GARFIELD -- City officials agreed that paving North Wimpy Jones Road was a priority and that spending city money on paving Alvin Seamster Road was not as important.
About a dozen city residents attended the special City Council meeting Monday night and all spoke in favor of finishing the paving of North Wimpy Jones Road. The city received $250,000 State Aid Street funding for paving of both North Wimpy Jones and Alvin Seamster roads. Former mayor Laura Hamilton applied for the grant. Representatives from the State Highway Commission and current Mayor Gary Blackburn evaluated city roads and decided to focus on these two roads, according to Blackburn.
In March of 2015, city officials agreed to use city money to help complete the roads once they realized that the $250,000 wouldn't pave both roads in their entirety.
"It's $40,000 over the state allocation," Blackburn said of the cost of paving. "You'll need to decide what to do to resolve the dilemma."
Debbie Rambo, resident of Ashmore Creek, told city officials that North Wimpy Jones is an essential access to the subdivision and is used by delivery trucks and emergency vehicles.
"That road makes a big difference," Rambo said.
Andrew Poor said: "I want to see as much of our city streets paved as possible."
Blackburn presented diagrams of both roads with properties along the roads. He said there was only one house and "the buffalo ranch" on Alvin Seamster and about 10 houses accessed by North Wimpy Jones Road. He said there is $71,000 in the street checking account and a total of $216,999 in street funds including the savings.
"The figure we're talking about represents 18.5 percent of the total street money we have," the mayor said.
Alderman Kathy Shook said she would like to see the $40,000 spent from city funds to complete both roads. "It's money well spent for later."
Alderman Dale Watkins said that the money in the street fund is not "totally free money, it's already assigned to things coming up. We need to look to the future."
A resolution was approved authorizing the state funds be spent to first on North Wimpy Jones Road and then pave as much of Alvin Seamster Road as far as the remaining money would provide. The city will not spend city money on the projects.
Aldermen Watkins, Bill Matthew Jr., Malania Carter voted for the resolution; alderman Shook voted against it. The mayor said the projects would begin this week.
General News on 06/17/2015