HIGHFILL — Council members passed an ordinance Thursday moving the town closer to completing a deal to sell a portion of the town’s water system to Centerton.

Being sold is a portion of Highfill’s water system which now lies within Centerton’s city limits. The sale will benefit both cities because it will give both a second water source and also eliminate dead-end lines which must be continually flushed, resulting in a loss of water and man-hours.

Once the deal is finalized, Highfill will be paid $103,490.08 for the water system located on1,200 acres and serving 47 customers within Centerton’s corporate limits. The money will be used to repay a loan through the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission of $123,600 which will become due in December of 2011.

Before the deal is finalized, Centerton must also approve of the purchase by ordinance. The transfer of the system is contingent on a Centerton project which will connect the lines and install a water meter which would make it possible for either city to receive water through the connecting lines between the two municipalities.

The Highfill ordinance was approved by four of thefive Highfill council members - Sandy Evans, Toby Lester, Keven Varner and James Wiand. Richard Boles was absent. The vote to suspend the rules and read the ordinance by heading only was opposed by Evans, so Highfill Mayor Chris Holland voted in order to create the super majority necessary.

Once the sale is complete and connecting lines and meters are in place, a date will be set and the purchased portion of the system transferred. Water customers on the affected line will receive a bill from Highfill for water used while served by Highfill’s water system and from Centerton for water used after the transfer is complete, said Frank Holzkamper, Highfill’s waterworks supervisor.

On a related matter, Holzkamper shared with the council a proposed water purchase agreement with Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport. The proposed agreement does not raise rates charged to the airport - $2.50 per thousand gallons - but would add meter charges - $525 per month for a 6-inch meter - and would allow the town to raise rates in the event rates are increased by the town’s water supplier, Benton/Washington Regional Public Water Authority, or in the event energy costs to operate the system increase by more than 33 percent.

The proposed contract renewal was sent to the Scott VanLaningham, executive director of the airport, on Jan. 28. No final contract agreement had yet been reached at the time of last week’s council meeting.

Council members also passed an ordinance to purchase a Mahindra 281g tractor and loader, with a six-foot standard duty cutter, a five-foot box-blade scraper and a six-foot finish mower for the total cost of $18,731.40.

Though Evans voted against suspending the rules and reading the ordinance by heading only, making it necessary for Chris Holland to vote inorder to do so, all council members present voted in favor of the purchase. The town is financing the purchase for five years at 0 percent interest.

Discussed at the meeting was the possibility of purchasing a used road grader for the town, at a price of $20,000 or less, in order to repair the town’s roads which were severely damaged by the recent snows and the subsequent freezing and thawing. The council consented to looking into a possible purchase but asked that any purchase be brought back to the council before it is made.

The city could use the $15,000 it has budgeted for grading to help make the purchase, Chris Holland said. He said the purchase of a grader would allow the city to work on the roads whenwork is needed instead of waiting for a contracted grader operator. He also anticipated that damage to roads would require the city to increase money budgeted for grading the roads within the town.

Chris Holland said the compaction test on the building site was “good” and work on the new city hall would commence as soon as the ground dries out. “We’re waiting on the weather,” he said.

The town’s fire marshal and building inspector, Rob Holland, told council members he had been working with Carroll Electric to locate the 47 street lights for which the city has been billed and has found that some of the lights were gone for years. Carroll Electric would refund the city for the non-existent lights, he said.

Rob Holland also reported duplicate lights at a number of locations and requested the council approve up to 40 lights. He said he would have some lights removed, leaving 35 lights for which the city pays. He suggested that the town’s planning board approve placement of any new lights up to the 40-light limit.

The lights cost the city $5.65 each per month, with the exception of the two 400-watt lights at the city park which cost $12.65 per month.

Rob Holland said the city may receive up to $35,000 in grant funds for the placement of storm sirens. He said the sirens cost approximately $19,00 each, so the town may be able to purchase and place one or two sirens should a grant be received.

News, Pages 1 on 02/17/2010