Jasper council ends good year

Meeting for the last time in 2024, Dec. 19, the Jasper City Council received a run-down of projects completed or nearly completed during the year and which projects will be taking council members' attention in 2025.
Mayor Michael Thomas gave a detailed report on several projects involving the city's water department. Recently several leaks in the system were identified and were fixed, including a major leak discovered near the county library.
The construction of a new waterline located off of state Highway 327 had given the water department difficulties due to the topography and amount of rock that was initially encountered. In order to work around the problems a new strategy had to be developed and the project had to be re-permitted by the state health department. The remedies worked and the project was completed at a cost lower than expected.
After multiple applications for a state grant, the city finally found success and received matching funds to purchase and install new scoreboards at Bradley Park. The Jasper School District uses the baseball field and agreed to help meet the matching costs. As it turned out, several local businesses came forward wanting to rent advertising space on the scoreboards. That helped meet a significant portion of the school's share, said council member Todd Parker who is the Jasper High School principal.
The mayor said the scoreboard should be installed as early as Februay well in advance of the high school baseball season.

Construction of a new water/sewer lift station and the maintenance of water storage tanks were completed during theyear and now the city will moved into the next phase of its water/sewer improvement plan. It includes the updating of the city wastewater plant.
The city is also ready to begin a Community Block and Development Grant-funded drainage project to alleviate flash flooding in parts of the city cause by storm water that flows down from State Highway 7 south into the Little Buffalo River.
The council finalized some amendments to the 2025 operating budget by amending the fire department budget to include overlooked longevity pay and approved the Jasper Advertising and Promotion Commission's 2025 operating budget.
Mayor Thomas also noted that the Arkansas Municipal League's winter conference is scheduled the same week as the regular meeting time for the January Council meeting.
It was agreed to move the date for the council's next meeting to Jan. 9.