HIGHFILL -- The police department's car shortage following the breakdown of its Dodge Charger might be solved through donations from police departments in Bentonville and Rogers.
According to Blake Webb, Highfill's police chief, Bentonville and Rogers have offered to donate some used vehicles to the city. Webb mentioned an offer of two Ford Crown Victorias which were administrative vehicles and one Dodge Durango which has 56,000 miles.
Webb said equipment could be moved from the no-longer-running Dodge Charger to one of the donated vehicles and the only cost to his department would be for decals and possibly for lights.
Webb said the neighboring cities offered to donate the vehicles rather than selling them because of the minimal amount received for used police vehicles when auctioned or sold.
Webb said he had maintenance records for all three vehicles.
A police car purchase was put on hold at the Highfill Council meeting on July 12. The council delayed replacing a police car for the Highfill Police Department when its 2008 Dodge Charger with 170,000 miles on it quit running due to major engine problems. The cost to repair it by replacing the engine was estimated to be in the neighborhood of $8,000 to $10,000, according to Chief Webb. He recommended against repairing the vehicle and suggested replacing it with a new or used police SUV because the car is worn out and cars don't do well on the dirt and gravel roads in the city.
"The car is worn out in more ways than one," Webb said, adding that running it could be a "matter of public safety."
The police department has three full-time officers and one part-time officer to provide coverage for the city. In July it had three other vehicles: a 2014 Chevy Tahoe with 55,000 miles, a 2010 Dodge Ram pickup truck with 120,000 miles, and a 2007 Dodge Durango with 188,000 miles, Webb said. The Dodge Durango had also been set aside for use only in special situations in which 4-wheel drive is needed.
Webb said his department really needed to have four vehicles so that backup and on-call officers would be able to respond in a timely fashion when needed to assist the on-duty officer.
Stacy Digby, Highfill's mayor, said the city really needed to take a close look at where it stands in regard to the budget before authorizing a major expenditure like purchasing a new or used patrol vehicle and further depleting the town's savings.
"We need to take a look at the budget," Digby said. "If we ain't got it, we ain't got it," he said.
The council voted on Aug. 9 to move the police department back into city hall due to continued roof leaks in the current police department building and a fear that water leaking inside the building could cause mold and health issues. Air-quality testing recently performed did not reveal a high level of mold spores or any hazards inside the building at the present time, but Stacy Digby, Highfill's mayor, said he didn't want any city employees to have to work in areas they deemed to be unsafe or possible health concerns.
According to Digby, he has repeatedly offered and suggested having the police department move back into city hall because of issues with the old police department building.
Two area residents addressed the council last week regarding road conditions near their homes and asked the council if some action could be taken to make needed repairs. Don King inquired about a section of Hamilton Drive near Douglas Road and Sharon Phillips inquired about Bolin Road near Douglas Road, saying a portion of it is almost impassable. Phillips asked the council if something could be arranged with the county to repair the road which is partially in the county and partially in the city.
Memphis Snyder, a real-estate agent, asked the council if it would be favorable to repairs to the street on a subdivision located along Arkansas Highway 12 at Pautsky Road if the street were repaired and the adjacent road were just paved rather than putting in a street with curb and gutter. Council members responded favorably if sufficient ditches are left for drainage.
A plan with a variance request will first be taken to the city's planning commission but could come back to the council on appeal if the planning commission does not approve the submitted plans.
Snyder said the intention was to build 4-bedroom homes in the subdivision.
A resolution to authorize the city to enter into a contract with Morris Beck Construction was tabled until the September meeting at the request of Mayor Digby.
The council voted down a request to enter into a cooperative agreement to provide Wayfinding signs within the city. Council members were concerned about the city's responsibility of maintaining and replacing $6,400 signs if they are damaged or destroyed, especially since plans proposed a sign next to the Community Building on the corner where Arkansas Highway 264 turns back to the east since it is a frequent spot for accidents and there is not sufficient room for a large sign there without the likelihood of it being hit.
Digby said he would check if the sign location could be moved further east along Hwy. 264. He was also concerned that the council decision could affect the airport's ability to be a part of the plan. A special meeting was called by Digby for Tuesday night, after press time, to reconsider the cooperative agreement.
Vernon Reams, the city's street and maintenance director, reported on an accident involving the city's tractor. He said, while he was grading, the tractor snagged a vine and pulled over a dead tree onto the tractor. Reams was not injured and the tractor only suffered minor damage.
General News on 08/17/2016