The Monticello City Council held their February meeting at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, February 27, in the City Council Chambers. City Clerk Taryn Wigley called the roll and all members of the council were present. Wayne Morphis led the invocation which was followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. The council then approved the minutes from the January meeting.
Mayor Jason Akers asked for a motion to allow an amendment to the agenda. The amendment would take care of budgetary issues about the lake trail project. It would allow funds to be moved from the one-cent sales tax fund to the parks fund to cover the cost of a permit.
Andrea Chambers and Wayne Morphis gave an update on lead and copper water line replacement. Chambers stated that there are an estimated 9.2 million lead service lines still buried underground in the US. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has also said that galvanized lines which are downstream from lead lines pose the same health risks as the lead lines themselves. Over 12 million American homes connect to water through lead or galvanized service lines. The Federal Government banned the use of lead pipes in 1986, and Arkansas banned them at the state level in 1988. It is estimated that drinking water is responsible for up to 20 percent of a child's lead exposure, and there has not been a level of lead in a child's blood that has been deemed safe to date. Chambers said that all lead water lines must be inventoried by October of this year per EPA guidelines. This includes inactive lines and lines running from meters to customers' houses. Chambers added that a third-party company has been contacted to assist in the locating of the lines and the inventory.
Charles Maddox, from Entegrity, gave a brief presentation on updating lights in the city’s buildings. His company would manufacture, install, and perform all maintenance for five years. This project would replace old lighting with new cost-efficient LEDs. The project would cost approximately $63,000, and the city would get nearly $11,000 in rebates. The annual savings on lighting expenses is estimated to be nearly $11,000.
The council then passed a resolution authorizing the employment of McClelland Consulting Engineers, Inc. for services related to the West Plant Headworks Project.
The council also voted to accept Environmental Process Systems, Inc.’s bid for the work that is to be done on the West Plant Headworks. The bid for the project came in at $799,555 which is $108,345 less than the competing bid.
The council approved a resolution that would allow the city to apply for a grant through the Historic Preservation Society to repair the roof on the Historic Post Office building.
The council also voted to deem 391 E. Willis a nuisance property. Code Enforcement Officer Brian Rodgers said that the cost to repair the structure would be far more than the cost to demolish said property.
Mayor Akers gave a statement regarding a resolution to rename one of Monticello’s streets.
“Any weight-bearing structure has some sort of pillars that support or sustain it,” Akers said. “These pillars are usually made from a different or more sturdy material that is stronger than the structure it is supporting. They provide safety and strength. Pillars are often taken for granted by those who have become acclimated to their presence. It is only after they are gone that we truly appreciate them. We are blessed that our community has many pillars in the form of our people. People who give without asking for anything in return. People who show us the right way to love each other, the right way to act, and the right way to support each other. These people typically make the greatest donation of all, it's not money, it’s their love and their time. One of those pillars was Mrs. Beth Maxwell, whom we recently lost. For decades no one in our town loved or supported our Billies football teams like Mrs. Beth. She never wavered in her love and support of the youth in Monticello, or her belief in supporting others. In my time as Chief of Police, she would call me and intercede on behalf of those who were less fortunate, a lot of times these people were victims of domestic violence who were afraid to call us, but Beth wasn’t. She was a true pillar of our community, and as a community, we need to do better about recognizing our pillars. Tonight we are doing just that, we will be recognizing Mrs. Beth by renaming Brooks Drive, the street that runs along Hyatt Field, Beth Maxwell Drive.”
Mayor Akers concluded his statement by presenting Maxwell’s husband, Tommy, with a street sign displaying the new name.
“Before we close, I want to address two things,” Mayor Akers said. “Our town has suffered a couple of very significant losses, in the form of some of the best members of our community. Mrs. Inez Lindsey was 102 years old. She saw the Great Depression, WWII, the Civil Rights Movement, the advent of the Internet, and everything in between. She was truly a treasure. We also lost Bro. Larry Clements recently. Bro. Larry was a phenomenal asset to this town. He not only cared about each one of you here, but he cared about where you went after you died. There is no telling how many people he led to Christ. We are a blessed town and I hope that we do not ever forget the people who walk among us and make our community better. Every one of these folks are diamonds and we love them and miss them. Tonight I want to dedicate the things we’ve done here to these fine people.”
With no further business, a motion to adjourn was made by Cedric Leonard.
