Annexation, city employee bonuses on council agenda

The Conway City Council will host a public hearing at tonight's regular meeting to gather input concerning the city's intent to annex county lands that have become surrounded by the city.

The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the District Court building at 810 Parkway Ave.

The council unanimously voted to begin the process that could end in annexation at the Oct. 14 regular meeting, and part of this process is tonight's public hearing.

The lands in question are described in tonight's agenda as:

West of east German Lane and north of East Siebenmorgen Road;

South of Bill Lucy Road, 225 feet of Trison Road and 330 feet of east Siebenmorgen Road;

East of Makenna Cove Subdivision, south of Lower Ridge Road, west of East German Lane and north of Bill Lucy Road;

West of Mill Pond Road and east and south of Cresthaven Subdivision;

And west and north of South Donaghey Avenue, South of Spring Valley and Justin Place subdivisions and East of South Salem Road.

Conway director of planning and development Bryan Patrick said that these "islands" of county land came about through the process of normal annexation, and has described their annexation as "cleaning up" the city limits.

"I know at least one of the people on there has been wanting us to annex for quite a while," Patrick said. "Some -- I don't know about all -- of the people who live there are definitely in favor of being brought into the city ... so they can get city services."

The council will also vote on an ordinance appropriating $163,240 for city employee appreciation bonuses.

The money for the bonuses, as proposed in the ordinance, would be allocated from various city funds, namely $123,608 from the general fund, $11,694 from the street fund, $26,963 from the sanitation enterprise fund, $650 from the fleet maintenance fund and $325 from Community Development Block Grant funds.

The bonuses, as proposed, to come to $300 for full-time employees and $150 for part-time employees. As the ordinance reads, "eligible employees will be determined as of the first payroll in

December 2008."

The council will also vote on a resolution ordering the cleanup of a bank-owned property at 1806 Washington Ave. and declaring the city's intent to bring the property up to the standards set out by city code.

"It's a backyard with a big mess, as I understand it," Patrick said. "We'll go ahead and clean up and put together a bill and put a lien on the property."

In other business, the council will consider:

A resolution ordering the demolition and clean up of property located on 450 East Robins St. (trailer No. four) and declaring the intent of the City to bring property up to code;

An ordinance accepting and appropriating grant proceeds received from Faulkner County Solid Waste Management District for the Sanitation Department;

Reclassifying three positions at the Sanitation Department;

A resolution adopting the Hazard Mitigation Plan for the City of Conway;

An ordinance appropriating additional funds for overtime in the Conway Fire Department;

An ordinance waiving bids to obtain competitive bids to purchase a 2009 Ford Escape Hybrid for the city's Information Technology Dept.;

An ordinance accepting a variety of previously court ordered weapons for the Conway Police Department;

An ordinance accepting court ordered forfeiture assets from the Circuit Court of Faulkner County;

An ordinance appropriating funds for gas and diesel for various departments for the City of Conway.

Destroy certain accounting records from 2004 in the Finance Department.

(Staff writer Joe Lamb can be reached by e-mail at joe.lamb@thecabin.net or by phone at 505-1238. Send us your news at www.thecabin.net/submit)