Arkadelphia city board approves traffic light, water rate study

The Arkadelphia City Board of Directors met Tuesday, June 16, at Town Hall with an agenda to destroy dated public records, approve an agreement to replace a traffic light, approve a CD offer for the water department, and approve a water rate study.

The board gave its approval to destroy an array of records ranging from bank statements to general ledger documents, with some records dating between 2011 to 2022. The records will be held for 30 days for public viewing, then destroyed. The records to be destroyed have been stored according to a record retention policy.

Directors gave approval to an agreement with the Arkansas Department of Transportation to maintain a new traffic signal at 10th and Pine streets. The new light was originally planned for the Pine Street widening project, said City Manager Gary Brinkley, but ARDOT has since decided to make it part of the North 10th Street extension of the Arkadelphia Bypass. ARDOT will install the light, and the city will be responsible for its maintenance.

In related street project news, it was learned at Tuesday’s meeting that there have been no bids yet on the Pine Street widening project, which is expected to commence upon the completion of the Arkadelphia Bypass project. Also, a section of North 10th Street between Haddock and Pine will be closed Sunday, June 30, for construction work.

The board gave its nod to renewing a pair of short-term Certificates of Deposit that mature this month. The move authorized the city manager to also combine them with other CDs in August and April.

Finally, with some discussion the board approved a state-required water rate study ahead of a July 1 deadline. A representative of Crist Engineers discussed with directors the information needed for the undertaking of the study. It wasn’t clear whether the study would have an impact on future water rates.