Gravette council passes ambulance rate, accessory structure ordinances

GRAVETTE — Gravette city council members, at their regular meeting Thursday at the Gravette civic center, passed two ordinances.

The first ordinance allows the fire chief to set rates for certain items billed by the Gravette ambulance service. The city does not bill for these medical procedures performed or supplies used by the ambulance service. The fire chief will now set these rates subject to the approval of the mayor.

The second ordinance establishes guidelines for construction and/or placement of accessory structures including storage sheds, shops, lean-tos, small pole barns and garden sheds.

Council members also passed a resolution approving several adjustments for the 2019 budget and unanimously approved an engineering agreement with ERM of Charlotte, N.C., to provide environmental consulting services and review paperwork from the city’s wastewater treatment plant repair project. Once the review is completed, ERM will supply its findings to the city.

Carl Rabey, city finance director, distributed copies of the September financial statements and a summary of bond balances, including 2017 and 2018 distributions of funds. Rabey said he expected the city would end the year with surpluses in the water fund and the general fund but there will be a slight deficit in the street fund because of the cost of flood damage repair. He said he is trying to get some help to cover this repair, but the remaining balance will have to come from the street reserve fund. He reported 2020 is looking really good financially.

Mayor Kurt Maddox reported that the Arkansas

Highway Department has plans to build a new welcome center in the Gravette city limits and a large church also plans a new building within the city.

Local real estate agent Larry Boling spoke to the council during the comment period at the beginning of the meeting. He asked if council members would go ahead and approve a tract split for commercial property along Highway 72 in Hiwasse. Mayor Maddox said this would be the fourth split on the property and city ordinance specifies that any division above a threeway split is to be considered by the planning commission. Since the action was not on the evening’s agenda, Maddox said it would be placed on the agenda for a special council meeting on Thursday, Nov. 14. A second item on the agenda for the Nov. 14 special meeting will be the purchase of a new vehicle for the police department.