Benton City Council and Marshall County Fiscal Court have agreed to meet in a workshop to determine how to approach swapping services on future projects and day-to-day matters.
County Commissioners and Judge-Executive Kevin Neal visited Benton City Council Monday, May 15 during the council’s regularly-scheduled meeting to discuss a resolution passed by the city in April which called for the parties to work together for the benefit of taxpayers. Benton Mayor Rita Dotson opened the matter for discussion at the meeting, telling Neal the city wanted to come to an agreement that would work for both parties’ needs and asked for direction on how the city should proceed when requesting equipment from the county.
“We have talked amongst ourselves some,” Dotson said. “We would like to work out something with you. … It’s not necessarily projects that we’re looking at, it’s just occasionally we need help with hauling. Our old dump truck won’t make it to Murray. We occasionally need help with hauling like ballfield dirt, rock, salt, that type thing. We occasionally need a trackhoe, we have … good backhoes; we occasionally need a trackhoe to help clean out a ditch, to help clean out a creek. That type thing is all we’re – we’re not asking anything big. We’ re asking just for smaller issues, such as everyday issues that we face, but it’s not something we would abuse. It’s something that we would occasionally ask for some help for.”
Neal said the county would not be opposed to working agreeably with the city to assist in its projects, but the county had not been approached with any specific projects on which it could help. Previous interlocal agreements in place, he said, in compliance with state statute required specific cost breakout for which the city would be responsible for its use, something he said the cities had agreed to at the time.
“I think that may have been some of the confusion as far as is the city wanting to go into an agreement with the county and understanding what those costs are,” Neal said. “We break down our costs with our labor and equipment. There may be a private sector out there that may have the same piece of equipment that’s actually cheaper. So, I think those things need to be identified, but the county is not opposed to supporting the city, but I think we need to get into the details of what actually the city’s requesting.”
Dotson said the city would have no problems paying for any major project on which it requested the county’s assistance in advance, but questioned how to handle smaller projects in the day-to-day.
Councilman Butch Holland said he was concerned that the city and county couldn’t go back to a time when they could call on one another for a favor without having to refer back to the law books.
County Attorney Jeff Edwards said the matter was about covering the bases legally.
“At the point when there is a disagreement, if there’s suddenly, if there’s an attempt to enforce some prior deal … that’s what makes it look like you’re just attempting to get around the statute,” Edwards said. “… If you’re going day-to-day and one hand scratches the other … what you’re talking about in years past, but at the point where one says ‘no, I’m not going to do that this time,’ and the other says, ‘well you have to because we’ve got a … agreement,’ that’s where it becomes an issue. Because I’ll be honest with you, in my 20 years, when requests came in overthere,they weren’t always honored. There were times when people were unhappy with others. Things like this happen. That’s the point I’m making, if you want to force the other party to do something, then you need to have it in writing. If you’re going to play it day-to-day, you know, you take what you get, when you get it.”
Councilwoman Rita Murray questioned if there were instances in which the county had traditionally assisted the city that would continue to be honored and reminded commissioners that city residents were county taxpayers, as well.
“One thing, judge, I’d like to ask – and we didn’t have any snow this year, thank goodness – but in the past when we’ve had snow, the city and the county worked together because to get to some of the county’s streets you have to come through the city … anyway, the rule was – from the county – was it doesn’t cost the county any money to drop that blade when you come through town. It doesn’t cost us any money to clear off county courthouse, the library, the judicial building, (and) all that stuff. … Do you plan on honoring how that’s been done in the past … or are you going to lift your blade up when you come in off of (Highway) 408?”
The parties planned to schedule a time for a workshop to eliminate confusion and set a proper line of communication between the two entities.
To view the full exchange, click here.
In addition to its meeting with the county, the council also heard the first reading of an ordinance that would hike the city’s water usage rates by 20 cents per 1,000 gallons of use. The new rates, which would take effect July 1 if passed in the council’s June 19 meeting, will address a projected $41,865 shortfall in the city’s water and sewer budget. Rates for residents in city limits, now set at $3 per 1,000 gallons, would effectively go up to $3.20; West Marshall customers, whose rates are presently $3.50 per 1,000 gallons of use, would see an increase to $3.70.
“To give you a little bit of an idea, we asked a few other city clerks: Eddyville is $5.03 per 1,000; Grand Rivers is $4.10 and Hardin is $5.30 per 1,000,” Dotson said. “So we’re still way on down there compared to a lot of cities around us.”
The council also heard the first reading of its 2017-18 Fiscal Year budget ordinances for the water and sewer department, gas department and the City of Benton general fund. Total expenses the the water department were expected at $2,190,865. Revenues for the gas department were estimated at $2,050,000 for the year, while expenses totaled about $2,037,240. The city’s expected general fund budget was estimated to balance at $2,790,370. ABC expenses and revenues accounted for $95,200.
Budget ordinances will become effective July 1, upon final review and approval June 19.
Watch Marshall County Daily for the full budget breakdown.
In other business, the city:
- Adopted a revised property maintenance code requiring residents to avoid accumulation of debris and brush in creeks and regarding the size of brush piles of which the city will dispose on residents’ behalf; and
- adopted new a new pay rate of time and a half for employees on call and on stand-by for one hour per day while on such status and two hours per day for weekends and holidays.