Complete Change In Street Work System

COMPLETE CHANGE IN STREET WORK SYSTEM

Seven White Wings to be Employed All the Time One in Each District

Street Sweeper to be Used Every Night-City Divided Into Districts-Liberty Street Paving Failed

The street committee at Monday's council meeting recommended some very radical changes in the method of doing street work, which were adopted by the council. The report of the committee was as follows:

Your Committee on Streets respectfully recommend that the Board of Public Works be requested to install a new system for our street work and would suggest the following plan:

1. To put the street scrapers on every street in the city where it is necessary and smoothen up the same.

2. We would recommend that the city should be divided into seven (7) districts, somewhat after the following plan:

First district, Everything south of Huron street and east of Main, north of Madison and west of State.

Second district, Everything south of Huron and west of Main.

Third district, Everything north of Huron and west of Main.

Fourth district, Everything east of Main and north of Huron, except Detroit, Depot and Fuller streets these to be added to district No. 5.)

Fifth district, Depot, Detroit and Fuller streets and everything north of the river.

Sixth district, Everything east of State street and south of Huron street except what is included in district No. 7.

Seventh district, Everything east of Main to E. University avenue, and south of Madison.

We would further recommend that a man be placed in each District equipped with a wheel-barrow, pick, shovel and hoe; these men to go from street to street in their respective district and wherever they find a bad spot in the street, pick up the ground around this place and smooth up the same. Whenever they find a place that cannot be straightened up with the dirt they have conveniently at hand the man is to make a memorandum of same and report to the Street Commissioner and the Street Commissioner is to see that the necessary material is placed there at once.

We would further recommend that each man should carry a memorandum book and make such notes of all defects in crossings and sidewalks that he may find in his district at any time and report back same to the Street Commissioner.

The Street Commissioner shall make it a point to visit the various districts as often as he in his judgement thinks it necessary, and shall at all times have full power of laying out and dictating methods of handling all work.

If it be found necessary in any of the Districts in giving it its first cleaning up to add extra help, the Street Commissioner should be empowered to add such help as in his judgement is necessary; but it is the judgement of your committee that after the first cleaning up is made that one man would be sufficient to keep up the work in each District.

Your committee would further recommend that the men be numbered from 1 to 7 respectively, so that they can at all times be recognized as an employee of the city.

In our opinion by adopting a plan on the lines as suggested above our city work will be better and more economically carried on than by our past methods of handling street work.

It is also the opinion of your committee that the labor employed n each District should be employed from the District that it is working in, providing such help can be found as is suitable for the work, and that the expense account of each district be kept separate.

We also realize that there are times when the Street Commissioner is in need of six or seven men in a hurry and in the event of such an emergency there will be no trouble for him to call in his force from the different Districts to help him out.

We would also recommend that the matter of the bridge over tracks of Ann Arbor Railroad at West Liberty street be deferred until some future time.

That the petition relative to openIng Martin street be laid upon the table.

In the matter of opening Church street, we would respectfully recommend that the City Engineer make an estimate as to the cost of opening the street and disposing of the water.

As to the matter of West Seventh street, we respectfully recommend that the street be widened to four rods, graded and graveled from Madison to West street, provided that owners donate property necessary to widen the same.

Your committee have examined the Liberty street paying petition and find that 65 of the 92 property owners have signed the same and recommend hat their prayer be granted.

We would respectfully recommend that the alderman from each ward make a list of most necessary work needed this year, and present the game as soon as possible.

That the Board of Public Works be directed to sweep the paved streets and keep them clean.

That the Fire Commissioner be ordered to have the wagonette remodeled to carry twelve persons.

All of which is respectfully submitted and signed by the entire Street Committee.

T. F. HUTZEL,

GEO. H. FISCHER,

RICHARD KEARNS,

H. W. DOUGLAS,

L. D. GROSE,

W.M. GOODYEAR, Committee

Ald. Grose moved that the report be accepted and the recommendations adopted.

Ex-City Clerk Harkins developed into an orator and said he owned some property on Martin street and that they had been promised years ago that Martin street would be opened up. They had enough petitioners to ask for a pavement, but they only asked what any other gentlemen would ask who lived on a street which had a barbed wire fence across it. The city has no right to close up this street.

Ald. Hutzel said the committee had visited this street and had referred the matter to the sixth and seventh ward aldermen on the committee. Personally he must say that this street had been platted and people had built houses there. Dr. Hall had appeared before the committee and spoken of the hardship of building fences and sidewalks which would not be used.

