CITY COUNCIL MINUTES FEBRUARY 2022
CITY OF GASSVILLE, ARKANSAS
MINUTES FOR THE REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING
FEBRUARY 15, 2022
A regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Gassville, Arkansas was held on Tuesday, February 15, 2022 at the Gassville Community Center. Mayor Braim led those in attendance in saying the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag and he offered 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 Ernest Adkins, Council Member Naomi Lassen, Council Member Kenneth Smith, Council Member Ralph Bird, Mayor Jeff Braim, and Recorder-Treasurer Jeff Lewis. Council Member Tim McFarland and Council Member Anita Seaman were 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 January 11, 2022 regular meeting had been provided to each Council Member. Council Member Bird moved to approve the minutes as presented. This motion was seconded by Council Member Adkins. There were no additions or corrections asked for, whereupon the Mayor called for the vote. Council Members Adkins, Lassen, Smith, and Bird voted for the motion. There were no nays, and the motion was declared to be passed.
The financial report for the month of January, 2022 was presented to the City Council. Council Member Lassen moved to approve the financial report as presented. This motion was seconded by Council Member Bird. Mayor Braim then asked that the City Council make a minor adjustment to Street Fund expense budget line item #2341 (Operation and Maintenance) by appropriating an additional $15,000 to the $40,000 previously appropriated to this line item. This is for engineering costs for the South Johnson Street renovation project. The expense had been previously authorized as part of a resolution that was passed accepting state aid street monies, but no specific appropriation had yet been made for that purpose. Council Member Lassen moved to approve this additional appropriation to the line item specified. The motion was seconded by Council Member Smith. The Mayor called for the vote on this motion, and all Council Members in favor voted for the motion. There were no nays, and the motion was declared to be passed. The Mayor then called for a vote on the previous motion to approve the financial report. Council Members Adkins, Lassen, Smith, and Bird voted for the motion. There were no nays, and the Mayor declared the motion carried and the financial report to stand approved.
Police Chief Mayfield gave the police department report for the month of January, 2022. It was accepted into the record without objection.
Fire Chief Glotzl gave the fire department report for the month of January, 2022. It was accepted into the record without objection. Chief Glotzl presented the City Council with a list of equipment in the fire department's inventory that needed to be removed from inventory as being outdated, non-operational, or of no further use to the department. One of these items, an automatic external defibrillator, inventory #0184, would be traded in for a newer model. The list is attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference. Council Member Adkins moved to authorize the removal of these items from the fire department inventory and to dispose of them in a manner allowed by law. This motion was seconded by Council Member Bird. Mayor Braim called for discussion, then for the vote. Council Members Adkins, Lassen, Smith, and Bird voted for the motion. There were no nays, and the Mayor declared the motion carried.
Mayor Braim gave the building inspection report for the period of January 7th through February 6th. It was accepted into the record without objection.
Council Member Lassen reported that the Gassville Planning and Zoning Commission had met and conducted a public hearing on a re-zoning request by Danny Montgomery of the former OMART property. No objections were voiced to the proposal, and a formal recommendation was made to the City Council to approve the re-zoning request.
The Mayor reported that the Cotter-Gassville Joint Sewer Commission had met last Thursday. Operations at the Wastewater Treatment Facility are normal. A spare gear box has been ordered from oversees to have in stock as a backup. He also announced that interviews of job applicants are being conducted now.
There was no unfinished business on the agenda.
Under new business, the City Council first took up consideration of Proposed Resolution 2022-04 with respect to the utilization of state aid street monies for overlay projects. Council Member Bird moved to have the proposed resolution read aloud for consideration. The motion was seconded by Council Member Lassen. The Mayor called for the vote. Council Members Adkins, Lassen, Smith, 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 resolution entitled:
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"STATE AID CITY STREET PROGRAM PROJECT RESOLUTION. RESOLUTION NO. 2022-04. A RESOLUTION EXPRESSING THE WILLINGNESS OF THE CITY OF GASSVILLE TO UTILIZE STATE AID STREET MONIES FOR THE FOLLOWING CITY PROJECT:"
Mayor Braim then called for a vote to approve the resolution as read. Council Members Adkins, Lassen, Smith, and Bird voted for the motion. There were no nays, and the Mayor declared the motion carried and Resolution 2022-04 to be adopted. These overlay projects will include North Johnson Street and the portion of Baxter CR 710 that is inside the city limits.
The next order of business was consideration of a re-zoning request from Danny Montgomery that had been referred to the City Council by the Gassville Planning and Zoning Commission. Proposed Ordinance No. 2022-01 had been prepared for consideration of that issue. Council Member Smith moved to place the proposed ordinance on its first reading. This motion was seconded by Council Member Adkins. Mayor Braim called for the vote. Council Members Adkins, Lassen, Smith, 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, entitled:
"ORDINANCE NO. 2022-01. AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NO. 98-08 WITH REFERENCE TO ZONING WITHIN THE CITY OF GASSVILLE, ARKANSAS RELATIVE TO CHANGING AN AREA ZONED SPECIAL USE TO COMMERCIAL (C-2).
