GOSNELL -- Members of the Gosnell City Council approved the renewal of the city's contract with Vector Disease Control Tuesday night, in a vote that split the group, four to two.
Councilmen Eric Blount and Ed Guthrie voted against the contract renewal, while Councilwomen Nita Reams, Tammie Fulks, Rhonda Smith and Melissa Sellers voted for it.
The contract will be renewed, and the council did not discuss the issue while in session, but Councilman Eric Blount explained his reasoning for voting against the measure afterward.
"I voted no because I believe we need to spend our dollars more toward infrastructure and security," he said. "I"m not against mosquito control, I'm against the expense of it. We're going to need that money to offset expenses in street repairs. We needed to raise the garbage rates by $3 and then drop the mosquito control fees. We have big expenses coming to us in street repairs. I use this analogy: if your roof has a leak, you don't buy a hot tub. Mosquito control is a luxury, something additional you do after you pay your other bills."
The council also discussed its plans for the building of the city's new veterans memorial. So far, 27 bricks, which will be dedicated to members of the armed services, have been purchased. Those bricks will be used to form a patio surrounding the memorial. The memorial is being completed, and Mayor Don Marshall said plans are in place to hold a dedication ceremony for it at 10 a.m. Thursday, May 24, in front of city hall.
Bricks can be purchased for $30, and can be inscribed with three lines of 14 characters each. They can be purchased from memorial committee members Fred Roberts, Lloyd Wright and Bud Carmon, or at city hall. They can be purchased in honor of anyone who has served in the armed forces, and families may purchase multiple bricks to be placed together.
Also Tuesday, the council chose not to raise garbage fees, hearing from Councilwoman Rhonda Smith, who said, "I just don't think we're at a point where we should put that on our citizens."
Council members made notes on the city's first quarter revenue and expenditure statements, to be reviewed by Marshall and his staff, and also took home copies of a proposed hiring policy, to be discussed at next month's meeting.
sharris@blythevillecourier.com