Director of Public Works Simon Wiley spoke to city council at the May 8 meeting giving updates on construction of a sidewalk along West Van Buren, and the city shedding water due to leaks.
Alderman Autumn Slane asked if traffic could be diverted to avoid the section of US 62 crimped into one lane with the tourism season ramping up. Wiley said that by the end of the month traffic should be back to normal according to ARDOT.
The reason for closing half the roadway is the retaining wall was not originally made to be a retaining wall for any more than a road. With a lack of proper support, the roadway could not handle traffic while being worked on. There was also an abandoned drainage structure beneath that needed to be removed and recreated.
Wiley said that due to those unforeseen changes to the work order, the cost had increased by $9,200. Alderman Terry McClung voiced relief that the cost increase was not exorbitant.
Wiley also explained that feedback on the proposed roundabout at the intersection of Hwy. 23 and US 62 included pedestrian walking tunnels beneath the road. He said ARDOT has included a version with a tunnel at either of two locations. Whether or not a tunnel is “cost appropriate” will be up to council.
In talking water and sewer rates, alderman Harry Meyer pointed out that the Carroll-Boone Water District has had two rate raises in a few years. With the water loss in Eureka Springs, Meyer suggested raising rates, as an increase was due from the water district. He said such an increase would avoid the city having to loan money to the water district. Carroll Boone Water District has informed the city of the increase, but the amount is unknown.
Alderman Terry McClung asked how the city was doing in terms of correcting water losses with new meters installed in town over the last several years. Wiley said he had run the numbers for three to four years and loss is consistent.
“Still at 45 percent?” McClung asked. Wiley corrected, “55 to 60 percent.” He said with the karst landscape there was no way to tell where a leak originates. He said he’d contacted a leak finder to go through the entire system and had joined the Arkansas Rural Water Association that does leak finding for free.
Slane asked Wiley how the city could get the Rural Water Association to come out. While Wiley couldn’t provide an answer, he said that he knows of a leak on Main Street that he is thinking of hiring out to find. He said Public Works had been unable to find its source despite many efforts.
Other Items
- Council passed Resolution 839 to amend the adopted budget as a mean to correctly show expenditures and revenues so far in the year. The report from Akins was positive with revenue up and expenditures (mostly capital expenditures) down compared to the original budget.
- Resolution 838 passed to waive bidding for a new financial and operating system for the Eureka Springs Hospital. The change will allow the hospital to continue accepting Medicare and Medicaid, and will cost less annually than what the hospital spends currently.
- Resolution 840 passed to allow the Building Department to trade vehicles with the Parks Department.