Council members pass ordinances, approve crisis intervention team agreement
GRAVETTE — Members of the Gravette city council met at City Hall Thursday, April 9, to conduct the business for the March 19 council meeting which was postponed because of the covid-19 outbreak. City council members Ron Theis and James Brown were present. The other four council members were tied in by telephone.
Council members passed three ordinances during the meeting. Ordinances were passed establishing regulations for mini-storage and selfstorage facilities in the city and establishing procedures for street cuts, street repairs, street bores, permitting and related procedures. The third ordinance rezones a 1.14-acre parcel of land in Hiwasse, owned by Donnie Parsons, from R-1, single-family residential, to C-2, highway commercial. The property borders State Highway 279 on the west and Old Train Road on the north. The rezoning was recommended by the city staff and by the planning commission.
Council members also approved an agreement establishing a crisis intervention team for the Gravette Police Department and approved the slate of appointees for members of the Gravette Historical Museum Commission. Museum commission members are Steve Mitchael, John Mitchael, Jay Mitchael, Janice Deaton, Bob Kelley, Al Blair, Mike von Ree, Patti Bertschy, Betsy Meek, Lavon Stark, Randi Van Noy, Margie Van Noy and Louise Evans.
In other business, a motion was passed to attempt to locate the owner of property between Gravette and Hiwasse used as a school site in the early 1900s.
Also approved was the appointment of Richard Sutherland to the Benton-Washington Regional Public Water Authority board. Sutherland was recently hired as head of the city’s water and sewer department to replace Corey Reardon, who resigned. Tim Dewitt was approved as an alternate on the board.
Mayor Kurt Maddox asked the council to consider waiving all late fees for water and sewer bills for the months of April and May. Council members voted to approve the waiver. Maddox had earlier issued an executive order that service would not be cut off to any water/ sewer customer during those months.
A resolution was passed approving budget adjustments to the 2020 budget.