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Council amends mining measure |
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Thursday, 18 December 2008 |
Benton City Council members planned to vote Monday night on the second and third readings of a proposed ordinance providing for a mining zone within the city as part of the voluntary annexation of certain lands owned by Alcoa, Almatis and Saint Gobain into the city.
That didn’t happen.
The first reading of the ordinance had been approved in a previous meeting. However, instead of continuing with the subsequent votes on the ordinance, an amended ordinance was voted on that was approved on all of its three required readings.
The revisions occurred after Alderman David Sparks raised questions about the specific type of mining that would be allowed in the area, particularly in the permitted uses area, which had listed an exception for coal.
That exception was omitted in the revision.
Representatives of some of the companies involved agreed to the revision. Also favoring the amended ordinance was state Sen. Shane Broadway, who, along with Eddie Black, executive director of the Benton Chamber of Commerce, through the Saline County Industrial Development Corp., helped bring about the voluntary annexation.
A companion ordinance, also approved, authorizes the sale of water to Almatis.
Mayor Rick Holland noted today that the city is benefiting greatly from acquiring this “huge track of land for industrial development.”
“It was important that the ordinance be worded in such a way that it could address possible uses in the future,” he said.
All of the nine aldermen present voted for the ordinances. Alderman Steve Lee reportedly was ill and did not attend.
The ordinance notes that the mining district is designed to assure that the resources are properly managed “so as not to create a hazard or nuisance which either immediately or in the future would adversely affect the health, safety or general welfare of the community.”
In other matters, the council approved the reappointments of Eric Rytima and Steven Alexander to the city’s Board of Adjustment. Their new terms would expire in January 2012. During Alderman Charles Cunningham’s report from the Community Services Committee, he recommended passage of a resolution supporting preservation of historic assets in Benton.
The ordinance, which was approved, will give Benton an affiliation with Preserve America, a White House initiative developed in cooperation with the Advisory Council on Historic Preser-vation, the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Through this affiliation, the city may apply for grant funding, said Marsha Guffey, the city’s director of community development.
The council also approved an ordinance providing for the conditional use of property to be occupied by Fellowship Church.
The church plans to build a 500-seat auditorium on the at Alcoa Road and Northshore Drive, Guffey noted.
In other matters, the council approved an ordinance that adopts new subdivision regulations for the city.
Subsequent readings will be presented for a vote at the next council meeting.
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