CITY OF EUREKA SPRINGS
COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
Mayor Satori called the
PRESENT: Mayor Satori, and Aldermen Simon, Sumpter and Dozier. Aldermen Harrison, Money and DeVito were absent.
ALSO
PRESENT: Cindy Walker, Mary Jean Sell, Bruce Levine, Susan Lourne, Bill Ames,
Kim Dickens, and Clerk Mary Ann Lee.
PLEDGE
OF ALLEGIANCE:
Mayor
Satori led in the Pledge of Allegiance.
APPROVAL
OF THE AGENDA:
Mr.
Sumpter made the motion to approve the agenda.
Mr. Simon seconded. The vote was 3/0/0, and with the Mayor’s vote it was
4/0/0.
APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES:
Mr.
Sumpter made the motion to approve the minutes of May 20th, 2002. Mr. Simon seconded. Mr. Simon had not read the minutes and asked
to postpone until the July 15th, 2002, meeting. There was no vote.
Mr.
Sumpter made the motion to approve the minutes of June 17th,
2002. Mr. Dozier seconded. The amendments were noted. The vote was 3/0/0, and with the Mayor voting
yes the vote was 4/0/0.
Mayor
Satori said he had planned a State of the City Address, but he was just going
to give a short report on where we stand.
The
Fire Department has just completed and signed the contract with the Carroll
County Western District Ambulance Board for $137,000 annually. The City will provide Ambulance Service to
the Western District. The City recently
purchased the three ambulances we were using.
The
City recently accepted the bid for new construction of a storage unit at the
Police Department.
Assistant
Fire Chief, Jimmy Kelley is also the City Fire Marshall. He has been working closely with the health
inspector and the building inspector, upgrading fire codes and inspections to
insure the safety of our citizens.
Next
fall the Fire Department will be conducting EMT training at the Police
Department. Last winter we had two
months of First Responder training and graduated 15 citizens from our Western
District. Contact the Fire Department
for more information.
The
Fire Department is building an equipment building on Rock House Road, similar
to the building built las year on Buck Mountain. We can be proud of our Fire Department
because of the expertise and the education of our personnel.
After
Washington Regional left, we took control of the Eureka Springs Hospital on
August 1st, 2002. Since that
time, we have shown a profit every month.
We have also purchased $750,000 worth of diagnostic equipment. The Mayor listed the types of equipment that
was purchased. The only concern is our
liability insurance. We have been paying
about $28,000 annually, and the company we’ve been using has lost their ability
to insure us. So far, it seems our
insurance cost has more than doubled, costing $75,000 to $100,000. It is still being researched.
The
company Real Sources is progressing. At
this time they are negotiating with Washington Regional for the property we
gave them out by the Clinic.
This
City will have a great celebration on the 4th of July. The Mayor encouraged the community to attend
the all day festivities. On June 1st,
2002, they christened 15 miles of maintained hiking and biking trails. Our trails are highly praised.
The
stabilization of Lake Leatherwood Dam will begin in mid-July. By the end of the year, we will have invested
almost a million dollars at Leatherwood since 1998.
In
2001, The City faced almost every set back we could imagine. Snow and ice storms hurt us in December and
January. In February, the Convention
Center burned down, which had a surprising impact on the City’s economy. In the spring the country was in a
recession. The economy was lack-luster
through the summer. Then we had
September 11th, 2001. With
all of that, the Clity still ended the year up from the year before. Granted it was not up much but it was still
up!
This
year for the first four months, tax collections are up 10% over last year.
The
first five months for the CAPC show them up 8% in collections. From the mid 90’s to 1998, we averaged 110
building permits annually, for new construction, residential and business. In 1999, 198 permits were purchased. Last year, 240 permits were sold. This revenues for permits are up 15%.
The
Mayor spoke of prime properties in the City being sold and the new owners
upgrading them.
The
Convention Center is finished and open.
The
Auditorium is being improved. The
ceiling in the main theatre is being plastered.
Steel I beams have been put under the floors in several areas. They started in the four corners in the
basement and began to improve the building.
The exterior has been re-done with a $93,000 grant. The sidewalk has been replaced. The are removing false ceilings and
replastering. The Mayor believes the
restoration and repainting will be completed this year. In the last four years until the end of 2002,
we will have spent about $200,000 on improvements.
The
Mayor reminded the community that the federal appropriation requests for 2003
are for $13.2 million. The primary focus
is on the parking and the auditorium, and includes burying utility lines and
stabilizing the hill between First Street and Armstrong. Mayor Satori received a letter from Senator
Blanch Lincoln stating that the budget for next year will be worked on this
summer, and may be finished earlier in the year because of the elections. He is hoping to know by September what
amounts of funds we will receive and when we will receive them.
