Alexander approved for street paving grant

The City of Alexander has been notified by letter that it has been approved for a $250,000.00 grant for re-paving city streets. Mayor Paul Mitchell posted an image of the letter from the Arkansas State Aid Committee on his Facebook page.

Streets on the list for re-paving are A.C. Wallace (between the railroad tracks and city park), E. 4^th Street, Jason Drive, Kent Drive, Alton Drive, Regency Drive, and Lindsey Drive. (Highlighted with a green line on the map below.) Arkansas Department of Transportation (ArDOT) engineers have estimated the cost of the 1.79-mile project at $257,550.00. Bids must still be obtained from contractors, but if the estimate is accurate the city will have to pay the remaining $7,550.00.

The next step is for the council to approve a resolution accepting the grant and giving ArDOT permission to advertise for bids. ArDot will advertise for bids, review the bids and oversee the final project.

This is the second $250,000.00 grant received by the city from the Arkansas State Aid Committee. The first was in 2015.

With one of the bids coming in under budget the 2015 grant was enough to fund the paving of Autumn Cove and the end portion of Magnolia Glen from the Autumn Cove intersection in the St. Joseph’s Glen subdivision, Brookwood Road from Don Parker to the railroad tracks, all of Cornerstone, the paved portion of Kelli Place off Highway 111, and 2ndStreet between Highway 111 and Main Street. (Highlighted with an orange line on the map below.) With $14,782.51 left of the $250,000 grant the city council approved adding $150,000 from the street fund to pave Don Parker Drive from Brookwood Road to West Azalea Drive, pave West Azalea Drive from Don Parker Drive to Kathy Drive and pave Dogwood-Ranchette Drive from South Alexander Road to Birch Drive. (Streets are highlighted with an orange dash line on the map below.)

In 2017 a separate paving project was approved that did not include a grant. Council members appropriated $225,000 from the street fund to repave eight areas in Alexander. The estimated bid submitted by Cranford Construction Company of North Little Rock was $200,672.56. The remaining appropriation was to cover any cost overruns and to reapply lane striping. Cranford Construction submitted the low bid for the first grant.

The eight areas were Alexander Road in front of Knollwood Mobile Home Park north of Interstate 30, 1^st Street from Highway 111 to Main Street (along Hess Extra Stop), South Alexander Road from the end of Highway 111 to the city limit, West Azalea from the intersection of South Alexander Road to the Kathy Drive/Brookwood Road intersection, Redwood Lane between Brookwood Road and Don Parker Drive, Brookwood Road from West Azalea to Don Parker Drive, and Birch Drive from West Azalea to Dogwood-Ranchette Drive.

New pavement was also applied from the end of East Azalea Drive, for approximately 310 feet, to connect with Skyline Drive in Shannon Hills. At the time there was only a layer of rock connecting the two streets. Despite that, East Azalea Drive had seen an increase in traffic between the two cities beginning in 2016. (Streets included in the 2017 project are highlighted with a magenta dash on the map below.)

Alexander American Legion presents memorial resolution

(Correction made in caption 01/10/19)

In honor of the late Dale E. Mulkey, Alexander American Legion Post AR-28 Commander Jerry Bragg presented Mulkey’s wife, Beverly, with a memorial resolution. The resolution commemorates Mulkey for his love and duty to country and his service in the military. It was presented during their monthly meeting Tuesday evening, January 8.

        From left to right; Beverly Mulkey, Commander Jerry Bragg, Adjutant Marlene Caldwell 
        and First-Vice-Commander Harold Timmerman.

Mulkey died December 21, 2018 at the age of 65. He was buried today (Wednesday, January 9, 2019) at the Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery in North Little Rock.

Mulkey served in Vietnam and was an advocate for veterans issues. He was a co-founder of the Alexander American Legion Post and its first Commander. The Post was founded in 2018.

In November Mulkey attended the Alexander city council’s monthly meeting to present council members and the mayor with certificates of appreciation to express the Alexander American Legion’s gratitude. City officials are allowing Post members to use the old town hall to hold their meetings. In October they were also allowed to have their chili cook-off fund raiser in the city park rent-free.

Alexander officials sworn-in Tuesday

Every two years, throughout Arkansas, January 1 is the day those who were elected the previous November take their oath of office. On Tuesday in Alexander it was no different.

  Mayor Paul Mitchell (L) and Saline
  County Justice of the Peace
   J. C. Walters.

Mayor Paul Mitchell was sworn-in by Saline County Justice of the Peace (District-12) J. C. Walters to begin his second term as mayor. A term is four years.

After Mitchell took his oath of office he then swore-in seven of the eight council members who were re-elected in November. A council member’s term is two years.

Council Member Elizabeth Bland (Ward-1) was also re-elected but could not attend the ceremony. Under state law she has until January 10 to be sworn-in.

From left to right are council members Joe Pollard (Ward-1), 
Dan Church (Ward-3), Jeff Watson (Ward-4), Melissa Ratliff 
(Ward-4), Harold Timmerman (Ward-3), Juanita Wilson 
(Ward 2), Joy Gray (Ward-2). With his back to the camera 
is Mayor Paul Mitchell.