HOW WE SEE IT: Department Splits Need Close Look

The Springdale City Council is scheduled to vote Tuesday on a proposal that will create two city departments, and provide raises for two employees who will become departments heads.

Creating independent information technology and engineering departments doesn’t seem like a bad idea. However, there will be additional costs, and in a city where money has been tight, we encourage aldermen to consider the proposal carefully.

Mayor Doug Sprouse told the City Council’s Finance Committee last week the city as a whole would benefit from having Mark Gutte, who will helm the information technology department if the proposal is approved, at department head meetings.

By attending, he will hear directly what is going on in other departments and what their needs are.

Few things are as important as technology today, and that is not likely to change. We can see why a freestanding IT department could be a plus for the city.

However, if this measure is voted down, we hope Sprouse and other city department heads find a way to better communicate needs with IT employees whether or not one attends a department head meeting.

The formation of an independent engineering department also makes sense based on the current situation in Springdale. Thanks to a local bond issue approved by voters and to the state highway tax that also sends money to cities, Springdale officials have been able to move forward with much needed infrastructure improvement. Work is under way on Don Tyson Parkway, as are improvements to 56th Street and paving the last of the dirt streets in the city. Additional parks are planned and two fire stations will be built.

Sprouse said a freestanding engineering department - the engineers now report to the Planning Department - can oversee all this work.

True, but we believe aldermen have to consider how long this kind of workload will last. Probably not forever.

Springdale has, unfortunately, struggled financially in recent years. It appears the situation is improving steadily. Still, officials should not spend money just because they have it to spend. They need to continue to be frugal - that’s what got them through the tough times and could help them in the future.

As proposed, the independent departments would cost the city “only” $20,000 more a year. That includes a 9 percent raise for Gutte and a 4 percent raise for Alan Pugh, who would head up the engineering department.

That’s not a lot of money, but we know how quickly a bureaucracy can grow. So we encourage aldermen to consider the pros and cons of the proposal - then do what is best for the residents of the city and for the city’s future.

CASUALTIES OF WAR To honor the men and women in our armed forces and remind our readers of their sacrifices, Northwest Arkansas Newspapers is publishing Department of Defense announcements identifying Americans killed in active military operations.

Army Capt. Andrew M. Pedersen-Keel, 28, of South Miami, Fla., and Staff Sgt. Rex L. Schad, 26, of Edmond, Okla., died March 11 in Jalrez District, Afghanistan, of injuries sufiered when they were attacked by small-arms fire. Pederson-Keel was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C. Schad was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 1st Armor Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.