GRAVETTE -- Mayor Byron Warren, at a committee meeting last month, read a letter from Jack Couch, public assistance project specialist for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, commending Tracy Sewell, business director, and her assistant, Lori Leonard, for their exemplary work in processing the paperwork for documentation of Gravette's storm damage.

"Once the requirements for documentation were explained to them," Couch wrote, "they not only began the collection process but developed an Excel spreadsheet with which to track all storm-related expenditures by contractor, material vendors, locations repaired and to be repaired. They were then able to sort all of this information by specific dates and percentages of completion."

Because of Sewell's and Leonard's efforts, Couch was provided with the necessary data to produce the FEMA worksheets within days rather than weeks. He assured Mayor Warren that this means the city will be reimbursed for their storm damage in a much more timely manner.

"I hope you realize what an asset to your organization these ladies are," Couch wrote.

All department heads submitted written reports at the December regular Committee of the Whole meeting. Fire chief David Smith's report showed a total of 56 ambulance runs during November, including 16 trauma calls, 39 medical runs and one public service call. There were 17 fire calls, including two grass fires, two smoke checks, four EMS calls and four training exercises.

Police chief Andrew Bower issued a daily activity report showing four felony arrests in November, 30 misdemeanor arrests, one drug arrest, 13 theft/fraud arrests and seven domestic disturbance calls. He reported 167 warnings and 41 citations were issued. He also submitted a list of Police Department vehicles, showing the age and mileage of each. He recommended moving up the police car replacement schedule because of the amount of miles traveled and the poor quality of some of the roads traveled.

Councilwoman Rambadt requested a list of other city vehicles; a list of all city assets; a list of reserves in each department and a list of liabilities, including amounts and to whom they are owed.

Street Department manager Tim Dewitt said the state Highway Department had requested the city council name a new access road being constructed adjacent to the new highway construction near Hiwasse.

A discussion was held of code enforcement regarding condemned and/or dilapidated property within the city limits. A trailer in Hiwasse has been moved and an abandoned house in Gravette was burned as a training exercise for the Fire Department. The city has done all it can on several properties and has failed to identify the owners. Now it is time for a lawyer to do a title search and bring legal action against the property owners.

Business manager Tracy Sewell went over the November financial reports. She said balances are good in the Water Department, the Street Department and the Cemetery Department.

Councilman Richard Carver requested that the mayor bring new hires before the council and bring major purchases to its attention even though the council might have already approved funding for the position. He also noted a need for each department to formulate a master plan. He suggested a meeting to determine priorities and goals for the year. Mike von Ree, chairman of the Planning Commission, said a meeting would be scheduled early in 2014.

Water and Sewer Department manager Cory Reardon distributed copies of a contract with Morrison-Shipley Engineers for three sewer improvement projects to be completed in 2014. Total projected cost for the three jobs is $796,595 -- $919,451 is available from the sewer improvement bond issue. Reardon's proposal for the remainder of the money is to work on 2nd Avenue behind City Hall, north from the Walmart intersection. If this project were completed, all sewer lines on the southeast side of the city would be upgraded to 8-inch plastic lines.