~~COUNCIL MEETING
Tuesday August 19 2014 at 7:00 PM at the
Goodman City Hall
August 19, 2014
Regular Board Meeting
The Board of Aldermen held a regular meeting on Tuesday night August 19, 2014 at 7:00 PM. Those present included Mayor Greg Richmond, Alderpersons Keith Kohley, Calvin Wilson, Alice Kezar and Bill Hess. Also present were City Supervisor David Brodie, City employee David Sarratt, Tax Collector Dawn Bunch Emergency Management Director Denis Kolb, Officer Cagle and City Clerk Paula Brodie. Guests included Lois Kolb, Justin Ducket and Freida Douthett.
The Mayor called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM.
The Board of Aldermen discussed the minutes from the regular meeting on August 5, 2014. Ald. Wilson moved to approve the minutes from the regular meeting on August 5, 2014. Ald. Kohley seconded. Ald. Wilson, Kohley, Kezar and Hess voted aye with 0 nays.
Citizens Business:
1. It was noted that Tiffany Etheridge was supposed to be present to discuss having her water bill averaged for the second time. David reported that she was not present but he would speak for her. He said that she had a toilet that kept hanging up that caused her high water bill. He said that she was not requesting to have her bill averaged but an extension of the time to pay the bill. He noted that she had said she could pay ½ of the bill this week and the rest in a couple of weeks. The Board agreed to let her pay ½ this week and have the rest paid by the end of the month.
2. Justin Duckett and Freda Douthett were present to discuss an all-night ball tournament that they were organizing as a benefit for the Faith Arise Church in Pineville. Mr. Duckett stated that Michael Wasson had told them they could have the all-night tournament, that they had already put posters around and then he had called them to tell them that they needed to ask the City Council about using the park. The Board noted that they had not allowed the last two groups to go past the 10:00PM curfew. The Mayor stated that the hours at the ballpark have not changed. That there are signs at the ballpark stating the park is closed from dusk to dawn so he did not understand why Michael would have approved an all-night ball tournament. Mr. Duckett stated that they already had fliers out and teams signed up. They were asked if they had asked to use the ballpark in Pineville, they stated yes had but had been told no. Chief Drake stated that last weekend the Police Department had received a lot of noise complaints on the ballpark. Ald. Wilson asked them if they couldn’t have the games over by 10:00PM. Mr. Duckett stated no because they had people signed up who work on Saturday and could not get there before 6:00PM. Ald. Wilson said it was going to cause trouble with the people who rented the park the last two weekends if the Board approved the request. He said he felt bad because of the situation but he did not think the Board should approve the request. Ald. Wilson said that Mr. Wasson had really put the Board in a pickle. He said he didn’t see how the Board could help them and be fair to the past users of the park. Ald. Hess stated that it will be a problem with the other groups that were turned down. The Mayor asked if they could figure out a way to have part of the tournament the next day. They are going to talk to the other teams or see if they can hold the event in Anderson. The Board was in agreement that they could not approve the request.
The Board discussed the following old business.
1. The Board discussed the City’s personnel policy regarding vacations and compensation time. It was discussed how to allow the employees to carry over vacation time and how to pay out accrued comp time. Ald. Wilson said why not let them carry it over to the next year, The Mayor stated that if they can’t take the time now how can they use it the next year. David said he thought maybe the Board could approve buying back 40 hours of the vacation time if the employee cannot use the time up prior to their anniversary date. The Board agreed that the employees can sell back to the city 40 hours of vacation time if they cannot use it before their anniversary date.
The Mayor suggested setting an amount of 160 comp hours or 100 comp hours to be allowed carried over from year to year. Ald. Wilson agreed with the amount of 160 hours to be carried over at the end of the year. The Board discussed and decided that comp time hours over 160 should be paid out twice a year. The employees should be paid on the second check of June and December anything over 160 hours. It was noted that David Brodie had accrued many comp time hours and would probably need to be paid out everything above the 160 hours prior to the December payout. The Mayor suggested paying out all the employees with over 160 hours comp time right now and then change the personnel policy to read that all comp hours over 160 hours will be paid out on the second pay check of June and December. He noted doing this will get all of the employees on the same page. Ald. Wilson said he agreed. Ald. Wilson moved to pay all employees who have compensation hours over 160 on their next pay checks and then from this day forward pay out any comp time hours over the 160 hours on the second pay day of June and December. Ald. Kohley seconded. Ald. Kohley, Wilson, Hess and Kezar voted aye with 0 nays. The Board instructed the clerk to redo the personnel policy so that it could be voted on during the next meeting.
The Board discussed the following new business:
Ald. Kohley noted that it was time to set a date for the City employees barbeque. The Board decided that it should be sometime in September. They are to decide at the next regular meeting.
Ald. Wilson asked that the Police Department look at the house next to the telephone warehouse building because of the weeds, vehicles and trash. Ald. Kezar also noted that the Bickfords on ‘B’ Ave still have a big tent set up in their yard and that it has been there since the City wide garage.
The Clerk stated that Cora Morgan Duncan had visited with her about the possibility of the Board allowing her to set up a Little Free Library. She explained to the Board that it was a box that library books are in, that the idea was for kids to borrow a book, read it return it or replace it with one of their own. It would be like a lending library. She stated that taking and bringing books would be done on the honor system. The Clerk stated that Cora would have the structure built and would fill it with books. It would then be a neighborhood project with Cora checking on it when needed. The Board agreed to let her set one up at the park on Barlow Street by the City Hall.
Department head reports:
Curt Drake- had to leave for a police call.
Denis Kolb-. Thanked the Board for new door to the Emergency Management Dept.
David Brodie- stated that the roofs are done, the gutters are done, and that lightning came in on the telephone line at the well house. He said he had contacted Reavis Pump out of Crane because he could not get anyone to call him back from the company that usually does the well repairs. He said that he had talked to the City of Neosho and they use the company out of Crane. He said that they had been in contact with him several times; that they had the part ordered and had put in a new chlorinator because the old one was not working properly. He noted that he thought they would be better to work with as they keep a lot of spare parts on hand and a lot of the cities around here use them. He reported that they are still waiting for the part that makes the pump work on auto instead of manual. He noted that he has been checking the well and manually starting the pump every few hours. The Board agreed that he should use Reavis Pump for repairs. David noted that a new chlorinator had to be purchased and installed at the cost of around $2100.00.
Dawn Bunch – had nothing to report.
Paula Brodie- had nothing to report.
The Mayor read a letter of appreciation from Jill at First Community Bank thanking the Board for having the asphalt work done on Main Street.
The Board discussed the bills including transfers in the amount of $37,753.83. The Clerk noted that the bills for the street improvements and for the repairs to the Police Station and the Treatment Plant were being paid and would be added to the next bill sheet. She also noted that the Rural Fire District had paid the City $10,975.00 which was then deposited into the City’s street fund and then a check was drawn to Swift Construction to pay the bill on the apron at the Main Fire Station. Ald. Hess moved to approve the bills including transfers in the amount of $37,753.83. Ald. Wilson seconded. Ald. Kohley, Kezar, Hess and Wilson voted aye with 0 nays.
Ald. Kohley moved to adjourn. Ald. Hess seconded. Ald. Hess, Kohley, Wilson and Kezar voted aye with 0
nays.