Hope City Board
The Hope City Board met in the City Hall Boardroom on Tuesday (1-16). After the prayer and pledge of allegiance, the meeting went into a public hearing with Taylor Marshall. Jeff Smithpeters asked about the costs and benefits to the city. Marshall responded that there would be no cost to the city and jt is a tax benefit to Tyson. It js a ten-year deal and could be up to $75 million.
City Manager JR Wilson asked if there was a default what would happen. Taylor responded that the property would revert to Tyson. The city would have no responsibility.
County Treasurer Judy Flowers asked about a payment schedule being sent to the county with the response that is not normally how Tyson does it, instead it is assessed over time.
After the public hearing was closed the minutes from the previous meeting were reviewed and approved.
City Attorney Randy Wright read the lease agreement. There was a motion to suspend the rules and a motion to adopt. Both these motions passed.
After that were two items for Hope for the Future. The first was an introduction to project financing and bond underwriting by Friday, Edredge, and Clark LLP and Crews and Associates with Jason Holsclaw representing them. This had to do with what the tax rate would be, what it would cost, and the type of tax with or without Operations and Maintenance financing
Marshall would help prepare the ballot measures and make sure it would be flexible to changes over time. The ballot measures should be completed by July 1st or earlier if there are issues of conflict. This means public meetings to decide what to finance before that date
The second Hope for the Future item was the presentation of services by McClellan Consulting Inc. with Dave Beranik speaking to the Board. This firm would work out of Little Rock and help with the imagery as well as dollars and cents. They would take comments from a public survey to pull out what is important. A couple of projects they have done elsewhere were shown to the board as examples. One example was an Osceola Water Park and the other of a soccer park in Maumelle.
Street Department overlay and millage bids were discussed. There were two bids for asphalt of which the bid by Tri-State at $119.80 per ton was recommended. There was a bid for millage by Johnsonville Co LLC at $5.15 per yard. There was a motion to accept the recommendation for Tri State for asphalt and another one for Johnsonville Co for millage.
The Hope Fire Department asked for a surplus declaration for 9 face masks and 16 cylinders. There was a motion to authorize the sale. This was seconded and passed.
A wastewater ordinance for new sewer system rates which have been lowered from 32% to 25% was proposed. There was some discussion over the actual rates as they may be a little above 25%. There was a motion to suspend the rules, a motion to adopt and an emergency clause. All of these motions passed.
The board voted on the Tourism Commission appointment of Charlton Luker. His term would run until December 31st, 2027. There was a motion to accept the appointment which was seconded and passed.
A waive bid ordinance on the Fire Department Acquisition of a new ladder fire truck was proposed. The truck should cost $150,000. After the reading by Attorney Randy Wright there was a motion , which passed, to accept the waive bid ordinance.
In City Manager’s report JR Wilson talked about the use of fly ash mixed with soil remediation of the landfill project. This would reduce the cost for citizens of the project.
The Arkansas Regional Municipal League went well and was attended by Dr.Linda Clark, Mark Ross, Reginald Easter and City Manager Wilson.
Wilson talked about the flyers with the Survey Monkey survey about the city project.
Three board members terms will expire this year and they will need to submit their petitions by a certain date.
It was reported a couple of city employees fell on the ice – a street employee and a police officer.
For Citizen’s Requests Mitzi Coker asked about who was responsible for getting a builder in Hope as there are new jobs but not housing. Mayor Still said there was also a lack of plumbers.
City Manager Wilson said there is private housing, public housing and Hope In Action and that he will look for public funds.
Mayor Still talked about spending the day with the governor and all the people helping others in the community, the Hope Bakery’s announcement and impressing the governor.
