State Rep gets Alexander Fire Department $5,000; Mayor changes sales tax distribution

The City of Alexander has received a $5,000 grant for the fire department with the help of State Representative Kim Hammer who submitted the grant application on the city's behalf. At the city's March 17 council meeting Mayor Michelle Hobbs told council members she has received the check. But now the question is how can it be spent.

Alderman Juanita Wilson said Hammer had heard about the fire department's recent difficulties and contacted her about possibly qualifying for a grant. She told him about the recent acquisition of a fire truck from the forestry service, which needs to be repaired. Also, the department is always in need of equipment.

However, when Assistant Fire Chief William Blankenship received the grant request form to fill out he wrote in the "Project Description" section, "To help equip a fire engine received from the Forestry Commission, relocate dryer to different area and to construct a screened-in deck onto the fire station."

This did not go well with Wilson or Alderman Andrea Bearden. Bearden told Blankenship he didn't need a grant to move the dryer closer to the washer and the fire department doesn't need a deck.

"You stated three meetings ago you needed a pump test done on all fire trucks at $1,800 each," Bearden said to Blankenship. "Why was this not included in the request?"

Blankenship said he added those items to bring the request up to the maximum amount of the grant, $5,000. Both Bearden and Wilson said he should have included the $1,800 pump test instead.

Bearden told Blankenship, "if you spend one dime of this money for a smoke deck or moving a dryer do not ask me to fix any vehicle."

Mayor Michelle Hobbs said she will find out what the grant money can be spent on before she signs the check.

UPDATE:

Alderman Juanita Wilson has posted an update to this article. According to her post she spoke to Amanda Adaire, Program Manager of Central Arkansas Planning and Development District, the agency that disburses these types of grants. According to her post she explained to Adaire the grant request should have listed needs similar to repairing the former Forestry Service fire truck, like pump tests and other equipment needs.

Wilson told Adaire the request to move a dryer and build a smoking deck, "were considered frivolous by the council."

Adaire said the city may submit a new grant request with the necessary changes and it will be approved, Wilson stated in her post. Wilson has also informed Mayor Hobbs of her conversation with Adaire.

In other action;

During the finance portion of the meeting Alderman Faye McKeon asked why the distribution of a one-cent sales tax was changed back to giving one-eighth of a cent to the fire department and five-eighths to police. Hobbs said the council lifted the spending freeze at the last meeting so she told the bookkeeper to change the sales tax distribution.

Bearden told Hobbs only the spending freeze was lifted. The sales tax distribution was a separate vote. The mayor claims changing the tax distribution will empty the police department account.

City bookkeeper Ruby Whitaker was at the council meeting and will go back to distributing the sales tax as instructed by the council.

During a special finance meeting held January 21 five out of six members of the Alexander city council voted to stop all non-essential spending until the city's finances are back in order. The decision came after discovering revenue for the fire department had been used to fund other departments. The freeze limited spending to payroll, utilities, fuel, or a declaration of an emergency. The spending freeze was lifted at the regular February meeting by a five to three vote.

Because the fire department fund is low the council, at the January 21 meeting, also decided to change how a one-cent sales tax approved by voters in 2003 is distributed. According to the wording on the ballot the tax "shall be distributed" with "3/4% of the revenue for the Police/Fire Department; and 1/4% of the revenue for Parks and Recreation."

In the past the 3/4% was divided evenly between police and fire, 3/8% each. Apparently that practice stopped since Hobbs became mayor, giving the fire department 1/8% and the police department 5/8%.

McKeon told council members because the ballot measure did not specify the 3/4% be "evenly divided" between police and fire the council can mandate how to split it between the two departments. In a five to three vote the council approved changing the distribution of the 3/4% giving the fire department 5/8% and the police department 1/8%. The two absent council members count as "no" votes.

The fire department also receives an entire one-cent sales tax from a ballot measure approved in 2005.

Alexander council nixes grant request; public cries racism

A resolution requesting a federal grant to repair streets in the St. Joseph's Glen subdivision failed by a five to three vote of the Alexander City Council. The motion failed because streets in St. Joseph's Glen don't belong to the city.

Magnolia Glen Drive and Autumn Cove
are highlighted in yellow.

The proposed resolution requested a grant for, "repaving portions of Magnolia Glen Drive and Autumn streets in the Saint Joseph's Glen Subdivision." A dollar amount is not included. The grant is funded through the Community Development Block Grant program using federal tax dollars and administered by the state.

Alderman Andrea Bearden had a copy of the St. Joseph's Glen Property Owners Association (POA) Articles of Incorporation, which she received from the Secretary of State's office.

The articles state, "to provide for maintenance, preservation and architectural control of the residence Lots and Common Area and to promote the mutual benefit of all property owners ... ."

They appear to give the POA total responsibility to all maintenance within St. Joseph's Glen. There is also no city ordinance accepting maintenance of the streets. With no other evidence to the contrary at least four councilmen decided the city is not responsible for streets in St. Joseph's Glen.

Alderman Faye McKeon asked Amanda Adair, who represented the state at the public hearing held before the council meeting, if the city can apply for the grant under these circumstances? Adair said, "No."

A public hearing was held prior to the regular council meeting in order to identify and prioritize the community's, "needs of [the] City of Alexander to determine whether an application for General Assistance and Innovative Projects Grant Program funds should be developed and if so, for what community need" according to a public hearing notice posted late last week.

