Baxter County Friends of the Taxpayers

MEETING NOTES

BAXTER COUNTY FRIENDS OF THE TAXPAYERS

SATURDAY, MARCH 25, 2006

The meeting was called to order at 1:00 pm by BCFT Director Frank Kaye.  Treasurer Ken Blade gave the following report:  Checking account balance as of 3-01-06 was $471.54; since then, one check in the amount of $7.50 had been written (hall rental for February meeting), and deposits of $273 (dues and donations) had been made, leaving a current balance of $737.04.

Old business

Parks & Recreation:  Met at the Youth Center with YC Director Sherry Vavra, who gave her report on the activities for the month; all hours worked/volunteered are documented every month.  Youth Center membership in 2006 is nearly double that of last year. 

Parking lot re-striping project:  Frank visited with Jackie Leatherman, and has arranged a tentative meeting with her and Joan Statler (director of the Van Matre Senior Center) to work out the details.  We would like to do the striping on Thursday, May 11 (AARP's National Day of Service); would be nice to have some positive media coverage.

The next Parks & Rec committee meeting will take place Thursday, April 6 at 4:45 pm, at the new Twin Lakes Park concession stand & restroom facility.  The new building will be dedicated at noon on Saturday, April 29, during festivities that will last all day.

Streets:  Chuck Barnes talked to Street Department Superintendent Amon Tilley about the faded center line stripes on Spring Street; the city doesn't consider this to be an issue, safety or otherwise.  Carl Graves said that one of the city council members would investigate and report on the findings, but no word has been received as of this date.  The question was asked about a rumor of a new road being proposed that will connect Hwy 178 and Hwy 5 South.  Won't this be going through a residential area?  Does the city have a master plan? Frank said that he has heard of such a road being talked about, but had not seen anything definite yet; plans like these need to be publicized. 

Water & Sewer:  At the last meeting, the ordinance dealing with backflow testing and prevention for anyone with multiple water systems (sprinklers, etc.) was discussed; backflow prevention must be tested every year.  This ordinance requires enforcement by the city.  The revised ordinance has teeth:  the city will first notify the customer in violation by mail; if no response, the customer will be telephoned; if there is still no response, the city will perform the testing itself, and bill the customer $50.  The test must be done by a certified plumber.

Report on progress of ongoing projects:  the city has begun work on the 511' water intake; it will be complete in 30-45 days, unless we get a lot of rain and the lake level rises too quickly.  The holdup on this project has not been the Water Department, but the issuance of the necessary permits by the State.

BCFT Shirts:  Available after the meeting – sizes M-XL are $8; XXL $9.50 & XXXL $10.50.

Covered pool:  Marlene Schapiro and Lorraine Blade reported that they have made lots of contacts and now have an attorney on board.  The attorney has tentatively agreed to provide pro bono assistance for setting up a foundation for managing any donations to the project.  The goal is to set up a foundation, get contributions from the community, set up an annuity to fund maintenance for the pool, and present the city with a self-sustaining facility.  Membership would still be required (daily or season passes, admission fees, etc.), but the foundation money would be used for maintenance costs.  Another local businessman is interested in helping with the project later, but is having to deal with some health issues now. 

Marti will try to get pool blueprints from Jackie Leatherman.  The city of Stuttgart has an inflatable dome cover on their pool; we might want to consider this approach.  It reportedly cost Stuttgart $66,000 to cover their diving pool only.  Frank & Suzan will do some research to see what is available, and send photos to a couple of companies and request ballpark quotes.

Advantages to an inflatable dome would include lengthening the swim season, possibly even providing year-round use; the potential to make use of solar heating, not only for the air inside the dome, but also for heating the pool water (with the addition of solar collectors on the south side of the pool).

Jessica's Law:  George Bethke reported that Governor Huckabee has called a special session of the legislature, and that there is nothing on the agenda about Jessica's Law.  He said he received a letter from State Rep. Johnny Key, who plans to co-sponsor Rep. Dawn Creekmore's version of this bill.  George suggested we contact our legislators to drum up support for this measure; he will send a copy of the new version to anyone interested.  How can individuals have an effect on the outcome?  Call, e-mail and/or write your representatives and ask for their support.

Truck pollution:  On the back burner for now.  Apparently the trucking companies are beginning to clean up their act.

Chamber of Commerce:  No action taken at this time – the member in charge of researching the issue was out sick.  Tabled until next meeting.

New Business

Quorum Court Ordinance seeking revocation of Ordinance #2002-49:  Tuesday, April 4, at the regular monthly Quorum Court meeting, an ordinance will be brought up which, if passed, would loosen the requirements for obtaining a septic permit.  The Health Department still would have to issue these permits; but there would once again be an exemption for tracts of 10 acres or more if the discharge is no closer than 200' to any property line. 

Frank said that on the surface, this is not an issue – but not everyone reads the code, relying instead on hearsay; not everyone respects the 200' offset, either – many install the discharge right at the property line.  Many places in the county don't perc properly and the owners have not installed septic systems … raw sewage runs free, often into the water (specifically pointed out were some properties south of the bypass and along the lakeshore).  This is a serious taxpayer issue:  if water quality deteriorates (faster than it is already), people will not want to live or move here.  Eventually it will have a major effect on the tax base and land values.

Landowners must renew their perc permits every year.  Frank said that he had recently spoken to one of the county sanitarians, and reported that even though the state code says other methods of sewage disposal are allowed to be used, our local sanitarians don't recognize or authorize permits for these alternatives.

It was decided that Frank would speak to the Quorum Court at the upcoming meeting and ask them to leave the ordinance as it stands – it should be tightened, if anything; not loosened.  Would like to see lots of blue shirts in the audience.

The meeting was adjourned.  Next meeting will take place Saturday, April 29, 2006, at 1:00 pm at Redeemer Lutheran Church.

                                                                                                                                    Suzan Kaye, Secretary
Friday, May 26, 2006