Of the people, By the people, For the people
Home of subscribers
Lemual Ingram
TUESDAY, July 17, 2018 / Vol. 4 Issue 29 / 75 cents
Smart meters for county
Shirley OKs plan to fix sink holes
Sink holes, repairs and propane tanks were brought to the attention of the Shirley City Council last week. Mayor Lisa Hackett reported that there were several 3 feet “sink holes” coming up along the drainage/culvert on Sam Sreet in front of the Watkins’ trailer. This culvert was a part of the original drainage system put in which was constructed of rock and concrete pieces. Hackett stated that she had discussed the issue with Russell Branscum who proposed digging up the holes and covering them with metal creating a grate. This is basically what had previously been done to take care of the same issue in the alleyway between the Watkins and Massey residences. The council voted to hire Branscum to make the repairs. The city has had no takers in its attempt to rent the city’s empty buildings. Hackett told the City Council that she had been approached by several people but nobody pursued the matter as the electricity to the units were all connected under one meter and the cost to separate them was quite high. There is also not water or bathroom facilities in the buildings. Also, it was noted that several customers had complained about their water bills being high this month. After researching the matter, it was determined that the bills received this month were calculated from Larry Dollar’s last meter readings before his retirement the end of May. In one of those readings two numbers had been transposed resulting in a misread. All other readings were found to be correct. Hackett reported that the bleachers on the big baseball field were in bad shape. Several boards on the visitors’ side were warped and had come loose. She has hired Bud Massey to repair these as there was a benefit co-ed tournament scheduled to take place later this month. These repairs would be paid for out of the field use money received from the school. Hackett also said the stage in the Depot area was missing some slats and needed to be pressure washed and sealed; the wood on the museum back porch also needed to be sealed; several of the bridges constructed over the ditches had missing slats and needed to be repaired. She asked to have Massey complete these jobs as well. All council members voted in favor. The council also agreed to purchase a weed-eater to keep grass and weeds under control between mowings. There was some confusion over who owns the propane tank used by the city. Suburban Propane turned in Anderson Propane saying it had filled their tank near the Community Center, and Anderson has been fined. The city has no record of ever renting the tank or buying it. The council decided to negotiate a lower price with Suburban and if not successful, rent a tank and use Sun Gas as its provider. Councilwoman Margaret Earnhart said upgrades at the museum, including windows and security bars, will cost bout $3,500 and she would like to begin the work in August. Currently there are historical items at the University of Tennessee that the museum can take possession of when the upgrades are made.
Department to seek $1.2 million loan
Free to fly - In addition to bees, grasshoppers and ants, this giant swallowtail visits The Voice floral display on Main Street, Clinton. (Photo by Jeff Burgess)
CIty to give back grant dollars The Clinton City Council voted Thursday to return $78,481 in grant money to the state. The money would have built a second pavilion in City Park, but the council members were of a unanimous opinion that there were other issues at the park that needed tending to first. The city already had been extended twice. Mayor Richard McCormac also told the council that he was sending Kyle and Amy Blanton a check for $362.65 be-
cause they were supposed to have exclusive rights to sell hamburgers at Archey Fest, but another organization sold them as well. The Clinton Fire Department will have four movie nights in August, according to Mike Curtis who was filling in for Chief D.L. Webb. He said the last Friday in August would be skipped because the Yellow Jackets football team will be playing in the Battle of the Little Red against Heber Springs that night.
