Council votes to seek water-tower funding

GENTRY -- In addition to approving the tax-abatement plan for McKee Foods Corporation at its Sept. 10 meeting (see the Sept. 12 issue of the Eagle Observer), the Gentry council, after a public hearing on the topic, also approved a resolution to seek United States Department of Agriculture funding to build a new water-storage tower to serve the east side of Gentry's water-service area, including the new Simmons poultry processing plant, now under construction.

The estimated cost of the project will be $11.4 million, according to numbers presented at the meeting. The city will seek both grant funding and loan funding for the project -- 35 percent grant funding and 65 percent loan funding.

The resolution, passed by the unanimous vote of the council, only authorizes applying for the funding and does not give final approval of funding.

In May, members of the city's finance and economic development committees heard of preliminary plans for a water-tower project which would enable the city to have its own water storage capacity for the eastern portion of its water service area and also to supply water for the new Simmons Processing Plant which is currently under construction just north of the city along Arkansas Highway 59 near Y-City Road.

The city has been discussing and planning to build a water storage facility for several years. Already, in July 2014, then public works supervisor David McNair said the Benton-Washington Public Water Authority was requiring cities to have storage capacity sufficient for at least 24 hours to ensure cities have an adequate water supply during times of peak usage and that Gentry did not have that storage capacity and depends on the Two-Ton towers for its supply of water during peak usage times.

With the new Simmons plant now under construction, the timing of the project worked out for the good of the city since plans can include a tower large enough to handle the needs of the plant and the city with one tower rather than two, according to Kevin Johnston, Gentry's mayor. According to Johnston, the city currently uses a half million gallons of water per day. It is estimated that the Simmons plant will use more than 3 million gallons per day when it is fully operational.

Jerry Martin, an engineer with Garver engineering and design services, showed the committee a number of options to provide the needed water services, including alternatives with ground storage and elevated storage. He recommended the elevated water tank as the best option for the city because it would require only one pump station to pump the water into the tank rather than numerous pump stations and pump houses along the water lines to provide adequate water pressure and flow.

With an elevated water storage tank, both the Simmons plant and the rest of the water zone served from a Y-City water meter from the Benton-Washington Regional Public Water Authority could be supplied by gravity flow and without the need for additional pump stations, reducing the long-term costs of operating and maintaining additional pump stations in the system.

The proposed water tower would be similar to the large water tower in Siloam Springs, Martin said, with a cement base and an elevated steel tank which would hold enough water for a two- or three-day supply. According to documents supplied by Martin, the tank would hold 2.29 million gallons and would be supplied with a pump capable of pumping 3.33 million gallons per day. It would have two discharge lines, one to Simmons and the other to the Y-City Zone. He said the tanks and towers have an estimated service life of 75 to 100 years.

Included in the plans are future water needs for the city, including the Sunset Ridge subdivision and the possibility of another large subdivision in the area which would be served by the storage tower. The water tower could also help supply the existing Gentry water storage tanks currently supplied by a second BWRPWA meter at Springtown and Roy Jech Farm Roads.

With a site now chosen and the plans further developed, the final cost figures are thought to be more accurate than the preliminary figures presented in May, which were about a half million dollars less.

In May, Johnston suggested grants and a low-interest USDA financed loan as the way for the city to pay for the project, with the water system generating funds for repayment. He said financing was readily available, with the current interest rate (in May) at 3.125 percent. He said the city would be working in partnership with Simmons on the project.

Other business

In other business, the council approved the purchase of a used vibratory drum roller for the street department at a cost of $37,500 plus $1,789.88 for a warranty. The money was to come out of the street department budget, and the final purchase was subject to examination of the equipment when it arrived (the equipment arrival had apparently been delayed due to weather conditions).

The council received updates on the Dawn Hill East Bridge project, indicating survey work was being completed and design work to begin. The park master plan rendering to be used to show plans to citizens in future meetings was to be completed by early October.

Ambulance service under a new county plan was expected to be in place in time to begin Jan. 1, 2019, with an ambulance housed in Gentry city limits and at a considerable savings to the city over what existing service through Siloam Springs would cost the city.

Alderman James Furgason suggested, with all the growth, Gentry again take up the sign ordinance which was proposed by the city's planning and zoning commission but put on hold when its need was questioned.

Furgason also proposed an ordinance to deal with the issue of feral cats in the city which would include language to give some measure of responsibility for the animals to those who intentionally feed them. He said the trap, neuter and release program used by the city until funding expired was somewhat helpful but the problem has gotten out of hand again and needs to be addressed.

General News on 09/19/2018