By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
A measure approved by members of the Colt City Council Thursday night will allow the city's police department to keep money that's been going to towing services inside the city limits.
Colt Police Officer Mike Hall introduced the idea of impounding vehicles on city premises during the monthly meeting of city council during Thursday's regular monthly meeting. According to Hall, after a recent stop he had the towing service haul a vehicle to the enclosed lot adjoining city hall.
"I know that the wrecker service charges $75 to haul vehicles and then charges $75 per day for an impound fee, and that's money that is leaving the city. I charged them $50 to pick up their car and the $75 wrecker fee, and we kept the impound charges," Hall told council members.
When asked what would happen with vehicles that are not claimed Hall said, "The legislators recently passed a bill that allows individual cities to keep any money they make from auctions instead of passing it on to the county. So, I would suggest we just auction them off if no one comes to pick them up, but most people won't want to lose their vehicle."
Council members unanimously approved a motion allowing Hall to continue impounding vehicles when necessary and holding them at a rate of $50 per day.
In other business, council members were updated on the status of the city's new well. According to Colt Mayor Virgil Keeler, the bid process has ended and the city's contractor for the project has signed an agreement stating that the well will be completed within 120 days of June 6, which will give the company until close to October to have the project completed.
"We've been working on this for awhile, and to know that we're this close to completing it is great. They haven't started work yet, but we expect them to begin soon, and by October, hopefully, they'll be finished," Keeler said.
Council members also agreed to authorize Keeler to sell a damaged police car.
By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
The Hughes School District is joining districts across the county and the state in seeking a millage increase, but due to recent restructuring, the increase to property owners in the HSD could be minimal.
According to HSD Superintendent Dr. Randy Crowder, board members have approved a measure to be put before district voters in September which would increase their millage by .73 mills.
"With the information that we've received from our financial consultant we'll be able to restructure our maintenance and operations so that we only needed to ask the voters for a very small increase," Crowder said.
If voters in the district reject the plan, the St. Francis County Quorum Court would be required to increase the HSD millage rate 1.2 mills.
Voters in the Forrest City School District will be faced with a 3-mill increase in September school elections. Last month, a millage proposal in the Palestine-Wheatley School District was approved to transfer 13.0 mills from debt service to the maintenance and operation fund.
A state law enacted earlier this year requires school districts statewide to have a minimum of 25.0 mills for maintenance and operation.
A series of briefings will help local government officials learn about federal and state disaster recovery, resulting from storms in May.
It was announced recently that 15 Arkansas counties, including St. Francis, had received authorization for federal disaster funds.
The funds to be discussed in the briefings are for local governments only.
The meeting for officials from St. Francis, Cross, Craighead and Poinsett counties will take place at 10 a.m. Tuesday, June 17 at the Poinsett County Courthouse in Harrisburg.
Assistance can include disaster aid in the form of reimbursement for debris removal, emergency protective measures, and costs to repair or replace roads, bridges and other public facilities damaged by the recent storms.
President Bush recently declared that a major disaster exists in the state, and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts.
St. Francis County Judge Carl Cisco said at the time that assessments are being made of damage done during the storms. He said it had been estimated that between $80,000 and $100,000 of damage had been done, although those figures weren't final. He said pipe has been replaced, and roads have been repaired.
The counties which have received authorization include St. Francis, Chicot, Cleburne, Conway, Craighead, Cross, Independence, Jackson, Madison, Newton, Perry, Poinsett, Van Buren, White and Woodruff counties.
The President authorized the aid following a review of FEMA's analysis of the state's request for relief. The declaration also makes cost-shared funding available for approved projects that reduce future disaster risks.
According to a press release, damage surveys are continuing in other areas, and more counties may be named later.