CITY OF EUREKA SPRINGS

CITY COUNCIL

SPECIAL MEETING TUESDAY NOVEMBER 8, 2005

Mayor Kathy Harrison called a special meeting of the City Council to order at 7:20 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 8, in the jury room of the Western District Carroll County Courthouse.

PRESENT: Mayor Kathy Harrison, Aldermen Robert “Butch” Berry, Beverly Blankenship, Terry McClung, Rick Rojek, Lori Weaver, City Attorney Tim Weaver, Police Chief Earl Hyatt, Fire Chief David Stoppel, Transit Director Lamont Richie, Building Official Justin Fuson, Bob Rennels of the Carroll County News, Bill King of the Lovely County Citizen and City Clerk-Treasurer Mary Jean Sell. Alderman Aaron Falotico has resigned his seat and was not present for the meeting.

Aldermen Blankenship, McClung and Berry called the meeting to discuss the overspending of line items on the 2005 budget.

Ms. Blankenship said department heads are overspending in line items of the budget. The Council froze the travel, training, dues and professional services line items at the mid-year levels with the intention that no more spending would happen from those line items. If departments needed additional funding in those lines, monies would be moved from other line items. The Council had asked in September for the department heads to provide that budget information and no one had done it.

Ms. Blankenship moved that by Nov. 11 the Council has each department’s line item budget revisions. Mr. Rojek seconded.

Mayor Harrison said the department heads are maintaining the bottom lines in their budgets and none have gone over their total budgeted amounts.

Chief Stoppel said he has a contract for professional services with the ambulance service billing company that he cannot change. The fees are based on amounts actually collected. He said he brought revisions for his department’s budget in June, but when he got budget figures in October it was “way off.”

He said his budget is flat from last year and everything is costing more. Medicare and Medicaid are paying less and less for same services. It could take a year for the new billing company to get everything straightened out and the $300,000 pending from the old collection company taken care of.

Chief Hyatt said he has fees that have to be paid every month as he uses the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and to do on-line searches. His goal is to keep his bottom line the same without overspending. If he has to move monies from line item to line item during the year, he won’t have accurate information for preparing his budget for next year.

Mr. Richie said his budget reports conform to the state (Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department) requirements and are by categories, not line items. He said he does not spend or receive his funding in increments and cannot move money to make categories look even.

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Ms. Blankenship noted that Friday, Nov. 11, is a holiday and moved to amend her motion to have the budget revision reports to the Council by Monday, Nov. 14. Mr. Rojek seconded.

On the amended motion, all voted aye. Motion passed 5/0/0

ADJOURNMENT:

Mr. Berry moved to adjourn at 8:05 p.m. Mr. Rojek seconded. All voted aye. Motion passed 5/0/0

This is the signature page for the minutes of the special City Council meeting Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2005.

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Mayor Kathy Harrison

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City Clerk-Treasurer Mary Jean Sell

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