GRAVETTE -- Members of the Gravette city council, at their meeting Thursday, passed an ordinance to combine two parcels of real estate constituting the Gravette Public Library into one parcel. The address for the new parcel will be 119 Main Street and the former address of 117 Main Street will no longer exist.
They also passed an ordinance to increase the number of library commission members to seven. The new ordinance repeals an ordinance passed Sept. 8, 2016, setting the membership at five.
Council members voted to surplus an old fire truck, the oldest in the fire department's fleet, and use the funds to pay on the new ladder truck the city is purchasing.
In other business, council members passed a resolution allowing the Gravette fire department to apply for an Assistance to Firefighters Grant from FEMA. The grant money will be used to purchase 28 self-contained breathing apparatuses, 28 breathing masks and one Cascade system to refill the breathing apparatuses. The total cost for the equipment will be $244,400. The Gravette Fire Department will be responsible for a 5 percent match totaling $12,220.
An ordinance permitting and regulating the use of golf carts and two and four seat all-terrain vehicles on Gravette city streets was tabled until the November committee of the whole meeting. Council member Richard Carver said he was opposed to the ordinance because it prohibits operation of such vehicles on city streets which are also designated as federal or state highways. He said this clause violates state law which allows their use from farm to farm on state highways. City attorney David Bailey will look up this state regulation and it will be made a part of the ordinance.
Gary Long, of rural Gravette, addressed the council in the comment period preceding the meeting and reported he had a bad water leak and an unusually high water bill. He said he had back surgeries recently and, with over 400 feet of water line, he was unable to dig and locate the leak without help. The leak has now been repaired, but Long asked if the city could give him some help with the bill, which is slightly less than $400. Kurt Maddox, Gravette mayor, said Long's case didn't fit city regulations which specify the bill must be $500 before the customer qualifies for help. After some discussion, council members agreed to give Long 90 days to finish paying the bill.
Donna Schmidt also spoke to the council and expressed opposition to the city's Renaissance festival, scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 5. She said she would like to put a stop to it because it is a "bad thing" for the city.
In concluding remarks, Mayor Maddox announced that the new CV's Family Foods store is scheduled to open Thursday, Nov. 10. He said it is a large store and "really nice, very impressive." He also reminded members the council would have a working session on finance Thursday, Nov. 3, at city hall and announced the Arkansas Municipal League conference will be held Jan. 11-13, 2017, and anyone wanting to attend should let him know.
City attorney David Bailey reminded everyone to vote.
General News on 11/02/2016