The El Dorado Springs City Council, during its meeting on Tuesday, July 5, mostly took care of final business in preparation for the 2016 Picnic – July 21, 22 and 23.

The council hired Ron Alumbaugh to be the main announcer for the Picnic and entertain for $780.

City Manager Bruce Rogers, who said Alumbaugh has been the announcer longer than he could remember off hand, said, “$780 sounds like an extreme bargain to me.” He said that Ron goes “above and beyond” the duties they are paying him to do.

The council approved Resolution 16-23 hiring a number of local groups and individuals to perform at the 2016 Picnic:

• Blue Mound Sound at 8 p.m. Thursday, July 21, for 30 minutes.

• Paige Esry at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, July 23, for 30 minutes.

• Shonasea Cowhick at 6 p.m. Thursday, July 21, for 30 minutes.

• Carrie Estelle Shane at 6 p.m. Friday, July 22, for 30 minutes.

• Tiffany McGuirk at 8 p.m. Friday, July 22, for 30 minutes.

Each of these local performers will be paid $50.

All councilmen were present: Jerry Friar, Randy Bland, Nick Bland, Jim Luster and Brad True – presiding. City Clerk Lisa Allison was present.

City Manager Rogers gave the financial report. Total revenue for the year $5,851,000. Total expenses $5,196,000. The electric fund which we have been monitoring for several months – the revenues have run ahead of expenses.

He said that for a month, expenses ran ahead of revenue by $17,000. He thinks that the electric fund will be in the black by the end of the year. He said that last year, the electric fund ran $45,000 in the red. Rogers said that he thinks the increases in electric rates will put the fund in the black by the end of the year, “assuming we don’t have any significant price increase in the cost of electricity.”

Rogers said that sales tax receipts are running about 2% ahead of normal. “It looks like it is coming in well.”

He said, “At this point it looks like we have 75% of revenue collected,” at 66% of the year.

An employee of a local convenience store asked the council to take action on a problem with drive-offs from gas pumps. The council asked the city manager to take a look at what other towns do.

Councilman Luster, the former police chief, said the city does have an interest because it goes against the crime rate.

The city manager, in his report, said that the city will open bank bids later this week.

He said the street department is putting up Picnic signs in a 50 to 60 mile radius of El Dorado Springs.

Rogers said the crew will set up the stage in the Park later this week or early next week.

He said that flowers in City Cemetery were supposed to be moved out of the way of weed eaters by July 1. The crew will start removing them unless they are fastened on top of headstones.

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