GRAVETTE — A five-month progress report for the city of Gravette was outlined by Mayor Byron Warren at a meeting of the City Council Committee of the Whole Thursday night.

The report detailed activities for the various city departments and an update on the city’s financial position.

The Gravette Police Department now has an animal control officer who also supervises people with court ordered community service. The department has applied for grants, including one to replace bullet-resistant vests,a Community Oriented Policing Services grant to finance a full-time officer for three years and a grant to continue the Be A Winner drug program. The department has acquired an all-terrain vehicle to step up drug interdiction, with one meth lab being displaced and three people facing charges related to methamphetamines and two for marijuana and paraphernalia possession.

The Gravette Parks Department has been involved by contributing $12,000 to costs of lighting T-ball fields at Pop Allum Park, installing a handrail along East Main at Old Town Park, site work done at the museum and library, completing flower beds and parks work, bathroom upgrades and work at the pool repair project.

Street work by the city’s street department included many hours of snow removal and street clearing during the winter, applying 300 tons of base on Sixth Avenue, N.W., ditch work at the ball fields, parking lot work at the library and repairing numerous street cuts as well as ditch cleaning and mowing.

Many major leaks havebeen located and repaired by the water-sewer department, including a major leak at the Gravette Civic Center parking lot which the city had attempted to locate for several years and involved a leak of some 100,000 gallons per month. The leaking water was found to be draining into a basement cavity of the old high school which was once located at that site. Numerous leaks on waterwest have been repaired and an estimated $8 to $10 thousand per year in water cost has been saved.

The department has also located a new supplier of alum for treatment at the sewer plant, resulting in an estimated annual saving of at least $18,000. Six new water sampling stations have been installed, almost 1,000 water meters have replaced non-registering units, fire hydrants have been flushed and checked and one replaced. Also a new electronic metering system has been installed at the city’s Two-Ton water intake valve on Bethlehem Road.

Map Updates

In the Gravette Resources Department, ordinances have been updated, as has an employee handbook. A city department phone system has been installed and work on a unified email system is progressing. A new flood plain map has been prepared and the firstupdate in nearly 10 years of the town’s zoning map has been completed. New maps are being prepared.

In the Fire and Ambulance Department, classes and training schedules have been improved, an emergency service map has been compiled and a blanket dues reminder has been mailed to area residents. Two ambulances have been acquired and have been certified by the state in preparation for entering service.

At the museum, construction is complete on a new exhibit building which is readying for opening on Gravette Day.The library now offers free memberships to county residents, GED classes are underway, new computers have been added, as well as Wi-Fi service. Parking improvements have been made at the library, and new sidewalks at both the museum and library are either completed or ready for completion.

Finances Improved

Warren pointed out during a finance committee meeting that finances have shown improvement. A statement fund balance for the city through May indicates a balance of $2,407,036 compared with $2,282,716 in January. The report also shows the city has expended 41 percent of its budget through the first five months of the year.

News, Pages 1 on 06/22/2011