Farmington Council Adopts Trail Plan

FARMINGTON —A city Master Trail Plan is now on the books and will serve as a guide for developing trails throughout the community.

The Farmington City Council adopted the plan May 13. The plan is in the form of a map that shows two proposed trails, one 7.33 miles and the other 2.42 miles. The proposed system includes existing sidewalks, follows along the creek bed of Farmington Branch and goes across undeveloped land.

Gerry Harris, a Farmington planning commissioner, told the council that the city needs a documented trail plan in place to apply for grants and to seek other money to build trails.

“We want Farmington to be the place where businesses are coming and where people want to move to,” Harris told the council at its May meeting.

After the meeting, Harris said she is glad that the council has approved the plan “so now it will move forward and we can look for funding. That’s the whole idea.”

Harris said a city-wide trails system would connect the schools, provide a safe route for children and would attract residents and businesses to Farmington.

The council adopted the Master Trail Plan by resolution. The resolution states that the plan is an outline for a system of trails to connect the community’s people and points of interest. It also says that the adoption of the plan does not imply a commitment of funding by the city.

Design standards for the Master Trail Plan will come from the 2010 Trail Design Resource Notebook, written as a part of the Northwest Arkansas Greenway Design Workshop. This notebook is on file at Farmington City Hall.

In other action, the council approved the purchase of two vehicles for more than $60,000: a new 2013 Dodge Charger police unit for $32,000 and a 2007 International dump truck for $33,085. The police car is included in the 2013 budget. The dump truck is an unbudgeted item.

Council member Bobby Morgan asked police Chief Brian Hubbard about the difference between purchasing a Chevrolet Tahoe and the Dodge Charger.

The police department already owns one Tahoe.

Hubbard said he prefers the Charger, noting that in comparison tests, the Charger comes out on top or near the top each time.

Heartland Equipment of Wynne submitted the only bid for the 2007 dump truck. Its bid was $32,500 with a $585 delivery charge. The city’s old dump truck was sold by sealed bid for $2,277.

The council removed the following items from inven- tory: three Dell computers, a 2006 Dodge Charger, nine police cameras that use VHS tapes and a police light bar.

The council also appointed Melissa McCarville, city business manager, to the Boston Mountain Solid Waste Board.