COUNCIL MINUTES JULY, 2023
CITY OF GASSVILLE, ARKANSAS
MINUTES FOR THE REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING
JULY 18, 2023
A regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Gassville, Arkansas was held on Tuesday, July 18, 2023 at the Gassville Community Center. Mayor Braim led those in attendance in saying the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag and in offering a word of prayer. The meeting was then called to order at 6:00 PM by Mayor Jeff Braim, Presiding Officer.
Upon the calling of the roll, those in attendance were Council Member Kenneth Smith, Council Member Tim McFarland, Council Member Anita Seaman, Council Member Naomi Lassen, Council Member Ralph Bird, Mayor Jeff Braim, and Recorder-Treasurer Jeff Lewis. Council Member Ernest Adkins was absent. Department Heads in attendance were Police Chief Tim Mayfield, Fire Chief Michael Glotzl, and Water and Street Superintendent Michael Dewey.
The minutes from the last regular meeting held June 20, 2023 were then up for consideration. Council Member Bird moved to approve those minutes as presented, which motion was seconded by Council Member Lassen. No corrections or additions were called for, whereupon the Mayor called for the vote. Council Members Smith, McFarland, Seaman, Lassen, and Bird voted for the motion. There were no nays, and the Mayor declared the motion carried.
The approval of the financial report for the month of May, 2023, which had been deferred, was now up for consideration. Mayor Braim provided the City Council with a revised recap sheet showing balances of city accounts as of 05/31/2023. Council Member Lassen moved to approve the May financial report with the revised account balance recap sheet as presented. This motion was seconded by Council Member McFarland. The Mayor called for discussion, then for the vote. Council Members Smith, McFarland, Seaman, Lassen, and Bird voted for the motion. There were no nays, and the motion was declared to be carried.
The financial report for the month of June, 2023 was next up for consideration. As with the previous report for May, the Mayor provided the City Council with a revised recap sheet showing balances of city accounts as of 06/30/2023. Council Member Bird moved to approve the June financial report with the revised account balance recap sheet as presented. This motion was seconded by Council Member Seaman. The Mayor called for discussion, then for the vote. Council Members Smith, McFarland, Seaman, Lassen, and Bird voted for the motion. There were no nays, and the motion was declared to be carried.
Police Chief Mayfield gave the police department report for the month of June, 2023. It was accepted into the record without objection.
Fire Chief Glotzl gave the fire department report for the month of June, 2023. It, too, was accepted into the record without objection. Chief Glotzl also presented the City Council with a draft of an auto-aid agreement with the Midway Volunteer Fire Protection District with a request that the City Council approve it. Council Member Lassen moved to authorize the Mayor and Fire Chief to enter into an auto-aid agreement for fire department calls between the City of Gassville and the Midway Volunteer Fire Protection District as per request of the Fire Chief. The motion was seconded by Council Member McFarland. After a period of discussion on the proposal, Mayor Braim called for the vote. Council Members Smith, McFarland, Seaman, Lassen, and Bird voted for the motion. There were no nays, and the Mayor declared the motion carried.
Mayor Braim then gave the building inspection report for the period of June 16th through July 18th, which also was accepted into the record without objection.
Council Member Seaman gave a report from the Cotter-Gassville Joint Sewer Commission. The commission deferred its regular meeting until this Thursday, July 20th at 1PM at the Cotter City Hall to allow for bid openings for the "Phase II" collection system renovation project to be opened during the meeting.
Council Member Lassen gave a report from the Gassville Planning and Zoning Commission. The commission met on July 10th at 6:00 PM to conduct a public hearing on a re-zoning request at 519 E. Main Street to change the property from R-1 residential to C-2 commercial status. This was followed by a regular session to discuss two variance requests. Both the re-zoning request and the two variance requests were approved by the commission with a recommendation that the City Council move to pass an ordinance to re-zone the property in question.
Mayor Braim gave a brief report on the project with ARDOT at Lancaster Park, noting that one design change had been floated, which will require a change order by the ARDOT Resident Engineer.
