Street Laying-Out Department annual reports

Chapter 337 of the Acts of 1870 established the Board of Street Commissioners. All the powers of the Board of Aldermen concerning the laying-out, altering or discontinuing the streets and ways in the city and the powers of the Board of Aldermen in relation to the abatement of taxes were transferred to the Board of Street Commissioners.

From 1870 to 1882, the department under the charge of the Street Commissioners was called the Street Department. The department under the charge of the Superintendent of Streets was called the Paving Department. From 1883-1890, the departments under charge of the Street Commissioners and the Superintendent of Streets were collectively called the Street Department. The Street Commissioners had charge of the laying out and widening of streets and highways. The Superintendent of Streets had charge of the work of laying out, widening, etc. By Chapters 18 and 36 of the Revised Ordinances of 1890, the department under the charge of the Street Commissioners was called the Street Laying-Out Department and the department under the charge of the Superintendent of Streets was called the Street Department.

By Section 57 of Chapter 2 of the Ordinances of 1954, the powers and duties of the Board of Street Commissioners were transferred to the Public Improvement Commission except those concerning inflammable material which were transferred to the Committee on Licenses in the Public Safety Commission, those concerning the planting and removal of trees, projections in, over or on the public ways, and storage and sale of merchandise which were transferred to the Commissioner of Public Works, and those concerning the abatement of taxes which were transferred to the Real Property Board.