MINERAL SPRINGS – Money spent, money to be spent, and money that may not have to be spent was the major focus of the regular monthly meeting of the Mineral Springs city council Monday.
The discussion of funds substantially began with the reading of the monthly report on the balance of the city’s general fund by recorder/treasurer April Nail, in which she reported a drop of nearly $12,000. Mayor Bobby Tullis attributed this partly to expenses in refurbishing the space previously used by the Mineral Springs library for the city’s police department, and also noted that the city had begun spraying for mosquito suppression – which he said has significant costs.
Also taking a hit was the city’s street fund, with a $15,079 drop last month. The fund has lost more than half its value since the beginning of the year.
The city’s water and sewer fund additionally saw a drop, of just under $30,000, but that was expected as the city made their annual payment to the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission for a loan taken out when the city put in the newer of their two water towers.
Partially balancing that drumbeat of strikes against city finances was the report of the first full month of sales tax returns including those collected by the Dollar General Store which opened in April. The month’s sales tax tendered to the city totalled $5,615 – more than a third of what Mineral Springs has received in city sales taxes so far this year.
Further encouraging news came with the opening of two bids for construction work to replace the bridge on South Crawford St. destroyed in a storm in early May. The lower of the two bids, from JMJ Construction was significantly below what the city estimated it would cost to place a box culvert and buttressing at the sides. The council voted unanimously to accept the JMJ Construction bid over a bid from RBIS of Texarkana for $26,250.
Tullis also said that replacing the bridge with a more robust structure would eventually save money for the city because the previous designs had washed away four times in the past 28 years, whereas the design the council received bids for would stand up to much more abuse.
A third item that may result in lower expenses for the city was included in the report of city fire chief Chris Hosttetler. Hosttetler stated that the department, which had been looking for a vehicle equipped to fill multiple roles, could instead purchase a truck and add on the equipment themselves. He estimated that around $35,000 could be saved in that manner.
