Baxter County Friends of the Taxpayers

MEETING NOTES

BAXTER COUNTY FRIENDS OF THE TAXPAYERS

SATURDAY, APRIL 28, 2007

BCFT Director Frank Kaye called the meeting to order at 1:00 pm at Redeemer Lutheran Church.

Minutes of the previous meeting:  After taking a few minutes to look over the notes from the March meeting, the members present accepted the minutes with no corrections or additions.

City Committee Meetings:  Still need people to attend the various meetings each month.  For schedule, please see the “Local Government” page on the BCFT website (http://bcfriendsofthetaxpayers.org/), or call 424-6235.  The monthly schedule has been revised somewhat, and locations can vary (especially for the parks & rec committee), so please be sure to check with us or call City Hall (425-5116) if you have any questions about meeting times/places.

Old Business:

Chamber of Commerce golf tournament:  Suzan delivered 100 BCFT magnets to the Chamber of Commerce office, which were to be placed in goodie bags that were given to participants in yesterday’s golf tournament.

School board:  Thanks to all who attended the last meeting, which wasn’t over until 10 pm.  Not many calls were made to school board members (about changing meeting date/time).  Hope to have a school board member make this recommendation at the next meeting (May 19).  Also, the high school is planning a new shop program (building trades) this fall, in partnership with local contractors.  If a student finishes the 3-year program, he would be hired as a 2^nd year apprentice.  (Secretary’s Note:  This program used to be offered at the high school, but was discontinued several years ago [our oldest son took the class in the early-mid 90’s].)

On a related subject, Jim Bond reported that the MH district school bus drivers do not run logbooks (there is a state exemption for school bus drivers), but they are required to have CDL’s.  He has spoken to the head of the bus drivers’ union.

Airport Hangar:  Jim also reported on this issue.  Darryl Drott asked airport commissioner Jack Marchbank for a copy of the lease for the new hangar; it took 28 days for him to receive it.  Les Ives (the proposed tenant) is not shown on the lease; instead the lessee is Ira Chatman, owner of the self-serve fuel farm at the airport, and friend of quorum court member (and former airport commission member) Charlie Hooper.  Several BCFT members have issues with this arrangement; the lease calls for $130,000 from the lessee up front, then $4500 per year – who pays the balance of the cost of construction?  Next week Mr. Marchbank will be served with 2 FOIA requests for all information on the $1.4 million given to the commission in 2005.  In June Mr. Ives must appear for a deposition with David Etheredge; the meeting will be closed, but we can obtain a copy of the transcript the next day.  Lori Benedict’s court hearing will be held in Mountain Home.

Jim also reported that the quorum court will give the airport about $30,000 for fire hydrants; they have to build the hangar first.  We can’t find out who is manufacturing the hangar, or who performed and paid for the gravel work (hence the FOIA request), and suspect that the QC is still going to end up paying for it, even though it has been voted down twice.

He also reminded everyone that this issue has nothing to do with commercial aviation (i.e., the proposed new airline coming in), but deals with general aviation only.

Court hearing about Spring Street sidewalk:  A hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, May 1^st, at 10 am to address contractor Jim Scott’s recent actions regarding the sidewalk in front of property he owns along Spring Street.  City Attorney Roger Morgan’s new assistant city attorney will prosecute; MH Mayor David Osmon will represent the city.  Mr. Scott’s attorney is Mark Carney.

Treasurer’s Report:  Treasurer Ken Blade gave the following report:  beginning balance was $644.36; deposits of $255 (dues & donations) and $16 (Pass-the-Bucket), withdrawals of $7.50 (room rental), leaving a balance of $907.86.

New Business

Red-White-Blue Festival (June 29-30):  Frank reported that we received a sponsor entry form for the festival, showing numerous levels of support ranging from up to $250 to $5000, and asked if the group wanted to invest in the event.  After much discussion, it was decided that we would get more exposure from being in the parade than by setting up a booth. Kit asked whether we might consider asking for an interview with Brenda Nelson from KTLO.

