HIGHFILL -- The Highfill City Council on Feb. 13 adopted an amended budget for 2017 to reflect adjustments in income and expenditures and discussed options for building a new police station to replace the current building.
Stacy Digby, Highfill's mayor, and Blake Webb, Highfill's police chief, led discussions regarding long-term plans for the police station which has been plagued by a leaking roof and mold in the walls. While previous plans included repair of the existing building, costs to repair the roof, raise up the pad and seal the walls are making that look impractical, according to Webb, who said a new roof would cost $15,000 but that he didn't think that would solve the problems of water leaking through the walls and coming up over the pad.
Webb questioned how much money the city should put into the old police station which had once been a shop.
Rather than repairing the existing building, Blake and Digby suggested it might be more practical to remove it and put up a new station -- possibly a steel building -- on the same site but possibly facing Main Street and a little further north.
Also suggested was adding on to the current city hall on the north side. Webb said he would like to see the new police station have a bay where officers could work on their cars when necessary and didn't know if an addition to city hall could include a work bay.
Councilwoman Michelle Reiff suggested Webb form a committee to explore options and costs and report back to the council.
Rieff also suggested that the city might contact John Brown University, or one of the area high schools which have programs like EAST Initiative, to obtain some possible drawings and plans. Chris Holland, an area resident and former Highfill mayor, said the city would still have to hire an architect and engineer for plans before any construction project so it may as well just seek professional services for plans rather than going to students and then contracting professional services.
Vernon Reams, the city street supervisor, asked the council for permission to rent a chipper for a week to see how much he can get done using the equipment. He also reported that stop signs and school zone signs had been placed on Vaughn Road.
James "Butch" Wiand, water and sewer department supervisor, told the council that, as a result of increased interest rates, the city's proposed bond issue might not result in quite as great a savings for the city as originally reported. The exact amount of savings won't be known until the bond is sold and an interest rate locked in place.
During the open hearing, the council heard of a special need to connect a sewer line via easement to the city's sewer system from Gary Holland and granted the request. According to Holland, a home he owns for a hired hand had a failed septic system and his only option was to connect to the city's sewer line. Paying for the city to extend the line was both expensive and impractical, so he obtained permission and was obtaining an easement to run a private sewer line approximately 11 feet across an adjacent property to connect to the Highfill sewer system until such time as the city extended the sewer line to his property.
An ordinance amending the zoning of property belonging to Aaron and Kristie King from commercial to residential was passed with rules suspended and on three readings with a single vote.
Mark Taylor, a Highfill resident, suggested that Mayor Digby resign his post as mayor because of the media reports of a current investigation into allegations of a possible inappropriate relationship between Digby and a 14-year-old.
Digby thanked Taylor for his comments and said it remains "an open investigation."
No further information in regard to the investigation has been released by the Benton County Sheriff's Office and no charges had been filed as of Monday.
General News on 02/21/2018