Jasper County Democrat, Volume 20, Number 81, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 January 1918 — PROCEEDINGS OF CITY COUNCIL [ARTICLE]

PROCEEDINGS OF CITY COUNCIL

Mayor Expressed Belief That a Marshal Was Unnecessary. The city council met in regular session. Monday evening and the certificates of election of the recently elected mayor, clerk, treasurer and councilmen were presented. . The mayor announced his appointments as follows: L. A. Bostwick, city engineer. J. J. Montgomery, chief of fire department Drs. Gwin and Hemphill and C. E. Simpson, city board of health. Committee on finance. Councilmen Tobias, Wood and Kellner? 5 Light committee, Councilmen Wood, Kellner and Tobias. Street committee, Couneilmen Waymire, Wood and Warner. Sewer committee, , Councilmen Kellner, Waymire and Warner. Fire department committee, Councilmen Warner, Waymire and Tobias. No city marshal was appointed, and the mayor in his annual message to the council, said that he thought such officer was unnecessary could be saved In the reorganization of the council F. W. Tobias was elected president. The superintendent of the light plant was authorized to unload one car of city coal in the Kellner & Callahan bins and that dealers be permitted to use such amounts of said coal as was necessary to prevent suffering among citizens of the city, same to be returned by the dealers using it to the city light plant. The annual report or message of the mayor is quite lengthy and we are unable to present same herewith, but give the essential points thereof: It was pointed out by the mayor ' that there was no bonded debt at present against the city proper—the water and school bonds not counting against the city—and that this opened the way for the erection of a city hall and fire house;

but owing to the high price of building material and the scarcity of labor it was- recommended that nothing be done in this matter at present. It was stated that the city owned and had ready for installation water meters where not already installed. It was recommended that a heavy wire screen bo placed on the inside of the foot walks of the Washington street bridge to prevent children from crossing said bridge promlscously, to their great danger, owing to the heavy traffic over same. It was pointed out that there was a balance or surplus of SIO,OOO in the electric llg'ht fund and it was recommended that immediate steps be taken to secure permission' of the public service commission to reduce the rate to consumers one cent per kilowatt 1 over the present rate. Owing to conditions it is not probable that much of anything will be done toward street improvements this year, the mayor said, but it was recommended that a sidewalk grade be established and that property owners be required to reconstruct their walks, where necessary, to comply with such grade, as had been urged in a previous message.