Van Buren waives bid process for water tank, fire pumper

story by Marla Cantrell
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Fire and water ruled Monday night’s Van Buren City Council meeting.

Aldermen voted to waive competitive bidding for repairs to the Prospect Water Storage Reservoir and to buy a new pumper for the fire department.

The Van Buren Municipal Utilities Commission issued a resolution Feb. 10 which documented failures in the 3 million gallon tank, located off Highway 59. A recent inspection revealed four or five support beams that have fallen and could cause a serious problem if not addressed immediately.

Aldermen approved a two-phase plan to drain the reservoir, assess the damage and make repairs. The cost cannot be determined until the water is released; however, the commission will not have to go through the usual bidding process due to the seriousness of the problem and the urgency to make necessary repairs before the summer months when demand for water rises.

Three rows of firefighters showed up to support the purchase of a new pumper for the city’s fire department. Aldermen voted to forego the bidding process for a pumper provided by Pierce Manufacturing, located in Appleton, Wis., at a total cost of $346,543. The fire department said it needed the new truck to replace one that has been in service since 1989. Pierce can deliver the new pumper sometime in April. It could take as long as nine months to get a similar product from another vendor.

Mayor Bob Freeman said the city has waited for six months to make sure it is in a position to buy the truck. Funds to purchase the truck will come from state funding for fire departments and from the county sales tax revenues. Freeman said the city already has approximately $100,000 which will be used to make the first two payments.

Art Sellers, who lives in the Vista Hills area, spoke to the board about the lack of a city noise ordinance. He said when the temperatures rise above 40 degrees, drivers cruise through his neighborhood with stereos blasting.

“During the day it isn’t so bad, but around eleven at night it’s sad,” Sellers said. ”The sound pressure can blow the windows out. I can’t see why the citizens have to put up with that. If they want to sit way out in the boonies, that’s their problem. I don’t see where it’s necessary for us to deal with it.”

Freeman said the city is looking at noise ordinances in other communities and will address the matter in future meetings.

Noticeably absent from the monthly meeting was City Attorney N. Donald Jenkins, Jr., whose state license has been suspended until May 6. Jenkins was reprimanded after the Arkansas Supreme Court’s Committee of Professional Conduct concluded the Van Buren attorney violated certain rules of conduct. The suspension stems from Jenkins’ handling of a 2007 federal lawsuit.

Jenkins, who has been the city’s attorney since 2007, is still being paid. Jenkins is an elected official; neither the mayor nor the council has any say in the matter. His salary is listed at $56,644 a year.

Freeman said the city is using the Crawford County Prosecutor’s office for the prosecution of city cases and Greg Karber, who is Barling’s city attorney, for the city’s legal matters.

Jenkins should return for the May council meeting.