The Conway City Council navigated a light agenda at its Sept. 9 council meeting as the aldermen approved three quick ordinances.
The first ordinance was over the application for the Rachael Ray No-Kill Excellence Grant program for Conway Animal Services.
The Rachael Ray grant is supplied by the Best Friends network, an animal rescue service. The grant can give up to $60,000 to applicants.
Spencer Clawson, public works director, said the animal shelter will use the grant for a new adoption trailer.
Clawson said the trailer will “help improve the [shelter’s] life-saving efforts.”
The trailer that the shelter is looking to buy has 22 kennels.
“It’ll be used not only for on-site adoptions when we have special events, but also in the event of natural disasters,” Clawson said. “A lot of people, they’ll have pets that get loose and if you don’t have a way to safely corral those animals and transport them.”
The council approved the resolution, with alderman Andy Hawkins jokingly asking if they would be receiving a set of cookware along with the grant – a reference to Rachael Ray’s culinary career.
In addition to approving the grant application, the city council also approved one annexation and one rezoning.
The annexation was a property at 5875 Highway 319 West – which the property owner requested be detached from the city.
“This is due to lack of city services in the area and therefore, the cost being too great to extend those services based on the amount of residents in the area,” Troy Rice, city business services coordinator, said.
The property is located along the western boundary of Conway, near the Old Morrilton Highway.
Rice said the situation has been a learning process for the city – as detachments are uncommon.
Ultimately, the council unanimously approved the request.
The second ordinance, involving rezoning a property at 603 Polk Street from R-2A to R-2.
This request was also unanimously approved.
All council members were present at the meeting. The next meeting is scheduled for Sept. 23.
