SULPHUR SPRINGS -- During the city's April 10 regular council session held inside the city's fire station, a number of ordinances and city codes were changed. Also, the city's attorney discussed his filing of the city's lawsuit, the mayor gave an update on the city's financials and council members brought up concerns about cleanliness on city property to include the inside and outside of city vehicles.
Working to solve some of the city's problems, Mayor Greg Barber read statements to amend ordinances and city code. Ordinance 2014-03 amends ordinance 06.02 about places to post the city's meeting notices, which needed an update. The Council chose seven places to post notices, with but five necessary for posting meetings at least two hours beforehand. That way, if any one business or building is closed, another can be used for the posting. The seven posting places include Ozark Water Company, Sulphur Springs Post Office, the city hall, city laundry, Steve's Place Cafe, Cowboy Café and the OK Flea Market.
Mayor Barber proposed and council approved an ordinance to amendment code 3.04.02, a code designating who may sign city checks or drafts as a "method of payment." The last sentence of code 3.04.02 as now amended reads: "Checks or drafts in favor of person or firm from whom the purchase was made shall be signed by two of the three city council approved signees." Previously, the mayor and recorder/treasurer signed checks and drafts.
Passing by unanimous vote was an ordinance changing the truck route through the city by eliminating Patterson Street. Truck routes without Patterson include West Fickinger Street, Duff Avenue, Spring Street, Hibler Avenue and Horse Creek Road.
The city's current computer program requires specific line items for the budget to coincide with it, the Mayor said. Until the clerk reworks the line items, the budget and financials will not agree. The council, therefore, voted unanimously to table the financials until next month because of the discrepancies between the computer program and budget items. Another reason stemmed around the unknown amounts the city owes as outstanding balances, such as payments to IRS as reported in last week's Eagle Observer.
Alderman Harris Steele made the motion to table the financials "until we have the Centerpoint computer program reconciled and have a budget reviewed or reworked to coincide with its software."
City Clerk Jamie Friend found that the Centerpoint computer program was not built for small town use, Mayor Barber said. "It's a premium program, but it's really designed for a large city."
Police Chief Duke Brackney reported his department answered 191 calls to service last month. Traffic stops included 63 warnings and 19 tickets, he said. His department makes from six to eight arrests each month. He said he was writing a grant to purchase new style protective vests for officers. He said the life of the vests used by him and his officers expired in 1999.
Police Chief Brackney and Mayor Barber discussed installing the new security system purchased for the park. The system should cut down on vandalism. It could also be useful in apprehending anyone damaging or defacing city property there.
Ordinance 07.04 referring to the water department policy and procedures will require a special session to discuss, the council concluded. Mayor Barber said that the council had not adopted a proper ordinance for this since 2007. The council agreed to hold a working meeting in two weeks, at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 24, to work on a new water and sewer billing procedure and department policy manual.
Steele brought up a city ordinance which restricts employees and others from smoking on city property or in city vehicles.
Anybody wishing to receive instruction in CPR can contact Fire Chief John Varner. Chief Varner said the volunteer fire department has a qualified CPR instructor for anyone in the Sulphur Springs district, anyone with a Sulphur Springs mailing address. Cost will be $5 per person. Classes will be scheduled when enough people sign up, with VFD members first in line.
Bryan S. Vernetti, the city's attorney, discussed the lawsuit concerning the previous broken sewer main crossing Butler Creek along Patterson Street in East Sulphur by last spring's flood. "A lawsuit's been filed," he said. "The defendant has been served."
"To my knowledge," Vernetti said, "there has not been an answer filed. But, I did receive a phone call from a very large law firm's attorney. The comment by the attorney with whom I spoke and worked with on other cases, stated he had talked to a potential client." "Most likely," Vernetti said, "the firm had held a meeting with the defendant but has not retained them at that time. The contractor has 30 days to file an answer to our complaint," he said.
The Council voted to replace Alderman Bill Middleton with Edward (Skip) Paczowski. Middleton had resigned his position during the March 13 regular session because he moved from Ward 3. Alderman Paczowski and his family moved back to Sulphur Springs last winter. He said they had lived in Sulphur in the 1980s. He currently works as the code enforcement officer for the city of Gentry.
The Mayor said the city needed to change the signees' names on accounts at the Arvest Bank. He estimated a $9,000 general funds certificate of deposit and a $28,000 savings account were held by the bank. The city holds the savings account money as collateral for the USDA loan for the Water and Sewer Department, a USDA requirement that two years of payments be set aside. The city needed different signees to reflect current city officials. The council voted unanimously to remove Bobby Simon and Tamie Comstock and add Greg Barber and Jamie Friend. Alderwoman Martha Kreder's name will remain on the accounts as a signee.
Adding a temporary Street Department employee to help prepare the city's streets for paving came under discussion. Mayor Barber said the street department needed another temporary employee to help clean ditches and extend manhole and water covers in streets before the paving company can begin its work.
The council discussed possibly hiring John Thurber, who would use his equipment at an hourly rate. Thurber has experience as a retired state road worker and heavy equipment operator. He has been using his heavy equipment lately in the park to pull stumps and clean. The mayor and council gave Thurber much praise for his volunteer work for the city.
General News on 04/16/2014