Batesville City Council: Girl Scout seeks redo for veterans fountain plaza

By Andrea Bruner, White River Now

A local Girl Scout is offering to redo the veterans plaza in Batesville – at no cost to the city.

Molly Moore, Ambassador Scout from Girl Scout Troop 3091, Diamonds of Independence County, came to the Batesville City Council Tuesday night to speak about a possible Gold Award project. The Gold Award is equivalent to an Eagle Scout rank, but is a much bigger project.

Moore said she has been in Girl Scouts for 13 years, since kindergarten. As a Daisy Scout, she did her first veterans service project in which her troop contacted a local nursing home to obtain dietary needs of every veteran at the facility. They then baked and hand-delivered snacks. As a Brownie Scout, she participated in her first U.S. flag ceremony. Her troop also donated several cases of cookies to veterans at the Independence County Veterans Memorial service. As a Junior Scout, she participated in a wreath-laying ceremony with the Veterans of Foreign Wars and later, a flag retirement ceremony.

She said her goal as an Ambassador Scout is the same as it was when she was a Daisy: “I want to be known for more than cookies.”

Her Gold Award project is to revitalize the Veterans Memorial Plaza on St. Louis Street across from Harbor Freight.

She said it’s been several years since the fountains were operational. She proposed filling them with concrete, replacing blocks as needed, and erecting new flags.

“The entire park will be professionally cleaned and brought back to its former glory. I have no plans to alter the current landscaping,” she said.

She said Gary Sudol has offered contracting services for the site and Fred Ely will fabricate two chess tables, two benches, and plaques to honor each branch of the military.

She said work will start in March, weather permitting, and she would like finish before she graduates in May, but her deadline is September.

Moore said she is able to manage the funds for the project, and she will not need any city funds. “I respectfully request the opportunity to honor these men and women with my Gold Award project,” she said.

Mayor Rick Elumbaugh agreed the plaza is in a state of disrepair, noting there are plans for a new veterans memorial at Riverside Park, as well as a separate project honoring veterans at Batesville High School.

Alderman Fred Krug said as a veteran, he appreciates what Moore is proposing. He asked about fundraising, and Moore said there would be some private donations solicited, and some funds would come from the troop’s cookie sales.

Elumbaugh said the city would continue to mow the grass, as this is city property maintained by the city landscaping/cemetery department, rather than the city parks and recreation department. He also said when a project is developed near a state highway, the city has to get the Arkansas Department of Transportation’s “blessing.”

Alderman Robb Roberts commended Moore on her efforts, saying this is a worthwhile project. He encouraged her to consider the proximity to the state highway and to be mindful of safety.

The council said the next step would be to arrange with Moore and the city parks and landscaping departments, but Elumbaugh said they could all agree, “It needs a facelift in the worst way.”

In other business Tuesday night:

–Police Chief John Scarbrough presented his monthly report, starting with an announcement from U.S. Sen. John Boozman’s office that the Batesville Police Department will receive $575,000 to provide public safety equipment and technology for its Real-Time Crime Center. This will include radio and Taser equipment, he said.

He also said this is an appropriation that does not require any match funds.

Scarbrough also presented his monthly report, which showed an increase in calls for service from the previous month – 1,207 in December, compared to 1,026 in November, 2,205 in October and 1,093 calls in September. There were 52 accidents last month (compared to 36 in November, 46 in October, and 69 in September). There were 31 arrests (30 in November, 29 in October, and 32 in September), 68 incident reports (62 in November and October), 200 citations (155 in November, 161 in October, and 211 in September), and 232 warnings (236 in November, 204 in October, and 170 in September).

Scarbrough said the department participated in the Arkansas State Police STEP Grant program in December, during which officers worked a total of 51 hours, making 85 traffic stops and issuing 37 citations and 62 warnings.

At last month’s council meeting, Alderman Robb Roberts questioned if offense reports could be run in a “rolling 13 months” period in order to present not only the previous full year but the statistics from a year ago. Scarbrough said he attempted to prepare 13-month reports, but the software programs are designed to accumulate data for a total of 12 months or fewer.

–Public Works Engineer Damon Johnson gave an update on the Consent Administrative Order issued by the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality, saying there is still one more corrective action – a sewer line rehab project – the city has to complete for the state.

The ADEQ issued the order in 2008, and the city of Batesville was required to spend tens of millions of dollars to bring the wastewater treatment plant and collection system up to standards.

Johnson said the city went before the ADEQ last November to seek release from the CAO, and as long as the last project is completed and documented, Batesville will be released from that order.

“That’s a huge step,” Elumbaugh said.

The council voted to proceed with the $6 million sewer line rehab project, to be paid out of cash reserves.

Meanwhile, the city crews were preparing for the upcoming winter weather, even while work continues on the water intake structure and the parks project. Regarding the latter, Johnson said the events center will be enclosed very soon.

Krug asked if there were any updates on Bethesda Water, and Johnson said the Bethesda Water board and Batesville City Council have both passed resolutions for Batesville to acquire the smaller water system. It is now under review by the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission, and there will be an open comment period.

Krug said the Bethesda water customers are happy with the acquisition. “The vote was 50 to 1,” he said.

“We’re excited for them to come on as customers – we’ll take good care of them like we do our other customers. They’ll be Batesville Water. If this goes as expected, Bethesda Water will dissolve,” Johnson said.

Roberts then asked about the Cushman Water situation, and Johnson said there has not been much change but they do have a project that should have a significant impact on their leaks, when done. Right now, Cushman Water buys all of its water from Batesville, but due to the state of its infrastructure, Cushman is losing around three-fourths of that water. Cushman owes Batesville more than $1 million at this point.

Roberts also said he’s received complaints recently regarding people not bagging their trash, which subsequently falls out and into the street, etc. He asked if there were any regulations, and Johnson said the city does have some. The trash truck drivers have been instructed that if a can is overflowing too much (where the lid does not shut completely) or if the trash is not in a can, not to pick it up. Johnson said the city needs to do a better job of notifying residents about rules.

The city does offer a second trash bin for households for $8.33 plus tax each month. To order, call the sanitation department at 870-569-1426.

–Following an executive session, the council reappointed Dr. Terrell Tebbetts to the historic district commission and named Dr. Sara Walker, Constance Johnston and Chris Hill to the parks and recreation advisory board. The council also reappointed Beth Christian to a four-year term and Monica Griffin and Pam Palermo, both to a two-year term, to the advertising and promotion (A&P) board.

–The council approved two ordinances as a matter of routine.

The first was adopting the rules and procedures for the purpose of transacting business, while the second was to waive competitive bidding on used equipment, motor fuel, leased equipment, SB-2, hot mix asphalt, cold mix asphalt, water treatment chemicals, Badger radio read meter readers, property insurance, and employee health insurance.

Elumbaugh said even though they waive competitive bidding, the city still tries to find the best price on those items.

The council agreed to suspend the second and third readings of the ordinances, which were then adopted along with an emergency clause, making the ordinances effective immediately.

–The council amended an ordinance approved last December to clarify the wording regarding “yard or setback, side (interior lot)”.

–During the mayor’s comments, Elumbaugh said he has a scheduling conflict with one of the meetings next month and asked the council if they would agree to one meeting in February, set for Feb. 17.

There were no council comments or citizens’ comments. Aldermen Scott Fredricks and Landon Reeves were absent.