990121_Page_2

[990121]

To the Conference Committee of the two Houses of the City
Council..
Gentlemen:
We the undersigned citizens of the City of
Seattle, being at the present time actually engaged or person-
ally interested in the present building operations now in pro-
gress in our young and growing City, would respectfully present
unto your Honourable Committee, and the Council which you rep-
resent the following, our petition and memorial in relation to
the question of the advisability of the continuance of the of-
fice of Building Inspector, or Superintendent of the inspection
of private buildings, seperate and apart from that of Superin-
tendent of the Public Buildings, Bridges and Wharves; and we rep-
resent unto you the following as our reasons for asking that
said office shall be seperately organized and maintained.
In our opinion the present and future wants of the City demand
the services of an energetic and capable man who shall devote
his entire time to the inspection of the wharves along the Wat-
er Front in order that the lives and property of our citizens
may not be unnecessarily exposed, and that these duties in
addition to those appertaining to the inspection and supervis-
ion of Public Bridges and Buildings will entirely consume one
mans time. Regarding the Inspectorship of Private buildings we
urge upon your Honourable Council the importance, first, of
placing this office upon a basis and endowing it with powers
commensurate with its importance; And secondy, providing such
a rate of fees for the granting of permits as will make it self
sustaining, thus reducing the strain upon the salary fund;
without which provisions we regard the building Ordinances now