236 Regular meeting of the City Council Austin, Texas January 1st: 1900. Hon: Jno: D. McBall, Mayor presiding; Roll Called Present Aldermen: Morris and Stumff. 2, Absent Aldermen: Denhram, Fischer, Glass, Mortimeor and Nolan 5, On motion of Alderman Morris the Council adjourned untill 7:30 O'clock, P.M. Thursday Jany 4th: 1900. Geo. D. Johnson City Clerk. Adjourned Regular Meeting of the City Council Austin Texas. Jany 4th 1900. Hon: Jno: D. McBall, Mayor, presiding; Roll Called. Present: Aldermen; Denhram, Fischer, Glass, Morris, Mortimer, Nolan and Stumff. 7 Absent: None. On motion the minutes were approved, as recorded by the Clerk without reading. Petitions Memorials, etc. By Alderman Glass Petition of H. McGilroy, asking permission to lay pipe in certain Streets and Alleys of the City. Read and on motion referred to the Street Committee. Report of City Officers. The Mayor laid before the Council the reports of the City Officers for the Month of Dec: 1899. which were on motion referred to the Appropriate Committee without reading. The following is a Synopsis of the report. By the Assesor and Collector. His Collections as follows. From Gen Revenue Tax $1,553.39. " Licenses 1,079.00. " Fines in Mayor's Court. 202.50. " Pound Fund Sales. 36.35. " Penalty, Int, & Cost (on taxes) 959.11. Total Gen. Fund. 3,103.35. " Int & Sinking Fund Water and Light bonds 1,031.58. " " " " Other bonds. 94.76 " School Taxes. 77.12. Total Collections. $4,306.81 Referred to Finance Committee. --- Page break --- By the city Clerk. Total amount of warrants issued during the month, against the General fund. $119.176.99. Referred to Finance Committee. By the city Treasurer. Account General fund. Balance Dec: 1st, 1899. $39.993.95. Rec'd from A & G. during the month 4.973.35. Transferred from High School Bond acct: 35.000.00. Warrants paid during the Month. $39.761.79. Balance Dec: 31st. 1899. 39.952.37. "79.696.66 "79.696.66. Account of Earnings Fund. Balance Dec: 1st. 1899. $6.950.01. Rec'd from Sub. Patterson during the Month. 6.351.75. Paid Warrants during the Month. $9.987.97. Balance Dec: 31st. 1899. 2.617.92. "12.605.99. "12.605.99. Account of Int. & Sinking Fund, old bonds. Balance Dec: 1st. 1899. Cash. $3.374.13. The M & L Bonds 6.000.00. Rec'd during the month from A & G. 193.35. Balance Dec: 31st: 1899. "9.567.48 Account of Int. Fund Water & Light bonds. Balance Dec: 1st. 1899. $1.999.93. Rec'd during the month from A & G. 1.857.37. Balance Dec: 31st. 1899. "3.750.30. Account of Sinking Fund. M & L. bonds. Balance Dec: 1st. 1899. $3.361.99. Rec'd during the month from A & G. 582.99. Twenty High School Bonds. 10.000.00. "13.934.64. Referred to Finance Committee. By the city Marshal. Total amount of fines assessed in Mayor's Court. $97.5.00. Paid in Cash 13.00. Worked out. 16.00. Carried Forw'd. 7.5.10. Collated no back fines. 3.00. Amount of fines collected. 32.10. Referred to Police Committee. By the City Physician. --- Page break --- 238. Number of Patients in Hospital Dec: 1st. 1899. 31. " " " " admitted in " in Dec. 13. " " " " Deaths 01. " " " " Patients dismissed " " 11. " " " " remaining " " 30. " " " " Visited by families " 116. " " " " Prescriptions " " 255. " " " " Cases of Diphtheria reported " 3. " " " " " " Scarlet Fever " " 11. " " " " " " Small Pox " " 7. Referred to Hospital Committee. By the City Sexton. Total deaths during the Month. 17. White 17. Neg. Col'd. 2. Male 11 Female 10 Still born 2 Premature. 2 Referred to Cemetery Committee. Reports of Standing Committees. Report of Com'te Ald'r Alderman. Morris for the Committee on Claims and account to whom on Claims & acc't was referred the petition of certain Persons claiming damages for property destroyed in the fire at the temporary Capitol. Presented a report stating that the Courts of the Country was the proper place for them to apply, and recommending that the petition be not granted. The report of the Committee was adopted. Alderman. Morris, for the Claims and Account Committee to whom was referred the proposition of J.L. Robertson for compensation of taxes presented a report recommending that the proposition be not accepted. The report was adopted. Report of Com'te Alderman. Dunham. for the Committee on Ordinances to whom was on Ordinances" referred an Ordinance to prescribe rules to govern the Board of Equalization presented a report recommending the adoption of a substitute Ordinance presented by the Committee. On motion the report was laid over to come up with the substitute Ordinance, under the head of New business. Unfinished business. The mayor laid before the Council the Ordinance creating the Corporation Court. On motion of Alderman Dunham the ordinance