The Hope City Board convened in City Hall Tuesday night for its regular board meeting, its second in May. Prior to the meeting, the board held a one-hour work session on the subject of proposed capital projects that include a new fire station, a recreation/aquatic center and major improvements in the city’s parks. The board meeting included discussion of these projects, approval of solo auto-cross racing at the airport and other items.
After the invocation, the pledge of allegiance and the approval of previous meeting minutes, the first item was discussion of the parks improvements. Director Mark Ross asked about locations for the new buildings.
Mayor Don Still said the fire station would need to be on the south side of town because of the need to keep a good fire rating but the recreation/aquatic center location would have to be determined later.
Attendee Amy Knoll asked here about whether the pool would be grounded to protect its users from lightning. Still said that was another question to be answered down the road.
In the next item of business, Taylor Marshall from Friday, Eldridge and Clark took the podium to ask for the public hearing legally required when cities enter into bond issuances. No citizens spoke. So the meeting returned to order. Marshall presented an ordinance under which the city agreed to the issuance of bonds to raise $714,000 to help fund a wastewater project that will include the dredging of East and West Plant waste ponds. These projects are being required by the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality.
It was announced at the end of last month that the city would be awarded a $500,000 Arkansas Community and Economic Development Grant to help fund the project. The remaining $714,000 of the $1.214 million project will be covered by a 1.57 percent loan financed through the issuance of bonds. Marshall said the payments will be about $3,528 a month through 2046. The city is prohibited from paying off the debt sooner than ten years from now.
To expedite the process in a project that the ADEQ has been calling for for at least two years, the ordinance approving the arrangement was passed on the suspension of three readings at three meetings with an emergency clause. The vote in favor was unanimous.
Next on the agenda was a consideration of a proposal by the Arkansas branch of the Sports Car Club of America’s representative Brady Loretz, from Sheridan to use the grounds of the Hope Municipal Airport at least twice a year for autocross events, in which car drivers time their performance maneuvering through a course set up with road cones and pavement markings. Spectators are invited at no charge.
Loretz told the board that speeds for the entrants rarely exceed 60 miles per hour and that licensed safety stewards design the courses and are always on site monitoring. He said spectators would be kept at a safe distance from the courses. Usually, events occur on weekends, with Fridays used to set up and Saturday and Sunday used for competition.
Airport Manager Darrell Allen said he had consulted with the Federal Aviation Administration and the agency had no problems with the use of the airport. Runways would not be closed to air traffic. Loretz said that should any part of the grounds be needed for landing or taxiing, they could readily be cleared.
Loretz said that the events held seven to nine weekends a year at the airport in Stuttgart have been getting an average of 40 entrants and about that many spectators, usually family and friends of the drivers. He said that autocross enthusiasts in east Texas lack facilities where the events can be staged so the Hope event may draw from that area.
In Hope events are planned for July 19th-21st and again September 20th-22nd and that more than two events per year are possible if the demand is there for them. Anyone with a car that won’t tip over can enter the events. The cost is $40 for members of SCCA and $60 for non members.
Local enthusiast Darrin Laughard was present, too, to endorse the idea. He explained that the courses would be set with pieces of sheetrock, chalk lines and road cones. He also said autocross participants from Louisiana might want to use the airport for their own events.
Allen said that his conversation with the director of the Stuttgart airport told him there were zero problems from the Arkansas Sports Car Club’s use of its grounds.
Director Ross made the motion to approve the lease of Hope Municipal Airport by Arkansas Sports Car Club of America for autocross events. Director Reginald Easter seconded. The motion passed by unanimous vote.
In the next item, the board unanimously approved the hiring of Cindy Clark, Hope’s current Finance Director, to take on the duties of City Clerk as well. Amber Murr, who was serving her last day at work Tuesday, will be leaving for another position.
In the next item, the board approved a resolution to designate Southwest Planning and Development District as project administrator for the $500,000 grant awarded to the city for its upcoming wastewater project.
In City Manager’s Report, J.R. Wilson said a punchlist, a list of leftover work prior to finish of a project, for the Sixth Street Project is done. The signing of the $500,000 grant acceptance paperwork earlier in the month was cancelled due to the absence of one of the parties and will be rescheduled.
Director Ross asked whether striping of Sixth Street was included. Wilson said the city would be responsible. Ross also asked about striping on South Main. Wilson said that could be undertaken as well.
Director Coffee asked about a large bore hole in the road at Elm and 16th Street. “We are aware of it,” Wilson said. City inspectors are working with the company involved in that project. Coffee also asked about interstate truck traffic using parking lots of businesses on Hazel Street to turn around. The drivers who turn around think Hazel Street is a city street and that it does not take them to Highway 29. Coffee asked whether this was a problem that could be solved with signs the city could put up.
Director Easter said he had recently had to help two diesel drivers out of ditches nearby and that he saw signs at the intersection from I-30 clearly indicating Highway 29 could be accessed by going south down Hazel. Wilson said that since there is signage to that effect, he knew of nothing more that could be done. Mayor Still suggested the drivers’ GPS systems may not be steering truckers toward the easier option of using the bypass.
Vice Mayor Kiffinea Talley asked that Hope Police be told to give people who park on the road sides of city streets be given “friendly reminders” not to do so.
There being no more directors’ questions and no citizens comments, Mayor Still adjourned the meeting.