EUREKA SPRINGS CITY COUNCIL MINUTES

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1997

Mayor Barbara A. O’Harris called the regularly scheduled Council Meeting to order at 9 a.m. on February 25, 1997, in the Western District Courthouse.

PRESENT:

Mayor Barbara O’Harris, and Alderpersons Jeffrey, Dickens, Watson, Christman, Seratt and Freeland.

Present:

David McNeal, Earl Hyatt, Kirby Murray, Mary Springer, Gayle Larimer, Donna Spitler, Don Matt, Don Young, Jay Miner, and Clerk Lee.

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE:

Don Young led in the Pledge of Allegiance.

APPROVAL OF AGENDA:

The motion was made and seconded to approve the agenda. The vote was

6/0/0, to approve.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES:

The motion was made and seconded to approve the minutes of February

11,1997. There was a correction on page four at the bottom, a typo,

67/0/0, which the clerk will correct. The vote was 6/0/0 to approve.

OLD BUSINESS:

1. Auditorium Rest Rooms:

The partial report was that SWEPCO will not let us put a meter on the existing line. The Public Utilities Commission don’t want to let us do it. That would mean that a whole new line would have to be run in with its own meter, which would be quite expensive.

Donna Spitler said it would only cost about $65. in materials to put an on line water meter on the existing water line.

Kirby Murray said he wouldn’t mind if it were done for a year or a season, but he would hate to see it on there forever, because it is a lot of extra trouble for the meter reader.

The Council said that if it was left for a season, that would give the City a valid idea of how much water was used.

Alderperson Watson made the motion to postpone until the March 11th Council meeting and it would be discussed again at the March 4th agenda-setting meeting. Alderperson Seratt seconded. The vote was 6/0/0.

2. Ordinance #1749, adopting the Police Policy and Procedure Manual, (third reading):

The motion was made and seconded to suspend the rules and place Ordinance #1749 on its third reading by title only. By roll call, the vote was 6/0/0.

Mr. Young read the ordinance by title only.

The motion was made and seconded to approve. With no discussion, the roll call vote was 6/0/0. Ordinance #1749 was passed on its third reading.

3. Ordinance #1745, Amending the Personnel Policy Manual, (third reading):

The motion was made and seconded to suspend the rules and place Ordinance #1745 on its third reading by title only. By roll call, the vote was 6/0/0.

Mr. Young read the ordinance by title only. The motion was made and seconded to approve.

There was still some discussion about "grandfathering” some of the people in for benefits. Mr. Jeffrey said he believes that the budget for them will decreased by attrition.

Mr. Freeland said that the trolley drivers, for example, should be paid more to attract them for the job, rather than giving them benefits. He said that there are people on part-time who work twelve months out of the year, and half days, who never qualified for benefits, and never will.

EUREKA SPRINGS CITY COUNCIL MINUTES

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1997

Mr. Young said that the Transit Department is the only one taking advantage of the benéf its. Mr. Miner said that the Personnel Policy handbook amendment complies with the standards that the City must meet. A roll call vote was taken, and it was 5/1/0, with Mr. Freeland voting no. Ordinance #1745 passed on its third and final reading.

4. Ordinance #1737, Parade Permit Fees, (second reading):

The motion was made and seconded to place Ordinance #1737 on its second reading. All were in favor. Mr. Young read the ordinance in its entirety. The motion was made and seconded to approve. With no discussion, the vote was 5/1/0, with Ms. Seratt voting no.

There was no new business for the meeting.

MAYOR’S COMMENTS:

The Mayor announced that all boil orders are released.

She reported on the meeting last week with the Tour Directors and the Transit Department. She said they discussed rates, routes and everything in between. She encouraged the town, when they see the trams and the trolleys go by, to wave with all tive fingers.

The Ribbon-Cutting Celebration for the new trams will be held Thursday, March 6th, 1997, 4 p.m., at the down-town trolley station. It will be a very nice gathering with several State people there, and everyone is invited.

At 9:50 a.m., the Mayor called an executive session. At 10:05 a.m., the meeting was reconvened, at which time, the Mayor announced her appointment of Earl Hyatt as the new Police Chief. The Councilmembers were unanimous in backing the appointment. The Mayor explained that there are criteria that have to be met. When they went through the applications stringently, Earl was the one who came out ahead. Everyone congratulated him.

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT’S REPORT:

Mr. Young reported that the sidewalk on Greenwood Hollow Road is under construction. The First National Bank of Berryville gave the property to

the City, so that children can walk to and from the schools safely. I

Mr. Young said, also, that Channel 12, Joplin, will start announcing our weather Monday, March 5th. They will be coming in May to do some taping and cover the town.

The Mayor announced that Mr. Fargo would be in the parking lot with a tram and a trolley. The Council can ride the tram if they would like to. The trolley is going to be here so that the Council can see the directional signs.

Mayor O’Harris asked the Council to vote on Andrea Kernodle for Position #2 on the Parking Authority.

The motion was made and seconded that she be accepted. The roll call vote was 6/0/0.

The second position to be filled was position #6 on the Planning

Commission. The Mayor had offered a resume’ from Patt Carmichael.

The motion was made and seconded that she be accepted. The roll call vote was 6/0/0.

Mr. Jeffrey reported that the 1996 report on receipts for the CAPC is down 3.6%. December was not down as much as had been projected.

The Public Hearing on the proposed annexation of Lake Leatherwood is March 13, 1997, at 6 p.m.

EUREKA SPRINGS CITY COUNCIL MINUTES

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1997

The Auditorium asked to give a short report on what has been happening. The construction is underway on the reworking of the lobby, and the chair lift that the ADA requires. It should be done sometime in April. The lobby will be closed during the time that the varnish on the floor is drying, but otherwise the building will be usable.

They met last Tuesday night, February 18, and they elected officers and appointed all of the standing committees. They appointed a review committee to go over the utilization of fees, because there have been so many complaints.

They also have a committee headed by Georgia Rubley to gather input on the idea of departmentalization both from the community and the commissioners. She is planning to get back to the Council within the month.

Sunday they had two special meetings. One was to help a local theatre group to re-organize. That seems to have been very successful. There were about 30 people, from Berryville High School, Eureka Springs High School, the Middle School, Holiday Island and Eureka Springs. June 13 & 14 the Auditorium Commission will be working with the CAPC and the Chamber of Commerce to promote a Cajun Zydeco Festival. The CAPC has $3500 to help with that.

They will do a Holiday Ozarks Choral concert and a spring concert which should happen April 12th, depending on the shape of the lobby. There will be children’s theatre. They will sponsor an event by the new group which is called the Eureka Theatre Company.

Ray Price contacted the Auditorium and they are now trying to get back with him to see if they can work something out.

Jack Byrne had resigned, and the commission and the Mayor thanked him for all the work and the years that he has put in.

The Auditorium Commission asked that the Mayor find someone to fill the position because there is so much to do to get things going.

The motion was made and seconded to adjourn the meeting. All were in favor, 6/0/0. The meeting was adjourned at 10 a.m.

APPROVED:

Barbara A. O’Harris, Mayor

ATTEST:

Mary Ann Lee, City Clerk—Treasurer