Minutes of a Regular Meeting of the City Council. 621 Austin Tex. May 02, 1887. Hon. J. W. Robertson, Mayor, presiding. Roll Call. Roll. Call. Present - Aldermen Alexander, Anderson, Brush, Graham, Jones, Platt, Phillips, Schuber, Townsend, Walker, Warren, Wortham - 12. Absent- Ald. Caldwell, Campbell, Cummings, Fisher, Metz, Odell, Schneider, Melcher - 8. Minutes. The Minutes of the last meeting of the City Council were adopted as printed. Capital Gaslight Co. Alderman Anderson introduced a Communication from the Capital Gaslight Company stating that the Company Could not furnish Lights to the City as cheap as it has been doing. Referred to Water and Gas Committee. Petition regarding Sanitary matters Alderman Walker presented a petition from Citizens of the tenth ward Calling attention of the Council to its Sanitary Condition and requesting that steps be taken to improve the same. Referred to Committee On Sanitation & Sewers. Report of City Officers for the month of April. Treasrs. Report Treasurer's Report. Receipts: Balance on hand March 31, $15.034.67. Recd from Assessor & Collector: Advalorem tax, $ 9.119.53. License " 432.66. General fund " 419.30. Cemetery " 20.50. $ 25.026.66. Disbursements: Cemetery fund, Paid Warrants $43.35 General " " 7543.92 $ 7.587.27 Cash balances, April 1. Cemetery fund, $ 883.80 Back debt " 172.73 Interest " 25.00 General " 16.957.86 $ 25.026.66. Unappropriated Balances: Cemetery fund $ 20.32 --- Page break --- 622 May 2, 1887. Referred to Committee on finance & revenue. A & C's. Assessor & Collector's Report for quarter ending April 30, 1887: report Amounts Collected, Viz: Taxes 1886. $40.503.48 1885. 187.55 1882. 8.55 1881. 16.15 - 40.715.75. License Taxes 1.263.54. Support of Hospital 500.00. Fines & Costs of Rec. Court 1.318.10. Pound fees & Sales 7.00 Ground rents 84.00 Sale of Cemetery Lots 98.00 Sale of Rev. Ordinances 1.25 Amount deposited per Treasurer's receipts No's 8th to 18th inclusive $43.987.89. " " Report of School Taxes Collected and deposited, for quarter ending April 30, 1887: Amount Collected, Viz: School taxes of 1886. $9.602.39. School " " 1885. 61.83 Total 9.664.22. Clerk's Report. Clerk's report Total amount of warrants issued during April, 1887.--- $ 5.201.13. Marshal's Report. Marshal's report Total amount of fines and Costs assessed in recorder's Court $1.020.45 Collected in Cash 327.50 Worked out 692.95 Total number of arrests 85. Referred to Committee on police. Physicians Report. Physician's report. Number of patients in hospital April 1. 10 " " " admitted to " during " 15 " " " discharged from " " " 8 " " " died " " 4 " " " remaining in " May 1. 13 " " Visits made during April 147 " " prescriptions Written " " 157 " " Cases of scarlet fever reported in april 3 Health of City exceptionally good. --- Page break --- May 2 - 1887. 623 Sexton's report. Sexton's Report. Deaths - - - - 35 White 25 Colored 10 Male 19 Female 16. J.W. Maddox. The Mayor asked the Consent of the Council to the remission of balance of fines and Costs assessed Thad Reeves. in recorders Court against J.W. Maddox, Thad Reeves and A.A. Anderson. A.A. Anderson, the latter on Condition that he refrains from further Violations of law- The Council Concurred in the remissions Ald Cummings. Alderman Cummings Came in. J. C. Palm. Alderman Jones Submitted a proposal or bid from J. C. Palm, to keep the City Clock in repair One Year for $70, and moved that the Contract be awarded to him, Adopted. Hydrant & lamp Alderman Anderson for Committee on Water & gas, reported favorably on a resolution to locate a gas lamp and water-hydrant at the Corner of Rio Grande and Twenty-fifth streets. The report recommended that the street lamp at the Corner of Sixth and Colorado streets be discontinued, and a lamp instead be located as per the resolution, and that a new hydrant be purchased of the City Water Company and located at the point named in the resolution, the City Water Company having agreed to Charge no rental for the Same - The report was adopted. Mrs Lizzie