GENTRY -- City Council on March 7 approved by ordinance a new agreement with Siloam Springs Emergency Medical Services for continued ambulance service to Gentry for 2016.
The agreement, adopted by three readings on a single vote and with an emergency clause attached, provides for the continued emergency medical services of Siloam Springs within the corporate city limits of Gentry for the balance of 2016 for the fee of $45,000. The fee does not prevent the city of Siloam Springs from billing individuals using the service, and it also continues to promise that Gentry Fire Department will provide fire protection to the city of Siloam Springs without charge when there are fire-related voids in Siloam Springs' fire protection coverage.
Gentry Fire Department already had a mutual aid agreement with Siloam Springs related to fire protection, even before the adoption of an agreement for ambulance service.
In addition to his state of the city address, Kevin Johnston, Gentry mayor, also reported to the city that the park restrooms had been painted outside and were nearing completion, with the placement of fixtures expected to be done soon. He said the police department had moved to its new station and was settling in.
Rhiannon Parker addressed the council with an update on the city property which once was the W.D. and Kate McGaugh home on N. Rust Ave. According to Parker, a review of the city's application to have the property included on the Arkansas Register of Historic Places is set for April 6 in Little Rock. Parker said she believed the property would be approved, making it possible for the city to apply for grant funding to restore the old home and make it a museum open to the public.
The old house, also referred to as the Porter and Bartley property, located at 105 N. Rust Ave., was donated to the city and was to be demolished, making way for additional parking and possibly a pocket park on the property. But information and a plea from Rhiannon Parker convinced the city council to spare the old house and to authorize Parker to pursue saving and restoring the old home because of its historic significance to Gentry.
The house has a history in Gentry dating back to Gentry's beginning when the railroad was built through the city. The home was built during the middle 1890s and was one of several homes built for railroad workers in the town. Another such home was restored by Parker's father and serves as his office. It has been listed on the Arkansas Register of Historic Places.
Parker told the council, last April, the old house could be restored with grant funding and might be able to be used by the city for a museum or to house historical archives. She said it might also be used as a starting point for tours of other historic homes and buildings within the city.
The first step, Parker said, was to submit the paperwork to get the old home listed on the Arkansas Register. Once that is done, she said it is likely the city could apply for and receive grant funding to restore the house. She said she was familiar with the necessary paperwork because the paperwork filed on the home which serves as her father's office is now the model for other applications for structures to be listed on the Arkansas Register of Historic Places.
Council members asked her in April regarding the time frame, and she said the paperwork could be submitted in August, with a decision made shortly afterward on the structure.
Parker estimated the house could be fully restored for approximately $73,000, adding that there was grant funding available which would likely cover most of those costs.
Councilman James Furgason said he thought the restoration project was a "wonderful opportunity" for the city and a project which could encourage more renovation and restoration of historic structures in Gentry.
General News on 03/16/2016