CITY OF EUREKA SPRINGS

COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES

JANUARY 7TH, 2002                                                           

 

Mayor Satori called the January 7th, 2002 meeting to order at 7 p.m.  The meeting was held in the Jury Room of the Western District Courthouse.

 

PRESENT:

Mayor Satori, and Aldermen DeVito, Simon, Dozier, Stoppel, Harrison, and Sumpter.

 

ALSO PRESENT: Christopher Andrews, Lynn Carrington, Jean Elderwind, Judi Selle and friend Sandy from YUMA, Elise and Marty Roenigk, Bill King, Mary Jean Sell, Bob Mc Vey, Bill Ames, Kim Dickens and Clerk Mary Ann Lee.

 

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE:

Mayor Satori led in the Pledge of Allegiance.

 

APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA:

The Council decided to add the proposal to go after Federal Funds for a parking facility under New Business after the budget request from the Library.

 

An executive session was added to the end of the agenda.

The motion was made and seconded to approve the agenda as amended.  The vote was 6/0/0 in favor.

 

APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES:

The motion was made and seconded to approve the minutes of the Special Council Meeting of December 19, 2001.  An amendment was noted.  The vote was 6/0/0.

 

The motion was made and seconded to approve the minutes of the Regular City Council Meeting of November 19th, 2001.  They were approved, 6/0/0.

 

The motion was made and seconded to approve the minutes of the Regular City Council Meeting of December 3rd, 2001.  They were approved, 6/0/0.

 

COMMISSION, COMMITTEE, AND AUTHORITY REPORTS AND VACANCIES:

The motion was made and seconded to approve Dr. Ken Covington for Position 7 on the Hospital Commission, which expires 9-7-05.  All were in favor, 5/0/1, with Alderman Stoppel abstaining.

 

The motion was made and seconded to approve Christopher Andrews for the CAPC, Position 1, a gift shop position.

Alderman Simon said he had asked Mike Drennon to serve on the CAPC, and he had said he would.  He did not tell the Mayor, however, and the nomination had already been made and the time had elapsed.   The vote was 3/2/1 with Alderman Stoppel abstaining, and Aldermen Dozier and Simon voting no.  The Mayor voted yes and brought the favorable vote to 4/2/1.

 

The motion was made and seconded to approve Dan Bennett for Position 1 on the Planning Commission, which expires on 7-1-02.  The vote was 5/0/1, with Alderman Stoppel abstaining.

 

The motion was made and seconded to approve William Mayo, whose term on the Planning Commission would be extended to 1-1-05.  The vote was 5/0/1, with Alderman Stoppel abstaining.

 

ADMINISTRATVE ASSISTANT’S REPORT:

Ms. Dickens said that the City Clerk will be presenting the Council with a list of obsolete and audited 1996 records to be destroyed. 

 

She announced that the Council would need to have a special meeting to read the bond Ordinance for the funds for the Lake Leatherwood Dam repairs project.

The meeting was set at 5 p.m. on Thursday, January 10th, 2002.

 

 

NEW BUSINESS:

2002 City Council Rules/Procedures and CAPC appointments:

Alderman Sumpter made the motion to leave the meeting night on Monday night.

Alderman DeVito seconded.

Alderman Simon made the motion to amend the motion to Thursday night.

Motion died for lack of a second.

The vote was 5/0/1, with Alderman Stoppel abstaining.

 

Alderman DeVito made the motion to follow Roberts Rules of Order.  Alderman Dozier seconded.  The vote was 5/0/1, with Alderman Stoppel abstaining.

 

Alderman Sumpter made the motion to keep the policy of having two Council persons to put something on the agenda.  Alderman Simon seconded.  The vote was 5/0/1, with Alderman Stoppel abstaining.

 

Alderman DeVito made the motion to continue to tape and broadcast Council meetings.  Alderman Harrison seconded.  The vote was 5/0/1, with Alderman Stoppel abstaining.

 

Alderman DeVito made the motion to name Alderman Kelly Simon to serve on the CAPC.  Alderman Harrison seconded.  The vote was 5/0/1, with Alderman Stoppel abstaining.

 

Alderman Harrison made the motion to name Alderman Bryan Sumpter to serve on the CAPC.  The vote was 5/0/1, with Aldermen Stoppel abstaining.

Alderman Dozier made the motion to keep the two week period between the nomination of a candidate for a commission and the vote on the candidate.

Alderman Simon seconded.  The vote was 5/0/1, with Alderman Stoppel abstaining.

 

Discussion regarding Resolution 486, a resolution for the appropriation of matching funds for a law enforcement grant:

The motion was made and seconded to read Resolution No. 486.  The vote was 5/0/1, with Alderman Stoppel abstaining.

Ms. Dickens said she felt sure that this grant was for the DARE program.

