Rogers receives coronavirus-related grant money, mayor addresses virus

Rogers City Hall, April 11, 2016
Rogers City Hall, April 11, 2016

ROGERS -- The Fire Department will receive federal grant money for coronavirus-related expenses.

The City Council on Tuesday voted to accept a $36,400 grant as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. Fire Chief Tom Jenkins said the money will go to personal protective equipment for firefighters.

Mayor Greg Hines spoke to the council about covid-19 and called the increases of cases in Benton and Washington counties almost alarming. He stressed the importance for everyone to take the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's guidelines seriously.

"Social distancing and wearing a mask -- it's not a political issue," Hines said. "It doesn't define how macho you are or aren't, and it doesn't define your individual rights. I am so tired of hearing people tell me, 'Well it's my right to not wear a mask in public.' Well, it may be and you can certainly continue to do that, but it's going to hit your house. It's going to affect somebody in your realm of relationships."

Hines said so many wonderful things are happening in the city, county and region.

"If we can't get a grip on this increase and rise in numbers, the impact we've seen so far is going to pale in comparison, and there will be death and there will be more heartache and damage to our economy," he said.

Benton County had 315 covid-19 cases and no deaths as of about 8:45 p.m. Tuesday, according to the Arkansas Department of Health. Washington County had 303 cases, according to the department. A seventh Washington County resident died of the virus Monday, Coroner Roger Morris said.

The city's sales tax for March was down about 6.3%, or about $111,000, from March 2019. Hines said the decrease was "not a sounding alarm," but he does expect covid-19 to affect Rogers' sales tax more than other cities because the city's sales tax depends heavily on retail.

Hines confirmed the Rogers Aquatics Center, which is normally open Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, will not be open this summer. He said at the last council meeting he didn't see how the water park could operate safely. The city will not give refunds for passes already been sold, but will honor those passes for the 2021 season, he said.

Hines also said public meetings, which members of the public or press may attend remotely, will continue to operate remotely until further notice. The City Council and other city governing bodies have been holding meetings via Zoom, a video conferencing service, in light of the pandemic.

The council on Tuesday also unanimously denied a request to rezone land near the Rogers Executive Airport, reversing a 6-3 decision by the Planning Commission approving the request.

Can-Ark Diamond Realty asked to rezone about 17 acres at the southeast corner of North Second Street and North Airport Loop from agricultural to neighborhood residential, which would allow housing to be built there. Planning staff recommended the commission deny the request and called the proposed zoning incompatible with adjacent land use.

David Krutsch, airport manager, said Tuesday allowing new residential neighborhoods near the airport would hurt the airport's chances of receiving federal money.

The airport has received about $33.5 million in federal money since 2004, he said.

"Certainly the developer needs to have the ability to sell or develop the land, but we cannot risk under any circumstance federal funding for the airport," said Mark Kruger, council member.

NW News on 05/27/2020

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