road opposite his residence, near St Matthew's Church. It was pointed out that the road was a private one, and not under the Council's control. The matter was referred to the AVorks Committee, to see what could be done. The AVorks Committee reported that the contractor for May's road had completed his contract, and was entitled to the balance kept in hand till the completion of the work. The report was approved Fr?:.v::%.-n. ; The Finance Committee reported that I tlie pay-sheet amounted to A - 17a <'>•-?. Tin ; I included Use balance i'or all nut^tanding j contract.;. Alter this trie pfiyiu '<:'* re- J quired to he made will le merely the current working expense.-:, ami the only oilier j items of any amount will bo for street ; lighting, which wiU come in at the end of

this month, .and therefore will not appear on the balance-sheet for this half-year. , The receipts since the last general meeting on August 18, were £20G 19s lid. The j debit balance at the Bank was stated is ; £208 Is. The report was approved. SLAUGHTERHOUSES. The Inspector of Slaughterhouses reported on the various abattoirs under the Council's control. Improvements were re- ! quired at Messrs Rouutree and Hart's J slaughterhouse. A concrete drain was required to the slaughterhouse on M'Fadden's road, for which Mr Couzens applied for a license. Councillor Salter inquired whether the slaughterhouse between Shirley road and Dudley creek road was within the Council's jurisdiction. He had heard that it was a nuisance. Tlie Town Clerk said the Council had not exercised jurisdiction over it. He doubted if it was within half a mile from the Borough. It was decided that notice be given to Messrs Rountree and Hart to make the necessary repairs ; that a license bo granted to Mr Couzens on condition that he makes the concrete drain referred to, and that the Surveyor measure the distance of the slaughterhouse near Dudley creek road, and if it was found to be within the Council's control, that notice should be given to have necessary repairs done. DRAINAGE MATTERS. A letter was read from the Drainage Board declining any responsibility in reference to the Edgeware road bridge. The Chairman said that he knew a legal opinion had been given to the effect that if the Diainage Board caused a culvert to be pulled up and a bridge built to meet their convenience, as had been done in this case, the Board was liable to keep that bridge in repair. The Board pleaded that they had no funds, but the Council was in the same position, and it was right that the Drainage Board should attend to works which really belonged to them. Councillor Mann and others pointed out that the bridge was unsafe for traffic, and it was resolved to refer the matter to the Works Committee to open a correspondence with tlie Drainage Board on the matter. The Drainage Board also wrote, stating that those ratepayers who desired a sump on St Albans lane, should apply for a connection with the storm-water sewer, the work being done to the satisfaction of the Board, by a licensee, at their cost. The Chairman explained that the Council had taken action in regard to this work. FALSE ALARMS OF FIRE. A letter was read from the City Council complaining of the inconvenience caused to the Fire Brigade by gorse being burnt in the Borough, and false alarms occasioned thereby. It was resolved that ratepayers intending to burn £orse be requested by advertisement to give notice to the Fire Brigade of their intention on the day previous. WIDENING CRESCENT ROAD. A letter from Mrs Scanlon was read, referring the Council to her trustees, Messrs D. Griffiths and Orchard, with reference to obtaining a strip of land from her section fronting on the narrow portion of Crescent road. The trustees would be willing to receive a deputation of the Council on Sept. 25. She was willing to give the land on condition of receiving a certain sum for the erection of her own fence. After some discussion tlie Mayor, the Works Committee, and the Clerk were appointed to interview the trustees on the matter. APPOINTMENT OF COMMITTEES. The following Committees were appointed : — Finance and By-law Committee — Councillors Turner, Smith and Kelly. Works and Sanitary — Councillors Ball, Salter and Summcrton. Building, Lighting and Street Naming — Councillors Brown, Dickinson iind Mann. Two to form a quorum of each Committee. , THE COUNCIL AND THE TRAMWAY. Councillor Salter drew attention to the quality and size of the metal that was put by the Tramway Company 021 the Papanui road. He produced two "small specimens," which had been obtained by him from the road. The specimens might be described as small boulders. The Town Clerk- said that, on behalf of the Works Committee, ho had written to the Tramway Company, stating that unless the large stones wo^? broken by them within four days from date the work would be done by the Council nt the Company's expense ; also requesting that for the future broken metal not larger thjvn 2\ inches be used by the Company. The Courcil approved of this letter. MISCELLANEOUS. The Town Clerk reported that he had looked up the corresisondence on the subject of the Gresford roads, and found that the Council had authorised their construction. Tlie subject of the bad condition of the roads on Church property, more particularly R.S. 321. was discussed, and the Clerk instructed to write to the Church Property Trustees calling their attention to the matter, in terms of the Municipal Corporations Act. Councillor Brown said that there was an idea prevalent outside that the Council had started with a surplus, and were now running the ratepayers into debt. If this was not correct, he would like to be iv a position to contradict it. He asked that new members of the Council who desire it bo furnished with a financial estimate for the current year, the balance-sheet of last year, and the financial position of the Council when St Albans was constituted a borough. The Clerk said he would see that Councillor Brown had the information supplied to him. The Council then adjourned to Oct. 13. !