Council Meeting

A special meeting of the couucil was ïeld Monday evefclng, nearly :i tul] quorum beinr present. Tbc flrst business trtoucted was the report of the comtnlttee appoiDtad somcthne since to consider the proposition of he M. C. R. R. Co. to eroct a bridge over he Detroit and Pontiac street crosslngs. The report was reacl by Prof. J. B. Davis, as follows : To the Honorable Oouncll of lh City Of Ann Arbor, Michiuan : Gentlemen :- The committee of aldernicn and citizens to whom was referred the matter of considering the necessary arrangements for new passenger station buildings herc upon the Michigan Central Railroud, respectfully report as follows: They organized by choosing Mayor Kapp as chairman, and .1. B. Davis as secretary. The seeretary was directed to inforra the Chief Engineer of the M. C R R. that this couimittee was prepared to consider any business connected wlth lts work. A letter was sent as above directed by the secretary. A reply to this letter was received from Jas. D. Havvks, Esq., chief cr.ginecr of said railroud, with plans and sketches for the proposed new buildings. These were sent to the secretary and received by bun. The letter asked for aconlerence with thu committee Saturday, p. ui., Fb. 13th, The committee was callcd together accordlng to the request. The couimittee met upon cali of its chairman in the council room at 3 p. ui., and received from Mr. Hawksthe following proposition, In writiDjf, for the Michigan Central Railroad Co : Ann Arhob, Mich., Feb. 13, 1886. To the Committee on Station Buildings ior the Michigan Central Ra'Uuay: Gentlemen- I propose for the Michigan Central Kailway to erect a new station at Ann Arboraa per plans submltted in connectlon wlth an overhead crosslug at Pontlac aud Detroit streels oa tbe IoIIowídk terms : The city of Ann Arbor to close State street from Kuiler street to the uorth slde of the 'rallway ilKlilof way ol the il. U. H. R. and Page streel between Kuiler Street and Broadway. and chaugu the grade of Detroit and Pontiac streel s so as to perralt au overhead liridge wllh approaches of the same grade as the fontlac aud Detroit street hlll just below Kuiler street, aud pay the Michigan Central Kailway Compuuy üö .000. The Mlohiguu Central Railway Company to erecta station at a cost of about iWU.OOo, to grade the approaches for the bridge and erect the bridge of wooden spans, sald approaches to be 24 feet wide for the roauway aud 6 feet wlde for the sldewalic. Also to open and malntaln in good conditlon a roadway and sidiwalk from State street to the station. Huiil bridge to have a tight high fence on each slde. The sidewaiks on approaches to have a hand rail along thelr outside, and the opposite side of the roadway to have a strong guard fence along it. The sewer pipe now running under the tracks of this railway to be extended so uk not to obstruct the llow of water. Respectfully Yours, J. D. HAW'KS. Chief Engineer Michigan Central Kailwaj Company. lt was agreed to report this propositioi to the City Council for favorable consld eration. we tnererorc make tlie loiiowing ree ommendations : 1. Tlüit this proposition be accepted. 2. That the termsof tliis proposition be carried out on the part of the city of Ann Arbor. 3. That a formal contract be madewitl the Michigan Central Railway Co. fo the execution of the works proposed in sald communication. 4. That a committee be raised and era powered to arrange the terms and details of the auove proposed contract for the council. Adopted 1880-3-8. Secretary directed to present this to the Council. J. B. Davis, Secretarjr. Aid. Lawronoe moved that the repor be accepted and placed on file. Carried After considerable Oiscussion the fol lowing was offered by Aid. Lawrence : Whereas, It Is deomed by the Comraon Council of the City of Ann Arbor expedien to bulld a bridge over the Michigan Centru Hailroad at tbe Detroit or Pontlao stree erossings, at au estimated cost to the city o the ram of 85,000: and Wheheas, To bulld sueh bridge lt ia neces sary to ralse by tax the present y ear agreate sum of money than can be asaessed andievied by said Common Council under the provl slons of Section 2 of ïltle V of the city char ter: therefore, lteêolved, That the Mayor and Recorder b instructed to cali a meeting of the property tax-payers of said city. who are electors, t determino by ballot what sum of money shall be raised by tax for the construction c such bridge and lts approaches, and that suc! meeting be held at Firemen's Hall in saic city, on Wednesday, the seventeenth day o March, 1886, at 12 o'clock noon of said day. Which was adopted. Aid. Hlscoek moved that 1,000 copie of the proposition of the railroad coin pany and the report of the eominittee be printed for general distribution. Carried Aid. Hiscock, froru special eominittee on proposition of the electric light com pany for street lights the coming year reported : Your committee are of the opinión that the electric llghtshould be retatned on our busl ness streeta and a reasonable number con tracted for the ensuing year. and they would recommeDd that tbe uumber be lncreased to ten and would suggest tbat the aduitiona llghts be placed as folio ws : One at the corner ! 11 ii ron and División streets, oneat the cor ner of and Hurou, one at the corner o North und Detroit streets, and the fourth one on Detroit street near Kuiler street, or a shor distance below Uiere. By this arrangement the business purtlons of Main and ilurui streets and the whole of Detroit street woulc be well llghted. The prlce pald to be flve dollars per llghl les thau asked lor by the company, or $120 per year per light. In regard to the clock lower your com mltteeareof Mie opinión that lt should be Hun led every nlxni in the year and uni.il lü o'olock. Ah neitherof the propositlous sulii) i t led cover the hours from dusk untll 12 o'clock your committee would recomiuenc that new proposais be asked from both compaules. Aid. Hiscock moved that the report be accepted, and that a contract be entered Into with the Vandepoel Electric Light and Power Co. for lighta proposed. Currled. Aid. fleinzu a i moved that one light be placed by the committee near the T., A, A. & N. M. R. K. depot. Carried. On motion the council took a recesa oi ten minutes to desígnate places for registratlou and election in the vatious wards. Upon reassetnbling the various places Were reported as follows, and approvcd Ist Ward- Mrs. Weitbrecht's store, on S. Mitin st. 2d Waid - Registration, at John Heinznian's siore, No. 7 Washington st. Eleetion at John V;igner's blacksniith shop on Washington st. 3d Wurd - Ag. Rooms, court house. 4th " - Firemcu's Hal). Oth " - Engine House. Gth " -Engine House. On the recommendation of Aid. Henderson, Dewitt C. Fa!l was chosen alderraan of the lst ward for purposes of registration and election. On request of Aid. Heinzman the General Fund Comniittee was cinpowered to place a gas lamp post at the corner of W. Washington :ind S. Second sts. J. W. dippen was granted permission to use oue-third of E. Ann st. in front of bis premises for building material. And E. T. Walker was granted the same permission on E. Wiishi igton st. Councll then adjourned. The Harbor Spring! Uepublican says: "A coutinual growl in reference to soldiere' pensions comes from democratie sources, and probably ahvays wlll. But t seetns to be ubout the only means to draw money out of the public treasury to be distributed among the people. What noithern Michigan aiidothcr sectious, tiot excptiug our owu county, would do so ar as money is concerned, were it not br pensions received, the Lord only knows."