GENTRY -- In a brief meeting on Monday, the Gentry City Council selected professionals for maintenance to the city's water tanks, approved the city's current millage rate for another year, approved money to repair a sign donated to the city and adopted a resolution opposing the EPA's new greenhouse gas emission guidelines.
After reviewing credentials, the council unanimously approved the following three engineering firms in the following order for the mayor to negotiate a contract for professional services related to maintaining and painting the city's water tanks, inside and out, and installing agitators in the tanks: 1. Crist Engineering of Little Rock; 2. Civil Engineering of Siloam Springs; and Crafton Tull in Rogers.
A resolution setting the city's millage rate at 5.0 mills for the general fund, .03 mills for fireman's pension and .07 mills for voluntary park maintenance in 2015 was also passed unanimously. The rate is the same as 2014 but a resolution is required each year.
The council approved spending approximately $2,500 to repair the Backer's Variety Store sign which was donated to the city because of its historical significance. The money will be used to replace broken glass tubing and to replace neon transformers on the sign so that it may be lighted and displayed on the second floor of the Gentry Library.
Gentry Mayor Kevin Johnston told the council the sign dates back to the 1920s on Gentry's Main Street. He said a local contractor has offered to donate his services to hang the sign in the library -- a savings to the city of approximately $2,600.
In answer to new greenhouse gas emission guidelines proposed by the federal government's Environmental Protection Agency, the council unanimously approved a resolution expressing its opposition to the guidelines and the short time to meet the newer, stricter CO2 emission guidelines.
According to the document, the city of Gentry is requesting that the "EPA withdraw the proposed guidelines and issue new guidelines that allow Arkansas and other states to establish policies that are in the best interest of the city of Gentry, Arkansas and the nation."
The resolution says that new guidelines should respect the primacy of the state of Arkansas and allow for plans which would "maintain an adequate, reliable, affordable electrical generating fleet."
The concern is that the new guidelines would force the early retirement of plants such as the Flint Creek Power Plant, cause a loss of jobs and raise the cost of electricity for consumers.
Mayor Johnston told council members the city is considering a new logo and would welcome suggestions and designs.
General News on 10/08/2014