Council Minuits

MINUTES

CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING

Thursday, September 20, 2007

6:00 p.m.

The City Council of Monticello, Arkansas met in regular session in the council chambers at City Hall on September 20, 2007 at 6:00 p.m. Mayor Joe Rogers, who presided over the meeting, called the meeting to order with the following councilors present: Clifton Bond, Raymond Hubbard, Al Peer, Beverly Hudson, Carolyn Brown, Tim Chase and Claudia Hartness. Councilor Sherrie Gillespie was absent. City Attorney Bill Daniels was present as was City Clerk-Treasurer Cindy Fakouri who kept the minutes.

Mayor Rogers welcomed the visitors and Councilor Bond Gave the invocation.

The Chair called for any corrections to the minutes of the meeting Thursday, August 16, 2007. Councilor Chase corrected the last bullet item to read; Dr. Pelkki will be willing to look at timber management plan at no cost to the City. Upon a motion by Councilor Hudson, seconded by Councilor Hubbard, and unanimously accepted, the minutes were approved as amended.

Executive Director Glenda Nichols gave the Chamber report and Executive Assistant Ann Goad gave the MEDC report.

Finance Director gave the financial report:

Six (6) month financial report was printed in the Advance which is a State requirement every 6 months and a copy was given to the Council and Mayor Rogers. This report is compiled by our auditors. This has been done for the last 20 years.
August revenue reflects 67% budgeted expenses
The Boot Camp has been moved back to Monticello and expenses which were not budgeted will have to be paid from the Police Department
Drew Central School District and Monticello School District will reimburse the City for the Boot Camp
As of August 2006 Sales Tax collected $1,178,824 and as of August 2007 1,189,044
Sports Complex Paid off; Deerfield project paid off; will pay off Gaster Hill Water Tank by the end of the year; This will be adjusted when we prepare the updated 2006 budget
Fire Department purchased and SUV
Police Department purchased 2 vehicles
Overlay & preparation completed - $350,000.00 – There was some money left over but it will be set aside for the 2008 overlay budget
Continue to fund Chamber and MEDC on a monthly basis
Auditors currently working on the 2006 audit
Requested that the council let her know if there was something else they wanted her to report on

CLS Group representative Nicole Nichols was present on behalf of Cingular to request that the City allow them to place an antenna on top of the County Barn water tank. She offered to pay $1,200.00 monthly rent. She then stated that she was authorized to offer $1,450.00 after Councilor Chase stated that the City wanted more than $1,200.00. Councilor Chase requested, with full Council approval, that Ms. Nichols approach Cingular about renting the space for more than $1,450.00.

Upon a motion by Councilor Brown, seconded by Councilor Peer, and unanimously accepted, the Cingular resolution was tabled.

City Clerk-Treasurer Cindy Fakouri read the results of the Timber Management selection; #1. Pomeroy & McGowin Forest Mangers, #2. Kingwood Forestry Service, Inc. & #3. BAC Investments LLC. Pomeroy will be asked to design timber management plans for review by the Council, after which the Council will decide if to hire Pomeroy or move to selection #2.

Councilor Chase, seconded by Councilor Peer, moved to suspend the rules requiring the resolution to be read in full. The Chair put the question and the following councilors voted “yes”: Clifton Bond, Raymond Hubbard, Al Peer, Beverly Hudson, Carolyn Brown, Tim Chase and Claudia Hartness. The Chair declared said motion unanimously accepted.

Councilor Hartness introduced the following proposed resolution which the City Attorney read the title, distinctly and aloud in the hearing of the council as follows:

A RESOLUTION EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR THE RENEWAL AND

EXTENSION OF THE DREW COUNTY ONE PERCENT SALES TAX

Councilor Hubbard, seconded by Councilor Hudson, moved to approve said resolution. After discussion, the Chair put the question and the following councilors voted “yes”: Clifton Bond, Raymond Hubbard, Al Peer, Beverly Hudson, Carolyn Brown, Tim Chase and Claudia Hartness. The Chair declared said motion unanimously accepted, the same approved as Resolution No. 07-23.

