On agenda, propertysale for vets home
The city plans to sell a 1-acre parcel to the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs to allow the agency to own the access point to the veterans home to be built on part of the former Emerald Park Golf Course.
The City Council is set to consider the transaction at its meeting Monday. The sale would be for the nominal amount of $100, if approved.
The council approved in July an effort to buy the parcel for $35,000 from the Arkansas Teacher Retirement System to assure access to the veterans home property and availability for utilities to the site. Since then, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has advised that its funding to build the home is contingent on the state Veterans Affairs owning all property used for the facility, according to the legislation.
The Arkansas Veterans Commission chose the site for the $22 million complex in January out of 30 proposed locations.
The parcel is on John Ashley Drive, west of the the Fort Roots property where the veterans home is to be constructed. The city closed the nine-hole golf course June 30. The city had leased the golf course property from the federal government.
The new complex is to be built on 34 acres in close proximity to the Eugene J. Towbin Health Care Center, a primary care facility for veterans.
Awaiting repairs,fuel site sitting idle
The city-owned compressed natural gas station at Curtis Sykes Drive and Olive Street is out of service until repairs can be made to the station's dispenser, which was damaged when a tractor-trailer struck the pump Aug. 15.
No estimate of damage or repair cost was available from the city.
Gilbarco Veeder-Root, the dispenser's manufacturer, will have to build a new dispenser and then receive an installation cost estimate from a contractor. Replacement "may take some time," according to a written report between city officials.
The truck involved, owned by Averitt Express of Cookeville, Tenn., sustained $2,000 in damage, according to a Police Department accident report. The driver was listed as Kimberly Jones of Dothan, Ala.
The city opened the $725,469 station to the public in mid-2011, using $225,469 in city funds and $500,000 in state and energy company grants.
In addition, the city paid $32,750 in June 2010 to buy four parcels on Curtis Sykes Drive on which to put the station.
Donations to helplight soccer fields
The Burns Park Soccer Complex will add lights to another field because of funds provided by two state soccer organizations, with other contributions being sought for more lights.
The State Soccer Association, which governs youth and adult soccer play, is donating $45,000.
The Arkansas Central Soccer Association, made up of adult soccer players, is adding $20,000 for the city Parks and Recreation Department to light one field in addition to two others already scheduled to have lights added.
In July, the City Council approved adding lights to two soccer fields in advance of Burns Park being host next year to the Southern Regional Soccer Tournament, expected to draw 198 soccer teams to the city from throughout the South. The complex has four lighted fields.
"We're still trying to get some corporate donations to get a fourth added, so there will be a total of eight eventually," Parks Director Bob Rhoads said.
The Parks and Recreation Department and the Electric Department will provide in-kind services for the lighting installation, Rhoads said.
Metro on 08/24/2014