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March 16, 2006MINUTES WEST MEMPHIS CITY COUNCIL MARCH 16, 2006 A regular meeting of the West Memphis City Council was held on Thursday, March 16, 2006 at 1:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers at City Hall, 205 S. Redding, West Memphis, Arkansas. Mayor Johnson called the meeting to osier at 1:38 p.m. Councilor Helen Hams gave the invocation. Phillip Para, City Clerk, called the roll. Those present were: Mayor William H. Johnson, City Attorney Davld Peeples, City Treasurer Frank Martin, and Councilors, Helen Harris, James Holt, Joyce Gray, Clarence Davis, Vickie Robertson, Ramona Taylor, and Herntan Coleman. Absent.' Councilor Marco McClendon, Harold Thomas, and Lorraine Robinson. Quorum being present, Mayor Johnson proceeded with the meeting. BIDg Bids for Police Department, seven (7) police vehicles, were opened and tabulated at 1:00 p.m. Copies of the tabulation sheet were given to the City Council. Councilor Taylor moved seconded by Councilor Davis to accept the bids and refer to the Police Commission for final disposition. Upon voice vote, the voting was unanimous. The motion carried. (See attached) MINUTES Councilor Hams moved, seconded by Councilor Davis to dispense with the reading of the minutes of March 2, 2006, and approve as presented. Upon voice vote, the voting was unanimous. OLD BUSINESS 2nd Reading An ordinance granting a special use permit for the property located at approximately 500 Cox Street, to allow an assisted care facility in a R-4, medium density residential district. City Attorney Peeples read the Ordinance for the SECOND time. Councilor Hams moved, seconded by Councilor Davis to suspend the rules and the Ordinance be placed on its third and final reading. Due to there not being a representative from Life Strategy to answer a question, Councilor Robertson moved to table the third reading until the next council meeting. Councilor Gray seconded the motion. Upon voice vote, the motion to table passed unanimously. NEW BUSINESS O-1 An Ordinance to waive competitive bidding for repairs of Layne Pump Number LA95-674 and for other purposes. City Attorney Peeples read the Ordinance for the FIRST time. Mayor Johnson requested this ordinance be read three times because the pump is an out of service water well and needs to be repaired. He explained the reason for waiving competitive bidding was because the well is in the ground and has to be pulled out to get an estimate. Councilor Taylor moved, seconded by Councilor Holt to suspend the rules and the ordinance be placed on its second reading. Upon voice vote, the voting was unanimous. City Attorney Peeples read the ordinance for the SECOND time. Councilor Hams moved, seconded by Councilor Holt to further suspend the rules and ordinance be placed on its third and final reading. City Attorney Peeples read the Ordinance for the THIRD AND FINAL time. Discussion was held regarding the repair time. Upon voice voting the voting was unanimous. The Ordinance was adopted and assigned No. 2142. Councilor Taylor moved, seconded by Councilor Holt to add (R-1) to the agenda. Upon voice vote, the voting was unanimous. R-1 A Resolution to rename that portion of Red Cross Road west of Airport Road and within the city limits of West Memphis, Arkansas to Hino Boulevard. City Attorney Peeples read the Resolution. Councilor Taylor moved, seconded by Councilor Coleman to approve the Resolution. Upon voice vote, the voting was unanimous. The Resolution was adopted and assigned No. 1832. PERMISSION REQUE8T3 Councilor Hams moved, seconded by Councilor Taylor to approve payment of $59,476.25 to OMI for management of the wastewater treatment plant for the month of April. Upon voice vote, the voting was unanimous. Councilor Taylor moved, seconded by Councilor Holt to approve the distribution of the mayor and council's portion of charity day funds from Southland as presented. (Copy attached) Upon voice vote, the voting was unanimous. COMMITTEE REPORTS Personnel Committee -Councilor Taylor reported they discussed the budget and the possibility of city employees getting a raise. 2 Parks Commission -Councilor Holt reported they awarded the bids on scoreboards. There was a tournament held last weekend at Tilden Rogers Park with 41 teams from 6 states. This was estimated to have generated from $200,000 to $300,000 in revenues for West Memphis. Public Works Committee -Councilor Taylor reported they recommend an ordinance change lowering the Sanitation Depreciation Fund amount from 1896 to 10°~6. This will be brought back in ordinance form. They also recommended temporary utility service customers be charged $13.00 per month garbage fee to discourage keeping their account on temporary service for an extended period of time. This item will go the Utility Commission as a recommendation. They heard a complaint regarding tree limbs and explained that if more that one grapple load is picked up, there is a $137.50 fee charged, which pays the city's landfill costs. Budget Committee -Councilor Holt reported they discussed the temporary service sanitation charge and the other recommendations from Public Works. Minutes of the meeting were handed out. Advertising 8 Promotion Committee -Councilor Taylor reported on the usage of the civic complex. She welcomed their new employee and said what a good job he is doing with the local channel 17 and has added local weather to it. She handed out the 2008 Calendar of Events. West Memphis is hosting a hospitality university May 30m for the