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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2002-02-12 MINUTES OF COUNCIL FEBRUARY 12, 2002 The Batesville City Council met in regular session on February 12, at 5:30 PM at the Municipal Building. Mayor Joe Biard presided over the meeting. Councilmember Watkins gave the invocation. Upon roll call the following Councilmembers answered present: Dana Bone, Jim Cargill, R.L. Carpenter, Robert Ford, Gerald Gaither, Jim Mitchum, Jerry Pectol and Jim Watkins. Also present were the City Clerk Denise Johnston and the City Attorney Scott Stalker. Councilmember Ford moved to approve the minutes from the last meeting. Councilmember Gaither seconded and all voted for. Councilmember Ford moved to approve the prepared agenda as amended. Councilmember Cargill seconded and all voted for. ANIMAL CONTROL RESIGNATION Animal Control Officer, Bill Burrus, addressed the council and read a letter of resignation. Mr. Burrus said that he enjoyed working for the city for the past 9 years. He has accepted a job out of state. His last day will be February 22, 2002. DISCUSSION WITH TERRY CHANDLER CONCERNING THE LANDERS THEATRE Mayor Biard asked Mr. Chandler for an update on who owns the Landers Theatre building and what his plans were for the building. Mr. Chandler said he owns the building and he had an engineer come in and assess the stability of the building. He said he was told the building was stable. Mr. Chandler said he has applied for grants to restore the building but could not give the council a time of completion. CONSIDER A RESOLUTION TO PURCHASE A PORTION OF THE ROCKMOORE WATER ASSOCIATION SYSTEM Mr. Jim Whitson, Chairman of the Utility Commission and Mr. Larry Tharnish addressed the council regarding the possible purchase of a portion of Rockmoore Water Association System. If approved, the agreement between Rockmoore Water and Batesville Water would be the purchase of the customers in the Balch addition as well as the property west of Gap Road from the intersection of Harrison Street to the City Limits. The proposed purchase price is $300,000. Batesville Water would finance the project with the purchase of bonds. Mr. Tharnish said the city would lay new lines along Harrison Street from East of Wal-Mart past the Balch addition. The new lines would cost approximately $300,000 and would be paid for out of the Utilities improvements funds. Mr. Howard House, Mr. Max McElmurry and Dr. Red Bell showed the council a map of a proposed golf course on Gap that needs water service. The council did not act on the resolution. DISCUSSION WITH THE BATESVILLE WATER UTILITY CONCERNING OUTSIDE WATER CONNECTIONS Mr. Jim Whitson, Chairman of the Utility Commission, addressed the council with a request to set 10 meters outside the city limits on McMahan Lane. Mr. Whitson said the commission approved the request and now would like the council's approval. Councilmember Watkins moved to set the meters and Councilmember Carpenter seconded. All voted for. UPDATE ON HYDRO-PROJECT BY INDEPENDENCE COUNTY County Judge David Wyatt and Mrs. Rita Potts addressed the council regarding the proposed hydro-project. Mrs. Potts said the project is moving along at a steady pace. She said that there was a target date sometime in March to close the deal on the financing for the project. CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE TO RE-ZONE CERTAIN PROPERTY OWNED BY THE U of A COMMUNITY COLLEGE AT BATESVILLE FROM R-1 TO R-2 Councilmember Gaither introduced and Mayor Biard read an ordinance to re-zone 25.14 acres of land owned by the University of Arkansas at Batesville from R-1 to R-2. Councilmember Bone moved to suspend the rules and place the ordinance on second reading. Councilmember Gaither seconded and the roll call count was 8 for and 0 against. The Mayor read the ordinance for the second reading and Councilmember Watkins moved to further suspend the rules and place the ordinance on the third reading. Councilmember Cargill seconded and the roll call count was 8 for and 0 against. The Mayor read the ordinance for the final reading and Councilmember Gaither moved to adopt the ordinance. Councilmember Watkins seconded and the roll call count was 8 for and 0 against. The ordinance was given 42002-2-1. Councilmember Cargill moved to adopt the emergency clause and Councilmember Watkins. The roll call count was 6 for (Watkins, Cargill, Carpenter, Ford, Gaither and Mitchum) and 2 against (Bone and Pectol). CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE TO RE-ZONE CERTAIN PROPERTY FROM R-2 TO C-1 Councilmember Bone introduced and Mayor Biard read an ordinance that would re-zone certain property owned by Jim Nast and Andy Montgomery from R-2 to C-1. The property is located behind the East Point Center. Councilmember Ford moved to suspend the rules and place the ordinance on second reading. Councilmember Carpenter seconded and the roll call count was 8 for and 0 against. The Mayor read the ordinance for the second reading and Councilmember Ford moved to further suspend the rules and place the ordinance on the third reading. Councilmember Bone seconded and the roll call count was 8 for and 0 against. The Mayor read the ordinance for the final reading and Councilmember Ford moved to adopt the ordinance. Councilmember Gaither seconded and the roll call count was 8 for and 0 against. The ordinance was given 42002-2-2. Councilmember Carpenter moved to adopt the emergency clause and Councilmember Gaither seconded. The roll call count was 7 for and 1 (Watkins) against. There being no further business, Councilmember Mitchum moved that the meeting be adjourned. Councilmember Gaither seconded and all voted for. JOE M. BIARD, MAYOR DENISE M. JOHNSTON, CITY CLERK