The meeting can be seen in its entirety below this story.
Both received trophies from Mayor Terry Oliver in commemoration of their work for the city. As she accepted the award, Meeks said, “After 26 and a half years, I have tried to serve the citizens of Prescott. I just wanted to serve everyone the best that I could, and it was a task, but it had to be done, and some things didn't get fulfilled, but that's okay. God will take care of it. I just thank all of you for being the people that you are to me, and I love you.”
Nelson said, in accepting his award that he had been hired in 1976 by R.C. McBrayer. “He was a gun-toting mayor. He was a representative before he was a mayor and since then I’ve had seven mayors that I’ve worked with, and it’s been an adventure.
“There's still a big adventure ahead, because the water and sewer business is continuing. It's another day, another problem, with room for improvement all the time. I appreciate the opportunity I've had here, and there's been many opportunities. I wish the city of Prescott well in the future. There's lots of opportunities there for the city to grow and for the water and then the sewer part of the city to grow, which helps the rest of the city to grow. I really appreciate the city of Prescott and the opportunities I've had here,” Nelson said. After the meeting he said one of his fondest achievements was seeing Prescott change to a more abundant source of fresh water, the Little Missouri River.
Next in the meeting, Prescott-Nevada County Economic Development Director Mary Godwin gave her report. She, Mayor Oliver and the mayor’s wife, Julie, visited Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders this past Thursday, who announced at a news conference the awarding of a grant for work to be completed on road drainage near the Holcim facility. The near-$700,000 grant is one of 13 from $10 million that state legislators provided.
“I think we got the sixth largest amount in the state. She [Sanders] made a really big deal over it. Hopefully, this will be an annual grant cycle that can help if the legislators will approve this money every year,” Godwin said.
Godwin said her office is completing paperwork to finish up a grant provided previously for drainage in Prescott and that it expects Tuesday to hold a Zoom meeting with a hotel corporation that is interested in adding Prescott as a location.
The effort to beautify the city continues with grown-over yards being addressed. Three homes that are owned by an estate have been checked for asbestos, with reports to be released on this soon.
Prescott Assistant Police Chief Wes Wright announced the hiring of Braden Cupples, who will be attending the academy starting in January.
The council then voted unanimously to approve the 2025 Fiscal Year budget for the city. City Accountant Carl Dalrymple was asked by Councilman Howard Austin about progress in addressing the $1.2 million bill incurred with SWEPCO by the city during the 2021 Winter Storms. Funds collected from a sales tax approved by Prescott voters last year to pay the debt to SWEPCO, which was incurred during the winter storm of 2021 have reduced the $1.2 million debt to $505,000 so far, Dalrymple said.
Dalrymple commented after the meeting that the budget does not include major changes compared with that of 2024. He noted the increased cost to the city of insurance premiums this year, but said those increases had not been as much as those from 2023 to 2024.
In announcements, Councilman Ivory Curry said his ministry would hold a Christmas celebration in which gifts would be given to those under 18 at the McRae Gym at 11:00 a.m. Saturday December 21st.
