USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Quincy > Inaugural address of the mayor, with the annual report of the officers of the city of Quincy for the year 1904 > Part 10
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The sewers built under Long & Little were completed in December, 1898.
The A. W. Bryne Construction Company began by doing the shallow work on Wollaston Hill, leaving the deep work in Woodbine street and Brook street until the late summer. The severity of the weather in December stopped the work before the sewer in Brook street was completed. The A. W. Bryne Construction Company had some financial difficulties and with the consent of the Surety Company the contract was terminated and a new contract upon the same terms as the old one was entered into with James L. Bryne on Feb. 3, 1899. Mr. Bryne was unable to complete all the work satisfactorily and on June 2, 1899 the city took a portion of the work and finished it by day labor. This work cost more than the contract price and city was later reimbursed for the extra cost of the work by the Surety Company by a payment of $1100.
Throughout the season of 1898 two gangs were kept em- ployed at day labor with M. E. Shea and W. D. Burns as fore- men.
In 1899 the same policy of carrying on the work was con- tinued. A little over three miles of sewers were built by day labor and the more difficult of the work was done by contract.
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Sewers were built on the plains of Wollaston by Kelley & O'Hearn and the Town Brook Sewer from Hancock street to Liberty street and a sewer in Water street were built by James Driscoll & Sons. The contract prices in 1899 for excavation, which is the principal item of the contracts, were about 40% greater than in 1898.
During the years 1900, 1901 and 1902 the Board thought that the men who had been employed on day work had gained sufficient experience to undertake the more difficult work and no contracts were let. The main sewer to Atlantic was built dur- ing the seasons of 1901 and 1902 together with tributary sewers in Wollaston Park, Norfolk Downs and Atlantic. The ques- tion was raised as to the economy of doing the work on the main sewers by day labor and in 1903 when the main sewer to Quincy Point was being built it was divided into three sec- tions. The two end sections were done under contracts made with T. J. O'Connell and the section between was done by day labor. In addition to this section of the main sewer about three miles of other sewers were built by the day. At the end of the season of 1903 it was found that the cost of labor pay rolls, lumber, tools and lighting on all the sewers built by day labor would have been about 13.7% greater if the work had been done by contract at the same unit prices as were paid Mr. O'Connell, no allowance being made for bills for extra work, which might have been brought in by the contractor. Since the beginning of sewer work in Quincy contract prices have stead- ily advanced. In 1903 the prices on the principal items of the contract were from 75 to 80% greater than in 1898, while the price of sewer pipe in the same time was practically doubled.
Metropolitan Sewerage System
About the first of March, 1899, we received a copy of the report of the Metropolitan Sewerage Commission on the pro- posed South Metropolitan Sewerage System in which was incor- porated a proposed act authorizing the construction of the sys- tem. At about the same time we received a notice of a Legis- lative hearing on the proposed act to be held within a few days.
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We made as careful a study of the provisions of this act as was possible in the limited time before the hearing and were convinced that the interests of Quincy would suffer if the act was passed in the form proposed. The city was, therefore, rep- resented by the Mayor, the Sewerage Board and the City Solic- itor. Quincy was the only remonstrant at the hearing and at the suggestion of the chairman of the Legislative committee it was agreed that there should be a conference between the chair- man of the Metropolitan Sewerage Board and City Solicitor Paul R. Blackmur, of Quincy, and that such amendments as they might agree upon would be considered by the committee at an adjourned hearing. As a result of this conference there was inserted in Section 8 of the proposed act the following : "Provided, that the said Board shall, without expense to the city of Quincy, make all connections and take and construct such intercepting sewers as may be necessary to enable the city of Quincy to drain by gravity its territory into said Metropoli- tan Sewer. The present pumping station and force mains of the city of Quincy shall be taken and paid for by said Board of Metropolitan Sewerage Commissioners, and said Board shall build and operate such new force main or mains and pumping stations as may be necessary to enable the city of Quincy to drain its sewerage systems into said Metropolitan Sewer." And in Section 1 the proviso, "that no part of the said proposed out- let, or sewerage system, between Hyde Park and the outlet, shall be constructed before the year nineteen hundred, and un- til plans for said outlet shall be further considered by said Board, and adopted and approved by the State Board of Health," and further by Chapter 65 of the Resolves of the same year the State Board of Health was authorized and directed to consider the general subject of the discharge of sewage into Boston Harbor and the disposal of sewage for the Metropolitan Dis- tricts of the Commonwealth, and to report a plan or plans for an outlet for a high-level gravity or other sewer, for the relief of the Charles and Neponset river valleys. Acting under this Resolve, the State Board of Health made an investigation and upon its recommendations the outlet for the High-level Sewer
