Pulse THE POLK COUNTY
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January 18, 2023
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Water rate hearing floods City Hall
INSIDE:
By Ethan Nahté (Part 1of 2)
ABF Trail Marathon
Pages 18-19
Master Gardeners News
Page 8
Remembering Bird
pages 5-7
ter utility system so we can continue to provide water to the The walls of Mena public. These rates City Hall were pracare not something tically bursting at the any of us wanted to seams with the numdo. The rate increasber of Polk and LeFlore es are substantial County residents filling for everyone, for all the chamber, lobby and rate classes. These any other space they rate increases affect could manage to stand our families. They the evening of Jan. 10 affect those that we for a public hearing rego to church with, garding the suggested those we go to ball rise in water rates. The games with, those hearing occurred prior we go to lunch with, to the regular monthly those that we work city council meeting, with. This affects evallowing residents and erybody across the Freedom Water Board President John Davenport addresses Mena City Council representatives for the board and no one and residents regarding the proposed water rate increase. (Ethan Nahté/Pulse) City, Mena Water Utilsingle rate class is ities and Hawkins-Weir Engineers, Inc. to derstand there’s a lot of passionate people singled out to pay a large increase. discuss issues and purpose for the rate in- about the rates proposal. I will tell you up “The water plant has received a letter of crease. front, we’re all adults and we’re going to act deficiency from the [Arkansas] DepartThe Mena City Council did approve like adults. If you are unable to act like an ment of Health. We are required to fix that amending Ordinance No. 2336-21, declar- adult, I will kindly ask you to leave right deficiency. This will result basically in a ing an emergency; and prescribing other now. If at any point during the meeting large remodel of the Iron Forks plant.” matters relating thereto, thus creating the somebody wants to get carried away, get The ADH Public Water System Complinew Ordinance No. 2369-23. loud or yelling, you will be removed from ance Summary states: If the ADH identifies In addition to individual citizens, op- this building.” a significant deficiency during a survey, or ponents included representatives of rural Smith then turned the meeting over to at any other time, corrective actions must water utilities Freedom Water and LeFlore Mena Water Utilities General Manager be taken. Corrective action alternatives inCounty Rural Water District, as well as Ar- James Looney, who stood at the doorway clude one or more of the following: kansas State Parks. There was no one rep- to the council chamber in an attempt to be 1) Correct all significant deficiencies resenting Acorn Rural Water Association. heard by those people in both rooms. Mayor Seth Smith addressed the noisy Looney said, “We’re a non-profit. The See WATER crowd, saying, “First and foremost, I un- rates we’re proposing are to improve the wa-
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