Cemetery, pedestrian bridge top council agenda
DECATUR — The Decatur City Council had a light agenda on Feb. 8 when it gathered in the conference room at City Hall and via Zoom. Topping the agenda were three items, the fate of the pedestrian bridge over Decatur Branch, the new Veterans Park walking trail, and changes to the Decatur Cemetery rules.
The council reviewed and passed a resolution that closed sections A and B, the oldest part of the Decatur Cemetery, to new burials, new plots and transfers of plot ownership.
Sections A and B are the oldest sections in the cemetery and belong to the First Baptist Church of Decatur. The church turned over control and care of the cemetery to the city in 2016. The Decatur Cemetery Committee was put in place by Mayor Bob Tharp and the city council to oversee the historic graveyard.
Because several of the occupied plots are well over 100 years old (the oldest grave dates back to 1836), coupled with the headstones being fragile because of their age, it was feared that these headstones and gravesites could be damaged by digging new plots.
A resolution was drawn up to protect these old sections of the cemetery. With the passing of the resolution, sections A and B are now closed to new burials.
Mayor Bob Tharp gave an update on the Decatur Branch and Wolf Creek bridge project on Arkansas Highway 59 in Decatur. With the sewer, water and other utilities now relocated, the Arkansas Highway Transportation Department will begin the construction of both new bridges. Over the next several months, traffic will be reduced to a single lane on both the north and south ends of Decatur on Arkansas 59.
Since the new bridge over Decatur Branch will be expanded, the city will have to relocate the pedestrian bridge which is located on the east side of the existing structure. Over the last two months, city officials have been discussing possible locations for the pedestrian bridge.
The mayor found a way to salvage the bridge. It will be moved to Veterans Park and will be incorporated into the new walking trail.
Tharp also reported that the long-anticipated walking trail construction project has begun at Veterans Park. Work on the project began in mid-January and is expected to be complete sometime in late 2021.
The city council meets on the second Monday of each month at 6 p.m. in the meeting room at the city hall. Because of covid-19 protocol, the meeting is open to only 10 people and via Zoom. Any citizens wishing to bring questions or concerns should contact the city clerk’s office at 479-7523912, option 4.