ROGERS — Proposed land purchases totaling more than $700,000 will provide the city with more soccer fields and trails, according to city officials.
Meeting Information
Rogers City Council
When: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday
Where: Council Chambers, Rogers City Hall, 301 W. Chestnut St. Enter through the door on the northeast side of the building.
On the agenda:
Authorizing District Court officials to spend $5,000 for new furniture for the incoming judge.
Authorizing District Court officials to buy three printers at a cost of $3,000.
Authorizing a $4,500 contract with Hight-Jackson Associates for roof repair on the District Court building.
Adopting a five-year consolidated plan for use of 2013 Community Development Block Grant funds.
Amending the Fire Department revenue budget by $29,275. The revenue is associated with providing ambulance service to unincorporated areas in the county.
Authorizing the adoption of the 2013 budget.
Authorizing a $25,000 contract with Morrison Shipley for design of the Second and Locust street intersection traffic signal improvement project.
Approving a new sign ordinance.
Authorizing a $95,405 contract with CEI Engineering for design of an extension of the Blossom Way trail.
Authorizing rezoning of 214 S. 13th St. from single family residential to residential office zoning.
Accepting the final plat of Pinnacle Heights.
Aldermen are expected to approve the real estate purchases Tuesday.
Barney Hayes, city parks director, said the soccer field expansion will be connected to Veterans Park on the east side of the city.
Officials are prepared to buy three parcels from residents west of Veterans Park and one parcel on Veterans Parkway, at a total cost of $444,000. Three lighted soccer fields and a concession stand with restroom facilities will be built on the land, Hayes said.
“We already have two soccer fields at Veterans Park. They will be upgraded. The additional fields will give us a total of five soccer fields at Veterans Park, which should help alleviate some of the crowding on our existing fields,” Hayes said.
Rogers has one of the largest soccer programs in the state, said Rick Stocker, city recreation director.
“These new fields, and the upgrade on the other two fields, will improve our soccer situation greatly,” Stocker said.
No lighted fields were available in the fall of 2011, Stocker said.
“Next year we will have 14 soccer fields under the lights. That should ease a considerable amount of pressure on the children’s and the adult soccer programs,” Stocker added.
David Chronister, who has been involved in the local soccer program for about 20 years, said the new fields would be helpful.
“I’m all for the expansion of the soccer fields. I appreciate what the city is doing for the soccer program. This is going to be good for the program. It certainly can’t hurt,” Chronister said. “I think the city is headed in the right direction. I’m glad to see the fields being built on the east side of the city.”
Hayes said the new fields and the additional lighted fields should go along way toward meeting promises made by city official during the in the 2011 bond campaign.
“We told the public we were going to build five new soccer fields at the Regional Sports Park on Dixieland Road. We weren’t able to build those fields due to cost associated with the mitigation of a wetland area. These new fields should make good our promise to residents who supported the extension of the 1 percent sales tax,” Hayes said.
The money for the land is being paid from the 2011 bond proceeds.
Aldermen are also expected to approve an ordinance buying seven parcels of land, totaling 32 acres, east of Arkansas Street for trails.
The total cost of the seven parcels is $300,000. That money will come from the general fund reserve, according to the ordinance.
“There is an existing trail near the Jiffy Kwick store, that goes down to Lake Atalanta, included in the purchase. We plan to improve that trail and build additional trails,” Hayes said.
He said these will be natural trails, much like trails in state parks.
“The natural trails aren’t done in asphalt or concrete, they left in their natural state, but the city will maintain the trails,” Hayes said.