Meadow’s Edge Subdivision accepted by Alexander Council

The Alexander City Council passed an ordinance accepting the Meadow’s Edge Subdivision “Streets and right-of-ways” into the city. Maintenance of the eight streets and storm drainage systems will now be the responsibility of the city street department. This will also give the city more authority to enforce traffic laws. The streets in Meadow’s Edge are Meadow’s Edge Drive, Fern Valley Drive, Saddle Hill Drive, Woodsgate Cove, Sage Grass Lane, Buckthorn Lane, Woodcreek Cove, and Woodstream Drive.

The subdivision was built in four phases. According to the ordinance Phase-1 engineering plans were registered with Saline County in 2016. Subsequently, Phase-2 was registered in 2017, Phase-3 in 2018, and Phase-4 in 2019. Phase-4 wasn’t completed until some time in 2020. Prior to registering the engineering plans, each phase was approved by the city council.

Two issues have had this final step in limbo. One, was the lack of street lights in Phase-3. The other was the developer never came to the city for final approval and acceptance.

Before the start of Phase-1, Mayor Paul Mitchell told the developer to include street lights. While they were installed in phases one, two and four; they were not included in Phase-3. According to Mitchell the issue of ordering and funding the installation of the lights has been resolved between the developer and contractor.

Normally, once a development is completed, the approval and acceptance process begins by the developer asking for a final inspection by the city. If all of the agreed upon improvements were made, and built to code, the ordinance would be sent to the council for final approval.

With the lack of street lights in Phase-3 the development could not be considered completed. Its been over a year trying to track down who would take responsibility for funding and completing the street light installation. Now comes the hard part; getting Entergy to install the lights.

Passage of the ordinance was accomplished in one meeting due to the attendance of six of the eight council members. With the minimum two-thirds of the council present, the second and third readings could be suspended. With two-thirds of the council present an Emergency Clause could also be approved, allowing the ordinance to go into effect immediately.

Absent from the meeting were Elizabeth Bland (Ward-1) and Dan Church (Ward-3). Present were Joe Pollard (Ward-1), Joy Gray (Ward-2), Lonny Chapman (Ward-2), Harold Timmerman (Ward-3), Juanita Wilson (Ward-4), and Jeffery Watson (Ward-4).

Also at the March 21 meeting:

New employee benefit approved

The council approved providing life insurance to city employees through Liberty National Life Insurance. The monthly cost to the city to provide a $10,000 life insurance policy to each of the 24 city employees is $489.49 per month.

Mitchell noted that this will be one more benefit that will allow Alexander to attract and keep employees, who could easily leave for employment elsewhere. The employee benefits package already includes health and vision.

$30K approved to rebuild fire truck engine

Fire Chief Mark Ridgeway had some bad news and good news for council members. The bad news is one of the fire trucks needs about $30,000.00 of engine repair. The good news is he finally found a buyer for the department’s retired rescue vehicle, which will be sold for $40,000.00.

The Alexander City Council approved Ridgeway’s request to spend up to $30,000.00 to rebuild the diesel engine and cooling system of Fire Truck E-3. Ridgeway said a cylinder head gasket blew out causing coolant to leak into the cylinder and down to the oil pan. The estimate from G&W Diesel Service in Memphis, Tn. Is $29,083.74.

Police need to buy radios before grant will pay

Police Chief Robert Burnett was given permission by the council to spend $9,600.00 to buy three handheld police radios. The actual price is $9,425.11, which the city will be reimbursed through a grant program. Chief Burnett also advised council members another four radios will be purchased using drug fund money.

Last month Burnett said the new radios are needed because Saline County 911 Dispatch is expanding the number of radio channels. The city’s current hand held radios, and two car radios, are too out-of-date to be upgraded.

The next meeting of the Alexander City Council is scheduled for Monday, April 18, 6:00 PM in the courtroom at the Alexander Municipal Complex (City Hall). The public is invited to attend.

