By: Timbre Garrow
The Clinton City Council met on August 16, 2018 at 6:30 p.m. with Mayor Richard McCormac presiding. Council Members attending were Tim Barnes, Gayla Bradley, Jeff Pistole, Jason Lynch, Sam Ward and City Attorney Chad Brown. Minutes and Financial Reports were read and approved.
The 911 Funding problem affects Arkansas statewide. When the Arkansas 911 system first started, it was meant to be self-funded. Before cellphone use, if a person called from a landline, the dispatchers/first responders were able to pinpoint your location. “Arkansas’s 911 surcharge on cellphones is currently one of the lowest in the county.” According to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, “County governments in Arkansas will push to at least double the 65-cent-per-month fee on cellphones for 911 emergency response service.” Van Buren County Judge, Roger Hooper, presented his views on the matter and wants to sit down after the Clinton’s City Council budget meeting to discuss how the 911 funding will be handled. Hooper ended his discussion by quoting a previous message from a fortune cookie that seemed relevant to the current situation “Do what is right, not what you should.” Fairfield Bay’s Mayor, Paul Wellenberger, presented a cost analysis for all of Van Buren County’s 911 emergency response system, asking for Clinton’s city council members to provide $44 thousand dollars a year to contribute to their part of the 911 Funding. The parties involved will be reviewing their findings at a later date.
Airport Commission –The state approved a street light to be put in at the new entrance located at the Hwy 16 East intersection to provide a safer entrance to the airport.
Animal Control– Tim Pike reported the pickup of 4 dogs and 1 cat. Lori Treat reported 46 dogs and 11 cats available for adoption.
Fire Chief D.L. Webb- informed the council that the Fire Department’s Movies in the Park has been successful. Still awaiting the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) reports to come back.
Parks Department, Charles Wilson – Wilson stated that they’ve been maintaining the grounds and keeping the parks clean after various events.
Chief of Police, John Willoughby – informed the council that they’ve been busy with accidents due to construction (208 calls for service, 25 incident reports, 15 accidents, 172 citations, 48 warnings, 4 felony arrests were issued).
Streets Department, Charles Wilson – informed the council that they are continually maintaining the streets and setting up for the upcoming Chuckwagon Races.
Zoning Department’s Philip Ellis – informed the council that they are continuing the progress on updating ordinance structures. The census addresses phase one is complete which includes 85 resident updates and corrections.
In other council news:
Old Business:
Resolution for Fall Softball Field Use- Motion passed
New business:
Resolution for Chip and Seal Paving Contract (at 40% savings)- Motion passed
Ordinance for Yard Waste Removal (last Monday of the month)- Motion passed
Resolution for Conflict City Attorney- Motion passed
Resolution for Airport FAA Grant (apron rehab)- Motion passed
Resolution for Utilities Easement (Fiber Optics)- Motion passed
The Clinton City Council meets the second Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at the Clinton Municipal Airport Terminal Building. Meetings are open to the public.