By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
The Forrest City Airport Commission will offer to share the cost of a feasibility study on a possible regional airport; but only to see if such an airport is, in fact, feasible, and not to include site selection.
The commission made that decision Monday night at its regular meeting, after hearing from Dan Clinton, consulting engineer.
The commission will use money from the Federal Aviation Administration's Non-Primary Entitlement funds for the year 2001. Clinton and the commission members had copies of a letter from the FAA stating that if the 2001 funds are not obligated by Sept. 30 of this year, the money will be forfeited. The 2001 funds amount to $103,388.
"You've got three years of money," he said, meaning for 2001, 2002 and 2003. "One of the things they're asking for is that you give some money for regional planning. And I'm all for giving money for a feasibility study. I think before we go too far, somebody needs to do a feasibility study to see if a regional airport is really necessary."
Clinton said the cost of a feasibility study might range from $25,000 to $75,000. He said it would be difficult to predict a cost.
"Here we're talking about two counties (St. Francis and Cross), two cities (Forrest City and Wynne), two industrial bases, we're talking about a prison that could use an airport. I think the commission would be prudent to offer funds out of its 2001 money for this feasibility study."
Clinton said he also had suggestions about what to do with the other money, and after discussion the commission agreed to use some of the 2001 money, along with some 2002 money, to make some improvements to the airport.
"I think we should proceed with improvements at this airport," he said, referring to safety and security. "We could spend some of these monies on electric gates, which allows access to everyone who needs it, but does not make it easy for the general public just to get on the airfield. We need the FAA standard seven-foot fence with barbed wire on it."
He said the seven-foot fence would particularly be needed along roads.
Other possibilities include a new beacon and runway lighting.
Clinton also told the group that the airport's master plan is having corrections made in it that the FAA has requested.
"We'll have the master plan completed within the next two to three weeks and ready for final dispersal to the FAA," he said.
The master plan includes an extension of the runway and new, parallel taxiways. The commission is concerned that plans for a regional airport might cause the master plan to be abandoned by the FAA.
On another matter, the commission approved the final version
of the new airport lease, by which Hutcherson Flying Service will
continue to manage the facility. The commission also agreed to
continue having Clinton as consulting engineer.0
By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
After a slow start prompted at least in part by bad weather, building permits shot up in April, totalling more than the first three months of 2003 combined.
Permits for April were issued for projects valued at $1.186 million, bringing the year's total to just over $1.7 million.
"They skyrocketed, didn't they?" said Chester Crossen, code enforcement officer. "The weather turned better, and we got a lot of things started. The winter was so bad we just couldn't do much. The wet weather, the ice and snow -- people were afraid to break ground."
The largest single project is a new structure at 902 Holiday Drive, valued at $734,851, to house a Physicians Office Building.
Other commercial projects receiving permits included a slab and new building at Store Services, 120 West Street, valued at $17,000 and $65,000, respectively. Also, Ridout Lumber Co. at 1832 W. Broadway, is building an addition for $15,000.
There were also numerous residential projects, including two new houses, one duplex, three additions, a new fence, two storage buildings, two siding projects, a carport, one roof repair project, three remodelings, a burnout, and one permit to repair water damage.
In a recent meeting, members of the Indigent Care Board of St. Francis County were given a copy of a proposed agreement between the board and Baptist Memorial Hospital-Forrest City and St. Francis County.
Under the agreement, $1 million will be withdrawn from the Indigent Care Fund, and the hospital will continue to pay the money to the fund, based on what the interest on the $1 million would be.
The $1 million is to be used to finance improvements to the hospital's physical plant.
On another matter, the board was informed that there was $15,958 available to pay on indigent accounts, and the board voted to pay that amount.
The board also heard an update from hospital CEO Paul Cade on the progress being made on two projects -- a Women's Center and Physicians Office Building.
"There are several phases you have to go through," Cade said. "The next big step for the Women's Center is to get state approval. We're in the process of getting state approval. The architects have presented another draft."
He said construction began recently on the Physicians Office Building.
A Forrest City woman was hospitalized Monday after apparently shooting herself accidentally.
The Forrest City Police Department received a call at about 4:41 p.m. that there had been a shooting at 618 W. Sharp.
The officers found Darlene Holmes, 37, of that address.
She told officers she had accidentally shot herself.
Holmes was taken to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Forrest City, and later was airlifted to the Med in Memphis.
Sales tax receipts in St. Francis County during January were reported recently by the Arkansas Municipal League.
Of the county sales tax, St. Francis County government received $120,713.74. Towns within the county also received the following amounts of the county tax: Hughes, $23,924.90; Forrest City, $189,323.22; Wheatley, $4,767.04; Palestine, $9,495.64; Madison, $12,648.04; Caldwell, $5,958.80; Colt, $4715.78 and Widener, 4,292.88.
In addition towns within the county which have their own sales taxes received the following: Forrest City, $141.281.41; Hughes, $6,305.51; Madison, $1,935.95; Palestine, $3,901.17 and Wheatley, $2,474.50.