A proposed hiring freeze failed to receive the needed two-thirds majority to pass during Tuesday night's Blytheville City Council meeting, coming up one vote short.
The freeze, which was lifted by the Council in January, would have prevented some departments from hiring new employees.
However, certain classifications of employees would have been exempt, including the police and fire departments, professionals such as engineers, architects, etc., for specific projects, and personnel holding special licenses or certifications "essential to providing necessary services to ensure the health and safety of the citizens of the City of Blytheville."
Voting in the affirmative for the hiring freeze were Councilmen Tommy Abbott, Kevin Snow and R.L. Jones. Voting against the hiring freeze were Councilmen John Musgraves and Stan Parks.
Parks questioned how much the hiring freeze would save the city.
"Basically, the purpose of this is to allow us to cut payroll by attrition," Abbott responded. "If nobody quits, it won't save a nickel. Our payroll is part of the problem, but it's not necessarily the biggest part of the problem. The biggest part of the problem is we don't have enough revenues to support the General Fund overall. It could be zero; it could be potentially, depending on how long we leave it in place, in the hundreds of thousands of dollars."
Parks pointed out the city recently purchased new equipment that will require additional manpower.
He noted the new mini-excavator was bought to clean out ditches, but currently sits idle at Public Works because the operator is busy with other duties.
Parks added the new leaf vacuum truck will soon arrive and it will need an operator as well.
"I think the citizens prefer to see the city cleaned up," Parks said.
He added the city should be more aggressive in collecting on the delinquent water bills and the more than $1 million in outstanding fines.
Snow noted the goal of the Finance Committee was to bring the salary numbers back down, adding that employees from different departments could be shifted to another to fill a needed role.
Abbott said the departments would be able to bring their needs to the Finance Committee, which could consider exempting the request from the hiring freeze.
"We all understand the importance of continuing to provide services, but we also need to be very much aware of the fact that we've got a huge deficit to overcome," Abbott said, adding it will take all departments working together.
Parks called it disheartening to finally have equipment and be unable to use it; and Abbott agreed.
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Also Tuesday night, the Council voted 5-0 to waive bids and allow Jowers Construction to do $73,696 in utility work before the upcoming Moultrie Drive overlay, which is being funded mostly by the State Street Aid fund. The job involves removing and replacing multiple areas of concrete paving that are deteriorating, broken or lifting.
Meanwhile, the Council voted 4-2 against reconsidering renaming Marguerite Street "Gene Henton Drive."
Jones asked that the Council hear a letter from Henton and then vote with all six members present.
Voting against Jones' motion were Abbott, Parks, Snow and Councilwoman Missy Langston, who left the meeting before the new business portion of the agenda.
Jones and Musgraves voted for Jones' motion.
In March, the Council voted 2-2 on renaming the street; the measure needed four yes votes. Langston and Parks were both unable to make the March meeting. Jones and Musgraves voted in favor of the Henton Drive proposal, while Abbott and Snow voted against it.
Meanwhile, also Tuesday night, the Council heard a mosquito report from Tim Nelson of Vector Disease Control.
Nelson noted Vector is getting good kills with a new chemical.
mbrasfield@blythevillecourier.com