May 29, 2008

The Ava Board of Aldermen convened for a brief informational meeting Tuesday evening as a wide variety of topics were listed on the evening agenda; however, the only decision made by the board was approval of the Ava Water Park charges for this summer season. A timely action since the water park is slated to open on Saturday. A town resident appeared before council members to voice a complaint about high school students congregating in the parking lot of the First General Baptist Church of Ava. The citizen stated students have been collecting in the lot on a regular basis, and some of the groups are rowdy, disrespectful, and on occasion, profane in behavior. Concern was also expressed about the abundance of trash and debris the students leave on the lot. Trash that travels into yards and other areas. According to the complainant, pleas for help had been placed with ministers at the church, but no help or solutions were forthcoming. In response, Ava Police Chief Larry Smith said the church lot is private property and since the church has given students permission to park and use the lot, there wasn't anything city police could do to control students on site. Smith noted officers can police driving behaviors around the area, but officers cannot monitor student behaviors on the lot. For police to intervene, a complaint must be filed by the property owner. Director of Development Janice Lorrain reported planning and zoning had been discussing set back regulations for housing developments. Lorrain said the commission was responding to a request for additional options as some lots don't allow for a 35 ft. set back from the property line. Lorrain suggested a 25 ft. set back might be more acceptable, however no action was taken by council. Donna Watson, economic development director of the Ava Area Chamber of Commerce, gave an overview of upcoming events and chamber activities. Watson reminded council members the City Wide Yard Sale is June 12-14. Watson said the chamber is hosting a grant writing class August 7 as part of the on-going effort to provide opportunities for the membership and business owners in the community. At present the Ava Chamber has a roster of 156 members. During the meeting, water park fees were approved as follows: pool admission for ages four and up, $2; children age 3 and younger, free; and water aerobic class, $3. Family season passes are $150 and individual passes, $90. Passes for the aerobic class are $40. Swim instruction will be offered in four levels of skill –– advanced, intermediate, beginners and pre-beginners, and classes cost $25. A pool party will cost $150 for a two-hour session, from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. The City requires a non-refundable $50 deposit and an insurance waiver one week prior to the swim party date. The pool hours are Monday – Saturday, 12 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Sunday, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. A copy of a study commissioned by Ozark Heritage Region (OHR) was given to council to review as a positive compilation of information about Douglas County. The study, which used seven counties for comparison, was conducted by UMC Community Policy Analysis Center. For the analysis and assessment, the Center used statistics such as employment rates, per capita personal income, labor force, unemployment rates, education costs, housing and economic data information from the past ten years. This data was compiled for Ozark, Douglas, Howell, Oregon, Shannon, Texas and Wright counties. According to Janice Lorrain, the final findings in the report were most favorable to Douglas County, forecasting substantial population growth, an increase in property values, and an increase in retail sales. In the findings, Douglas County was forecast as a strong county with positive economic patterns and demographics. The meeting was facilitated Tuesday evening by council vice-president Burrely Loftin, with councilmen Judy Lovan and Ric Engelhardt in attendance. Councilman David Norman and Mayor Leon Harris were absent.