CITY COUNCIL
REGULAR
MEETING
Mayor
Kathy Harrison called the regular City Council meeting to order at
PRESENT: Mayor Kathy Harrison,
Aldermen Robert “Butch”
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE
FLAG:
Mayor Harrison led the Pledge of Allegiance.
APPROVAL OF AGENDA:
Ms. Money moved to approve the
agenda as presented. Mr. Umland seconded. All voted aye. Motion passed 6/0/0
Ms. Money moved to approve the
minutes of Nov. 20 as presented. Ms. Lindblad seconded. All voted aye. Motion
passed 6/0/0
Ms. Money moved to approve the minutes of Nov. 24 as presented. Mr. Umland seconded. All voted aye. Motion passed 6/0/0
COMMISSION, COMMITTEE AND
AUTHORITY REPORTS & VACANCIES:
Historic District Commission –
Position 1 – Expires
Hospital Commission – Position 1 –
Expires
DEPARTMENT HEAD COMMENTS:
Finance, CAPC, Fire/EMS, Hospital
Finance Director Diane Murphy said she didn’t have any
comments since she had been meeting regularly with the council in budget
workshops and had one tomorrow.
Fire/EMS
Capt. Tim Collins reported Engine #1 is back in service after repairs;
the Western Carroll County Ambulance District (WCCAD) guidelines for operation
are finished; and the city should be getting an ISO rating of 4 by March 1.
Mayor Harrison said she was
expecting a written report from Hospital Administrator David Cox.
There was no CAPC report.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS:
1.
Discussion of Ordinance 1936, amending Chapter 18 of Eureka Springs Municipal
Code regarding animal-drawn vehicles. (3rd reading with changes from
Nov. 24 meeting) (Money, Carroll)
Ms. Money moved to suspend the rules
and place Ordinance 1936 on its third
City Council 12/8/03 1
reading
by title only. Mr. Umland seconded. By roll call, all voted aye.
Ms. Sell read the title of the
ordinance aloud.
City Attorney Weaver explained the
changes to the ordinance from the Nov. 24 meeting.
During discussion, Ms. Money moved to change the
franchise fee to $350 and the occupation license fee to $70 per year for five
years. Ms. Carroll seconded. All voted aye. Motion passed 6/0/0
Ms. Money moved to approve Ordinance 1936 on its
third reading as amended. Mr. Umland seconded. All voted aye. Motion passed
6/0/0
2.
Discussion of Permit Fees – Section 14-12C-Building regulations regarding
fees/definitions and clarification.
Mr. Weaver said he has received proposals for the
changes in the Municipal Code from Building Official Randy Mills, has met with
him, but he has not had time to draft them into ordinance form.
Ms. Money moved to have the ordinance drawn and to reflect
the information from the building department. Mr. Umland seconded. All voted
aye. Motion passed 6/0/0
Mr. Ott moved to have a public hearing on the
proposed ordinance at 6 p.m. Monday, Jan. 12. 2004, prior to the start of the
regular city council meeting. Ms. Money seconded. All voted aye. Motion passed
6/0/0
NEW BUSINESS:
1.
Discussion of Downtown Trolley Stop – (See Attached Letter) (Department Head
Lamont Richie, Mayor)
Mr. Richie said he has removed the
trolley stop at the New Orleans Hotel, 63 Spring St., for safety considerations
and the one at the Wadsworth Building, 99 Spring St., next to the Post
Office. He has been asked to remove the
trolley stop at Sweet Spring, near 124 Spring St., but he is recommending
leaving a stop there.
John Wiley of the Model Railroad
Company, 127 Spring St., asked that the trolley stop at Sweet Spring remain
because removing it would seriously effect traffic flow to the nearby
businesses.
(There was a break in the meeting at
this point and the quarterly public forum was held. Discussion resumed at 7:25
p.m.)
Ms. Lindblad said she would like to
have comments from other business owners in the area before making a decision.
Ms. Money moved to leave the stops
as recommended by Mr. Richie. Mr. Umland seconded. Mr. Berry, Ms. Carroll, Ms.
Money and Mr. Umland voted aye. Ms. Lindblad and Mr. Ott voted no. Motion
passed 4/2/0
The council meeting adjourned at 7
p.m. for a short break and resumed at 7:10 p.m.
