Council passes amendments to city's zoning code

Gentry City Council, on Jan. 7, adopted the above new zoning map for the city.
Gentry City Council, on Jan. 7, adopted the above new zoning map for the city.

GENTRY -- Passed on three readings, and with an emergency clause attached, at Gentry's city council meeting on Jan. 7 were four ordinances amending city code regarding the zoning of certain lands. The ordinances, recommended by the Gentry Planning and Zoning Commission, were proposed, in part, as a result of the Commission's work to determine the current and most accurate use of lands recently annexed into the city.

As a result, a new zoning map was prepared and added to existing zoning designations an SP zone, which stands for Specific Plan (which includes all legal existing uses or legal uses after Jan. 1, 2016).

The ordinance lays out in a chart the uses allowed in each of the city's zones. The SP zoning allows more flexibility in usage but requires prior approval by the city's planning commission and/or the city council.

The new zone was applied to land along Arkansas Highway 59 which already has a variety of uses.

The council approved the purchase of two Dodge Ram pickup trucks, one a 2018 and one a 2019 model, from a local dealership at prices not exceeding the fleet price awarded the Office of State Procurement. One truck is for the water department, and the other for the police department.

The council appointed Maxine Foster and Clay Stewart to Positions 5 and 7, respectively, on the Gentry Park Advisory Committee. Their terms expire on Dec. 31, 2023. Jay Williams, formerly the city attorney, was appointed to the Planning Commission for a six-year term, expiring on Dec. 31, 2024.

An agreement was approved between the city of Gentry and the Gentry Chamber of Commerce (Main Street Gentry), to coordinate and administer the city's economic development marketing activities to encourage local manufacturing, retail and service industries within the city and to attract businesses and industries to the city. The agreement also authorizes the Chamber to prepare applications and to seek grant funding for city projects and amenities. The city will pay the Chamber $35,000 for those services.

Committee appointments were also announced by Mayor Kevin Johnston. The following appointments were made: Personnel Committee -- Jason Barrett, Dan Erskin and Cindy Philpott; Street and Alley -- Barrett, Kristi Reams and Jason Williams; Water and Wastewater -- Janice Arnold, Jimmy Thorburn and Williams; Parks and Cemetery -- Philpott, Reams and Thorburn; Finance -- Arnold, Michael Crawford and Philpott; Fire -- Barrett, Thorburn and Williams; Police -- Arnold, Crawford and Erskin; Safety -- Vester Cripps, Layman Donohew, Keith Smith and Mark Smithson; Library and Senior Center -- Arnold, Crawford and Erskin; and Economic Development -- Barrett, Tonya Carney, Crawford, Janie Parks and Reams.

Johnston also updated the council on the Dawn Hill East Bridge project, the park master plan, and plans for a new water storage facility to serve the eastern part of Gentry's water-service area, including the new Simmons Poultry Plant under construction.

General News on 01/09/2019