Council passes 2018 budget

Merit awards raised

In its meeting Nov. 21, the Pea Ridge City Council approved a 2018 operating budget of just under $8.9 million, up by 8.5 percent from $7.56 million for 2017. The budget report shows the additional revenue will come from impact fees, interest and grant income, sales taxes, and projected income from a newly approved water and sewer revenue bond.

A water and sewer revenue bond in the principal amount of $5.6 million was read three times and approved, and an emergency clause was attached because “an emergency exists,” said Mayor Jackie Crabtree. He said once the city has all the required closing signatures, his hope is construction may begin “early after the first of the year” beside the current treatment facility. Once the new facility is built, Crabtree said the old one will be dismantled.

The line items with the highest increases include City Park (from $28,725 to $178,725); Fire Department (from $488K to $956K); City General (from $3.4 million to nearly $3.8 million); and Undercover Operations (from $2.5K to $20K).

City Clerk Sandy Button pointed out that a $200,000 grant to the Pea Ridge Fire and Ambulance Department reduced the amount needed from county sales taxes.

Also passed were increases to city employee merit awards. Fulltime employees who earn merit awards will now receive $500 and part-time employees will receive $250. The previous award amounts were $350 and $175, respectively. Alderman Bob Cottingham said, “Looks to me like city departments did some soul searching and did the best they could” on creating the 2018 budget, and alderman Lance Sanders said, “After all the work employees put in on the budget, raising the awards will be good.”

In other business, the council approved Crabtree’s appointment of Michael A. Wilhelm to the Pea Ridge Planning Commission. He was sworn in immediately after the City Council meeting adjourned. Wilhelm is a project manager for Nabholz Construction in Rogers. Crabtree announced he may appoint another person to the Planning Commission because he said it has had trouble making a quorum. Wilhelm’s addition brings the total membership to seven.

Crabtree then responded to Cottingham’s suggestion to add members to the City Council. Crabtree said he has been looking at that, thinks it is needed and would “add members to existing wards, not create new wards.”

In the absence of Pea Ridge School superintendent Rick Neal, Button removed her City Clerk hat and donned her School Board member cap to report that the property for the new high school will be on Hazelton “near the old Bone property.” She said through a combination of funding from the school system and the developer, all of Hazelton Street will be paved between It’ll Do Road and Weston Street, and a turn lane will be added. She said that “getting it all done at once will save money.”

Council members rezoned property owned by RLP Developments, LLC immediately north of Pea Ridge Storage behind a yellow house at 574 Weston St. It was rezoned from Residential (R-1) to Commercial (C-2). Building official Tony Townsend said the developer plans to build more storage units on the property. Cottingham asked about neighbors’ concerns, and Townsend said those are being addressed with the addition of down lighting and landscaping, and the revised plans will be presented to the Planning Commission Dec. 5.

The meeting kicked off with the introduction by Police Chief Ryan Walker of the newest member of the Pea Ridge Police Force, a canine unit (dog) named Napo. Walker praised Napo, who he said helped locate drugs on his first night out, and said Napo has been brought in “at no extra cost to the city” through use of city and county drug funds and donations. Walker then presented an award from Arkansas Secretary of State Mark Martin to Napo’s trainer Officer John Hicks for “distinguished accomplishments and deeds.” Walker also announced Hicks’ promotion within the force to Officer First Class.

The next City Council meeting is set for Dec. 28, but Crabtree said the date might be moved a day or two later if necessary.