WARREN, Ark. – The Warren City Council met Monday evening, April 11, 2022 for their regular monthly meeting.
City Clerk Helen Boswell reported that sales tax was up in the City 15 percent over the same period in 2021.
Hugh Quimby was re-appointed to the Warren Housing Authority Board for another five-year term.
Brook Harris was appointed to the Parks and Recreation Commission to serve a five-year term. She is replacing Rob Reep who was recently confirmed to the Aviation Commission.
Mayor Denisa Pennington then presented the Council with a request from the Bradley County Pink Tomato Festival for street closings throughout the festival. With the support of Warren Police Chief Shaun Hildreth, the Council voted to grant the request.
Redistricting of City wards was once again addressed. Council member Dorothy Henderson made a motion that the City Council assemble as a whole at a later date to settle the matter. The motion passed unanimously.
A resolution was passed for the Warren Water and Sewer Department to purchase a plot of land from Kenneth Trucks for the amount of $13,500.
Ronnie Sprouse of Arkansas Municipal Equipment addressed the Council concerning a possible lease agreement with the City for two sanitation trucks, one commercial and one residential. Sprouse went into great detail about the benefits of the lease program, one of which is that the trucks are new and under warranty. “It’s kind of a win-win all around,” said Sprouse. (To watch Sprouse’s full presentation to the Council, jump to the 10:30 mark in the City Council video.) The Council went on to approve the lease program, but they decided check with local banks to see if a better financing rate can be found. The process of getting the trucks in place is now underway with the Council’s approval.
The Council received a monthly report from Police Chief Hildreth. He noted that several police vehicles are currently in for repair. He informed the Council that the Police Department is fully staffed and that all officers are certified. Two officers graduated Friday from the Academy and are back in town on the job, officers Jammie Smith and Terrance Vaughn. The Council voted to purchase a 2021 truck for the Police Department for $30,000.
Fire Chief Chuck Moore reported to the Council that the Warren Fire Department responded to 16 calls during the month of March, one of which was the High School Fire. Chief Moore also mentioned to the Council that the new fire truck, Engine 6, was delivered April 7 and is now part of the Warren fleet.
In other business, the Council authorized the bidding out for prices on a new compactor for the Sanitation Department. The City has recently had to haul some waste to El Dorado for compacting, which is costing the City a significant amount.
Building Official Rob Johnson told the Council he was researching ways to speed up the process of lot cleanups.
Street Foreman Monty Hearnsberger said that his crew is split up at the moment tackling the issue of potholes. “We’ve had some road issues since the recent rains,” said Hearnsberger. However, the issues have been taken care of. During Hearnsberger’s report, the Council also voted to purchase a used Mini-X excavator for $79,935.00. The price came with an extended warranted and extra bells and whistles. They also voted to purchase a trailer capable of hauling the excavator at a price of $7,199.63 from Lumberjack Farm and Ranch. The trailer was purchased using funds that came from a sale of other City equipment.
Council member Memory Burks Frazer brought up the issue of the Cultural Center and its needed repairs. She recommended that the City hire its own engineer to decide what was causing the problems with the foundation before the City decides what course of action to take going forward. The Council voted to do so.
The next Warren City Council meeting is May 9, 2022.
