Russellville council OKs uniform allowance

RUSSELLVILLE -- Possibly setting a new record for having the shortest meeting Wednesday evening, the Russellville Town Council considered various issues on its agenda.

With Councilwoman Cathy Jones absent, the council approved a uniform allowance for the town marshal and deputy marshal. Both will receive $250 apiece, separated out at two different intervals.

The council also considered adopting Ordinance 2020-1, which would establish Clerk-Treasurer Martha Mandleco as the “bureau” to which ordinance citations are paid.

Mandleco provided previous ordinances which address animal control, nuisances and barking dogs, issues which precipitated the new proposal. While they were not publicly shown during the meeting, the new ordinance lists citation amounts in an appendix.

Councilwoman Norma Jean Gross said it would be best to table the ordinance given Jones’ absence. Council President Cary McGaughey agreed that more time was needed to consider the ordinances in total.

In other business, Mandleco said she had submitted a Form 9 in order for the State Board of Accounts (SBOA) to review expenditures for 2017 and 2018. However, she related that she had sent it to the SBOA twice online, but that it was being marked as spam.

However, Mandleco said she was able to submit the form by scanning, and that she was also told the town was not considered “high risk.” As such, the total review is not considered an audit.

Mandleco also said that the town’s internal controls had been reconciled through 2019. Larry Tippin, a local historian and certified public accountant (CPA), has been assisting Mandleco with the review.

As the Russellville Water Board, the council heard from Troy Elless of Utility Management and Construction (UMAC) regarding its tentative stormwater planning grant. He said that Jason Hartman, who has been working with the town as its grant administrator, had related to him that he couldn’t fully commit.

However, Hartman said he had been in contact with another grant administrator, Amy Miller of Cornerstone Grants Management in Greenwood. Elless stated the he has worked with her before, and suggested that the town could proceed directly with a construction grant.

The council decided not to take any official action without first meeting with Miller. As such, it will later decide whether to launch into a stormwater construction project.

In other business concerning water, Mandleco said that 16,300 gallons of water had been pumped more than billed. This is down from 23,400 gallons last month, and continues a consistently low trend since a major leak was repaired last August.

Town Attorney Stu Weliever was also absent at the meeting.

The next regular meeting of the Russellville Town Council and the Russellville Water Board is scheduled for Wednesday, March 18 at 7 p.m. in the Russellville Community Center.