Town told it must bear cost of road repairs

Council is told it will have to pay more than $70,000 to rebuild Hendrix Road, damaged from traffic to build wastewater treatment facility

— Town council members approved on its final reading an ordinance approving new boundaries for the town's planning area, and because an emergency clause was also approved, the changes go into effect immediately.

The ordinance, which passed on three separate readings over a three-month period, only sets planning jurisdiction boundaries at more logical points such as on section lines and along natural boundaries such as creeks and rivers.

The change does not bring any more territory into the town, but it does make it necessary for those within the planning jurisdiction to bring plans before the town's planning commission before subdividing or splitting property. Since there is a possibility that the territory could one day become a part of the town, the planningjurisdiction makes it possible for cities to ensure that subdivisions and land splits are done in accord with city codes and guidelines.

Also passed by the council with rules suspended and on three readings with a single vote were the following ordinances:

◊An ordinance to correct typographical errors in city code regulating building permits;

◊An ordinance amending the definitions section of the city building code to add a definition for agricultural buildings;

◊ An ordinance revising the building permit fee schedule to add an agricultural building permit schedule with fees at a lower rate than in other buildings constructed for human habitation; and

◊An ordinance setting call-back fees for building inspections at $50. The change clears up confusion over the amount charged for repeat site visits and may prevent contractors from calling back the city inspector unnecessarily.

The above ordinances also had emergency clauses attached which put them into effect immediately.

The council passed a resolution appointing Highfill's mayor, Stacy Digby, as the town's alternate director to serve on the board of directors for the Benton-Washington Regional Public Water Authority.

A proposed ordinance granting an exception to city code limiting the placement of structures housing animals and fowl to no less than 600 feet from any residential structure to allow property owners to build structures for animals within the 600-foot area of their own residence was tabled until the April meeting to allow the planning commission to review the ordinance and recommend any needed changes.

Phillip Watkins, director of marketing for the Centerton Area Chamber of Commerce, addressed the council and urged the town to join the chamber for the non-profit rate of $235 per year, less 10percent. Watkins said the Chamber would help promote the town of Highfill, Highfill events and activities and member Highfill businesses if the town joined the regional chamber. He also said the town would receive a free 30-second ad on the Cox network through the Chamber.

Digby and the council suggested that the town needed its own chamber of commerce but that it may be of benefit to the town to be a part of the Centerton Area Chamber of Commerce as well.

"We need to have our own chamber," Digby said, "but joining this would be a good thing for the town."

The town's fire marshal, Rob Holland, reported that the city had four of the needed eight storm sirens mounted and in place. They are operational by battery power, Holland said, but the town was still waiting on Carroll Electric to set some poles and connect the sirens to electrical power. Holland said he expected to have the sirens fully operational soon for the storm season. He also suggested that town residents receive alerts from the new Benton County Alert system, so that they have two methods of notification in the event of severe weather.

The council briefly discussed testing of the sirens, with Holland suggesting tests on the first Monday of each month between 1 and 3 p.m. Councilman Toby Lester raised concerns over the effects on birds in poultrygrowing operations and possible risks if children are on horses at Horses for Healing when the sirens are tested. Individual siren testing was suggested, with prior notification to Horses for Healing and poultry growers in close proximity to the sirens.

The new sirens are located at Fourth Street and Walker, Morrow and Cowan, Mason Valley and Daniels, and Arkansas Highway 264 and Brush Arbor, Holland said.

Needed road repairs on the city portion of Hendrix Road damaged by construction of the Northwest Arkansas Conservation Authority sewer plant were raised by the town's street supervisor, Vernon Reams. The cost to the town in a bid from Steve Douglas for materials only - labor would be donated - is $70,758, Reams said. If the town chose not to make the repairs now, the cost to repair the road later wouldbe considerably more, he said.

"This is a bad deal," Reams said of the damage to the road and the cost the town would have to pay for repairs, "but if we don't do it, it will cost us a lot more later on."

Reams wanted to know the town's intentions so that he could inform Douglas and let him know when the town would be having the repairs made.

"Yes, we're going to do this," Digby said. "We need to figure out how."

Digby said the town usually receives more of its tax revenue in the second half of the year and suggested it would probably be Juneor after when the town has Douglas make the road repairs.

James Wiand, the town's water and sewer supervisor, told the council that he had received a recommendation from Aqua Point to replace a sewer plant mixer motor which went out in November with a small aerator. The motor would cost the town about $7,000 and aerator about $1,000, he said.

News, Pages 7 on 03/16/2011