Ordinances #2318-19 were heavily discussed by city council at Monday’s meeting as alderman Terry McClung motioned to amend #2318 to raise the Clerk Treasurer’s salary, before the second reading, from $48,000 to $40,000. The motion carried with alderman Melissa Greene the only dissenting vote.
City Clerk Ann Armstrong said that in council’s last meeting it was mentioned that the size of the town was deceptive to the amount of work, and that other towns with a population from 500-2500 probably did not have the such a large number of business licenses to handle.
Motion to approve #2318 on the second reading passed 5-1 with Greene once more dissenting.
Ord. 2319, to raise Mayor Butch Berry’s salary to $36,000, was not as quickly passed. Alderman Harry Meyer compared other cities in the state in similar size, such as Tontitown, where the mayor makes $42,000 annually. Meyer said he would support making the raise higher.
Alderman Bill Ott mirrored what Armstrong had said, saying that the uniqueness of Eureka Springs is not population, but the amount of people served, and argued that the community is bigger than the population would show. Greene said that she had received mostly positive support from the public to increasing the mayor’s salary and that population increases on any given weekend were due to visitors.
Greene argued that you cannot reside in Eureka Springs on $36,000 and motioned to amend the ordinance and increase the mayor’s salary to $44,000.
McClung suggested that council may need to look at hiring a city administrator rather than a mayor if running the city is as “complicated” as alderman were making it out to be. Greene pointed out that past votes on a city administrator had failed. She said that the electorate would not hire “a nit-wit” to the position of mayor and that she thought the clerk and mayor are “woefully underpaid.”
Alderman Nick Roberts asked Berry if the mayor’s job was part-time, and Berry replied that it was an elected position like the clerk’s, and was a 7-day a week job. Roberts said he thought $44,000 was too low for “this caliber of a town” and motioned to amend the salary to $60,000. There was discussion on which motion to vote on and it was agreed that Greene’s motion would be first.
Greene withdrew her original motion to amend it to increase the mayor’s salary to $48,000 with Meyer seconding again. The motion to amend passed 5-1 with McClung saying No. The motion to approve the ordinance on second reading passed 5-1 with McClung dissenting. The ordinance will go through third and final reading at the next council meeting.
German Alley update
Cliff Street resident Susie Allen spoke once more during Public Comments saying that large box trucks are still making their way down German Alley. She also said that during the latest snowfall the city had refused to put cones out to close German Alley.
Berry said that city department heads were against closing part of the street but that it would be turned into a one-way going up pending approval by council. Signage would need to be purchased and lower Mountain St. would remain the same.
Other Items
- An ordinance to add four food truck lottery slots along US 62 after some discussion. The idea of abolishing the lottery was discussed but deemed too difficult as it would require changes to three separate ordinances dealing with food trucks.
- Resolution 817 to adopt the Carroll County Hazard Mitigation Plan passed unanimously. The Mitigation Plan will make Eureka Springs eligible for further federal funding for mitigation projects to avoid natural made hazards.
- A public hearing was set during council’s next meeting on March 28 on the addition of a motorized bike franchise.