Council approves virtual meetings, waiver of late fees

GENTRY — Though the city council met in council chambers and wearing masks on Monday, it made provision to allow remote attendance at future meetings because of the covid-19 pandemic and the CDC recommendations to practice social distancing to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

The ordinance, passed on three readings with a single vote and with an emergency clause, allows for remote attendance at meetings and counts members

present for purposes of voting and for a quorum as long as all council members can hear the meeting and the meetings are made available to the public and council members can hear comments made by the public.

The provision allows for remote attendance in the event of emergencies declared by the governor, the Benton County judge or the mayor of Gentry. Remote attendance can be by telephone, video or other live connection, according to the ordinance.

In order to attend remotely, council members, unless there are “extenuating circumstances,” are required to notify the mayor no later than the Thursday prior to the regularly scheduled council meetings, which are held on Monday evenings.

In a related measure, the council passed another ordinance which gives the city’s finance director the discretion to waive the 10 percent late fees for the late payment of utility bills. The ordinance was deemed necessary because of the financial crisis caused by the current covid-19 pandemic.

The ordinance was also passed on three readings and with an emergency clause attached.

The council passed a resolution authorizing the mayor to execute a memorandum of understanding with the Gentry School District to provide school resource officers at the schools.

SROs are employees of the city and a part of the Gentry Police Department but provide law enforcement services to the school district when classes are in session and at school events.

The school district reimburses the city for the yearly salary and cost of benefits for the SROs.

The city received word that its order for two police cars had been canceled by the manufacturer, and a resolution authorizing the police department to purchase a Dodge Durango police pursuit vehicle was approved. The state procurement bid price is $27,987, and the resolution authorizes the mayor to purchase the vehicle from Landers Chrysler for a price not to exceed the state bid price, plus ancillary charges and fees related to the purchase.

The council approved a resolution authorizing the city to purchase new emergency radios for its police department and fire department from Smith Two-Way Radio Inc. at a cost not to exceed $70,000, together with taxes and expenses related to completing the purchase.

The new radios will be necessary because of Benton County’s upgrade to a new encrypted digital radio system to replace its current analog system.

An ordinance was passed vacating North Manor Drive in the Moongate Estates.

In other business, the mayor provided updates to the council on work on the Dawn Hill East Bridge; the Park Master Plan, including options for property purchase and for the construction of a splash pad; and a new water storage facility to service the east side of Gentry’s water service area.