Council members, on Aug. 13, passed an animal control ordinance and discussed a variety of financial concerns in relation to adopting mid-year budget changes.

With rules suspended, the council passed an animal control ordinance on three readings with a single vote and passed an attached emergency clause, putting the ordinance into immediate effect.

The ordinance codifi es for the city what is already in state law, according to Steve Miller, the city’s attorney.

The new city law requires all dogs to wear a collar with a current rabies vaccination tag and prohibits mistreatment of animals. It also authorizes the city to pick up stray animals found running at large within the city and prescribes how long those dogs must be impounded - three days. It also specifies the procedure to be used following a biting incident and includes requirements for owners keeping dogs designated as “vicious” or “dangerous.”

“We don’t want to pick up every dog that gets out,” said Highfill Mayor Stacy Digby, “but we don’t want anyone to be bitten by a stray dog.”

The new ordinance was considered the minimum requirement for the city to be compliant with state law - “As basic as you can get,” Digby said.

An ordinance to amend the city budget to adjust for actual expenditures midyear was tabled after discussion of a number of fi nancial concerns facing the city.

“I’d like you guys to go through the budget and figure out where we don’t need all the money which was budgeted and adjust the numbers and add to (line items) where it is needed, but leave the total numbers the same,” Alderman Chris Holland said.

Holland also raised concern over ambulance costs, which are expected to exceed the budgeted line item, and asked if the city could bill those using ambulance service for the $400 per run charged to the city by the Bentonville Ambulance Service.

Miller told Holland hedidn’t think the city could do that unless it operated its own service.

“We can’t bill in addition to the ambulance bill,” he said. “I think the law requires us to provide that service within the city limits,” he added.

“I don’t think it is right for people who live in our town to have to pay for (ambulance service) for people who don’t live in our town,” Holland said, mentioning all the traffic which passes through the town because of the airport and the numerous accidents which occur.

Also of concern to Holland is lost sales and franchise tax revenue because utilities and other companies pay the tax to other cities - Gentry and Bentonville - because Highfi ll residents have mailing addresses in those two cities even though they live within Highfill city limits. Holland estimated the city is losing $100s per month because the errors.

Holland said He pays Gentry taxes on his utilities at his home in Highfi ll and Highfill taxes at his chicken houses, which are close by.

Holland urged Stacie Williams, the city’s treasurerrecorder to keep calling the state tax office twice a day until they get the matter resolved.

Digby reported that Jay Stallard, grant administrator for the Hutchens Road project, would address the council at its next meeting regarding the project. Digby said the city has pledged to cover up to $125,000 for the $500,000 project but has only had to pay $22,000 to date. Because the project was coming in at less than the $500,000 budget, he estimated the city would pay considerably less that than the $125,000 pledged in the grant application.

The council also approved spending additional money (close to $300) to cover taxes and shipping costs for the $2,100 server which was approved at the July meeting.

It was reported that Hay Days would be held on Oct. 5 this year and would include a band and a parade. The planning committee was allotted up to $1,000 from the festivals line item in the budget to use for the event.

News, Pages 4 on 08/21/2013