MINERAL SPRINGS – A raft of proposals were heard and approved during a relatively brief meeting of the Mineral Springs city council Monday evening.
The meeting began with a presentation from council member Steve Dixon about the needs of the Community Table, a community organization providing meals to those in need, for a building from which to operate. He reported that the group is quickly outgrowing the space provided for them in city hall.
Dixon did not state a firm number of those served by the group in their twice monthly community meals, which happen each second and fourth Thursday. He did state that the group had already looked at designs for a 3,000 square foot building that had a planned later expansion to 6,000 square feet, and that those involved with the Community Table felt that the structure could be build within a reasonable timeframe if they could obtain property.
The group, looking at locations around Mineral Springs, proposed renting the property that formerly held the city swimming pool, according to Dixon, and building atop the former pool. The location, near the city’s fire department and city park, would be ideal for the organization, he reported. He also stated that when the structure was not in use for the organization’s programs, it would be a place for community use. The resolution passed unanimously.
Tullis also proposed a full review of the city’s ordinances, which he estimated would take around four months of work. He requested from the council an additional appropriation of $250 per month to pay for the extra time which city recorder/treasurer April Nail would have to put into the project. The council quickly passed the proposal.
Nail then asked council members to approve her attendance at a city clerk’s conference where she anticipated receiving additional accounting training, which was granted, and reminded them of the upcoming Arkansas Municipal League meeting this summer. She said that they should decide soon who from the city would attend.
The remainder of the meeting was taken up by requests to pursue bids on various purchases.
City fire chief Chris Hostetler presented a request to replace the department’s brush truck and ambulance with a combined emergency vehicle that can fill both roles. He estimated that bids would come in between $90,000 and $100,000. The council granted permission for Hostetler to begin gathering bids.
Tullis presented the idea of having a backup generator for city hall, both to maintain city services and to serve as a shelter in the event of a citywide blackout. He initially proposed a standalone natural gas generator, but a suggestion for the audience of a combined system that would possibly include battery suppliments and alternative power from solar or wind generators was heard without opposition. The council also approved the soliciting of bids for that proposal.
Tullis ended by asking to look for bids on a pickup truck to be used by the city’s streets and water department, though he said that a purchase of such a vehicle would not happen until August or September. The council gave this proposal their approval as well.