Moving on to unfinished business, the City Council learned from the Mayor that no bids had been received since the last meeting for the advertised sale of the 1997 International Pierce Pumper truck. Council Member Smith was in favor of retaining the piece of equipment for use by the fire department, while other Council Members were in favor of continuing to try and sell the truck.
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Council Member Bird moved to leave the truck up to sale with a $50,000 minimum bid required, which motion was seconded by Council Member Lassen. The Mayor called for the vote. Council Members McFarland, Seaman, Lassen, and Bird voted for the motion. Council Member Smith voted against the motion. The Mayor declared the motion carried by majority vote.
The consolidation of various depreciation accounts in the water and sewer department had been discussed at last months meeting, with the Mayor reporting that the bond attorneys do no have any reservations about the city doing so. This point was reiterated by Mayor Braim. He made his proposal for consolidation to the City Council, upon with Council Member Bird moved as follows:
Water/Sewer Depreciation Fund, Account #53623, current balance of $8,162.69 and Water/Sewer Debt Reserve Fund, Account #53631, current balance of $40,831.13 (combined balance $48,993.82) both be closed and those funds divided equally ($24,496.91 each) and added to 5% Water Depreciation Fund, Account #55375 and 5% Sewer Depreciation Fund, Account #55464.
This motion was seconded by Council Member Lassen. The Mayor called for discussion, then for the vote. Council Members Smith, McFarland, Seaman, Lassen, and Bird voted for the motion. There were no nays, and the Mayor declared the motion carried.
Under new business, Superintendent Dewey provided the City Council with a list of street paving work to be done and a cost projection for the work. Paving/overlay work would be done on Crest Way, Crownover Street, Harrington Street, Kelley Lane, and a portion of Kirkland Street. The estimated cost would be approximately $133,694.00. The City Council has already appropriated $100,000.00 into the 2023 Street Department budget for paving. The Mayor asked the City Council to make an additional appropriation of $50,000.00 to allow for this paving work to be undertaken. Council Member Lassen moved to approve the list of streets for paving/overlay work as submitted and to appropriate an additional $50,000.00 from the Street Fund into the Street Department Budget - Expense Line Item #2350 Street Paving. This motion was seconded by Council Member Seaman. The Mayor pointed out that the Street Fund had a balance of $503,362.14 as of 06/30/2023. He then called for the vote. Council Members Smith, McFarland, Seaman, Lassen, and Bird voted for the motion. There were no nays, and the Mayor declared the motion carried. Sealed bids for this work will have to be advertised for.
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Continuing under new business, consideration of Proposed Ordinance No. 2023-06 was next on the agenda. This is the ordinance that would re-zone property as per recommendation of the Gassville Planning and Zoning Commission. Council Member McFarland moved to have the proposed ordinance read aloud, which motion was seconded by Council Member Bird. The Mayor called for the vote. Council Members Smith, McFarland, Seaman, Lassen, and Bird voted for the motion. There were no nays, and the Mayor declared the motion carried. Thereupon, Recorder-Treasurer Lewis read aloud the proposed ordinance in its entirety, including attachments, entitled:
"ORDINANCE NO. 2023-06. AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NO. 98-08 WITH REFERENCE TO ZONING WITHIN THE CITY OF GASSVILLE, ARKANSAS RELATIVE TO CHANGING AN AREA ZONED RESIDENTIAL (R-1) TO COMMERCIAL (C-2)."
Council Member Smith moved to approve the proposed ordinance after its first reading, which motion was seconded by Council Member McFarland. The vote was called for. Council Members Smith, McFarland, Seaman, Lassen, and Bird voted for the motion. There were no nays, and the motion was declared to be carried.
Council Member Smith then moved to suspend the rules and place the proposed ordinance on its second reading by title only. This motion was seconded by Council Member Seaman. The Mayor called for the vote. Council Members Smith, McFarland, Seaman, Lassen, and Bird voted for the motion. There were no nays, and the Mayor declared the motion carried. Recorder-Treasurer Lewis then read aloud the title of the proposed ordinance.
