The Monticello Parks and Recreation Committee came together Sept. 13 to discuss a variety of old business regarding infrastructure, monuments and more.

(more…)

Ongoing issues with the city’s water system led to an indepth discussion at the August City Council meeting.

(more…)

Merlin Taking Off from Monticello, AR Airport from MonticelloLive .

(more…)

The Monticello parks commission met Thursday night at City Hall.

Among several items on the agenda, the monument honoring Albert William for his work on the early baseball fields and other features of Jordan Park were discussed. 

(more…)

For the second year, the Monticello Parks and Recreation Committee will soon be asking for information from the leagues and organizations that use Monticello parks and facilities.

The questionnaires asks for information about the season, boards, participants, needs, and goals.

The parks committee appointed some liaisons to work with leagues, and will conclude the liaison process at next month meeting.

Construction has begun on the new amphitheater at City Park.

The stage will be build on the side near the gate, with seating being on the side towards the creek and sidewalk.

At Wednesday’s meeting, board members of the Intermodal Authority agreed to set up a $1,000,000 revolving line of credit, to pay contractors for work already performed (or nearing completion) as governmental grants and funding are being recieved.  (more…)

The City Council voted unanimously to amend Ordinance 756 of the City of Monticello to assess fines associated with repeat nuisance property owners.

(more…)

During the airport report to the City Council, Benji Ryburn told the Council that people landing in heavy and fast moving aircraft are complaining of a dip and a hump on the runway. He stated that he “made some calls and asked for additional funds…and got confirmation that FAA will provide additional funds, up to $141,794, to do work to the runway.”

The money comes from a 100% grant so the City will not be required to provide any funding. The Council voted to apply for the grant and bid out the project.

The Monticello City Council passed a resolution authorizing the acceptance of a bid by Toter, Inc for the purchase of 3,000 rollout trash carts. The bid by Toter was the low bid and came in at $134,700.00.

The City will purchase one can per residence, and a second can may be purchased by an individual for $55-$60.

Trash pickups will be moved to once a week, per ward, once the new cans are in place.

UAM Chancellor Jack Lassiter gave an updated Community Center Planning Committee status to the Advertising and Promotion Commission, Monday night.

(more…)

There is a regularly scheduled Advertising and Promotion Commission meeting was held Monday night  at the MEDC building.

(more…)

According to Mayor Allen Maxwell, he received a letter, Monday, confirming the city’s effort to acheive a better ISO rating has been a success.

(more…)

The Monticello Boys & Girls Club recently set up a 160 ft. long “home made” water slide for the youngsters to enjoy.

The Monticello Fire Dept. helped get it off to a good wet start, and MPD officer Chris Owen, a regular volunteer at B&GC also helped out with the project.

Parks Committee Report to City Council from MonticelloLive on Vimeo.

MEDC Report to City Council from MonticelloLive on Vimeo.

District Court Report to City Council from MonticelloLive on Vimeo.

This statement is from a source that wished to remain anonymous, and their sentiment has been shared by many MLive readers over the past several months.

Mayor Maxwell presented these failing water pipes to the City Council, last October.

Add to this the report from last September’s City Council meeting where Mayor Maxwell said, “The water line problems below Maple and Speer Streets, where galvanized water lines run under the street, and constantly have to be repaired. Overlaying these two streets will soon have to be patched, whenever the next leak occurs…” Mayor Maxwell told the council that these lines need to be replaced, instead of making repairs to the lines and the streets, over and over. “The water lines need to be moved to the side of the streets, then do the overlay.”

The city has recently received easements from the property owners, and ordered pipe to begin this project. This means we’ve got “shovel ready” needs, and money being spent elsewhere.

Questions have been raised concerning all aspects of the water fund budget, including where the money is going that’s transferred from it, if it is legal for it to be transferred at all, and if replacing water pipes is just a falsely given reason to raise rates further.

(more…)

The Monticello City Council voted unanimously to grant Monticello School’s Superintendent Bobby Harper’s request for $25,000 of additional funding towards the boot camp program, which is a punitive program for students that serves as an alternative for expulsion.

Superintendent Harper told the Council that when the program began it was a joint effort between the County, City, Drew Central School District, and Monticello School District. The County quickly withdrew from helping with funding, and now Drew Central District has had to withdraw as well due to their fiscal distress status. This leaves only Monticello District and the City left to provide money to keep the program going.

(more…)

At Thursday’s city council meeting, the council’s next meeting was moved to June 14, due to a Municipal League conference time conflict, with the regular date.

No one (except for this reporter) realized that this is the same date, same time, and same place as the regularly scheduled Parks & Recreation Committee meeting.

They apparently will be having a joint meeting, which is appropriate, since the city council has recently imposed the “no smoking” policy at City Park, the “no tournament” policy at Lake Monticello, and leased out a major portion of Jordan Park for use by the private school, without referring these issues to the Parks Commission / Committee.

The City Council was presented with a lease agreement for P.F. Mays & Associates, LLC for the proposed private school at Jordan Park during their regular meeting Thursday evening. Mayor Allen Maxwell reported that he had investigated what a reasonable lease would be on the Jordan Park property and, “What we got back was $300-$500 per month. I want the council to consider that because we don’t have to charge that much. I think we need to write what the City is going to charge on a monthly or annual basis… We came up with a number of $500 a year.”

(more…)

The “you’re lying – name-calling” city council video from Monday night reached the 1,000 play mark, less than 24 hours of being posted.

It reached the 1,700 play level in less that two days.  The 3rd day produced another 250+ plays. It is expected to break the 2,000 mark mid-morning, Friday

One alderman said that she was “embarrassed that the city has had to go through this.”

(more…)

The City Council voted unanimously to allow Mayor Allen Maxwell to begin advertising for bids for the fire station to be built at the W.C. Whaley lot.

The Council also voted to combine CD’s and budgeted items that have not, or will not be used this year, in order to fund the deficit in the Sadie Johnson Building Fund.

(more…)

For the second time in recent months, a City of Monticello trash truck has been in an accident, and police weren’t notified.

(more…)

The Monticello Parks and Recreatin Committee spent almost 20 minutes of their Thursday meeting going over the history of the commission / committee, and it’s ongoing issues with the Monticello Babe Ruth league.

(more…)

A heated argument broke out Monday night between members of the city’s Advertising and Promotion Commission, on the topic of the 3% hotel tax being used exclusively for the Convention Center project, or whether some Adverting and Promotion funds should be used to “advertise and promote” our local events and activities.

(more…)

City Attorney Whit Barton told the Council that he had received correspondence from a Little Rock attorney representing the Babe Ruth League on March 2, 2012, in regards to issues surrounding a contract with the City.

The issue then came up that the title of Commission for Parks and Recreation was not within the statute for how a Commission should be established, and Attorney Barton instructed the Council on ways to amend the issue, such as forming a Parks and Recreation Committee instead.

Barton stated that being a committee means the positions held are elected and told the Council, “Nobody’s making you do anything.”” But, the ordinance is not in compliance with the statute.”

(more…)

After an email was sent by Monticello Mayor Allen Maxwell to city council members, that e-mail found it’s way to the courthouse.  A meeting was called Wednesday morning, to “air out” the issues pertaining to the ongoing battle over the Juvenile Court’s use of the MEDC / District Court building.

This long-running soap opera earlier led to the “back door” sign being posted on the MEDC / Court door; the front court room door being locked; and most recently to City Hall’s “No Public Restroom” policy, which in turn led to an “old fashioned outhouse” being placed on the City Hall yard, outside of the Mayor’s window.

(more…)