Mayor Braim then asked the City Council to hold a vote on passing the proposed ordinance on its first reading. Council Members Adkins, Lassen, Smith, and Bird moved to pass the ordinance after first reading. There were no nays, and the Mayor declared the motion carried.
The Mayor informed Mr. Montgomery, who was present in the audience, that it was now up to the City Council to determine whether or not to proceed with further readings of the ordinance at this time, via suspension of the rules, or to have the second reading at the March meeting as would be the standard procedure. Mr. Montgomery spoke briefly and asked the City Council to consider moving forward with further action on his re-zoning request at this time.
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Council Member Adkins 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 Bird. Mayor Braim called for the vote. Council Members Adkins, Lassen, Smith, and Bird voted for the motion. There were no nays, and the Mayor declared the motion carried. Thereupon, Recorder-Treasurer Lewis read aloud the title of the proposed ordinance.
Council Member Smith then moved to further suspend the rules and to place the proposed ordinance on its third and final reading by title only. This motion was seconded by Council Member Adkins. Mayor Braim called for the vote. Council Members Adkins, Lassen, Smith, and Bird voted for the motion. There were no nays, and the Mayor declared the motion carried. Thereupon, Recorder-Treasurer Lewis read aloud the title of the proposed ordinance.
Council Member Adkins then moved to adopt the proposed ordinance. This motion was seconded by Council Member Smith. Mayor Braim called for discussion, then for the vote. Council Members Adkins, Lassen, Smith, and Bird voted for the motion. There were no nays, and Mayor Braim declared the motion carried and Ordinance No. 2022-01 to be adopted.
Following the adoption of this ordinance, the City Council moved on to other business and considered a budget request from the police department. Police Chief Mayfield informed the City Council that although the establishment of a police department savings account for future equipment purchases had been discussed at previous budget meetings, there had never been any formal action taken to authorize the opening of that account. Chief Mayfield reported that in the 2021 operating budget the City Council had appropriated $2,500 for police department equipment purchases. None of that money was spent in 2021, and it had been intended that the $2,500 be moved over into a savings account for future use. This did not happen. The City Council has again, in the 2022 budget, appropriated $2,500 for police department equipment items. Chief Mayfield does not know if all of that money will be spent this year or not, and he would like to be able to move any unused money from this line item into a savings account at the end of the year. After a period of discussion, Council Member Bird moved that the city proceed now to open a savings account for police department equipment, that $2,500 be immediately appropriated from the General Fund to be placed into said savings account, and that any remaining unused funds in the 2022 budget expense line item #1473 (police equipment) be moved into the savings account at the end of this year.
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This motion was seconded by Council Member Adkins. Upon the Mayor's calling for the vote, Council Members Adkins, Lassen, Smith, and Bird voted for the motion. There were no nays, and the Mayor declared the motion carried.
In other police department business, the Mayor asked the City Council to consider paying off the outstanding loan balance on police vehicles previously purchased in order to save interest expense, noting that the General Fund balance can withstand the additional appropriation. The balance on Loan #70191010 is currently $19,166.61. Council Member Lassen moved to appropriate the necessary amount from the General Fund to pay off loan #70191010 for police vehicles. This motion was seconded by Council Member Bird. Mayor Braim called for the vote. Council Members Adkins, Lassen, Smith, and Bird voted for the motion. There were no nays, and the Mayor declared the motion carried. It was also noted that the older police vehicle used by part time officers is not in mechanically good condition and will need to be replaced at some point.
Mayor Braim then updated the City Council on various items, to-wit:
1. With respect to the federal compliance audit, a conference call was recently held with Mr. David Coleman of the BKD accounting firm in Rogers, the firm that will be conducting the audit. It was learned that an audit of the water and sewer system for 2021 will have to be completed separately by June 1st to submit with the federal compliance audit. Although the city initially believed that BKD would prepared that audit as well, it was learned that the city will need to arrange for the water and sewer audit portion itself. Mr. Brian Haas, who normally prepares Gassville's water and sewer system audit, has agreed to prepare the 2021 water and sewer audit and try and meet this deadline.
2. Mayor Braim provided the City Council with a copy of Arkansas Act 605 of 2021, which will govern water system operations and mandate training for City Council members in the coming years.
3. With respect to the $50,000 recreation trails grant the city obtained, which is federal money, the Mayor stated that $1,250 has to be paid up front to NWAEDD for administrative services, with an additional $1,250 due upon completion of the project. This is a reimbursement-type grant, and quarterly reporting will be required.
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4. Superintendent Dewey reported that the city's backhoe is finally back in operation after being out of commission for two months awaiting repairs. He would like to replace the backhoe with a newer model. Some savings are already in place for this purpose.
5. The Mayor expressed frustration over the very limited number of job applications that have been received for vacant city positions, despite the wages having recently been increased.
There being no further business to come before the City Council at this time, the meeting then adjourned at 6:46 PM upon motion of Council Member Bird, seconded by Council Member Smith, with all members voting in favor.
Submitted by: /s/ Jeffrey Lewis
Recorder-Treasurer
Approved by: /s/ Jeff Braim
Mayor
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