Alexander council approves $55,000 for park fountain

(Corrected 03-11-2018 12:35 PM.)

Alexander city council members voted to appropriate $55,000 to purchase and install a water fountain in the city park. The purchase was approved at a Monday, March 5 special meeting called by Mayor Paul Mitchell.

The fountain is being purchased from Fine’s Gallery Internet and will be shipped out of Florida. According to Mitchell the original cost of the fountain is $28,800. After a $3,500 discount, then adding the cost of shipping the seven tons of granite to Alexander the final price is still around $28,800.

Photo from Fine’s Gallery Internet website.

The fountain is 14 feet wide and 10.5 feet tall. It does not include a pump and someone will have to be hired to assemble the various pieces and install the pump and plumbing.

Since the city has only one park Mitchell told council members he’s trying to provide areas for both children and adults. The fountain will be placed as a dividing line between the two areas. With the gazebo now complete, and adding the fountain, Mitchell expects the park will be rented out to weddings and other events in need of a picturesque location.

Mitchell told council members the fountain will be paid for from the parks and recreation fund, which has around $330,000. He also reminded them the fund is financed from a voter-approved one-cent sales tax referendum held around 2005. The referendum required that two-eighths of the one-cent go to the parks and recreation fund, one-eighth go to the fire department and five-eighths go to the police department and the remainder be “Divided between” the police and fire funds.

As a side-note Mitchell mentioned questions regarding the small park in south Alexander (formerly Woodland Hills). He told the council if anyone has any complaints they need to talk to Saline County Waterworks, which owns and maintains the park.

In other action at the March 5 special meeting;

The council approved amending the minutes of the April 17, 2017 regular meeting to establish a “Debt Service Reserve” account with First Security Bank in Bryant. In 2005 the city took out two loans from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA); one to purchase what is now city hall and the property for $364,000 and a second loan of $56,000 to make improvements to the building; including the addition of the courtroom and a new roof.

As part of the loan agreement with USDA the city was to establish a “Debt Service Reserve” account, which would hold one year of premium payments for both loans. The amount needed in the account is $21,960. The account was never established and the city still owes on the principle of the loan.

Since the city can’t afford the entire amount to establish the account First Security Bank agreed to loan Alexander the money using the street department’s new Mahindra tractor as collateral. As proof of council approval First Security wants a copy of the minutes. The original minutes of that meeting mentions acceptance of the loan and the only two signees on the account will be, “Mayor Paul Mitchell and City Treasurer Ken Miller.” Unfortunately the minutes do not include establishing the savings account. Inserting that language was approved by the council.

The only other item on the agenda was approval of the minutes from the recent February 26 regular meeting. At that meeting the council approved an ordinance accepting an offer from the Arkansas Department of Human Services to deed to Alexander the Human Development Center property along Highway 111. Under the terms of the agreement Alexander will pay a purchase price of ten dollars ($10.00) to the state and provide a copy of the signed ordinance and minutes of the February 26 meeting. Before they could be signed the council had to formerly approve the minutes.

The next regular meeting of the Alexander City Council is Monday, March 19. Meetings start at 6 PM and are held in the courtroom at the Alexander City Hall. The public is invited to attend.