P. O. Box 128 HUMPHREY, ARKANSAS 72073

September 13, 2010

Members Present: Aldermen Sheri Flynn, Deward Junior Barnes, Melissa Robinson, Joseph McNeil and Cleveland Hatch, City Attorney Sharon Fortenberry, Mayor Alice Black and Recorder-Treasurer Robert Blessing. Alderman Tim Bogy was absent.

The meeting was called to order by Mayor Alice Black.

The minutes were read by Recorder-Treasurer Robert Blessing and approved as read by roll-call vote.

Mayor Black said she wrote a letter to DeWitt School Superintendent Gary Wayman asking to be on the agenda for the next school board meeting and they denied the request. She then called Terry Granderson with the Board of Education and he came down that week toured the school property. Mr. Granderson told Mayor Black the DeWitt School District was in violation of several rules and regulations and that the buildings should have already been secured. Mr. Granderson called the state fire marshal and he came down a couple of days later and inspected the buildings. He met with Mayor Black after the inspection and told her that the school district was in violation of several codes gave them a time table to get things taken care of and if they do not then he will be back. Mayor Black said someone with ADEQ came down the day of the meeting and made sure the DeWitt school district secured the lab. Mayor Black also stated the grass is supposed to be cut in a couple of days. She said Craig Dardenne, Tim Bogy and others have permission from the DeWitt school district to cut and bail the back part of the school property and that she sent Gary Wayman a letter last week stating they are in violation of city ordinance.

Mayor Black told the council she visited with several at Humphrey First Baptist Church recently and discovered they are serving meals to many of the elderly around town Monday through Friday each week. She said the ladies of the church are preparing the meals and delivering them to those that are unable to go to the church to eat.

Mayor Black stated that Walter Houghton and Phillip Bogy have been working on the stage and they underpinned the stage in the last couple of days. She said she has contacted Entergy to discuss them gettting power to the site. Mayor Black said Brother Dale Carter, former pastor at Humphrey United Pentecostal Church, donated a pole and meter loop to be used. She also stated Walter has already obtained some paint and he and Phillip will be painting the stage soon. Mayor Black told the council she has sold the GMC truck that the, street department had been

using to Sherman Farm Partnership for $600.00. She also said she checked around for another truck and found a 2007 Dodge Ram pickup at Fastenal in White Hall. The truck has around 50,000 miles on it and they wanted $10,000 for it and bought it for $9,500.00. Mayor Black said the city is in good shape on trucks right now.

Mayor Black stated Mr. Tommy Hoskyn came down and walked out the ditch behind Oak Street all the way to Buerkle Avenue. He told Mayor Black there really wasn't a whole lot in the ditch other than trees and that it would be expensive to take care of the problems in the ditch. He also didn't offer to use his equipment and help the city with the problem. Mayor Black said that will be a project for the future.

Mayor Black told the council Wanda Madera came down today and she and Wanda signed the grant aggreement papers for the drainage ditch project on the east side of town making it official that the city is getting funded for the project. She stated she and Recorder-Treasurer Robert Blessing will be signing checks and Joe McNeil and Sheri Flynn have been appointed as the ones to sign the request for funds, which has to be different people from the ones signing the checks. Mayor Black stated the people on the east side of town have waited a long time for this project. She also stated that the project has been worked on for quite some time by several mayors and now will be completed.

Mayor Black stated that several residents on Hickory Street have complained recently about the ditch west of the properties on the west side of Hickory Street. She said she talked with Angelo Walker of the Jefferson County Road Department and he said they would be glad to help us get the ditch cleaned out but their ditch machine is broken and has been down for four months. Once the machine is repaired they will be at least four months behind schedule but will help us when they can.

Mayor Black told the council she will be having a meeting in the next couple of weeks with those interested in participating in the fall festival. She said they will plan the activities and placement of the booths and invited everyone that is interested to attend. The council agreed to leave the price of the booth rent at $35.00.

City Recorder-Treasurer Robert Blessing reported on the progress of getting things ready for audit and said he is no longer entering on manual ledger sheets but is getting everything computerized. He also said it is taking some time on the data entry and hopes to have it completed by the next council meeting.

Mayor Black told the council she attended the intergovernmental meeting for Mayors in Arkansas County recently and the city and one other entity were the only ones that have not completed their Act 833 reports. She said by not having the reports in early it appears to the

Department of Finance & Administration that we really don't need the money. The deadline for reports is October 31 st each year. Mayor Black and Fire Chief Ronnie Bogy stated they would like to have the reports filed early in case there were an errors and to also receive the money earlier. Mayor Black also said that St. Charles Mayor Robert Patrick told those present at the intergovernmental meeting that the state was trying to get the Act 833 money cut in half so they can fund a new fire training academy in East Camden but that the Arkansas Municipal League was against it.

Mayor Black stated she has received three applications for the water and sewer superintendent position. A motion was made by Cleveland Hatch and seconded by Sheri Flynn to close the regular meeting and go into closed executive session to discuss the applications. All voted aye. Motion carried. After the closed executive session a motion was made by Deward Junior Barnes and seconded by Sheri Flynn to close the closed executive session and open the regular meeting back up for discussion. All voted aye. Motion carried. Mayor Black told those present that she and the council discussed the applications received and decided to advertise again for the position in the area newspapers to view a larger applicant pool. The matter will be discussed again at the next regular council meeting.

Alderman Sheri Flynn told the mayor and council that she did send a letter to the Board of Education regarding the school situation but she has not had any further response from them. She also said she talked to someone about the grant the City of Carlisle received for their Community Activity center and they told her they applied for their grant through their county regional planning commission. Mayor Black stated that we have been using Southeast Arkansas Regional Planning Commission for our grant writing as well.

Fire Chief Ronnie Bogy told the mayor and council he wanted to give them a heads up on what he plans to propose after January 1, 2011. He said he will proposing the city and volunteer fire department sell volunteer memberships which would consist of those wanting to participate would pay annual membership dues. If a person wants to do so that would be all they would have to pay for the fire department if a fire occurred at or on their property. Nonmembers would be charged a fee for fighting a fire should one occur. Ronnie stated this is a very common practice and Humphrey is one of few that do not charge at the moment. He also stated that for those who have insurance the fee would be paid by their insurance company in most cases. Ronnie said he will approach the council with a formal proposal after the first of the year. It was also mentioned that in the past the Arkansas Forestry Commission would mail out all the notices, etc. for the collection of the dues for free but that they will be contacted to make sure that is still their policy. Ronnie also said the local volunteer fire department plans to join with the other fire departments in Jefferson County in 2011 and apply for a grant that will help all fire departments in the county.

Deward Junior Barnes stated that Tommy Lasley has talked to him about getting the ditch

cleaned out along Levinston Street. Mayor Black stated the ditch was sprayed earlier in the year and said she will look at the ditch again to see what can be done.

Mayor Black and several of the council members stated the weeds around stop sign throughout town needed to be cut. Mayor Black said she would have that done and then keep them sprayed with roundup.

A motion was made by Deward Junior Barnes and seconded by Joseph McNeil to adjourn the meeting. All voted aye. Motion carried.

Being no further business the meeting was adjourned.

MAYOR   RECORDER TREASURER