REGULAR MEETING
January 5, 1925
The regular monthly meeting of Council was held in the Council Chamber at 7:30 P.M. with the following members present President Hopkins, Messrs. Burton, Clements, Clark, Keith, Hancock, Frear & LeFevre.
Upon motion of Messrs. LeFevre & Clark Council voted to suspend the reading of the minutes.
ALDERMANS REPORT
The Aldermans report for December showed eight arrests and fines collected amounting to $53.95, check for same being turned over to Treasurer. Same was accepted upon motion of Messrs. Burton & LeFevre.
Superintendents Report
Upon motion of Messrs. Hancock & Burton the following report of the Superintendent, after being read by the Clerk was accepted ordered entered in the minutes and filed.
December 31, 1924.
Water Rents
Light “
Sundries
1922 Tax
1923 Tax
1924 Tax
196.58
5,933.87
30.06
222.76
38.61
402.89
$ 6,824.77
Engineers Report
The following report of the Chief Engineer was read by the Clerk and upon Motion of Messrs. Burton & LeFevre same was ordered entered in the minutes and filed.
December 31, 1924.
(Monthly Report)
Commercial Light 136,310 K. W.
Street Light 8,640 K. W.
Water to Boiler 74,122 Gal.
Pump Motor 18,400 K.W.
Boiler Blow downs 103
Cylinder Oil 94 Gal.
Engine Oil 48 Gal.
Cup Grease 24 Lbs.
Waste Used 22 Lbs.
Compressor Oil Used 5 Gal. (Hand Written: 45?)
Coal Used 368 T. 1,787 Lbs.
Coal on hand, Dec. 31, 1924 418 T. 718 Lbs.
(Signed) A. L. Kichline, Chief Engineer
December 31, 1924.
(Annual Report)
Commercial light year 987,0907 K. W.
Street Light 81,150 K. W.
Cylinder Oil 1,196 Gal.
Engine Oil 911 Gal.
Compressor Oil 240 Gal.
Waste Used 378 Lbs.
Cup Grease 166 Lbs.
Coal Used 3,460 T. 1,456 Lbs.
Coal on hand, Dec. 31, 1924 418 T. 718 Lbs.
Meters in service (what hours) 900 from 5 to 10
Transformers on line 93 from 2 to 15 K. W.
Would recommend a turbine engine direct connected to a 600 or 700 K.W. generator- - this would mean a saving in coal and give more output. Machinery at plant is all in good shape at plant. Also, the men are giving good service.
(Signed) A. L. Kichline, Chief Engineer
Treasurer's Report
Upon motion of Messrs. Clark and Hancock the following report of the Treasurer was accepted, ordered entered in the minutes and filed.
General Fund
Receipts
Cash, E. F. Wood
Cash, Kent County
1922 Tax
1923 Tax
1924 Tax
$ 41.50
1500.00
222.76
38.41
402.89
$ 2,205.56
Expenditures
Dec. 1, Over Draft
Farmers Bank, Interest
Order # 135 E.C. Abbott
136 Ahrens-Fox Fire Eng. Co.
137 Mrs. Mary E. Boyer
138 Commercial Acetylene Sup. Co.
139 Diamond State Tel. Co.
140 Dover Garage Co.
141 Fooks Auto Co.
$ 3,159.93
250.00
1.80
173.16
7.00
.76
2.20
37.82
4.75
General Fund
Expenditures Continued
142 J. C. Hopkins
143 E. W. Humphrey
144 N. Snellenburg & Co.
145 W. H. Peterson
146 Jos. Rash
147 Robbins Hose Co.
148 Auto Equipment Co.
149 John H. Bullock
150 Delaware State News
151 Diamond State Tel. Co.
152 Dover Garage Co.
153 J. C. Hopkins
154 E. I. Lane
155 Walter Ware
156 W. S. Haman
157 J. M. Satterfield
158 W. A. Green
159 Robbins Hose Co.
160 J. A. Prescott, for
Ahrens-Fox Fire Eng. Co.
161 W. S. Haman, Treas.
Trans. from L. & W. Fund- -street lighting for 1924
S. & S. Coupons
Over Draft, January 1, 1925
$ 5.00
2.06
47.50
18.80
40.75
50.00
69.00
5.00
7.50
2.60
8.93
10.00
88.25
78.90
200.00
50.00
25.00
50.00
35.05
1,254.05
4,500.00
562.50
$ 10,748.31
$ 8,542.75
Light and Water Fund
Receipts
Trans. from General Fund- -street lighting for 1924
Dec. 1, Balance
Jan. 5, Cash, W. D. Burton, Supt.
