By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
Five aldermen and Mayor Larry Bryant met Tuesday night and hashed out the finishing touches on the budget for 2003, which will be presented to the full council at its next meeting.
As usual, most of the discussion concerned salaries.
The budget as originally proposed contained an across the board increase of 3 percent for all city employees. However, there were some requests for larger increases.
After some discussion, the aldermen present agreed on a 7 percent increase for Mayor Larry Bryant. This will increase his salary to $59,000. He had asked for about $62,000. Bryant said he believed he should get at least as much as the last mayor was getting as a base salary. He accepted the figure the aldermen arrived at.
Those present were Cecil Twillie, Mary Jeffers, Glenn Ford, Chris Oswalt and Richard Benson.
Another agreement was to give a 5 percent raise to the Code Enforcement Officer. Then Bryant said the City Clerk's salary needed to be increased in order to maintain the difference between her salary and that of the CEO.
Bryant said a letter had been received by the Workforce Alliance, asking for $5,000 to help with its computer education program. The letter said the grant would be matched. The aldermen agreed to include that amount in the Legal Contributions and Advertising budget, for which $47,000 is set aside in the administration budget. That budget includes the Food Pantry, CARE Center, the County Museum and Community Voices. With the addition of the Workforce Alliance, the expenditures will come to about $41,000.
Also discussed was the city's contribution to the Forrest City Area Chamber of Commerce. The aldermen agreed to increase the Chamber's contribution to $30,000.
"With no strings attached?" asked Bryant. "Everybody else we give money to has a contract and they tell us what they're going to do with the money and how they're going to do it."
Benson suggested that a Chamber representative be invited to a council meeting to discuss it.
Several aldermen said there needs to be a way to keep from getting into individual salary discussions every year. Louise Fields, an alderman-elect who will take office in January, said she believed the council will do that next year.
By ALAN SMITH
T-H Staff Writer
The Forrest City Water Commission discussed Christmas bonuses and the possibility of replacing some equipment after the first of the year during their monthly meeting Tuesday.
In regard to the holiday bonuses, FC Water Utility Manager Jim Beazley said, "It looks like to me that the city is set on passing a 5 percent raise and $500 bonuses," said Beazley. "If that's what the city does, then that's what I think we should do. Even if they go with other numbers, I think we should follow their lead."
The commission voted unanimously to give the same raise and bonus amounts that the city approved, which, at this point, is actually a 3 percent across-the-board raise and a $500 bonus for full-time employees and $250 for part-time employees.
Beazley then requested permission to look into the purchase of a new backhoe and the addition of three new crew trucks.
"I'd say that we should replace the backhoe first. It's always in need of repair and not worth repairing all the time. The trucks are needed, but could come later." Commissioners agreed to let Beazley price the equipment.
The meeting ended in an executive session where a salary matter was discussed, but no decision was made.
By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
The Forrest City Advertising and Promotions committee unanimously approved $25,000 in spending for the 2003 Rumble on the Ridge basketball tournament.
During the monthly meeting of the A and P commission Tuesday, tournament founder and director Bill Baxter gave committee members an update on the success of this year's tournament and plans for future installments. According to Baxter, although tournament attendance was down this year, the volunteer effort from the community is still going strong and the future of the Rumble appears bright.
"Our attendance was down this year, and I think that had a lot to do with the importance of the Razorback game on Friday and the fact that our local team didn't have as strong a performance as they have in the past. Last year, our attendance was good because we had quite a few teams from Eastern Arkansas in the Rumble," Baxter said.
According to Baxter, efforts to increase interest in the Rumble are varied and may, next year, see the introduction of the first team from above the Mason/Dixon line as well as the return of one of Forrest City's biggest rivals. Baxter told committee members that efforts are in the works to bring in a nationally ranked team, and he also told the committee that the West Memphis Blue Devils may make a return.
"To try to get more interest in the tournament, I've spoken with our sponsor about additional funding to try to bring in a nationally-ranked team that will have to fly in from New York or Washington D.C. We're also talking to West Memphis about coming back, because they've expressed interest in coming back and they always bring a good crowd with them," Baxter said.
According to figures presented by Baxter, the tournament made just over a $500 profit this year and the total income from the Rumble was $43,400. Ticket sales accounted for $12,900 of the income; $4,000 was from sponsorship; $25,000 came from the A and P Commission and $1,500 came from the community foundation. Baxter said that close to 100 volunteers helped with the three-day event.
Committee members also agreed to further fund the Rumble through advertising with actual dollar figures to come later.
In other business, the commission agreed to extend the time frame for up to $40,000 in matching funds for a $160,000 federal grant to the St. Francis County Museum, for six months, According to Laura Mazzanti, SFC Museum director, the $160,000 grant from the Department of Transportation, which will make structural improvements to the building, was issued in December of 1999, but has been bogged down in paperwork. Mazzanti told commission members that work has progressed and the bidding on the improvements could begin as early as January.
