Marion OKs one-time refund to Lakeshore for leaky water lines
Marion OKs one-time refund to Lakeshore for leaky water lines
News & notes from January council meeting
news@theeveningtimes.com
Marion has agreed to issue a one-time refund on the water bill to the Lakeshore Estates Mobile Home Community water association to make up for water lost due to leaks in the system.
Buddy Burgos, who heads the water association, told the water and sewer committee at its Jan. 3 meeting that the leaks had been fixed and asked for a credit on its bill.
Lakeshore gets its drinking water from West Memphis, but Marion handles its waste water based on the flow reported from West Memphis.
The water and sewer committee recommend and the city council approved granting a $1,300 refund.
“He had a bunch of leaks and asked for an adjustment,” said water and sewer committee chairman Jim Spence.
The council also voted to spend $2,600 to buy and install a new water meter for the sewer line at the park.
“It will belong to us and we would read it,” Spence said. “That’s where our billing will come in the future which I think is a great idea.”
City Attorney James “Jimbo” Hale asked the council whether they were satisfied the leaks has been fixed.
“Does he have them all fixed,” Hale inquired. “Or is this going to be a monthly deal?”
Councilman Cliff Wood, who is also on the water and sewer committee, said Burgos told them that the leaks have been taken care of and that this would be a one time only adjustment to the bill.
“He assured us he had fixed them all,” Wood said.
“We let him know that we didn’t want to see him again about this. I’m the one who asked for the new sewer meter as part of the deal.”
In other business:
• The Planning Commission approved rezoning 93 Military Road to commercial. City Planner Ed Cain said the commission approved the site plan with some modifications to the parking arrangement.
“The owner has leased it to someone who is going to put a salon there,” Cain said.
• Announced that the city will be cleaning water tanks and performing maintenance on its four water towers in March. The city will drain all four water towers and clean the ones on Airport Road and the Patriot Water tower. The cost for the maintenance and inspection is $6,500.
• Building Inspector Jerry Kelley informed the council that the city finished 2016 with 38 new homes, three commercial projects, and 199 miscellaneous permits.
The city has one new home building permit in January had seven miscellaneous permits.
Kelley said the city’s goal is to have 40 new home permits in 2017.
• Mayor Frank Fogleman reported that they got the money from AT& T for the antenna buy-out contract, but AT& T still needs to reword some of the language in the contract.
AT& T paid the city $195,000 to get out of its long term cell phone antenna lease on the Patriot water tower.
“We got their money. That was the important thing” Fogleman said. “There was some clarity about who was authorized to act for the city. I will see about giving them the language how they want it and bring it back to a future council meeting.”
• City Treasurer David Rikard informed the city council that the year to date tax collections for 2016 fin- ished 1.2 percent better than budgeted for city sales tax, and -0.8 percent for the county. Year to date revenue for the general fund was better than budgeted by $286,000 — but $195,000 came from the AT& T buy-out of its antenna lease contract. Departmental expenditures were better than budgeted by about $183,000 for a net positive to the general fund of $469, which includes all the changes made to the budget during the year.
“Sales tax picked up in November and December,” Rikard said. “We were lucky because it wasn’t looking good. November and December helped us out.”
“Not a bad forecast,” Fogleman added. “You did a pretty good job on forecasting to get 1.2 percent and -.8.”
• Fogleman appointed and city council approved Scott Selden to the Advertising and Promotions Commission. Selden, who is the manager of Funkee’s Cafe, will take the place of Khalil Nashaat who chose to retire at the end of his term.
• Passed a resolution governing the rules for how the city council operates.
• Approved banking procedures of who can open and close bank accounts.
• Approved the adjusted 2017 city budget.
• Passed a resolution approving budget overages for 2016 budget.
• Approved renewing the city’s mowing contract with ProTurf for another year.
By Mark Randall
