Regular Meeting of the City Council Austin Texas August 20, 1883 Hon W A Dayton Mayor, Presiding. Roll call present Alderman Fritz Kinney Lawrance Schubert Pfannkuche and Platt. Absent Aldermen Guping and Wilson Reading of the minutes of Aug 6" 1883 postpone Alderman Wilson came in and answered to his name. Alderman Kinney moved that the regular order of Business be suspended so that the Election returns from the 8 ward may be presented motion adopted His Honor presented the returns from the election held for Alderman of the 8 ward on August 10 1883. Alderman Kinney moved that the Mayor appoint a committee of three to canvass the returns motion adopted The Mayor appointed as the Committee Alderman Kinney Fritz and Platt. The committee submitted the following report which was adopted We the undersigned committee appointed to canvass the Returns from the election for alderman of the eight ward find that Thomas E Snead was unanimously elected alderman of said ward. H B Kinney N B Fritz R Platt Committee Alderman elect J W Driskill of the 6 and Thomas E Snead of the 8 wards came forward and was sworn in by His honor the Mayor as alderman of the City of Austin Alderman Keltz presented a petition from W T Paterson requesting the Council not to compel him to build a pavement in front of his property on Congress avenue referred to the street committee Alderman Schubert presented a petition from Brod Steiging asking for leave of absence for thirty days. Petition granted Alderman Reed presented a petition from --- Page break --- property owners at the foot of Congress avenue asking that the Council do not compel them to build pavements in front of their property fronting on said avenue referred to the street Committee The report of the Poundmaster for the month of July 1883 was referred to the Police committee Alderman Kinney moved that the regular order of business be further suspended and that an ordinance fixing the time for levying an annual Ad Valorem tax be taken up motion adopted Alderman Kinney introduced an ordinance amending article 844 of the general ordinances of the City of Austin The amendment provides that the City Council shall on or before the first Monday in September of each and every year fix by ordinance the amount of percentum for each annual levy of ad valorem tax to be assessed and Collected by the City The ordinance was read second and third time under suspension of the rules and passed unanimously Alderman Kinney introduced an ordinance appropriating the sum of $1496.47 to pay the employees of the City of Austin for the month of July 1883. The ordinance was read second and third time under suspension of the rules and passed by the following vote yeas Aldermen Nally Kinney Lawrance Schuher PfannKuche Driskill Enell Platt and Wilcox Alderman Kinney offered the following resolution which was referred to the printing Committee. Whereas the City Charter requires the publication of those ordinances only which impose a fine imprisonment or forfeiture therefor be it Resolved by the City Council of the City of Austin That the City Clerk is hereby instructed to publish no other ordinances than those those referred to unless otherwise directed by the City Council but to give the substance --- Page break --- 341 of every ordinance in the proceedings of the City Council and to prepare the proceedings of the Council for publication in as brief and concise a form as possible consistent with a correct and intelligible account. Alderman Kinney called up an ordinance providing for the sale of Austin City Bonds of the denomination of $500. each to the amount of $25000. said bonds to bear interest at the rate of 6 per cent per annum and payable twenty years from January 1883. The ordinance was read second time. Alderman Fritz moved that the mayor appoint a committee of 4 alderman and that the ordinance be referred to them motion adopted The Mayor appointed as the Committee Hertz Orrrad Clark and Pfannkuch Alderman Lawrance was excused from further attendance at this meeting An ordinance levying 3/4 of one per cent ad Valorem Tax 1883 and an ordinance levying one per cent advalorem Tax 1883 was referred to the ordinance Committee The Mayor appointed Alderman Duebill Chairman of the Market House Committee and a member of the Finance and Fire Department Committee and appointed Alderman Reed Chairman of the ordinance committee and a member of the Police and Printing Committees The following veto message was received from His honor the Mayor Austin Texas August 20th 1883 To the Honorable City Council of the City of Austin Gentlemen I have the honor to return herewith an ordinance authorizing the lease of the south half of Block 59 Austin Texas without my approval. Upon examination of --- Page break --- said ordinance I find it was introduced and read first Dec. November 20" 1887. Read second Dec March 6" 1883. Read third June and passed Aug 6 1883. Section 8 reads as follows The conditions of this lease shall be as follows Said leases shall prior to the first day of January 1888 commence The erection of Buildings on said premises etc The word January I find erased with pencil and December inserted in pencil The proceedings of the Council do not show any such amendments as having been introduced or voted upon In section 9 I find the word July 1883 erased and September 1884 inserted and also December July 1888 erased and September 1889 inserted The proceed -ings of the Council do not show such amendments introduced or voted upon Hence the ordinance is not the original one introduced and with out the records to show the changes made would be inoperative There are other matters contained in said ordinance which I deem it unwise to sanction but not necessary here to state Very Respectfully W.R. Saylor Mayor On motion action on the report of the mayor was postponed until next meeting. Alderman Plath introduced the following resolution which was adopted. Be it resolved by the City Council of the City of Austin That the Mayor appoint a committee of three who shall take into consideration the matter of the present city Charter and the general laws regarding Cities of two thousand inhabitants or more and whether it would not be to the interest of the City to incorporate under said general laws and report at the next regular meeting The Mayor appointed as the Committee Alderman Plath Creed and Ousley Alderman Plath offered the following resolution which was adopted. Be it Resolved by the City Council of the City of Austin That the Mayor be and --- Page break --- is hereby required to issue warrants on approved in the order of the date on which they were approved by the Finance Committee of the City of Austin F. D. Burnell City Clerk Septr 8 1883