Sub Reports OF MEETING
GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE (GAC)
Ouachita Events Bldg., Ponce de Leon Center
Friday, March 3, 2017, 8:00 AM
REPORTS
POA Board Report - Mike Medica
· Appointments made to the Public Safety, Lakes and Recreation Committees.
· Bylaw revisions pulled from agenda will be considered in March.
· Changing term of BOD from current 3-year to 4-year withdrawn as a prospective bylaw change.
· During January, $100,000 was added to the general reserves and $100,000 to the public utility reserves.
· Amenity sales at Natatorium up – golf even.
· April 1 is planned rollout of the builder’s guild and POA’s real estate sales launch.
· Advertising at Little Rock Airport planned and highway billboard under consideration Plan billboards.
· 54 newcomers in January.
· Bill exempting military pay from State income tax signed into law.
· Tom Weiss to complete Judge Scrimshire’s term on Tri-Lakes MPO board.
Chair Announcements/Reports – Gerald Allen
· Congratulated Lu Otto on receipt of HSVPOA Presidents Award for work on Social and Economic Impact 2016 Report.
· Reappointment of three current members and the appointment of two new members to the GAC will be considered by the BOD.
MetroPlan – Keith Keck
· Central Region MetroPlan meet on February 22. The major issue discussed was a detailed recap of the I-30 Crossing and the ongoing studies required to support an alternative selection. Still expecting the project to come back to MetroPlan mid-year to receive approval of the amendment to add the project and its new price to the Long Range Metropolitan Transportation Plan.
· MetroPlan Board Members were briefed on the need to start preparing for 2020 Census.
· The invitation to MetroPlan Board Members and Staff to visit Hot Springs Village on Friday April 28 was verbally made. Formal invitation being prepared.
Highways (Tri Lakes MPO) - David Whitlow
· The policy board of Tri-Lakes Metropolitan Planning Organization met on February 23, 2017 at the West Central Arkansas Planning & Development office in Hot Springs.
· A special vote was held to elect a vice chairman to replace retiring county judge Bill Scrimshire of Hot Spring County. Tom Weiss of the Hot Springs Village Board of Directors was elected to complete Judge Scrimshire’s term which ends December 31 of this year. Dennis Thornton is the new county judge in Hot Spring County.
· Judge Rick Davis of Garland County reported that B & F Engineering Inc. and its sub-consultant Michael Baker International Inc. have been selected to manage local road programs financed by the $54,695,000 bond issue approved by voters in 2016. Thirty million dollars has been dedicated toward the 5.16 mile extension of MLK Parkway to the junction of Highways 5 and 7. The initial project development will begin in 2017 with funds dedicated for design work, a final environmental study, and right-of-way acquisitions. The construction phase could begin as early as 2019.
· An informational meeting by the Arkansas Highway & Transportation Department scheduled for Tuesday, February 28th has been cancelled. The purpose of the meeting was to get public input on safety improvements scheduled for Highway 7 North. The meeting will be rescheduled at a later date.
· The 78.5 million dollar project to widen Highway 70 to five lanes from I-30 to Hot Springs has begun. The construction contract was awarded to McGeorge Contracting of Pine Bluff. It is the largest single project in the contractor’s history. The project will proceed from west to east in three-mile sections. Six percent of estimated time and four percent of the allotted money has been expended.
Benton Chamber of Commerce – Paul Day
· On February 6, Josh Merkel, Senior Aide to Congressman French Hill, spoke to the Saline County Republican meeting on the approach the Congress was taking on replacing Obamacare. They want to keep the coverage, but make it more cost effective by letting health care companies compete nationwide, not just within each state. They are also looking into reducing drug costs and using tort reform to help eliminate unnecessary medical tests.
· At the Legislative Breakfast pm February 10, our legislators announced that 492 bills in the House and 297 bills in the State Senate were introduced so far. The session seems to be going smoothly with most all the Governor’s priorities being approved, including an income tax decrease of $12 million for our military retirees to incent them to remain in Arkansas after retirement.
· On February 21, the Benton Chamber of Commerce Gov’t Affairs committee met at the City of Benton for a briefing by Mayor David Mattingly on all the progress being made on several major projects. The new $50 million Riverside Park complex is scheduled to open on April 1. This includes a conventions building that will hold up to 5,200 people, a 50,000 square foot Boys and Girls Club. A Senior Center, a new swimming facility, and numerous athletic fields. In addition, the Alcoa Road expansion ($16 million) is now underway and it will hopefully be completed in late 2018. There are also numerous shops and stores planning to open later this year.
Legislative Subcommittee—Jerry Yeric and Michael Dollar
· On Friday, February 10th, Michael Dollar and I met with Senator Bill Sample and former representative Robert Smith to discuss the senator’s drafting legislation on Retirement and Relocation. The discussion evolved around what was needed, what could be achieved, and the overall view of the issue as it pertains to Arkansas. Senator Sample will be meeting with various parties in the pre-drafting of the legislation. Senator Sample was of the belief that a person with a staff should be allocated solely to this area. Where the person resides and to whom they are accountable is still being worked out.
