08 JAN 17.doc
CITY OF JACKSONVILLE
REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING
JANUARY 17, 2008
7:00 P.M. – 7:39 P.M.
REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING - CITY HALL - #1 MUNICIPAL DRIVE
The City Council of the City of Jacksonville, Arkansas met in Regular
Session on January 17, 2008 at the regular meeting place of the Council.
Alderman Ray delivered the invocation and Mayor Swaim led a standing
audience in the “Pledge of Allegiance” to the flag.
ROLL CALL: Aldermen: Elliott, Smith, McCleary, Ray, Rinker, Stroud,
Twitty, and Howard answered roll call. Mayor Swaim also answered ROLL CALL
declaring a quorum. PRESENT NINE (9), ABSENT (1). Alderman Fletcher
arrived at approximately 7:01 p.m.
Others present for the meeting were: City Attorney Robert Bamburg, Deputy
Clerk Kathryn Jezwinski, Director of Administration Jay Whisker, Public
Works Director Jim Oakley, Finance Director Paul Mushrush, Assistant
Finance Director Cheryl Erkel, Human Resource Director Jill Fourqurean,
CDBG Director Theresa Watson, Fire Chief John Vanderhoof, Police Chief
Robert Baker, Wastewater Utility General Manager Thea Hughes,
Jacksonville Sewer Commission Chair Joan Zumwalt, Jacksonville Water
Commission Chair Thad Gray, Jacksonville Waterworks General
Superintendent Ken Anderson, Mrs. Judy Swaim, Parks and Recreation Office
Manager Patty Walker, Ron Newport, Jack Danielson, Alfonso Nations, Larry
Smith, Mike Lehman, Kristen Griggs, Aquatics Instructor Diane Novotny,
interested citizens and members of the press.
PRESENTATION OF MINUTES:
Mayor Swaim presented the minutes of the regular City Council meeting of
January 3, 2008 for approval and/or correction at the next regularly
scheduled City Council meeting.
APPROVAL AND/OR CORRECTION OF MINUTES:
Alderman Smith moved, seconded by Alderman Howard that the minutes of the
Regular City Council Meeting of 20 December 2007 be APPROVED. MOTION
CARRIED.
CONSENT AGENDA: REGULAR MONTHLY REPORT/POLICE DEPARTMENT
Alderman Elliott moved, seconded by Alderman Smith to approve the Regular
Monthly Report for December 2007. Report reflects the Total Value of
Reported Stolen Property $41,065. Total Value of Recovered Stolen Property
$13,693 and Total Report Sales $1,328.
REGULAR MONTHLY REPORT/ANIMAL CONTROL
Alderman Elliott moved, seconded by Alderman Smith to approve the Regular
Monthly Animal Control Report for December 2007. Said report reflects:
ADOPTION/FINES: $1,945.00
CONTRIBUTIONS: $ 100.00
TOTAL: $2,045.00
1
CITY OF JACKSONVILLE
REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING
JANUARY 17, 2008
7:00 P.M. – 7:39 P.M.
ANNUAL REPORT/ANIMAL CONTROL
Alderman Elliott moved, seconded by Alderman Smith to approve the Regular
Annual Monthly Animal Control Report for 2007. Said report reflects:
ADOPTION/FINES: $27,752.50
CONTRIBUTIONS: $ 500.10
TOTAL: $28,252.50
REGULAR MONTHLY REPORT/FIRE DEPARTMENT
Alderman Elliott moved, seconded by Alderman Smith to approve the Regular
Monthly Report for December 2007 from the Jacksonville Fire Department,
which reflects a fire loss of $37,500 and a savings total of $68,000.