By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
Members of the St. Francis County Quorum Court Budget Committee approved close to $17,000 in appropriations during their meeting Tuesday night, in an effort to pay outstanding bills from the May primary election and the November general election.
By a unanimous vote, justices agreed to the appropriation after hearing that election employees had still not been paid for work done during the runoff election three weeks ago. According to Justice Regan Hill, Tuesday's appropriation will pay all remaining election bills, with the exception of an $11,000 bill to Election Systems and Services for ballots used during the May primary.
According to figures presented by Hill, the cost for St. Francis County elections for 2003 were $2,808.17 over budget, prior to last night's appropriation. The total appropriation for elections now stands at $49,406.93, with $9,655.54 being reimbursed from the state. County officials said they are expecting the state to foot the bill for the May ballots, but if that is not paid, the justices will have to appropriate the additional $11,000, pushing the total to over $60,000 for the two elections.
In other business, justices made their first amendments to the 2003 budget approved in November when they appropriated $560,000 for the months of January and February. During last night's meeting, justices agreed to use the same appropriation for the first two months of 2003 that they used for 2002. According to Hill, justices had to adjust the funding until the numbers for the final tax settlement were received.
"We still don't have the actual amount of money that we're going to have to work with, so we need to work with the appropriation that we used last year. Once we've got our totals on the final settlement, we'll have a better grasp on what funds we have to work with," Hill said.
According to Hill, the appropriation called for the St. Francis County Museum to receive the same amount it received in 2002. In November museum officials argued over cuts to the museum's funding from the county. According to Hill, although the cuts remained, the funding would cover the first nine months of 2003 at which point officials could petition the court for more funding.
"We're going to give them the same amount that we gave them on a monthly basis until September, then the Museum will have to petition the court for additional funding, and if it's available we'll see then, but that's the best that we can do right now," Hill said.
At the insistence of Justice Jack Crumbly, justices agreed to pay an additional $4,500 to both the St. Francis County Food Pantry and the St. Francis County CARE Center, once the final tax settlement is received. Crumbly went to bat for the charities during budget talks last month and again sought the additional funding that he said was promised during 2002 budget talks.
"We agreed last year to hold off on funding either one of these charities until July of 2002, and at that point they would be paid their monthly installments. What we also agreed to do, was at some point make a lump sum payment to both that would pay them the $9,000 that we've been giving them. Out of a $7 million budget, I'm pretty sure that this county can find $18,000 to give to charity," Crumbly said.
By ALAN SMITH
T-H Staff Writer
Patrol cars in Palestine may take on a different look if the city agrees to have them sponsored by advertisers.
Palestine Police Officer Todd Baggett presented a proposal to the Palestine City Council Tuesday night that would see city police vehicles sponsored by businesses.
According to Baggett, the sponsorship will be similar to those in the NASCAR racing circuit and will give the department new cars at a fraction of the regular cost.
"These cars are fully-equipped police vehicles," said Baggett. "Where as the cost for a new cruiser, fully loaded, would be $28,000, these sponsored cars are $1. The cost is for a new car for three years, after that the cars are replaced with more new cars with different advertisers. Areas in Tennessee and New York already have them."
Before receiving approval to pursue the matter, Baggett assured council members that advertising would not promote tobacco, alcohol or firearms usage.
Mayor Willetta Carroll updated the council on a proposed plan for Christmas bonuses that would be the same as those given last year, with one exception.
"The bonuses we figured up are the same percent as last year, 4 percent, of gross annual income, except for the fire department," began Carroll. "The fire chief has agreed to pay half of the firefighters bonuses, and the city will pay the other half."
Councilman Rick Plunkett voiced support for a raise in the percentage. "I feel that we should get a higher percentage this year. Right now we give 4 percent and that equals about three or four hundred dollars for each employee. We should give more."
Despite Plunkett's request, and after some discussion, the council unanimously voted to approve the proposed Christmas bonuses. The total cost to the city for the bonuses will be $4,500.
In other news, the council voted to purchase a new copier for the city hall and tabled debate on the proposed 2003 budget until the next meeting.
The Forrest City School District bands will host their annual Christmas Concert Thursday, Dec. 12, beginning at 6:30 p.m., in the high school cafeteria.
Five bands, including the Lincoln Middle School Band, the Junior High Concert Band, the Junior High Symphonic Band, the High School Concert Band and High School Wind Ensemble, will perform.
The cost of admission is $1, or a canned good item for the St. Francis County Food Pantry.
In addition, there will be a drawing for a 31-inch television set donated by Sanyo Manufacturing. High School band members will be attending the 2003 Band Competition in Orlando, Fla. in March, and proceeds will help defray some of the costs.
The St. Francis County Food Pantry is in crucial need of donations, according to Catherine Freeman.
"We are about empty," she said. "We need donations bad, or we're going to have to close down a week ahead of time. We are running out of food, period. This has never happened before. I know it's been a rough year."