GENTRY -- City council on July 7 passed resolutions authorizing the mayor to receive a property donation for the city and to allow a private business to make an improvement to city-owned property.
The council passed a resolution allowing the mayor to receive for the city a donation of land located at 105 N. Rust from Joan L Gould and Jacqueline Gould for the property to be used as the city deems appropriate.
The current land owner suggested that part of the land be turned into a heritage garden named after Porter and Bartley. Provision may also be made to preserve the large sycamore tree located there. Johnston said a part of the land could provide additional public parking even if a pocket park or heritage garden is located there.
The council, however, authorized the acceptance without conditions.
The council also authorized allowing Arvest Bank to make an improvement to city-owned property immediately to the east of the new bank construction, along Otis Street, to build a new pocket park there.
An item added to the agenda was amending the city code which prohibits dogs in the park during the July 4 Freedom Festival and during the October Fall Festival. Due to horses ridden into the crowded park and a snake brought into the park, council members suggested that an ordinance be prepared to ban all animals in the park on those two days each year, except for festival-related animals such as those brought in by the Wild Wilderness Safari.
A proposed ordinance will be prepared by the city attorney and brought back for council consideration at its August meeting.
Information was also distributed to council members for their review on a mosquito abatement package offered by a company which provides abatement services to a number of Arkansas municipalities.
General News on 07/16/2014