City of Alexander
Mayor Paul Mitchell told council members a meeting with officials
from the Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS) is scheduled for
this Friday (July 21) at 2 PM in the city hall courtroom. Mitchell
asked that members of the council and planning commission attend and
take the opportunity to have their questions answered.
This appears to be
the final step in a proposal by DHS to deed the abandoned Alexander
Human Development Center to the city. The property is located in
Alexander along Highway 111.
DHS has been trying
to sell the property and buildings to developers since it was closed
several years ago, as the result of a state-wide lawsuit. To settle
the suit residents were moved to apartment-like settings and the
buildings have been vacant ever since.
Of the 65 acres four
acres are leased by Pathfinder, Inc., which operates apartments for
adults with special needs. If the city accepts the state’s offer
the city would inherit the lease as well.
At the February 27
council meeting Mitchell suggested one of the three buildings could
serve as an animal shelter. He also pointed out having 65 acres owned
by the city can be useful as a bargaining chip to attract a major
development like a super market or strip mall.
Announcement of the
special meeting was made at the council’s regular July 17 meeting.
The public is invited to attend.
Aside from
approving minutes from the previous meeting there were no other
action items on the agenda. Items discussed during the meeting
included;
Police Chief
Robert Burnett reported that police officers responded last week to a
burglary at Knollwood Mobile Home Park, located north of I-30.
Officers chased two suspects, apprehending one in Shannon Hills.
Chief Burnett said when they returned to Knollwood with the suspect
officers found Little Rock police had responded to a burglary in the
area across the street from Knollwood. The suspect admitted to both
burglaries.
Street
Superintendent David Durham reported, weather permitting, that two
more Fridays should be needed for the Saline County Highway
Department to complete preparing the last section of Brookwood Road
for paving. The section between Don Parker Drive and Redwood Lane is
being widened and a new base applied before the asphalt is applied.
The only section of city street remaining to be paved from this
latest project is North Alexander Road between Highway 5 and just
north of I-30. This latest paving project included South Alexander
Road from the end of Highway 111 (near West Azalea) to the city
limit, West Azalea from South Alexander Road to Kathy Drive and Birch
Drive from West Azalea to Dogwood Ranchete Drive.
It was also
announced state auditors have sent a request for documents needed to
conduct the city’s 2016 audit. In the past this has been an annual
event but, due to time constraints by the auditors, the last audit
included 2014 and 2015.
The next regular meeting of the Alexander City Council is
Monday, August 21. Meetings start at 6 PM and are held in the
courtroom at the City of Alexander Municipal Complex. The public is
invited to attend.