• Emergency aid passed: Austin City Council approved a $500 appropriation to help residents of Paris, Texas, whose city had been largely destroyed by fire—demonstrating early municipal disaster relief efforts.
• Attendance problems: The council struggled with quorum issues across multiple sessions, requiring the marshal to track down absent aldermen to conduct official business.
• New licensing authority: The mayor was authorized to issue licenses for night scavengers (sanitation workers), establishing a system for regulating this essential city service.
• Quick action: Despite initial procedural delays, council passed the Paris relief ordinance on its second reading within the same meeting, showing urgency in responding to the disaster.
Full Transcript
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Called Meeting City Council September 10, 1877 Council Called to order at 5 Oclock P.M. Mayor De Gress in the Chair Roll called and the following members answered Aldermen Nouas Ward and Withes Absent Aldermen Bremond. Cook. Weffenbaugh. James Larmour Robinson and Taylor. No Quorum On Motion of Alderman Ward the Council adjourned to 6.30 P.M. tomorrow Sept 11" Adjourned Evening of Council September 11" 1877 Council Called to order at 8.15 P.M. Mayor De Gress in the chair Roll called and the following members answered Aldermen Cook. Moss. and Withers Absent Aldermen Bremond. Weffenbaugh. James Larmour. Robinson. Saylor. and Ward. No Quorum Alderman Cook moved a call of the Council Call sustained and the Marshal was directed to bring in the absentees Aldermen Robinson. Ward and Bremond came in and answered. Quorum present On Motion the call of council was suspended The Mayor stated to Council that he had called them together for the purpose of submitting to them for their cons ideration an ordinance for the appropriation of $500. for the relief of the destitute citizens of the City of Paris Texas. which city has recently been mostly destroyed by fire On Motion of Alderman Robinson the reading of the minutes of the last meeting was dispensed with The Ordinance appropriating Five hundred dollars for the relief of the Paris sufferers was read Alderman Bremond moved that the word thou sands in the foreample of the ordinance be stricken out and the word hundreds be inserted instead. Carried The Ordinance as amended was read and pass ed to its second reading. Alderman Robinson Moved that the Mayor be authorized to issue license to any person applying for license for night scavengers On Motion of Alderman Robinson the Council adjourned to 8 oclock P.M. September 12" 1877
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Adjourned Meeting of City Council September 12th 1899 Council called to order at 8.30 P.M. Mayor Delthus in the Chair Roll called and the following members answered Aldermen Desmond. Cook Withers Absent Aldermen Deffenbaugh. James. Larmour Maas. Robinson Taylor and Ward
Alderman Desmond moved a call of the Council. Call sustained and the Marshal was directed to bring in the absentees. The Marshal returned at 9:15 and reported that he had been at the residence of the absentees and that he had failed to see either of them. On Motion the Council adjourned Approved September 21st 1899 John S. Herbold City Clerk
Called Meeting of City Council September 19th 1899 Council called to order at 8.15 P.M. Mayor Delthus in the Chair Roll called and the following members answered. Aldermen Deffenbaugh. James. Maas Robinson and Withers Absent Aldermen Desmond Cook Larmour Taylor and Ward. No Quorum On Motion of Alderman Robinson the Council adjourned to Friday September 21st 1899 at 7.30 P.M. Approved September 21st 1899 John S. Herbold City Clerk