Turner, Coleman honored at final board meeting
Mayor John Turner and City Director Bob Coleman were honored by city staff and state Rep. Robin Lundstrum (R-87) during their final city board meeting on Tuesday.
During the meeting Robin Lundstrum’s husband, Tom Lundstrum, acted as his wife’s proxy because she was in Little Rock on state business, he said. Tom Lundstrum first recognized Coleman for eight years of service as a city director and as Santa Claus.
Tom Lundstrum also presented a check for a donation in Coleman’s name to The Gideons International, an organization that shares the Gospel of Jesus Christ and distributes Bibles and copies of the New Testament according to gideons.org. The Gideons are often recognized for their work with hotels, the website states.
Tom Lundstrum then turned his attention to Turner, who has served since 2006. Turner served the first six years as a city director before becoming mayor in 2012.
Following the recognition, Tom
Lundstrum presented a check for a donation in Turner’s name to Siloam Springs’ Christmas decorating contest Deck the House. Robin Lundstrum’s donation helped raise the amount the winners will receive. The new prize amounts are $150 for first place; $125 for second place; and $100 for third place, according to Communications Manager Holland Hayden.
During his administrator’s report, City Administrator Phillip Patterson recognized both Coleman and Turner.
Patterson remembered one of the first things Coleman directed staff to do when Patterson became city administrator in 2015 was to dig a big hole, which led to the groundbreaking of the new library. Patterson said not long after Coleman made the comment, the city director was out there with his own shovel.
“And the best part of that day wasn’t necessarily seeing you with that shovel, it was seeing the kids who came out with their own shovels who wanted to help with that groundbreaking ceremony and get that new library started,” Patterson said about Coleman.
The city administrator called it huge. Patterson also joked that Coleman was the only board member to have his own “staff,” referring to Coleman’s wife Cathi. Patterson also said the city submitted a proposal to the Financial Accounting Standards board to rename unqualified audit reports to the “Bob Coleman Audit Report,” because Coleman dislikes those reports.
Lastly, Patterson praised Coleman for his efforts over the years.
“As a board member and as a resident, Director Coleman you’ve given back to this community in more ways than most people will ever know and that selflessness and that generosity is greatly appreciated on all levels by not only myself, but by staff and by the residents of this community,” Patterson said.
Patterson then focused on the mayor. The city administrator likened Turner to the Skipper on the 1960s television program “Gilligan’s Island.” He said Turner was the skipper of the city board for the last eight years.
“And when the weather’s been rough and the city’s tiny ship was tossed, your courage and leadership prevented the city and the board of directors from being lost,” Patterson said.
The city administrator also said when he spoke to people about the mayor they viewed him as Sampson, although Patterson joked that he wasn’t sure if it was the mayor’s superhuman strength or his hair.
Hayden joked about how the mayor routinely went off script during ribbon cuttings, park dedications. Hayden also said it was an honor to write scripts for the mayor.
Turner also received a few more things from Patterson. The first was a letter from the Arkansas Municipal League’s Executive Director Mark Hayes, which states Turner is on the list of lifetime members of the Arkansas Municipal League as well as a proclamation from Hayes.
Patterson read the proclamation and also gave the mayor a letter from U.S. Rep. Steve Womack (R-AR), who asked to have the letter read into the record.
Lastly, Patterson presented the mayor with a giant greeting card from the city staff. The mayor spoke when Patterson was finished with his report.
Turner said as mayor he doesn’t believe there is a better form of government for a city the size of Siloam Springs than the city administrator form of government. He joked that the hard part about being mayor was trying to stay out of the way as staff did their jobs.
He went on to praise city staff for being willing to help each other out by sharing equipment and staff. Turner said he believed it was because they loved their city.
Patterson received high praise from the mayor saying the city “hit a home run” when they hired Patterson. Turner also said he had been prepared for his time as a city board member by his wife Kathy, who had served as a city board member herself from 20032007, according to an article in the “Herald-Leader” on Oct. 9, 2006.
“She did a great job training me for four years to be her fill-in and I hope I did a good enough job in those six years,” Turner said of his tenure as a city board director from 2007-2013.
Turner said he believes his success and the success of the current city board was that they love Siloam Springs. He also issued a challenge to the board when they campaign: To rely less on campaign signs and spend more time knocking on the doors of residents.
During the portion of the meeting set aside for director’s reports, each director congratulated Coleman and Turner for their service on the board.
Coleman’s report included a thank you to his wife and to Turner for his leadership and service.
“I think you and I can ride off into the sunset knowing that we did the very best we could for the city of Siloam,” Coleman said.
Coleman served as city director for the same length of time as Turner served as mayor.
Coleman also thanked city staff, saying it was an honor to work with them. Coleman also praised Patterson, saying he was pleased to be on the board when Patterson came to be city administrator.
Finally Coleman thanked the members of the board, saying it was an honor to serve with each one of them. Coleman ended his speech with a quote from “The Blind Assassin” by Margaret Atwood. “As you ramble on through life, Brother, whatever be your goal keep your eye upon the doughnut and not upon the hole.”
Coleman related projects and successes as the doughnut and the negativity as the hole.
After the director’s reports Turner made a short speech again praising the city administrator’s form of government, the accomplishments he made during the last 14 years in city government, and ended the meeting with a final “Woo Pig Sooie.”
The board discussed and voted on the following items:
Recognitions
• Park Maintenance Manager Aron Hollenback.
• District Court Clerk Sandy Luetjen.
• District Court Judge Stephen Sloan Thomas.
• District Court Judge-Elect A.J. Anglin.
Public input
• Input from citizens regarding any item on the consent agenda or any city business not listed on the board’s regular agenda.
Consent agenda
• Workshop minutes from Dec. 1.
• Regular meeting minutes from Dec. 1.
• Inter-agency service agreement between the Benton County Solid Waste District and the city for $14,622.
• Proclamation for a National Day of Racial Healing.
• Resolution 62-20 regarding amending the 2020 budget by adding $11,000 to complete a project related to updating dispatcher software.
• Appointments to a Comprehensive Plan advisory committee.
• Accepting an Airport Bid Acceptance grant for $73,746 and city cost of $8,194 in city funds for pavement marking rehabilitation.
Ordinances
• Placing Ordinance 2033 concerning the rezoning of the 900 block of East Harvard St. from R-2 (Residential Medium) and R-3 (Residential Multi-Family) to I-1 (Industrial) on its second reading.
• Placing Ordinance 2034 regarding annexation/ zoning permits on its second reading.
Staff reports
• An update on the 2020 Street and Sidewalk Project.
• Administrator’s report.