Council approves purchase of vehicle for mayor

The Blytheville City Council voted Tuesday evening to purchase a 2017 Ford Expedition 4x2 XLT to replace the 2007 Chevrolet Suburban that the Mayor’s Office is currently assigned. The Expedition will serve as the city vehicle provided for the mayor.

The Expedition’s original sticker price was $51,125. Taking $1,700 in discounts, $7,750 in rebates and $4,500 in trade-in (2007 Chevrolet Suburban), the actual price approved by the council was for $37,175 with Cannon Ford and Nissan of Blytheville.

Blytheville Chief Financial Officer John Callens announced in the last Finance Committee that the city had, earlier this year, budgeted $30,000 for a new vehicle. Therefore, a resolution was passed Tuesday evening to amend the 2017 city budget, moving $8,000 from the “general fund surplus” to “administration equipment replacement” to cover the overage.

During the last Finance Committee meeting the committee agreed to amend the 2017 budget, moving $150,000 from Street Repairs Surplus to Street Repairs; however during the Tuesday City Council meeting, no mention of this proposed amendment was made and it was not presented in any resolution.

Sanders told the CN after the meeting that the city would have to hold a special meeting for the proposed amendment before the “associated projects” could continue.

In other business the council unanimously passed a resolution awarding a contract with Jowers General Contracting “to conduct reconstruction and replacement of storm drainage at the southeast end of McHaney at Elm Street.” The cost of the project is $81,915.

The council also unanimously approved a contract with Barker Brothers Asphalt. Barker Brothers will resurface 138,056 square feet of Franklin Street, including the intersections at Cherry St. and at McHaney St. The contract will be for the amount of $134,000.

Mayor James Sanders also mentioned an issue caused by new construction at Arkansas Northeastern College (ANC).

“We’ve run into some different problems with their fire suppression system and we’ve been looking into some alternative ways to make those things happen. As a result we have been in contact with Dr. (James) Shemwell and there has been a remedy put forth that would involve a pump being placed on that premise,” Sanders said.

Sanders stated that he had been in contact with the Arkansas Municipal League. The plan under consideration is for ANC to cover the cost of the pump system, which has been estimated at $177,000. The city will then allow the cost of the pump system to be taken off of ANC’s water bill until repaid. Sanders stated that the city is still looking into this plan to make sure that it can be done legally.

Sanders also said that the Water Department is still performing GPS mapping of the city’s water meter locations.

“What you will probably see is two guys walking together and one of them will have a long staff that kind of looks like Moses’cane. But at the same time they will be putting it down there in the ground by the meters and it will be mapping the location of all of these meters,” Sanders said.

The council also voted to condemn certain properties and they ordered that the structures be demolished and removed. The properties are: 413 E. Moultrie St. owned by Grant Moore, 1502 W. Ash St. owned by Edward and Angela Cullins, 1400 W. Ash St. owned by Paul Copeland, 1509 W. Ash St. owned by John and Patricia Battles and 1800 W. Main St. owned by Joseph Smith.

gwilliams@blythevillecourier.com