Electing a recorder/treasurer paramount

GARFIELD -- Reviewing applications to fill a vacancy created by an elected city official who resigned is paramount for City Council members at this time.

During a special City Council meeting Tuesday, Jan. 27, Garfield city officials discussed how to review the applications for city recorder/treasurer.

Council members said they wish to narrow down the 12 applications currently in house without having an extremely long council meeting. They agreed to each take home a copy of all of the applications and determine who each considers most qualified.

Council members Leonard Matthew and Malania Carter discussed the legalities of how to handle the interviews and suggested the mayor get a legal opinion of what is to be done in open session and what can be done in executive session.

Council members agreed that all applications must be received by Feb. 15, that they will review the applications on Feb. 16, and call qualified applicants on Feb. 17 to set up interviews for Feb. 19.

City resident Desiree Finkenbeinner addressed the council and offered to set up a Facebook page.

"We have a commitment that was made before I came on," Mayor Gary Blackburn said, "I need to find out what that commitment was."

Blackburn said he couldn't "allow just anybody to have the propriety of the city logo."

"We all know that we've had a problem in Garfield with social media being used for purposes it shouldn't be used for," he said.

In other business, council members:

• Adopted the principles and guidelines for conducting meetings as suggested by the Arkansas Municipal League;

• Heard the city attorney's annual report;

• Were told by the mayor that the annual financial statement of the city had been posted; and

• Were told by mayor that he will ask members of the Planning Commission to focus on road improvements instead of the city's ordinances.

"I'm going to try to steer them into focusing on planning. Rewriting these ordinances I believe to be a legislative matter -- your job and mine. They need to use the street assessment that we spent $5,000 on as a tool to consider road improvements."