City of Alexander Regular City Council Meeting Tonight; Monday, March 21st, 2022

 

Alexander planning commission picks date for public input meeting, advisory committee membership remains at three

When a governmental body meets, most of the time decisions are made by taking a vote of the body members. Sometimes a decision is made by doing nothing. During a recent special meeting of the Alexander Planning Commission one issue was decided with a proposal to the city council, the other was dealt with by no action.

No motion was made approving local businessman Walter Burgess joining the planning commission’s Citizens Advisory Committee. The meeting, however, did result in a proposal of a date, time and place to hold a public input meeting for the discussion of the Master Development Plan.

The Citizens Advisory Committee was formed to provide input from local citizens concerning the Master Development Plan. The new plan will aid Alexander officials, both current and future, in how the city should be developed based on input from residents and business owners. The last development plan was approved in 1982.

The next phase of writing the Master Development Plan is conducting a public input meeting. The meeting will give city residents and business owners the opportunity to provide opinions concerning the future growth of the city. From their input a preliminary plan will be written.

The first item of business at the March 8 special meeting was the request from Walter Burgess to join the advisory committee. If the name sounds familiar it’s because Burgess is running in the Republican Primary to represent District-81 in the Arkansas House of Representatives, which includes Alexander.

Burgess could not be present at the special meeting due to an engagement involving his campaign. He was, however, present at what was to be the planning commission’s regular meeting February 8. The meeting could not be held officially due to the lack of a quorum, but since everyone who was on the agenda was present the agenda items were discussed with no action being taken.

Since two of the planning commission members were not at the February 8 meeting, Chairman Michael Huck provided commission members with a written summary of Burgess’s comments from the February meeting.

During his presentation Burgess said he is part owner and Vice-President of Sales & Engineering at Power Technology, Inc. in Alexander. Power Technology has been in Alexander 22 years.

Although he lives in Bryant, Burgess volunteered to join the advisory committee as a, “Business resident of Alexander, not as a citizen of Alexander,” he said.

Among his many accomplishments includes currently serving on the board of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission and Vice-Chairman of the Arkansas Science & Technology Board; where he helps to administer approximately $4.5 million annually to support entrepreneurs, small businesses, growth and job creation.

After contacting Huck in December about joining the advisory committee, Burgess announced his run for the Arkansas House of Representatives. His press release announcing his candidacy included the usual list of accomplishments touting his qualifications to serve in the State House, including that he is the current Vice-Chairman of the Bryant Planning Commission.

Both Huck and Planning Commission Member Juanita Wilson pointed out that this would be, at the very least, a bad look for the city. Commission member Stephanie Beck asked if it was legal.

Beck said she knows the Bryant city attorney. After a quick text Beck reported, according to the attorney, it’s illegal to serve on two government bodies in different jurisdictions.

With that information in hand, there was no motion made to accept Walter Burgess as a member of the Citizens Advisory Committee.

The planning commission still wants to increase the number of members on the advisory committee. Anyone interested in joining the committee should contact Chairman Michael Huck at pcchair@cityofalexander.com.

The discussion of the public input meeting for the Master Development Plan began with a review of what the meeting will entail for those who weren’t present in February. The public meeting will involve exercises to draw opinions out of people, allowing everyone the opportunity to participate.

At the February meeting Metroplan representative Bernadette Rhodes provided a general concept as to how the public input meeting will be conducted. The plan is to have tables, maps and charts setup so visitors can move from one to another taking part in the various exercises.

In a draft document provided by Rhodes since the February meeting, visitors will start at a table allowing them to sign-in and view the results of the public survey taken last year.

Another table will cover the topic of “Vision.” Residents will be asked, “In six words, describe what you would like Alexander to be like in the future.” The future is described as, “Looking ahead 25 years, how will your needs change when it comes to your transportation, housing, recreation, and employment?”

There will be an area devoted to “Transportation” where two questions will be asked; “What would make traffic flow better through Alexander?” and “Where do people most need safe paths for walking and biking?” A large map of city streets will be there to mark the various proposed changes.

