Wilson told the board of Street Department Superintendent Kenneth Harvel and Mayor Don Still meeting with an Arkansas Department of Transportation inspector and a state aid program director for ARDOT about problems with the project on Sixth Street. Those problems, which include areas of bottom layer instability, a lack of cold milling (the destruction and gathering of worn road surface) which would result in an inconsistently asphalted surface and not enough asphalt ordered. An additional 556 tons would be needed to add to the 1,245 tons projected to be used.
Wilson said that the board had two options in solving the problems at Sixth Street. It could simply agree to change orders to fix the issues Wilson listed, which would likely impose total costs to the city of $140,000. Or the city could allow Wilson to use the city’s street department’s personnel and machines to perform part of the work at the project. He credited the idea to Harvel. “Ken told me, ‘Let them finish the curb in the gutter and the drainage. And the city—we’ll do the cold milling and overlay. We do it on all of our streets anyway.’”
This was the stated preference of the directors, who gave their assent to Wilson starting the process of the city and the state negotiating with the contractor. Wilson said it was possible pursuing this path would result in no additional costs to the city. He said he’d keep the board informed as things develop.
The board heard proposals from Hope Municipal Airport Manager Darrell Allan to raise rates for the use of hangars from where they had been set in 2001. The cost per square foot of hangar space would be moved to ten cents. This would move the cost per month of storing a single engine plane or helicopter from $110 to $125; for a twin-engine, the cost would remain at $150. The larger hangars would also see a raise in rental cost, with the 4,020 square foot going from $300 to $400 per month. Storage rooms or offices are also going to be made available in the airport itself for rent. For those who wish to build their own private hangars, the price would be 40 cents per square foot.
Jeanette Collums spoke about the cost increases being prohibitive for family members and friends keeping planes at the airport. Mayor Still said the discussion Tuesday was a broach of the subject of the increases. No action was taken but Still said the subject will be revisited in future meetings so the board could hear more comment from citizens affected by the change.
Parks Superintendent Summer Chambers also presented a proposal for a raise in prices for the reservations of pavilions for private use. Pavilions currently rent for two dollars a day, whereas in Nashville, they rent for $20 for a day. She asked the board to consider raising pavilion rental rates in Hope to $10 per half day and $20 for a full day.
Additionally, Chambers asked that new event agreement forms be instituted that would be filled in by those requesting pavilion rental as well as those hoping to rent buildings at the parks. These would also be sent to the Hope Police Department for an assessment of security needs. Buildings would be rented for $100 per day with $100 refundable deposit.
Promoter Steven Horton asked how the city hoped to contain the behavior of some of the crowds who come to public events, like the dances he wishes to hold at The Hub on Friday nights. Wilson replied that because of the new event forms, police would be able to determine whether an officer could be stationed at the event or extra patrols could be done or whether the promoter needed to hire security.
The discussion seemed to be drifting toward tabling the proposal but City Director Reginald Easter reminded the board that time was getting short before the influx of warm-weather events and reservations. Director Trevor Coffee moved to vote in favor of Chambers’ proposal to raise reservation costs for pavilions and to require the use of a new form for the reservation of parks buildings and facilities. The motion passed unanimously.
In another agenda item, Wilson reported that three ladder trucks had been found that were potential prospects for the city to buy for the Hope Fire Department but no commitments had been made yet. He asked that the board approve the declaration of the city’s currently non-working ladder truck as surplus for sale so the proceeds could be used in the purchase of the next ladder truck. The board approved unanimously by voice vote.
Time was allotted for comment from the public about potential large projects in the future, possibly including a new Hope Fire Department headquarters, a recreation facility and improvements to the parks, but no one spoke during this period.
In the City Manager’s Report, Wilson said there was need for the city to make decisions regarding the use of the former Kopecky property, which was donated to the city, as a memorial. He said he and Fire Chief Todd Martin had received feedback from the state that only certain high priority items needed by the Fire Department would likely win state grants, which prompted Martin to take that into consideration in filling in applications for such grants. The city’s Act 9 relationship with Tyson for bond selling purposes to raise funds for the new hatchery had closed and the bond sale had been successful. About the confusing striping on North Hervey, Wilson provided the news that ARDOT had restriped the location.
Wilson provided the information that the Ward Seats currently held by City Directors Kiffinea Talley, Reginald Easter and Trevor Coffee will be up for election this November. The candidates can circulate petitions starting Thursday May 9th which any Hope resident registered to vote from any ward can sign, even if they don’t live in the candidate’s ward. These can be filed with the city between July 31st and August 7th at noon.
Mayor Still invited everyone to come to the Paul Klipsch birthday bash events, which will include two concerts, information sessions and tours.
In Citizens comments, a citizen asked that free swimming lessons be provided in Hope. Chambers said the difficulty with providing swimming lessons was findng an appropriately certified instructor who could give them at Hope’s public pool, but she would keep looking.