52 Conn. 40 | Conn. | 1884
The question in this case grows out of the provisions of the charter of the city of Bridgeport relating to the laying out of streets and highways within the city. The 31st section of the charter gives the common council authority, as they shall judge needful, to lay out new highways, and other public improvements and alterations of the same. The 32d section provides for notice to all parties interested and a hearing upon any proposed improvement. The 33d section, upon which the question in the present case arises, is as follows: “ If after such hearing the common council shall resolve to lay out, alter, extend, enlarge, discontinue or exchange such street, highway, walk, avenue, park or landing place, they shall appoint a committee whose duty it shall be to make such lay-out or alteration, and who shall report in writing their doings to said common council, which report shall embody a survey and particular description of such street, highway, walk, avenue, park or landing place, or alteration thereof.”
The common council was elected annually, and one of its rules was the following: “All standing and all special committees to report, shall be appointed by the chair, said appointments to be announced during the session of the common council. The first person named on said committee shall be chairman.”
In pursuance of this rule, in the month of April, 1881, and near the commencement of the official term of the council, certain members of that body were appointed “ a standing committee on streets and sidewalks.” °
When the petition in this case for the widening of a highway was presented to the common council, that body immediately referred it to the committee on streets and sidewalks. This was on the 5th day of September, 1881. Subsequently, on the 3d day of October of the same year, on the recommendation of this committee, the common council decided to widen the street prayed for in accordance with the recommendation and survey presented by the committee.
No subsequent action was taken by any committee in
There is nothing here which purports, even, that the committee had laid out the widened part of the street; and if there w'as, it would be a laying out before there was anything to lay out,—before there was any decision by the common council that the street should be widened. Obviously the report is nothing more than a recommendation to the council that the widening should be made in accordance with the map and survey submitted.
Again, it does not appear that the matter was ever submitted to the committee on streets and sidewalks for the purpose of having the widening laid out. All that was done occurred on the evening the petition was presented to the council. The petition was immediately referred to the committee. Referred for what purpose ? To lay out the proposed widening before there had been any hearing by the council of the parties in interest on the question whether the widening should be made? That would be
Clearly, therefore, there has been no lay-out of the proposed widening of the street in question by any committee in accordance with the charter of the city.
But, if this were not so, there has not been any lay-out by any committee that the charter recognizes. The charter declares that the lay-out shall be made by a committee appointed for the purpose after the council shall have resolved to lay out the proposed street or alteration. The case finds that no special committee was appointed in fact. But it is said that the reference of the petition to the general committee on streets and sidewalks in the first instance was a special appointment of that committee for all purposes connected with the proposed alteration, and therefore for the laying out of the alteration should it become necessary.
But, in the first place, the case finds no such fact. The reference of the petition to the general standing committee on streets and sidewalks, was clearly, as we have seen, for them to consider and recommend what action the common council should take in the matter, and nothing more; and the committee, in fact, did nothing more.
The old charter provided that the common council should make the lay-out, either by themselves directly, or by a committee appointed for the purpose. It is clear, if there was any lay-out here, that it was done by the common council, and not by a special committee, as the present charter requires.
But there was no lay-out of this improvement; and consequently no basis for the assessment of damages or benefits, and the assessment was therefore void.
We advise judgment for the plaintiff.
, In this opinion the other judges concurred.