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City Council Meeting 7:00pm Aug. 17, 2010
As a citizen of Hardy you have an important right to attend your local city council meetings. Especially in a small city as ours. It is at these type of meetings you can find out what is going on in the community. If you have any questions please feel free to contact City Hall at 870-856-3811. You can view the Agenda for this meeting my simply clicking HERE.
If you have never attended a council meeting, please make it a point to come to City Hall and get a feel for your
View Entering From Jonesboro Parking Sign Hidden
city government in action. One of the topics of interest for the Friends Of Hardy Arkansas was the presentation of the petition by local store owner Dale Maddox. He presented a petition showing how a majority of the business owners felt about the closing of Johnson Street almost a year ago for the new stage. The consensus of them was that not only were they never asked about it,, but that the stage has been empty for the majority of the year its been up. Additionally the parking lot behind the street since the closing has hardly been utilized, as evidence on the 4th of July pictures showing an almost empty parking lot.
The Mayor insisted that it had been to hot for anyone to not only perform on the stage but for visitors to stay and listen. However, the main point Dale was trying to make was that the closing of the street was not ever reviewed or discussed with the business owners who work on Main Street and felt that many tourist just passed right through without stopping because of lack of obvious parking!
This video clip is of the first 10 minutes of the City Hall Meeting. In the near future we are planning on bringing you the full city council meetings online. One more great feature of Main Street Hardy Online !
12 Responses to City Council Meeting 7:00pm Aug. 17, 2010
Let’s keep it a “meeting”, not a three-ring circus!
The meeting was intstructional tonight. There was much information presented in regards to the new proposed ‘Quad-City Hospital’.
there was discussion on a number of topics, including the reopening of Johnson Street where the amphitheater is located. Dale Maddox from the Hardy Pottery Shop spoke on behalf of 26 merchants for the reopening of the Street. Maddox stated that there hasn’t been enough usage (at the most 3) events for the threater, not enough to warrant the continued street closure. Most of the Council could appreciate the negative impact that was outlined, but the Mayor remains adamant that the theater (barn) stay right where it is as Dennis Horton has been brought on to develop a program of music for the structure.
Main Street Merchants desire the street back as it is an important street because of access to the Parking area.
More on this subject will be forthcoming.
I always hated trying to pull out of that Johnson Street. It is just so dangerous there. Love that street being closed Mayor!
There are alternative streets that lead to the rear parking behind the stores! If Johnson Street was the ONLY access, it might be a topic for discussion! This has been the hottest summer I can recall since 2006, and I personally, would NOT attend an outdoor event in this heat. Let’s give Mr. Horton an opportunity to bring events to the theatre!
Okay, let see..if its to HOT no good, if its to COLD no good. A whole year nothing done with it.. COME ON and get REAL. This was as usuall an idea and expense done without actually any future plan for it. A whole summer..tourist traveling with families..and NOTHING.
The year has passed, it was agreed to be reviewed and decided about in a “Special Meeting” which per the rules of special meeting, I personally don’t thing it even qualified for. It needs to be decided if it should be either made a permanent closed street or OPEN it back up. The current Gazebo is just a viable per conversation from Mr. Horton, as brought up in the meeting would work just as well.
But, again if the CITY had no planning for events that would work, why have it in the first place??
And why did the MAYOR say she needs to check with A&P. That really should have no bearing to the question about the closure of the road that EFFECTS A MAJORITY OF THE CITIZENS !
Signage for parking to direct visitor coming in from the MEMPHIS side (for the last year) is usually blocked by a CAR in front of the building it is painted on. If you enter town from the other side the sign is only about 8″x10″ – who can see that while driving. Oh, and to finally put up new POST, but not have funding yet for the actual SIGN..poor management and no planning at all! I have lots more but I will pause for a bit.
Just my PERSONAL thoughts !
I’m from out of town. Where is this new ‘amphitheatre’/barn everyone is talking about. There sure is a lot of negativity and infightin in Hardy politics!
It is on Johnson Street, you will see large boulders across the roadway and down the hill the stage/barn building. As for “negativity and infightin” that just means that the democracy is working. Voice your opionion and be heard and hopefully in fairness the majority will win! When it is left behind closed doors with handshake deals nothing good comes of it which hopefully is becoming a thing of the past! Or as others say..thats just politics..same in every city/town around. Keep up the good work guys. Great info.
I see that there is a video where the signs were asked for. I was wondering, why does this video stop and not show where that woman was screaming at the Mayor?
I was in the front row, no one screamed. The lady spoke out over the issue being discussed. The Mayor allowed not only her, but others to speak out also. It would be nice if the city council officially allowed citizens under a specific timed protocol to express their opionions on matters up for discussion and vote. Not just those who have gotten placed on the agenda.
P.S. Geesh we bring video online for the town, and not even a nice job or a thank you.
no you do not get a “nice job” because it only has the parts that you feel important, believe it or not, everyone does not just want to see what you pull out of context. me and my family will stick to watching it on channel 20.
We are not funded from any organizations or grants but only from a few kind business and others who believe in us. Our camera was a donation to our “FOHA” group which by the way stands for “Friends Of Hardy Arkansas”. We have put in many, many hours of personal time plus not everyone watches the local cable station. Online access gives you news when you want and alot of folks want it now. We stand for “Unity In The Community” with focus onn the business district along Main Street and the surrounding area as well as the community too. The more people see good we provide and that working together with a common idea which is what we all want, which is for HARDY to shine bright ! More are getting it and coming together, some won’t which is okay too! But regardless we are doing the best we can.
I attended the meeting. There was no screaming. I did see passion about the theater issue on both sides. Being a part of the A & P, it would be expected that the Mayor would not want to make a change. This was an idea they carried out. As in all other communities, Hardy citizens and business people are entitled to express their opinion, ask for their concerns, and expect to have input. The concept of “we’re from the government and we’re here to help you” doesn’t fly.
The weather or the street has nothing to do with music. We’ve had events for decades without permanent closure of a street. Johnson to Front has been open in Hardy long before any of us were born. In a circus there is a ringmaster….this was no three ring circus. It was an exchange that was handled well by people attending and the council.