The building that once housed Arkadelphia’s Chamber of Commerce is being razed in early February, City Manager Gary Brinkley told directors in his report at Tuesday’s city board meeting.

The 6th Street property is currently where the Clark County Democratic Committee meets; that group is in the process of moving to a new headquarters on Village Drive.

The building is adjacent to Arkadelphia Fire Department’s Station 1 and will be used for simulation training prior to its demolition. The city had planned to tear down the building early in January, Brinkley said.

Brinkley also updated the board on roof repairs at the Community Family Enrichment Center. Ward 4 Director Reo Cummings had inquired in a previous meeting about the status of the roof’s condition. Brinkley said the roofer finished the initial work, using three cases of caulk and replacing or tightening “too many screws to count” on the roof. The roofer, he said, will return to repair some leaks discovered during the recent rainfall. 

Brinkley thanked Patterson Federal Credit Union for its sponsorship of the city employee Christmas party earlier in December. He also thanked Clark County Sheriff Jason Watson for allowing use of the Armory building for the event, as well as businesses that donated prizes for a raffle drawing.

The leaning utility pole in the alley between 519 N. Main and 550 Clay St. will soon be replaced. Brinkley met with an Entergy representative on Dec. 9 and created a plan to replace the pole, a “difficult” job that will be done over the course of a weekend after the first of the new year.

The city received reimbursement from Clark County for the engineering costs for a traffic light at Pine and Professional Drive. The Arkansas Department of Transportation received its funding and the project is “moving forward,” Brinkley reported, adding he’ll share the construction date as soon as he learns of it.

The Dec. 10 wind storm blew down the Christmas tree outside Town Hall but was able to be repaired and re-erected. Brinkley noted there was some minor damage to downtown buildings during that storm.

The street department is down a sweeper due to a rear-end issue. The equipment will be hauled to Little Rock for diagnostics and repairs. City streets will still be swept, but at a slower pace than usual, Brinkley said.

The drainage department is also short a vehicle, as its 1-ton dually had engine failure. Brinkley said the city will seek “all routes possible” to make repairs to the vehicle in light of a nationwide shortage of vehicle inventory.

Town Hall will be closed Friday, Dec. 24, and Monday, Dec. 27, in observance of Christmas, and on Friday, Dec. 31, in observance of New Year’s Day.