By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
The Forrest City City Council on Tuesday heard first reading on the 2001 city budget and also heard first reading on an ordinance giving the mayor more power to make purchases without competitive bidding.
The council also voted to restrict people from addressing the council unless they are on the agenda.
The budget calls for expenditures of just over $7.3 million. It includes a salary increase of $3,000 for Mayor Larry Bryant, a 5 percent across-the-board increase for everyone in the City Clerk's office, and a 3.5 salary increase for most other city employees.
Some of the expenditures will include $517,466 for administration; $21,700 for city hall expenses, $44,480 total for city attorney expenses, $122,718 for the city clerk's office; $251,531 for municipal court expenses; $1,040,108 in solid waste expenses; $118,110 in pest control expenses, $784,279 in fire department expenses; $2,299,979 in police department expenses; $379,411 for parks and recreation expenses; $102.590 for civic center expenses; $180,000 for library expenses; $950,524 in street department expenses.
The ordinance on bidding drew protests from several council members, but Bryant and City Attorney Knox Kinney stated that the ordinance is simply following state law.
The new ordinance allows the mayor, or his authorized representative, to make purchases on behalf of the city for up to $10,000. The current city law allows the mayor to do that only for expenditures up to $5,000. The new ordinance would also increase the mayor's right to purchase gasoline or asphalt without bids from $10,000 to $20,000.
There is also a change in the wording of how expenditures over $10,000 are to be handled, which caused discussion.
In both the current and proposed ordinances, the method for advertising bids and opening bids are established. The change comes over who has final authority to accept or reject bids.
According to the current ordinance, the award of a bid is to be to the lowest responsible bidder, "provided however, that the mayor or city council may defer award of contract upon said bids for verification of compliance with bid specifications" and later says, "the mayor and council reserve the right to reject any and all bids."
In the proposed ordinance, the wording is changed to state that "the mayor or his duly authorized representative may defer award of the contract..." and later to state that a "the mayor or his duly authorized representative shall have the right to reject any and all bids."
Alderman Glenn Ford said he thought $5,000 was enough money to allow the mayor to spend without seeking bids.
"I think it would be a mistake (to let the mayor make purchases up to $10,000)," he said. "It's all right if we have to have a special session (in an emergency). The council should have some say-so about finances. I think $10,000 is too much. We should leave it at $5,000."
Kinney said the ordinance was following state law.
"Mr. Kinney, are you telling this council that we have to go along and give the mayor authority for $10,000?"
"I think the mayor already has that authority by state law," Kinney said.
Harris said he would like to see something in writing.
Alderman Cecil Twillie said if it is state law, a city ordinance shouldn't be necessary.
Harris also objected to the language over how bids are to be awarded.
Alderman Chris Oswalt also objected.
"Now you're telling us that the city council has no right to reject any bids whatsoever, but the mayor has the right to reject any and all bids?" he said. "So we could accept something and the mayor could turn around and reject it?"
"I'll have to answer again, the same way," said Kinney, in stating that it was state law.
Kinney said the ordinance was only on first reading, and council members could study it and contact the Municipal League to discuss the law.
At one point, Bryant got a law book and read the law to the council.
On a final matter, the council reelected Harris as president pro tem, to preside over the council in Bryant's absence. Committee memberships were appointed, and then the council turned its attention to who should be allowed to address the council.
Alderman Glenn Ford said anyone should be allowed to speak, whether they are on the agenda or not, if that person is recognized by his or her alderman.
Others said they preferred the practice of having people contact the mayor's office ahead of time in order to be put on the agenda. After discussion, it was moved that people who want to address the council must notify the mayor's office no later than noon on the Thursday before the council meeting.
On the vote, Harris, Oswalt, Roy Hancock and Mary Jeffers voted yes, Ford voted no, while Twillie and John Gadberry both abstained. Bryant cast a yes vote.
It's time once again for the annual Slimathon, sponsored by the St. Francis County Farm Bureau Women's Committee.
Slimathon 2001 will have the same rules as past Slimathons. Participants are to form teams of at least five members, or a maximum of 10 members, to be eligible for the prize. A participant can be a member of only one team.
The initial weigh-in will be Thursday, Jan. 18, between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m., at the Farm Bureau office at 417 N. Rosser Street in Forrest City. A fee of $10 per participant will be collected at weigh-in time.
The weigh-out will take place at the Farm Bureau office on Thursday, March 15, during the same hours as the weigh-in. A picture ID will be required at weigh-in and weigh-out. All information will be confidential.
