In its November regular meeting Tuesday night, the Prescott City Council heard a request from the city’s fire department to purchase an air compressor to replenish oxygen tanks fire personnel use when entering burning buildings as well as news of a grant for road repair and an update on the effort to deal with unkempt and vacated properties. 

Robert Loe, Captain of Prescott Fire Department, told the council the compressor the department currently owns has not worked for months. “It’s no longer serviceable,” he said. “The parts are obsolete.” 

He found three different options for replacing it, which he described to the council while saying he was not asking for a vote tonight on which to purchase. The second lowest price was $40,000 and the technician who services that particular compressor is in Texarkana. The third lowest price was $46,500 but the service person was in Alabama. “We don’t know how soon he could be here,” Loe said. 

Another option was for a ten-year-old refurbished compressor purchasable through Ebay for a little over $23,000 and, unlike the two others, has no warranty. 

Currently, Loe said, the department is having to load up its oxygen containers and take them to Hope to be refilled, a costly process. 

In answer to questions by council members, Loe said he the request had also been presented to the budget committee of the council.  Councilman Howard Austin said, “I appreciate the job that you all do. Back when the high school caught fire, I looked over and there were guys going into that building. It’s our job to keep our fire department in good shape.” 

Loe reminded the council and the audience that the level of the department’s readiness helps set property insurance rates for the city. 

In her report, Prescott-Nevada County Economic Development Director Mary Godwin broke the news that a grant had been awarded of $786,000 in funding from the Arkansas Economic Development Commission with an $86,000 match required from the city. This will be used to repair a stretch of road near the Holcim facility from DeAnn Cemetery to Ron Herrod Road that needs a water line replacement. 

Godwin also briefed the council on ongoing efforts to abate properties in the city that are not being maintained by their owners. She mentioned that the wait for a decision by a judge regarding an estate that was left to about 17 heirs to property that is not being kept up is holding up progress on several unoccupied dwellings at West Holly Street.  

After the meeting, Godwin said of this effort at city beautification, “I think it's really looking good. I know it's looking much better. We've put a lot of time and effort and finances in getting getting it done. We're probably now at about 120 houses that have been torn down since Mayor Oliver became mayor, and we've been working with a lot of the owners on overgrown yards, and we're getting ready in January to start working on lots in town that people have let grow up into trees and shrubs. So that'll be a focus in 2025. 

“We often talk about the negativity of all the overgrown yards in bad houses, but I do want to put out there that there are so many citizens in Prescott that keep their yards wonderful. They take care of their houses. I don't want to forget them in all of this,” Godwin said. 

During the meeting Godwin reported there are three more places left for those who wish to take the Nevada County Leadership course through her office. 

Godwin presented financial information to the council, including the current report on sales tax receipts which is shown below.

Prescott-Nevada County Chamber of Commerce Director Jamie Hillery told the council the Giving Tree program to provide gifts to children of low-income households has adopted all the children who were applied. The Christmas parade and shopping night will be combined on the same date. Breakfast with Santa at the Fairgrounds will happen Saturday December 7th from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. 

Assistant Prescott Police Chief Leslie Wright introduced three newly-hired officers who have joined the force. 

Mayor Terry Oliver said he and Water and Sewer Department Superintendent Perry Nelson had researched whether the city could institute a policy of forgiving big water leaks, as requested by a citizen in a past meeting, but could not see a way to make it work financially. He said he could not recommend the present policy of ratepayers having to pay for such leaks be changed. Councilman Curry said citizens are provided with ways of paying these charges out over a longer period of time than for ordinary bills.