GRAVETTE - Five ordinances will be placed on the agenda for the April 25 city council meeting after approval at Thursday night’s Committee of the Whole meeting. These ordinances will provide for maintenance and removal of hazardous trees, prevention or elimination of fire hazards, condemnation and removal of nuisance structures, adoption of current editions of the reference codes and setting fines for violation of city ordinances.

Library director Kim Schneider presented the monthly report from the library and library commission chairman Bill Reynolds gave a brief presentation. Reynolds said the library commission had been told the city was “five to seven years” from a new building but stated he felt they couldn’t wait that long. He suggested razing the current library and rebuilding on the site with a temporary library set up elsewhere during the construction process.

Mayor Byron Warren reminded the group that, after a library was built, there must be a way to fund it. Allyson Ransom, director of communications and resource efficiency, suggested extending library hours to accommodate computer users if library expansion was not going to happen soon.

Ransom then gave her monthly report. She said the city website was showing increased usage, with the library getting the most hits and the calendar second. She also reported that cost of cemetery lots had been increased to $500 and two were sold in March. Weather permitting, pouring concrete for the skate park was to begin Monday.The museum’s “My Collection” exhibit was a success and volunteers worked on an expansion of the walking trail the same day. An article on the Gravette Historical Museum was published in the March issue of “City and Town,” the publication of the Arkansas Municipal League.

Fire chief David Smith reported 57 EMS runs, 17 fire calls and two training meetings in March. The city’s new ambulance has been ordered and is expected to arrive in July. He said the county is withdrawing from some aspects of environmental enforcement and more of that work would be falling on the cities. He presented a plan for a bedroom addition on the old fire station and subsequent move of all operations to the front building. He had received a bid of $19,500 for the addition. He also submitted a job description for the fire chief.

Interim police chief Speed Estep reported two officers were completing the firearms instructor class. There are now four part-time and seven full-time officers in the Gravette Police Department, including the school resource officers. Officer Danny Henry will be deployed to Afghanistan from July to November. Estep reported on the apprehension of the two juveniles who damaged the wildlife game camera and said the parents had agreed to pay for the camera.

Tim Dewitt gave the monthly report for streets and utilities. He said the city’s new mower and new truck are in. The city pool has been cleaned and is ready for health department inspection. It is scheduled to open Memorial Day weekend. He clarified the bids for reroofing the old city hall and recommended that Franklin and Sons be hired for the job. He has secured bids for repaving all streets in Ward 3 for future reference.

Work is progressing on extending sewer lines east of town to the hill above Old Town Park. Lines will be extended on to Stagecoach Road when money is available. Sewer rehab is being done in town with financing from bond money.

Filter rehab has been done at the water plant and pipe upgrade is being done. Since elements at the old water plant wouldn’t meet new state standards and the cost to rehab the plant would be prohibitive, the old plant has been recommended for a fire department training site. Three hundred new water meters should arrive by the end of April and will be installed in about a week, then 525 more meters will be ordered for future installation.

Mike von Ree reported the planning commission is working on an alley closing behind Saine’s Body Shop and proposed annexation of the former Gibson Gardens property. Representatives of Mid-Continent Concrete will be at the April planning commission meeting to discuss their conditional use permit.

After a meeting with Boys & Girls Club representative Chris Shimer, it was decided there will be no change in the Boys & Girls Club contract.

In new business, council members discussed purchase of a van to transport council members and city personnel to meetings, conventions and classes. They recommended purchase of a van. State bids will be examined, but the council authorized Mayor Byron Warren to secure three bids from area retailers and bring them to the April council meeting.

News, Pages 4 on 04/17/2013