Board OKs Opening Seizures Account
The Pineville Board of Aldermen, at its meeting Tuesday, voted to open a special bank account for seizures made by the marshal’s office.
Mayor Gregg Sweeten told the board that the marshal’s office made a drug bust and seized $5,000 or $6,000. He said the city needs to set up an account to hold such seizures, rather than keeping the money at the marshal’s office. The board voted to do so.
Sweeten also reported that there is a dead tree in Myers Park and another that keeps dropping limbs every time a storm comes through. Public works superintendent Chris Tinsley said two trees need to be topped and the dead one needs to be removed. Sweeten recommended taking bids. He said it would probably cost more than $1,000. The board approved taking bids.
Sweeten updated the board on a situation on Havenhurst Drive where a residence outside the city but surrounded by the city has become a nuisance. The property is covered in old refrigerators, ovens, lawn mowers, pieces of wood and other debris. Neighbors have complained to the city because of the eyesore. A city ordinance prohibits nuisances within a half mile of the city. Sweeten presented the board with a list of signatures from residents in the area. He said the first step in addressing the problem will be to send a letter to the property owner.
Alderman Becky Davis said a resident had requested a sign at the park that says “No throwing rocks.” She said there had been a situation with some older children throwing rocks at younger children and putting rocks all over the playground equipment to the extent that it could not be used. Alderman Scott Dennis suggested a park rules sign with other rules
besides “no throwing rocks.”
Sweeten reported that Pineville is no longer in the metropolitan statistical area for Northwest Arkansas. He said being in the MSA is determined by whether 25 % of the town’s residents drive to Northwest Arkansas to work. He said Pineville’s percentage was about 24.2.
“We are contesting it,” he said.
In other business, Debbie Suskey was sworn in as a member of the Pineville Housing Authority Board and the board approved bills in the amount of $82,168. $43,000 of that was a payment to the contractor who worked on the WPA ditch on Jesse James Road.