Council approves excavator purchase, gives nod to pursue land purchase

GENTRY -- The city council, on July 10, unanimously approved the purchase of a mini excavator for the city by ordinance on three readings with a single vote and with an attached emergency clause since the dealer could only guarantee the excavator would be available to the city at the price offered for a limited time.

Johnston said the city had located a new 2016 Caterpillar Model 304E with attachments at Riggs Cat in Springdale which lists at more than $81,000 but is being offered to the city for $53,308, resulting in savings of near $28,000 for the city.

In a meeting on June 28, Gentry's water and sewer committee reviewed and recommended the proposal for the city to purchase the small excavator for work in the city's water and sewer department and street department with money for the purchase coming out of budget line items for equipment in both departments.

Kevin Johnston, Gentry's mayor, explained that the city had intended to purchase a bulldozer this year and an excavator next year but no bulldozers had become available.

Included equipment includes four buckets and a hydraulic thumb. The different-sized buckets will allow the city to use the machine for a variety of jobs, including laying water line, connecting meters, cleaning out drainage ditches and work on streets and alleys. Johnston estimated the machine would save the city considerable money in labor costs.

Additional equipment also being considered are a trailer to transport the excavator to job sites around the city and, at some point in the future, a breaker attachment to break up rocks and pavement.

Committee members said they viewed the purchase as a bargain for the city and a money- and time-saving tool for city employees. The full council agreed.

Park land purchase

The council also gave the mayor a unanimous show of support to pursue the purchase of approximately 14.5 acres of land along the west side of the Kansas City Southern Railroad which is adjacent to the Gentry Cemetery and other city land, including the recent purchase of approximately 11 acres to the south of Smith and Little Avenues. According to Johnston, the land was being offered to the city for approximately $70,000 and, if purchased, would give the city approximately 29 acres to the west of the railroad for park amenities. Should the land purchase move forward, an ordinance authorizing the purchase would be brought back to the council.

Johnston told the council the Park Advisory Committee had put together a lengthy "laundry list" of possible amenities people may wish to have in the city's parks to help in gaining public input and a future plan for park developments and improvements.

Among items mentioned when the city's Park Advisory Committee met on June 21 to begin work on a master plan for city parks were: baseball/softball/T-ball/machine-pitch fields, soccer fields, topspin fields, basketball courts, volleyball courts, skate spot, splash pad/spray ground with expand ability, dog park, disc golf, mountain bike course, cross country training, pocket orchards, restroom facilities, large event pavilion, large pavilion, medium pavilion, small pavilion, playground equipment, parking, lighting, electrical outlets for events/vendors, walking and bicycling trails, connectivity to neighborhoods, connectivity between facilities, tennis courts, horseshoe pits, bean-bag toss, bike work stations, water/irrigation, limited vehicular access points, shade trees, visual screening to adjacent properties, concession/vending, security cameras, air rifle/BB-gun range, handball court, storage, open space and benches.

The list above and other suggestions will be used to help form the basis of surveys and public information-gathering meetings to determine the wishes of Gentry residents for park amenities. And, with a more definitive list of amenities to be included in city park lands, a plan will be developed to determine the best location on city lands for those amenities and ways to pay for the work.

Johnston said the meeting and resulting list were just a first step in determining what the residents of Gentry would like to see be available in its city park system but not necessarily a list of all the city will one day provide in its park system.

The council at its June 5 meeting unanimously approved spending $22,000 on a first work order with McClellend Consulting Engineers to develop a master plan for Gentry's park lands, including the land proposed for purchase (above). According to the work order, "the intent of this master planning project is to identify the highest and best use for the parcels based on the city stakeholders' and citizens' visions, needs and desires for the Gentry public park system." Total land area included in the study is approximately 78.66 acres.

The council approved the appointment of Tony Lee to fill a vacant seat on the Park Advisory Committee. Lee replaces a committee member who moved out of the city.

Flint Creek bridge update

Johnston said the city was waiting for the results of core samples taken at the Flint Creek Bridge on Dawn Hill Road and should know soon what course of action will be necessary to repair the bridge and reopen it to traffic. The bridge was damaged in the recent spring floods and closed to traffic because the bridge supports were undermined by the raging waters.

Also approved by the council was the disposal of four desks no longer needed by the city by donation to the Decatur Police Department, which has been in need of desks since moving into its new facility.

Janie Parks, executive director of the Gentry Chamber of Commerce, read off a long list of businesses and individuals who, through their service and donations, made the Gentry Freedom Festival possible. Among those mentioned were McKee Foods for purchasing the fireworks, the Gentry United Way for paying for the entertainment, Sam's Club and Grand Savings Bank for large cash donations and many others. She also told the council that the Gentry United Way had contributed $11,000 for the park study to develop a master plan for Gentry's park system.

General News on 07/19/2017