Hope City Board Holds 2nd Meeting Of 2014
The Hope City Board kicked off their second meeting of 2014 Tuesday (1-21) by approving a grant for $4,600 to the Arkansas Agricultural Department. The grant, which is thought to be a long-shot, would pay for a new wastewater line out of the horticulture building at Fair Park. It would also pay for a ramp up to the horticulture building to make it more handicapped accessible. Right now there is a step up into the building. Also the grant would pay for some electrical work near the front gate for an area used by vendors. The board looked at the grant request last month but tabled it in part due to work requested inside the horticulture building. The building belongs to the district fair. The work now requrested in the grant application would be outside the building on park property.
The board rezoned almost 10 acres of land at 2406 Rocky Mound Road from R-2 to R-3 to accomadate multi-family housing. KWL Properties wants to put 48 units on the land across from the Hope Primary School. This would be units for people 55 and up. KWL also wants to utilize the large, historic two-story house on the property for a club-house for the development. Also, in connection with the rezoning request the city passed a Community Revivalization Plan which emphasizes the city's desire for affordable housing as an economic development tool.
Under the City Manager's Report, Catherine Cook noted the West 3rd Street wastewater project should wrap up this week. She notes flow meters are being utilized in some of the wastewater lines that are being considered for rehabilitation to determine which areas most need attendtion. Cook said the city has been told they will receive a $30,000 grant from Southwest Arkansas Planning and Development towards a new fire truck. This is in addition to a $2,000 the fire department received from Brentwood to buy new equipment for the truck.
Under citizens requests, Retired U.S. Army Colonel Jay Kopecky asked the the city board open each meeting with the pledge of allegience in addition to their prayer. The board agreed that was a good idea and pledged to do that at their next meeting.