“Land Use” will be the topic of another area at the public meeting. The question there will be, “If you were designing Alexander from scratch, which uses (types of homes/businesses/etc.) would you put where? (it can be a mix).” Again, a large map will be used to label areas of the city for Single Family Homes, Manufactured Homes, Apartments, Small retail/services, Large retail/office, Civic/community buildings, Park/recreation area, Medical, Industrial.

The last area for visitors will cover the category, “Making it happen.” The question there will be, “What is one small thing the city or community can do right now to make Alexander better or address something residents struggle with?”

In February Rhodes said once all the information and comments are collected Metroplan will write a first draft of a comprehensive development plan. That initial draft will be reviewed by the planning commission and the citizens advisory committee for feed-back and possible changes.

Eventually, a proposed final draft will be presented at a public hearing. At that time residents will be given the opportunity to comment on the plan.

Metroplan is a quasi government agency dedicated to providing general planning, mapping, and technical assistance to local governments in Central Arkansas. It’s major role is to work with local governments, the Arkansas Department of Transportation, and local transit providers to determine transportation needs and funding priorities for Federal transportation investments. Alexander pays an annual fee to be a member of Metroplan, allowing the city to take advantage of its services.

After much discussion it was decided to propose the public input meeting be held on June 25 at the city park from Noon to 3PM. This is all tentative until approved by the city council.

The park will allow parents the opportunity to bring their children to the playground. There was concern that adults with children might not attend if they would have to bring them along with nothing to do. The time, Noon to 3 PM, also provides residents a three-hour window to come and go at their convenience.

All of this will be presented to city council members at the March 21 council meeting.

The next regular meeting of the Alexander Planning Commission is April 12, 6:30 PM in the courtroom at the Alexander Municipal Complex (city hall). The public is invited to attend.

Alexander Planning Commission Special Meeting Tuesday

The City of Alexander Planning Commission has scheduled a Special Meeting for Tuesday, March 8. This meeting is an attempt to make up for the regular February meeting, which could not be held due to the lack of a quorum.

The agenda includes considering the request by local business man Walter Burgess to join the commission’s Citizens Advisory Committee and to begin planning the public meeting to receive input on the proposed master development plan. Because this is a special meeting the planning commission is limited by law to only discuss those items on the agenda.

The meeting will be held Tuesday, March 8, 6:30PM in the courtroom at the Alexander Municipal Complex (City Hall). The public is invited to attend.

Ordinance to change Alexander’s ward lines approved

The third and final public reading of an ordinance to redraw the boundary lines of the four Alexander wards has been approved. The new boundaries take effect immediately with only two council members changing wards.

Redrawing the city’s ward lines was required after the 2020 Census showed the populations in the four wards were not near equal. Under state law the population of the wards must be plus-or-minus five-percent of each other.

Based on the city’s new population number of 3,385, there should be approximately 846 residents per ward. According to totals provided by Metroplan Ward-1 had 1,001 residents, Ward-2 had 1,214, Ward-3 had 570, and Ward-4 had an even 600 residents. With the new boundary lines the number of residents in Ward-1 is 844, Ward-2 has 861, Ward-3 has 874, and Ward-4 has 806 residents.

The new boundaries kept the city council essentially intact. The only changes are that Ward-2 Council Member Juanita Wilson will now be in Ward-4 and Ward-4 Council Member Lonny Chapman will be in Ward-2. All other council members retain their existing seats.

The ordinance was first introduced at the December council meeting. Because there were only five members present, that is enough for a quorum but six “Yes” votes are required to allow bypassing the required second and third public readings. The January meeting also had only five council members so the ordinance was read a second time. This week’s February 28 meeting provided the third reading.

Also at the February 28 meeting;

Mayor Paul Mitchell received approval from council members to spend up to $8,000.00 for the purchase of an Onan diesel generator. The generator is needed to power the police department’s new Mobile Command Center trailer, which was recently acquired at no cost.

The next meeting of the Alexander City Council is scheduled for Monday, March 21, 6:00 PM in the courtroom at the Alexander Municipal Complex (City Hall). The public is invited to attend.