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Minutes for the Public Services Committee meeting on February 14, 2005.
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City Council Public Service Committee
Meeting Minutes
Huntington Building, 3:30 p.m.
2-14-05
In attendance were: Ann Williams, Jimmy Ashley, Cecil Province, Mitch Johnson, Judy Fur, Jason Wilkie, Brian Wadley, B.J. Emerson, Captain Durham, David Thompson, John Paul Thompson, Steve Penny, and Pam Woodard.
1. Adoption of the minutes from the January meeting was postponed until the March 14th meeting.
2. Captain Durham from the ASU ROTC came to talk about installing the orienteering course at the Craighead Forest Park. Captain Durham brought a sample of the covers that would be placed over the posts in the woods. Captain Durham said he could have the covers on by May 1st. Tim McCall moved to accept Captain Durham’s proposal to construct an orienteering course at Craighead Forest Park using wood posts, metal signs with wood covers. Jimmy Ashley seconded the motion. The motion was approved. 6 yes. 0 No.
3. Sam Barkley and Jerry King from the Arkansas Game and Fish presented the grant to draw down the lake at Craighead Forest Park. The specific projects were discussed that were listed on a sheet provided by Jason Wilkie. The total cost of the project would be $180,000. The city’s portion is $67,600. Jason Wilkie suggested that the city include the cost of improving the parking area, preparing the swimming area lake-bottom for a future swimming area and working on the bank erosion problem along the east and northwest shores. An agreement of understanding would need to be reviewed by the City Attorney and presented to the City Council on March 1st. A motion was made by Tim McCall and seconded by Ann Williams to approve the project as described and to present the agreement of understanding at the March 1st City Council Meeting. The motion was approved 6 yes - 0 no.
4. Jason Wilkie began discussion regarding the Parks Department research on the requirement of rigid outside containers for cemeteries. Mr. Wilkie explained that only Paragould did not require rigid outside containers. Mr. Billy Joe Emerson, Mr. David Thompson, Mr. John Paul Thompson, Mr. Steve Penny and Mrs. Pam Woodard discussed with the committee the purpose of the rigid containers. The funeral home directors were in favor of having the requirement. They estimated that 3% of the funerals performed last year did not have outside rigid containers. Mr. Emerson estimated the cost of the rigid containers is around $200.00. Mr. McCall recalled that the committee had discussed raising fees to offset the cost of a burial for pauper’s funerals. Mr. McCall asked if rigid containers should be required of indigent funerals. The committee and the funeral home directors discussed how indigent burials were currently handled. The committee also discussed whether the city should have a policy regarding potter’s field. Mr. Wilkie shared that his research of other cities showed that most cities relied on the county to bury the indigent. Some cities even abolished their policy because of abuse of the policy. Mr. Wilkie brought up the fact that during the department’s research they found out that no cemetery they talked to performed Sunday funerals. Mr. Wilkie said he spent $1,243 on Sunday funerals in 2004. Mr. Thompson suggested the City consider increasing the fee for a weekend funeral; double for a Saturday funeral and triple, or $1,000, for a Sunday funeral. His reasoning was that you still provide the service and you let the customer decide. Mr. Emerson said in most communities the cemetery dictates when and how they bury people. Mrs. Fur asked Mr. Emerson if the city needed to consider new land for cemeteries. Mr. Emerson said now is the time to expand Oaklawn. Mr. Emerson felt that “double stacking” people would be a good idea and that flat headstones would also be a good idea. He did feel that more land was needed for burials. Mr. Wilkie explained that it would cost $23,000 to do the engineering to prepare the Oaklawn expansion. Mrs. Fur wondered if it wouldn’t be as expensive to purchase some land somewhere else and start a new cemetery as prepare Oaklawn Cemetery expansion. Mr. John Paul Thompson said that he had seen a cemetery where they brought in dirt and the dirt was not packed. He said that the vaults were sinking, the land was shifting and it was not a good situation for the cemetery. He would recommend a good base of concrete rubble and dirt packed in lifts. The committee made decisions to 1) table the discussion on raising fees to help pay for pauper’s funerals 2) to see what policies the county had and discuss it at its March meeting. A motion was made to require rigid outside containers (concrete, steel or fiber glass) with its emergency clause at the March 1st meeting and send letters to funeral home directors informing them of the change. The Motion was made by Cecil Province and seconded by Tim McCall. The motion passed 6 yes, 0 no.
