Crosby Appoints 'Fill-In' Mayor To Serve in Absence

KINGSLAND - Mayor Sharon Crosby appointed Kingsland City Council member Karen Wiscaver to serve as "fill-in" mayor should city business need to be conducted while she is out of town or unable to take care of city business.Crosby made the appointment during the Kingsland City Council's regular monthly meeting last Thursday evening at Kingsland City Hall.' Crosby said she came up with the idea after Rison Mayor Charles Roberts appointed one of his city council members, Bruce Grubb, to serve as mayor in his absence. Roberts said the move was recommended by the Arkansas Municipal League, which is a group that assists cities with legal matters. Typically, the city recorder/ treasurer would fill in during the mayor's absence, but Rison Recorder/Treasurer Rhonda Thompson recently passed away leaving that position vacant while Roberts was out of town for a week.Crosby explained that Kingsland does not have an elected recorder/treasurer but has a city office manager which is a hired position. Wendy James, who takes minutes at the city council meetings just as a city recorder would do, currently holds that job. Crosby noted that James could not hold an elected position like city recorder/treasurer since she resides outside the Kingsland city limits.Also during the meeting, Crosby said the city water and wastewater departments are preparing for a scheduled inspection by the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) on Sept. 4. She said it is a routine inspection. Joe Freyer, utilities manager for the City of Rison, who is also overseeing Kingsland's wastewater operations, has been helping Kingsland prepare for the inspection, Crosby said. In the preparations, Crosby said the city would like to mow an embankment at the wastewater treatment plant, but it does not have the equipment to mow it. She said she asked Cleveland County Judge Jimmy Cummings about using the county's side-arm mower, but Cummings told her that piece of equipment is currentl...