By RICK KRON
Leader staff writer
Pathfinder will build pre-school and remodel another building with $8.2 million in bonds approved by theJacksonville City Council Thursday night.
The Jacksonville Health Care Facilities Board will issue the bonds and Pathfinders will make the payments, but before the board could pursue the bonds, it needed the councils approval.
The Jacksonville Health Care Facilities Board was created in 1978 for “the purpose of financing heath care facilities for the developmentally disabled, including facilities for residential housing, training, and education of persons who may be mentally
or developmentally disabled.”
The board has been used in the past to finance Pathfinder projects.
The $8.2 million bond issue will finance the construction of a 42,000- square-foot preschool for Pathfinders and will be built near the corner of Main Street and Redmond Road. Part of the funds will also be used to renovate and expand the Jim Pickens Skill Training Center at 905 Redmond Road.
Pathfinder has the second largest payroll of any industry in Jacksonville, second only to Little Rock Air Force Base, according to officials.
In other council business:
Police Chief Robert Baker, in his monthly report to the council, said his department responded to 2,719 complaint calls during June, down slightly from May, but up 7 percent from June 2006.
Police made 318 adult arrests in June, including 15 for drugs. The department served 295 warrants and 253 subpoenas.
More than $80,000 worth of items was reported stolen in June, down $30,000 from May and
down $14,000 from June 2006.
Baker reported that the police had recovered $24,126 worth of property during the
month.
In his monthly report, Public Works Director Jim Oakley said the animal shelter took in 141 dogs and
128 cats in June. One cat and 9 dogs were returned to their owners, while 23 cats and 49 dogs were adopted.
Shelter officials euthanized 121 cats and 57 dogs during the month. Seven bite cases were reported to animal control.
The attacks included three cats and four dogs, including two pit bulls, a shepherd mix and a terrier. None of them were declared vicious because of the
bites.