5. Mr. Wilkie said the Parks, Recreation and Cemeteries department, Jeremy Bevill and Doug Crews interviewed three firms for the surveying of Oaklawn and Nettleton Cemeteries. The firms were McAlister Engineering, Haywood, Kenwood, Bare and Associated Engineering. The interviewers recommended Associated Engineering for the project. A motion was made by Mr. Ashley and seconded by Ann Williams to accept the recommendation to use Associated Engineering for the surveying of Oaklawn and Nettleton Cemeteries. The motion was passed 6-yes, 0- no.
6. Mr. Wilkie reviewed the revenues and expenses for each athletic association the city has an operating relationship with. The tennis association made $26.02 in 2004. The baseball association made $2,818 in 2004 and the softball association made $10,573.21. The soccer association did not report. Mr. McCall said that the question regarding how much the associations made was brought up at December budget meeting. Mr. McCall said the report showed that the associations are not making lots of money on their programs.
7. Mr. Wilkie reviewed the resolutions to accept conveyance of Pop Strickland Park and City, Water and Light Park from the City Water and Light Plant of Jonesboro. He also reviewed two resolutions to convey 100’ radiuses around wells at North Main Park and Allen Park (Tract 3). Mr. Wilkie discussed past efforts to make the property exchange. Mr. Wilkie said when the resolutions were proposed in 2004 there were questions of whether the land was governed by grants. Those questions have been answered and the documentation supporting the concerns is in the packet. Mr. Wilkie asked that the committee take this before the City Council on March 1st so that all of the items could be included in the City Council members’ packets. Tim McCall moved and Judy Fur seconded placing the resolutions to covey property to City Water and Light and to accept conveyance of property from City Water and Light to the City Council on the March 1st agenda. The motion passed 6-yes; 0-no.
8. Mr. Wilkie presented Mr. Formon’s appointments to the Parks and Recreation Citizen Advisory Committee. Dr. Blair Dean, Mr. Ricky Greer and Mr. Thayer McKinley were appointed. A motion was made by Mr. McCall and seconded by Ann Williams to recommend the appointment to the City Council to be proposed under new business at the February 15th City Council meeting. The motion passed 6-yes; 0-no.
9. Mr. Wilkie presented Mr. Formon’s appointments to the Ad Hoc Urban Forestry Committee. Mr. Wilkie explained the ad hoc committee was being created to write an ordinance to create an urban forestry committee and to write an ordinance that would provide a maintenance plan for the urban forest. The committee is also applying for Jonesboro to become a “Tree City USA”. A motion was made by Mr. Ashley and seconded by Mrs. Fur to recommend the resolution to the City Council to be proposed under new business at the February 15th City Council meeting. The motion passed 6-yes; 0-no.
10. Mr. Wilkie said the Jonesboro Softball Association is seeking permission from the City of Jonesboro to construct a 30’ x 40’ metal building at the Southside Softball Complex. There was some concern from Mr. McCall and Mr. Johnson that the city was leasing the property for $6,000 per year from the state. Mrs. Fur asked if the facility would remain in the city’s ownership if the property was taken back by the state. Mr. Wilkie stated that according to the contract the facility would remain the property of the city if the state reclaimed the land. Mr. Wilkie said the fee for 2004 was not paid when he last checked. It was moved by Mr. Johnson and seconded by Mrs. Fur to table the contract until the city had paid its rent on the property, so they would not be in violation of the contract. The motion passed 6-yes; 0-no.
11. Mr. Wilkie reviewed the construction report for the month of February.
12. Mr. Ashley moved to adjourn the meeting at 5:30 p.m.
13. Next Meeting 3-14-04