Sunday alcohol sales in Gentry to be on ballot

Council hears proposal for state intersection improvements

GENTRY — Sunday sales of alcohol will be on the ballot in Gentry. The city council, by resolution on Sept. 8, added the measure to the Nov. 3 ballot following a petition by Charles and Jerah Jech, including the necessary signatures, to have the initiative added to the November ballot.

According to Mayor Kevin Johnston, City Clerk Jenny Trout verified the signatures and he also reviewed and verified them. To be placed on the ballot by initiative, the signatures of at least 15 percent of the electors within the city who voted for governor in the last general election must be obtained. He said the council action was only to add the item to the ballot since sufficient verified signatures had been obtained.

If voters pass the initiative in November, the measure will allow the sale of alcoholic beverages in Gentry on Sundays between the hours of 10 a.m. and 12 midnight for offpremises consumption.

Mayor Johnston told the council at its September meeting that the county was ceasing its recycling program due to lack of funding but that the city would use money it had in its solid waste fund to continue its recycling program for the present. He said the city would look at other recycling options for the future, including adding recycling to its contract with Allied Waste for trash pickup when the contract is renewed.

Johnston said the city owns two trailers that have been used in the recycling program with the county and can pick them up and continue to use them. The additional cost to the city was estimated to be about $320 per trailer load.

Johnston said he hoped to be able to present some recycling options to the council at its October meeting.

An agenda item to condemn property at 119 N. Nelson Ave. was tabled until the October meeting to allow the property owner to begin remedying the violations and have an estimate of how long it will take him to demolish the structures on the property. It was reported that he had already obtained a permit to do the demolition work.

Councilmember Janice Arnold told the property owner that she hoped to see some real progress by the next meeting of the council in October.

Mayor Johnston shared a letter from the Arkansas Department of Transportation saying the estimated cost to the city to make improvements to the intersection of Arkansas Highways 12 and 59 and add turning lanes and new traffic-control lights to the busy intersection would be about $1,172,375. The estimated total cost of the project is $1,609,875. Of that amount, the federal government would pay $350,000, the state $87,500, leaving the city with the lion’s share of nearly $1.2 million, according to the state proposal.

Johnston said he can’t see asking the city to spend that much on an intersection of two state-owned highways. He urged council members and citizens to contact their state representatives and state officials for a better arrangement.

An ordinance to vacate an unused alley from E. Arkansas to Railroad Ave. was tabled until the October meeting to allow time to make sure the city has easements to the property where it has utilities.

Johnston reported that the fire department had sold the surplus 1981 Seagrave ladder truck on govdeals.com for $3,550. He said the truck will be a parade truck in Pennsylvania where it was once in service. He said the city acquired the truck for $1 and used it for nine years before retiring it when it could not be brought up to current standards to pass inspection and be kept in service.

In a related matter, Johnston asked the council and received approval to sell surplus items on a public auction site without prior council approval as long as the items are valued at less than a certain value. Councilmember Jason Barrett suggested providing a link on the city website to items being sold so that local residents have a better opportunity to bid on the items should they wish to do so. City attorney Joel Kurtz said the city may wish to amend its current code which states that items valued at less than $5,000 may be sold without prior council approval.

At the beginning of the Sept. 8 meeting, Janie Parks, director of the Gentry Chamber of Commerce, announced that Pickin’ Time on 59 was going to be held at the end of this month as planned. She said the annual Glow Ride had been canceled and the Halloween Trick or Treat on Main Street event was likely to be canceled due to covid-19 restrictions.