FEATURES Arkansas cities, towns aid Hurricane Katrina evacuees 6 City and towns across Arkansas opened their doors and those of community and recreation centers and other facilities to provide shelter and respite. Former retirement community is 50 years old 10 Cherokee Village began as a Cooper Communities, Inc., 14,000-acre planned retirement community, but choosing to incorporate as a municipality in 1996 has produced rewards, especially monetary. Electronic world brings reverse auctions to buy, save 13 Municipalities can save many dollars for goods and services when vendors com­ pete for the sale right over the Internet. The process now is a League service. ON THE COVER: Saying good-bye to her school-bound Arkansas cities practice 'citizen diplomacy' across globe children, Victoria, 3, and Jeremy, 7, Melissa Reimann, left, 18 At Sister Cities International conference, Arkansas folks learn and share about is an emergency medical services worker of the New President Eisenhower's call in 1956 for people-to-people relationships to pro­ Orleans area who had to report back to work, then went back into the Arkadelphia Recreation Center to prepare to mote world peace. depart. She, husband Adrian and children had fled Hurri­ cane Katrina and were staying at the Red Cross shelter in Flood program can reduce damage, insurance premiums the Recreation Center. See Katrina-related articles, pages 24 The first of a two articles helps clarify for your municipality the federal flood 6, 8, 9 and 22. Bud McMillan is the bus driver.-ikw insurance program; also, the program is being modernized with geographic information systems (GIS) data. DEPARTMENTS Animal Corner .... .. ... .. ..... ... .38 a'TEST Newsletter ........ ...... ... .44 Attorney General Opinions . ... ........ .28 Calendar ..... ... .. ............. ... .37 Directory Changes . ............. .. .. ... .50 Engineering Service .. ... ....... .. .... 32 Fairs and Festivals .. .. .. .... .. .. .... .26 Health Benefit Fund Provider Changes ..... .41 League Officers, Advisory Councils . ........ .5 Municipal Mart .... .. ........ ........ .50 At the back of the Pine Bluff Convention Center, this room was filled with volunteers, Red Obituaries . .... .. .. .. .. .. ......... .45 Cross officials and others who were receiving, stacking and sorting supplies brought in a Planning to Succeed ...... ..... .. .. 36 stream of vehicles to the Center for distribution to Hurricane Katrina evacuees. President's Letter ................... ..... .4 Professional Directory . .. .. ... .. .... .. .48 Cit)tTown Sales Tax Map .......... ... .. .. ... .... .46 Sales Tax Receipts ....... .......... .47 John K. Woodruff, Editor Sister Cities International .. ....... ... .. .30 Lamarie Rutelonis, Editorial Assistant Here's where to reach us: Urban Forestry ... .. ... .......... .. 34 501-374-3484; Fax 501-374-0541; E-mail: [email protected]; Your Health ...... .. .... ............ .40 League Web site-www.arml.org Cover Photo by John K. Woodruff, League staff Ci own (ISSN 0193-8371 and Publication No. 013-620) is published monthly for $15 per year ($1.50 per single coJ_>y) by the Arkansas Municipal League, 301 W. Second St., North Uttle RocJc,, AR 7·2114. PeriodiCals postage paid at North Little R,ock, Ark. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Ci ['own, P.O. Box 38, North Little Rock, AR 72115. SEPTEMBER 2005 3 Dear Colleagues: Since the League executive committee last gathered for its successful planning conference in Eureka Springs, America has experienced one of the most devastating natural disasters in our nation's history-Hurricane Katrina. I know that all of you have been glued to the news as reports of this tragedy come across the television as I have. Although I do not expect that any Arkansas cities will ever suffer the scope of devastation that New Orleans and the Gulf states expedenced, I am certain that some of us will have one kind of disaster or another that will require us to put our municipali­ ties' disaster plans into action. I thought we had a pretty thorough plan in place in improved.Bentonville, but I have realized since Katrina that it could and should be updated and Specifically, we need to have Plan B, C and Din place concerning communications and power sources. I have instructed staff to look into some kind of satellite communi­ cations as a backup in case we have no other means. In addition, we intend to have generators powered both by diesel and natural gas in case we have no electricity at our various command cente.