399 Regular meeting of the City Council Austin Texas December 03, 1900 Hon Jno A. McLean presiding. Roll Called Roll Called Present Aldermen Dunham, Fischer, Glass, Nolan, Mortimer, Schneider and Struff Absent None. Minutes adopted On motion the Minutes were approved as recorded by the Clerk, without reading. Petitions etc. Pets: Col: Citizens By the Mayor, petition of Colored Citizens asking to have a certain in regard to City Cemetery portion of the City Cemetery cleaned up, and lots placed on Sales On motion the petition was referred to the Cemetery Committee Pets: E. E. Parker By the Mayor, petition of E. E. Parker asking to have Pound fees to have fees refunded refunded. On motion the petition was granted. Pets: J. H. Glass, By Alderman Glass, Petition of Citizens asking permission to build Citizens asking perm- in a rock grade on East of Friskill Hotel. ission to build etc. On motion the petition was referred to the Street Committee and City Engineer with power to act. Pets: J. B. Earl & By Alderman Goschen, Petition of J. B. Earl and J. E. Boynton asking J. E. Boynton to a franchise for an Independent Telephone System. build Telep. line The petition was read and on motion was laid over to come up with an ordinance on the subject. Pets: J. A. Robertson By Alderman Goschen petition of J. A. Robertson asking that to have taxes Certain taxes paid by him refunded - the petition was read refunded. and on motion referred to the Claims & Accounts Committee. Pets: Ed Kelley, By the Mayor, Petition of Ed Kelley asking that a fine to have fine refunded assessed against him in the Recorders Court be refunded. On Motion the petition was granted. Reports of City Officers Reports of City Officers The Mayor laid before the Council the reports of the City Officers for the month of November 1900. On motion the reports were referred to their appropriate Committees without reading, except the Treasurer's report report of the Treasurer which was read. Assessor The following is a synopsis of the reports & Collectors. By the Assessor & Collector. Collections From General Revenue Texas $ 333.09 " Licenses " 1895.10 " Fines in Mayors Court " 402.75 " Pound fees & Sales " 82.55 " Penalties Interest & Costs (of Taxes) " 59.30 " Miscellaneous " 12.00 Total General Revenue $ 2784.99 " Int & Sinking fund W. A. Bonds " 146.66 " " " " " " " " " 30.92 " School " " " " " " " 140.28 Total Collections $ 3106.85 Referred to Finance Committee --- Page break --- 401 By the City Marshal. Total amount of fines assessed in Recorders Court $590.00 Paid in Cash $387.50 worked out 134.00 Carried over 66.50 Escaped 2.00 -------- $590.00 Back fines collected cash $10.00 worked 5.00 Pound fees Collected 25.00 Burial permit issued 40.75 Referred to Police Committee 11.00 By the City Physician Number patients in Hospital Nov 1st 1900 19 " " admitted " 23. " " dismissed " 7 " " died " 2 " " remaining Nov 30th. 33 --- 42 --- " Visits to patients during the month 50 " Prescriptions " " " " 257 " Cases Scarlet fever reported 9 " " Diphtheria " " " 3 " " Small pox " " " 32 Referred to Hospital Committee By the City Sexton Total Number of deaths White 10 Colored 1 Male 9 Female 2 ----- 11 ----- Referred to Sanitary Committee Reports of Standing Committees Alderman Diescher for the Street Committee presented the following report which was read and adopted Austin Texas Dec 8th 1900 Hon Jno D. McCall Mayor and Board of Aldermen, City of Austin Gentlemen! Your Committee on Streets to whom was referred the letters of the Bridge beg leave to report that we received a bid from Jas Halverson for the sum of $3065. Also a plan and bid for a one Arch bridge from Gus Deison for $2880. In a full investigation we recommend that said bridge be re-advertised, for a one and two arch bridge. Bids to be opened Dec 10th 1900 Respectfully, Francis Diescher Joseph Stumpf, H E Kizer --- Page break --- 402 Alderman Stumpf for the Finance Committee to whom was referred the proposition of D. A. McCall, Esq to collect back Taxes due the City by the Colorado Bridge Co. presented a report, together with an ordinance on the subject and recommending the passage of the ordinance. On Motion the report was laid over to come up with the ordinance under the head of new business Alderman Fischer for the Hospital Committee made Verbal report stating that the Hospital Committee in connection with the City Marshal had agreed with the party who had been pasturing a Cow belonging to the City Bo. Hospital