Effort to add officers moves forward in Springdale

SPRINGDALE -- The Police Department is a step closer to adding police officers.

Aldermen forwarded a proposal to City Council during Monday's committee meetings to amend the department's 2015 budget. The change would increase the department's budget $88,730 to cover a partial year of salaries, holiday pay, Federal Insurance Contributions Act tax and Medicare, insurance, pensions and worker's compensation for three new officers.

Alderman Eric Ford asked if the department has that money in savings from open positions, and Capt. Mike Peters of the department said it does.

The proposal comes after three recent gang-related shootings in the city.

A shooting April 11 at 609 Savage St. killed Jimmy Rodriguez, 20, and led to the arrest of a 13-year-old boy, Jose Delatorre, 18, Rodolfo Martinez, 18, and Giovanni Vasquez-Sanchez, 17.

Two people were injured and Fabian Rodriguez, 18, was fatally shot at 32 Applegate Drive on March 13. Hector Saul Ramos, 17, was arrested in connection with those crimes.

A drive-by shooting overnight March 14 on Pierce Avenue resulted in the arrests of a 15-year-old and a 17-year-old. No one was injured.

Officials plan to add 10 officers, Mayor Doug Sprouse said last week. He projected it will take a year to 1 1/2 years to add all 10 officers.

Aldermen also forwarded to City Council a decision to use $25,000 to increase the time an Ozark Regional Transit bus route is in service each day it runs for the remainder of the year. They also discussed another route change and a test run.

Route 63 is in service from 6:22 a.m. to 10:22 a.m., takes a five-hour break and is back in service from 3:22 p.m. until 7:22 p.m., according to a map and schedule provided by Joel Gardner, executive director of the authority.

The route runs by the authority's office at 2423 E. Robinson Ave., and people have come in wanting to use the route during the five hours it's not in service, Gardner said. The change would allow the route to stay in service during those hours.

The route provides access to Tyson Foods corporate headquarters, the Elizabeth Richardson Center, a Walmart at 2004 S. Pleasant St. and a Harps at 1945 Butterfield Coach Road, according to the map. It also has connections to three other routes, and a portion of it is in Johnson.

Watson said he is OK with funding the change for the rest of the year, but he said he wants to see data in October when city officials are planning the city's 2016 budget. Gardner said he would provide data to the aldermen at that time.

Gardner said before the meeting it would cost $40,800 for a full year. The authority would request a portion of that, probably 25 percent, from Johnson.

Another proposed change is to Route 64, which provides access to Northwest Arkansas Community College's Washington County Center on White Road, The Jones Center and the same Walmart Route 63 serves, Gardner said. It also has connections to four other routes, according to a map provided by Gardner.

Some people have said they also want the route to serve the Walmart Supercenter at 4870 Elm Springs Road, Gardner said. The change won't come at any extra cost to Springdale and will only require a schedule and route change.

The route will change May 26, Gardner said at the meeting.

Officials also discussed a test run the authority will begin May 26. Gardner said before the meeting he has seen interest in transit from local industries. The test run will last for 90 days, have four routes and a main stop at the intersection of Berry Street and Huntsville Avenue close to a nearby Tyson plant.

A map provided by Gardner uses red dots to show where employees live. It also labels possible routes and places where employees work.

Sprouse said the routes could help people get to their jobs.

"If it helps the business, it helps the city too," he said.

NW News on 05/05/2015