$ 4,500.00
4,793.94
6,160.51
$ 15,454.45
Expenditures
Order # 138 Atlantic Ref. Co.
139 Belmore Pack. & Rubber Co.
140 The Bristol Co.
141 The Brooks Oil Co.
142 Dover Lumber & Mill Co.
143 General Elect. Co.
144 J. R. Hunter
$ 86.68
7.90
16.45
66.00
38.07
68.20
4.75
Light and Water Fund
Expenditures Continued
145 T. K. Jones & Bro. Hdw. Co.
146 P. N. Kellum
147 G. O. Ross
148 Rumsey Elect. Co.
149 Benj. F. Shaw Co.
150 Weston, Dodson & Co.
151 A. K. Althouse
152 Atl. Ref. Co.
153 Balto. Oil Co.
154 Jas. B. Bice Co.
155 Walter J. Deery
156 Void
157 Eastern Fuel Co.
158 General Elect. Co.
160 Keystone Coal Co.
161 Keystone Coal & Coke Co.
162 Maryland Coal & Coke Co.
163 Geo. O. Ross
164 Rumsey Elect. Co.
165 J. M. Satterfield
166 Benj. F. Shaw
167 W. S. Haman, Treas.
E. & W. Coupons
Farmers Bank
E. & W. Coupons
Balance, January 5, 1925
$ 46.47
14.00
48.00
158.67
454.61
166.85
127.33
121.31
23.31
84.27
500.00
131.75
191.54
100.80
106.00
135.38
60.00
283.09
2.50
191.00
4,035.13
825.00
125.00
750.00
$ 9,125.38
6,329.07
Finance Committee No report.
Fire & Police Committee
Upon motion of Messrs. Keith and Hancock, the salary of A. Dickerson was raised to $25.00 per week, provided that he collect no compensation from any store.
Upon motion of Messrs. Keith and Burton, the clerk was instructed to write fire hose companies for bids on 1,000 feet of hose.
Upon motion of Messrs. Keith and Clark, Council voted to have placed one street light in the alley leading from Water Street to Bank Lane.
Street Committee No report.
Finance Committee No report.
Ordinance Committee No report.
Sewer Committee No report.
Consulting Engineer’s Report
Upon motion of Messrs. LeFevre and Clark, Council directed that the acceptance of the following report of the consulting engineer be spread upon the Council minutes:
December 6th, 1924.
Mr. John P. LeFevre, for the
Water and Light Committee,
Dover City Council,
Dover, Delaware
Gentlemen:
From records furnished by Mr. Walter Green and data secured by myself the following report is submitted to your committee as an analysis of the water and light plant operation.
Referring to the ANNUAL FINANCIAL STATEMENT OF TOWN OF DOVER FOR THE YEAR 1923, in which you total all expenditures chargeable to the water & light plant and subtract the revenue received, showing a loss of $137.78, I doubt if you will ever by this method show a profit as long as any construction work is in progress. For instance, you have included an item FARMERS BANK BONDS & INTEREST $30,813.34. The bonds should go under a capital account and the interest under operating. Perhaps this is where all your profit goes.
As a matter of fact the electric plant is earning a very respectable profit right now and did during 1923 and the water plant is operating at a loss.
In the first place, there has been no separate system of bookkeeping for the water & light plant (I have taken this up with Mr. Green who has promised to inaugurate a new plan for 1925).
It is obvious that the water plant should be charged with the current that drives the city water pumps and I estimate this to be about $14,400.00 annually, and since the revenue for water in 1923 was $12,730.00 the water plant shows a loss which with overhead and maintenance is still greater.
In 1923 the commercial current billed (11 months) was 336,550 K.W. hours at 15¢ or $50,479.00. The cost to generate and deliver this current was $.089 per K.W. hour or $30,000.00, showing a profit of $20,479.00.
On the street lighting you are losing money because you sell it below cost.
Figures to substantiate the above are as follows:
Fixed charges- -electric plant:
Outstanding bonds chargeable to electric plant $75,000.00
Interest at 5%
Depreciation on $100,000.00 at 10%
Insurance on
Total fixed charges
$ 3,750.00
10,000.00
1,500.00
$ 15,250.00
Operating cost:
Fixed charges
Superintendence
Labor
Coal 3,300 Tons at $7.00
Waste, oil and supplies
Repairs and maintenance
Water for boilers
Total annual operating cost
$ 15,250.00
3,000.00
8,000.00
23,000.00
1,422.00
8,000.00
1,300.00
$ 59,972.00
Total annual generating costs $59,972.00
= $.0695 per K.W. hr.
