He accepted a trophy from Parks Superintendent Carlos VanHook and Mayor Terry Oliver, who said, “If you’ve played basketball in the last 32 years, Tony has probably reffed your game.” The mayor also said it is hard to find referees today because of the abuse they take.
Afterward, City Council Member Satarra Williams was commended by the mayor for being recognized by the Municipal League for completing 21 hours to be certified as a municipal official alongside serving on a state committee. “She was presented this one at Little Rock,” Mayor Oliver said. “It takes some work to get this one.”
City Council Member Patricia Roberts was next to be recognized. “She’s already certified, and she’s still adding on to it,” Mayor Oliver said. Roberts’ certificate was for earning additional hours at the Municipal League beyond becoming a certified municipal official. Mayor Oliver estimated she likely has 40 hours in total.
Oliver added that three council members from Prescott serve on state committees, which he said was quite an accomplishment since the city is competing for these seats against “the Fayettevilles, the Little Rocks, the Conways.”
The meeting continued with an appearance by Paul Ridgell, president of the Nevada County Depot and Museum Board, who provided information about how the board is preparing for the total eclipse to occur April 8th.
He began by saying the board will have campgrounds available for 25 RVs and 50 tents. These are available now and can be reserved through Arkansas.gov under Eclipse. The board will advertise in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and collaborate with the Prescott-Nevada County Chamber of Commerce to further promote spending the eclipse weekend in Nevada County.
Ridgell said the board is combining with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission to get the pond at the prairie ready for use. “It looks like this spring we might be able to open for [fishing] derbys,” he said.
The prairie will be opening for the eclipse weekend on April 5th and then closing on April 9th with an employee available there each day. Food trucks will probably be on the scene, too.
“We should be able to catch some of the million population influx that we’re going to be having here. I know we’re not Hot Springs, which has been advertising a lot for it. Okolona’s even started advertising for it,” Ridgell said.
Councilman Howard Austin asked Ridgell whether space could be used at the industrial park for RVs who wished to park in the area. Ridgell responded that Economic Development Executive Director Mary Godwin was the one to ask about this potential use.
The meeting began with approval of the minutes from the January 2024 meeting, approval of the January financial reports and a report from Jamie Hillery, Executive Director of the Prescott-Nevada Chamber of Commerce. She said a ribbon-cutting will take place March 7th for a Farmers Insurance location. On March 30th, the community Easter Egg Hunt will occur. “It’s a joint community event and last year we had a lot of kids come out,” Hillary said.
Preparations are being made for the chamber banquet scheduled for April 23rd. Near the end of the meeting Hillary said nominees for citizens awards and hometown hero awards are due by Monday, February 26th. “If you know someone who's deserving, it can be a short paragraph. It can be a few sentences, but they have to be nominated in order to win,” she said.
Under the agenda item Discussion or Announcements from the Council, a few questions were asked. Councilman Austin asked when the hiring committee would meet for the selection of the city attorney. Mayor Oliver answered that letters are being put together to send to the applicants so they can pick a time from three different days to meet with the hiring committee. Austin said once an attorney is hired, he hoped the city would revisit its interlocal agreements with the county to make changes.
Parks Superintendent Carlos VanHook said a fundraiser is to take place Monday February 26th at 11:30 a.m. at the City Park for the city’s baseball program. Pulled pork or hamburger meals will be made available for a $10 donation, he said. Asked how the baseball field is looking, VanHook said he was waiting for it to dry this week so Parks crew can “get the ball rolling.”
Council member Susie Meeks asked about a citizen who spoke a couple meetings back about being disturbed by barking dogs. Councilman Austin said the citizen had not heard as much barking during the winter.
A citizen asked about the blinking traffic light at Elm and Main, which is controlled by the state of Arkansas. Mayor Oliver said the state “has been working with our electric department on it” and that likely stop signs would be placed on the cross streets and the traffic light removed.
The mayor was also asked about an request for citizens not to leave their trash cans at street sides once sanitation trucks had picked up the trash. He explained this was about making the city look better.
Adjournment occurred about 17 minutes after the meeting began.