Reeves. Alderman Brush presented a request for assistance which he had received from Mrs. Lizzie Reeves. A motion was made and adopted, requiring the City physician to immediately visit the family, and, if he deems it necessary, to send them to the hospital until well. Ald Metz. Scavenger Carts. Alderman Metz Came in. The Sanitary Inspector presented a report in regard to the two additional Scavenger Carts, and requested that a small additional Sum be appropriated for that purpose. Laid Over. Printers Home. Alderman Cummings introduced a resolution --- Page break --- 624 May 2, 1887. which was adopted, providing for donating about Seven acres of land adjacent to Fairview Park and which is owned by the City, to the Typographical Union of the United States, for the purpose of erecting thereon the proposed home for indigent and disabled printers. Ad Valorem tax of 1887. Alderman Wortham offered an Ordinance fixing the per Centum of Advalorem tax on real and personal property in the City of Austin for general purposes, and providing for levying and Collecting Same, for the year 1887. The Ordinance was read first time, after which motions were made to Suspend the rules and place the Ordinance on its Second and third readings, and that it do now pass, all of which were adopted by the following Vote. Yeas - Ald Alexander, Anderson, Brush, Cummings, Graham, Jones, Metz, Platt Phillips, Schuler, Townsend, Waesler, Warren, Wortham - 14. School tax of 1887. Alderman Wortham also presented an Ordinance fixing and levying an advalorem tax of one third of One per Centum, real and personal, within the City of Austin, made taxable for State and County purposes for the year A.D. 1887, for the support of the public Schools of Said City. Ordinance was read first time, after which a motion was made to Suspend the rules and place the Ordinance on its Second readings, which was rejected by the following Vote: Yeas - Ald Alexander, Anderson, Brush, Cummings, Graham, Jones, Metz, Phillips, Townsend, Waesler, Warren, Wortham - 12. Nays - Ald Platt and Schuler - 2. The Ordinance was then referred to the Committee on finance and revenue. The Special Committee on Sanitation submitted reports in substance as follows: ave. gutters. That the Sanitary inspector be directed to employ Workman and at once repair the gutters on both Sides of Congress --- Page break --- May 2, 1887. 625 Avenue and Pecan street so as to give them a uniform grade. The report was adopted. River Current That the County Judge favors Changing the Current of the river as proposed, and will endeavor to secure the Co-operation of the County Commissioners in making the improvement and pending the action of the Commissioners the Committee asked further time. Further time was allowed. Crematory. The Committee also requested further time in which to Collect information regarding the establishment of a Crematory to dispose of animals dying in the city. Further time was granted. Reward. The Committee also submitted an unfavorable report on a resolution offering a reward of $10 for the arrest and Conviction of any person depositing the Carcass of a dead animal or offensive matter above the surface of the ground or in the bed of the river. The Report was adopted. Mouth of The Committee reported in regard to the Condition of the Sewers. Mouth of the Sewers, and stated that they had been upon the ground and had made a Careful and thorough examination of the river at that point, and found nothing offensive or liable to become so, and was Convinced that the Contemplated extension of the sewers into the rapid Current was impracticable and unnecessary. A motion was made to postpone action on the report until the next meeting of the Council. The Vote on the question stood 7 to 7, and the Chair Voted yes thereby adopting the motion to postpone. Hanging Signs Alderman Wortham moved a reconsideration of the Vote by which "An Ordinance prohibiting the use of hanging signs, and providing for a removal of the same," was passed at the last meeting of the