Mayor
Satori spoke of his removal of the three CAPC commissions when he took office
in 1998. He said he did it because he
felt they would not support his efforts to bring changes to the CAPC. Later, a court re-instated two members. The third member’s term was up. Since that time he has found Jon Loudermilk
to be a great asset to the commission and one of his most reliable
commissioners. Because of his
outstanding performance, he asked the Council to re-appoint Mr. Loudermilk to
the commission.
The
Mayor reminded the community that two of the City’s four banks are doing
multimillion-dollar expansion, which he felt is a good sign.
He
reported that the Planer Hill sidewalk is moving right along.
As
a footnote, he informed the community of the passing of Jane Girkin, who passed
away on June 30th, 2002. Ms.
Girkin had been a business owner for many years on Spring St.
COMMISSION, COMMITTEE, AND AUTHORITY REPORTS AND VACANCIES:
Mr. Sumpter made the motion to approve Jon Loudermilk for re-appointment to the CAPC. There was no second, because the remaining members felt the whole Council should be there to vote.
ADMINISTRATVE ASSISTANT’S REPORT:
Ms. Dickens said that Bill Harrod of the State Highway Department wrote a letter to inform the City that they have done a survey of the intersection of Main Street and Spring Street. They will either remove the stop sign on Main, and move it to Main and Spring, or they will make the entire intersection a three-way stop. Mayor Satori commented that they should put a stop sign at the High School, to make a three-way stop. Many people stop there anyway.
Mr.
Simon asked that we put that idea on the agenda for the next Council meeting,
and ask for input from the community.
Ms.
Dickens reported that Mr. Gladden emptied his pay box, and the City is now
officially taking over that parking lot.
It will be cleaned up and the pay box painted.
She
asked that the Council set a budget workshop.
It was set for Monday, July 8th, 2002, at 1 p.m.
UNFINISHED
BUSINESS:
Discussion regarding Ordinance
No. 1891, an ordinance for the levy of a one half of one percent sales and use
tax to be used for Parks and Recreation, (2nd reading)P
Mr. Sumpter made the motion to suspend the rules and place Ordinance No. 1891 on its second reading by title only. Mr. Simon seconded. By roll call the vote was 3/0/0; with Mayor voting yes, 4/0/0.
Ms.
Dickens read the ordinance by title only.
Mr.
Sumpter made the motion to approve. Mr.
Simon seconded. The vote was 3/0/0, with
the Mayor voting yes, 4/0/0.
Discussion regarding Ordinance
No. 1892, an ordinance calling for a Special Election, (November 5th,
2002) to levy a city-wide one half of one percent sales and use tax for the
operation maintenance and capital improvements of parks and recreation, ( 2nd
Reading):
Mr. Sumpter made the motion to suspend the rules and place Ordinance No. 1892 on its second reading by title only. Mr. Simon seconded. By roll call, the vote was 3/0/0, with the Mayor voting yes, 4/0/0.
Ms.
Dickens read the ordinance by title only.
Mr.
Sumpter made the motion to approve. Mr.
Simon seconded. The vote was 3/0/0, with
the Mayor voting yes, 4/0/0.
Susan
Lourne, Director of Parks and Recreation, gave a report on the facts and
figures of what the Parks Commission has done for the last four years. The bottom line is that in the last four
years, the tax generated $800,000 and $650,000 was spent on maintenance and
operations. Each time we build something
new, it has to be operated and maintained.
Bruce
Levine spoke also. He invited the
community to come out and look around at what has been done.
NEW
BUSINESS:
None.
CITY
COUNCIL COMMENTS:
Mr. Dozier wanted to clarify that he will vote for Jon Loudermilk as will Mr. Simon. They want there to be a larger slate of officers there for the vote. Mr. Simon said that if anyone wants to look at a quarterly report on the Parks and Recreation Commission, they should come to City Hall and ask for it.
MAYOR’S COMMENTS:
Mayor Satori again announced the festivities at Lake Leatherwood. He said the fireworks will begin at dusk, or sunset.
The
motion was made and seconded to adjourn. All were in favor, 4/0/0.
This
is the signature page for the July 1st, 2002 City Council Minutes.
APPROVED:
____________________________
Mayor Beau Z. Satori
ATTEST:
_______________________________
Mary
Ann Lee, City Clerk-Treasurer