Councilor Hartness introduced the following proposed ordinance which the City Attorney read in full, distinctly and aloud in the hearing of the council as follows:

AND ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCES NO. 713, 734

& 743 OF THE CITY OF MONTICELLO, REGULATING THE

SERVING AND CONSUMPTION OF MIXED DRINKS, BEER,

WINE OR OTHER ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE IN PRIVATE

CLUBS EXCEPT BETWEEN CERTAIN HOURS,

PRESCRIBING PENALTIES FOR VIOLATION OF SAME,

AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Councilor Hubbard, seconded by Councilor Peer, moved to approve said ordinance. After discussion, the Chair put the question and the following councilors voted “yes”: Clifton Bond, Raymond Hubbard, Al Peer, Beverly Hudson, Carolyn Brown, Tim Chase and Claudia Hartness. The Chair declared said motion unanimously accepted, the same adopted as Ordinance No. 746.

Councilor Brown reported that a meeting was held on North Main to discuss ideas regarding what to do about W.C. Whaley School and property. Charlotte McGarr stated that no concrete ideas were formed but they would meet again to continuing discussing possible ideas. Mayor Rogers stated that he has been talking with someone certified in removing asbestos regarding W.C. Whaley. Mayor Rogers asked him to give us a price to tear down the cafeteria portion of the building. Councilor Hubbard suggested that Mayor Rogers talk with Robert Akin, who is certified in removing asbestos.

A meeting was set for Tuesday, October 16, 2007 to hear health care proposals from Echols & Associates (Tommy McLemore) and Farmer’s Insurance Group (Michael James) and to discuss the proposals.

Mayor’s report:

· Repair water main on Bell St.

· Repaired and replaced bulbs on square light poles

· Picked up paper and mowed at the entrance of Indian Mounds Subdivision

· Cut grass along road and itches on Oakland from Hyatt to Winchester Rd.

· Cut grass on Ross, Cooper, Old Warren Rd., Scogin Dr., Ross, Roberts Dr., Jordan Dr., Glenwood, Crestwood, Hawthorn, South Gabbert, Oakland Cemetery, Patton, Edgewood, Bluegrass, and Willis to Old Troy Rd.

· Patched street on S. Hyatt, and E. Trotter

· Ditch and culverts was cleaned out on Barkada Rd.

· Installed a meter on Little Garnett Rd. and State School Rd.

· Painted turning arrows on Old Warren Rd, for school traffic

· Cleaned out the ditches at Western Pines, E. Oakland, N. Conley, and at the Industrial Park

· Repaired the sewer problems on Jordan Dr. and Tracy Dr.

· Repaired water leak on W. Trotter, Jordan Park, Westwood, Crestwood Dr., Babin, Allen, & Pinecrest Circle

· Painted the flag pole at Walgreen’s

· Picked up limbs and paper on Edgewood and Patton

· Repaired wind sock at airport

· Meter tap between Prairie Rd., Higgins Rd., corner of Pauline & Maple, Wilson Rd., & Hwy. 425 N.

· Sprayed the fences at the Airport and at the Industrial Park

· Put up new signs on Bellview St., Hyatt & College, & Hyatt & Jackson

· Installed new culvert at N. Maple

· Replaced the stop sign at Bowser Rd and Babin

· Repaired streets on Bolling & Gabbert, S. Boyd, & S. Hyatt

· Installed water tap on Tracy Dr., & water meter on S. Boyd

· Picked up limbs on N. Main

· Bush hogged Industrial Park

· Hauled dirt to the Industrial Park

· Cleaned up a tree and picked up limbs on Allen Dr.

· Installed the flag poles at the sports complex

· Repaired water leak on Old Warren Rd.

· Cleaned up fence line at Industrial Park

The Council asked the Mayor where the City stood with the construction problem with McCloy Park Pool... Mayor Rogers stated that McClelland Engineer Mitch Rose has not accepted the work performed by the contractor. It was decided that the City can’t wait until January 2008 to decide what to do about the pool and to move forward with a resolution to correct the poor construction by the contractor.

Councilor Hudson, seconded by Councilor Peer, moved to authorize the Mayor to hire a pool specialist to inspect the McCloy Park Pool and give an opinion and recommendation for correcting the problems. After discussion, the Mayor put the question and all councilors present voted “yes”. The Chair declared said motion unanimously accepted.

All business having been discussed, and upon a motion by Councilor Bond, seconded by Councilor Peer, and unanimously accepted, the meeting was adjourned.

Cindy Fakouri, City Clerk-Treasurer