The Bella Vista Police Department's transition into the 21st century is almost complete. The council voted 5-0 to approve a contract with Smith Two-Way Radio for 30 hand-held radios and seven digital radios. Alderman Jim Wozniak was absent.
The approval of the contract came at the Council's regular meeting on March 23 at the American Legion Post 341.
In a memo addressed to the council, Chief Ken Farmer said the purchase should be enough to complete the department's transition to digital communication.
"We have been buying compatible radios for several years," Farmer said in the memo. "Digital radios will provide a more dependable path for police communication and reduce or eliminate interference we experience on our primary operating frequency."
The contract is for approximately $30,000. Farmer added that he hopes to complete the transaction under budget, but said variables such as labor could make that difficult.
Aldermen also voted 5-0 to approve the purchase of three new Chevrolet Tahoe police pursuit vehicles. The vehicles have four-wheel drive and will be "extremely useful during periods of winter weather and ... effective for daily use," Farmer said in a separate memo.
Each Tahoe costs about $31,000. Additional equipment such as sirens, light bars and cages, will run at around $7,500. This resolution repeals an earlier one passed in February approving the purchase of one Chevy Tahoe with four-wheel drive.
In other business:
n BUILDING DIVISION -- An ordinance planners hope will spur development in Bella Vista advanced to its third and final reading.
The ordinance adopts amendments to the zoning code for variance review criteria, building-height restrictions, planned zoning districts and landscape-maintenance bonds. Jennifer Bonner, Bella Vista Planner I, said the impetus behind the changes was to streamline the process for builders and residents.
Planners believe introducing planned zoning districts to the code could help ease the burden on builders.
"Everything is touched by residential in some form or fashion," said Daniel Ellis, chairman of the Planning Commission. "Straight rezoning gives us very little input as to what happens on that project as long as the zoning code is being followed. (Planned zoning districts) also give the public the information that it wants to know about exactly what is going to be built in Bella Vista."
n ELECTRICITY ORDINANCE NIXED -- Aldermen indefinitely tabled an ordinance seeking to enhance safety measures for electrical devices in or near the lakes in Bella Vista. The motion passed 5-0.
As written, the ordinance was "pretty much unworkable," said Chris Suneson, planning and building director.
The ordinance would have required property owners to obtain a permit from the city if there was "electrical usage within five feet of the normal pool elevation for bodies of water" around their boat docks or marinas. Electrical devices were defined in the ordinance as equipment "operated through means of hard-wired electrical power" and includes water pumps, irrigation systems and geothermal pumps, among others.
The permit would have required inspections and evaluations of electrical installations by a qualified electrician. Devices also were required to be in accordance with standards set by national and state officials for marinas and boatyards. There was an additional requirement to erect adequate signs warning swimmers of the potential for electric shock.
Permits would have been phased in over a three-year period. The permit had no fee, and thus could not be used for increasing city revenue. Any cost incurred by property owners would have come from paying the electrician.
n SEASONAL EMPLOYEES -- The council voted 5-0 to approve a resolution for the city to contract with 1st Employment Staffing to provide seasonal Street Department personnel. The contract is approximately $60,000.
Christie said earlier this year that utilizing contract labor for mowing right-of-ways is a savings boon for the city's budget.
General News on 04/01/2015