City Council 12/8/03 2
The quarterly public forum was established by the council in January of 2003 to give citizens of the community an opportunity to speak directly to the council about whatever matters of concern they have. By agreement, the council does not respond, except to ask questions. Speakers are given three minutes.
The forum began at 7:12 p.m. Monday, Dec. 8, 2003.
Russell
Clay: Mr. Clay began reading a report concerning the cost overruns on
the sewerline replacement and repair project currently underway. He provided
several facts and figures on the project and was apparently not finished when
he ran out of time.
Ray
Dotson: Mr. Dotson charged the council with violation of his First
Amendment rights when his application to operate a carriage service was turned
down by the council in April. He had not been allowed to speak during the
earlier discussion of the animal-drawn vehicle ordinance. He said he was very
frustrated at the way he had been treated and not allowed to speak.
Beau
Satori: Mr. Satori said a major problem within our community is our
lack of communication with the community. He said he has been given assurances
of improvements to the cable television serving the community and the city’s
website. He wanted to continue discussion of the red and green trolley routes
and their effectiveness. He said three minutes is not adequate time for
citizens to speak.
The city council meeting resumed at
7:25 p.m., finishing the trolley stop discussion as written above.
2.
Discussion of 30 day extension of Ordinance 1925, an ordinance regarding fill
and excavation, allowing time for the Planning Commission and a public hearing.
Planning Commission Chairman Dan
Bennett explained the commission was not ready to put forth an ordinance and
hoped to have it ready for a public hearing Jan. 8, 2004. He said the current
moratorium on excavation and fill projects expires Dec. 31.
He
said the commission has voted to ask the council to allow approval of
excavation and fill projects upon review of the projects by the city planner,
building official and commission.
Mr. Ott moved to table the
discussion to give the city attorney, Mr. Harper and Mr. Bennett some time
until after the executive session to draft an amendment to Ordinance 1925
setting the moratorium dates on the projects. Ms. Money seconded. All voted
aye. Motion passed 6/0/0
3.
Executive session regarding building official.
Mayor Harrison adjourned the meeting
to go into executive session at 7:38 p.m. The meeting resumed at 8:07 p.m.
She announced the council is unanimous in hiring
Randy Mills as the city’s building official and to give him six months to get
the proper licenses and certifications required by the state for his job.
City Council 12/8/03 3
Following council and mayor’s
comments, the council returned to the discussion of Ordinance 1925 at 8:25 p.m.
Mr. Weaver proposed this amendment:
that the strict compliance to the moratorium may be waived by having the
project reviewed by the city planner and the city building official and by a
vote of approval from the planning commission during the period of Jan. 1 until
Feb. 28, 2004.
Ms. Money moved to approve Ordinance
1925 on its first reading as amended. Mr. Berry seconded.
Ms. Lindblad moved to amend the
amendment giving a deadline of March 31. Mr. Umland seconded. All voted aye.
Motion passed 6/0/0
On the first reading of Ordinance
1925 as amended, all voted aye. Motion passed 6/0/0
Ms. Money moved to suspend the rules
and place Ordinance 1925 on its second reading by title only. Mr. Berry and Mr.
Ott seconded. By roll call, all voted aye. Motion passed 6/0/0
Ms. Money moved to approve ordinance
1925 on its second reading by title only. Ms. Lindblad seconded. All voted aye.
Motion passed 6/0/0
Ms. Money moved to suspend the rules
and place Ordinance 1925 on its third reading by title only. Ms Carroll
seconded. By roll call, all voted aye. Motion passed 6/0/0
Ms. Money moved to approve Ordinance
1925 on its third reading by title only. Mr. Umland seconded. All voted aye.
Motion passed 6/0/0
Ms. Money moved to read the
emergency clause. Ms. Carroll seconded. All voted aye. Motion passed 6/0/0
Ms. Money moved to approve the
reading of the emergency clause. Mr. Umland seconded. All voted aye. Motion
passed 6/0/0
Ms. Money moved to adjourn at 8:45
p.m. Mr. Umland and Mr. Berry seconded. All voted aye. Motion passed 6/0/0
This is the signature page for the
City Council minutes of Dec. 8, 2003.
__________________________________
Mayor
Kathy Harrison
_______________________________
City
Clerk Mary Jean Sell
City Council 12/8/03 4