The agenda for Monday night's Alexander City Council meeting
is similar to last month's agenda. The only two major items on the agenda are
the filling of the vacancies for Ward-3 alderman and treasurer. The meeting is
Monday, October 21, 6pm at City Hall.
Another aspect which has not changed is the number of
candidates to choose from for the two positions. No one has submitted a resume
for treasurer and Andrea Bearden is still the only Ward-3 resident applying to
fill the vacant seat.
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".
The City Council is already in violation of state law, which
requires both vacancies be filled at the next regular meeting. The council
decided at the September meeting to table the appointment to fill the vacant
Ward-3 seat in hopes of getting more applications. The treasurer position has
been vacant since March 18 when treasurer JoAn Churchill resigned. No
applications have been received for that position.
Fire truck repossession not on agenda
While reports from Mayor Michelle Hobbs and City Attorney
Carla Miller are on the agenda, what is blatantly absent is a discussion about
the recently repossessed fire truck. The City of Alexander Fire Department's
main truck was repossessed Wednesday, October 16.
It was collateral for a lease-purchase agreement the city entered into in 2007, combining
several loans into one with a lower interest rate. The lease-purchase agreement was with First Government Leasing Co., owned by Paul Anthony Graver of Chicago.
Since then the lease-purchase
agreement was sold by Graver to First
State Bank in Oklahoma, which increased the interest rate to the city. Mayor
Hobbs stopped making the monthly payments in March of this year claiming because the interest rate now exceeded the maximum allowed by the Arkansas
Constitution the lease-purchase agreement was void.
First State Bank
filed a lawsuit suing Alexander and First Government Leasing, claiming the bank
was defrauded into thinking it would acquire a mortgage and lease-purchase
agreement for improvements to an Alexander fire station that it says were never
started.
YOU borrow money, YOU choose who you deal with, YOU either accept the interest rate or reject it, YOU sign papers to repay. If you go out of the state, is the lender required to comply to Arkansas state laws or is the Mayor required to obey Arkansas state laws? Looks like we will be getting a costly legal lesson.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I do know, you mortgage something, then don't pay - you lose it.
Someone said in another post the city didn't 'spend' the money, it is either spent purchasing, consolidating or etc; or it is in the bank. I don't see it there,
We'll see what happens. I can tell you, in my opinion, the town and it's residents were thrown under the bus with no forethought whatsoever.
It's gonna cost us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Interesting meeting 10/21/2013.First out of the chute was seating the 8th Alderman after many delays. At last a full council is seated.
DeleteThere are some things I would like to see happen. Listed below and not necessarily in the order of importance:
1. Microphones for each council person, we have no problem hearing the mayor, but council people don’t project; gallery should be able to hear, it is a public meeting.
2. Council should have copies of bank statements with every financial report attached to the reconciliation; and should demand all 2013 bank statements. (These should be the FOI copies, of course.)
3. Council should name the bank signers. Carefully consider availability and ability to consider what they are signing. At least one councilperson should be included. Mayor should not.
4. Council should DEMAND spending freeze be honored or removed. Stand on and behind your word.
5. Council should DEMAND the mayor and her attorney do NOTHING regarding decisions involving the city without consulting with Council; special called meeting optional, NO PHONE VOTING!
6. Budget must be adhered to, otherwise, why have one! Number of officers on both Fire and Police are budgeted, but not honored.
7. Marathon meetings should not allow children to waste more tiring time advertising their parents business.
8. Working meetings and or financial meetings should be held prior to council meetings; open to the public (posted) and press (by law); no decisions made; no voting, just debate. Coming into council prepared to vote. Off the cuff voting should be non-existent!
Toe the line, folks, chief Walters and Jackson should pull a shift and reveal their income. I have a feeling we might be in for a surprise. Get out of those “admin” chairs and patrol. This is a little village.
The attorney explained some things Council should have known as soon as she did, regarding the law suit involving the Fire Department. She was very defensive and offended at questions from Faye claiming the Council should have made the decision, or at least be let in on it – to not make payments. I agree with Faye, it is the responsibility of the Council to manage the Finances of the city; it is never the mayor’s place nor is it the attorney’s, if the council refuses, it’s malfeasance; is they are intentionally kept uninformed it is ___________!!!!!
How many times did the banks and 1st Gov’t contact the city regarding payment! Municipal League insists it is the best thing for the city, I can’t see how throwing the city under the bus (Louella’s claim) is in the best interest of the city. Why, as John Wilkerson said he knew 4 years ago during the Johnson administration , and later during the Mitchell administration that the loan was illegal, why didn’t he offer his passionate advise on how to take action then?
We learn from our history, ignoring it (said someone wiser than we are) is to repeat it.
Brad S.
I would like to know what happened - details on the police car incident. I believe Officer Alvarado was driving; the mayor was evasive when questioned at council, what actually happened to cause both airbags to deploy, total the car and cause seat belt burns on the officers neck. If it was officer Alvarado driving, our best wishes go out to him, he always presented himself as a caring and competent individual. However, because the city is likely looking at another law suit, I think details are relevant.
ReplyDelete