Council Member Seaman moved to approve the proposed ordinance after its second reading, which motion was seconded by Council Member Smith. The vote was called for. Council Members Smith, McFarland, Seaman, Lassen, and Bird voted for the motion. There were no nays, and the motion was declared to be carried.
Council Member Bird then moved to further suspend the rules and place the proposed ordinance on its third and final reading by title only. This motion was seconded by Council Member Seaman. The Mayor called for the vote. Council Members Smith, McFarland, Seaman, Lassen, and Bird voted for the motion. There were no nays, and the Mayor declared the motion carried. Recorder-Treasurer Lewis then read aloud the title of the proposed ordinance.
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Council Member Seaman then moved to adopt the proposed ordinance as read, which motion was seconded by Council Member McFarland. The Mayor called for discussion, then for the vote. Council Members Smith, McFarland, Seaman, Lassen, and Bird voted for the motion. There were no nays, and the Mayor declared the motion carried and Ordinance No. 2023-06 to be adopted.
Council Member Bird then moved to add an emergency clause to Ordinance No. 2023-06 and to approve said emergency clause in order that the ordinance can take effect immediately. This motion was seconded by Council Member Seaman. The Mayor called for the vote. Council Members Smith, McFarland, Seaman, Lassen, and Bird voted for the motion. There were no nays, and the Mayor declared the motion carried and the emergency clause to be adopted.
Mayor Braim then asked the City Council to move into executive session to discuss a personnel matter, and Council Member Bird moved to do so, seconded by Council Member Seaman. All Council Members voted in favor. The City Council then went into executive session at 6:50 PM.
The City Council returned from executive session and resumed the open meeting at 6:59 PM. No action was taken as a result of discussion in the executive session.
In other business, Mayor Braim announced that the new police vehicle on order is now at Bale Chevrolet, and the city will soon take possession of it. The final cost is $67,055.75. This will be paid for from the General Fund. The long-awaited new truck for the sewer line crew will require financing for a portion of the cost. Arvest bank has been found to have the best rate at 5.67% interest.
The Mayor asked that bookkeeper Cheri Cupa be approved as a fourth signer on city bank accounts. Council Member Lassen moved to authorize Cheri Cupa to be a signer on all city bank accounts, each of which requires two signatures. This motion was seconded by Council Member Bird. The Mayor called for the vote. Council Members Smith, McFarland, Seaman, Lassen, and Bird voted for the motion. There were no nays, and the Mayor declared the motion carried.
The matter of rental fees for the new pavilion in the city park was discussed. The current rental rate is $25.00 per day, which the Mayor and Council Members believed to be too low in comparison with fees charged at other comparable facilities.
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Council Member Bird moved to raise the pavilion rental fees at the city park to $50.00 for a half day and $75.00 for a full day. This motion was seconded by Council Member McFarland. The Mayor called for discussion, then for the vote. Council Members Smith, McFarland, Seaman, Lassen, and Bird voted for the motion. There were no nays, and the Mayor declared the motion carried.
In updates for the City Council, the Mayor:
1. Read a letter from Nancy Neaves complimenting the fire department and fire chief on their efficiency and services.
2. Read a letter from the Arkansas Municipal League asking him to serve as Chairperson of the Advisory Council for Cities of the Second Class and Incorporated Towns, which he agreed to do.
3. Announced he will be scheduling a workshop next month to discuss condemning several unsanitary and run down properties in the city, which the police chief has been gathering information on.
Council Member Lassen informed the City Council that Gassville resident Dalton Haley has expressed interest in being appointed as a member of the Gassville Planning and Zoning Commission.
There was brief discussion concerning the possibility of limiting or otherwise regulating by ordinance the number and placement of billboards in the city.
There being no further business to come before the City Council, the meeting then adjourned at 7:15 PM upon motion of Council Member Bird, seconded by Council Member McFarland, with all members voting in favor.
Submitted by: /s/ Jeffrey Lewis,
Recorder-Treasurer
Approved by: /s/ Jeff Braim,
Mayor
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