Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2002-07-09 MINUTES OF COUNCIL JULY 9, 2002 The Batesville City Council met in regular session on July 9, 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: Jim Cargill, R.L. Carpenter, Robert Ford, Gerald Gaither, Jim Mitchum, Jerry Pectol, and Jim Watkins. Councilmember Paula Terrell was absent. 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 Cargill seconded and all voted for. Councilmember Ford moved to approve the prepared agenda as amended. Councilmember Pectol seconded and all voted for. PUBLIC HEARING FOR REMOVAL OF MARVIN HOTEL BUILDING Mayor Biard opened the public hearing at 5:30 PM for the discussion of the removal of old Marvin Hotel debris on lower Main Street. Ms. Renee Ramsey with the Area Arts Council said that the Arts Council did not renew their lease option on the property. She told the council that they had removed about 50 pallets of rock from the property and placed to on some adjacent property. She said if the council wanted, they would put the rock back on the hotel property. The council instructed her to have the rock put back on the hotel property. The Mayor closed the public hearing at 5:40 PM. CONSIDER A RESOLUTION CONDEMNING THE MARVIN HOTEL Councilmember Gaither introduced a resolution that would condemn property located at the corner of Main and South State Streets. The property is owned by Mr. Eddie Lumpkin and is the site of the old Marvin Hotel. Mayor Biard read the resolution and Councilmember Cargill moved that it be adopted. Councilmember Pectol seconded and all voted for. The resolution was given 42002-7-1-R. PRESENTATION TO RETIRING FIREFIGHTER Fire Chief Bob Davis presented a plaque to Mr. Ernie Davis who is retiring from the Batesville Fire Department after 25 years of service. EXECUTIVE SESSION Councilmember Mitchum moved to go into executive session and Councilmember Watkins seconded. All voted for. Upon returning from executive session, Councilmember Watkins moved to appoint Ms. Elvada Smart to the Batesville Housing Authority. Councilmember Gaither seconded and all voted for. Ms. Smart will fill out the unexpired term of Ms. Wanda Smith. The term ends 5/24/04. CITIZENS COMPLAINT REGARDING HEALTH DEPARTMENT ISSUES Mr. Roger Crawford, a resident of Meadow Heights, addressed the council with a complaint regarding the Independence County Health Department. Mr. Crawford showed the council pictures of a sewer problem with his neighbor living behind him. Mr. Crawford said he has been dealing with the County Health department for 6 years and was getting no results. Code Enforcement Officer, Chad McClure addressed the council and said he looked at the situation and found several violations in the city codes. Mr. McClure said he sent the residents a letter regarding the violations and since then, they have vacated the house. Councilmember Gaither moved to have the Mayor draft a letter to the County Health Department asking them to take action of this problem in an expeditious manor. Councilmember Ford seconded and all voted. CONSIDER REPLACING HEATING AND COOLING SYSTEM IN MUNICIPAL BUILDING Mayor Biard told the council that he did not get the grant that he had applied for to help in the cost for replacing the heating and cooling system in the Municipal Building. Mr. Chad Heston, Mr. Craig Williams and Mr. Jim McClendon all with Arkansas Mechanical Services addressed the council to discuss options for replacing the system. They said the system is 22 years old and is very inefficient. By replacing the boilers, the city would save about $21,000.00 a year in utility expenses. It would cost about $75,000.00 to replace the boilers and update the controls. Arkansas Mechanical Services offers a lease purchase with 36, 60 and 84 month options. Mayor Biard told the council that there were also monies available through White River Planning and Development at a low interest rate. The Mayor said he had talked to Congressman Berry to see if any Federal Funds were available to help in the cost. The council asked the Mayor to pursue the Federal Funds and check with WRPDD on a payment plan. PAID BILLS REPORT The council was given a copy of the paid bills report for June 2002. COUNCIL COMMENTS Councilmember Carpenter said he was contacted by a citizen who said that she was afraid when she was at Riverside Park. She said there were transactions taking place between vehicles that made her uncomfortable. The council discussed the problems with liter and other activates taking place at the river. The council instructed the Mayor to contact the Sheriff and ask for more patrol. The council said the are laws on the books that need to be enforced and they need to be writing tickets to show that these kinds of activities will not be tolerated in the City's parks. There being no further business, Councilmember Mitchum moved that the meeting be adjourned. Councilmember Watkins seconded and all voted for. JOE M. BIARD, MAYOR DENISE M. JOHNSTON, CITY CLERK