By Joan McCoy
Leader staff writer
The census results expected by spring will likely show that Beebe has grown by 2,000 to around 7,000, a population that is perhaps too large for the all-volunteer fire department that has protected residents both inside and outside city limits for many years.
In recent years, the city council has started getting ready for the growth by hiring a full-time fire chief and assistant chief. Now, the council has added the fire department’s first full-time fire academy-trained firefighter.
“It’s been a long road but we’re getting there,” Fire Chief William Nick said of the new hire approved by the council on Dec. 20.
Hunter Collie will be paid $10.50 an hour and he will work 24 hours on and 48 hours off.
The city sent him to school in Camden after he joined the volunteer fire department and proved his loyalty by frequently staffing the fire station at night.
In other business, the council hired Cabot lawyer Brent Walker as city attorney.
City attorney is actually an elected position, but since no one has run for the office in many years, the council is free to hire from outside Beebe.
Walker has worked for the city for about a year since the council voted to fire Mark Derrick, saying he had too much to do to take care of Beebe.
The council also voted to allow Waste Management to provide large garbage bins on wheels to all Beebe residents and charge rental fees of $1.75 every month on their water bills.
Adding the bins is an attempt to keep city streets cleaner, said Clerk-Treasurer Carol Crump-Westergren.
The company will replace damaged bins, she said.