Ald. Douglas said the shortest way to get down town from Martin street was by Israel avenue and this way was open. If the street were opened through the people would not be any better off than they are now.

Ald. Clancy moved that each recommendation of the committee be taken up separately. This carried.

The method of working the streets was carried without division. So was the postponing of considering the farmers' petition in reference to the Liberty street trestle.

When Martin street was taken up Ald. Robison introduced a resolution that the street should be opened and the trees in the middle of the street removed.

Ald. Hutzel didn't think it would take an hour's work to put the street into shape further than to remove the trees.

Ald. Goodyear couldn't see that the way the street was now arranged was any hardship to the people.

Ald. Schlenker thought the street ought to be graveled.

Ald. Fischer thought if the street were opened up the city might be liable for damages.

Ald. Hutzel suggested that Ald Robison add a clause putting in a tile to carry the water across Israel avenue. Ald. Robison added a clause that the street should be made passable and the resolution as amended carried by a vote of 10 to 3, Ald. Douglas, Gill and Goodyear voting No.

The committee recommended that West Seventh street be widened if the owners donate the necessary property. Ald. Clancy wanted the proviso stricken out.

Ald. Hutzel explained that all the people were willing to donate the land except one man on the corner, but the people who were being benefited ought by right to donate the land.

Ald. Clancy thought it wouldn't cost a great deal to get the land.

Ald. Fischer said the street was in a very bad condition. There was lots of land there and it was cheap. These people might give it if seen.

Ald. Grose said if there were two or three men who expected to get a large price for land needed for the street, condemn the whole and assess the benefits.

Ald. Clancy's amendment to strike out the proviso carried, Ald. Douglas, Gill and Fischer voting No.

When the Liberty street paving carne up, Ald. Clancy said: "If you adopt this resolution and ask for bids on asphalt block alone it will cost $3,000 more than it ought to. Advertise for bids for asphalt, brick, cedar block, etc, and then leave it to the property owners after the bids are in. If you will always advertise for bids including all kinds of material you will save the city from $1,000 to $5,000 each time."

Ald. Hutzel agreed with Ald. Clancy in the statements he made. The committee, however, concluded that as the old councll had practically declared for asphalt block they did not feel justified in trying to sidetrack this petition. He said if ever another petition was filed asking for any special kind of paving he for one would vote against it. Get bids on all kinds of material. The taxpayers as a whole pay about one-third of this tax and we ought to have something to say for the benefit of the whole people.

Ald. Clancy said if the city had not advertised for bids on brick as well as asphalt on State street it would have cost the city $3,500 more. You can see the difference between the bids this spring and the bids last fall. It will not cost the city a cent more to advertise for all kinds of material.

City Attorney Kearney said that under a petition for asphalt block the council could not pave with any other material and collect the tax.

Ald. Johnsnii said the petition on Huron street had come in for brick and the board of public works had let it for asphalt block.

Ald. Grose told the troubles over the Huron street petition and the recommendation in reference to paving Liberty street with asphalt was declared lost by the chair, the vote standing:

Yeas- Ald. Douglas, Gill, Hutzel, Grose, Fischer, Robison, Walz- 7. Nays - Ald. Schlenker, Kearns, Clancy, Johnson, Bangs, Goodyear- 6. 

Later in the evening Aid. Goodyear moved that this reconmiendation be reconsidered and laid upon the table, ' wblch carried by It years, 4 nays, Aid. Kearns, Clancy, Johnson and Bangs voting against it. i All the other recomniendations of the report were adopted. In reference to ' cleaning the paved streets Aid. Hutzel said they ought to be swept up every ' night. Aid. Fischer didn't think the paved streets in the residence district of any town were swept every night. Aid. Ctency said that last sumnier be streets were swept every night for 13.50 a day. One team can sweep all he paved streets very nicely, not pickng up the dirst. Aid. ftoclier said if one team could Ö) it, lic was in favor of doing it. Aid. Johnson wanted to know if he commlttèe wanted to do away vith the day men. Aid. Hutzel said the dirt swept iuto he gntters would need to be picked ! ; ip in the morning. The details should e left to the board of public works. Aid. Grose said the men would be leeded to keep the streets clean hrough the day. The reconmiendation carried, Aid Johnson voting Xo.