HIGHFILL -- The council chambers in Highfill had a new look on Feb. 12, with two large televisions on the wall displaying council documents for the public, microphones for recording the meeting and the council members again viewing documents on iPads the city purchased several years ago for council members to use at meetings.
The council approved a resolution authorizing the mayor to apply for a $15,000 matching fire department equipment grant through the Arkansas Rural Community Development Grant Program to purchase new radios for the fire department. The new radios will be needed for the fire department to use the new digital radio system approved by the quorum court for use in Benton County.
Highfill's fire chief, Gene Holland, told the council that the department's brush truck had an engine failure and that an initial dealer estimate was $11,000 in parts and a total of $19,000 to repair, with a replacement engine cost at $25,000. Holland said the cab and chassis cost is $50,000, making it less expensive to repair or replace the engine than to replace the truck. He said the 2008 truck had only 17,000 miles on it.
Blake Webb, Highfill's police chief, told the council that he would be representing Highfill on the county's 911 board. He also said the city would be participating in the Child Abuse Awareness event on April 5 and that the department would be putting up pinwheels at approximately 1 p.m.
Tim Mays of ESI (Engineering Services Incorporated) showed the council a revised project map which included a potential water line on the south side of the city to provide water to a number of potential customers. The estimated cost of the water main extension was $735,000. Other potential projects on the map include a Hutchens Road extension for $400,000 and several possible designs to extend water lines to the east side of the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport at costs ranging from $470,000 to $760,000.
Mays told the council that the city, obviously, could not complete all the projects at once, so it would have to prioritize and choose which ones to complete first.
Alderman Chris Holland suggested tabling the matter until the proposals could be reviewed, and the council agreed.
Mays also updated the council on the progress of work toward a sewer line extension to the Northwest Arkansas Conservation Authority wastewater treatment plant, saying the plan had received initial approval from the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality, making it possible for the city to apply for grant and loan funding. He said he is now working on obtaining environmental approval.
Chris Holland suggested that the city begin engineering designs for a new police department building. He said the department needed the room, and moving the police department into a new building would also help the city free up storage space. He suggested getting some cost estimates and bringing the information back to the council.
In her mayor's report, Highfill Mayor Michelle Rieff said the new "Welcome to Highfill" signs were up. She explained the purpose of using TVs and iPads at council meetings to save on paper and printing costs. She said the city had hired Nick Maier as its new information technology guy, and he would be working on a new city website with online bill pay, setting up a new city phone system with an answering system, moving all the phones to one carrier, changing the internet provider and handling IT needs for the meeting hall.
Rieff said the city is working on a new logo, re-lettering the city hall doors, nameplates for council members, uniform business cards for city employees and name tags for some city staff members.
She also reported on the completion of the exterior renovation on the city's community building/schoolhouse, saying she was pleased with the outcome of the project and appreciated the help and expertise of MAC Enterprises and JKJ Architects. She said the next phase will focus on the interior ceiling, the kitchen, the restrooms and the plumbing.
She reported that Vernon Reams had resigned as the city's street department supervisor on Feb. 7, with his last day on Feb. 21. She said she greatly appreciated Ream's eight years of service to the city.
General News on 02/20/2019