Council accepts Pop Allum bid, OKs budget adjustments

GRAVETTE — Members of the Gravette city council, at their regular meeting Thursday, Feb. 22, voted to accept the low bid of $363,751.60 for improvements at Pop Allum Park. The bid, from Ground Zero Construction, will cover parking improvements and construction of soccer fields.

In other business during the brief meeting, council members passed an ordinance approving a lot split for property owned by Reuven Ginton on Eighth Avenue N.E. The property will be split into two parcels, one tract of 4.71 acres and another of 7.79 acres.

An ordinance was passed repealing a 2014 ordinance setting admission fees for the Gravette city pool and charges for rental of the civic center. The council has decided that such fees should not be set by ordinance. The director of parks and recreation will set pool admission fees and civic center rental charges in the future, subject to the approval of the mayor.

Council members voted to approve a no-fault settlement option in the case of Rhonda Kim Schneider against the city of Gravette heard Tuesday, Feb. 20, in federal court at Fayetteville. The city has reached a settlement with Schneider. The decision to settle was an economic one. The city of Gravette has not admitted liability and denies any and all allegations of wrongdoing.

A resolution was passed approving budget adjustments for the 2018 budget, including increasing the ¾-cent sales tax in the bond fund to $465,000, increasing the ¼-cent sales tax in the capital improvement fund to $155,000, increasing the budget for repair and maintenance of vehicles in the water and sewer department by $8,000, increasing the miscellaneous budget for the water and sewer department by $13,406 and adding $20,000 to the administration budget in the general fund for the library employment nofault settlement payment.

Carl Rabey, city finance director, said he was pleased to announce that February sales tax revenue was almost double that of January sales tax revenue.