The Hope City Board of Directors met Tuesday night in the City Hall Boardroom. Absent were Directors Montgomery and Easter, but enough directors were still present for a quorum.https://youtu.be/wM1pBWDKbpU
Last night, in the first regular meeting of the month of June, the Hope City Board of Directors heard Hope Public Schools Superintendent Jonathan Crossley make a case for the passage of a millage increase that Crossley said would help the district retain its experienced faculty and staff and upgrade buildings on its campuses.
The results of the millage election of August 8th will determine whether the millage charge for citizens living within the bounds of the Hope school district will move up 12 mills, from 34.7 to 46.7. This would mean property taxes for those under 65 and not declared disabled would move up $10 monthly for a property whose market value is $50,000 and whose assessed value is $10,000.
With the average market value of property at $82,000 and the average assessed value being $16,400 in the district’s boundaries, the cost of the millage increase for that individual owner would be $18.20.
At its present level of 34.7, Hope Public Schools millage ranks 200th of 225 districts statewide. It has not been raised in 34 years.
Funds from the millage would allow for the raising of pay for experienced faculty and staff, whose raises are not covered by the LEARNS Act. It would also address such infrastructural needs as repairs to the Yerger Middle School gym, redesign of parking and traffic flow there and updates to classrooms. Clinton Primary would get new digital signage. Hope High’s Agri Facility, exterior lighting, landscaping, building entry points and athletic facilities would be improved, too.
Concerning the Hope High Agri facility, Crossley said the state would be covering 72 percent of its upgrades, with the district needing to cover the remaining 28 percent.
Included in improvements to athletic facilities would be work done to reduce drainage and upgrade the facilities at Legion Field, which is used by Hope Public Schools under an agreement with the City of Hope. The specifics of changes to the park facilities would be discussed again after the election.
“With the investment that we're talking about, there's potentially some wiggle room to rethink about how we interact with the park or the city and how the city interacts with us in order to maintain what I would imagine would be a world class baseball facility and world class for our parks as well,” Crossley said. Crossley has already engaged in discussions with City Manager J.R. Wilson on bringing the city and the district’s cooperative agreement up to date as it applies to the use of Legion Field.
Additional speakers in favor of the millage were Maurice Henry, Hope Public Schools' Transportation and Maintenance Director and School Board member Bubba Powers, who endorsed Crossley's leadership as well.
To vote in the millage election, citizens within the Hope Public Schools district boundaries have a choice of two polling places on Tuesday August 8 from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m: the Fair Park Community Center at 137 Fair Park in Hope or the Fulton Library at 315 Little River Street, Fulton. Early voting starts July 31 and ends August 7 at the Hempstead County Courthouse on 200 East Third in Hope with the hours between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
In other business, the city board voted in favor of a resolution to recognize Juneteenth Freedom Day. The vote came at the suggestion of Sylvia Brown, organizer of the celebration of Juneteenth and representative from VOTE SoAR (Visibility Outreach Touch Engage South Arkansas). Â The event will be celebrated in Hope and Washington June 16-18.
The board also voted to accept a 90 percent/10 percent grant from the Arkansas Division of Aeronautics that was awarded May 17. The city will match 10 percent of the $150,000 cost of repairing chain-link fence, repairing and replacing the beacon light and obstruction lighting. The city’s match will be in-kind (in the form of contributed labor) to the value of $13,903.10 accompanied by a cash match of $1,096.90.
The board voted to declare two trucks, a loader and a leaf machine to be surplus along with old pieces of concrete. These items would be sold.
The board also approved Hope Police Chief Kim Tomlin applying on behalf of Hope Police for bulletproof vests from the U.S. Department of Justice. For each vest, Hope would pay 50 percent and the DOJ would pay the remainder.  The vests would replace up to six that are passing their expiration date of five years.
The City Manager’s Report included the following announcements:
The Hope in Action roof repair is complete.
The city is coming close to submitting their project for the use of UV light to disinfect wastewater at the East Plant to the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality.
Electric work on the Streetscape project has begun.
The city will hold its fireworks show July 1 at the City of Hope Airport. Gates will open at 6 p.m.
Additional sidewalk, a wheelchair ramp and a driveway will cost $27,880.  At Mayor Don Still’s suggestion, the board voted to approve this expenditure.
Hope in Action and the City of Hope Shelter are applying for two grants. Hope in Action hopes to receive $48,000; the Hope Shelter, $26,000.
Summer kids programs start June 13 and run through July 20. They will be offered Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to noon.
The Fair Park pool opened May 29. Reservations for Sunday pool parties have been numerous.
The board decided to cancel the meeting that would have occurred July 4.
The Pocket Park is finished.
In Citizens Request, Sylvia Brown thanked the board for voting in favor of the Juneteenth resolution.
Side A of a pamphlet pertaining to the Hope Public Schools millage increase.
Side B of a pamphlet pertaining to the Hope Public Schools millage increase
Hope Public Schools Superintendent Jonathan Crossley. Photo by Mark Ross.
Hope Public Schools Transportation and Maintenance Director Maurice Henry. Photo by Mark Ross.
Hope School Board Member Bubba Powers. Photo by Mark Ross.
City Attorney Randal Wright. Photo by Mark Ross.
