Gentry council approves truck purchase, joins opioid litigation

GENTRY -- The Gentry City Council, on Jan. 8, adopted resolutions amending the 2017 budget, to purchase a new pickup truck for the animal control/code enforcement officer, to destroy old records and to approve meeting dates, times and procedures.

Also approved on its second reading was an ordinance allowing for and regulating the placement of cellular towers within the city of Gentry. It will be brought back for its third and final reading at the February meeting.

A resolution amending the 2017 budget was passed so that the budget correctly reflected expenditures for the year. Though the amendment increased budget expenses for certain line items, Kevin Johnston, Gentry's mayor, assured the council that the added amounts did not cause the city to spend more than budgeted for the year because many other line items were less than budgeted and departments finished the year spending well under anticipated and budgeted expenditures.

The council approved the purchase of a 2018 Chevrolet pickup truck to be used by the animal control/code enforcement officer. The bid price for the vehicle was $24,144, more than $17,000 less than the base price. The amount for the purchase was already included in the police department budget.

An ordinance was passed on three readings approving a lot split for Josh Kimberly on property located along Arkansas Highway 12 on the south side of Gentry.

A resolution was passed allowing the city to shred certain account records and documents which the city is no longer required to keep.

Also adopted by the Gentry Council was a resolution to participate, without cost to the city, in an Arkansas Municipal League lawsuit against drug manufacturers, drug distributors and medical practitioners in connection with producing, distributing and prescribing opioid drugs and causing an opioid epidemic in Arkansas. Materials distributed to the council in connection with the resolution allege the opioid epidemic has caused municipalities great expense in dealing with people and drugs and that the cities are entitled to damages caused by the drug manufacturers, distributors and prescribers of opioid narcotics. The materials indicate that, in total, more than $75 billion is being sought in relief for damages caused by opioids in the U.S.

Johnston informed the council the city was still waiting to learn costs to repair or replace the Flint Creek Bridge on Dawn Hill Road. Several repair plans were shared with the council, along with a plan for replacement. The council indicated it would prefer replacement if the cost to repair was more than 50 percent of the cost to replace the bridge. Replacement with a new bridge would raise the bridge level and remove the weight limit on the bridge. More information on repair or replacement of the bridge was anticipated to be made available at the next council meeting.

General News on 01/17/2018