GREENWOOD -- Sebastian County's second-largest city approved buying property for a new senior center last week after nearly an hour of spirited discussion.
The City Council voted 3-3 to approve proposing an offer to buy about two acres at 1917 Excelsior Road outside the city for $825,000, as well as signing a letter of intent for the property, at its meeting Monday .
Aldermen Lance Terry, Tim Terry and Daniel McDaniel voted in favor of the motion while A.C. Brown, Ralph Meeker and Rod Powell voted against it. Mayor Doug Kinslow broke the tie, prompting applause and cheers from the many senior citizens in attendance.
City Clerk/Treasurer Sharla Derry said the city and seller of the property formally agreed to the purchase immediately after the meeting.
Farrah Shoppach with O'Neal Real Estate in Fort Smith, who's a listing agent for the property with Steven Shoppach, has said the Gathering Place, an event center, is on the land. The building is about 4,500 square feet.
Richard Sweeten, owner of the Gathering Place property, said he wanted it to go to Greenwood after the city expressed interest in purchasing it for a new senior center. He previously turned down an offer someone else made to buy the land, which is at an intersection with U.S. 71.
"It's really important to take care of those guys," Sweeten said. "My mama's getting older. She just turned 70 and I take care of her currently. The city, the places, everything that we have, it wouldn't be a thing if it wasn't for the seniors and you have to take care of those people if you're able to take care of them."
The City Council also unanimously approved the city applying for a $500,000 Community Development Block Grant through the Western Arkansas Planning and Development District to remodel the Gathering Place building, in addition to spending the city's second installment of American Rescue Plan money -- a total of $975,195 -- for the senior center project.
The Senior Center and Fiscal Responsibility
The current senior center in Greenwood -- the Betty Wilkinson Senior Activity Center -- is at a remodeled Farmers Bank building at 125 W. Center St. The Sebastian Retired Citizens Association runs the facility while the city maintains it and leases the building from Farmers Bank for $1 per year.
Deanna Rice, executive director of the association, has said a new location for the center is important due to the amount of repairs needed to make the present facility safe.
Multiple residents advocated for a new senior center on Monday. Glenda Dean recounted walking through the current facility some time ago when a place on the floor caused her to break her leg. She said people like her, who she described as "poor people trying to get along in this world," need a place to go and stay that's safe.
However, the project wasn't without its critics.
Powell, who holds the Ward 1, Position 2 seat on the council, said although he was a proponent of the senior center, he was also in favor of fiscal responsibility and having a plan. He considered the city's lease with Farmers Bank to be very generous and viewed the lack of upkeep on the current center as the city being in breach of that contract.
"I don't like diving into something without a plan," Powell said. "I would like a plan on what the realistic cost is to finish out on the highway. I want to know what that is, and also I would like to know the cost here."
Powell said he spoke with Ed Wilkinson, president and chief operating officer of Farmers Bank, about the agreement. Powell expressed his concern the bank could reclaim the Center Street building after the city made a significant investment in renovating it. Wilkinson reportedly told Powell while the bank doesn't want to sell the facility, he wouldn't mind signing an "extremely long-term lease" that included a condition the bank would cut the city a check should it decide it needs the building back.
Powell said he also discussed the current agreement with Stanhope Wilkinson, the bank's chief executive officer. Stanhope Wilkinson provided Powell a copy of the document with handwritten changes that could be made to the arrangement should the city renew the agreement for Feb. 1 onward, which Powell presented as an another option for the council to consider.
Among the changes were the lease would last for 15 years -- terminating Jan. 31, 2038 -- rather than three, that Greenwood would be the only party who could break the lease without payment and Greenwood could use the property for other purposes it deems appropriate, which includes for-profit activities.
A Plan
Kinslow countered Powell's proposal by saying the city has a plan for the Gathering Place property. Part of the plan is a cost estimate from a contractor of about $197,000 to remodel the Gathering Place to make it a "really nice" senior center. This includes expanding the building by 900 square feet to outfit it with pool and card rooms.
The plan also involves getting help from Sebastian County to facilitate parking for the new center, according to Kinslow.
"I do not have a cost estimate to re-do a building that we do not own, and I do not propose that we keep putting money into a building that we do not own," Kinslow said.
Kinslow added the city isn't eligible to receive a $500,000 grant for the current senior center building due to it being in a flood zone and the city not owning it. Kinslow said at the council's Sept. 12 meeting although the Gathering Place property isn't in Greenwood, it could be annexed into the city.
Tom Marsh, city finance director, said the city is in a very strong financial position, on top of getting money through the federal American Rescue Plan Act. The city's adjusted net income for the year as of Monday was about $1.4 million. City sales and use tax revenue is also well above what the city has budgeted, with Greenwood having a current fund balance of about $17.7 million.
"You're not in a weak cash position," Marsh said. "Weak cash position is when you would actually consider a lease because it's less costly. Upfront costs are less and the actual lease itself is going be more favorable because you can actually walk from it."
Marsh said the Gathering Place property has future value and is "favorable investment potential." The city would also own the property and be able to modify the building there without enriching Farmers Bank in the process, as well as repurpose it if necessary.
Tracee McKenna, director of community development for the Western Arkansas Planning and Development District, has said the application for the Community Development Block Grant has to be postmarked by Friday .
Jerry Belrose plays pool with other visitors, Friday, Oct. 7, 2022, at the Betty Wilkinson Senior Activity Center in Greenwood. The Greenwood City Council on Monday approved an offer to purchase about two acres at 1917 Excelsior Road outside the city for $825,000. The property will be used as the site for a new senior center. Visit nwaonline.com/221009Daily/ for today's photo gallery. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Hank Layton)Special-Called Meeting
The Greenwood City Council was set to consider the three items it approved Monday during a special meeting Sept. 22. However, the council couldn’t vote on anything because it didn’t have a quorum, which requires four people.
Aldermen Daniel McDaniel and Ralph Meeker were present at this meeting with Mayor Doug Kinslow. Rod Powell, Lance Terry, Tim Terry and A.C. Brown were absent.
Source: Greenwood