GRAVETTE -- Members of the Gravette City Council heard reports from several department heads at their committee of the whole meeting May 12. A written report was submitted from the Fire Department.
Police Chief Chuck Skaggs reported his officers had put in 104 training hours in April, including firearms training. He reported the department has two new patrol vehicles and thanked the council for approving that purchase. He said officer Felisha Latham is in her third week at the police academy and he is looking forward to her completing her training and returning to the force. He also reported he had interviewed another prospective officer.
David Keck, building inspector and code enforcement officer, reported that work on the segment of the walking trail connecting the existing trail to Pop Allum Park should go out to bid this month. He said Dollar General has submitted drawings for a new store to be located on Arkansas 59 on the south side of town. He said he has been trying to catch up after all the rain and said employee Shannon Higgins has obtained HVAC and plumbing inspection licenses.
Richard Sutherland, Water Department supervisor, said that sludge removal bugs have been placed in the sewer lagoons and should save money on chemicals. He reported that he had recently attended an advanced wastewater class and received 24 hours of training.
Karen Benson, library director, reported that Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art would be bringing its mobile art lab to Old Town Park on Saturday and the Friends of the Library is planning a check presentation to contribute money from six fundraisers. She also explained a StoryWalk has been approved for installation at the Hiwasse Park this fall. The StoryWalk project is a collaboration between the library, the Parks Department and the Police Department.
Tim Dewitt, Streets and Parks Department supervisor, reported he has hired six lifeguards who will be attending a class at the civic center on Wednesday and Thursday and the pool is being readied for opening on Memorial Day weekend. He said his crew has been busy mowing and correcting water damage on area roads.
Mayor Kurt Maddox said the city clerk/treasurer vacancy had been posted and only one application letter had been received. The applicant is Dani Madison, who is currently a member of the Planning Commission.
Chamber of Commerce president Steve Harari spoke to the council and presented a proposed Gravette 2030 plan, a 10-year vision for the city. He said the city needs to establish a process to develop a vision. His plan is modeled on one used in Rogers/Lowell, only on a smaller scale, he said.
Harari said Main Street should be a centerpiece for the community and business owners and city officials should not just wait to see what happens but should be proactive and go after what they want. He said the 2030 plan should guide the city's leadership, incorporate the community and accelerate infrastructure development so residents can be prepared ahead of an expected growth spurt. He proposes that the city create a vision document to be published in the first quarter of 2023 and that steering committee members should meet for brainstorming periodically. The steering committee would be a partnership between the city and the chamber.
In new business, council members considered the effort to codify all city ordinances, categorize them and place them online. Maddox explained that anyone can go online and research all ordinances, and this should streamline such research. An ordinance adopting and enacting the new code of ordinances will be on the agenda for Thursday's council meeting.
Also on the agenda for Thursday's meeting will be a resolution to declare as surplus two vehicles no longer in service, a 2002 Kawasaki motorcycle and a 1999 Cat 416C backhoe. The backhoe was approved as a trade-in on the new backhoe in December.
Two plans for redistricting the city wards were presented. Maddox explained that these boundary changes are necessary following the last census to ensure that wards are as similar in population as possible. He said council members will be given time to study the two plans and a plan for redistricting will be voted on in June.
An application was presented for a large-scale development by Dollar General, the construction of a new retail store on 1.34 acres in the 1,000 block of First Avenue S.E. A vote to approve the application will be on the council meeting agenda for Thursday.
A lease agreement with Friends of the Gravette Public Library will also be voted on at the meeting. The agreement will be for the lease of two rooms in the old library, one for a book sale room and one for storage, with access through the east door of the building. Maddox said 80% of book sale profits will be donated to the library.
Carl Rabey, finance director, presented adjustments for the 2022 budget. He said he had received approval to pay police salaries out of American Rescue Plan funds and the new ambulance could be paid for out of the general fund. A resolution approving the adjustments will be voted on at the May 26 meeting.
Rabey described April as "sort of a flatline month." He said there was a $54,000 deficit in the general fund, due largely to $15,000 expense for the purchase of a backhoe, $14,000 for implements for the skid steer and for other repairs. He said expenses exceeded revenue because police vehicles were also purchased. He said there is a $175,000 surplus for the year and reported there was no change in the bond fund.