Trees

Glendale will offer a free desert-tree care workshop at 10 a.m. April 13 at The Tree Trail. [Submitted]

Posted: Saturday, March 30, 2013 12:30 pm

Learn how to care for desert trees at workshop

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Glendale will offer a free desert-tree care workshop at 10 a.m. April 13 at The Tree Trail, adjacent to Glendale’s Main Library at 5959 W. Brown St.

The interactive workshop will give residents an overview on planting, pruning and watering, which will include an informational session followed by hands-on demonstrations at the Tree Trail.

Attendees will learn information on desert tree care, and have the opportunity to explore the entire garden to gain landscaping and gardening ideas.

The Conservation Sustainable Living Program offers classes and workshops throughout the year, in addition to conducting educational programs in elementary schools.

The next class offered will be the Simple Savings Energy Class on April 20 at the Glendale Main Library.

In addition, residents can pick up free landscaping publications at the library, or download them from the city’s website at  www.glendaleaz.com/WaterConservation.

Both events are free, but registration is required.

Contact Joanne Toms at 623-930-3535 or via email at jtoms@glendaleaz.com. More information on all of the city’s environmental activities can be found online at www.glendaleaz.com/green.

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Saturday, March 30, 2013 12:30 pm.

YORK — A group of York County business leaders are frustrated by what they perceive as the Board of Supervisors’ reluctance to tighten county spending when business executives have had to make cuts.

The group of nine York residents have compiled suggestions of how the county could save millions and reduce the real estate tax rate. The problem, they say, is that the supervisors are unwilling to meet with them to hear those ideas.

Group member George Clark estimated the business people have identified a minimum of $5 million in potential cuts. The reductions include eliminating a $500,000 sidewalk project on Victory Boulevard, selling $1.5 million in recently purchased land and ending funding to the Williamsburg Regional Library, for a savings of $536,553.

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Clark, who is a partner in Kersey, Sealey, Clark Associates Insurance Consultants, estimated the county could save between 10 percent and 20 percent on health insurance costs by offering a “modern plan” that encourages healthy living to reduce premiums.

Other suggestions include outsourcing services like landscaping, information technology or janitorial services, consolidating the county and schools vehicle maintenance facilities and lengthening school bus routes.

The group is upset over a proposal to raise the county’s real estate tax rate for the second year in a row. The proposed 2014 budget includes a plan to raise the tax rate 2.3 cents, increasing the rate from 74.15 cents per $100 of assessed value to 76.45 cents. Last year the Supervisors approved a tax rate increase of 8.4 cents. For a homeowner with a house valued at $250,000, a 2.3-cent tax hike would increase their taxes by $57.50.

Although the Board likes to say the county has one of the lowest tax rates in the area, group member Greg Garrett asserts that because of higher property assessments, net taxes per York County home are higher than those of neighboring Hampton, where the tax rate is $1.04.

“York county has less fire needs, less police are needed and York County doesn’t pay for its own road maintenance,” Garrett said. “You don’t need to have more real estate taxes per house than Hampton or Newport News.”

The proposed 2014 budget of $131.2 million is up $4 million over the current 2013 spending plan and includes a $2.3 million increase to the York County School Division and $1.7 million in new county expenses, including $725,000 for a 2 percent pay raise for employees.

York County Administrator James McReynolds did not include any significant budget reductions in the budget. The Supervisors have asked McReynolds to provide details about what could be cut to avoid raising taxes. Those cuts would equal about $2 million.

The Supervisors have also discussed giving the schools less new funding and exploring potential health insurance savings for both the county and the schools.

Board chairman Walt Zaremba, who has received an email of the group’s budget cuts, said he has heard from several members of the group in the past and that at least half of their ideas are “well worn suggestions.”

Zaremba said some members of the group, specifically Garrett, who has challenged county policies for years, are not interested in listening to the Supervisors’ positions.

In an email to Garrett, Zaremba declined an invitation to meet with the group, but encouraged it to “be as unbiased, impartial and objective in its review so that resulting comments might, to whatever extent, be usable.”

Zaremba, in an interview, said generally he welcomes comments from constituents on the budget.

“I think the board is willing and open to listen to suggestions that have a basis behind them, a rationale that makes sense, that’s not just let’s slash a program,” he said.

Supervisor Tom Shepperd said he is working with a group of about 15 constituents in his district to scour the budget as a way to talk with citizens. Shepperd said he has fielded questions about spending for things like vehicles or county positions, but “no one has said ‘Wow, that’s a big budget.'”

Shepperd said he is concerned that the business leaders’ group has a political agenda.

“Some members of the group want to try to control an elected government body,” he said. “I want to participate with people that I believe have a sincere interest in trying to help us make our budget work better.”

Both Zaremba and Shepperd said all citizens can pitch their ideas on the budget in emails to the supervisors or during the public comment period at their meetings. The county also has a call-in line for messages.

Group member Chuck McGee said the York County Republican Committee is organizing an April 11 budget forum and is inviting the Supervisors and county administrator as well as School Board members and school officials.

Jeffrey Morris hopes the group will inspire other county residents to ask questions about how their tax dollars are being spent.

Budget input

Want to comment on the proposed 2014 York County budget?

Leave a message at 890-3220

Email a comment to bos@yorkcounty.gov

Comment at the regular Board of Supervisors meeting on April 16

A public hearing on the 2014 budget will be held April 25.

