With its next regular meeting not scheduled until June 18, the El Dorado City Council agreed to review bills for consideration of approval this week.
Since to City Hall has been restricted to the public for nearly three months because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic, the council has adopted a once-a-month schedule for its regular meetings.
Council members have also followed direction from the Arkansas Municipal League to authorize Mayor Veronica Smith-Creer to pay the bills should the council not meet in light of public health and safety concerns stemming from (COVID-19).
On Monday, Smith-Creer emailed monthly statements totaling $188,317.95.
By Monday evening, at least four council members had responded to the mayor’s email with an approval to pay the bills.
The largest bill was $98,456.61 to Diversified Construction and Design to complete site preparation for a new training structure for the El Dorado Fire Department.
The mobile training unit will be built on the grounds of the former Southside Elementary School in the area of South Jackson Avenue and East Pecan Street.
Council members approved the $98,456.61 bid in April.
Site prep includes a concrete pad, ground leveling and the installation of gas and electrical conduits, a storm water drain and a new driveway.
In 2019, the EFD received a $500,000 grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Assistance to Firefighters Grants program to build the training structure, which will also be available to fire departments around the region.
The city council and El Dorado Works Board — which administers the city’s one-cent sales tax for economic development, municipal infrastructure and quality-of-life projects — kicked in $200,000 to cover the 10 percent match that was required for the grant.
The match is being used for site prep.
The EFD is awaiting delivery of the two-story unit, which is crafted from old shipping containers, from an Arizona vendor.
Also included in the city’s statements for approval was a total of $25,080 for another project that is being covered by the El Dorado Works tax.
Amounts of $9,600 and $15,480 were levied by A.L. Franks Engineering for work that is being done to build a new concession stand and youth soccer fields, respectively, at the El Dorado-Union County Recreation Complex.
The concession stand and fields are two components of a master plan to improve and expand the complex and are included in the first phase of the two-phase improvement plan.
In consideration of approving the bills, Council Member Billy Blann inquired about a property tax statement of nearly $26,000 that was previously invoiced to the city.
Blann referred to the issue during the council’s May meeting, saying that he did not recognize the line item.
Council Member Vance Williamson, who also chairs the city’s Finance Committee, said Monday that he had spoken with Union County Tax Assessor Vicki Deaton about the matter.
Of 17 properties that are included in the invoice, Williamson said 14 are believed to be properties that are owned by the city and leased to the Murphy Arts District.
“(Deaton) says that the city was billed last year and then invoiced MAD for the taxes due,” Williamson said.
The city has contributed approximately $17 million from the El Dorado Works and the former El Dorado Forward taxes toward the development of MAD.
El Dorado Festivals and Events, Inc., which formed MAD, has used a portion of the money to purchase downtown buildings and lots to develop the entertainment district.
The properties include the sites of Oil Heritage Park and the MAD amphitheater and playscape, the Griffin Restaurant, the First Financial Music Hall, the Rialto Theater, the McWilliams building on the corner Locust and Elm and a parking lot on Locust.
MAD is steering the development of the properties, including new construction and refurbishment, and has deeded some of the properties back to the city upon completion of the work.
The city, in turn, leases the properties to MAD for a nominal annual fee.
Williamson explained that some of the properties were broken up into multiple parcels that encapsulate a single property, such as the Locust Street parking lot, bringing to 14 the number of MAD properties that were included in the property tax assessment.
The other three properties are hangars that are leased at South Arkansas Regional Airport at Goodwin Field, Williamson said. SARA is a municipal airport.