There will be optional weekly weigh-ins, each Thursday beginning Jan. 25. These weigh-ins will be between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., and then 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Participants should weigh near the same time with the same amount of clothing. Shoes on or off is an option, but must be consistent throughout the competition.
Participants are encouraged to have a daily exercise plan and to keep a food diary. Weight loss through a balanced, low-calorie diet and increased energy expenditure is the goal.
Pregnant women should not participate without written approval from their physicians. Pregnant women who deliver between the beginning and end of the contest will not be eligible to be included on their team's weight loss or individual prizes.
Farm Bureau says it is not responsible for illness or injury incurred by participants.
Weight losses will be computed by a percentage system, rather than total pounds lost. Results will be tabulated by March 16, 2001. These results will be computed by dividing the total pounds lost by the total starting weight.
Persons who gain weight are figured in as a zero. A person who does not return for he final weigh-out will be figured in as a zero.
Prize money will be distributed equally among winning team members, regardless of pounds lost. Teams are encouraged to take before-and-after pictures.
By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
St. Francis County is one of 52 Arkansas counties which will receive expanded aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
The assistance will help residents and business owners in the designated counties and may include grants to help pay for temporary housing, minor home repairs and other disaster related expenses. Low-interest loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration will also be available to cover residential and business losses not fully compensated by insurance.
According to St. Francis County Judge Carl Cisco, this expansion will help county residents.
"We've been working to try to get the expanded aid for the area. The county will receive help with some of the costs of removing trees and clearing roads and ditches. We have a number of elderly people in the county that couldn't remove debris from their yards, and this aid will help those people. All in all, it's good for St. Francis County.
Arkansas Department of Emergency Management (ADEM) Director W. R. "Bud" Harper said that homeowners or renters insurance should be the first recourse for homeowners.
"If you have homeowners or renters insurance, please call your insurance company right away to see what help they can offer. Their help may be the fastest way to recovery. They might pay for hotel rooms, living expenses, home repairs and replacement of personal items damaged by power outages or power surges," said Harper.
The original funds will pay 75 percent of the eligible costs for debris removal, emergency services related to the disaster and restoring damaged public facilities.
The counties included in the declaration are: Benton, Bradley, Calhoun, Clark, Cleveland, Columbia, Crawford, Crittenden, Cross, Dallas, Desha, Drew, Faulkner, Franklin, Garland, Grant, Hempstead, Hot Spring, Howard, Jefferson, Johnson, Lafayette, Lee, Lincoln, Little River, Logan, Lonoke, Madison, Miller, Mississippi, Montgomery, Nevada, Ouachita, Perry, Pike, Polk, Poinsett, Pulaski, St. Francis, Saline, Scott, Sebastian, Sevier, Washington, White, Woodruff, Union,and Yell.
The ADEM is suggesting that everyone who incurred expenses during the storms save all receipts from their expenses.
"The best way to speed up the process of getting insurance or government money to reimburse you for the costs of home repairs, temporary housing or other disaster-related costs is to have receipts for expenses," said Joe D. Bray, Federal Coordinating Officer with FEMA in a press release.
To apply for disaster recovery assistance from FEMA, ADEM and the U.S. Small Business Administration, call (800) 462-9029 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. seven days a week. Individuals with speech or hearing impairments may call (800) 462-7585.
As of press time today, students in the Forrest City School District were expected to return to classes on Thursday from an extended holiday break.
Students have been out of class since Wednesday, Dec. 13. The original Christmas break was set to begin on Friday, Dec. 22. However, the Dec. 12 ice storm brought with it extremely cold temperatures and a wide-range of power outages that forced schools in the area to begin the break early.
Forrest City School District Superintendent Lee Vent this morning said the time has come for the break to end.
"Right now, it looks like all systems are go for school to resume on Thursday," Vent said. "The heat should pick up enough today to melt some of the county roads and a hard freeze is not expected tonight. I may have to make a last-minute call on it, but right now, all systems are go."
Vent continued, "I have been out on the county roads, and we made the right call for today. But, the forecast is in our favor for school the rest of the week."
As of today, the students have lost five days of school on this year's calendar.
Vent said the district will appeal to the State Department of Education for some leeway in making those days up since the county has been declared one of the state's disaster counties. "We have contacted them (ADE), but we've not discussed the situation at length," Vent said. "The state department may forgive us, but North Central is a whole different matter."