Gentry scales back its water tower plans

GENTRY — The city council in Gentry heard updates on city projects, selected bond counsel and underwriting professionals and asked the mayor to pursue purchasing property adjacent to the Flint Creek Nature Park for additional park space and to resolve drainage issues at the intersection of Dawn Hill Road East and Arkansas Highway 59.

In perhaps the largest news of the night, Mayor Kevin Johnston told the council that financing had been approved to improve and expand the city’s water system with a 2-plus million gallon water tower but that no grant funding would be available to the city. As a result, Simmons Foods is moving forward with its own water tank and lines — a tank of approximately 2 million gallons and a pump — and the city will need a much smaller water tower — approximately 750,000 gallons — at a much lower cost to meet its needs.

According to Johnston, the original project without substantial grant funding would have put too much financial burden on the current water system ratepayers to proceed. He said the smaller project will have a much lower price tag and will have less impact on the ratepayers.

Johnston said the reason provided to him for the denial of grants to the city was its efficiency in completing and paying for its own projects.

The mayor also told the council that 90-percent plans for the Dawn Hill East Bridge were being prepared and the city was working on utility relocation for the construction project. Once 90-percent plans are approved by the city and the state, the bid package can be prepared and the project put out for bid. Johnston said things are moving forward and he expected to be able to report more progress in the near future.

At a November 2018 meeting, Johnston reported that current plans involve building the bridge in three spans and making the bridge 2 1/2 feet higher than the old bridge, with it designed to be overflowed in a major flood event. He said an earlier plan would have caused a negative impact on upstream properties and he did not wish to cause any additional flooding risks to other property owners along the creek. He said the new plan would have no negative impact on upstream property owners.

He said the bid process (after final plans are approved by the state) would take 75 days and the construction about 150 days.

In November 2018, the cost of the bridge was estimated to be about $1 million, with the Federal Highway Administration paying 80 percent of those costs.

Johnston said voters would have to approve bond funding for major park improvements. He said he would bring back more information next month, after receiving early figures on sales tax revenue from the 7/8 cent increase in sales and use tax passed by voters in November 2018, regarding work which will need to be done prior to any park construction. Included in those items was a topography and boundary survey at an approximate cost of $14,000.

Also brought before the council was information regarding the possibility of purchasing two parcels of land adjacent to the city’s Flint Creek Nature Park. Johnston said there was a possibility the land would be available for the city to purchase at a cost of $80,000 for one of the parcels and a lesser but undisclosed figure for the other parcel. The smaller parcel has value to the city to make drainage improvements at the Dawn Hill East Road and Arkansas Highway 59 intersection. The other parcel runs almost the entire length of the Flint Creek Nature Park on the east side, adjacent to state highway property.

Johnston said the city had money to make the purchases, and council members encouraged him to proceed with negotiations and bring back further information or an ordinance authorizing the purchase.

Johnston and city council members said, if the city doesn’t purchase the land now, it may not ever have the opportunity to do so in the future.

After reviewing submitted qualification packets, the council approved two resolutions authorizing the mayor to negotiate for services related to bond counsel and underwriting services (in the following order) from the firms: 1) Mitchell Williams; 2) Friday, Eldredge and Clark; and 3) Raymond James.

The council approved a resolution expressing its willingness to use federal funds from a Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) grant to pay for sidewalks on Smith Avenue between Gentry Intermediate School and the Gentry Fire Station. The resolution was necessary in order for the city to apply for the grant funds.

According to Johnston, this is the final portion of sidewalk needed to connect all the schools in the city by sidewalks.

Johnston announced the promotion of Clay Stewart to the rank of interim chief in the Gentry Police Department at the retirement of Keith Smith from the post. He also reported on strong incoming revenue — a significant increase over last year — from county tax and city sales and use taxes.

Johnston reminded those in attendance of the city planning commission meeting at 7 p.m. on June 20 in the council chambers.