 |
|
|
|
Council closer to hike in rates |
|
|
Tuesday, 27 January 2009 |
If the Benton City Council continues on its current path, Benton Utilities customers soon will be paying more for water.
On Monday night, the council approved, by a 6-4 vote, the second reading of an ordinance that will raise these rates. Voting “no” were Aldermen Greg White and Brad Moore; the other two negative votes were created by the absences of Aldermen Joe Lee Richards and Jerry Ponder.
Moore had wanted to delay a vote on the ordinance because he thinks it’s possible that the city could receive federal funds through an economic development package that reportedly will be determined in late February.
“It’ would behoove us to wait just a little bit to see what might be coming down the pike,” he said. “I don’t think we all the information we need tonight.”
Alderman Charles Cunningham, who was presiding in the absence of Mayor Rick Holland, disagreed with Moore’s position.
“It’s hard to put long-term faith in what’s coming out of the federal government,” he said.
Stracener noted that he has been told that it could be “two or three years before any money starts flowing” from this source.
“I agree with Mr. Cunningham,” Donnor said. “There’s not enough water pressure to fight house fires, and I’m supporting this primarily because we need to increase that water pressure.”
Terry McKinney, general manager of Benton utilities, has said several times that the city needs the additional revenue from the higher rates to meet state fire flow regulations and to plan for the city’s future needs.
McKinney said previously the average customer would be paying around $2 more for the monthly base charge.
A companion ordinance that would raise the sewer rates by around $3.10 was tabled in a previous meeting and has not been presented for a vote.
The council had been expected to approve the third and final reading of an ordinance adopting new subdivision regulations, but it was defeated when it ended in a 5-5 tie vote.
If Holland had been present, it would have been possible for him to break the tie by voting for the ordinance. The mayor is allowed to vote only for passage of a measure when it ends in a tie vote.
White, one of the aldermen who voted against the ordinance, explained today why he voted as he did.
“The reason I voted ‘no’ is because of my concern of an oversized lot being sold that is not in a designated subdivision and then subdivided,” White said. “Say, for example, that lot might be sitting on Lillian Street. Once it’s subdivided, any existing rules, including a 50-foot setback, would apply. Therefore, you could build two houses that were set back only 50 feet back.
“We all know that Lillian Street needs to be rebuilt and it would become a curb-and-gutter street built according to the city’s specifications; therefore the street would have to be widened, thus losing the right-of-way and possibly impede upon the two new houses with the 50-foot setbacks. The city could possibly be liable and forced to buy those two homes.
“Until the clarification is put inside the subdivision rules that regulates that 25-foot setbacks have to be maintained in existing developed areas of the city, then I can’t support the ordinance,” White said.
The council has not approved the 2009 budget yet, but voted Monday night to extend the 2008 budget for an additional 30 days while budgetary work continues.
Approval was given to a motion by Alderman David Sparks to approve an engineering design fee of $65,000 for projects at Hoover and Algood streets. Sparks chairs the council’s Streets Committee.
Alderman Doug Stracener voted “no” after asking where the money for the project would be coming from and was told “from the overpass money.” Sparks was referring to the funds allocated for two overpasses being built off Edison Avenue.
After the vote was taken and the vote recorded, Lee asked if he could change his vote.
City Attorney Brent Houston explained that this isn’t an option once the voting has been done and the result recorded.
Alderman Larry Wolf, who had headed the council’s Drainage Committee, announced his resignation from that responsibility, saying he believes “a large percentage” of the city’s drainage problems are “the result of developers and builders building on property that is subject to flooding.”
He contends the city’s administration “has no intentions of stopping the construction on lots which should not be developed.”
He cited as an example a lot where a home is being built near Wolf’s home on Lynnwood Drive.
“It is my understanding that community development tired to convince the new owner this was a problem lot that they should not build on,” Wolf said.
He contends that political pressure was applied to push the project through and said he isn’t willing to chair the committee under these circumstances.
Marsha Guffey, the city’s director of community development, said she agreed with Wolf that the lot has problems. She noted, however, that it was “platted 50 years ago” and said the city has no legal grounds to stop construction in such areas.
“The only legal option the city would have would be to acquire the property through eminent domain,” Stracener said.
At the close of the meeting, verbal tributes were given for two Benton citizens who recently died.
Lee commended the service given by Gene Cagle, who, he said, “asked the questions most people didn’t have the guts to ask.”
He noted that Cagle regularly attended council meetings until his health diminished.
McKinney commended Frank Large, who had recently been serving on the city’s Public Utilities Commission. He noted that Large previously served on the Planning and Zoning Commission and had contributed to the community in many ways through the years.
“His passing weighs heavy on me,” McKinney said. “You never had to wonder what Frank thought or where he stood on an issue ... He cared about this city.”
McKinney said several possibilities are being considered as a lasting memorial to Large.
“He will be sorely missed by everyone, but I know he went to a better place,” McKinney concluded.
In other matters, the council approved resolutions confirming Mayor Rick Holland’s appointments to two city commissions.
Eric Rytima will serve on the Benton Planning and Zoning Commission; and Shannon Moss will serve on the Benton Historic District Commission.
Rytima is completing the unexpired term of Sam Ballard. The term expires in January 2013.
Moss is replacing Doyle Webb, who has resigned from the panel. Webb was recently elected chairman of the Republican Party of Arkansas.
Moss’ term will expire Oct. 1, 2011.
|
|
|
|
Razorbacks