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was moved about one-half mile further from the Quincy shore, thus reducing the danger of Quincy beaches being polluted by the discharge of the sewage. By the above addition to Section 8 of the proposed act it was made compulsory that the pump- ing station and force main be taken, paid for and operated by the Metropolitan Board and that pumping stations and force mains for the accommodation of those areas which cannot be drained by gravity into the present Quincy system shall, when necessary, be built and operated by the Metropolitan Board : also that if it is deemed advisable in order to save pumping to make changes in the Quincy system so that portions that now drain to the pumping station shall drain directly into the High- level sewer, the expense of such changes be borne by the Met- ropolitan Board.
In the summer of 1900, understanding that Quincy would in the following year be called upon to pay towards the mainten- ance of the South Metropolitan Sewerage System the Board be- lieved that the pumping station and force main should be taken and operated by the Metropolitan Sewerage Commission and made request that it be so taken. Members of the Metropolitan Board made the statement that as the High-level sewer was not completed they had no use for the Quincy pumping station and ought not to take and operate it until the High-level sewer should be completed and put in operation. We maintained that as the Metropolitan Sewerage Commission was already operat- ing a portion af the Metropolitan system with the discharge through the Boston Outfall sewer, and as a part of the operat- ing expenses of the system was to be assessed upon the city of Quincy, Quincy should be given as great advantages as those portions of the district for the disposal of whose sewage the maintenance account charges were being incurred. This mat- ter was under discussion between the two Boards for several months and it was only after the most earnest representations of our Board that the Metropolitan Sewerage Commission in March, 1901, agreed to take the pumping station and force main and paid $98,974.20 for them, which was their cost to the city as determined by our accounts. As the High-level sewer
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was not completed and put in operation until late in 1904 this action of your Sewerage Commissioners in hastening the date of the taking, saved the operating expenses of the pumping station and the payments to the city of Boston amounting to $8,000 to $9,000 per year for about three and one-half years besides the interest on the amount received from the sale of the pumping station and force main.
The meaning of the clause in the act governing Quincy's relation to the Meiropolitan Sewerage System which says, that the Metropolitan Sewerage Commissioners shall "take and con- struct such intercepting sewers as may be necessary to enable the city of Quincy to drain by gravity its territory into the said Metropolitan Sewer" has been in question between us and the Metropolitan Board.
The main sewer to West Quincy was an intercepting sewer necessary to enable the city of Quincy to drain by gravity its territory into the said Metropolitan Sewer and as such we be- lieved that this sewer should be built and paid for by the Met- ropolitan Board. Understanding that the High-level sewer would soon be ready for operation and realizing the need of West Quincy for sewerage, in the spring of 1903 we requested the Metropolitan Water and Sewerage Board to proceed with the construction of this sewer. Our request was under consid -. eration for several months. Early in 1904 we received a com- munication from the chairman stating that the Board, after being advised by the Attorney General, was of the opinion that it was not called upon to construct this sewer for the city of Quincy. We have had further correspondence with the Metropolitan Water and Sewerage Board in regard to the matter, but the Board holds to its opinion that under the act they are not called upon to build any intercepting sewers for the Quincy system.
On February 10, 1904, we requested the Council for an ap- propriation of $50,000 for sewer construction duringZthe year. This was intended to cover the cost of building sewers princi- pally in Norfolk Downs and at West Quincy, besides a number of extensions in other locations. At the time the request was made it was hoped that the West Quincy main sewer would be.
