Council approves redistricting map, subdivision plat
GENTRY — Council members in Gentry were given project updates and passed final plat and city redistricting ordinances, as well as approved an equipment grant for the police department and document destruction at an upcoming document shredding event at its regular April meeting on Monday, April 4.
A final plat was approved on three readings with a single vote for Phase 1 of the Three Springs Subdivision, located on the west side of Fairmount Road, south of Arkansas Highway 12 (outside the city but within the city’s planning jurisdiction). According to Mayor Kevin Johnston, the subdivision is only a division of the parcel into three tracts and not a “full-blown subdivision.” Approval was recommended by the city’s planning and zoning commission.
Also accepted on three readings was the first of two plans received from the Northwest Arkansas Planning Commission to redraw ward boundaries, adjusting for population numbers in the 2020 Census. The plan balances the population in the four wards but makes the least change to existing wards and keeps current council members within the wards they represent.
The council gave its approval for the destruction of approximately 40 boxes of city records no longer needed by the city or required to be kept. An affidavit of destruction will be used to verify their destruction.
In order to facilitate the document destruction, a Shred-it truck will come to the city on April 23 to destroy the documents. According to Mayor Johnston, the city will open up the shredding event to city residents between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. on that Saturday.
The council passed a resolution authorizing the city’s police department to purchase and install electronic citation and vehicle accident reporting equipment and software in its
patrol units, with the cost to be reimbursed through an e-Cite and e-Crash grant managed by the Arkansas State Police.
The new computer equipment would allow officers to scan a vehicle operator’s license and enter the violation, location, date and time and print a citation, greatly reducing the time required for vehicle stops and the risk of copying errors related to issuing handwritten citations. The citation is then electronically submitted to the courts’ management system and the state police repository.
The equipment and software also make it possible for officers to complete and submit accident reports in a similar fashion. Use of the software is also expected to save numerous hours each week for the manual entry of the data by the police clerk.
The cost of the computers, printers and software for patrol units was estimated at just over $72,000. The grant pays for 90 percent of the cost with federal funding and the remaining 10 percent with state funding but, according to Chief Clay Stewart of the Gentry Police Department, the grant reimburses expenditures, requiring the city to authorize and pay for the purchase and then be reimbursed for its expenditures through the grant.
The council resolution authorizes the expenditure of up to $75,000 for the purchase, with any funds over and above that amount coming from the police department’s equipment fund.
Chief Stewart credited Cpl. Jason Applegate for applying for and obtaining grant approval for the department, as well as obtaining costs to purchase and install the necessary equipment.
In addition, Mayor Johnston reported that a state project to deal with the traffic flow at the Arkansas Highways 12 and 59 intersection had been officially approved, with completion expected in about two years. He said the full scope of the project was not yet determined but east and west turning lanes were anticipated. He pointed out that the project is a state project and not a city project, so the city can only recommend items to the state but does not have a say in the final scope and outcome of the project.
Mention was made of social media discussion suggesting a roundabout was in the plans for the intersection being unfounded in fact.
Johnston told the council that work at the new splash pad was continuing and that he anticipated all the punch list items would be completed in plenty of time for the facility’s scheduled reopening on Memorial Day weekend. A sign with the facility rules is to be installed at the end of April.
Work at the sports complex also continues, with more trees to be planted and some turf to be replaced. Johnston said the reason the facility is not yet open to the public is to allow the turf to get established, and he anticipated that would happen as the weather warms up. He said some issues with drainage were being corrected.
Larry Gregory of Garver told the council that the new water storage facility was 95 to 97 percent complete. He anticipated substantial completion would be ahead of the scheduled June 18 date.
Johnston told the council that a family death had delayed cleanup work at 117 N. Smith but that he anticipated the work would be back underway and the lot totally cleared soon.
Janie Parks, director of the Gentry Chamber of Commerce, told the council that, instead of the annual chamber banquet which had been held in the past, a “Community Business Night” was scheduled from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the McKee Community Room at the Gentry Public Library for citizens and business owners to attend and learn of current projects and plans.
She also reminded council members of a family fun run on the morning of April 17, with registration beginning at 7:15 a.m. and the run starting at 8 a.m.