Fire department receives Care and Share donation
GRAVETTE — Harold Roberts and Wilma Fladager, president and treasurer of Care and Share, presented a $45,000 check to the Gravette Fire Department at the Sept. 28 Gravette City Council meeting. The donation, which will be used to purchase life packs, was accepted by Lonnie Mullen, new Gravette fire chief, and fire captain David Orr. Orr said the life packs are used on almost every call the department makes.
A public hearing was held preceding the meeting to consider rezoning property for Vernon Schmiegelow and a lot split for David Wills. No one was present to comment.
Dustin Christie, a firefighter who recently resigned from the Gravette Fire Department, was present and spoke to council members about his concerns for the department. These included declining manpower, gear that is out of date, out of compliance or does not fit and lack of fit testing. Christie also had an issue with Chief Mullen over his small amount of facial hair, saying it had no bearing on how well he did his job. Chief Mullen has requested that all firefighters and first responders be cleanshaven.
Kendall Yarbrough and Maddie Mitchell, president and first vice-president of the Town and Country 4-H Club, were present, and Mayor Kurt Maddox read a proclamation designating October as 4-H Month in Gravette and urging all citizens to observe the month with projects benefiting the community.
In other business, council members approved a 10-foot utility easement for a 3/4 inch natural gas line to be extended for a backup generator at the Empire District Electric substation on Fourth Avenue N.E.
A resolution was passed setting the property tax rate for real and personal property in the city of Gravette at 4.75 mills on each dollar of assessed value.
Ordinances were passed to split a lot for David Wills at 1200 Main Street N.W. and to rezone
property for Vernon Schmiegelow on Second Avenue S.W. from C-2, highway commercial, to C-1, central commercial.
Council member Rod Clardy commented that the work at Hiwasse is going well. City attorney David Bailey said that he really enjoyed the Hiwasse fall festival and expressed a “huge thanks” to Care and Share. He noted that it took a lot of hard work to raise the $45,000 for its donation and said Gravette is fortunate to have such an organization in town.