GRAVETTE -- Last Thursday's City Council Committee of the Whole meeting lasted only about an hour but numerous issues were discussed.
On the water billing late charge, Mayor Byron Warren said late notices would still be mailed on the 25th day of the month but a penalty would not be assessed until after the 3rd of the next month. This will help relieve the financial burden for those who don't receive a Social Security check until the first or the third of the month.
Warren said the idea of renting the former city hall building had been abandoned for now since the potential renter's current lease is up Dec. 1 and there was no possibility of getting the building ready by that date. Cost of repairing the flooring alone has been estimated at $6,000 and some ceiling tiles also need to be replaced. Councilman Bob Robinson recommended that the council go ahead and get estimates for the needed repairs since the building is an eyesore in its present condition and steps should be taken to upgrade it to something other than a storage building.
The comprehensive plan for the city was discussed and a resolution adopting it will be voted on at the Nov. 20 council meeting. The city zoning maps were reviewed and three minor changes that need to be made were noted. The second reading of the ordinance adopting the maps will also be on the agenda at this week's council meeting. Citizens wishing to comment on the zoning maps are urged to be present.
Council members approved recommending removal of the stop sign on Dallas Street S.W. at 5th Avenue. Some citizens have requested eliminating this sign and it was agreed it was no longer needed since it was placed largely to ensure safety for drivers turning into the Gravette Manor Home and the nursing home is no longer in operation.
Corey Reardon, water department manager, explained the situation with some customers who have multiple dwellings on one water meter. He reported that, according to information from the state plumbing inspector's office, there is nothing the city can do to relieve the customer who is paying the water bill for three dwellings because the customers were grandfathered in but any new construction must have a separate meter for each dwelling. City recorder Mike von Ree asked if the properties in question were zoned R-1 or R-3 and suggested if they were zoned R-1 something could be done to change the situation since the homeowner would be out of compliance with zoning regulations.
The possibility of passing a rental inspection ordinance was discussed. An ordinance was previously in effect and has been suspended but Mayor Warren feels it may be needed again since he is aware of two instances where renters are having problems with black mold. This might have been prevented if the homes had been inspected before occupancy. The possibility of reinstating a modified ordinance that permits inspection on request will be discussed.
The possibility of having financial reports in Excel format was discussed. Councilwoman Melissa Smith said there were more chances for error with Excel as information had to be put in manually and it was also more time consuming. Councilman Richard Carver suggested asking other area cities if they use Excel and how it was working for them. Carver also again expressed a desire to get city council meeting packets earlier. Councilwoman Margo Thomas suggested city department heads could help with this by getting reports in sooner but acknowledged this was not always possible when meetings were held only a couple of days before council meetings.
Councilman Robinson suggested when packets were received only a short time before meetings to focus on examining those areas which had the biggest impact on the budget. He commented that the fire department had brought in only about half the revenue projected for them this year but their expenditures were close to 100 percent of projections. He suggested examining such areas to determine whether the city had budgeted poorly or whether something unforeseen had happened. He agreed that the overall budget looks good.
Mayor Warren said all budgets would be available for examination at the Nov. 20 council meeting. The budget for the year 2015 must be presented to the council by Dec. 1, but final approval is not required until February. He commented that the budget would look better when the anticipated $75,000 from property taxes comes in next month.
Warren told the council that power had been hooked up to the sign at the four-way stop and it should be operating soon. He also reported that Christmas lights are being put up now and reminded everyone to plan to attend the city Christmas parade at 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, with Santa's visit following at the civic center.
In comments following the meeting, councilman Ron Theis distributed copies of an ad he had found on Craig's list for a piece of property in Gravette. A special variance was granted for the current owner to build an 8-foot-by-18-foot "tiny house." The owner's plans have changed and they are advertising that the property with variance is for sale. Theis asked if the variance could be revoked since it was not used for the intended purpose and council members agreed to investigate that possibility.
General News on 11/19/2014