Gainesville City Council talks streets and sidewalks, takes up fairly light agenda July 11
Times photo/Jessi Dreckman A project to replace the sidewalks and stormwater drainage on Third and Main Streets in Gainesville is now complete with the exception of some finishing touches.
Times photo/Jessi Dreckman This section of sidewalk, which runs along Main Street, is now ADA-compliant. The project has received some criticism over the asphalt patching along the roadways. The crew is working to remedy that as it can.
The Gainesville City Council met for its monthly meeting Tuesday, July 11, at City Hall. This month’s meeting had a light agenda and lasted less than 30 minutes before the council entered into closed session.
All council members were present: Renee Schmucker, Treva Warrick, Lana Bushong, Dana Crisp, Seth Collins and Ken Crawford.
Gainesville Mayor Gail Reich was also present, along with City Clerk Lisa Goodnight, Water Specialist Jessi Price and Maintenance Supervisor Mike Davis.
Approval of minutes, hired part-time mowing employee
The council approved the last month’s meeting minutes for the regular June 13 city council meeting.
It also approved the minutes of a special meeting the council held on June 20 to hire a part-time employee for mowing duties. The council hired Noah Goodman for the position.
Maintenance department
Gainesville City Maintenance Supervisor Mike Davis gave a quick maintenance report to the city council members.
Davis said that the employees with Joe’s Bridge of Poplar Bluff had completed the work on the Third and Main Streets sidewalk and stormwater drainage project.
The council and city employees had a “walk-through” approval process two days after the meeting (see additional information further in story under “Third/Main Street sidewalk project).
Seth Smith with SDS Excavating delivered the pipe to begin the contracted job of replacing 720 feet of water line near the water treatment plan.. The city is now turning the water off and on in a section near the leak, so that it can still wash the sewer treatment plant.
Water department
Water specialist Jessi Price then gave an update on the city’s water department.
Water loss was down in the city’s center and west areas, and there is still the water loss occurring down near the city’s waste water treatment plant, but they have been able to maintain it better. On the west side, the water loss has went down, but employees found a leak July Fourth weekend, that will be reflected in next month’s water loss report.
Wastewater treatment department
The mayor noted that the air conditioning unit had been installed at the wastewater treatment plant and is working well.
Third/Main Street sidewalk project
Mayor Gail Reich said that the sidewalks and street project is complete, but handrails would still need to be installed on the sidewalk on Main Street.
Reich said that she didn’t like the way the asphalt was poured near Town & Country, which included darker asphalt patching in the areas that were dug up during the project, paired with greyer asphalt that was not dug up. Maintenance Supervisor Mike Davis said that he had already received complaints from citizens about the look of the new asphalt too.
A “walk through” process was held two days after the meeting, on July 13, and an official from City Hall said that the project’s engineers, construction foreman, city employees and council members were present. A few things that were pointed out to the crew will be fixed, city officials say. The official signing off on the project will be rescheduled until those elements are complete.
Cinta’s contract renewal
Clerk Lisa Goodnight told the council members that since finding out that the city is seriously considering canceling its contract with Cinta’s for city employee uniform and mat rental, a supervisor has contacted the city to offer different options to try and keep the business.
No action was needed.
Gravel roadway maintenance proposal
Mayor Gail Reich said she went to an Ozark County Commissioners’ meeting to discuss an agreement between the city and county to work together to maintain four gravel roads inside the city limits: Plentywood Lane, McClendon Drive, Hill Springs Drive and the portion of Holmes Lane that is within the city limits. The maintenance agreement the two entities have proposed includes the purchase of gravel and material by the city and the hauling and spreading of the material by the county.
The council voted to have City Attorney Jessica Blackburn draft up a written agreement for the city and county officials to sign.
The council plans to pass a resolution at next month’s meeting so it is in the city council records into the future.
Hootin an Hollarin Third Street closure request
Doug Hawkins of Douglas Hawkins-Shelter Insurance Agency, located on the southwest corner of the square, has requested that a small section on Third Street in front of his office be closed from 10 a.m. to noon Friday and Saturday of Hootin an Hollarin (Sept. 22-23) for the festival’s “kids corner,” in which Hawkins provides kids games, terrapin races and other free fun for youth.
The area Hawkins has requested be closed is basically just in front of his office, from the southwest corner of the square to Leeton Luna Lane, which runs behind the buildings on the west side of the square.
One councilwoman said that last year when a similar station was set up, an area cafe owner on Third Street, a few buildings away from Shelter Insurance, complained that the kids corner, which included some taller inflatable offerings, blocked the view of the restaurant to would-be customers, which in turn hurt his business at the cafe.
Council members noted that the request is only from 10 a.m. to noon Friday and Saturday. It was also noted that during the three-day annual Hootin an Hollarin festival, the Gainesville square is blocked off, so that thru traffic cannot pass from Third Street to Main Street anyway, and there are no other businesses besides Shelter Insurance that would have their doors blocked from the sidewalk.
The council decided to discuss the proposal with Hawkins more and tabled the discussion for next month’s meeting.
Closed session
The council concluded the meeting by entering into closed session, meaning only the council and clerk could be present. They invited Davis, the maintenance supervisor, to stay for the closed session portion as well.
Minutes obtained by the Times after the meeting show that the council voted to terminate the employment of city employee Josh Easterday. Details of the termination are not available as it was discussed in closed session.
The next regular city council meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 8, at City Hall.