Smart meters are the council, Sam Ward on their way to Clinton and Gayla Bradley, opposed the resolution to soon. The City Council apply for the loan. Bradley told the voted, 4-2, to let the Voice in a phone inWater Department apterview Friday evening ply for a $1.25 million that she had “thought loan from the Arkanlong and hard” about sas Natural Resourcthe loan and she just es Commission to redidn’t feel the council place all the meters in was given enough inits system. formation. The new meters, “We have Cadilcalled smart meters, will use the Internet for automatic readings. At the June We have Cadillac City Counwants and a yard cil meeting, the resolution to apsale budget ply for the loan was tabled, and - Councilwoman Gayla Bradley Water Department Manager Richard Hink told the Voice he was lac wants and a yard disappointed that they sale budget,” she said. had passed up a good Bradley says she is not business opportunity. against progress and This month, he brought understands the smart the resource commis- meters are part of the sion’s Linda Flanigan 10-year plan, but she to lobby the council- doesn’t think this is the ors. She said little at time. Clinton resident the meeting, but she had already talked to Ben Hayes is in agreeeach council member ment with Bradley. Hayes spoke at the before the meeting. Hink was asked by meeting telling the a member of the au- council that it was bedience last week how ing short sighted. Elecmuch water bills will tronics, he said, go out increase because of of date very fast. The smart meters the meters. His carefully worded response come with a threewas, “There is no rate year package that will provide free updates increase involved.” Be that as it may, and maintenance but the current meters, Hayes argues that some of which are software and hardquite old, very likely ar- ware updates and deen’t tracking water as sign changes are so well as they did in year frequent that Clinton past, so customers will soon find itself facing more expenses may see an increase. The two longest than they think or with serving members of an outdated system.
Also at the meeting, - Zoning Commissioner Phillip Ellis said four new business licenses have been ossued and he is posed to issue three or four condemnation notices.
- Police Chief John Willoughby said one of the police cars had to have brake work at a cost of more thn $600. - The council voted unanimously to let Willoughby purchase two new ra-
He also points out that the city will likely need to hire an IT person though it can probably lay off a current employee. “Fix what you have,” Hayes implored the council. “This town doesn’t have the money or resources to do this. People don’t even drink the water.” Council member Shon Hastings disputed Hayes’ notion that the hardware would last only three years. “Are you saying a firetruck only lasts three years?” “No,” said Hayes. “A firetruck lasts 20 years if you take care of it.” One of the council members, Hayes told the Voice in an interview Friday, said the smart meters would save money be finding leaks. Hayes said the meters will be better at tracking the leaks on either side of the meter, but not finding them. In other words, water usage, leaks or not, will be more accurately charged to the correct side, therefore it is possible they will save the department money. Last year, Hayes put a sign in lights on his fence opposing a proposed citywide sales tax. In his parting shot Thursday night, he told the council he will one day be putting up lights to say, “I told you so.”
dar guns at a cost of $4,291. _ From animal control, it was reported that there had been 12 calls about dogs in the city and more cats are on the way to the shelter.
Clinton man faces drug charges A Clinton man’s arrest on an outstanding parole absconder warrant led to additional charges earlier this month. Michael Heard, 58, also was charged with possession of methamphetamine with the purpose to deliver, a Class A felony, and possession of drug paraphernalia, a Class D felony, after investigators found 66 grams of a crystalline substances that later field tested positive for meth, according to an arrest affidavit. Also discovered were numerous small bags commonly used for packaging illegal drugs, accord-
ing to the court documents. He is currently being held in the Van Buren County Detention Center.
Heard Women arrested A traffic stop on Highway 16 near Holly Mountain Road landed two women in jail July 10, During a search of the vehicle, a Van
Buren County deputy discovered a small silver cylinder containing a white residue and and a small bag with a white substance inside, according to an arrest affidavit. The driver of the vehicle, Elizabeth Ann Treece, 46, of Clinton has been charged with felony possession of controlled substance and driving while intoxicated, the court documents say. Passenger Dori L. Revello, 33, of Vilonia was charged with possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia, both felonies.
Irrigation invention - Crabtree’s Louis Jackson and good neighbor James fire up the pump on their new irrigation invention to save the sugar cane. The 5hp pump delivers 800 gallons of water in a 60 foot swath in under 10 minutes. Read more about it in Crabtree News, Page 5. (Photo by Jeff Burgess)