GENTRY — Sidewalks, streetlights, a truck turnaround near the rail crossing by the McKee Foods plant and the skate park were on the agenda at Monday’s city council meeting.

The council approved an agreement for professional services with Civil Engineering of Siloam Springs to further ready the city to proceed with sidewalk and streetlight construction along South Collins Street and to build a turnaround for trucks along N. Railroad Street between the railroad and Arkansas Highway 59 but modified the agreement to include technical assistance in applying for a federally-funded Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department enhancement grant and to do preliminary studies on an alternate route or overpass construction to solve the truck problem at the north railroad crossing.

The city had done technical studies and developed plans in the past to apply for AHTD enhancement grants, but the grant cycles were not repeated since 2002, Mayor Wes Hogue said. Hogue said he was recommending the city build moresidewalks along the planned routes - S. Collins and East Main Street - as money was available.

Work on S. Collins was being considered first because the city is still waiting for Kansas City Southern to approve final plans and a contract for an improved crossing on Main Street before sidewalks are built east on Main Street to Arkansas Highway 59. Further drainage work will also be needed before the East Main sidewalks can be built, Hogue said.

Hogue told council members the situation had changed because he was notified of a new AHTD enhancement grant cycle making it possible for the city to apply for a grant to do more work - the grant is an 80/20 grant, with the city responsible to pay for 20 percent of construction costs.

After some discussion, the council voted to authorize the expenditure of additional money for professional services to assist the city in applying for a grant for a $100,000 project to extend sidewalks and lighting along S. Collins.

In a separate motion, the council also authorized a portion of the agreement for professional services with Civil Engineering to design and prepare a construction plan for a turnaround for trucks on N. Railroad Street, east of the railroad. Council members Michael Crawford, Jason Barrett, Kyle Jordan and Clara Garrett approved the agreement. Janice Arnold, Kevin Johnston and Janie Parks opposed the measure, in part, because of short notice and little time to fully consider the matter before voting. With council memberJames Furgason absent, Mayor Hogue cast a vote in favor of the agreement for services.

The turnaround is needed, Hogue said, because of trucks turning off Arkansas Highway 59 to go to McKee Foods andcoming upon a train parked at the crossing. Some trucks have backed back out across Highway 59 to go around the parked trains, he said.

Hogue said the turnaround was also a part of a “gentlemen’s agreement” made with McKee Foods a number of years ago when the company agreed to locate a plant in Gentry.

A turnaround would push the problems further down the road, Johnston said, speaking of the trucks using the overpass and then coming through town to McKee Foods.

“I’m not against the turnaround,” Johnston said. “We just need to do what is best,” he said, suggesting that the city also look at the cost of a second overpass or an alternate crossing which would benefit not only large trucks but everyone.

“We need to look at the preliminary footprint (of a turnaround) and have a cost estimate,” Hogue said.

Hogue explained that the city could not negotiate the purchase of land or take legal action to obtain land without the footprint of a turnaround.

“I won’t support it if we are going to take legal action to get the land,” Arnold said.

The motion which passed also authorizes payment for preliminary study on a possible alternate route or overpass construction.

Skateboard park

In other action the council approved accepting $40,000 in grant money forthe construction of a skate facility in the city park.

The city had applied for $80,000 in grant money through the Outdoor Grant Program of the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism. The grant is a 50/50 matching grant, so the city had also budgeted $80,000 in city funds for the skate park project.

The plan proposed by the Parks Committee and approved by the council is to accept the $40,000 and match it, making $80,000 available for construction of the skate facility and adjoining playground. The city would use the remaining $40,00 in its budget to pay professional fees and to build required access walks to the skate park.

The skate facility and playground project will be put out for bids and the city if hoping the project can be completed for $80,000.

Burn ordinance

An ordinance which could make it possible for property owners within the city to burn down unsafe and dilapidated structures passed on its second reading at Monday’s city council meeting.

If passed on three readings, the proposed ordinance will allow the burning of structures within the corporate city limits after meeting the following requirements:

◊An application to the fire chief, including a $25 application fee, for an inspection to determine if the structure qualifies as a building to be burned and it would be safe to do so;

◊Proper certification, at the applicant’s expense, that the building is free of asbestos and other hazardous materials; and

◊A burn permit issued by the fire chief - including a fee of $250 to cover costs of having the fire departmentstandby during the burn.

The proposed ordinance also requires notification of the burn no less than three days in advance and full cleanup of the burn site within 30 days after the burn.

Should the fire depart ment have to actively sup press a fire related to the burn, additional charges at standard time and equip ment rates will be charged to the property owner.

A final provision sets a maximum fine of $1,500 for burning in violation of the provisions of the ordi nance.

The ordinance will come back to the council for its final reading on June 7.

News, Pages 1 on 05/05/2010