GRAVETTE -- City Council, on Thursday, passed a resolution authorizing the mayor and school district to apply for a COPS-CHP grant in the amount of $110,389.45 to pay for an additional school resource officer to police and provide security at Gravette Public Schools.
The grant would cover 75 percent of the salary and benefits for the SRO for three years and require the position be retained for a fourth year. The remaining 25 percent of the SRO salary and costs for the fourth year would be divided equally between the city and the school district.
A budget adjustment was also approved to pay additional salary for police officer Scott Gillming for the remainder of the year. Gillming's increased salary is a result of his promotion to the position of corporal.
Christy Green, representing the planning commission, spoke to the council prior to the meeting requesting that the city purchase an additional ESRI license to aid in properly zoning property in Hiwasse. ESRI is a global mapping database.
In other council action, members approved amending the sanitary sewer rehabilitation contract with Morrison Shipley and passed a budget adjustment to cover costs of replacing the sewer line running from the intersection of S.W. Second and Charlotte, up Arkansas Highway 59 to the new line near Shop and Go. This sewer upgrade will be paid from the 3/4 cent sales tax collection.
Ordinances were passed approving the final plat for Lynchburg Estates Subdivision and approving lot splits for property owned by Kim and Jim Hendren on Arkansas Highway 72, east of town, and for property owned by Rip Austin on Bittersweet Road.
Mayor Byron Warren reported that the museum roof was already in need of repair and some additional shingles had blown off in Wednesday's storm. A budget adjustment of $9,573 was approved for repair of the entire museum roof. The project will be financed through the 1/4 capital improvement fund.
In comments just before adjourning the meeting, Warren said he was pleased with the June sales tax collection of $174,000 and reminded those present of upcoming Gravette Day activities.
The Gravette City Council held its regular monthly meeting Thursday, July 24, with members Amy Rambadt and Ron Theis absent. City attorney David Bailey was also absent, attending classes in Little Rock.
General News on 07/30/2014