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TRUSTEES
E. O. GRAVES, President, THOS. W. PROSCH, Vice-President SAMUEL RAMSEY, 2d Vice-President E. F. WITTLER, Treasurer.
A. P. BURWELL, JAS. R. HAYDEN, G. DAVIES, JOHN LEARY, J. FURTH, ANGUS MACKINTOSH, D. H. GILMAN, L. E. THOMPSON, BAILEY GATZERT, D. B. WARD, J. M. WIESTLING.
Seattle Chamber of Commerce.
J. W. DODGE, Secretary.
Seattle, Wash. 1893
To the Honorable City Council:
The Chamber of Commerce having carefully considered the matter of further bonding the city for the purpose of extending our sewerage, would respectfully represent to your honorable body that in the progress and growth of our city the time has now arrived when it surely seems wise that before further indebtedness is incurred a cafully considered system of sewerage should be planned so as to effect the best sanitary results for the city as a whole, and equitable distribute the financial burden throughout the various parts of the city that receive the benefit.
The chamber respectfully submits the following for your consideration as a plan, which, if adopted and adhered to as the settled policy of the city, would result in great good to the city and promote its future upbuilding and prosperity, by assuring the most judicious expenditure of money and on a just basis.
The chamber recommends that a temporary sewer commission be appointed, composed of two engineers (one of whom shall be the city engineer) and an honest, clear headed business man, making a commission of three, whose duty it shall be to carefully scan the system of sewerage devised by Benezette Williams, revise and extend said plan to date, list and describe by course and location such sewers as must serve as "intercepting mains," which in their judgment should be constructed within the next two years; also to recommend the priority in which such "intercepting mains"
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TRUSTEES
E. O. GRAVES, President, THOS. W. PROSCH, Vice-President SAMUEL RAMSEY, 2d Vice-President E. F. WITTLER, Treasurer.
A. P. BURWELL, JAS. R. HAYDEN, G. DAVIES, JOHN LEARY, J. FURTH, ANGUS MACKINTOSH, D. H. GILMAN, L. E. THOMPSON, BAILEY GATZERT, D. B. WARD, J. M. WIESTLING.
Seattle Chamber of Commerce.
J. W. DODGE, Secretary.
Seattle, Wash. 1893
#2.
shall be built.
Such commission to determine and name the diameter of a sewer, to be known as the "unit sewer" and to define "unit sewer" to mean a sewer of such diameter as in absence of an "intercepting main" on same route would be necessary to carry away the sewage of the abutting property; but because of an "intercepting main" on same route, is rendered unnecessary.
All sewers tributary to the "intercepting mains" prescribed by said commission, and within the limits of the districts -which districts would be determined by the topography of the different localities- and not listed as "intercepting mains" are to be known and designated as "laterals. No sewer hereafter to be constructed entirely at the expense of the general sewer fund, but the cost to be met as follows:
First- "Intercepting mains," sewers thus listed by the commission to be paid out of the proceeds of the sewer bonds, such bonds to be redeemed, in part by taxation on the entire city and part by the assessment of the directly tributary property by the following method of distribution: When any "intercepting main" is ordered built, there should be prepared and filed with the city treasurer an assessment roll charging against each lot or parcel of property directly tributary to said main, in preference to any other exist-
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TRUSTEES
E. O. GRAVES, President, THOS. W. PROSCH, Vice-President SAMUEL RAMSEY, 2d Vice-President E. F. WITTLER, Treasurer.
A. P. BURWELL, JAS. R. HAYDEN, G. DAVIES, JOHN LEARY, J. FURTH, ANGUS MACKINTOSH, D. H. GILMAN, L. E. THOMPSON, BAILEY GATZERT, D. B. WARD, J. M. WIESTLING.
Seattle Chamber of Commerce.
J. W. DODGE, Secretary.
Seattle Wash 1893
#3. ing or projected main or "lateral," a proportion equal to the cost of a "unit sewer for the direct benefit of the sewer fund of the city. Such assessment to be on the basis of square feet of area within the assessment district. Owners of property thus assessed should be allowed the following option as regards the payment of the sewer assessment: (a) Payment at the termination of the bond period; interest to be paid annually. (b) Full or partial payments of not less than 10% assessment, with interest, at any tax paying period during life of bonds, all moneys thus received to be invested by the city in a sinking fund to be applied only, towards the redemption of the city "sewer bonds."
Second- "Laterals," sewers thus liste or designated to be constructed under order from the city council, either upon petition from the abutting property owners or upon order of the board of public health, if in their judgment the public health demands sewerage facilities in such localities, each "lateral" to be paid for by an assessment, based on the number of square feet in the district directly tributary to said "lateral."
Such assessment to be met by the plan of immediate payment or by short time district sewer bonds as determined by owners of a majority of the area within the assessment district. In case bonds are issued, provision shall be made for partial or entire
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TRUSTEES
E. O. GRAVES, President, THOS. W. PROSCH, Vice-President SAMUEL RAMSEY, 2d Vice-President E. F. WITTLER, Treasurer.
A. P. BURWELL, JAS. R. HAYDEN, G. DAVIES, JOHN LEARY, J. FURTH, ANGUS MACKINTOSH, D. H. GILMAN, L. E. THOMPSON, BAILEY GATZERT, D. B. WARD, J. M. WIESTLING.
Seattle Chamber of Commerce.
J. W. DODGE, Secretary.
Seattle, Wash. 1893
#4. payment, with interest at an annual period during the life of bonds and such moneys should be invested by the city in a sinking fund for the redemption of said "district sewer" bonds.
All sewers already constructed from "city sewer" fund and which are found to be adequate to carry off the sewage of their particular localities, are to be incorporated into the new system of sewerage, and all property abutting such completed sewers, or directly tributary thereto, to be hereafter connected with said sewers, to be charge an installation fee at date of connection, equal to their proportionate cost of a "unit sewer," and the moneys arising from such corrections, as are made hereafter, to be paid into "city sewer" fund.
Your committee would urge as a reason for recommending the immediate adoption of this system, the fact that the progress of this city, especially in the matter of street paving, is being retarded on account of permanent sewers not having been laid in the business district, and in support of the principle of taxation as recommended, would say:
First- That at the time the sewers now in use, were laid, the city was practically one district.
Second- That many of the sewers were constructed of wood; have decayed, and must now be replaced.
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TRUSTEES
E. O. GRAVES, President, THOS. W. PROSCH, Vice-President SAMUEL RAMSEY, 2d Vice-President E. F. WITTLER, Treasurer.
A. P. BURWELL, JAS. R. HAYDEN, G. DAVIES, JOHN LEARY, J. FURTH, ANGUS MACKINTOSH, D. H. GILMAN, L. E. THOMPSON, BAILEY GATZERT, D. B. WARD, J. M. WIESTLING.
Seattle Chamber of Commerce.
J. W. DODGE, Secretary.
Seattle, Wash. 1893
#5. Third- That nearly all of these sewers are inadequate by reason of insufficient size, for the increased population.
No city improvement has been more carefully considered than the matter of sewerage and the citizens will be themselves to blame if any dissatisfaction results after final action is taken.
For the purpose of commencing the permanent sewerage of the city, the Chamber of Commerce would respectfully ask the City Council to submit for vote to the people the proposition to issue a twenty year "city sewer" bond in the amount of $250,000. to be expended to the construction of "intercepting mains," as outlined above.
Respectfully submitted.