CITY OF EUREKA SPRINGS

COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES

July 15, 1999

The July 15th, 1999 meeting was called to order at 7 p.m.  Mayor Beau Satori presided over the meeting, which was held in the court room of the Western District Courthouse.

 

PRESENT: Mayor Satori, and Alderpersons Jeffrey, Stoppel, Schrader, Freeland, Sumpter and Taylor.

 

ALSO PRESENT: Robert McVey, Kirby Murray, Diane Murphy, Lisa Liggett,

David Rew, Joe Hammond, Nikki Cherry, Lewis Epley, Mr. & Mrs. Jim Spears, Kelly Simon, Bill Earngey, Dr. Kresse, Marlene Coiner, Glen Strange, Kay Green, Frankie Green, Genes Bland, Butch Berry, Don Matt, Kim Dickens, Tom Laub, and Clerk Lee.

 

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Ms. Dickens led in the Pledge of Allegiance.

 

APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA: Alderman Stoppel made the motion to place item #3 under unfinished business first on the agenda.  Alderman Freeland seconded.  All were in favor, 6/0/0.  Alderman Sumpter made the motion to combine the two parade requests when they come up.  Alderman Stoppel seconded.  All were in favor, 6/0/0.  Alderman Freeland made the motion to place Frankie Green’s request for vacation second on the agenda.  Alderwoman Taylor seconded.  All were in favor, 6/0/0.

The motion was made and seconded to put an agenda procedure discussion as item four under new business.  All were in favor, 6/0/0.

Alderman Freeland made the motion to approve the agenda as amended.  Alderman Stoppel seconded, 6/0/0.

 

UNFINISHED BUSINESS:

Resolution No. 462, amendment to the hospital lease with Washington Regional:

The motion was made and seconded to read Resolution No. 462, and all were in favor, 6/0/0.

Ms. Dickens read the resolution in its entirety.

The motion was made and seconded to approve.

 

There was a long discussion in which people spoke for and against the hospital.

 

Alderman Stoppel made the motion to pass Resolution #462, with Alderman Sumpter seconding.  No vote was taken.

 

Alderman Schrader made the motion simply that the hospital building would come back to the City should Washington Regional pull out.  He then withdrew that motion.  He then made the motion to amend the lease by deleting the words ”or considered by the Lessee”.  There was no second.

 

Alderman Sumpter called the question.  The vote was 6/0/0.

 

The vote on Resolution No. 462 was 4/2/0, with Alderpersons Taylor and Schrader voting no.

 

 

Request for vacating of property, (Frank Green):

Alderman Jeffrey said it looked like the Council was putting the cart before the horse.  He said that the Parks and Recreation Commission had not even met and finished their discussion of this subject.

Alderman Schrader made the motion to postpone the item to the August 5th, 1999 meeting.  Alderman Stoppel seconded.  All were in favor, 6/0/0..

 

The motion was made and seconded to take a break, and all were in favor, 6/0/0. The meeting was recessed at 8:45 p.m. and reconvened at 9 p.m.

 

Approval of minutes for July 1, 1999:

Alderman Stoppel made the motion to approve the minutes of July 1st, 1999.  Alderman Jeffrey seconded.  There were a few amendments and the vote to approve as amended was 6/0/0.

Alderman Jeffrey commented on the length of the minutes and said that at Municipal League they tell us to record motions, actions and votes.  The Clerk said that it does not seem to matter how she does them, there are those that think she should do them differently.  The tapes of the meetings are only going to last for a few years, and then they won’t be any good.  The clerk said she wanted to make sure that she placed in record the essence of what happened at the meetings.  She said that in 1995, when she took office, her minutes ran 13 to 14 pages.  It would be a much easier job if she just did what the law required.

 

Commission, Committee, and Authority Reports and Vacancies:

Hospital Commission-Position 2- Expired June 1, 1999: Mayor Satori said that the Hospital Commission had voted to keep Mr. Fort and he had agreed to stay for another term.  The motion was made and seconded to approve Bill Fort and the vote was 6/0/0.

 

Planning Commission- Position 6- Expires January 1, 2001: The motion was made and seconded to approve Carolyn Green for position no. 6.  The vote was 5/1/0, with Alderman Sumpter voting no.

 

CAPC-Position 3,-Expired: June 30, 1999 - The motion was made and seconded to approve Jack Van Caulil  for position no. 3.  All were in favor, 6/0/0.

 

Department Head Comments:

Nikki Salazar Cherry said the 4th of July celebration went well.  They learned a lot.  She said there were about 1500 people.  The parking lots hold about 300 cars. The last car pulled out about an hour after the fireworks were over, and the last bus pulled out about an hour and a half after the fireworks were over.

She said the mountain bike race went well.  It was rainy but that didn’t seem to interfere.  There were 25 to 30 more bikes this year.

She reported on the sports-plex.  Things are going well, and each day brings it closer to happening.

Parks and Recreation will hold their regular meeting Monday, July 19th, at 6:30 p.m.

 

Lisa Liggett passed out quarterly financial statements. She briefly went through them with the Council. She said the new radios are installed, and new uniforms are in.  She is still looking for drivers.

 

Diane Murphy said the Council had been given a list of the changes and the budget to look over, and she would have more to say at the time it came up on the agenda.

