Gun range in city shot down

— Steve Guthrie was sworn in as the newest City Council member and took his seat for the regular September meeting.

Three men - Guthrie, Christopher Hatch and Jerry Burton - were interviewed in a committee of the whole meeting prior to Council.

Council members denied a request for a shooting range on the property of Frank Pinto on Hazelton Road.

Pinto appeared before the council asking for a variance and stating he had not wanted to be annexed into the city.

“All my neighbors shoot. I guess they’re out of compliance,” Pinto said. “I want my second amendment rights. My daughter is a professional shooter. We do it in a very safe manner.”

Several people in the audience said they lived in the area and were concerned about the safety of shooting a gun there.

“Sounds like I’m right in line with where you’re shooting,” Ralph Kotouc said.

“This could set a precedent,” Bob Cottingham, councilman, said. “I like to shoot as well. I have to go to Bella Vista. I understand your position, but also understand the position of the folks who live around you.”

Council members were also presented various options on bringing the wastewater treatment plant up to date to be incompliance with new regulations concerning the amount of ammonia in the discharge. Jeff Richards and Chris Doughtery with McGoodwin, Williams and Yates presented various options and told the council they could perform a cost analysis and present funding options. Ken Hayes, water/wastewater superintendent, said the government has changed the limits on ammonia and will change the numbers on phosphorous. Hayes and the mayor met with officials of the Environmental Protection Agency.

Council members also heard a presentation from Daniel Barnes with McClelland Engineers about the sidewalk projects for which the city applied for a grant from the state Highway Department.

The project is proposed in three phases - from the high school to city park up Hayden Road, from Standing Oaks to Givens Subdivision up West Pickens Road and from Weston Street to Curtis Avenue along Slack Street.

“We have to get authorization from the state Highway Department. It’s an Arkansas Transportation Enhancement program,” Barnes said, adding that the project is an 80/20 program and is estimated to cost about $172,000.

“I had folks come to us concerned about kids walking to school,” Mayor Jackie Crabtree said. “We’re always looking at ways we can add sidewalks to different parts of town. The problem is the cost.”

News, Pages 1 on 09/29/2010