One resume submitted for vacant Ward-3 seat in City of Alexander

Attendance ordinance also on tonight's agenda

Two major items are on tonight's agenda for the City of Alexander council meeting; filling the vacant alderman's position in Ward-3 and the ordinance requiring attendance at city council meetings.

Tonight's meeting will be held at 6 PM in Alexander City Hall.

Andrea Bearden is apparently the only City of Alexander resident who submitted a resume requesting to be considered for the open alderman position in Ward-3. The seat became available when Alderman Dan Church resigned July 18. Church was elected in 2012 defeating incumbent Harvey Howard.

According to her resume she is a Maintenance Technician for the Arkansas Department of Military at North Little Rock.

In her resume she states she has, "Management experience and exceptional people skills." She also says she, "Desires a challenging role as an Alexander City Council Member".

This is not the first time she has applied to fill a Ward-3 vacancy. Earlier this year she submitted her resume to fill the vacancy left when Alderman Jack Shoemaker moved out of Alexander. That vacancy was filled with the appointment of Samuel Gregory.

Also on tonight's agenda is an ordinance requiring all elected officials (mayor, recorder, treasurer and aldermen) to attend "regular" and "special" city council meetings. Under the proposed ordinance anyone unable to attend must call city hall the day of the meeting and provide the reason they cannot attend.

The ordinance provides for the aldermen present at the meeting to vote as to whether the reason is an "excused absence." A majority of those present will decide and a tie counts as an "excused absence."

The ordinance also includes a fine of $50 after three unexcused absences "during any calendar year." The fine jumps to $100 for each unexcused absence during the same calendar year.

The question of forcing aldermen to attend meetings came about after four aldermen stopped attending council meetings after January. The move came about, in-part, when during the regular January council meeting newly appointed Mayor Michelle Hobbs announced she would "veto" any action passed that was proposed by aldermen Juanita Wilson, Dan Church, Jack Shoemaker and Lonny Chapman.

The four stopped attending meetings to keep the council from having a quorum in order to slow down the mayor. Despite that, the council held some meetings without a quorum.

Alderman Lonny Chapman is also listed on tonight's agenda, without an explanation.