Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Municipal Finance And Operations topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Monticello council approves $305,000 water-tank rehab, places liens on nuisance properties and OKs $21,000 stage purchase
Summary
At its March 24 meeting the Monticello City Council unanimously approved awarding a $305,000 contract to rehabilitate a city water tank, imposed a lien on a long-neglected property, tabled one nuisance case for 30 days, and amended the one-cent sales tax budget to buy a $21,000 stage for community events.
Monticello — The City Council on March 24 unanimously approved a series of resolutions to address local infrastructure and property maintenance, including awarding a $305,000 contract to rehabilitate a city water tank and allocating $21,000 from the city’s 1998 one-cent sales tax fund to buy a permanent stage for community events.
Mayor Akers called the meeting to order and City Clerk Taryn Wigley called the roll. Council Member Michael James moved to award the water-tank rehabilitation contract to Municipal Management for $305,000; Council Member Craig McRae seconded. The council approved the resolution unanimously.
The vote followed City Inspector Brian Rodgers’s update on multiple nuisance properties. Rodgers told the council he has not had contact with the owners of 300 N Main St., and Mayor Akers said the property recently changed hands and the new owners had asked for more time. Council Member Michael James moved to table the nuisance resolution for 300 N Main St. for 30 days; Council Member Craig McRae seconded and the motion to table carried.
The council separately accepted a nuisance declaration for 616 E McCloy St. after Rodgers said the property has had problems since June 2025 and the owner only contacted him the day of the meeting. Fire Chief Eric Chisom added that the house burned in 2019 and that no permits have been obtained for renovations. Council Member Craig McRae moved to adopt the nuisance resolution for 616 E McCloy St.; the motion passed unanimously.
Council Member Michael James moved to impose a lien on 416 N Maple St., noting the property had been declared a nuisance last year and no work has been completed; Council Member Craig McRae seconded and the resolution passed unanimously. Rodgers told the council the property owner lives in Blytheville and was unable to attend the meeting.
Mayor Akers asked to amend the agenda to add two last-minute items. Council Member Craig McRae moved to amend and Council Member Claudia Hartness seconded; the amendment passed unanimously.
On the new items, Mayor Akers and Amanda Laudell each said Monticello needs a permanent stage for events because performing acts currently use a trailer-mounted setup. Council Member Michael James moved to allot $21,000 from the 1998 one-cent sales tax fund to purchase the stage; Council Member Al Peer seconded and the resolution passed unanimously.
City Attorney Whit Barton read the formal texts when required, motions were moved and seconded as recorded, and all recorded votes on the listed resolutions were unanimous among the six council members in attendance.
The council also approved an appointment to the Monticello Parks Commission, accepting Mayor Akers’s recommendation of Ked Donham to fill the open seat.
The council’s next steps on the tabling and nuisance items are administrative follow-up and any required inspections; the agenda listed no additional deadlines for the decisions taken at the meeting.
