Water rates in Eureka Springs are one vote away from a 25 percent increase.
With little discussion, the Eureka Springs City Council voted 5-1 at its July 10 regular meeting at The Auditorium to approve the second reading of a proposed ordinance that would increase the water portion of utility bills for all residential and business customers.
The raise in rates is necessary based on price increases the city has received from its water supplier, the Carroll- Boone Water District, city officials have said.
The council voted 5-1 to approve the first reading of the ordinance at its June 26 meeting where it heard from Michael Akins, the city finance director, about how the increase would affect utility bills. During that meeting, Mayor Butch Berry also explained that the city was reaching out to a Fort Smith company to survey city water lines to determine where leaks are located.
Akins explained that customers only pay for the water they use and the city eats the cost of the leaked water.
“You have a meter at your house and when the water goes through the meter you’re charged for the water that’s coming into your house,” Akins said at the June 26 meeting. “The water that’s lost is being paid for by the city.”
Council member Terry Mc-Clung, who at the June 26 meeting said a comprehensive plan to fix the leaks needs to be presented to the public, asked again for regular updates on the progress of the leak detection.
“We need to raise rates and I’m not going to argue that point,” McClung said at the time. “However, in all fairness to the people in this town, we should have at least a comprehensive plan of sorts in place on what we intend to do step by step.”
As she did at the June 26 meeting, council member Autumn Slane voted against the proposal at the July 10 meeting. Before the vote on the first reading Slane suggested a smaller increase to help water customers get adjusted to paying higher rates.
An ordinance typically goes into effect 30 days after approved in its third reading. That vote will likely take place at the next council meeting, scheduled for Monday, July 24.
VACATION PROCEDURES Also at the July 10 meeting, the council assigned a number and approved the first reading of an ordinance that would revise the procedures for applying for vacations of city-owned property.
Currently, an applicant will pay a $200 fee that is refunded if the application is denied by the council. The process includes legwork by city clerk treasurer Ida Meyer, among other city officials, and includes the cost of two weeks of public notice printed in the Carroll County News, the county’s publication of record.
“The publications have to happen before [the application] can come back to the table,” Meyer told council members.
The proposed ordinance will call for $100 of the $200 fee to be refunded to the applicant if a proposal is denied and also calls for the applicant to pay for the cost of publication.
“They can either choose to show me a proof of publication for two consecutive weeks that they paid for or they can reimburse me before their ordinance will go to the table,” Meyer explained as part of the proposal. “Before they can come back to the table and have their ordinance presented in their public hearing … either show me proof of publication or remit that payment.”
The proposed ordinance will need to be approved on two additional readings before going into effect 30 days later.
OTHER ACTIONS
In other votes, the council approved three readings and enacted the emergency clause to immediately put into effect an ordinance that vacates an alley between Blocks 5 and 2 of the Riley and Armstrong Survey.
The alley is between Rowdy Beaver Den and Nelson’s on Spring Street. Part of the building where Rowdy Beaver Den is located sits on part of the city-owned alley, Berry explained.
“The building is being sold and they’re trying to clean up the deed,” the mayor said.
The emergency clause was invoked because the process is part of a pending real estate transaction, Berry said.
McClung abstained from the votes regarding the ordinance.
The council also unanimously approved the most recent Legislative Audit despite having a series of questions for Akins.
“The good news is there is no money missing, there is no evidence of fraud, there’s no evidence of embezzlement, there’s nothing like that,” Akins said. “They just want us to record some of the things differently than the way they were previously recorded.”
Akins said the audit found some bank reconciliation issues with the parks and recreation commission and cemetery commission and reported that the city advertising and promotion commission “purchased a piece of equipment” without soliciting bids.
“The issue with parks was how they issued their receipts and that has to do with the bait shop,” Akins said.
The audit was approved but council members requested representatives from the three commissions to attend the next council meeting for further questions regarding the findings.
The council tabled a proposed ordinance from the city planning commission aimed at amending the Tree Preservation code. Instead, a workshop will be planned with members of the commission and council to discuss the issue.
The only other approval by the council was a 5-1 vote to approve Sandy Martin to fill one of two vacant seats on the hospital commission. Slane cast the lone dissenting vote.
