SPRINGDALE -- The city could lose out on about $98,000 a year if the City Council doesn't approve a mutual aid agreement between the Springdale and Tontitown Fire Departments.
City Council Committee members discussed the agreement at Monday's meeting.
At A Glance
Council Committee
Other meeting news:
• The committee tabled an ordinance approving a five-year extension of a service contract with Waste Management of Arkansas Inc. until its next meeting on Aug. 4.
• The committee forwarded a resolution authorizing the purchase of two fire engines and extrication equipment to the City Council with a recommendation for its approval.
• The committee forwarded a resolution authorizing the city attorney to settle a condemnation lawsuit with the Rock of Northwest Arkansas as the defendant to the City Council with a recommendation for its approval.
• The committee forwarded a resolution amending the 2014 budget for the City of Springdale to the City Council with a recommendation for its approval. The amendment would allow city officials to take care of a fungus issue with some trees on Don Tyson Parkway.
• The committee forwarded a resolution amending the 2014 budget of the engineering department to the City Council with a recommendation for its approval.
Source: Staff Report
The money comes from Act 833, a statewide system that allows a city to receive money if it has mutual aid agreements with all of its surrounding cities, said Doug Sprouse, Springdale mayor. The money originates from homeowner insurance policies in each county, said Mike Irwin, Springdale fire chief. The amount varies, but Springdale would receive about $80,000 a year from Washington County and about $18,000 a year from Benton County.
This discussion comes after Tontitown City Council created a fire department instead of contracting with the Tontitown Area Fire Department for fire protection. The Area Fire Department decided to stop responding to calls inside Tontitown beginning July 1.
Eric Ford, chairman of the Police and Fire Committee said during the meeting that his worries are about citizen and employee safety.
Mike Irwin, Springdale fire chief, responded by explaining that the mutual aid would be discretionary for firefighters, meaning response would be optional. He said after the meeting that he thinks Springdale's firefighters are educated enough to know how to handle a situation and whether to call for help or respond to a call for help.
Ford expounded on his concern after the meeting by explaining that he doesn't know much about the structure of the new fire department in Tontitown. He said he doesn't want to get involved in something without knowing all the details.
"I don't know how it's manned," he said.
Ford said the part of the agreement that makes response discretionary made him worry less.
The committee voted Monday to forward the resolution to the City Council with a recommendation for its approval. The City Council meeting is at 6 p.m. today.
Committee members also spoke about a drainage issue on Cambridge Street. Sprouse said the area is between Don Tyson Parkway and Chapman Avenue. That section of the roadway has a lot of water flowing over and around it when it rains and officials are concerned that it could erode the street.
Alan Pugh, director of engineering for the city, explained during the meeting that officials would also need to complete street improvements to use bond money. The bond money was approved by voters during the 2012 election and comes from taxes.
The project would cost $1.8 million to $2 million with street improvements included, Pugh said. Improvements would include curbs, gutters and sidewalks on both sides.
They decided to revisit the issue no later than January.
NW News on 07/22/2014