Mayor Jason Akers opened the March meeting of the Monticello City Council at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, March 26. The roll was called and all council members were present. All present recited the Pledge of Allegiance following Joe Burgess’ invocation. The minutes from the February meeting were then reviewed and approved.
In the first item of business, the council approved a resolution to accept a bid for Godfrey Ditch drainage improvements. The winning bid was submitted by Diversified Construction & Design for $398,102.85. An additional $39,142.90 for engineering costs and $10,251.90 for inspection services have also been added bringing the projected total of the job to $447,497.65. The city has a 75/25 Hazard Mitigation Grant through the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management (ADEM) which will reimburse $224,997, leaving the city owing $222,500.65 for the project.
The council members also passed a resolution amending the city’s Writs and Summons Fund. The amendment would increase Line Item No. 4115, which is the Writs and Summons reimbursement to $3,400. Line Item No. 5114 would increase the District Court stipend to $5,500. Line Item No. 5103 would increase payroll taxes to $450, and Line Item No. 5106 would increase retirement to $900.
A resolution amending Monticello’s General Fund Administration Department budget was also passed. The resolution would add Line Item No. 5201 for the amount of $5,000. This is to cover fuel costs for two vehicles that were erroneously omitted from the budget.
The council also passed a resolution amending Monticello’s Airport Commission Fund. The amendment added Line Item No. 5301 for licensing, training, travel, and dues in the amount of $1,000.
A resolution amending Monticello’s 1998 One Cent Sales Tax Fund was passed. The amendment increased Line Item No. 6069 to $110,100. These funds will be used to repair the large ditch in Oakland Cemetery. Work on the project will be completed by city crews to mitigate costs.
Mayor Akers then appointed Amanda Killingsworth as Chairwoman of the Parks Commission for a one-year term. The council members voted to approve the appointment.
A resolution to declare 222 E. Shelton Ave. as a nuisance was brought before the council. City Code Enforcement Officer Brian Rodgers stated that the property owner had almost cleaned the property and asked to table the resolution.
352 and 354 N. Larkin St. were also presented as nuisance properties. Rodgers stated that he had sent a certified letter but had gotten no response. Council members Clarissa Pace and Al Peer stated that the property owner had been deceased for several years. They noted that the property owner’s sister-in-law was her nearest living relative. They agreed to put Rodgers in contact with the sister-in-law. The resolution was tabled until Rodgers had time to attempt to resolve the issue.
The council members approved a resolution authorizing participation in Phoenix Youth and Family Services, Inc. Growth Opportunity Program. This would authorize the city to hire two part-time employees to work for the Parks Department. Each employee would be permitted to work up to 200 hours. Phoenix will reimburse the city up to $3,000 per employee. An amendment to the budget was also approved to allow the city to pay the initial $6,000 before reimbursement.
An additional resolution authorizing plumbing work at City Hall, and waiving the competitive bidding requirement was approved. City Hall is having issues with the sewage extension lines which requires prompt attention. There has been raw sewage backing into the basement of the Monticello Police Department. With this being a health and safety issue there is no time to put the job through the bidding process. The budget was amended to increase Line Item No. 5601 to $50,000. There are American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to help pay for the project.
Mayor Akers asked all of the council members to go out and visit with their constituents and discuss special trash pickup. Mayor Akers said that a lot of furniture and construction debris is being left street side which prevents city crews from being able to pick up the limbs and yard debris that they are supposed to pick up on Wednesdays.
“There are people who are trying to do right and keep their yards clean, but we can’t get to it because we’ve become the personal hauling service for anyone who wants to remodel a house,” Mayor Akers said.
Mayor Akers also announced that all city departments will be taking part in a city-wide clean up on April 12. They will also be a part of the community-wide cleanup on April 13. Volunteers who want to keep Monticello clean are encouraged to participate. All clean-up supplies can be procured at City Hall.
