The new officer, having just joined the Prescott Police Department, was introduced by Chief Ann Jordan as Theo Purifoy.
In Citizens Communications, Jerry Eslick asked questions about taxes on the former Potlatch property now owned by the city and rumors that Prescott lost out on a pallet mill. Eslick may have been referring to the McKinzie Farms Trucking and Excavating mill in development in Gurdon, for which $63,000 in incentives were approved by Clark County’s Economic Development Corporation in 2023.
Eslick also asked where the video was of a meeting he had with a city manager that was filmed by an Prescott Police officer’s body cam but was cut off by Chief Jordan after she said his allotted three minutes had elapsed five minutes ago and for more time he would have needed to request to present an agenda item in the meeting. After the meeting, Mayor Terry Oliver said the city did collect taxes on those renting city property.
After Eslick, Jessica Box told the council, the mayor and other city officials in attendance that the flashing red light on Highway 67 and Elm, which falls under the authority of the state, is a hazard to pedestrians and cars alike because many cars coming down 67 do not stop. She said she had nearly been hit there three times.
Under Arkansas law a flashing red light is to be treated the same as a stop sign. Box suggested the intersection’s light be changed to green or back to yellow or designated by signage as a four-way stop. Electric Operations Manager Larry Jones said he didn’t know whether the light was flashing red because it was set to do so or whether it was broken and defaulting to flashing red, but he said he would check on it tomorrow and confer with the mayor about what to do next.
Councilman Howard Austin asked when work would begin on a drainage project in his ward. Mayor Oliver said there had been a hold-up of some sort. Councilman Curry said he was told last week the wait was for a part to come in and the work should be complete by the end of summer.
Austin also asked Water and Sewer Superintendent Perry Nelson how the project to move the water intake pipe further into the Little Missouri River was progressing. Nelson said the rate study had been finished and the next step would be to select the engineers and filing paperwork with the state. “It’s progressing normal, which is a little slow, but it’s progressing,” Nelson said.
Austin then asked about what the city is doing to prepare for the April 8th total eclipse and potential traffic problems. Mayor Oliver said he didn’t expect any because most eclipse viewers would be travelling to towns like Glenwood, Mount Ida and Russellville that will be more toward the center of the zone of totality that day and will see up to four minutes of darkness.
Councilman Curry announced that Curry’s Outreach on Wednesday will hold an event for children on Spring Break starting at 4:00 p.m. On Saturday at the same location, starting at 11:00 a.m. will be the monthly community feed.
Mayor Oliver asked for and received a motion to adjourn about 20 minutes after the meeting began. It was seconded and the motion carried.