Caraway City Council set dates for public town meetings and formed a search committee to study budget cutbacks at the meeting held Thursday, Nov. 3.
Town meeting dates were set to discuss the city sales tax, and include Tuesday, Nov. 29, at 6:30 p.m., and Monday, Dec. 12, at 6:30 p.m. Mayor Barry Riley will check with Riverside School to see if a meeting can be held in the school auditorium in Caraway.
Councilmen Joe James, Mitchell Tipton, and John Boatman agreed to join Mayor Riley on a committee to look for further cost savings in the 2012 budget.
The council went into a brief executive session to discuss the resignation of Police Officer Glenn Austin. After reconvening no action was taken by the council.
Police Chief Pete Hicks had earlier accepted the resignation of officer Austin.
Mayor Riley reported the GIF Community Enhancement Grant for ballpark bleachers in the amount of $58,000 has been completed and sent for approval.
Water Superintendent Terry Couch reported the batteries on the city dump truck are bad. Once the truck is operational it will be removed and sold for scrap metal.
Craighead Electric has consented to put up light poles at the city arena. The council expressed appreciation to Tony McCormick for his help in getting this work done.
Mayor Riley expressed appreciation to Glenda Baker, Asa Boatman, Bernard and Joyce Berry, as well as other volunteers, who helped clean the city cemetery this fall.
Mayor Riley and the council agreed to use $5,000 of the Legislative money to purchase a new sign to replace the old one in the city park area.
The next regularly scheduled council meeting will be 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 8, at city hall.