Officer commended, appointments made at Highfill Council meeting
HIGHFILL — A police officer was commended for his work and a year-end bonus was approved for Highfill employees at the Dec. 10 council meeting in Highfill. Also approved were a number of resolutions making appointments for boards and commissions.
Police officer Dennis Malone received a commendation from Highfill police chief Blake Webb and Mayor Michelle Rieff at the city council meeting in Highfill on Dec. 10 for his quick response and ongoing investigative work in locating and recovering two juveniles who ran away from the Northwest Arkansas Children’s Shelter on Nov. 24. According to Webb, Malone responded to the call and worked for 10 days straight, making himself available day and night to locate the missing juveniles (one was located in a day and a half and the other in 10 days).
Webb said Malone coordinated efforts with other lawenforcement agencies across the state, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and went above and beyond to serve and protect the citizens of Highfill. The letter of commendation was signed by Webb and Rieff and presented to Malone at the council meeting.
Both Webb and Malone praised the quality and professional work ethic of Highfill’s police officers.
A resolution to accept the proposed 2019 budget for the city was tabled, with a working session of the council called for tonight at 6:30 to continue reviewing the proposed budget before it is formally adopted. A motion was made to adopt a working budget so that the city employees can be paid and the city operating in the new year prior to the adoption of the 2019 budget.
A resolution was adopted to give yearend bonuses to eight city employees in the amount of $300 each. Chris Holland opposed the resolution, asking if they were merit bonuses and suggesting that one not be given to the street department supervisor because of tall grass left growing along some of the city’s roads. Mark White was absent.
Resolutions were approved appointing Will Hanna as the primary board member and Rieff as the alternate board member on the BentonWashington Regional Public Water Authority. Hanna was also appointed as a public works consultant for the city.
Chris Holland was appointed to Position 5 of the city’s water and sewer committees, and Mark Taylor was appointed to Position 4 of the city’s planning commission.
An interlocal agreement with Centerton was approved to pay for the holding of animals picked up by Highfill. According to Webb, the cost to the city is $100 per dog transported to Centerton’s animal shelter, which is far less expensive than building and maintaining a shelter and caring for animals in Highfill. He said his patrol officers are not permitted to pick up stray animals and transport them in their patrol cars, so Scott “Ike” Eichenlaub would be paid $12.50 per hour to pick up stray animals. Webb said the service was only needed about five times over the past year but that the number of calls could increase due to the new subdivisions built and being built in the city.
The council took no action in regard to water and sewer rates for the new year, so an automatic increase of 5 percent will take place in 2019. The built-in increases are to cover costs for maintaining the city’s water and sewer systems. Allowing the increase to go into effect this year was recommended by the city’s engineering firm which is reviewing the city’s rates and costs.
Mayor Rieff reported to the council on efforts to find a new IT service for the city and said she had just learned the city would receive another $10,000 grant from the Benton County Historical Society for ongoing work to restore the city’s Community Building which was once an area schoolhouse.