By JOHN HOFHEIMER
Leader senior staff writer
After a decade or more on the Lonoke City Council, Phillip Howell stepped down last week and Mayor Wayne McGee swore in Coy Butler to take his place until a special election can be held.
Howell said he had moved into a new house, not in the zone he has represented.
He also stepped down recently from the Lonoke Community Center Board, upon which he has served since before the city-owned structure was built.
In other action, the council heard a proposal from Ron Page, of Crystal Broadband Networks of Chicago, to put a wireless transmitter atop the Lonoke water tower, which would provide high-speed broadband service for the area at what he said were “competitive rates.” Page’s company got a grant to make wireless broadband service available in the rural southeast quarter of Arkansas. He estimated the rates at $19, $29 and $39 a month depending on the speed the business or resident elected. City Attorney Camille Bennett will review the contract.
Currently, Page is working with Carlisle.
In addition to Lonoke, the broadband network will extend through the following counties: Saline, Prairie, Monroe, Arkansas, Lincoln, Drew, Ashley, Bradley, Dallas, Hot Springs, Grant and Garland.
Residents within five miles of the Lonoke water tower should be able to receive services, Page said.
The city has now condemned and torn down or caused to be torn down 11 derelict houses and the old Lonoke hotel.
Only one of the houses was successfully rebuilt, McGee said.
The council chose five more buildings for condemnation, and ordered letters sent to the owners, with an opportunity for appeal. Including those, they city has 32 houses left that must be torn down or rebuilt.
City Services Director Brian Whitworth announced that the city’s new leaf vac had arrived and was in service.
He said the gear reducer was back on at the water plant, meaning the clarifier was working, and work on the pressure filters continued. McGee said the town would soon have the cleanest, best tasting water around.
The city will rebid the fence and gate for the new entrance to the city shop, off Center Street near the Sonic Restaurant. The company came up 25 feet short on the fence, having used the new gate to account for 25 feet of the total. The new amount will be $6,050.
The new pumps at two sewer pumping stations are being rewired from 240-volt to the heavier-duty 480 volt, at a total additional cost of $17,480.
The council appropriated $1,330 for track hoe parts for the street department and will let bids for hot-patch asphalt equipment, which could run as high as $20,000.
The council approved $3,980 for new door lifts. The old ones were worn out and not sufficiently heavy duty.
The council also authorized City Parks Director Roy Lewis to buy two loads of red rock for the ballfields. Lewis said about 48 teams would participate in a tournament when the ballpark opens this weekend.
Community Center Director Mike Brown announced the beginning of spring soccer, with nine teams and 90 players. He told the council that beginning in January he would like to put some end-of-the-year profit into a building fund.