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built during 1904 by the Metropolitan Water and Sewerage Commission and the estimated cost of this sewer was not in- cluded in the amount of appropriation asked for. After the decision of the Metropolitan Board in relation to this matter was received we asked for a further appropriation to cover the cost of building this main sewer. Two appropriations for sewer construction have been made during the year, one of $50,000 approved May 11, and the other of $12,000 approved Oct. 19.
Immediately upon the first appropriation becoming avail- able we began work on the sewers employing two gangs of men at Norfolk Downs and a third gang on short extensions in vari- ous parts of the city.
We also began negotiations with the Metropolitan Park Commission for a location for the West Quincy sewer in the Furnace Brook Parkway. There was some delay in obtaining this location because the plans were with the landscape engineer and the Park Commissioners were unwilling to grant a location until the plans had been approved by him. We began work on the West Quincy sewer about the first week in August, soon after receiving the permit from the Park Commissioners, and the work was pushed forward as rapidly as possible with a gang of from sixty to eighty men. On this line some quicksand was encountered and considerable ledge near Quarry street Exten- sion, otherwise no unusual difficulties were encountered in any of the work during the season. All the work has been done by the day by Quincy men. We have employed as foremen through the season, William D. Burns, Michael E. Shea and Albert H. Dealey, all of whom have been employed as foremen by the department for several seasons. A list of the sewers built dur- ing the year with the cost of each will be found in another part. of this report.
The expenditures of the year and to February 20, 1905 are su nmarized as follows :
T. J. O'Connell, final payment, Section 11, $616 84
T. J. O'Connell, final payment, Section 12, 450 00
Pay rolls, 41,260 80
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Stock and tools, . 17,767 20
Rights of way, land and other damages 1,114 15
Office expenses, including telephone, stationery, printing, office supplies and carfares
217 64
Printing bonds
95 00
Expenses for Sheehan case .
2,346 18
Total
ยท $63,867 81
At the beginning of the year we had an unexpended bal- ance of $6,152.03.
The appropriations for the year have been $62,000.00
The expenditures have been $63,867.81.
Leaving an unexpended balance Feb. 20, 1905, of $4,284.22.
Land Takings
As in former years to avoid building sewers at too great a depth it has been found necessary in some cases to cross pri- vate land. In such cases the Board has made the proper tak- ings, and settlements have been made with the owners of the property. Since the beginning of the work about fifty parcels of land have been taken and in all but one case the Board has been able to make settlements with the owners on terms which appeared fair to both parties. The total length of sewers and force main built in lands in which an easement has been ac- quired is about three and one-half miles. The total amount paid to date for land and easements has been $17,416.96.
Assessments
The method of making sewer assessments is governed by Section 8 of Chapter 279 of the Acts of 1895 which reads as follows : "The City Council of said city of Quincy may by vote determine what proportion of the cost of said system or systems of sewers said city of Quincy shall pay : provided, that it shall
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not pay less than one-third nor more than one-half of the whole cost. The remaining cost of said system or systems shall be borne by the owners of estates situated within the territory embraced by it and benefited thereby, but no estate shall be deemed to be benefited unless or until a sewer is con- structed into which it can be drained. Assessments or charges for defraying said remaining cost shall be made on the owners of such estates by said commissioners in such manner as the city council of said city of Quincy may by vote determine, in accordance with the provisions of chapter fifty of the Public Statutes and acts in amendment thereof and in addition there- to; and every such owner shall within three months after" written notice of such assessment or charge, served on him or on the occupant of his estate, or sent by mail to the last ad- dress of said owner known to said commissioners, pay the sum. so assessed or charged, to the city treasurer; provided, that said board shall, on the written request of any such owner made within said three months, apportion such assessment or charge into such number of equal parts or instalments, not ex- ceeding ten, as said owners shall state in such request, and they- shall certify such apportionment to the assessors; interest from the date of said apportionment at the rate of five per cent. per- annum shall be added to each of said assessments or charges. until they are paid, and one of said parts shall be added by the- assessors to the annual tax on such estates for each year next. ensuing until all said parts have been so added, unless sooner paid, as hereinafter provided ; and provided further, that noth- ing herein contained shall be construed to prevent the payment, at any time in one payment, notwithstanding its prior appor- tionment, of any balance of said assessments or charges then remaining unpaid, but interest on such balance at the rate of five per cent. per annum shall be paid to the date of such pay- ment ; and thereupon the city treasurer shall receive the same and shall certify such payment or payments to the assessors,. who shall preserve a record thereof. In cases of corner lots and lots abutting on more than one sewered street the same area shall not be assessed more than once."
