Share This Article
The Mountain Home City Council will also take up a rezoning request and hear an update from the Baxter Day Service Center at Thursday’s meeting, which begins at 5 p.m. at City Hall, 720 Hickory St.
Rezoning request
The council will consider an ordinance rezoning a property from Residential R-1 to Residential R-1A. The change would allow two-family dwellings on the affected property, which is currently zoned for single-family use only. Planning and Engineering Director Ted Sanders will present the request.
Day Service Center update
Paul Neal of the Baxter Day Service Center will provide an update to the council.
The center, which provides employment and developmental services for about 40 adults with disabilities while managing area recycling operations, has faced significant financial challenges in recent years. Neal told the council last fall that the nonprofit had recorded $460,000 in losses over five years and had depleted its cash reserves.
The center ended curbside recycling collection in Mountain Home in July, citing contamination, staffing shortages and unsustainable costs. Methvin Sanitation, which had handled curbside pickup, stopped accepting recycling loads from residents inside city limits. The center continues to accept drop-off recyclables at its Rossi Road facility.
The decision drew pushback from some council members, who said it was made without consulting the city. In October, Neal requested $70,000 in annual funding from the city to cover the center’s projected operating deficit. Council member Bob Van Haaren questioned the request, saying the center had ended a service residents valued and was now asking the city to fund operations with tax dollars.
Neal said Medicaid reimbursement rates had not increased in more than a decade and recycling revenue could not cover labor costs in a market Mountain Home’s size. The center began charging commercial customers $40 to $200 per month for cardboard pickup in October to help close the gap.
Mayor Hillrey Adams has offered the center access to city grant-writing resources, and the county currently provides $52,000 annually.
Thursday’s update could provide new details on the center’s financial position heading into budget season.
Engineering contract
The council will also consider a contract with Garver Engineering for design and engineering services related to a Lake Norfork water intake project. Public Works Director Steve Hill will present the item.