Total K.W. hrs. generated 864,000
11 months’ operation from Mr. Green’s data- -
Commercial light 720,698 K.W. hrs. at plant
“ ” 336,530 K.W. house meters
Difference 384,168 K.W.
180,000 K.W. chargeable to city meter pumps
204,168 K.W., or 28% chargeable to line loss and errors in meters. (This will be reduced in part by having raised the voltage to 2300.)
Commercial current sold at 15¢, 336,530 K.W. hrs = $50,479.00
“ ” cost $0.89 ($.0695 + 28%) = 30,000.00
Profit $20,479.00
As it costs you $.0695 per K.W. hr. to generate and you sold street light for $4,500.00 = $.058 per
78,000
K.W. hr, you lost $.0115 per K.W. hr, or $887.00.
To sum up I would say:
(1) The present plant is producing current for 7¢ per K.W. hr. at the switchboard which is reasonable for the character of the plant and the load which it carries.
(2) Your commercial light is very profitable.
(3) Your street lighting shows a loss.
(4) Your water plant shows a loss.
Estimating the water consumption to be annually 116,640,000 gallons with a revenue of $12,730.00 makes a selling price of 11¢ per 1,000 gallons and comparing this with the Springfield water in the vicinity of Philadelphia at 40¢ to 50¢ per 1,000 gallons, would say you do not collect sufficient revenue, or perhaps you give too much away.
For the year 1925 you should be able to adjust your accounting and by the aid of the meters we have installed this year show at the end of 1925 a good return for the plant. It being of course understood that an adjustment of charges for water and street lighting be made that will show a profit. Why not reduce the cost of electricity and get an equitable revenue for your water?
I consider that the physical water and light plant is now in first class condition for its kind, but believe that a turbine plant is now in first class condition for its kind, but believe that a turbine plant would be an excellent investment for the city.
With this report and one more visit to Dover the latter part of December, making nine in all, I will have completed my agreement with the Water and Light Committee and if they care to engage me for a report on the advisability of a turbine installation and to engineer the installation I will be glad to take the matter up with them during my next visit if you will arrange.
Respectfully submitted,
(Signed) W. J. Deery.
Changing of light wires
Upon motion of Messrs. Hancock and Burton, the Council agreed to accept the Telephone Company’s proposition as to changing the light wires to the top of their poles.
Light bill of M. Simon
Upon motion of Messrs. Keith and Hancock, the matter of sliding scale for M. Simon for light used was placed upon the table until the next meeting.
Financial Statement
Upon motion of Messrs. Keith and Clark Council voted to have the financial statement printed by the State Sentinel and Delaware State News, with 200 extra copies by State News.
Annual Report
Upon motion of Messrs. Burton and LeFevre, the annual report was accepted as presented.
Adjournment
Upon motion of Messrs. LeFevre and Hancock, Council adjourned at 9:54 P.M.
Signed:
W. A. Green
Clerk
THE ANNUAL FINANCIAL STATEMENT OF THE TOWN OF DOVER
FOR THE YEAR 1924
GENERAL FUND
Expenditures
OVERDRAFT, January 1, 1924
Labor
Salaries: General
Jas. M. Satterfield, Solicitor
O. C. Hayes, Assessor
W. A. Green, Clerk
W. S. Haman, Treas.
Coupons, Interest, etc.
Rents: Town Office
Stable and Lot
Sheriff, Kent County
Prisoners’ Board
Board of Health, Secretary’s Salary & Expense
Town Transcript & Duplicate
Taxes Rebated
Charles Shutts
Street Lighting for 1924
Henry Fennimore, Work on Division St.
C. C. Short, Engineer, Fire Co.
Diamond State Telephone Co.
Frank B. Webb, Purchase of land
Kent County Levy Court
State Highway Department
John C. Hayes
Reynolds Reed
Expenses, Clerk of Council
John Behen, Jr. and Company
Robbins Hose Company, Rent
Relief Driver
J. C. Hayes, Repair to Truck
Carlisle Fire Company
Henry A. Ryder
Surveying and Engineering
E. W. Humphrey
Automobile Equipment Company
Killing and Burying Dogs, E. I. Lane
Collecting Dog Tax, E. I. Lane
Davy Tree Expert Co.
Helpers
Birdsboro Stone. Co.
Headley Good Roads Co.
$ 650.00