Mark Godwin, a co-worker of Jack Williams, longtime Hope referee and coach, speaks to the board about renaming Millenium Field in his honor.

Two subjects dominated discussion at the April Hope City Board of Directors meeting Tuesday night, the 2021 Year End Financial Reports and the recent condition of the city’s dumpsters provided to businesses.

The city’s finance director Cindy Clark presented to the board 16 pages of tables that showed city revenue and expenditures in its eight funds, inclusive of the General fund, Sales Tax fund, Capital Outlay fund, Airport fund, Street fund, Sanitation fund, Waste Water fund and American Rescue Plan Act fund.

The report showed only one of the city’s funds in the red, the Capital Outlay Fund. The General Fund had saved $30,812 more than it budgeted for in 2021. The Sales Tax Fund saved $623,703 over what it spent. The Capital Outlay Fund spent $262,849 more than it took in. The Airport Fund saved $48,152. The Street Fund saved $267,478. The Sanitation Fund saved $28,593. The Waste Water Fund saved $218,593.

The ARPA fund, which includes a million-dollar grant from the Federal government, saved $461,059, its expenses including salaries ($420,000), a cybersecurity project ($34,173), retirement ($50, 939) and Social Security ($27,797).

City Manager Catherine Cook said Clark had done a good job in her “first expedition” into reporting on the city’s finances, and that Clark was “someone the city can count on.”

Directors asked about several line items in these funds. Director Mark Ross began the questioning by asking why a line item for the city’s 911 system was 39 percent over budget. Clark explained that the item included expenses for a fifth quarter year that had not been accounted for in the previous year’s budget report.

Director Trevor Coffee asked about a line item in the General fund, specifically Police Administration Buildings/Grounds Maintenance category, which shows a 13 percent increase over what was budgeted. Clark said an expense due to an elevator repair accounted for the difference. “When things need to be repaired in the building, we need to go on and get it repaired,” City Manager Cook commented.

Coffee also asked about an item in the General Fund for Fire Suppression, the line for Vehicle Repair and parts. Fire Chief Robert “Todd” Martin said the cost over budget number of 159 percent, or $11, 925 was incurred because of the replacement of hydraulic cylinders in one of the city Fire Department’s ladder trucks, and another repair on a truck’s transmission system.

Director Ross asked about an increased expense in the Airport Fund under building/ground maintenance, which was up 174 percent over the budget. Clark said this was accounted for by mulching on the grounds and by improvements to the airport’s shooting range.

Citizen Shirley Fontes asked about a line item in the Capital Outlay fund for Northside Park’s concession stand showing a $6,465 expenditure.  Cook said this was work done to replace boards there. Parks Superintendent Summer Powell said all the work done on the concession stand and the bathroom actually accounted for a more than $10,000 expense.

Citizen Phillip Shaw reported the bathrooms being closed during the recent Spring Break Fun Day event, forcing attendees to walk through badly drained grounds to use a bathroom some distance away. For this City Manager Cook apologized. Summer Powell acknowledged that a contractor had lost the key to the bathroom and replacement locks would have to be installed. 

Cook and Director Ross told Shaw that when events were being held, the city needed to be informed. Powell acknowledged she had been informed but that the problem of the locked bathroom could not be addressed in time. “We’re working on it,” she said.

Cook again expressed sympathy about the bathroom issue. “I agree with you. Slogging through a wet field isn’t a way to have an enjoyable event.”

Before the discussion of the budget ended, Mayor Don Still said, “I know some of these are a little bit over the budget, but this is just a guideline for the city to go by. If there is a problem, then City Hall needs to go over budget. That’s what the extra funds are for.”

Director Ross asked about the idea of the city having an amnesty period for outstanding warrants. “It can be very significant” as a way to clear the warrants, Wright said. “We haven’t done amnesty for years. We have an ongoing program when we have a warrant served. Our warrant officer is empowered by the city attorney and the court to reach agreements along certain parameters with that individual. We don’t place too many people in jail anymore because of these warrants.”

Mayor Still at that point said the 2021 budget report would be considered part of the meeting’s minutes.

Earlier that night, discussion centered on a complaint by John Hollis, president of the Downtown Network, about the use of dumpsters by non-business owners. He requested the board to inform him of what could be done to prevent the dumping of furniture, chairs, paint and other items into dumpsters that businesses pay the city $75 a month per dumpster for that business’ exclusive use.

Cook clarified that the city could no longer offer the use of dumpsters to the general public owing to state policy through the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality.

During the discussion, the directors seemed to settle on the use of signage informing the public about the penalties for illegal dumping. Cook pledged to bring some options to the board in future meetings. City attorney Wright pointed out there is nothing wrong with “private businesses using cameras as long as we can enforce it.”

Also, the board approved the purchase of trash bags from Houston Poly, authorized the police department to sell surplus property and authorized payment to ProCut Lawn Equipment & Services of $5,477 for mowing around City Hall throughout 2022. It also authorized, at the recommendation of Mark Godwin, who spoke of his experience working with him, the renaming of Millenium Field in honor of Jack Williams, a longtime referee and coach in Hope.