...about town with Decatur Mayor Bob Tharp

The Chamber of Commerce hosted the Kelly Miller Circus on Oct. 19. The circus held two shows and both shows were outstanding. The Chamber will be discussing possible plans to ask the circus to return next year.

On Oct. 12, city council members Linda Martin and Ladale Clayton, city clerk Kim Wilkins, my granddaughter Emily Tharp and I traveled to Little Rock where we received from Governor Asa Hutchinson a check for $15,000 for park improvements. The $15,000 is for a matching grant that the city will fund. The money will be earmarked for the Veterans Park walking trail and soccer field project. We hope to hear in the next week the results for our grant application for $150,000 to fund this project.

On Oct. 19, James Boston and I turned the final valve in Centerton which redirected Centerton's waste water to Decatur's waste water plant. Over the past eight years, Centerton and Decatur have worked together to see this line installed. The redirection of Centerton's waste water will stabilize the city's sewer rates and will bring revenue to the city of Decatur.

The city council has permitted me to make application for a Natural Resources Grant and, if funded, will enable us to expand our waterline service to those areas outside our city in need of city water. This is a brand new initiative and the grant has to be applied for by March 2016. There are many details to complete as we move forward in this important initiative.

Your city council and city staff are working on many projects, such as: Royce Johnson Memorial Park; a grant to build a large walking trail and youth soccer field at Veteran's Park; a grant to fund the construction of a personnel elevator for city hall to make the second floor functional for city use; a non-matching grant of up to $250,000 for a street overlay which will be funded in 2016; a grant to enhance our city water district service lines to areas outside city limits but in our water district.

City committees that are functional today are: Library; Planning and Zoning; Parks; Cemetery; Economic Development Committee; and Historical Committee.

Working together, Decatur is doing awesome things!

... about Town for the month of November will highlight: "Friends of Decatur's Commission." Read how you can donate to special projects, tax deductible, next month. (This Commission has been approved by the city council and we continue to put this commission in order.)

Ways to stay connected with Decatur's local news and events are to read the Westside Eagle Observer newspaper and Decatur's website at decaturarkansas.com, where you can find my email and link to Mayor Bob's Facebook Page. If you haven't visited my Facebook Page, please do and find out how Decatur was named Decatur, Arkansas.

Thank you for allowing me to serve Decatur as Mayor. Bob Tharp

Editorial on 10/28/2015