Residents of Dardanelle have said the city has a lot to offer — friendly people, its location on the river and proximity to Mount Nebo — but not a vibrant downtown. Not yet.

Angie Sims said she founded The Renaissance Front Street Restoration three years ago to improve the downtown area.

It’s slow going, but she and her committee members are determined.

“When I started this, my goal was to fix up Front Street, our downtown, right there on the river, and also to bring more people to Dardanelle and Front Street,” she said.

Sims, who registered the nonprofit organization in February 2011, has spearheaded events such as an art walk, cook-offs, the Dog Daze Festival and a talent show.

The Renaissance Front Street Restoration, which has 15 to 20 active members, has $5,000 in its bank account, Sims said.

Two more fundraisers are scheduled in April.

The third annual Rummage for The Renaissance will be held from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 11, 12 and 13 on Arkansas 22, and donations are being collected.

Rockin’ on the River, a free outdoor music event, will be held from 5-8 p.m. April 20 in the Front Street gazebo on the river. The Renaissance will sell barbecue dinners, Sims said.

“We’re trying to bring in money to not only fix up Front Street, but to hold events to bring people to Dardanelle, and we can introduce them to our businesses around town,” Sims said.

The downtown was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. Sims said the

Renaissance group has gotten support from not only Dardanelle officials, the chamber and civic clubs, but the chambers of commerce of nearby cities, including Russellville.

Dardanelle Mayor Carolyn McGee said residents will soon see improvements in downtown.

She said the city received a federal 80-to-20 matching grant through the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department to improve sidewalks, add lamp posts and install new landscaping.

The highway department is providing $200,000, and the city will chip in $50,000, which was budgeted for the project, McGee said.

She said the highway department has to “sign off on it” first.

The work will begin on Quay Street and continue south on Front Street, she said.

“It’s going to be great to get all that done,” McGee said. “It’s a good atmosphere.”

That’s not all McGee has planned.

The Front Street gazebo grounds, next door to City Hall, were full of blooming jonquils last week.

“We’re going to be revamping all this,” she said, standing in the adjacent parking lot.

McGee said city treasurer Betty Smith drags water hoses across the property to water the plants.

The mayor said the city will pay for the installation of an irrigation system and plant shrubs.

It’s not all about looks, of course. Sims and McGee said more businesses are needed downtown.

Sims owns two buildings, and both are rented, she said.

Debbie Moudy of Dardanelle was eating lunch one day last week at Tarasco’s on Front Street.

She said the downtown could be improved.

“I’ve really enjoyed Savanah’s, and I enjoy this restaurant, and I wish there were more things here,” she said.

Three restaurants on Front Street draw regular crowds. It is home to banks, the post office and other businesses, but most of the buildings are vacant.

More than a half dozen of the downtown buildings are owned by Margie Jones, 79, and her son, Dwight Jones, 38.

Margie operates River Front Antiques on Front Street in one of their buildings, and the space next door is full of antiques, too.

She said her son isn’t interested in selling any of the buildings.

“He wants to fix them up,” she said.

Margie said her son is “slow as Christmas,” adding with a laugh that he was born on Christmas Day.

Dwight said he is committed to restoring the buildings he and his mother own.

“We do have plans for quite a few of them,” he said.

“I have historic people who have looked at them. I’m for a restoration and completely restored downtown area,” Dwight said.

He said he would like the buildings’ architecture to represent the 1880s to 1940, and he wants to use historically appropriate colors.

“I don’t believe in doing anything halfway,” he said.

McGee said most of the family’s buildings are sitting idle, although there have been people interested in buying or leasing them.

Dwight said he will lease his downtown buildings after he renovates them.

“Absolutely,” he said.

Among the businesses he would like to see are boutiques and a bakery shop/cafe.

“To be honest, we need to open up another antique store,” he said.

Dwight said he has been working on the family’s properties.

“I have the Benjamin Franklin store all cleaned up and the old Savanah’s,” he said.

Savanah’s restaurant first opened in one of the Joneses’ buildings, Dwight said.

He said to help get the business off the ground, they gave the original owners a few months’ free rent with their lease.

The restaurant is now on the river side of Front Street.

The Joneses are not members of The Renaissance Front Street Restoration.

“We’ve been busy doing so much stuff,” Dwight said. “We support The Renaissance or any type of club to support this.”

The Joneses said they were glad to hear about the grant the city received.

“[Renovation] takes time, and honestly, some of the things we were waiting on was the streetscapes, the sidewalks.”

In 2012, several of the Joneses’ properties, including downtown buildings, were scheduled for public auction at the Yell County Courthouse because of delinquent taxes. Dwight said he paid the taxes and kept the buildings.

“Really, our heart is into restoring [the downtown property]. I’ve spent a small fortune, … and I will see it through, without a doubt,” he said.

It can’t happen too soon for Sims and her group.

“We encourage people to join us. My main thing, I want to hear their output. I want to hear their input. I want to hear their ideas,” she said.

Meetings of The Renaissance Front Street Restoration, which are open to the public, are held at 6 p.m. the third Tuesday of each month at City Hall.

“What I say is, ‘Help bring Dardanelle back to life,’” Sims said.

For more information, call Sims at (479) 886-3567.

Senior writer Tammy Keith can be reached at (501) 327-0370 or tkeith@arkansasonline.com.

Niche Publications Senior Writer Tammy Keith
can be reached at 501-327-0370
or
tkeith@arkansasonline.com.