Open Discussion 

Lea brought up the editorials in Friday’s Baxter Bulletin regarding the quorum court budget, and wondered how the county can spend money for the Buzzard Roost Cutoff road project when there is no money for extra Sheriff’s personnel.  Frank explained that the road project will be a cooperative effort between the city and the county; the county will do the dirt work, city will turn existing ditches into underground culverts and do the paving.  Frank said he was making an assumption that the city will also put in piping under the road so that water lines can be added later, if the area is ever annexed into the city.  Sewer lines are already there (they run through to Wal-Mart), but those residents who have not annexed into the city cannot connect to them.  Part of the remaining acreage on Buzzard Roost Cutoff will be commercial, part residential.  The city doesn’t mind annexing raw acreage – it is the developer’s responsibility (not the city’s) to bring it up to code in the future.

Lea also asked whether there are any plans to extend Buzzard Roost Cutoff to make it a connector road to Highway 5 South.  Jim said that the city’s master plan shows another street (off Hwy 178 just past Club Blvd, across from the golf course) becoming that connector.  Frank said that he wants the master plan to be posted in plain sight in City Hall, and wants the street department to routinely publish an approximate schedule for paving.

Carl asked if anyone knew anything about the condos going in behind the Back 40 on Bradley Drive.  Frank said he had been told they were federally subsidized low-income housing.

Frank also said that city street superintendent Amon Tilley had told him that there were only 4 unpaved streets left inside city limits.  The city will not annex any more unpaved streets, as there is no money to improve them.

John Beach brought up the issue of lawn watering.  New customers coming onto the system put it at risk – the city has already instituted voluntary odd-even watering because of the potential for shortages later in the summer.  Jim said he has talked to 15-20 people whom he has spotted watering “against the rules”; many have told him “the city can’t tell me what to do with my own water!”  Jim went to the Mayor with a list of the people who objected; the Mayor says he will wait until July and then put an ordinance in place making restrictions mandatory (if necessary).  The city can’t afford to build a new facility now.

Terry asked where the city is on generating new revenue on city water.  Frank said that he has a few city council members now thinking about changing the rate structure to encourage paying for actual water used, and finding a way to make the inside-outside city limits billing more fair.

Lea mentioned an article in the Springfield (MO) Sunday paper about whether Springfield should share its water with other towns.

Ken asked whether MH is working on a plan to retire its water & sewer bonds.  Frank said that in discussions at committee meetings to date, it appears that Marshella Norell and Jim Neff are in favor of a 1% sales tax, which would generate about $4 million per year.  However (and this has been said before) the bonds are written in such a way that only revenue from the water system can retire the bonds.  (There is provision in the AR Code for sales taxes to pay off certain bonds, but only if the ordinances authorizing the bonds are written with that specification.  MH’s existing water & sewer bonds were not.)  Frank said that every $1 per month increase to each user’s bill would generate about $85,000 per year, and it could be dedicated directly to paying down the debt.  He would also like to see a conservation rate structure implemented (the more water used, the more you pay); some city council members who opposed this idea are now beginning to accept it.  Another proposal Frank has made would be for the water and sewer revenues and expenses to be separated by department (at present they are all combined), so that it would be easier to determine which department has what assets/liabilities.

Frank also reported that the water & sewer department’s annual audit is complete, and that Garver Engineering will soon begin a new rate study (as required by ordinance – rates must be reevaluated every year).

Carl asked how many city water/sewer users there are.  Frank told him that in 2006 there were 5750 water customers inside city limits and 1331 outside (7081 total); and 5611 sewer customers inside, 34 outside (industrial park & Wal-Mart).

Carl also asked when the grocery tax cut would start; Frank said that it should become effective July 1^st.

Jim brought up the recent article in the paper about the landfill.  A couple of years ago, when the landfill was bought out, approximately $1 million was placed in reserve for future clean-up requirements.  There is some concern that this clean-up will not take place; if this is so, it guarantees contaminated groundwater for our grandkids.  Baxter County is a dumping ground for 6 counties.  He asked people to continue to come to quorum court meetings and speak out on the issue.  Frank encouraged members to form a committee to continue to monitor this and report back once a month, noting that local group Citizens for Clean Water has been fighting this problem for about 30 years.

Meeting was adjourned at 2:45 pm.  Next meeting is scheduled for Saturday, May 26, 2007, at 1:00 pm at Redeemer Lutheran Church, Hwy 5 North.

Suzan Kaye, Secretary
Friday, May 22, 2007