Gentry Council approves construction bids, hears updates
GENTRY — The city council in Gentry, on Aug. 5, passed two resolutions — one allocating funds for the 2019 street project in Gentry and the other accepting a bid for the relocation of city utilities at the intersection of Arkansas Highways 12 and 43 to make room for the construction of a roundabout at the intersection.
The council unanimously allocated an additional $215,000 from the city’s street fund to complete the city’s 2019 street project.
The city submitted a street project for paving and resurfacing of streets in Gentry at an estimated total cost of $465,000 to Arkansas Department of Transportation for funding as a street-aid project (money allocated from the state’s temporary 1-cent fuel tax). The city was approved for the maximum amount allowed — $250,000 — and the resolution allocates the balance for that work from the city’s street department budget.
The work was included in the state project, with ArDOT handling the engineering for the project, the bid process and overseeing the work.
When the project is complete, the city is expected to have most of the streets on the east side of the city resurfaced or repaved, with some being paved for the first time.
With the second resolution, the council unanimously accepted the state bid for relocating water utilities at the Arkansas Highways 12 and 43 intersection. The bid was awarded to the low bidder, Hargan Construction Company, for $163,040. There were five other bidders, and all bids were more than $200,000.
The state will pay 82.38 percent of the relocation costs, leaving the city with a cost of approximately $13,430 for the project. The city was required to approve the bid because it is regarded as a partner in the project because of the waterlines it owns at the intersection.
In other business, Mayor Kevin Johnston reported that he has negotiated and signed contracts for the purchase of the Gee and Larson properties adjacent to the Flint Creek Nature Park and at the intersection of Arkansas Highway 59 and Dawn Hill East Road. He said he hoped to have closing dates and the purchases complete by the September council meeting.
In July the council unanimously passed a resolution authorizing the mayor to negotiate a purchase contract for 4.35 acres of land (currently three parcels owned by Larsen Revocable Trust to the east of the current Flint Creek Nature Park to extend the park to the land owned by the Arkansas State Highway Commission along Arkansas Highway 59 on both sides of Flint Creek, as well as a .11-acre parcel along Dawn Hill East Road at the west side of the Highway 59 and Dawn Hill East intersection. The land also takes in a spring-fed pond on the west side of the highway.
The resolution authorized the land transaction at a purchase price not to exceed $45,000, to come out of the city’s general funds.
The second purchase, approved in July, includes two parcels (totaling less than .4-acres of land) along Dawn Hill East Road belonging to Edward Gee. The land purchase is to improve drainage along Dawn Hill East Road just west of the Highway 59 intersection. The resolution allowed the mayor to negotiate for the purchase at a price not to exceed $80,000, to come out of the city’s street department funds.
Johnston reported that the city had submitted 90 percent plans for the Dawn Hill East Bridge Project to ARDot for review and comments and that he expected to be able to submit final plans soon. Once final plans are approved, the project can be put out for bid and, once a bid is approved, work can begin. He said approval of the final plans,
once they are submitted, was expected to take about 14 days. At an earlier meeting, he said the bid process (after final plans are approved) would take 75 days and the construction 150 days.
Johnston reported that a drop-in town hall meeting had been scheduled for Aug. 27 to share information with the public on the special election to be held Sept. 10 (early voting will begin Sept. 3) to consider a bond issue. Townhall meeting times were given earlier in the meeting as 5 to 7 p.m. at the McKee Community Room in Gentry Public Library.
On July 8, the council passed on three readings, and with an emergency clause attached, an ordinance calling for a special election to consider issuing bonds for the purpose of financing the costs of capital improvements to allow the city to move forward with its park improvement plans. The bonds, if approved by the voters, would be backed by pledging one-half cent of the seven-eighth cent increase in the city’s sales and use tax already approved by the voters and would not result in another new tax in the city.
The ordinance, if the bond is approved by voters, would allow a bond or series of bonds in a principal amount up to $15 million for the city to use to buy land, construct recreational-use facilities and improvements and parking areas. The money could be used for the construction of amenities like a splash pad, athletic courts and fields, bicycle and walking trails, parking areas and more.
Johnston told council members of a meeting to discuss the building of a water storage tank to serve the east side of the city and to work in cooperation with Simmons Foods at its under-construction poultry-processing facility. He said he hoped to have more information to report at a future meeting or in council committee meetings.