Tuesday night, the Blytheville City Council kept property taxes at 5.0 mills, but that figure may change at the next Council meeting.
After Tuesday night's meeting, a Blytheville Courier News reporter handed Mayor Barrett Harrison and each of the four City Council members present a copy of the Oct. 21, 2008 Council minutes.
According to the minutes the Council was to chop off the mill it added to property taxes last year because voters kept on a 1/4-cent tax for the police and fire departments.
"We sure did," Councilwoman Shirley Connealy said, saying it was an oversight.
Harrison said he thought the Council agreed last year it could take off the mill, not necessarily that it would.
"At the October meeting, they will have to bring this millage issue back up again," Harrison said. "But we have until the first of November to send our millage numbers to the county."
Harrison said this morning he planned to write a letter of veto for the ordinance.
The ordinance passed Tuesday night, by a 4-0 vote, sets the millage at 5.0 with 4.0 mills going to the General Fund (maintenance and operations), 0.5 going to the firemen's pension and 0.5 to the policeman's pension. Councilwoman Shirley Overman and Councilman Mylas Jeffers were absent from the meeting. Overman was having surgery, while Jeffers was representing the city at the Delta Caucus in Washington, Harrison said. Councilwoman Connealy, Councilman R.L. Jones and freshmen council members Monte Hodges and Carol White all voted to keep the millage the same.
Last October, the City Council raised property taxes 1 mill, specifically to pay for Mississippi County Jail fees.
At that time, the Council also decided to rescind the mill this fall if voters kept on the 1/4-cent tax, which voters did in February.
"You can tell the people that you will rescind the mill next fall, but I will also tell you if the sales tax doesn't pass, you're going to need to put that other one on (the second proposed mill last year)," Harrison said at last October's meeting, "because there is no other source of revenue."
According to the Oct. 21, 2008, City Council minutes, Councilwoman Overman "moved that the millage for the general fund be increased to 4.0 mills to replace the 3.0 mills, and that the increased revenue be used to pay the jail boarding fees, and the millage to be reduced next year if the voters agree to keep the 1/4-cent sales tax that is sunsetting in January, 2009."
On Tuesday night, Harrison said little of the city's revenue comes from property taxes.
Meeting ADEQ's
requirements
Meanwhile, Brad Davis of SSR Ellers engineering, suggested the city budget sewer capital improvement projects in the 2010 budget, then later finance a multi-million dollar upgrade to the sewer system over time, something the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality is requiring.
"This is a demand from ADEQ," Davis said.
The city of Blytheville is currently under a consent order from ADEQ. At issue is infiltration and a lack of standby power at the wastewater treatment plants and pump stations.
SSR Ellers is working on a Comprehensive Collection System Evaluation (CCSE), which is due to ADEQ by Oct. 10.
Davis said three months later the city will have to submit a milestone proposal. He said the trick is that the proposal satisfy ADEQ's requirements without the city overspending on the project.
"We are in the process of writing the final report and putting the cost estimates together for that work," Davis said. "The CCSE will outline a multi-year plan for evaluating the sewer system and making repairs to pump stations and rehabilitating the sewer lines. This plan will likely involve spending millions of dollars over several years."
Davis recommended the city focus on budgeting for standby power at the wastewater plant and pump stations in the 2010 capital improvements budget.
He noted the cost for standby power would be around $190,000 at each of the city's three treatment plants.
Davis added two portable generators on a trailer for the pumping stations would cost about $135,000; three quick connections at the three pumping stations another $102,000 to go along with the $60,000 engineering fee.
Harrison proposed the city budget $500,000 for standby power.
The mayor said the call date on the wastewater revenue bond is Jan. 11, noting the city would be able to refinance the bond and generate about $2.2 million.
Harrison added revenue bonds are voted on by the city council, not residents.
"If you could fund a half a million dollars worth of standby power for next year in capital, and then next fall you would fund the bonds with $2.2 million, that would work out well," Davis said. "That way you're not having to do any kind of revolving loan. You're not having to get into any of those programs. You are financing it by yourself."
Davis explained some of the federal loan programs that he said come with a lot of red tape as well as costing the city some of its power to set rates.
He added using the city's own money would show ADEQ it is serious about correcting the problem.
"I was happy to learn the call date on our bonds was what it was because that's going to allow us to do even more work sooner than ADEQ ever dreamed we'd be able to," Harrison said. "We should be in pretty good shape, depending on what you all do with the budget in 2010 with the backup power."
Storm water
utility proposal
Davis also addressed the city's storm water issue.
He suggested the city consider making storm water a utility as other cities have done.
"That utility operates a lot like the water utility or wastewater utility," Davis said. "It's a second entity that's set up."
He said typically, cities charge a $2-3 fee per month that goes into a fund, which can only be used for storm water issues.
"That's the only way a lot of cities are having money to address the drainage problem," Davis said, noting storm water is becoming more and more regulated.
Other business
In other business Tuesday, the Council:
-- Agreed 4-0 to purchase a Caterpillar back hoe for Public Works. The Council gave Harrison the authority to finance the back hoe, which is $80,577. The lease payment is estimated at $1,800 a month. Harrison said he would go to the local banks first. Public Works is currently using a back hoe on loan from Caterpillar in West Memphis, after the old one blew up for the second time, recently, Public Works director Rick Mosley said.
-- Tabled an ordinance setting procedures for lawn irrigation systems.
-- Heard a report from Vector Disease Control's Tim Nelson, who said the mosquito season is "on the downhill side." Anyone wishing to have their property sprayed for parties or to have a cup of coffee in the backyard, may call Nelson, he said. Vector's number is 532-9102, and his cell is 740-8577.
-- Heard a recycling report from Connealy, who said the city is looking for a grant to pay for 30-gallon bags, which cost $3,500 for 100 cases. She said more and more local residents are recycling. Connealy asked that recycling be a topic at the next quarterly Ward meeting. She noted she recycles and now only has to put her garbage can on the curb every other week.
-- Heard from Louis Rankin about the upgrades he is spearheading at Williams and Cypress parks. Rankin said the community seems to be energized. He added volunteers are making it possible. Connealy asked Rankin to keep up with volunteer hours because she is working a project to show how much volunteerism there is in Blytheville. Recently, there have been three events at Williams Park, Hodges said. Rankin thanked the Council and city for supporting the effort.
-- Heard a report from Waterworks director Matt Mosley, who said the Arkansas Department of Health recently did its once-every-three years survey of the city's water system. The report said the city's water system is in good condition and operation. ADH's main concern was that the maximum demand is 80 percent of the system's capability. ADH asked the city to come up with a longterm plan to determine if and when a future increase in the water treatment plant's capacity is needed.
-- Heard from White that Archer engineering has begun the engineering phase of the Lee Circle drainage project. White said she met with the Mississippi County Core Committee regarding the ditches and was told one or two ditches belong to the county. She said committee members told her when their ditches travel through the city it is the city's responsibility to clean them.
-- Signed a card for Overman, who is expected to come home from the hospital today, Harrison said.
mbrasfield@blythevillecourier.com