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Acting under authority of this section the City Council, on Sept. 11, 1899 voted as follows,
"Ordered: That fifty per centum of the expense of the system of sewers heretofore adopted under the authority of Chapter 279 of the Acts of 1895 shall be paid by the said City of Quincy; and it is further
Ordered : That assessments of the remaining fifty per centum shall be made upon owners of estates situated within the territory embraced and benefited by said system by a fixed uniform rate based upon the estimated average cost of all the sewers therein. Each of said estates shall be assessed its pro- portional part of two-tenths of that portion of said costs to be borne by said owners according to the number of running feet of such estate on any street or way in which a sewer is con. structed, and also its proportional part of eight-tenths of said portion of said costs to be borne by said owners according to the number of square feet of area of such estate within a depth of one hundred feet from such street or way ; but no assessment in respeet to any such estate which, by reason of its grade, or level, or for any other cause, cannot be drained into such sewer, shall be made, certified or notified until such incapacity is removed, provided, however, that no area shall be assessed more than once, and it is further
Ordered; That the estimated average cost of all the sewers in said system heretofore adopted by said City of Quincy, be, and the same is, hereby fixed at one dollar and ninety-three cents per running foot, the same having been so found and determined by said City Council : and it is further
Ordered : That the said fixed uniform rate to be assessed upon estates is hereby established at twelve cents upon each foot of frontage on any street or way where a sewer is con- structed, and six mills upon each square foot of area within said fixed depth of one hundred feet from said street or way, the same having been so found and determined by said City Council ; and it is further
Ordered : That owners of estates or parts of estates not liable to assessment as aforesaid, or not in fact assessed, shall pay for the use of such sewers for the disposal of their sewage from any such estates or parts of estates such reasonable sum as the Board of Sewerage Commissioners shall determine; and it is further
Ordered : That the Board of Sewerage Commissioners be authorized and directed to levy the aforesaid assessments in the
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manner heretofore determined and in accordance with the pro- visions of Chapter fifty of the Public Statutes, and acts in amendment thereof, and in addition thereto, and in accordance with Chapter two hundred and seventy-nine of the acts of 1895.
The Board has made assessments as required by this order, has sent out notices of such assessments, and has committed to the Collector of Taxes warrants for the collection of the same. In January 1904 we made asssessments on account of sewers built in 1903. The total amount assessed was $19,247.09 and the number of assessment notices sent out was 467. Upon re- quest of the owners of the property 248 assessments amounting to $9,690.98 were apportioned. On January 30, 1905, 658 assessments aggregating $28,432.67 were made on account of sewers built in 1904. The total number of assessment notices to date is, 4,433 aggregating $230,228.21. Assessments aggregating $96,- '522.76 have been apportioned into from three to ten parts as requested by the owners of the property assessed. In addition to the above we have made eight connections with estates which for various reasons had not been considered assessable and for the use of the sewers for these connections charges aggregating $589.89 have been made.