· Rep. Fite’s HB1301 “Act to Amend the Law Concerning a County’s Authority to Regulate Private Communities” was declared unconstitutional by the AG’s office.
· The Legislature has been busy with a host of new legislation and attempting to settle on which three Constitutional issues will be on the 2018 ballot.
· Rep. Cozart’s HB1018 “Act to Amend the Law Concerning the Procedure for Annexation of Surrounding Areas” failed in committee.
· On Tuesday February 22nd, Michael Dollar took part in a roundtable discussion, led by Congressman French Hill (AR-2), regarding the Flatside Wilderness within the Jessieville-Winona-Fourche District of the Ouachita National Forest and proposals to support the conservation of the wilderness area to ensure its preservation for future generations.
Hot Springs—Jerry Yeric
· The Concerned Citizens Coalition provided more signatures to City Hall in support of its referendum petition on the city ordinance annexing Enclave Study Area D.
· City voters will decide the fate of one of the enclave annexations previously approved by the Hot Springs Board of Directors after a successful petition drive.
· The Hot Springs Board of Directors unanimously adopted a resolution supporting the Arkansas National Guard’s plan for the shuttered Ouachita Jobs Corps Center in Royal, after removing the item from the agenda the previous week.
· An agreement to repurpose 30 million gallons a day of Lake Ouachita water for municipal supply is nearing the end of its journey through the labyrinthine bureaucracy of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, with the city of Hot Springs poised to assume a minimum of 15.75 mgd of the allocation.
Garland County—Jerry Yeric
· County Judge Rick Davis announced that two part-time attorneys instead of one will now handle Garland County’s legal affairs, easing the burden of County Attorney Ralph Ohm. Local attorney John Howard will join Ohm as the county’s legal counsel, with the two splitting the $60,000 salary the Garland County Quorum Count appropriated for the County Attorney position in 2017. Judge Davis said that Ohm suggested Howard, the former Fountain Lake city attorney.
· The Quorum Court appropriated funds to convert approximately 5,000 square feet of the former detention center into the county’s primary 911 call center.
· The Quorum Court unanimously adopted an ordinance creating the 911 Dispatch Center Budget, appropriating $779,332 to the county general fund from 2016 receipts of the county’s half-cent sales tax that exceeded budget expectations.
· The county isn’t statutorily required to share any of its projected $326,636 in 2017 AETS landline fees. Judge Davis has said that the county will cease paying transport fees providers charge the city’s primary call center and the county’s secondary call centers to route emergency calls.
Life Long Learning Institute – Gerald Allen
· The HSV LLI now has 221 members and the Membership Committee needs additional members. Meetings are generally held once monthly for about an hour. Those interested are encouraged to contact Pat Stratton, Chair, by e-mail at using the subject line, “LLI Committee.”
· Next Event:
LLI: Batter Up: The Boys of Spring
March 8, 2017
11:30 AM - 3:00 PM
Location - Coronado Center
Join the Lifelong Learning Institute at HSV as they celebrate spring training and look forward to Opening Day with a tribute to the game in song and movies. The Village's own Bill "Youngblood" McCrary of the Kansas City Monarchs will be present to share stories. Special guest Bob Kendrick, President of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum of Kansas City will inspire you with tales about the players who did it "for the love of the game". And the playing of "The Boys of Springs", the documentary first aired last year in Hot Springs, sharing the history of baseball and Hot Springs.
o The Fun City Chorus will kick-off the afternoon with your baseball favorites in song
o Representatives from the Arkansas Travelers Baseball Club will be here to give a brief history of Minor League Ball in Arkansas
o Bob Kendrick, President of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City will amaze you with stories about the true baseball greats of the past
o Bill McCrary, long-time Village resident will be visiting with guests and sharing stories
Registration: Online - https://ualr.wildapricot.org/
Phone – Lisa Davis (501) 860-6003
Member – $10.00
Non-Member – $20.00
Register
Garland County JP – Larry Griffin (No report)
Saline County JP – Jim Zahnd
· Saline County voluntary animal control collections yielded about $75,000 last year; $15,000 granted to HSV Animal Welfare League for spaying/neutering program. Funds from the collections also support the Saline County Humane Societies for similar programs.
· Some delays expected in Highway 5 Safety improvement projects due to possible changes.
Quorum Court Meetings in HSV
· Chair Allen suggested mutual benefits to HSV residents and the county Quorum Courts if meetings were held in the Village from time to time providing a convenient opportunity for local input and requested that Larry Griffin and Jim Zahnd explore the option with their respective Judges. Both agreed to do so. Jim Zahnd mentioned that the Saline County Quorum Court had previously met in HSV.
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