The El Dorado City Council is expected to revisit a couple of items and delve into new business during a regular meeting that will begin at 5:30 p.m. today in the Council Chamber of City Hall.
On the council’s agenda is a discussion about a grand piano that was extensively damaged in the El Dorado Municipal Auditorium.
City officials said they initially intended to schedule a specially called meeting about the matter but the item has since been placed on tonight’s agenda.
Pierce Moore, administrative assistant in Mayor Veronica Smith-Creer’s office, introduced the matter during a specially called meeting March 28 with local groups who regularly use the auditorium, city stage and city trolley bus.
Moore said then that the piano was likely damaged by a leaky roof, which has since been repaired, and that the $161,000 piano was insured.
He also said then that the piano — which was built in 1961 and gifted to the city decades ago for use at the auditorium — has not been properly stored in a climate-controlled environment or with a padded covering
Earlier this month, Moore said the Arkansas Municipal League had settled the insurance claim for $89,790, less a $10,000 deductible.
Moore said he had also researched repair costs, which were at least $100,000.
Smith-Creer has said she will ask council members if they would like to repair the existing piano or purchase a new one.
The council will also consider a proposal from Moore to install a time-clock system for all city departments.
Moore has said the city still uses paper time sheets and he has said a fingerprint-, cloud-based time clock would help to better track hours worked, particularly when city employees work after hours and on weekends during special events when the auditorium and city stage are used.
Under new business on the council’s agenda is a discussion about public nuisance properties.
Council members are also expected to evaluate a series of town hall meetings that they hosted recently in each of the city’s four wards.
Smith-Creer requested the meetings and has said she would like to continue them and possibly expand them to include such entities as the El Dorado-Union County Chamber of Commerce and the El Dorado School District to help keep residents engaged in the going-ons of the community.
Tia Lyons may be contacted at 870-862-6611 or [email protected] .