With each new year, come new committee assignments at all levels of government. The Blytheville City Council committee assignments, as a result, were announced recently.
Mayor James Sanders must appoint one member from each of the three wards to each of the six committees. Sanders said that he is very pleased with the make up of the committees this year.
"I feel good about them. I feel very good about my council. I'm confident they will work well together and bring both old ideas and new ideas to the table," Sanders said.
Each council member was appointed to three committees with the exception of two councilmen; R. L. Jones and John Musgraves. Jones was appointed to only two committees and Musgraves was appointed to four.
When asked if Jones had requested to serve on only two committees or if it was his choice, Sanders said Jones had not asked to have his load reduced.
"No. That would be an oversight on my part. I'll have to look into that," Sanders said.
Sanders said that before announcing his appointments, he said that he tried to get a feel for what they are passionate about.
"I ask of them what preferences they may have and what they care most about," Sanders said.
He also said that there are some members, though not still assigned to a committee, that are pledged to follow through on their projects until completed.
"The beauty of all this is that those committees are subject to change. If an individual wants to change to another committee, they can come to me with the other councilman and we can work on making that happen," Sanders added.
Despite the complicated and extensive issues going on with Thunder Bayou Golf Links, (whether it can be repurposed, whether it should be closed, how to trim their financial losses, environmental studies, and more), Sanders still decided to place two brand new members on the Parks and Recreation Committee. Those two new members are Councilman John Mayberry and Councilwoman Barbara Brothers. Nevertheless, Sanders is confident in their selection. "Both of them expressed interest in this area. Also, it's not a Thunder Bayou issue. As you know Mayberry has been involved with Missco Football and Brothers had expressed some interest in the parks. I want her to be able to entertain those ideas," Sanders said.
-- Code Enforcement and Animal Control (3 positions): Chairman John Mayberry, Councilman L.C. Hartsfield and Councilman John Musgraves
-- Parks and Recreation Committee (3 positions): Chairman R.L. Jones, Councilwoman Barbara Brothers and Councilman John Mayberry
-- Public Works Committee (3 positions): Chairman L.C. Hartsfield, Councilman John Musgraves and Councilman John Mayberry
-- Airport and Utilities Committee (3 positions): Chairwoman Barbara Brothers, Councilman R. L. Jones and Councilman Stan Parks
-- Police and Fire Committee (3 positions): Chairman John Musgraves, Councilwoman Barbara Brothers and Councilman Stan Parks
-- Finance and Purchasing Committee (3 positions): Chairman Stan Parks, Councilman John Musgraves and Councilman L.C. Hartsfield
Councilwoman Barbara Brothers - She is a member of three committees including: Parks and Recreation Committee, Airport and Utilities Committee and the Police and Fire Committee. She is the chairwoman of the Airport and Utilities Committee.
Councilman L.C. Hartsfield - He is a member of three committees including: Code Enforcement and Animal Control Committee, Public Works Committee and the Finance and Purchasing Committee. He is the chairman of the Public Works Committee.
Councilman R. L. Jones - He is a member of two committees including: Parks and Recreation Committee and the Airport and Utilities Committee. He is the chairman of the Parks and Recreation Committee.
Councilman John Mayberry - He is a member of three committees including: Code Enforcement and Animal Control Committee, Parks and Recreation Committee and the Public Works Committee. He is the chairman of the Code Enforcement and Animal Control Committee.
Councilman John Musgraves - He is a member of four committees including: Code Enforcement and Animal Control Committee, Public Works Committee, Police and Fire Committee and the Finance and Purchasing Committee. He is also the chairman of the Police and Fire Committee.
Councilman Stan Parks - He is a member of three committees including: Airport and Utilities Committee, Police and Fire Committee and the Finance and Purchasing Committee. He chairs Finance and Purchasing.