REGULAR MONTHLY REPORT/ENGINEERING
Alderman Elliott moved, seconded by Alderman Smith to approve the Regular
Monthly Report for December 2007. Said report reflects:
PERMITS/LICENSE ISSUED INSPECTIONS PREFORMED
Building Permits 10 Building Inspections 55
Business License 9 HVACR 24
Electrical 58
Plumbing 47
UNSIGHTLY & UNSANITARY VEHICLES
Grass Letters 7 Notice of Noncompliance 30
Property Mowed 5 Towed 7
Trash Letters 106
Trash Removal 1 CONDEMNATIONS
Property Maint. Letters 25 Structural Maint. Letters 0
Cost for December $1,115.76 Structural Repairs Made 0
Demolitions 0
ROLL CALL: Aldermen: Elliott, Smith, McCleary, Ray, Rinker, Fletcher,
Stroud, Twitty, and Howard voted AYE. MOTION CARRIED.
WATER DEPARTMENT: 2007 Annual Report
General Superintendent Ken Anderson delivered the 2007 Jacksonville
Waterworks Annual Report. A copy is on file in the City Clerk’s office.
Highlights from the report:
Zero water quality violations for 2007
Completed installation of the Neptune “AMR” Automated Meter Reading
system at a cost of $2.4 million.
Continued efforts in the Master Plan, including the transmission
main from Central Arkansas Water to Jacksonville, which has been
completed up to south of the Arkansas River going across the I-430
Bridge.
Completion of the Wilson Plan pump that will pump water north
across the Arkansas River at a cost of $5.5 million. Jacksonville’s
share was $1.2 million.
2
CITY OF JACKSONVILLE
REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING
JANUARY 17, 2008
7:00 P.M. – 7:39 P.M.
Installed:
4,664 linear feet of pipe.
8 fire hydrants
24 valves
28 upgraded water services
Mr. Anderson related that water production was up in 2007, saying that on
August 12, they reached a high for the year of 8.2 million gallons, which
was over the previous year of 6.9 million gallons. He stated that the
total production for the year was 1.7 billion gallons, which was a 4.1%
increase from the previous year. He related that the average daily flow
for the year was 4.5 million gallons. He noted that every five years an
update is performed regarding the Master Plan, explaining that 2008 will
be the fifth year. He related that part of the process would be to study
the adequacy of rates.
In response to a question posed by Alderman Stroud, Mr. Anderson answered
that in the years of 1998 through 2000 the Jacksonville Waterworks was
selling water to the City of Cabot, adding that currently Cabot is only
purchasing a minimum amount so there would appear to be a drop when the
customer base was actually increasing.
Mr. Anderson then answered that the new meter reading system can read
meters from several hundred feet.
In response to a question posed by Alderman Fletcher, Mr. Anderson stated
that the system would pay for itself in four years. He noted that every
ten years meters are supposed to be replaced, explaining that this was an
opportunity to upgrade to more advanced technology. He added that it is
projected that the Neptune meters will last longer than ten years,
pointing out that the new meters pick up lower flows. He then answered
that Jacksonville Waterworks employees have been trained to handle route
maintenance of the new meters, adding that Triton Water Technologies
would handle larger problems.
Alderman Ray commended the Water Department for having nine licensed
operators.
WASTEWATER DEPARTMENT: 2007 Annual Report
General Manager Thea Hughes delivered the 2007 Jacksonville Wastewater
Utility Annual Report. A copy is on file in the City Clerk’s office.
Highlights from the report:
th
12 consecutive year with zero treatment plant permit violations.
City of Mountain Home is the only other city to go 10 years
without violations.
Chief of Enforcement with ADEQ chooses to use Jacksonville
plant to train new inspectors.
Cities of Searcy and Cabot borrowed approximately 100,000
gallons of sludge (micro-organisms) to get their plants
started.
3
CITY OF JACKSONVILLE
REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING
JANUARY 17, 2008
7:00 P.M. – 7:39 P.M.
TREATMENT, LAB & PRETREATMENT
Successfully treated 2,159,330,000 gallons of wastewater.
Accepted 2,034,000 gallons of landfill leachate from the Two Pines
Landfill.
Inspected 425 restaurants for proper grease trap maintenance.
