Eureka Springs City Council had a relatively easy agenda at its Monday evening meeting as aldermen spent as much time listening as legislating.
In city business, council voted 5-0 to pass the third reading of Ord. 2264, which stipulates any grant received by a city commission, board or sub-entity must be referred back to council if there is a reason to divert the funds to a project other than the one mentioned in the original grant.
Aldermen considered a proposed resolution “to correct scrivener’s error in ballot title of Parks tax issue voted on June 13, 2017,” the scrivener’s error being Ord. 2178 was referred to instead of Ord. 2176. Alderman Kristi Kendrick, however, objected to more than the resolution. She said she reread the ballot that contained the scrivener’s error and found it difficult and confusing. She said she would not presume everyone knew what they were voting on.
Alderman Mickey Schneider agreed that ballots are sometimes confusing, but insisted voters in town knew what they were voting on. Schneider said locals would have researched the issues and talked about what was on the ballot. She added the error was no big deal and did not affect the outcome of the election.
Vote to approve that resolution was 4-1, Kendrick voting No.
Alderman also approved two resolutions authorizing the application for and acceptance of grants from the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program. Resolution 724 will provide $84,434 for reroofing the north side of the Auditorium and cleaning and waterproofing ten feet of masonry around the top.
Mayor Butch Berry said the City Advertising and Promotion Commission would cover the $28,145 match, and alderman Terry McClung, who sits on that commission, remembered that the CAPC would pay only half of the match. Council voted to approve the resolution anyway with the understanding Berry might have to bring a corrected version to the next meeting.
The other AHPP grant was for $12,499 for a long-range conservation plan for the Eureka Springs Cemetery. The Cemetery Commission will pay $2000 toward the match with the Preservation Society paying $500.
Budget update
Finance Director Lonnie Clark reported that the city paid off the balance of the note for the ES Police Dept. building and land two years early. He said it was a participation loan among three local banks.
Berry said the city opened bids for the huge project of opening up the area where Flint, Steele and Douglas Sts. converge. The project will be similar in scope to the Big Dig beside the Auditorium, and the result will be to improve drainage and keep the street from sinking. Berry said the project would be paid for by a grant for $230,000 from the Northwest Arkansas Economic Development Commission. Holding up progress is finding the $40,000 fee to pay an engineer for the project.
Berry said the project would cause a 30-40 day adjustment in traffic flow in that area.
Other business
- There are vacancies on the Planning, Hospital and Cemetery Commissions.
- Schneider mentioned Carroll County citizens are unhappy with the $18 per year tax imposed because of the bankruptcy of a landfill in Mountain Home. She encouraged Berry to represent the city at meetings being held on this debacle.
Next meeting will be Monday, April 9, at 6 p.m.