We have heard some criticism of the method of sewer as- sessment in use in Quincy, but from the study we have made of the methods in use in other New England cities, we are of the opinion that the method adopted for Quincy distributes the cost more equitably than any other of which we know, and we should be at a loss to suggest any change for the better in the rules in use for the assessment of the estates benefited. It was because of corner lots and lots of peculiar shape that the com- bination method of assessment by area and frontage was adopted and the division of the assessments, namely, eight-tenths on area and two-tenths on frontage gives in nearly all cases as a result an assessment charge that is fairly proportioned to. the benefits received. Our attention has been called to the appar- ent discrepancy in the City Council order fixing the estimated average cost of the sewers and the rate of assessment. The estimated average cost of all the sewers in the system is fixed at
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one dollar and ninety-three cents per foot, while the rate of assessment is six mills per square foot for a depth of one hundred feet added to the frontage assessment of twelve cents which makes a total of seventy-two cents for each side of the street or $1.44 per foot assessed, much more than half of the cost of the sewer, hence, apparently, largely in excess of what it should be. This difficulty disappears however, when we take into account the fact that much is lost in street intersections both of frontage and area, that a considerable portion of the main sewers have been built in private land and are conse- quently not assessable, that city property such as school lots, cemeteries, and parks are not assessable, and that many lots are less than one hundred feet in depth, hence assessable for less than seventy-two cents per linear foot of sewer. We have also heard it stated that there must have been a mistake in determin- ing the average cost of the sewers of the system, for the order adopted by the City Council declares that one-half of the cost shall be assessed upon owners of the property while as an ac- tual fact less than one-half of the money expended upon the sewerage system has been so assessed. The system as adopted by the City Council showed about 104 miles of sewers all of which must be taken into account in estimating the average cost. Of these sewers about 13 miles will be 12 inches or more in diameter. In building the sewerage system it was necessary to build the larger or intercepting sewers before the smaller or lateral sewers could be connected. All the more expensive intercepting sewers have been completed. Of the total 13 miles of sewers 12 inches in diameter or more required, 11 miles have been built at a cost of $326,616.00 or about $29,692 per mile. Of the sewers smaller than 12 inches in diameter, 34.3 miles have been completed at a cost of $265,159.92 or $7,727 per mile. The remaining two miles of 12 inch or larger sewers are estimated to cost about $35,000. If the average cost of the remaining 60 miles of 8-inch and 10-inch sewers required for the ultimate completion of the system as adopted by the Council cost the same as those already built, it will make the total cost of the system about $1,093,780. or $1.98 per foot,
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which is very close to the estimated average cost as determined by the City Council.
Particular Sewers
For connections with the sewers, Y-branches were built into the pipe sewers and slants were built into the brick sewers at intervals of about thirty-three feet on each side or nearer where the location of existing buildings seemed to require it. Where the sewers are at a greater depth the pipes have been built up from these connections to within eight to ten feet be- low the street surface so that connections can be made as cheap- ly with the deeper as with the shallower sewers. We found that the practice in other cities and towns as to the size of the sewer connections varied ; four, five and six inches being the sizes commonly used. We adopted the size of five inches as being the best adapted to our needs.
Connections between estates and the public sewers have in our system, for convenience, been termed particular sewers. When the sewerage system was first put in operation the work of laying particular sewers was put by the Council in charge of the Commissioner of Public Works, and a property owner was required to deposit with the City Treasurer an amount of money equal to the estimated cost of the connection applied for before the work was begun. The Legislature of 1899 passed an act relative to making connections of estates with sewers, (see Chapter 319) which provided that under certain conditions the board or officer authorized to lay sewers in a city or town should upon application of the owner of any real estate connect such real estate with the public sewer and assess the expense thereof npon such real estate. Section 3 of this act was as follows : "Every such assessment, with interest thereon from the thirtieth day after the completion of such connection, to the first day of November of the ensuing year, shall constitute a lien upon the real estate, and shall be added to and collected as a part of the general tax for the ensuing year upon such real estate ; provided, however, that if the owner of such real es-
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tate shall within thirty days after notice of such assessment re- quest in writing the Board of Assessors of the city or town to apportion the assessment, said board shall apportion the same into not less than three nor more than five equal parts, and shall in the ensuing year add one of the said parts, with interest on total assessment from the thirtieth day after the completion of said connection, to the first day of November of such ensuing year, to the general tax for that year on such real estate, and in every year thereafter shall add one of said parts, with one year's interest on the unpaid part of the total assessment, to the general tax for that year on such real estate, until an amount equal to the entire amount of such assessment with interest from said thirtieth day has thus been added, and each of said parts and interest as aforesaid shall constitute a lien upon the real estate and be collected in the same manner and as a part of the general taxes upon such estate."
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