Inspected 180 oil/water separators at mechanic shops and garages.
Received “Excellent” ratings in laboratory certification by EPA.
Passed annual inspections by ADEQ in all areas.
All industries are in compliance with their discharge permits.
COLLECTION SYSTEM & TECHNICAL SERVICES
Continued rehabilitation of lines to eliminate overflowing
manholes.
Completed the majority of lines and manhole rehab in area northwest
of freeway in the Quince Hill area and the northeast area that
feeds into the Northeast Pump Station.
Preliminary flow data shows a 15 to 25% reduction in
inflow/infiltration in rehabbed areas, considered to be a
successful rehab program by EPA, Natural Resources Conservation
Service, and State Revolving Loan Fund.
50% of I/I comes from private sewer lines, the Commission will
continue investigating these lines for rehab.
Responded to 223 customer calls, main line and service lines, only
three of those were due to rain.
68 of 95 main line calls were due to grease in the lines.
There is a dedicated crew to clean sewer lines daily.
Continued education program via mail-outs, billboards, public
newspaper announcements to teach residents about complications
of grease in the lines.
Cost the Utility approximately $595 per call, in 2007 that
equates to $40,460.
Televised 75,826 feet of line for investigative purposes.
Accepted 1,449 feet of new subdivision line, along with 9 new
manholes.
Inspected 356 private service lines
Property owners repaired 41 privately owned service lines.
ADMINISTRATION
Operating revenue from sewer use fees were up 12% in 2007 due to
the final phase of the five-step rate increase.
In response to a question posed by Alderman Stroud, Mrs. Hughes stated
that the periodic increase regarding overflowing manholes from 2003 to
2007 were mostly due to grease, recapping efforts to educate the
residents not to put grease in the lines by sending letters to all
households on the line that overflows.
4
CITY OF JACKSONVILLE
REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING
JANUARY 17, 2008
7:00 P.M. – 7:39 P.M.
Licenses:
Class I Wastewater 3
Class II 1
Class III 11
Class IV 3
CDL 15
Solid Waste 7
APIA 5
The City Council complimented both departments for having zero permit
violations.
FIRE DEPARTMENT:
POLICE DEPARTMENT:
STREET DEPARTMENT:
SANITATION DEPARTMENT:
PARKS & RECREATION:
PLANNING COMMISSION:
GENERAL: a. STATE OF THE CITY BY MAYOR SWAIM
A copy of the full report is on file in the City Clerk’s office.
He stated that while patience is a virtue, the citizens of Jacksonville
are to be commended, for after many attempts by our legislative
delegation, and with significant effort by Congressman Vic Snyder; the
Joint Education Center has finally been funded. He added that the wait
would certainly be worth the reward, now plans can proceed for the
construction of what will equal a community college in Jacksonville. He
related that this is a positive step toward improving educational
opportunities for the military personnel at Little Rock Air Force Base
and the citizens of Jacksonville.
He stated that an additional project that has tried many of our patience
is also underway. A new library is rising from the ground on Main Street
in downtown Jacksonville, an event many have waited years to see. He
related that again, the wait was certainly worth it because the City of
Jacksonville now has a much larger site than originally planned. A third
project, the Police and Fire Training Center, is now fully funded and in
the planning stage. This facility will enhance the training program for
both Departments, providing better-prepared public safety employees. He
noted that the architect was chosen today. He stated that these projects
are the result of the citizens of Jacksonville’s willingness to support
new ideas and efforts to improve the quality of life in our community.
He explained that this is not the norm for many cities in our State,
adding that he is very thankful for everyone’s support regarding those
efforts.
He related that the financial condition of our City continues to be
strong. He stated that under the guidance of Finance Director Paul
Mushrush, our financial record keeping and reporting continues to
5
CITY OF JACKSONVILLE
REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING
JANUARY 17, 2008
7:00 P.M. – 7:39 P.M.
improve, as documented by the City of Jacksonville being presented the
Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting Award
for ten consecutive years.
