Council to livestream meeting on Facebook
The El Dorado City Council will convene for a regularly-scheduled meeting at 5:30 p.m. today and in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S., city officials have modified the way the meeting will be conducted.
As a precautionary measure, city officials will close the council meeting to the public and livestream it online. Residents will be able to view the proceedings on the El Dorado City Hall Facebook page.
Mayor Veronica SmithCreer said the meeting is expected to be “short and sweet,” adding that Fire Chief Chad Mosby and the El Dorado Fire Department will conduct temperature-checks before attendees enter City Hall.
The measure is the latest in a series of efforts the city is taking to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) to El Dorado and Union County.
Since March 13, public access has been restricted at City Hall and the El Dorado Water Utilities office. Residents have been asked to conduct business with various city offices by phone and to use the EWU drive-through window and other payment options, including online at www.eldoradowater.com, by telephone at 870-862-6451 and the dropbox in the drive through lane at the EWU office, 500 N. Washington.
Earlier this week, City Council Member and Finance Committee Chairman Vance Williamson asked city department heads to place a moratorium on spending money from the city budget “unless it is absolutely necessary,” citing uncertain times that have been created by the worldwide coronavirus pandemic.
“This includes all previously approved and allocated funds, as well as funds approved to be spent from the El Dorado Works account,” Williamson wrote in an email, which prompted the El Dorado Works Board to cancel its March 17 meeting.
The EWB administers the city’s one-cent sales tax that is geared toward economic development, municipal infrastructure and quality-of-life projects.
City Clerk Heather McVay
said city officials and employees plan to spend today working out the logistics to set up the livestream of the city council meeting from the Council Chamber.
For instance, the President’s Coronavirus Guidelines for America, which were released by the White House to help slow the spread of COVID-19, recommends that people avoid social gatherings that include 10 or more people.
There are 11 elected city officials — eight city council members, the mayor, city clerk and city attorney.
McVay will also record the meeting, as required by Arkansas law, and she said residents may call her office at 870-881-4877 to request that an audio-recording file be emailed to them.
Creer-Smith is expected to distribute copies of her State of the City Address and the council will consider appointing Kelli Harrison to fill a vacancy on the El Dorado Advertising and Promotion Commission.
On March 10, commissioners selected Harrison for the position, which was available for an owner or manager of a hotel, motel or restaurant. Harrison is co-owner of the Olde Towne Store.
The A&P commission is composed of seven members, per state law.
The makeup includes two members of the El Dorado City Council, one member at-large and four members who are owners or managers of businesses in the tourism industry — at least three of which must be owners or managers of hotels, motels or restaurants.