Discussion has begun on how the city of Blytheville will use street money when the bonds retire next year.
The bonds are estimated to sunset May, 2010.
On Tuesday night, Public Works director Rick Mosley gave the Blytheville City Council's Streets and Drainage committee a list of potential street projects.
He said in the past, council members have divided the money equally in their wards for street projects.
Streets and Drainage Committee chairperson Carol White said the city needs to prioritize the streets based on need, not which ward they run through.
She said an engineer should develop the list of the most critical street projects.
"Where is the greatest need? That's where we need to pump the money," White said. "It's like a doctor looking at the patient, and we've got all these problems with the patient. But if you don't do the heart, it doesn't make any difference if you've got problems with the foot or the hands. You've got to deal with the heart first."
She noted some areas in the city have never had sidewalks.
Councilman Mylas Jeffers said,"Ward 3 has been neglected for so long."
Mosley added South Elm is the street most in need of repairs, in his opinion.
Meanwhile, White told the committee Mayor Barrett Harrison said the Greater Blytheville Area Chamber of Commerce was charged with gathering a list of streets that needed repairs in 2006. She said the list included five streets.
"I do think the Chamber of Commerce has not adequately studied what needs to be done ...," Jeffers said. "I don't believe they have concentrated in the areas of town that have been severely (impacted by bad streets). I don't think they've done that kind of research."
This morning, Harrison said the Chamber did not do an actual study. He said the Chamber's Infrastructure committee simply listed streets it noted needed work.
Mosley said this year the street department has done only "raw bone maintenance" because of a lack of funding.
He noted the department has patched streets when they become not drivable.
Meanwhile, the committee agreed that Council members should look at communication responsibility.
The committee said communication responsibility should be clear between council members, the city department heads and their supervisors.
White said, for example, before directing Mosley to take action on a request, council members should take it to his supervisor, Mayor Harrison, per a memo from city attorney Mike Bearden.
mbrasfield@blythevillecourier.com