and who claimed that the City owed him $11.25 for pasturage of the said Cow, that the City would allow him $8.00 and give him the Cow in full settlement of his claim - The action of the Committee was approved Alderman Fischer for the special Committee to whom was referred the application of J.B. Best and J.A. Boyles for a franchise for an independent Telephone system presented a report with an ordinance granting the franchise and recommending the passage of the ordinance presented. On Motion the report was laid over to come up with the ordinance under the head of New business. Unfinished business Ord. levying taxes. The Mayor laid before the Council an ordinance levying Taxes for for 1900. the Year 1900. The ordinance was read the Third time and passed by the following vote Yeas Aldermen Durham Fischer Glass Naortimer Nolan Schneider Paul Stumpf Nays None 7 Mayor's Veto The Mayor laid before the Council the following Veto Message Message. Mayor's Office Austin Texas Nov 28th 1900 To the Honorable City Council; Gentlemen! I herewith return without my Resolution as to approval the resolution adopted by Your honorable body on the 19th City Teams working of November directing the City teams to be worked in the 5th & 6th on 5th & 6th Wards. Wards, and 1st Wards etc, under the direction of the Alderman for each Ward, for the following reasons. There has been appropriated by the Council $500. for street work in each of the wards. Do now take the City teams and put them in the 5th & 6th exclusion of the other wards would be making a distinction in favor of these wards against those not mentioned in the resolution, and as there is no provision specifying any particular work or limit of time for any ward the Alderman of the ward in which the teams were working could hold them under the resolution indefinitely. Respectfully, Geo. S. McCall. Mayor. On Motion the Vote by which the resolution was passed was reconsidered and the motion put shall the resolution now pass Notwithstanding, the Mayor's objections, which Motion was lost by the following vote --- Page break --- Yeas Aldermen Dunham Mortimer and Strumph 3 Nays Aldermen Fischer Glass Nolen Schneider 4 New business By Alderman Fischer An Ordinance granting to J. B. Bare and J. F. Boynton, their associates and assigns, the right to build operate and maintain a system of telephones and a telephone exchange in the City of Austin etc The Ordinance was read the first time and a motion made to suspend the rule and place it on its second reading, which motion was lost by the following Vote Yeas Aldermen Fischer Nolen Schneider Strumph 4 Nays Aldermen Dunham Glass Mortimer 3 Communication from Water Light Commission. The Mayor laid before the Council the following communication from the Water Light Commission, which was read and on motion was referred to the Water Light Committee Austin Texas Dec 3rd 1904 Honorable City Council: Gentlemen! I have with I beg to transmit to your Honorable body a copy of a resolution passed by the Water Light and Power Commission at its meeting on this date, which is as follows “On motion duly seconded and carried it was resolved that the City Council be requested to advance to this Commission the sum of five thousand dollars, the same to be repaid by credit each month for one-half the amount due this department by the City for Water and Light Respectfully D. W. Spoon Secretary, Water, Light and Power Commission Ord. which #115.93 to pay appd accts. Street dept. By Alderman Fischer An Ordinance appropriating the sum of $115.93 to pay approved accounts street dept. The Ordinance was read the first time and on motion the rule was suspended and the Ordinance placed on its second reading by the following Vote Yeas Aldermen Dunham Fischer Glass Mortimer Nolen Schneider and Strumph 7 Nays None Ord. to did The Ordinance was read the second time Alderman Glass moved to amend the Ordinance by adding “To pay extra labor and teams for East 5th Street bridge $27.55” which motion prevailed Alderman Glass moved to further amend by adding “To pay Inspectors of street work in the several wards of the City” they being employed under resolution of the Council $86.25” The amendment was adopted, and the Ordinance as amended was passed by the following Vote Yeas Aldermen Dunham Fischer Glass Mortimer Nolen Schneider Strumph 7 Nays None --- Page break --- 404 The Mayor laid before the Council the following report from the Auditing Committee, which was on motion of Aldenman