Called Meeting of City Council January 18” 1878 Council called to order at 4.30 P M Mayor De Gress in the chair. Roll called and the following members answered. Aldermen Brown. Hortz. Tally and Sheehan. Absent. Aldermen Brooker. Miller. Hollett. Hoasley. Platt and Strong. No Quorum. Alderman Tally moved a call of the Council be put in force and the Marshal was directed to bring in the absentees. Alderman Platt Strong and Miller came in answered and took their seats. Quorum present. On Motion of Alderman Tally the Call of the Council was suspended. On Motion of Alderman Millett the reading of the Journal of last meeting was dispensed with. His Noon the Mayor stated to Council that he had called them together at the request of the Committee appointed January 7” to examine the Reservois of the City Water Company as said Committee wished to submit their report, and to receive reports from Standing Committees, and to lay before them for their action Petitions from Q. J. McCreary & Co and Hoffe Hook and Ladder Company. Also to present to them his message vetoing a resolution passed January 7” in relation to the closing of certain Culverts on the Houston and Texas Central Railway between East Avenue and their Round House. Petition of Hoffe Hook and Ladder Company stating that there was not sufficient room in their Truck House to properly handle their apparatus and asking that the House be lengthened fifteen feet, as Recommended by the Chief of Fire Department. On Motion of Alderman Hortz the Petition was received and referred to Committee on Fire Department. Petition of Q. J. McCreary Co asking permission to change the location of a certain Stairway attached to their building situated on Congress Avenue. On Motion of Alderman Platt the Petition --- Page break --- 392 was received and referred to the Street and Fire Committee. Hon the Mayor presented the following Message. Mayor's Office Austin Texas January 10" 1878. To the Hon Board of Aldermen City of Austin Gentlemen, I have the honor to return herewith a Resolution appointing the Street Committee a special Committee with authority to fill up certain Culverts on the Central R.R. near their freight depot, passed by your Honorable Body, on the 7th inst, with my objections thereto. I do not believe the City has the power to interfere in any way with the property of citizens or Corporations, this Resolution confers this power on the Street Committee, if the Central R.R. refuses to comply with the directives of said Committee. In my opinion the City would be liable for damages by damaging any of the Culverts of said R.R. their property should be damaged. Articles 476 and 486 of the City Ordinances can be invoked to do away with this evil which the Resolution is designed to cover. Very Respectfully J.E. De Grees Mayor Day notice of Alderman Falle the message from the Mayor was received and referred to the Ordinance Committee The Special Committee appointed to ex= amine the Reservoir of the City Water Company submitted the following report: Austin January 18" 1878 Hon Mayor & Board of Aldermen City of Austin In obedience to your resolution passed on the 7th inst. appointing us a Committee to examine the Reservoir of the Austin City Water Company, and report whether the said Company --- Page break --- has complied with its contract with the City of Austin in having completed a Reservoir of certain described Capacity, and in working order on the first day of January A.D. 1848. Have the honor to report that we have visited the Reservoir and found it filled with about Eight feet of water, which prevented us from seeing the finish of the bottom and sides that had been excavated, but the President of the Company, Capt. R. S. Hatcher, who was present at the time, assures us the work had been completed, and we were satisfied his statements as to its completion were true, we were not inclined to cause the Company the trouble or expense of having the water drained off, which would also have caused your Committee several days delay in making their report, and taking his statement as true, we find the ground has been excavated to the depth of about eight feet from the surface and the dirt packed around the excavation forming an embankment of about twenty five feet at the base and eight feet at the top and about seven feet making seventeen feet from the bottom of the excavation to the top of the embankment, its Capacity we discard from this report, as we had no way of measuring it. From information we get from the City Engineer, we have no doubt its Capacity is sufficient, and the Contract in that particular has been complied with, but in the fact that we find no masonry of any kind used for lining the excavation, or any protective made to prevent the constant filling in from the washing of the embankment which would in a very short time greatly lessen its Capacity, or else it would constantly require cleaning out! at which times it would be a great inconvenience to the water Consumers. Therefore while we disclaim being experts in deciding upon such work, we can not come to any other conclusion than that the Reservoir is incomplete and that the Austin City Water Company has failed to comply with its Contract with the City of Austin in having completed a Reservoir and in working operation by the first day of January A.D. 1848. Respectfully submitted. --- Page break --- Falle, Coven, Strong, State Alderman Falle moved that the report be received and adopted and the Committee be discharged Report of Street Committee Austin Tegges January 18, 1848 To the Hon the Mayor and City Council Your Committee to whom was referred the an Ordinance appropriating Two Hundred and fifty dollars for repairing the approaches to Chat River Bridge, beg leave to report that they have carefully examined and investigated the same and respectfully recommend that it do not pass. And submit herewith an Ordinance as a substitute for the same and res= pectfully recommend its passage Jno S. Falle Tho W. Strong Street Committee By Street Committee, An Ordinance appropriating Twelve hundred dollars for the removal of the building Standing on Black River Street on Pumping. actual the Committee be discharged to day action offered Felly 19th 1848 Jno P. Holland City Clerk