Aldermen discuss power transmission, trash cans and debris pickup

The problem of city residents leaving their trash containers at the curb, the retirement and rehiring of a city employee and the transmission of power into the city dominated discussion at Monday night's Piggott City Council meeting. The Council also handled the usual business matters and heard an update from Mayor Gerald Morris.

The issue of trash cans being left at the curb, some permanently, had been discussed at several previous meetings as aldermen sought input from other communities. Based on that information, the council voted to have an ordinance drafted that sets guidelines and penalties. After lengthy discussion, the council decided that trash cans should not be set out any sooner than 12 hours prior to the date of the scheduled pickup and must be removed from the curbside within 12 hours after the scheduled pickup.

City Attorney John Lingle will draft the proposed legislation and present it for possible changes at the next scheduled meeting.

The Council also heard from David Finley concerning his plans to retire and then be rehired by the city. The plan calls for Finley to file for his retirement and resign from the city electric department effective at the end of April. Following a 30-day period, he then will be rehired in the same capacity and at the same pay scale. At issue were sick days accumulated during his tenure and the question of vacation time once he is rehired.

After discussing the matter, Alderman Jim Poole suggested Finley be allowed to retire and be rehired at the same pay and title, but with the stipulation that he receive only two weeks paid vacation a year instead of the three weeks due an employee with his seniority.

Poole also suggested the council waive the stipulation on family insurance for new hires, allowing Finley to maintain insurance for his family. In putting that suggestion into the form of a motion, Poole added the move will save the city 11.2 percent of Finley's salary that will no longer have to be put into the APERS retirement fund and allow the retention of a valued employee. The matter passed without dissent with all members of the council expressing their appreciation for Finley and the job he has done for the city.

Council members also heard a lengthy report from Brian Haley on the progress of the Plum Point power plant project and efforts to arrange for transmission of the power to the city. Haley told aldermen the project currently is 65 percent complete and that the power plant should go on-line by late May of 2010. He also reviewed plans to enter into a transmission agreement with several other regional cities and discussed whether Piggott wants to become more aggressive on the subject of brokering excess power as opposed to obligating excess power by contract.

At question is a plan in which a number of regional cities will be purchasing, and wheeling power in excess of their needs in an effort to profit from selling the excess.

The consensus of the council, and in the words of Mayor Morris, was that the city should not "stick our necks out during these soft economic times." Following the discussion, council members voted to continue with the Plum Point effort and allow Haley to negotiate with WestStar a switch in transmission from the Southwest Power Administration to the Southwest Power Pool. He also was instructed to seek the services of a consulting firm to try to best determine a course for future expansion and growth and the possibility of brokering excess power in the future.

In other action the council

* Waived the yard sale fee for residents for the day of the upcoming citywide yard sale April 4.

* Approved a city policy on tipping.

* Heard an update on the ice storm clean-up efforts.

* Approved the city applying for a grant to help pay for the purchase of a new police cruiser.

* Was told by Morris the city's airport will receive a grant of $250,000 from the state thanks to the efforts of the Airport Commission and State Rep. Mike Patterson.