Ms. Dickens read the resolution.

The motion was made and seconded to approve.  The vote was 5/0/1, with Alderman Stoppel abstaining.

 

Discussion of the budget request from the library:

Alderman DeVito voiced his concerns for the cutbacks that have happened to the State Funding for the library.  He said that our library is one of two Dale Carnegie Libraries left in the state, and he would hate to see us lose our library.  He said that the library services everyone from babies in their mother’s wombs, when they read to them, to a person 100 years old!

Ms. Elderwind passed out the library’s proposed budget and its 2001 annual report.  The shortfall is 67%.  This past year the library had 118 children’s programs and 1525 children attended.  She made the Council aware of the library’s serious need for funds.

Alderman Harrison made the motion to have a short budget workshop to see if money can be found, perhaps in another appropriation for something else, and have it before the Special Council meeting on January 10th, 2002.

Alderman Simon seconded.

The vote was 5/0/1, with Alderman Stoppel abstaining.  The time was set at 4 p.m.

 

Discussion of the Downtown Development Concept:

Mayor Satori introduced the discussion of the Downtown Development Concept.  The idea came when the City found out that Hot Springs received an appropriation from the Federal Government for $5 million plus, to build a parking facility.

If they could, why couldn’t Eureka Springs?  It has been talked about for years.

Marty and Elise Roenigk have donated the first $5,000, to begin the project.  It will take $35,000 to gather together the information needed to draw up a proposal to take to Washington D.C.  The deadline for that is February 28th, 2002.

The proposal is to build a parking facility in Eureka Springs that would look like a historical building, with shops on the main level, and parking on the upper levels.

The money would be an appropriation to the City, so that the proposed building would belong to the City and the revenue would be the City’s.  Also the work would be done on the Auditorium to bring it to its best utilization.

Alderman Harrison said that she believes that the City could have a big fundraiser to raise money for the rest of the funds needed.  She said we do it for everything else, and this certainly deserves our best efforts.  She thanked the Roenigks for starting the fund.

Alderman DeVito thanked the Roenigks for providing the funds to get us started.

He made the motion to provide a Resolution of support of the project.

Alderman Dozier seconded.  The vote was 5/0/1, with Alderman Stoppel abstaining.

The City Clerk will include a copy of the Concept at the end of these minutes.

 

Discussion regarding Ordinance No. 1888, an ordinance authorizing short term financing as relates to the purchase of radiology and dictation equipment:

The motion was made and seconded to place Ordinance No. 1888 on its first reading in its entirety.  The vote was 5/0/1, with Alderman Stoppel abstaining.

Mayor Satori and Ms. Dickens read the ordinance in its entirety.

The motion was made and seconded to approve. 

Alderman Simon pointed out some points that were unclear to him, and they seemed unclear to the rest of the Council.

The motion was made and seconded to postpone the vote until January 10th, 2002, when another Special Meeting could be held to take the vote.  The vote was 5/0/1, with Alderman Stoppel abstaining.  The time decided was 4:15 p.m.

 

Executive Session:

Robert McVey spoke in his own defense.  He said he had been terminated by the Mayor on Saturday, January 5th, 2002.  He said in his three and one half years, he had never had a reprimand.  He spoke of the things he felt he had accomplished and asked the Council to overturn the Mayor’s decision.

The motion was made and seconded to go into Executive Session.  The vote was 5/0/1, with Alderman Stoppel abstaining.  The Executive Session began at 8:20 p.m.

The meeting reconvened at 8:50 p.m.  No action was taken by the Council.

 

CITY COUNCIL COMMENTS:

Alderman DeVito thanked the Council for his year on the CAPC.  He wished everyone a Happy New Year.

 

MAYOR’S COMMENTS:

Mayor Satori read David Stoppel’s letter of resignation from the City Council.

He thanked the citizens for allowing him to serve them and told the rest of the members he had enjoyed working with them.  Mr. Stoppel then left the Council table and joined the audience.

 

Mayor Satori asked that anyone in Ward 3 who would be interested in serving out the rest of Mr. Stoppel’s term submit a letter in writing requesting the position, before the next Council Meeting.  The Council will vote on the candidates.

 

Since the next regularly scheduled Council Meeting falls on Martin Luther King’s birthday the Council had to schedule a new time for the meeting.

The motion was made and seconded to hold the next City Council Meeting on Tuesday, January 22nd, 2002 at seven o’clock.  The vote was 5/0/0.

 

The motion was made and seconded to adjourn.  All were in favor, 5/0/0.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:55 p.m.

 

This is the signature sheet for the January 7th, 2002 City Council Minutes.

 

 

APPROVED:

 

 

                                                                        ____________________________

Mayor Beau Z. Satori          

 

ATTEST:

 

_______________________________

Mary Ann Lee, City Clerk-Treasurer