 

Bob McVey said his people had just gone through four days of refresher training.  It was attended by the area’s first responders, EMTs and Eureka Springs Paramedics.  This will enable these people to re-certify. The class was taught here so that they could avoid the exorbitant expense of going elsewhere.  He passed out a list of the subjects and trainers.  He also said that on July 17th and 18th, a CPR course would be taught and he passed out a flyer on it.  He discussed his request for Council action.  It asked to hire two employees, and he said that it had been discussed that raising the collection rate on ambulance calls would pay the salaries.  The collection rate is at 85%.  He said that the department is 73 calls ahead of last year.

 

CITY ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT:

Ms. Dickens reported that one bid was received, opened and accepted for the proposal to air condition the balcony of the Auditorium.  It was from Advanced Air of Rogers.  The bid was $19,999, and considerably less than what was budgeted.

 

UNFINISHED BUSINESS:

Ordinance No. 1813A, providing for CAPC professional services contracts:

The motion was made and seconded to suspend the rules and place Ordinance No. 1813A on its second reading by title only.  It was mentioned that the ordinance had been amended.  The motion and second were withdrawn. 

The motion was made and seconded to place Ordinance No. 1813A on its second reading in its entirety.  All were in favor, 6/0/0.

Ms. Dickens read the ordinance in its entirety.

The motion was made and seconded to approve.  The vote was 5/1/0, with Alderman Jeffrey voting no.

 

The motion was made and seconded to suspend the rules and place Ordinance No. 1813A on its third and final reading by title only. The vote was 6/0/0.

Ms. Dickens read the ordinance by title only.

The motion was made and seconded to approve.  The vote was 5/1/0, with Alderman Jeffrey voting no.

 

Resolution No. 461, intent regarding the sewer system improvement project:

The motion was made and seconded to read Resolution No. 461.  All were in favor, 6/0/0.

Ms. Dickens read the resolution.

The motion was made and seconded to approve Resolution No. 461.  All were in favor, 6/0/0.

 

NEW BUSINESS:

Ordinance No. 1815, Ordinance amending the 1999 adopted budgets for the remainder of the year:

The motion was made and seconded to place Ordinance No. 1815 on its first reading.

All were in favor, 6/0/0.

Ms. Dickens  read the ordinance in its entirety.

The motion was made and seconded to approve.  Diane Murphy went over the budget with the Council.

The motion was made and seconded to amend the budget to accept the recommended Alternative 4. After more discussion, the vote was 5/0/1, with Alderman Stoppel abstaining.

The vote on Ordinance No. 1815’s first reading was 6/0/0.

 

The motion was made and seconded to suspend the rules and place Ordinance No. 1815 on its second reading by title only.  All were in favor, 6/0/0.

Ms. Dickens read the ordinance by title only.

The motion was made and seconded to approve.  All were in favor, 6/0/0.

 

The motion was made and seconded to further suspend the rules and place Ordinance No. 1815 on its third and final reading by title only.  All were in favor, 6/0/0.

Ms. Dickens read the ordinance by title only.

The motion was made and seconded to approve.  All were in favor, 6/0/0.

 

The motion was made and seconded to read the emergency clause.  All were in favor, 6/0/0.

Ms. Dickens read the emergency clause.

The motion was made and seconded to approve.  All were in favor, 6/0/0.

 

The Volkswagon Parade on Friday, August 27, at 3 p.m. and the Corvette Car Parade, Friday, October 1, 1999, at 11 p.m.:

The motion was made and seconded to approve the two parades.  All were in favor, 6/0/0.

 

Procedures for putting items on the agenda:

The motion was made and seconded that one alderperson can add items to the agenda.

All were in favor, 6/0/0.

 

CITY COUNCIL COMMENTS:

Alderman Jeffrey said that it seemed that nobody was doing anything about the private sewer line problem.

Ms. Dickens said that there is a discrepancy in the Municipal Code as to who has the authority to handle this problem.  A solution is being worked on and will be brought to Council when it is ready.

 

There was another discussion about the Clerk’s minutes.  The Clerk agreed with Mr. Jeffrey, that she is only required to record motions and actions and votes.

 

Alderman Freeland mentioned having a back yard barbecue at Lake Leatherwood.  He thinks it would be a good idea to invite everyone, including the press and have a gathering.  The tentative date was Monday, July 26th, from 4 p.m. to dusk.  It was not a firm commitment at that time.

 

MAYOR’S COMMENTS:

Mayor Satori encouraged everyone to get out and enjoy the Cajun Festival that weekend, which was July 16th and 17th, 1999.

He also spoke of a project by Jason Oury called the Daffodil Project.  On July 25th, 1999, at Harmon Park from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., there will be a fund raiser.  On August 5th, he will be on the agenda to ask permission to plant 40,000 daffodil bulbs around the loop near the curbside.  The work will be done in November and December.  He will need around $8000 to do this project.

 

 

City Council Minutes, July 15, 1999, continued.

 

 

The motion was made and seconded to adjourn.  All were in favor, 6/0/0.  The meeting was adjourned at 11 p.m.

 

                                                                       

 

                                                                        APPROVED:

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                _____________________________________

                                                                        Beau Zar Satori, Mayor

ATTEST:

 

 

________________________________

Mary Ann Lee, City Clerk-Treasurer