businesses in that industry. They approved the first payment of $25,000 for the first flight of the Crittenden County marketing plan. The dates for the first flight are March 27"'thru May 21~ on channel 3 and 5. They also purchased advertising with the Red Birds. Fire Commission -Councilor Taylor reported certificates of promotion were given to Fred Thorne and Wendell King. Pertect attendance certificates were given to Chief Eddie Spears, Ridcy Webb, Mark Miller, Deputy Inspector Dennis Brewer, and Chief Arburt Rot~inson. The new pumper is expected to be in service by the end of March. They publicly wanted to express what a good job the City Shop is doing under the leadership of Rex Suggs in repairing their emergency vehicles as a priority. Mayor Johnson announced that Homeland Security will be making a presentation to the Fire Department of a new Font Expedition to be used in hazmat. Utility Commission -General Manager John Rimmer reported they awarded the bid for two trucks. They received an $84,000 bill for the chemicals that were discharged into the sewer system which is expected to be paid by the industries that discharged. Myra lee Brown - 504 S. 18m -requested something be done about young adults playing basketball in the streets of her neighbofiood. She said they create loud noise, refuse to move, and use bad language. She said that if the police come and make them leave, they just come back. She said something needs to be done to permanently fix this problem. City Attomey Peeples is to research this matter and said if there is not something in place, he will bring something back to the council as a permanent solution. Councilor Holt reported the Park Commission is addressing a solution to the problem of children not having a place to play basketball. Councilor Hams had some questions for City Attomey Peeples. She wanted to know as a member of the governing body and as a representative of Ward 5 Position 2, did the city have an ordinance in place that states that they can not sit in on a meeting that involves a aty employee. She also asked if they are not as a city counal person, over the aty employees the same as the mayor. City Attomey Peeples said the City Council acts as a body of ten members. No City Council person, outside of that, has any authority other than as a member of a body of ten. He said there is no ordinance that addresses that you can not sit in on a meeting with a city official and a city employee. Those meetings are employment matters, and he said there is no legal right for that employee to have legal representation, the assistance of any city council member, or any body else, in matters of that employment that deal with that employee and their immediate supervisor. City Attomey Peeples said the mayor is the individual that has the authority to determine all employment matters. The mayor hires and fires. Councilor Gray asked for a copy of the law that says that. City Attomey Peeples is to research and provide that for her. Councilor Coleman announced the Police Commission would not meet immediately after this meeting as requested by Inspector Sanders to awar the bids for the police vehicles because the Police Commission were not informed of the bids at their last meeting. Inspector Sanders explained that they discussed the bids for new police vehicles for non uniform police cars and uniformed police cars at the January Police Commission meeting. Lt. Sanders said he was not able to attend the last meeting because he was out of town. He said that the money was in the budget and they are on a time line to orcler these vehicles because the manufacturer only produces police units at certain times during the year. The police cars they are using now are way above the mileage they like to run them on. He asked them to please reconsider and have a special called meeting to award these bids so that they could order the vehicles. Councilor Coleman refused to meet. Mayor Johnson asked if the other members present that are members of the Police Commission would meet. The only members present were Vickie Robertson and Clarence Davis. It takes at least two members to be present to conduct business, and Councilor Robertson said she would not meet. Having no further business to come before the City Council, Councilor Gray moved, seconded by Councilor Coleman to adjourn. Upon voice vote, the voting was unanimous. The meeting adjourned at 2:25 p.m. PASSED and APPROVED this ~'~l day of April, 2006. ~'`~--, WILLIAM H. JOHN N, MAYOR ATTEST: ~- PHIL ,CITY CLERK Minutes prepared by: Cindy Gre ood, CMC Sr. Deput ity Clerk CITY OF WEST MEMPEi1S 205 S. Redding • P.O. Box 1728 • West Memphis, Arkansas 72303-1728 • (870) 732-7500 BID TABULATION SHEET CITY OF WEST MEMPHIS MARCH 16, 20006 POLICE DEPARTMENT SEVEN POLICE PURSUIT UNITS BIDDER FORD OF WEST MEMPHIS ROSS FORD CHUCK HUTTON CHEVROLET STEVE JONES - GMC MACHEN FORD &CRYSLER STEVE JONES CRYSLER DODGE MIKE BENNAGE CHEVROLET BID PRICE nt ' $ 1 I ~~ ~ t "1 ac~~ ~ oc fig, c~c~7, ~s. vq ~.. /~, 9~"3.~s s ~°?a. ~cs.c~ m~QP ~y~3~s:c,~ S $ Sa, ~mn~} An Equal Opportunity Employer O OD W CJt N W O U1 ~l ~ 00 CJi O OD CTi Ut OD O O OD W W S W O W CJ1 O ~ ~00 ~O -~ -~ O -~ ~000 CT CTt 0 0 W W O O CJ1 O N O Cr CJ1 O N N O CTS Cn C O O N N O O O ~ oo ~DDoo i n oo °co ~w~•° ~ ~ ~~ o. F ~ ~ N ~ ~ fn O m ~~ ~ o C 7 N ~ O ~ n fn p (p -+ . '~''~ ~ ~,~ O ~ . Tlp vN (p rt ~~r -I ~. ~° ~ o ~ ~ ~ p n~~o ,~ ~ ~ 0 ?~ o spy ~~ ~ n~i ~:~ ~n n ~n~ na Q ~ m c 00 ~ ~ 2 ~ ~D < ~ ~ ~ ~ p~ j ~ ~ ~ ~ w ~ Q[ ) ~ 0 L T ~ 2 aTY ~ N i ~ O ~ O ~. O ~ O C7 ~ o a ~ o