By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
The Forrest City City Council on Tuesday granted a variance to the Forrest City School District to place a 70-to-80-foot tall flagpole at Mustang Arena.
Current law puts a 35-foot limit on flagpoles in town.
Mayor Larry Bryant said the school district is currently conducting a fund-raiser to get $10,000 to $15,000 for the project.
FCSD Athletic Director Bill Baxter attended the meeting. He said the idea had not been presented to the Planning Commission because of time considerations -- there are hopes of having the flagpole erected by Veterans Day.
"We had intended to put a flag at Mustang Arena, and 35 feet is the maximum," said Baxter. "I've been in contact with some of these flagpole companies, and I'm telling you, right now is a very difficult time, because they're out of flags. There's no way to get it done going through normal channels."
He said he believes the funds can be raised.
"Our goal is an 80-foot high flagpole, with a 15-to-25-foot flag on the pole, that will be lighted 24 hours a day, and be visible from the Interstate, we hope," said Baxter. "We feel the time to do it would be right now. I wish we'd had time to go through the normal procedures, but the Planning Commission doesn't meet until October. And by the time we went through everything we would not have time to have it by Veteran's Day."
Baxter said the flag would be at least 200 feet from any private property. He said the lights used on the flag would not bother residents, "unless you have an 80-foot house."
The vote was unanimous.
On a related patriotic matter, Bryant said he had been trying to think of a York City and Washington, D.C.
"I was trying to find a way that we could make a statement in our own way, the City of Forrest City. This is just a small gesture but would represent all the citizens of Forrest City."
He asked the council to approve $1,474.70, representing the population of Forrest City, be appropriated and sent to an appropriate organization, such as the Red Cross or Salvation Army, for relief efforts.
On another matter, the council heard from the Police Committee, which recommended that all certified officers be paid the same entry level pay, including those who are in a probationary period. The committee had met with Police Chief Clarence McNeary recently after two new officers had complained.
After some discussion, the vote was 7-1, with Mary Jeffers casting the only no vote. The pay increase will be retroactive to Jan. 1.
In other action, the council heard bids from five firms that want to take care of the city's garbage disposal. Because of the diversity of the bids, the bids will have to be studied.
Bids were submitted by Waste Corporation of Arkansas in Wynne, King Disposal Inc. of Forrest City, Delta Disposal of Jonesboro. Riverside Environmental Disposal of Marion and B&B Disposal of Jonesboro.
Mayor Larry Bryant said the companies would be notified of the city's decision within the next 10 days.
The council also accepted two other bids, one on a brush chipper and the other on a leaf vacuum. Vermeer Sales and Service of Cordova, Tenn., will be awarded the bid pending a check of the specifications. The Vermeer bid was the lowest of two bids, at $20,250. The other bid was $23,760 from Henard Utility Products of Searcy.
There were also two bids for the leaf vacuum, and the bid will also be awarded to the lowest bidder pending a check of specifications. The low bid was $13,900 from Little Rock Equipment Sales. The other bid was $17,960, from Henard Utility Products.
On another matter, Bryant reported that there had been 75 arrests over the last three months for loud music.
The council also heard second reading on two ordinances -- one to require uniformed emergency personnel to live within the city and the other to prohibit any increase in charges or fees for use of city facilities without city council approval.
By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
With the current budget period coming to a close, St. Francis County officials are now faced with the task of budgeting the county's general account for the remainder of the year, with money running short to the estimated tune of $331,000.
According to one committee member, that could mean salary cuts or possibly more layoffs.
County budget committee members met last night to begin the process of formulating a new budget for October, November and December.
According to Quorum Court member Regan Hill, all attempts to formulate the new budget have left the county in the red.
"We feel like we'll have $800,000 in revenue coming in over the next three months. We know that in January we have our major insurance expense, so we have to take out $75,000 knowing that we're going have to pay that. The auditors have told us that we have to pay some of the money to the accounts that we have borrowed from in the past and in those accounts are also accounts that have a negative balance and they have to be balanced at the end of the year. That figure is $151,000," Hill said, adding, "We also have discussed over the last three or four months that we have to have a carryover of at least $250,000 into next year. When you add in the salaries and fringes for all of the county employees that gives you $517,000 for October, November and December. Once we figured in the health insurance and utilities, we were left basically $331,000 in the red."
According to Hill, even if the county did not include the carryover figures, the county would still be $81,000 in the red. Hill also told committee members that with the state of the general account as it is, salaries might be one of the options for cuts.
"I know this is something no one wants to discuss, but it's coming down to salaries. I know everyone hates that but we're but it's coming down to employees and salaries and cuts and things that we have been putting money into other accounts. We're at the point where we may have to throw everything that we can into county general," Hill said.
Other quorum court members also echoed Hill's sentiments.
Justice Sam Armstrong said, "What would a factory owner do? If a major factory was having these types of problems then there would be layoffs. I hate to say that just like everybody else, but that's what we're looking at."