Council. Alderman Brush moved to lay the motion to reconsider on the table. Lost. Yeas-Ald. Brush, Jones, Metz, Platt, Townsend, Walker, Warren-7. Nays-Ald Alexander, Anderson, Cummings, Graham, Phillips, Schuber, Wortham-7, the Chair voting nay. The motion to reconsider then prevailed-Yeas Ald Alexander, Anderson, Cummings, Graham, Phillips, Schuber and Wortham-7. Nay-Ald. Brush, Jones, --- Page break --- 626 May 2, 1887. Metz, Platt, Townsend, Walker, and Warren- 7, the Chair Voting yea. Alderman Wortham then moved to refer the Ordinance to a Special Committee of five aldermen. Alderman Brush moved to lay the motion to refer On the table. Carried. Yeas, 8; Nays, 6. Rhodes Fisher Action on the reports from the Sanitation Committee in regard to Rhoads Fisher being permitted to run Waste water from his premises, either into Colorado street gutter on Little Shoal Creek, was postponed. Aldermen Philips and Graham, of the Street Committee, Public Improvements submitted a report on "an Ordinance amending Article 5, Section 1, of an Ordinance making appropriations out of the general fund for public improvements", and recommended that the Ordinance named by Substituted by "an Ordinance appropriating $650 for improvement of streets in the Eighth Ward" Alderman Schubert moved to lay the report and Substitute on the table. Lost. Yeas, 7; Nays, 7; the Chair voting nay. The motion to adopt the substitute and report then prevailed. Yeas, 7; Nays, 7; the Chair Voting yea. Approved accts. Alderman Wortham introduced an Ordinance appropriating the Sum $636.35 for the purpose of paying approved accounts. The Ordinance was read first time, after which a motion was made to suspend the rules and place the Ordinance on its second readings which was adopted by a unanimous Vote of the 14 aldermen present. Alderman Wortham moved to amend Section One by adding $50 to finish paying for the two additional Scavenger Carts and harness, etc., for the same. Adopted. Alderman Warren then moved to amend Section One by adding $660 for the purpose of paying a note and interest due to Mr Frank Hamilton, June 1, 1887 for a part of block 37, in Division E, which was purchased for the use of the fire department. Carried. The Caption of the Ordinance was then Changed So as to Conform to the amendments, after which motions were made to suspend the rules and place the Ordinance on its third reading. --- Page break --- 627 May, 2, 1887 and that the Ordinance do now pass, both of which were adopted by the following vote: Yeas- Ald. Alexander, Anderson, Brush, Cummings, Graham, Jones, Metz, Platt, Phillips, Schuber, Townsend, Waesler, Warren, Wortham - 14. Water mains Alderman Anderson introduced an Ordinance amending "An ordinance ordering the City Water Company to Extend Mains and locate hydrants thereon", passed March 16, 1886. The Ordinance was read first time, after which a motion was made to suspend the rules and place the ordinance on its second reading, which was rejected by the following vote: Yeas- Ald. Alexander, Anderson, Cummings, Graham, Jones, Metz, Platt, Phillips, Schuber, Townsend, Waesler, Warren, Wortham - 13 Nay - Alderman Brush. Alderman Platt was excused. Electric Alderman Anderson also offered a resolution, which lights. was adopted, authorizing the Committee on water & gas to Correspond with different electric light Companies with a view to lighting the city with electric lights. Alderman Brush introduced the following resolution, which was adopted. Tax suits. Resolved by the City Council of the City of Austin, That the City Attorney be and he is hereby instructed, to report to the Council at the next regular meeting, the condition of suits for the recovery of unpaid taxes. Charges Alderman Anderson presented a resolution, which was tabled, providing for a special Committee of three to investigate the charges made against the city marshal for allowing merchants to keep goods on the sidewalks contrary to the Ordinances of the city. On motion, the Council then adjourned Milton Morris City Clerk.