CITY OF EUREKA SPRINGS
COUNCIL
MEETING MINUTES
,
2000
The
It
was held in the courtroom of the Western District Courthouse.
PRESENT: Mayor
Satori, and Alderpersons Jeffrey, Schrader, Stoppel, Freeland and Sumpter. Alderwoman Taylor was absent.
ALSO
PRESENT: Susan Lourne, Bob McVey, Diane
Murphy, Dan Collins, Lola and Darrel Bunch, Jack Holly, Nikki Cherry, Kirby
Murray, Libby Freeland, David White, Jeff Pratt, Don Matt, Kim Dickens, City
Attorney Tom Laub, and Clerk Lee.
PLEDGE OF
ALLEGIANCE: Ms. Dickens led in the
Pledge of Allegiance.
APPROVAL OF
THE AGENDA:
Alderman
Schrader asked to postpone discussion of the Noise Ordinance. There was
discussion by the Council to take New
Business first and then Old Business because of the people waiting. The motion
was made and seconded to approve the agenda as amended. All were in favor, 5/0/0.
APPROVAL OF
THE MINUTES:
The motion was
made and seconded to approve the minutes of the December 16th, 1999,
City Council Meeting. The amendments
were duly noted. The vote to approve the
amended minutes was 5/0/0.
COMMISSION,
COMMITTEE AND AUTHORITY REPORTS AND VACANCIES:
Planning
Commission-Position 1- Expires July 1, 2002, Ann Armstrong.
The motion was
made and seconded to approve Ann Armstrong.
Several Council Members said they had phone calls saying that there was
no objection to Ms. Armstrong, but that all of the members of the Planning
Commission live in the Historic District, and that there needs to be some
representation from the rest of the town.
Ms. Armstrong lives in the Historic District. Everyone agreed she is very well qualified
and nobody said a word against her. The
vote was 2/3/0. Aldermen Schrader and
Freeland voted yes. Aldermen Jeffrey,
Stoppel, and Sumpter voted no.
DEPARTMENT
HEAD COMMENTS:
Fire Chief Bob
McVey said they had not brought in as much revenue as he had predicted, but
that it was in the neighborhood of $220,000.
He said they realized that there was no line item listing the money paid
to the venders who collect the money.
The money is paid out of the money collected. He did say that the collection rate is now 77
%. He said that he believes that the
collections will continue to get better.
CITY ADMINISTRATIVE
ASSISTANT’S REPORT:
Ms. Dickens
made sure that everyone had received the CAPC Budget for 2000.
She said that
SWEPCO will be trimming trees in the area of the hospital, and that she and the
Mayor would be meeting with them sometime within the next two weeks.
She said that
the Census people are looking for people to be hired to work the 2000
Census. The wage scale is from $9.00 to
$10.50 per hour. The number to contact
is on the television Channel 5. Also
anyone interested can call City Hall for information.
NEW BUSINESS:
Discussion regarding the 2000 Fuel
Bids, (Kim Dickens):
K-Way Texaco
and Bunch’s Quick Chek quoted identical prices.
The point was made, however, that K-Way does not sell diesel fuel and
Bunch’s does. Chief McVey said most of
the Fire Department vehicles burn diesel fuel.
The motion was made and seconded to accept Bunch’s bid. All were in favor, 5/0/0.
Discussion regarding construction of
the Police Facility, (Kim Dickens):
Ms. Dickens
said the Mayor would be signing the contract.
The Nystoms and Mr. Johnson still have to sign, and the Clerk will
notarize the signatures. She said that
Mr. Johnson was drawing up the preliminary plans and gathering geo-technical
information for the City. She wanted to
up-date the Council’s information on what is happening.
UNFINISHED
BUSINESS:
Discussion regarding the Jazz Festival,
(Jack Holly):
There was
another discussion regarding procedures and whether Mr. Holly was following
them. Mr. Laub said Mr. Holly needed to
get his financial report to the CAPC, and also to put up the money for the
Auditorium.
The motion was
made and seconded for Mr. Holly to go back to the CAPC and sit down and try to
work out the situation. The vote was
5/0/0.
Alderman
Sumpter said that if the rules and procedures are not clear in regards to the
Auditorium, they should be rewritten and made clear so that a situation like
this never happens again.
Ordinance No. 1828, and ordinance
repealing Ordinance No. 1756, creating a Performing Arts Department (Second Reading):
The motion was
made and seconded to suspend the rules and place Ordinance No. 1828 on its
second reading by title only. All were
in favor, 5/0/0.
Ms. Dickens
read the ordinance by title only.
The motion was
made and seconded to approve. All were
in favor, 5/0/0.
The motion was
made and seconded to further suspend the rules and place Ordinance No. 1828 on
its third and final reading by title only.
All were in favor, 5/0/0.
Ms. Dickens
read the ordinance by title only.
The motion was
made and seconded to approve. All were
in favor, 5/0/0.
Discussion regarding the 2000 Budget:
Diane Murphy
had handed out the sheets that had the changes on them. Kim Dickens explained
the revisions and the Council went over each one.
It was
explained that Arkansas Emergency Transport, Berryville’s ambulance service
pulled out. Now, the City has a mutual
aid agreement with Berryville. Ms.
Dickens was asked if that will impact the City.
She said only in a matter of people who might not pay.
Alderman
Stoppel explained that the eastern boundaries are the Grandview area, the
airport and the end of Rock House Road.
Alderman
Schrader wanted the City, the CAPC, and the merchants to each put in $10,000 to
hire David White for the free Taxi service for the year 2000. The rest of the Council wanted to know where
the money from the City would come from.
Mr. Schrader said the money that was to be used for a new phone system
at City Hall could be used. Diane Murphy
said that Capital money cannot be used, which is what will pay for the phone
system. The money would have to come
from operating money.
After more
discussion, the Council voted unanimously to approve the 2000 Budget.
Ms. Dickens
and the Council commended Diane Murphy for the beautiful job she did on the
budget, and how effective and simple it was to read. No one on the Council had ever seen as nice a
presentation,.
COUNCIL COMMENTS:
Alderman
Schrader said that the state statutes expressly forbid organizations 501-C3
organizations from collecting CAPC tax.
It was his opinion that any moneys collected by the Smith Foundation
would be illegal, and should be put in a separate escrow account.
He will be
asking to put the repeal of Ordinance No. 1824-A on the next agenda.
Ms. Dickens
said she has been in contact with Municipal League for several weeks on this
subject and is now waiting for an opinion from the Attorney General’s
office. Ms. Dickens
Asked Alderman
Schrader to put this subject on a later agenda.
Alderman
Schrader said he has had a tremendous amount of calls about Parks personnel
matters, and the matters pertaining to the running of the Parks
Commission. He said he is on the Citizen
Advisory Committee, and that is about the Sportsplex.
MAYOR’S
COMMENTS:
With regards
to the Mayor’s New Years Eve fireworks, the Mayor said that every time he
thought he had everything lined up something happened. The bottom line is that the pyrotechnician
changed his mind at the last minute.
Until the pyrotechnician is locked in, the State Fire Marshal will not
sign off
on a project.
The motion was
made and seconded to adjourn. All were
in favor, 5/0/0. The meeting was
adjourned at 8:59 p.m. The Mayor had
promised Don Matt that for a wedding present, he would try to have the meeting
over before 9 p.m.
APPROVED:
______________________
Beau
Zar Satori, Mayor
ATTEST:
____________________________
Mary
Ann Lee, City Clerk-Treasurer