RISON - Mayor Charles Roberts announced Tuesday night that he has arranged for a webinar to be held April 19 to train existing zoning commission members as well as those who will make up the city's new planning commission.
Roberts announced the all-day webinar during the Rison City Council's regular monthly meeting Tuesday night.
Last month, the city council approved Roberts' request to form a planning commission that will look at long-range planning in regards to residential, business and industrial development for the city. The commission will consist of five people: three selected by mayor and two approved by the city council. Roberts said he would like to have representation from each of the city's three wards on the planning commission.
Roberts said the Arkansas Municipal League, a statewide organization that provides training and education related to running a city, will be presenting the webinar. He said the training will touch on issues related to zoning, planning and an overview of various city codes.
There was no mention during Tuesday's meeting of when the new Rison Planning Commission will be formally organized.
Roberts also informed the council that he had learned earlier on Tuesday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) had issued a federal disaster declaration for the City of Rison from the February ice storm.
The federal disaster declaration entitles the city to be reimbursed for 75 percent of expenses related to damages and clean-up from the storm. The city also receives additional funding from the state to go toward those expenses as well.
Roberts said during the March council meeting that city utilities director Joe Freyer had presented a packet detailing the city's costs in the wake of the ice storm, which came to more than $40,000.
On a related note, Freyer told the council Tuesday night the break discovered in six-inch water main behind the Hixson Lu...
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