The Alexander City Council approved a resolution allowing the St.
Joseph’s Glen subdivision to access a sewer line at First Street
and Vine Street. The sewer line is part of the Little Rock Water
Reclamation Authority’s (LRWRA) system. LRWRA provides sewer
service to the Pulaski County portion of Alexander and some areas of
Saline County, which border Pulaski County, within the city.
Alexander does not operate its own sewer or water systems.
The plan was first
introduced to council members at the August 21, 2017 meeting. In
order to begin the legal process of making the switch the council had
to pass two resolutions to fill three vacancies on each of the two
improvement districts. Three residents of St. Joseph’s Glen were
appointed commissioners to Alexander Municipal Property Owner’s
Multipurpose Improvement District No. 43. Another three were
appointed commissioners to Alexander Municipal Property Owner’s
Multipurpose Improvement District No. 86. District 43 is responsible
for phases one through six. District 86 covers Phase-7. Under state
law municipalities must approve the formation of improvement
districts and who serves on the board of commissioners.
Once that was
accomplished, legal representatives for the two improvement districts
spent the next three years in court with the operator of the
treatment plant. According to Tonya Prowse, one of the leaders of the
sewer line project, the plant operator claimed the former developer
of the subdivision included the sewer lines connecting the houses in
the subdivision as part of the purchase of the sewer. A judge ruled
the treatment plant operator owned only the main line connecting the
plant to the subdivision. The developer did not have the authority to
sell the smaller line connecting to the homes.
Now a new chapter
begins in the process of eliminating the privately run sewage
treatment plant. The improvement districts must get easement rights
to run the sewer line from the edge of St. Joseph’s Glen to First
and Vine.
Property owner
Sandra Venable attended the council’s March 15 meeting. First she
asked which side of the railroad tracks the sewer line would run.
When it was explained the sewer line would be on her side of the
tracks she said, “That’s where my property is and I won’t allow
it.”
Mayor Paul Mitchell
explained that it will be up to St. Joseph’s Glen to acquire the
easements needed to bury the sewer line.
“The city has
nothing to do with this, other than letting them (St. Joseph’s
Glen) have the right to tie onto it (Little Rock sewer line)”
Mitchell told Venable. “The city doesn’t have sewer and water.
All we have is a contract with Little Rock Wastewater.”
“I’m just
letting you all know I’m going to court,” Venable said.
Council member Joy
Gray questioned how adding 188 more homes will affect the city’s
limit on additional connections. According to Mitchell LRWRA was
limiting Alexander to another 800-plus connections. In response to
Gray’s question Mitchell said LRWA has changed to a formula based
on the amount of wastewater flowing from Alexander into the system.
According to the formula, based on gallons per day, Alexander has
room to grow.
Also at the March
15 meeting:
Saline County
asking cities to join interlocal agreement for Emergency Medical
Services
The Alexander City
Council heard the first reading of an ordinance that, if approved,
will allow Alexander to join other Saline County cities and the
unincorporated ares of the county in contracting for Emergency
Medical Services (EMS) with one provider. Other cities to be involved
are Bauxite, Benton, Bryant, Haskell, Shannon Hills, and Traskwood.
As stated in the ordinance the,”[P]urpose is to ensure that there
is increased consistency, transparency, and accountability with the
emergency medical services … provider for the citizens of Saline
County.”
Once the agreement
is finalized an EMS governing board will be formed. The board,
“[W]ill be responsible for issuing a competitive solicitation for
EMS services and assuring that the terms of any EMS franchise
agreement are complied with.”
Because only four
council members attended the meeting there could only be one public
reading of the ordinance. In order to suspend the second and third
readings and declare an emergency for passage two-thirds of the
council, six members, must be present. The mayor is allowed to be the
fifth member needed for a quorum, but he could not have voted as the
sixth vote if five council members were in attendance. There should
be a vote on the ordinance at the April meeting if enough council
members are present.
Attending the March
15 meeting were Joy Gray (Ward-2), Juanita Wilson (Ward-2), Harold
Timmerman (Ward-3), and Lonny Chapman (Ward-4). Absent were Joe
Pollard (Ward-1), Elizabeth Bland (Ward-1), Dan Church (Ward-3), and
Jeff Watson (Ward-4).
City attorney
resigned
Mayor Paul Mitchell
announced the resignation of City Attorney Victoria Leigh. He gave no
reason for her resignation, but he did say he was interviewing
someone with 30 years experience. Leigh filled both roles of
prosecuting attorney and city attorney. Leigh was hired in September
of 2020.
Next Meeting
The
next meeting of the Alexander City Council is Monday, April 19 at
6:00 PM in the courtroom at city hall. The public is invited to
attend.