He then stated that the department heads and employees are to be
commended for their efforts to meet the expectations of our citizens,
adding that their efforts make his job much easier. He reported that
Jacksonville continues to grow even with a nationwide housing
construction downturn. He stated that there were 119 single-family
building permits issued in 2007 worth $14,078,748 and a total of
$29,926,143 in permits issued including multi-family, commercial and
remodeling. He stated that while the housing industry has slowed, it has
not stopped in Jacksonville.
He went on to point out that throughout the State of the City report,
there are many accomplishments he has not mentioned in his statement. He
stated that he would like to personally acknowledge the hard work of all
City of Jacksonville employees and particularly the commission members
and diligent City Council members, adding that without their support, the
City of Jacksonville could not continue to be a progressive, growing
community. He encouraged everyone to spend time reviewing the report,
explaining that each department has contributed to the report. He
reiterated his appreciation of support and thanked everyone for their
efforts.
Alderman Stroud commended the report, noting that progress in the City is
evident. He quoted an article written by Jim VonTunglen in the Municipal
magazine, saying that “if you can’t build something beautiful, at least
tear something ugly down.”
Alderman Ray and other City Council members commended the report, and the
work performed by the utilities.
b. Matching Funds/Health Department
Mayor Swaim related that the County Health Department unit located on
North First Street has applied for a $200,000.00 grant to construct an
addition and make necessary improvements to the building. He explained
that the County has asked that the City commit a 10% match. He stated
that the item is not budgeted but could be funded through the Contingency
Fund if approved by the City Council. He stated that currently the
facility’s size is inadequate, pointing out that the lobby cannot
accommodate times when the volume of customers increase. He stated that
a 10% match would equate to a $20,000.00 expenditure.
Alderman Smith stated that it is a good cause, adding that he has
observed times of congestion and recognizes the need to expand.
Alderman Smith moved, seconded by Alderman Stroud to approve 10% matching
funds for the County Health Department expansion contingent on the County
receiving their grant. MOTION CARRIED.
6
CITY OF JACKSONVILLE
REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING
JANUARY 17, 2008
7:00 P.M. – 7:39 P.M.
c. RESOLUTION 608 (#1-2008)
A RESOLUTION EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN AFFILIATED
AREA OR NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NATIONAL PARK
SERVICE TO PROVIDE INTERPRETATION AND EDUCATION ABOUT THE WORLD WAR II
HOME FRONT IN JACKSONVILLE, ARKANSAS, AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY; AND, FOR
OTHER PURPOSES.
Mayor Swaim noted that Resolution 608 is in support of a joint
partnership between the Jacksonville Museum of Military History and the
National Park Service to establish an affiliated area or national
historic site regarding World War II and the Jacksonville community. He
further explained that the Resolution supports the application and
ensures proper participation.
Alderman Ray moved, seconded by Alderman Stroud to read Resolution 608
(#1-2008) MOTION CARRIED. Whereupon City Attorney Bamburg read the
heading of Resolution 608.
Alderman Fletcher moved, seconded by Alderman Howard to approve
Resolution 608 (#1-2008). MOTION CARRIED.
ANNOUNCEMENT(S): Mayor Swaim reminded the City Council of the mandated
joint meeting with the Planning Commission and public regarding future
planning in a five to ten year range. Discussion ensued regarding date,
time, and location; it was the consensus to hold the meeting February
th
12 beginning at 11:30 p.m. at the Jacksonville Community Center. Mayor
Swaim encouraged public attendance.
Discussion ensued regarding significant efforts for Jacksonville to
establish its own school district.
ADJOURNMENT: Without objection, Mayor Swaim adjourned the meeting at
approximately 7:39 p.m. MOTION CARRIED.
Respectfully,
________________________ _________________________
Susan L. Davitt MAYOR TOMMY SWAIM
City Clerk-Treasurer
7