The notice also said, "These funds will be made available to cities and counties according to need and can be used for housing, rehabilitation, community facilities, or economic development, but must address one of the following needs;

1. Provide benefit to low and moderate income families,
2. Aid in prevention of slum and blight, or
3. Meet other community needs which pose a serious, immediate threat to the health or welfare of the community where no other funding is available to meet such needs."

Even though the public hearing was held to determine a list of "needs" that may qualify under the guidelines Alderman Brad Scott already had the resolution written so it could be discussed and voted on that night. Repairing Magnolia Glen Drive and Autumn Cove were discussed at the public hearing.

Despite being told the city couldn't request a grant for streets not within the city's jurisdiction he insisted the resolution be approved anyway and the city could accept the streets later.

Voting "no" on the motion to pass the resolution were Juanita Wilson, Faye McKeon, Andrea Bearden, and Lonny Chapman. Farren Wadley was absent which counted as a "no" vote. Voting "yes" were Brad Scott, Ceola Bailey and Samuel Gregory.

After the vote McKeon asked the city's attorney, Carla Miller, to research the legal aspect of this issue.

Miller shouted back, "You killed it, I'm not doing anything."

After a pause Bearden asked Miller, "Did I hear you tell an alderman you weren't going to do what you were asked?"

During public comment some members of the audience accused those who voted against the resolution of being "racists" telling those aldermen they should have voted for it whether it's legal or not.

In other action at the March 17 meeting;

• The council approved spending $2,800 to fix one police car.
• Aldermen Lonny Chapman and Juanita Wilson asked the Mayor why on-duty firefighters are allowed to drive more than one fire department vehicle, including a tanker, to places like the Dollar General Store or to go out for lunch, "On the taxpayer's dime."

         Wilson said, "This is a waste of the city's funds."

         Assistant Fire Chief Blankenship said he is addressing this issue.

         "It's hard to get them (young employees) to see the waste," he said.

         Hobbs told the council she gave them permission to go to Otter Creek.

• Blankenship asked that Alderman Bearden be repaid for a light she purchased for the fire department during the spending freeze. She declined saying it was a donation.

Public hearing to be held before regular Alexander council meeting

Notices have been posted throughout the City of Alexander announcing a public hearing to be held at city hall (15605 Alexander Rd.) Monday, March 17. The hearing will begin at 5:45 PM, 15 minutes before the regular monthly council meeting.

The hearing, according to the notice, is part of a process to apply for a Community

Development Block Grant funded by federal tax dollars and administered by the state. The purpose of the meeting is to receive public input to identify and prioritize the community's, "needs of [the] City of Alexander to determine whether an application for General Assistance and Innovative Projects Grant Program funds should be developed and if so, for what community need."

According to the notice, "These funds will be made available to cities and counties according to need and can be used for housing, rehabilitation, community facilities, or economic development, but must address one of following needs;

1. Provide benefit to low and moderate income families,
2. Aid in prevention of slum and blight, or
3. Meet other community needs which pose a serious, immediate threat to the health or welfare of the community where no other funding is available to meet such needs."

Along with the public hearing announcement a resolution labeled "Proposed" is included. The "Proposed" resolution includes a grant request for, "repaving portions of Magnolia Glen Drive and Autumn streets in the Saint Joseph's Glen Subdivision." A dollar amount is not included.

Besides the question of whether the grant request meets the above guidelines there is also the question of whether the city has ever accepted maintenance of the streets in Saint Joseph's Glen. The question of which entity is responsible for street maintenance, Alexander or the Saint Joseph's Glen Property Owners Association, has dogged city councils in the past without any solution.

The monthly meeting of the Alexander City Council is scheduled to begin at 6 PM following the public hearing. The agenda for the council meeting does include a line-item labeled "Resolution."

Five Alexander councilmen trade spending freeze for Mayor's promise

After Mayor Michelle Hobbs said she would transfer funds to the fire department owed by the general fund, the recently enacted spending freeze was reversed in a five to three vote. According to a financial review presented by Alderman Andrea Bearden the city had spent $6,879.98 of fire department funds for non-fire department purposes.

Voting to end the spending freeze at the February 24 regular meeting were aldermen Farren Wadley, Andrea Bearden Brad Scott, Ceola Bailey and Sam Gregory. Voting to keep the spending freeze in place were aldermen Faye McKeon, Lonny Chapman, and Juanita Wilson.

During a special finance meeting held January 21 five out of six members of the Alexander city council voted to stop all non-essential spending until the city's finances are back in order. The decision came after discovering revenue for the fire department had been used to fund other departments. The freeze limited spending to payroll, utilities, fuel, or a declaration of an emergency.

Hobbs had vetoed the spending freeze but the veto was overturned at the regular January 27 council meeting. Voting to overturn the veto was aldermen Farren Wadley, Brad Scott, Andrea Bearden, Faye McKeon, Juanita Wilson and Lonny Chapman. Voting "no" were aldermen Ceola Bailey and Sam Gregory. It takes six out of eight votes to overturn a mayor's veto.

In other action:

Council members approved the "Organization of City Council" manual for 2014. Essentially, the manual sets guidelines controlling how meetings are conducted and the duties of elected officials.

City officials were forced to use the 2012 version during 2013 when four of the new aldermen, elected in November, 2012, refused to make a decision on the 2013 manual because they were left out of its writing. They were offered the opportunity to read it and suggest changes but they declined.

The council also heard from Michael Height who wants to build a church on the Northwest corner of West Azalea and South Alexander Road (Hwy 111). The new church will cater to Spanish-speaking residents. His goal is to raze the existing structures and build a new building.