Runheime, ordered printed in the minutes and laid on the table subject to call! Austin, Texas, Dec 1st 1904 Hon Jno. A. McCall, Mayor, and Board of Aldermen of the City of Austin. Gentlemen: Your Committee appointed to Audit the Books of the Various departments of the City of Austin, beg leave to submit the following report. After a careful painstaking and laborious examination and comparison of the books and reports of the Various departments, We beg to call your attention to the fact that the dispatch of our labors was been materially retarded by having to contend with so many clerical errors, together with the different methods of the different departments in making their reports, entries, etc, hence our inability to complete our labors sooner, we were Most anxious to Correct and rectify all errors, if clerical, and give you an intelligent, reliable and Correct report of the status of each department, therefore our time was largely given to the search and locating of these errors, which we have, as far as we have located and style after corrections are made, we find the books in the main to be Correct, and the few errors not corrected are of such small amounts as to in no way materially change the result. We have now proceed with each department separately, and show the result of our investigation in the same. Assessor and Collectors Office. Having given a thorough and careful examination of the receipts of this Office from all sources, we find that they agree in every particular with the receipts of the City Treasurer, as filed by Fred Starging the Assessor and Collector, with his monthly reports Made to your Hon Body. We have also examined all the unpaid tax receipts in this office for the years 1895, 1896, 1897 and 1898, and have made lists of the same, Three of this amounts of unpaid taxes are in the hands of the City Attorney, for suit, and a large portion of the property on which taxes are due and unpaid has been owed to the City, hence we recommend that the amounts as shown in Exhibit "A" be credited to Fred Starging, Assessor and Collector, in consequence of their having been charged to him in the tax rolls of the respective years, the receipts for which are on file in his office and unpaid. We also recommend that the amounts as shown in Exhibit "B" be charged to Fred Starging, Assessor and Collector, as said Amounts have not been charged in the tax rolls of the respective Years they being supplemental and assessed after the rolls were made up. --- Page break --- 405 In Concluding our report for this office we desire to Commend to your Hon body the neatness and Care with which the books of this office are kept, and that in his entire accounts we find him Correct, methodical plain and Concise Police Department Owing to Time Consumed in other departments, we have been unable to go so far back in this department as we intended, but we find from a complete examination of the books, under the supervision of A. G. Shoaf, City Marshal that the books are in proper shape and Correct, as far as we extended our investigation of the books under the supervision of Jas. E. Huey, in the realm we find the books Correct, in as far as the Cash handled. Water and Light Department We have carefully examined the books of this department from the time the Water and Light Commission took charge of the plant to the 1st of October 1904, Compared the Vouchers, on file in this office, for amounts paid out, with the books; also the deposits with the City Treasurer and the daily Cash receipts; after Correcting the Clerical errors the books in the main are correct, upon examination of the Various Contracts made by this department, we find that the amounts expressed in these Contracts agree with amounts paid, as shown by the books, except the Contract made and entered into with Braden and Mullen, in which there is a discrepancy between the Contract and the amount charged on the books? We have examined the reports of the City Treasurer, and find that they agree with the other departments, as to the amounts deposited by them. City Clerks office In this office there is a general Ledger on which are kept the accounts of all other departments, except those of the Water and Light since the creation of the Commission, we have Carefully examined the reports of all the departments, and Compared them with the entries as made upon the Journal and Ledger, and we find that owing to the Complication of the entries, in making them up many errors