Cork City Council Public Works Committee Minutes
TitleCork City Council Public Works Committee Minutes
ReferenceCP/CO/PW/M
Date
1896-1929
Production date 1896 - 1929
Scope and ContentThe Standing Committee of Cork City Council was renamed the Public Works Committee from October 1894. The earliest minutes of this committee are contained in the final volume of Standing Committee minutes [CP/CO/ST/M/005]. The Public Works Committee was responsible for the improvement and maintenance of the public fabric of the city, including roads, footpaths, crossings, street lights, sewers, water supply, public buildings, and public spaces. It also had a role in supervising private improvement and building work, traffic, and other matters. Much of its improvement work was referred to it by the Improvement Committee, being the Board of the Improvement Department [CP/CO/IM/M]. From 1907, this latter committee was effectively superceded by the Whole Council Committee, which continued to make referrals regarding public works [CP/CO/WC/M].
The Committee met weekly, with the City Treasurer and Secretary normally attending meetings. The City Engineer, and other officers as required, also attended. Most meetings began by passing the accounts of the City Engineer’s Department and the Superintendent’s Department. The reports of the City Engineer and other officers, including the General Superintendent, the Lighting Superintendent, and the Macadamising Superintendent, and correspondence, were read and considered. The committee then considered any references from Council and from the Improvement Department, and other matters, on which orders and recommendations were made. Such referrals were reported on by a sub-committee, prior to consideration by the full Public Works Committee, although these reports are not recorded in minutes.
From 18 November 1924 to March 1929, while the Corporation was dissolved, committee meetings were attended by the City Commissioner, Philip Monahan, with other officers sometimes attending. Monahan, as City Manager from March 1924, continued to attend meetings, without Councillors present, up to 14 November 1929, when the present series ends.
The series represents an important record of the improvement and maintenance of the physical fabric of the city in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and the development of ‘planning’. Minutes before 1901 help document a period for which minutes of the full Council have not survived. The Public Works Committee minutes should be viewed in the context of minutes of the earlier Standing Committee, those of the Improvement Committee, and, after 1907, those of the Whole Council Committee. Minutes of the full Council [CP/CO/M] Law and Finance Committee [CP/CO/LF/M], and Public Health Committee [CP/CO/PH/M] (with which it sometimes sat jointly), and, to a lesser extent, those of other committees, are also relevant.
The Committee met weekly, with the City Treasurer and Secretary normally attending meetings. The City Engineer, and other officers as required, also attended. Most meetings began by passing the accounts of the City Engineer’s Department and the Superintendent’s Department. The reports of the City Engineer and other officers, including the General Superintendent, the Lighting Superintendent, and the Macadamising Superintendent, and correspondence, were read and considered. The committee then considered any references from Council and from the Improvement Department, and other matters, on which orders and recommendations were made. Such referrals were reported on by a sub-committee, prior to consideration by the full Public Works Committee, although these reports are not recorded in minutes.
From 18 November 1924 to March 1929, while the Corporation was dissolved, committee meetings were attended by the City Commissioner, Philip Monahan, with other officers sometimes attending. Monahan, as City Manager from March 1924, continued to attend meetings, without Councillors present, up to 14 November 1929, when the present series ends.
The series represents an important record of the improvement and maintenance of the physical fabric of the city in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and the development of ‘planning’. Minutes before 1901 help document a period for which minutes of the full Council have not survived. The Public Works Committee minutes should be viewed in the context of minutes of the earlier Standing Committee, those of the Improvement Committee, and, after 1907, those of the Whole Council Committee. Minutes of the full Council [CP/CO/M] Law and Finance Committee [CP/CO/LF/M], and Public Health Committee [CP/CO/PH/M] (with which it sometimes sat jointly), and, to a lesser extent, those of other committees, are also relevant.
Extent9 volumes
LanguageEnglish
Persons keywordCork City Council, Cork Corporation
SubjectLocal Government, Public Works
AccessOpen by appointment to those holding a current readers' ticket
RightsSubje t to Rules Governing Reproduction of Records
Levelseries
RepositoryCork City and County Archives