KINGSLAND - The Kingsland City Council unanimously approved a motion by council member Linda Burns to provide $5,000 sponsorship to the Get Rhythm Music Festival to be held this September in Kingsland.
Meanwhile, Kingsland City Attorney Thomas Bums told Paul Abeyta, who approached the council last month about getting ownership of the “pole yard” property next to the railroad tracks, that it would be faster if he tried to do it on his own and then donate the property to the city afterwards.
Kickstart Kingsland, an all-volunteer nonprofit community development group, is organizing the all-day festival for Sept. 26. Plans are to include live entertainment throughout the day while other activities like a car show, parade and more are being considered as well.
Linda Bums discussed the festival during last Thursday’s regular monthly meeting of the Kingsland City Council. Bums said she felt it would be a good idea for the city to sponsor the festival since it would bring people to the city.
During that discussion, Bums asked newly installed Mayor Samantha Johnson, who is helping organize the festival through Kickstart Kingsland, what the highest level of sponsorship was for the festival? Johnson replied that she had been seeking a $5,000 sponsorship.
“I think it is only right that we the city be a major sponsor since this is happening in our town,” Bums said. On that, she made a motion that the city provide a $5,000 sponsorship and the city council unanimously approved it. There was no discussion beyond that.
Arkansas law, according to the Justia Law website, does allow a city to contribute to a nonprofit organization as long as there is an agreement with the nonprofit to provide tourism promotion, event management, or other services benefiting the public, and the payment reflects the value of those services.
Pole Yard Property
During the May city council meeting, Abetya, a former Kingsland resident who now lives in Camden and also promotes musicians, approached the city abo…