EMMET – The Emmet City Council heard a presentation Thursday night from Southwest Arkansas Planning and Development District Community and Economic Development Coordinator Jay Click regarding grant opportunities available to the city and steps that could improve Emmet’s chances of acquiring funding.
Video of the meeting from item one forward can be seen just below this article when it finishes processing.
Meeting June 18th at Emmet City Hall, the council heard Click explain, in answer to a question that arose at last month’s meeting about whether those writing grant applications receive a fee before writing them, that Southwest Planning and Development District does less labor intensive grants for free but for larger-scale grant applications it receives an administrative fee that is taken from the grant funds. Later in the meeting he estimated that about ten percent of larger grants come to Southwest P and D to cover administrative costs.
Click also explained an obstacle to Emmet winning such grants. The city’s current Low-to-Moderate Income (LMI) percentage, a figure used in determining eligibility for many federal and state grants, currently falls below the threshold needed to qualify for some of the more favorable programs.
“Emmet came back way under the 51 percent threshold,” Click said. “You want to be over 51. I think you are about 32.6 now, and of course that takes you out of a lot of the better grants.”
Click said the figures are generated from Census and American Community Survey data but may not accurately reflect current conditions. He recommended conducting a community income survey that would allow residents to anonymously report household income.
“Each house would have a form to self-report income, and using those figures, we could generate some new data, and potentially that could put Emmet back over the 51 percent threshold,” he said.
Mayor Ottis Chuck Otwell said improving the city’s grant eligibility is becoming increasingly important as Emmet faces major equipment expenses, particularly with its aging sanitation truck. “Our trash truck is 30 years old,” Otwell said. “I’m estimating we need to spend $20,000 on that old wore-out truck and be prepared to spend another $20,000 if the other cylinders go out.”
Otwell said the city is examining options including repairs, leasing a replacement truck, or possibly contracting with a private sanitation provider. A second truck, he said, is using up two and a half gallons of hydraulic flood per day. Leasing a new one could cost $4,200 a month, he said.
Mayor Otwell said he is also looking into what it might cost to contract out waste collection with a company that may charge so much per household and relieve the city of a lot of maintenance and administrative troubles.
Click then told council members that a community survey would be the best way to determine whether Emmet qualifies for grants requiring the higher LMI percentage. “The survey is the best and only way that you’ve got to do that,” Click said. “The survey is completely anonymous.” A process that gets a high response rate would be best. Mayor Otwell said, since nonrespondents are often assigned higher incomes than what they really make. Towns usually send out forms with water bills, Click said.
Council member Grant Cox agreed with pursuing the process. “We need to know where we stand before we move forward,” Cox said.
Click explained that every occupied residence within the city limits would need to be identified and surveyed, while vacant structures, barns and churches would be excluded from the calculations. “What would really count against you is if you went to somebody’s house and they refused to report,” Click said.
Otwell asked whether forms could be obtained for house-to-house visits. Click said this could be done. Many towns favor sending out forms first, then visiting homes of nonrespondents.
The council members each verbally approved moving forward with preparations for the survey. Click said if the work on the lengthy forms can be completed by the end of July, Emmet could apply for grants during the current grant cycle.
Emmet Vision Association’s Deanna Allen asked if residents living outside the city limits but receiving Emmet water services could be counted in the survey. Click said they could not be.
He also outlined other grant opportunities available through the Arkansas Division of Rural Services, given twice a year as 50-50 matching grants, and the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, which give 90-10 grants. The numbers refer to the percentages funded by the grant, followed by the matching amount provided by the city.
“There are other opportunities that are not LMI dependent,” Click said. “Being under 50 percent LMI doesn’t keep you from all grants.”
A motion to give Mayor Otwell the authority to proceed with the grant was passed by the council members. Southwest Planning and Development would assist in the work. There was a discussion between Otwell, Click and a couple council members on the specifics. Click cautioned that income estimation by those doing the home visits is prohibited and that nonrespondents “will count against you.”
In other business, the council approved the purchase of a new copy machine for City Hall at a cost of approximately $2,400 plus monthly toner fees along with a maintenance agreement.
During reports, Allen updated the council on activities of the Emmet Vision Association and preparations for the community’s Independence celebration, to take place the evening of July 3rd.
Allen said Danson Manufacturing of Hope has agreed to sponsor the fireworks display and that additional sponsors have stepped forward to underwrite children’s activities. The same pyrotechnic expert used the past four years will be in charge.
She reported that food trucks, craft vendors, a children’s area and live music by the Nighthawk Band are planned. Fireworks are scheduled to begin at 9:15 p.m.
Allen also reported that the Farmers’ Market continues to attract vendors, though customer attendance was down last week due perhaps to the cloudiness, and that the market account currently contains $1,233.70.
She requested that the city install a “Children at Play” sign and a speed limit sign on East Third Street near the park because increased and speedy traffic associated with the farmers market has raised safety concerns. “The residents who live on the street are not accustomed to having traffic,” Allen said.
Otwell agreed with the request and voiced concern about reports of excessive speed by at least one motorist. “You don’t mess with the kids,” Otwell said. “The woman’s in the right. The parents are in the right over the kids.”
Otwell advised that a vendor who showed defiant behavior in driving out of the park, having heard mention of the speeding complaint, ought to be provided with a refund of her fee and prohibited from selling at the Farmers’ Market. “It’s not an unpardonable sin, but it’s obnoxious,” he said. Allen said the Emmet Park Committee will discuss the matter at its next meeting.
Council members also reviewed preliminary financial information provided by Otwell. The mayor noted that the city’s General Fund showed expenditures exceeding revenues during some recent months, while the Water Department posted a positive monthly balance.
Discussion then turned to the city’s recently approved $5 increase in sanitation fees. Otwell said the increase is expected to generate slightly more than $1,000 per month but warned that rising disposal, labor and equipment costs continue to strain the city’s finances.
“It’s come down in the quick, and we don’t have any choice,” Otwell said. “If we’re going to pick up trash, we’re going to have to bite the bullet somewhere.”
Following the completion of business, the council voted to adjourn.
Above photo: Jay Click (left) from Southwest Arkansas Planning and Development District advises Emmet's leadership to do a new community survey of its residents as a way to become more eligible for grant funding as Emmet Mayor Ottis Chuck Otwell looks on.