Justice Donald Cagle suggested to committee members that before layoffs are made, county officials look at all programs to find cuts.
"We've got elected officials who have been elected by the people to do a job. We can't keep asking them to make cuts in their offices because that affects the way that they can serve the community. I'm sure that there are programs that the county has been helping to fund that we can pull some money out of that will help this some," said Cagle.
Justices agreed to postpone any decisions regarding a budget until a special budget committee meeting called for Tuesday, Sept. 25, at 7 p.m. when proposals will be submitted on the budget. Hill asked all quorum court justices and elected officials to submit any proposals they might have to the County Judge's office so that the budget committee could review them.
In other business, during an abbreviated quorum court meeting, St. Francis County Treasurer Ann Harbin submitted the monthly balance report to justices. On Sept. 1, the county general balance was just over $14,000 as compared to $35,000 at the same time last year. Justices agreed to meet in a special session next Thursday to determine the appropriation for the next three months.
Incumbents held on to their school board positions in the only contested races in Tuesday's school elections.
According to unofficial returns, in Palestine-Wheatley, Ronnie Crider held on to his Zone 4 seat, 50-20 over Charles McGowan.
Likewise, incumbent John Henry Parker pulled in 62 votes to only 6 for challenger Phyllis Autry.
There were no other contested races in St. Francis County, resulting in an expected low turnout. In fact, according to the county clerk's office, only 306 voted county-wide.
In Forrest City, Ronald Williams was uncontested for Position 3, while Gordon McCoy was uncontested for Position 4.
In Hughes, Bobby Allison was unopposed for Zone 1.
By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
Dan Curtner, former chief of the Wynne Fire Department, was introduced Tuesday night as the new fire chief in Forrest City.
Mayor Larry Bryant made the introduction during the regular city council meeting. Curtner addressed the council briefly.
"I appreciate the opportunity to come up here and work with people," he said. "I've known them in the past when I was at Wynne. We've always worked together. You have a very good department, and I think we can work together to make it even better."
This morning in an interview, Curtner, 52, said he had retired, but came to a point where he wanted to get back into fire fighting. A native of Wynne, he had been with the Wynne Fire Department for 32 years, about 11 of those as chief.
"I had retired up there and had been retired going on to two years now," he said. "I had a job there in Wynne, there at Graham Hardware, been there a little over a year. And this opening came up and I decided I'd see if I could get back into it. It just kind of gets in your system. It's hard to turn loose of it."
Curtner said there are always some challenges with a new job.
"New challenges -- it's always new when you walk into a new place," he said. "There'll be some changes made. They're not gong to be earth shattering or anything like that but there will be some changes made.
"We'll work together. We'll find some of the things that they do best, and I'll have some ideas of some things to change. I think it will be a good marriage of the two. We'll work things out and improve things."
He said one of the things he and Bryant had discussed was improving the city's fire rating, and getting some new equipment. They also discussed the possibility of a new fire substation near the bypass and what it would entail.
There were rumors from the area that Curtner had resigned under pressure. He denied it.
"That is not so," he said. "To be honest with you, I was burned out. I was tired. I thought I had accomplished everything I could accomplish at Wynne. When I first took over as chief, I had set some goals and had reached and met those goals. But I just had the opportunity, and was lucky the mayor decided to give me a shot at it."
By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
Members of the Forrest City Water Commission agreed unanimously Tuesday morning to submit a letter of opposition to the extension of water services to a proposed subdivision west of Forrest City.
At the recommendation of Forrest City Water Utility Manager Jim Beazley, commissioners agreed to submit the letter, which is expected to be approved at an Oct. 2, special meeting of the commission, to city councilmen. According to Beazley, his primary opposition to extending services to the area is based upon the fact that the subdivision is located about five miles from the existing city limits.
"If this city was really growing and developing in that direction it would be one thing, but this development is moving away from the city, and to me that just takes away from it. I think that there should be some orderly growth to expansion of the city," said Beazley.
Beazley also said that another of the factors in his opposition is the length of time that it might take for a subdivision that far from Forrest City to be annexed, and the condition of the equipment the water department would get upon annexation.
"At the rate the city is growing in that direction, it might be 10, 15 or even 20 years before that area is annexed in, and we would have to take in a system that might not be up to standard. We wouldn't maintain the system until the city took over that area, and that also has to be a factor in our decision. In my opinion, I have to oppose extending services out that way," said Beazley.
Commission member Rickey Benson agreed with Beazley, and added that extending services to an area located that far from Forrest City might encourage more growth away from the city limits which might begin to tax the water department.
"We've been handling these requests on a case-by-case basis, and I don't see why that should change. If this was going to be right up against the city limits it would be different. If we do it for this subdivision then we'd have others that might do the same thing and expect the same services," said Benson.
In other business, Beazley told commissioners of the special meeting Oct. 2, which will also cover the opening of bids for work on the water tower on Kittle Road and bids for the construction of a storage facility to be located at the Water Department shop.