21 Called Meeting of the City Council Austin Texas August 25, 1884 Hon J W Robinson Senior Presiding Roll call present aldermen. Campbell Haas Warren Driskill Carrington Robertson Ervin and Brush & Absent aldermen Schneider Dilow Hancock Wells Schubert Underhill Crooker Odell Hill Platt and Brennen or On motion of Alderman Robertson the Council was called and the Marshal out after the absentees Aldermen Schneider Dilow wells Odell and Platt came in and answered to their names. &. Call of the Council suspended The following Call of the Council was read Mayors Office Austin Tex August 15 1884 To the Aldermen of the City of Austin A special meeting of the City Council is hereby called to meet at the Council rooms on this monday evening at 8 oclock for the purpose of receiving the report of the sale of City Bonds. and to provide for the payment of certain claims against the City and to transact such other business as may then be presented for your consideration Very Truly &c Your Obt Servt J W Robinson Mayor The following message was received from his honor the Mayor --- Page break --- 22 Called August 25th 1884 Simmons Mayors Office [illegible] Austin Texas August 25 1884 Schutze Gentlemen of the City Council. Driskill On June 23 1884 you passed an ordinance [illegible] authorizing the issuance and sale of $40.000 of the bonds of the City. I at once procured the bonds as provided in the ordinance. To be engraved by Messrs. H. Strickland and Company of Galveston, and the same was delivered and signed on August 10 1884 on the same day Messrs Forster Siebert and Habicht made an offer of ninety-five cents or $38.000. net to the City for the entire issue. This offer was made known to our home Bankers and Capitalists, and they were afforded the opportunity to buy at an advance on this bid, if they so desired. No further or better offer could be obtained, and our Bankers advised the prompt acceptance of the terms offered. Mr A.P. Wooldridge acting in this matter as the Financial agent of the City accepted the proposition of Messrs Forster Siebert & Habicht for $38.000 net without any expense to the City in transporting the Bonds to New York or in transferring the money from New York to Austin. The sale and transfer is now completed and the money $38.000. is in the hands of the City Treasurer. The expenses of negotiating these bonds have been comparatively small. I paid for engraving the sum of $116.40. for telegrams relating to the sale Wooldridge $16. Robertson $6.55 These items constitute the entire expense of the City in this transaction. On July 1st. the semiannual payment of interest on the City debt held in new york fell due and it became necessary to meet it promptly to do this a loan had to be negotiated. as the City at that time had no money in the Treasury and the current taxes for the year had all been collected and expended. To meet this emergency the mayor and Finance Committee effected a loan of $10.000. from Mr. A.P. Wooldridge for sixty days at --- Page break --- 23 the rate of one per cent. per month interest This note matures on August 7th and I ask that an appropriation be made to meet the same. There is also due the City Water Company as shown by their account of July $5050. and to C. D. Johns on judgment in the district Court $1850. with interest since last November. The City owes other valid claims now on file with the City Clerk, amounting to several thousand dollars more. The Finance committee has carefully examines these claims and have approved such as appear to be proper demands against the City. A considerable number of these claims have been postponed for further evidence. The Finance Committee has prepared an ordinance making an appropriation to pay all of these claims which have been approved by them, and I trust that it will meet with your approval. After all these claims are liquidated, there will remain in the Treasury several thousand dollars to the credit of the general revenue. I submit herewith the report of sale of the bonds by Mr A. P. Wooldridge. His services in this matter were of great value to the City. He has devoted much time and attention to the negotiation of these bonds and has greatly aided in effecting the same. He magnanimously declines any compensation for his services. as will be seen by his report. Very Respectfully &c Your Obt Servt. J. W. Robertson Mayor Letter of A. P. Wooldridge in regard to the sale of City bonds. Austin Texas Aug 7th 1884 Hon J. W. Robertson Mayor of the City of Austin Sir. I beg through you to report a sale of the $40,000 Austin city ten and twenty 6 per cent --- Page break --- 24 Called. August 25. 