was laid over until the next regular meeting. The Mayor laid before the Council an Ordinance appropriating $10.000.00. to pay for Water light furnished the City The Mayor Laid before the Council the following, special message which was read. --- Page break --- 239 Austin Texas. January 1st. 1900. To the Honorable City Council. Gentlemen:- I have the honor to submit the following, in reference to the Ordinance appropriating $20.000, now pending before the Council, to make a payment on the account for Water and Light furnished the City for Public use. On October 1st, 1897, the Mayor laid before the Council his estimate of the receipts and expenditures on account of the general revenue for the fiscal year ending December 1898. and the tax rate necess=ary to meet these necessary expenditures. The amount estimated for the necessary expenditures was $95.548.91. To meet this estimated expend =iture he recommended a tax of 60ct on the $100. worth of property, the value being $11.513.315. The amount from this source was estimated $77.839.89. to which add the receipts from license tax recorder's court and other sources estimated by the City Assessor and Collector to be $21.895. there would be $99.734.89 as receipts to meet the expenditures, leaving a balance of $4.186. At a called meeting held November 6th, 1897 the Council adopted the tax rate at 79ct instead of 60ct as recommended by the Mayor. All adjournments commit=ting on the 23rd, of February 1898. the Council adopted the Budget. and in this budget estimated the amount to be appropriated on account of expenses of the City for the year to be $91.987.97. In this amount was included and made a part of it the $20.000. that was estim=ated by the Mayor would be due for Water and Lights furnished the City for Public use by the Water, Light and Power Commission. and upon which estimate the tax rate was fixed at 79ct. On October 3rd, 1898. the Mayor submitted his message to the City Council giving the estimated disbursement and receipts on account of general running expenses of the City and the amount of tax necess=ary to raise the general revenue to meet this estimated expense for the fiscal year ending December 1899. which expenses was estimated to be $117.979.33. Included in this amount was an estimate for Water and Light furnished the City for the year, of $16.000. also $4.987.9 which was due for water and light already furnished the City from April 1st. 1897. to November 30th. 1898. also a warrant in the hands of the City Clerk for $3660. for water and light furnished the City for the quarter ending February 1896. and an estimated amount of $9500 for repair of bridges over the City. To meet this expenditure he stated that the City Assessor and Collector estimated that there would be collected from license tax, recorder's court and other sources $19.150. leaving the balance to be raised by taxation. The taxable value being $11.707.848. that a tax of 90ct would yield $105.711.63. to which add the estimate of the City Assessor and Collector, and we would have estimated receipts on account of general revenue $124.861.63 to meet the estimated expenditures for the fiscal year, and leave a balance of $6.882.30. On November 21st. 1898. the tax rate was fixed by the Council at 90ct as recommended by the Mayor. On February 6th. 1899. the budget was adopted by the Council. Said budget including the --- Page break --- $15.000, for water and light furnished the City for public use for the current year. An appropriation of $20.000, to make a payment on the amount due for water and light furnished the City is only placing the money where it belongs, as is shown by the messages of the Mayor, also the estimate upon which the tax levy was based and the placing of the items in the budget by the Council, all of which are on record in the minutes of the Council. If, instead of making this payment of $20.000, the Council, never appropriate, the total amount due, the Water and Light Commission need not only turn over the $20.000, in addition to the $4035.00 already turned over to the interest and sinking fund, but can retire $10.000 of the bonds and save the interest to the City. Respectfully, Jno: D. Call Mayor. Alderman Glass moved that the message and Ordinance be referred to the Water and Light Committee, which motion prevailed by the following Vote: Yeas: Aldermen Duncan, Glass, Mortimer and Nobles, 4. Nays: Aldermen Fischer, Morris and Stample, 3. The Mayor then laid before the Council an Ordinance appropriating the sum of $7950.00 to pay interest due Jany: 1st, 1900. The ordinance was read the second time and a motion made to suspend the rules and place it on its third reading and final