have been found therein, which gave us much trouble to locate. Data should be furnished this office to enable the Clerk to check the proper accounts with the other departments, but owing to the absence of reports not furnished, we find a small discrepancy, which we have been unable to locate, there is no money handled in this department, Consequently this clerical error in no way affects the money accounts in the other departments. But the assessor and Collector making his reports to the first of each month and the Treasurer making his on the day of the meeting of the City Council, has given us much trouble and loss of Time Checking and Comparing the two accounts. We find upon the ledger many accounts which are not now used, such as the Rail Road to Dam, Engineering expenses, Etc, which should be closed by proper entries. --- Page break --- 406 but the Clerk is not authorized to do so without direction. from your Honorable body. The records of this office are in good shape and well kept. Respectfully submitted E. H. Hurley, G. A. Wheatley. By Alderman Stumpf an ordinance appropriating the sum of $1407.76. to fray approved accounts - The ordinance was read the first time and a motion made to suspend the rule and place the ordinance on its second reading, which motion prevailed by the following Vote Yeas Aldermen Dunham, Fischer, Glass, Mortimer, Nolen, Schneider and Stumpf. 7 Nays None. The ordinance was read the second Time. Alderman Stumpf moved to amend the ordinance by adding "to pay the fees of the Auditing Committee $100." and to add "under the head of sanitary dept. "to bill to the bill of E. S. Griffin for transmitting $15.oo Both amendments were adopted and the ordinance as amended was passed under a suspension of the rule by the following Vote Yeas Aldermen Dunham, Fischer, Glass, Mortimer, Nolen, Schneider and Stumpf 7 Nays None. By Alderman Stumpf An Ordinance appropriating the sum of $125.oo to fray the salaries of extra Policemen for the month of Nov 1900. The ordinance was passed under a suspension of the rules by the following Vote Yeas Aldermen Dunham, Fischer, Glass, Mortimer, Nolen, Schneider and Stumpf. 7 Nays None. By Alderman Stumpf An Ordinance authorizing the Mayor to enter into a contract with S. A. W. Hall Esq. to assist the City Attorney in the collection of back taxes due the City by the Colorado Bridge Co. The ordinance was passed under a suspension of the rules by the following Vote Yeas Aldermen Dunham, Fischer, Glass, Mortimer, Nolen, Schneider and Stumpf. 7 Nays None. By Alderman Glass, An Ordinance appropriating the sum of $150.oo to build a Culvert on Congress Avenue at the point where West 5th Street intersects same. The ordinance was passed under suspension of the rules in the following Vote Yeas Aldermen Dunham, Fischer, Glass Mortimer, Nolen Schneider and Stumpf. 7 --- Page break --- 407 Nays none Alderman W. Mortimer offered the following resolution which was read and adopted. Be it resolved by the City Council of the City of Austin, that the City Engineer is hereby instructed to at once place the City teams, and street force at work for the period of fourteen days in the following wards of the City in the order named viz; 1st Ward, 5th Ward, 6th Ward, 7th Ward, 4th Ward Second Ward, 3rd Ward; the work in said various wards to be done at such places as may be designated from time to time by the Alderman of said wards. By Alderman Glass. An Ordinance appropriating the sum of $500--to purchase two pairs of mules for the use of the street force The ordinance was read the first time and a motion made to suspend the rule and place it on its second reading which motion prevailed by the following vote Yeas Aldermen Dunham Fischer Glass Mortimer Nolen and Shurff 6 Nays Alderman Schneider 1 The ordinance was read the second time and on motion was amended by adding the following "That the Street Committee shall advertise for bids to furnish 4 pair mules" The ordinance as amended was then passed under a suspension of the rule by the following vote Yeas Aldermen Dunham Fischer Glass Mortimer Nolen Schneider and Shurff 7 Nays none Alderman Glass offered the following resolution which was read and adopted. Resolved by the City Council of the City of Austin that the City Engineer is hereby requested to build a Culvert and grade approaches to same at the intersection of West 5th street and Congress Avenue at as early a date as possible On motion the Council adjourned Geo. J. Johnson City Clerk