1884 bonds. to Messrs. Stewart Foster & Habicht for account of northern purchasers at 90 cents flat. I beg further to state that I make no charges for the services rendered. I do this for two reasons The first is that I have not incurred any great expense or labor in making this sale. The second and principal reason is, that I desire the City should realize as nearly as possible through my efforts, the same price formerly offered by me as an independent Buyer. I at one time offered 98 cents flat for the bonds to your predecessor Mr. Rayor through Mr. Chas A Bownring, their the Financial agent. of the City. with the under standing that his commissions were to be 1/2 per cents; or 98 cents net to the City. The present sale, making a rebate of my commissions of two per cents, nets the city 90 cents for its bonds, but one per cent less than could have been realized in May last, when money matters were much easier than at present. Respectfully A.P. Wooldridge Financial agent. of City of Austin Vote of thank to Mr Wooldridge Alderman Pillow offered the following resolution which was adopted Resolved that the thanks of this Council are hereby tendered to Mr A.P. Wooldridge for the valuable services rendered in negotiating City Bonds Alderman Schutze came in and answered to his name Citizens hydrants on W. Pecan St. Alderman Pillow presented a petition from Citizens of the 1+2 wards requesting the Council to have fire hydrants located on Pecan street west of its grand start. Referred to the fire Commissioner --- Page break --- 25 Horan A Petition was received from Mrs C A Horan C.A.H asking that she be allowed to lay a pavement of sand and gravel instead of rock or brick as provided for by an ordinance in regard to pavements on Pecan stock Referred to the Street Committee Loch C. The Petition of Charles Loch in regard to leasing of from the City part of the river walk river walk was read and referred to the Street committee Alderman Underhill came in and answered to his name Finance The Finance committee submitted an allowing the following report on an ordinance discount referred to them in regard to allowing on tax a discount on Taxes when paid before before required required to do so by law. The report was adopted. Hon J. W. Robertson Mayor and members of the City Council We the undersigned Finance Committee to whom was referred the above ordinance (repealing an ordinance allowing a discount on Taxes when paid before required to do so by law) recommend that it do pass. J. M. Odell M. Maas Finance Committee Ordinance The Finance Committee called up an repealing ordinance entitled an ordinance repealing Ordinance allowing an an ordinance passed July 6. 1888 and apdiscount on proved July 7th 1888 permitting persons to pay Tax their taxes before required to do so by law. The ordinance was read second time and then read third time under suspension of the rules and passed by the following vote. Yeas Aldermen Schneider, Pillow, Irvin, Campbell, Rhubers, Underhill, Maas, Warren Triskill, Odell, Carrington, Robertson, Taul, Erwing & Brush. 15 --- Page break --- 26 August 25", 1884. Called $14,714.01 The Finance Committee submitted an ordinance appropriating the sum of $14.714.01 to pay approved accounts. The motion to suspend the rules and place the ordinance on its second reading was lost. but afterward reconsidered. and the ordinance was read second time under suspension of the rules. Alderman Underhill moved to amend the ordi nance by striking out all except the item to pay amount due Mr. Wooldridge by the City. Alderman Odell offered an ordinance as a substitute for the motion of Alderman Under hill. appropriating the amount due Mr. Wooldridge amendment The motion to strike out. and the substitute ordinance was laid on the table. The motion to place the ordinance on its third reading was lost by the following vote: yeas aldermen Wells, Campbell, Maas, Warren, Odell, Carrington, Robertson, Platt, Erwin, and Brush 10. Nays Aldermen Schneider Pillows, Reuberg, Underhill and Driskill. 5. Resignation of Driskill St. Com Alderman Driskill present the following letter of resignation To the Hon. J.W. Robertson, Mayor Sir:- I would most respectfully hereby tender you my resignation as a member of the Street Committee Very Respectfully J. W. Driskill Resolution fine restricting Alderman Campbell introduces a resolution providing that when members of the council are absent from council meeting they shall be fined. The motion to refer the resolution to the ordinance committee was lost. the motion to lay the resolution on the table was lost. Read and approved Sept, 1884 On motion the Council adjourned F. G. Purcell City Clerk