-s. We intend to work in Theconcert list iswith long the and school will getsystem longer. for safe havens and bus transportation where possible. I hope none of us will ever have to use our disaster plans, but I encourage all SO 1 cities in Arkansas to develop, revfae and improve our plans. I pray that we will never have to use them. As we all look at our plans, let's share them with one another. I'm sure we'll be better prepared because of it! Sincerely, Terry Black Coberly 4 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE: Mayor Bobbie Bailey, Alpena; Mayor Cranford, Foreman; Recorder/ Treasurer Marla Wallace, Gillett; Veronica Post, Altus; Councilmember Larry Hall, Bay; Mayor Tim Councilmember Gary Tobar, Gilmore; Mayor Melba Fox-Hobbs, McKinney, Berryville; Mayor Chris Claybaker, Camden; Clerk/Treasur­ Hartford; Recorder/Treasurer Rose Marie Wilkinson, Haskell; er Billie Hasty, Clarendon; Mayor Tab Townsell , Conway; Mayor Jimmy Administrative Asst. T.A. Cowan, Hazen; Mayor David Shackelford, Wallace, England; Mayor Larry Bryant, Forrest City; City Director Gary Recorder/ Treasurer Mary Ruth Wiles, Highland; Mayor Lloyd Travis, Campbell, Fort Smith; City Manager Kent Myers, Hot Springs; Alder­ Councilmember Joe Gies, Lakeview; Councilmember Susan Sparks man Kenny Elliott, Jacksonville; Mayor JoAnne Bush, Lake Village; Sturdy, Lamar; Mayor James Lee Brooks, Madison; Mayor Clark Hall, Mayor Steve Northcutt, Malvern; Mayor Robert Taylor, Marianna; Marvell; Mayor Frank Pearce, Mayflower; Recorder/Treasurer Bobby Clerk/Treasurer Regina Walker, Mena; Mayor Mike Gaskill, Paragould; Brown , McDougal; Mayor Bob Sullivan, McRae; Councilmember Don Mayor Carl Redus, Pine Bluff; Mayor Howard Taylor, Prescott; Mayor Sappington, Norfork; Mayor Jim Crotty, Norphlet; Mayor Jerry Duvall, Belinda Laforce, Searcy; Mayor Bill Harmon, Sherwood; Mayor M. L. Pottsville; Mayor Leve nis Peni x, Thornton; Mayo r Art Brooke, VanPoucke Jr. , Siloam Springs; Recorder/ Treasurer Carolyn Willett, Councilmembers Chad Gastineau, Ginger Torno, Glen Walden, Ward; Smackover; Mayor John Riggs, Van Buren. Mayor Curly Jackson Sr., Recorder/ Treasurer Amanda Orr, Wilmar; Coun­ cilmember Russell Hatridge, Wilton; Mayor Lorraine Smith, Wrightsville. ADVISORY COUNCILS PAST PRESIDENTS: Councilmember Larry Combs, El Dorado; Mayor Tommy Swaim, Jacksonville; Councilmember Marti[l Gipson, Mayor Patrick Henry Hays, North Little Rock; Councilmember Tommy Baker, Osceola; Mayor Jim Dailey, Arkansas Municipal Little Rock; Mayor Robert Patrick, St. Charles; Mayor Gene Yarbrough, Star City. League Officers LARGE FIRST CLASS CITIES: Mayor Jerre Van Hoose, Springdale, Chair; Mayor Chuck Hollingshead, City Director James Calhoun, Arkadelphia; Personnel/Finance Director Mayor Terry Coberly, Bentonville President Marilyn Payne, Bryant; Mayor Bobby Beard, Councilmember Mayor Stewart Nelson, Morrilton First Vice President Dianne Hammond, El Dorado; Mayor Dan Coody, Fayetteville; Councilmembers Mary Jeffers, Cecil Twillie, Mayor Paul Nichols, Wynne Vice President, District No. 1 Forrest City; City Director Elaine Jones, Hot Springs; Mayor Stanley Morris, Menifee Vice President, District No. 2 Councilmembers Bill Howard, Robert Lewis, Reedie Ray, Linda Mayor Robert Reynolds, Harrison Vice President, District No. 3 Rinker, Jacksonville; City Clerk Donna Jackson, Jonesboro; Mayor Horace Shipp, Texarkana Vice President, District No. 4 City Director B.J. Wyrick, Intergovernmental Relations Manager Don A. Zimmerman Executive Director Odies Wilson Ill, Little Rock; Councilmember James Moore, Magnolia; Councilmembers Scott Doerhoff, Jan Hogue, Maumelle; City Clerk Diane Whitbey, Councilmember Murry Witcher, North Little Rock; Mayor Raye Turner, Councilmember Randal Crouch, INCORPORATED TOWNS: Mayor James Murry Sr., Wabbaseka, Russellville; Clerk/ Treasurer Tammy Gowen, Searcy; Clerk/Treasurer Chair; Mayor George Hallman, Ben Lomond; Recorder/ Treasurer Virginia Hillman, Councilmembers Lex (Butch) Davis, Marina Brooks, Brenda Frazier, ,. Highfill; Mayor J.A. (Sandy) Sanfratello, Sherwood; Clerk/Treasurer Mitri Greenhill, Finance Officer Jane Jackson, Horseshoe Lak~; Councilmember Margarette Oliver, Menifee; Mayor Stuttgart. Anneliese Armstropg, Mt. Vernon; Recorder/Treasurer Naomi Mitchell, St. Charles; Ma~~! Merle Jackson, Winchester. FIRST CLASS CITIES: Mayor Frank Fogleman, Marion, Chair; Councilmember Shirley Jackson, Ashdown; Clerk/Treasurer Paul Hill, PUBLIC SAFETY: Mayor Rick Holland, Benton, Chair; Mayor Shirley Beebe; Mayor L.M. Duncan, Clerk/Treasurer Joan Richey, Councilmember Johnson, Alexander; Public Works Director Jimmy Bolt, Arkadelphia; Ralph Lee, Bono; Clerk/Treasurer Susan Maynard, Cherokee Village; Mayor Paul Halley, Bryant; Mayor Mickey Stumbaugh, Cabot; Mayor Billy Helms, Clerk/Treasurer Barbara Blackard, Councilmember Councilmember Willard Thomason, Caddo Valley; Mayor Scott Dutch Houston, Clarksville; Mayor J.H. Ermert, Corning; Councilmember McCormick, Crossett; Councilmember Steve Hollowell, Forrest City; Debra Barnes, Crossett; Honorable