Alexander's regular December meeting canceled; Special meeting scheduled

With only three aldermen and the mayor present the City of Alexander's last regular meeting for 2014 had to be canceled due to the lack of a quorum. Since Mayor Michelle Hobbs was present a fourth alderman would have provided the needed five members to hold the meeting. Under state law a mayor can be used to make a quorum.

Attending the Monday, December 15 meeting besides Mayor Hobbs were aldermen Farren Wadley, Samuel Gregory and Lonny Chapman. Absent were Ceola Bailey, Kenneth Miller, Juanita Wilson, Andrea Bearden, and Faye McKeon.

Even though an official meeting could not be held there was an informal discussion about one of the items on the agenda. The city council is being asked to change the zoning designation of the cattle farm that's in the city limits along Arkansas Highway 111. The farm, owned by Steve and Pam Scroggins, is in the process of being sold but the sale depends on the property being rezoned from "agriculture" to "residential" use.

When the Woodland Hills area was annexed in 2006 the farmland was needed to provide the connection between the City of Alexander and Woodland Hills. The Scroggins agreed to the annexation providing the farmland would remain zoned agriculture.

Present at the meeting was Layne Penfield with Baxley-Penfield-Moudy Realtors; the company handling the sale of the property. Penfield told council members the zoning change is needed before the end of the year to allow the developers to take advantage of low interest rates.

Mayor Michelle Hobbs has scheduled a Special Meeting for Monday, 

December 22 at 6 pm in city hall. Items listed on the agenda are "Layne Penfield," "Extend 2014 Budget" and "Public Comment." By state law because it's a Special Meeting the council is limited to only discussing and taking action on those items listed on the agenda. The public is invited to attend.

However, to change the zoning of property is more complicated than calling a meeting and voting. Before the city council can take a vote on a zoning change a public hearing must be held to allow residents an opportunity to voice their opinions concerning the proposed change.

The public hearing must be advertised in a newspaper for a set number of days prior to the hearing. The advertisement must include a legal description of the property, an explanation of the zoning change and the date, time and place of the hearing. Then an ordinance to change the zoning must be presented to the council for a vote.

This could be the last major issue decided by this council. Beginning January 1, the mayor and six aldermen will no longer serve the city due to the recent General Election and run-off election.

Mayor Michelle Hobbs will be replaced by former Mayor Paul Mitchell who defeated her in a run-off election November 25. Ward-1 aldermen Ceola Bailey and Farren Wadley will be replaced by Louis E. Hobbs and Jeffery S. Watson. In Ward-2 aldermen Kenneth Miller and Juanita Wilson will be replaced by Stephanie Beck and former Alderman Andy Mullins. Ward-3 Alderman Samuel Gregory will be replaced by former Alderman Dan Church. In Ward-4 Alderman Faye McKeon will be replaced by Melissa Ratliff.

Miller and Wilson were the only incumbents to lose in the November 4 election. Bailey, Gregory and McKeon did not submit petitions to be on the ballot. Wadley was a candidate for mayor and therefore could not run for an alderman position. Ward-3 Alderman Andrea Bearden and Ward-4 Alderman Lonny Chapman ran unopposed. The term for mayor is four years and an alderman's term is two years.