Gentry City Council appropriates money for property cleanup

GENTRY — The city council in Gentry, at its regular meeting on July 11, appropriated $10,000 in city funds to be used to remediate code violations on nuisance properties and approved an annexation petition bringing additional lands into the city.

After some discussion regarding the need to clean up nuisance properties with various code violations ranging from uncut grass to debris and unsafe structures, the council unanimously approved appropriating $10,000 to create an emergency fund to mow or clean up such properties.

According to Gentry Mayor Kevin Johnston, the fund would make it possible for the city to take speedier action to remediate code violations such as overgrown yards and trash and debris on properties. He said, with funds appropriated, the city could contract to have properties mowed or cleaned up and the owners billed for services if the owners fail to take timely action to correct violations.

Johnston explained that the condemnation process is lengthy and includes many steps that make it difficult to achieve any speedy resolution to ongoing or repeat code violations.

Johnston said the fund would allow the city to give property owners seven days to mow or clean up nuisance properties or the city would hire a contractor to do the work and bill the landowner.

Johnston said that, with the growth of the city, the number of problem properties is also increasing.

The council also unanimously approved the petition of the Arkansas Association of Seventh-day Adventists, Paul Church Investments, and Jesse Mark Lynch and Tina Lynch to annex into the city lands located south of Arkotex Road and along Arkansas 59 Highway (mostly to the east of the highway).

With the purchase of land along Browning Road and annexing that land and other lands along Browning Road, the council passed a resolution to rename that portion of Browning Road now within the city N. Collins Avenue. The renamed part of the road extends from Gann Road to the new sports complex.

A rezoning ordinance was approved on three readings for RLP Developments to rezone lands between S. Gentry Blvd. and Cherry Ave. to SP zoning (mixeduse zoning).

Also approved were an ordinance providing for relief on sewer bills for residents with swimming pools who can provide verification of pool capacities and a resolution extending the city’s covid leave policy to the end of this year.

The council gave the nod for the police chief to provide a letter of intent to a car dealership to purchase a 2023 Dodge Durango and possibly also a 2023 Dodge Charger should the possibility to purchase a Charger become available. According to Clay Stewart, Gentry’s police chief, the letters of intent are non-binding if city funding and budgeting do not make the purchases possible but the letters make it possible for the dealership offering vehicles at the state bid price to order the vehicles from the manufacturer and make them available to the department.

Approving a list of professionals to negotiate a contract for the statemandated water rate study was tabled until the August meeting.

Mayor Johnston reported that work on the city’s splash pad and its sports complex was wrapping up last week. He said one item at the splash pad — sealing the wall cap — was being removed from the contract and that the city would finish the work this fall.

Larry Gregory of Garver reported that work on the city’s new water storage facility on Y-City Road was pretty much done. He said the water tower was online and work was being finished up on a few items.

Mayor Johnston reported that significant progress had been made by the property owner to clean up 420 S. Byers Avenue.

A resolution was passed extending the city’s covid leave policy to the end of this year.