By Lindsay LaChapelle
The Greenwood City Council met in regular session on Monday evening, October 3.
One item on the agenda drew a large crowd of concerned citizens, the decision to submit an offer to purchase a building at the intersection of Highway 10 Spur and 71. This building is the proposed new home for the senior center.
Several parties, including seniors, addressed the council, speaking in favor of the vote.
When it came time for a vote, council members were split on the decision. Voting for, Daniel McDaniel, Tim Terry and Lance Terry. Voting against, Rod Powell, A.C. Brown, and Ralph Meeker.
The mayor cast the tie-breaking vote, by voting to move forward with the offer.
There was a short window of time for the council to act and apply for grant money to be used for the purchase. Tracee McKenna from Western Arkansas Planning & Development District has assisted the city with the grant application process.
The process was prolonged when a quorum was not present at a special meeting called on September 22. At that special meeting, Mayor Kinslow stated, “…We have the opportunity to move on a piece of property…with a building paid for by what I hoped to be ARPA money, the second tranche, to pay for this facility in whole, not to owe anything and not to use sales tax money but to use ARPA federal funds to purchase it.”
Monday night’s crowd were responsive to their constituent’s vote. “I think there is information we still need to find out as far as the renovations..” responded Brown before voting against the measure.
Following the meeting, Derry issued the following statement: “Our Mayor Doug Kinslow led the charge and pushed through for area senior citizens last night and cast the tie-breaking vote to allow Greenwood to go forward with the purchase of a new place for area seniors to gather in Greenwood. It was a packed house and took courage and an unrelenting amount of perseverance to get here, as it was not an easy task. Anyone that knows him, knows he loves all of Greenwood’s inhabitants but he has a particular soft spot for our senior citizens who have paved the way before us and who have been the backbone of society. Pictured, we are signing the real estate contract after his tie-breaking vote allowed us to use ARPA Federal funds gifted to Greenwood with an additional $500k Block grant application to be used to purchase an existing building (and) renovation so that our seniors can continue to gather, dine, and fellowship, a life-saving need for them. The Center also delivers meals regularly to area homebound seniors, literally a life-saving need fulfilled. Kudos to Mayor Kinslow for his leadership, it was truly a shining example of why the people choose him to represent Greenwood’s interests.”
(L) City Clerk/Treasurer Sharla Derry and (R) Mayor Doug Kinslow sign the contract with Steven Shoppach for the purchase of the building at Hwy. 10 Spur and 71 to be utilized as the new senior center. (Photos courtesy of Farrah Shoppach)