passage which was lost by the following Vote: Yeas: Aldermen, Duncan, Glass, Mortimer and Nobles, 4. Nays: Aldermen, Fischer, Morris and Stample, 3. New business. Alderman Morris offered the following resolution which was read and adopted. "Be it resolved by the City Council of the City of Austin, that the City Clerk is hereby authorized to re-copy the Clerk book, allowed him by a resolution on the 20th November, 1899, for a further time of thirty days or so much thereof as may be necessary, in order to check up the City Assessor and Collectors books so as to give the said Assessor and Collector his proper credit for taxes on which property was sold to the City, errors in assessment, the insolvent list and such other credits as he may find correct, and report his action to the City Council for approval. The Mayor laid before the Council the following communication from the City Marshal: "To the Honorable Mayor and City Council of the City of Austin, Texas: Gentlemen: I desire to formally prefer the following charges against T. W. Powell, Pound Master of the City of Austin, and respectfully ask that the same be investigated, and if found to be true, that Mr. Powell be removed from office. 1-- I charge the said Powell with being cruel and unfit and ineffi-cient to perform the duties of his office on the 4th day of December A.D. 1899. --- Page break --- 241 I - Charge the said Powell with being drunk and unfit and incapacitated to perform the duties of his Office on the 5th day of December A.D. 1899. A. J. Thorpe. On motion the Communication was referred to the Marshal Committee. By Alderman Nolen An Ordinance to amend article 175 of the Penal Amend 175 Penal Code. The ordinance was read the first time and on motion was referred to the Committee on Sanitation & Sewerage. By Alderman Dunham. An Ordinance authorizing and Confirming the sale by the City of Austin and its Board of School Trustees, of 160 acres of land out of the Goliad Militia Survey in San Saba Co Texas. The Ordinance was passed under suspension of the rules by the following Vote: Yeas. Aldermen: Dunham, Fischer, Glass, Morris, Mortimer, Nolen & Stumph. 7. Nays: None 0. By Alderman Glass. An Ordinance appropriating the sum of $585 to pay balance due Sanitary employees for the month of Dec. 99. The Ordinance was passed under suspension of the rules by the following Vote: Yeas. Aldermen: Dunham, Fischer, Glass, Morris, Mortimer, Nolen & Stumph. 7. Nays. None 0. By Alderman Fischer. An Ordinance appropriating the sum of $728 to pay the salaries of drivers of fuel teams for the month of January, 1900. The Ordinance was passed under suspension of the rules by the following Vote: Yeas. Aldermen: Dunham, Fischer, Glass, Morris, Mortimer, Nolen & Stumph. 7. Nays. None 0. By Alderman Glass. An Ordinance appropriating the sum of $380 to pay the salaries of Sanitary employees for the month of Jany, 1900. The Ordinance was passed under suspension of the rules by the following Vote: Yeas. Aldermen. Dunham, Fischer, Glass, Morris, Mortimer, Nolen & Stumph. 7. Nays. None 0. By Alderman Stumph. An Ordinance appropriating the sum of $956 to pay salaries of Special Policemen for the month of Dec; 1899. The Ordinance was passed under the suspension of the rules by the following Vote: Yeas. Aldermen: Dunham, Fischer, Glass, Morris, Mortimer, Nolen & Stumph. 7. Nays. None 0. By Alderman Stumph. An Ordinance, appropriating $1176 to pay diverse accounts. The Ordinance was passed under suspension of the rules by the following Vote: Yeas. Aldermen: Dunham, Fischer, Glass, Morris, Mortimer, Nolen & Stumph. 7. Nays None. 0. By Alderman Stumph. An Ordinance appropriating the sum of $2500 to pay salaries of Officers employees of the City for the month of January 1900. The Ordinance was passed under suspension of the rules by the following Vote: --- Page break --- 242 Yeas. Aldermen; Dunham, Fischer, Glass, Morris, Mortimer, Nolan & Stumph. 7. Nays. none 0. The Mayor laid before the Council, a Bill of the Austin Water, Light and power Co. for water for Fire hydrants, which was read and on motion referred to the Water and Light Committee. The Mayor laid before the Council, a Bill of the Water and Light Commission for water, and light furnished the City which was read and on motion referred to the Water and Light Committee. By Alderman Dunham. An Ordinance to prescribe rules to govern the Board of Equalization of the City of Austin and trials of appeals therefrom. The Ordinance was passed under suspension of the rules by the following Vote: Yeas. Aldermen. Dunham, Fischer, Glass, Morris, Mortimer, Nolan & Stumph. 7. Nays. none. 0. On motion the Council adjourned. Jas. D. Johnson City Clerk.