DRAFT

SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS

RECOMMENDATION 1:  THE TRANSITION TEAM RECOMMENDS STRONGLY THE NEWLY ELECTED GOVERNANCE OF HELENA-WEST HELENA SERIOUSLY CONSIDER ADOPTING THE MODEL CODIFICATION AS PROVIDED BY THE ARKANSAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY UPON UNIFICATION.

RECOMMENDATION 2:  SHOULD THE NEWLY ELECTED GOVERNANCE WISH TO MAKE A MORE MEASURED APPROACH TO UNIFORM CODIFICATION THE TRANSITION TEAM RECOMMENDS THE PASSAGE OF AN ORDINANCE FOR THE NEW CITY OF HELENA-WEST ORDINANCE AS SHOWN IN APPENDIX A THAT MAKES IT POSSIBLE FOR ALL ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF HELENA IN EFFECT DECEMBER 31, 2005, TO REMAIN IN FULL FORCE UNTIL NO LATER THAN APRIL 15, 2006, AND THAT ALL ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF WEST HELENA IN EFFECT DECEMBER 31, 2005, TO REMAIN IN FULL FORCE UNTIL NO LATER THAN APRIL 15, 2006. 

RECOMMENDATION 3:  THE TRANSITION TEAM RECOMMENDS TO THE NEWLY ELECTED GOVERNANCE OF HELENA-WEST HELENA THAT ALL BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS OF HELENA AND WEST HELENA IN FORCE ON DECEMBER 31, 2005, AND AS LISTED BELOW:

1.       THE FOLLOWING BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS OF THE FORMER CITY OF HELENA, ARKANSAS:

HELENA PUBLIC FACILITIES BOARD

HELENA HOUSING AUTHORITY

HELENA WATER/SEWER COMMISSION

MAIN STREET HELENA

HELENA TOURISM COMMISSION

HELENA PLANNING COMMISSION

HELENA HISTORIC DISTRICT COMMISSION

HELENA BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT

HELENA PROPERTY STANDARD BOARD

 HELENA’S REPRESENTATIVE ON THE WARFIELD CONCERTS       COMMISSION

HELENA’S REPRESENTATIVE ON THE AIRPORT COMMISSION

HELENA’S REPRESENTATIVE ON THE PHILLIPS COUNTY BOARD OF EQUALIZATION

HELENA’S REPRESENTATIVE ON THE PORT AUTHORITY

2.       THE FOLLOWING BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS OF THE FORMER CITY OF WEST HELENA, ARKANSAS:

CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION

PARK COMMISSION

WATER COMMISSION

AIRPORT COMMISSION

PLANNING COMMISSION

REMAIN WITH THE SAME MEMBERSHIP AND CONTINUE WITH THEIR DUTIES, JURISDICTION, AND FUNCTIONS UNTIL NO LATER THAN APRIL 15, 2006.

recommendation 4:  THE TRANSITION TEAM RECOMMENDS THAT the newly elected governance of helena-West helena should seriously consider making the mayoral position full time.   

recommendation 5: the transition team recommends THAT the newly elected governance of helena-west helena call for the development of Updated position descriptions for all employees in administrative or service positions in the new city BY NOT LATER THAN mARCH 1, 2006.

recommendation 6: the transition team recommends that the city council adopt a procedural rule that reimburses aldermen only for meetings they attend. aldermen should not receive reimbursement for meetings which they leave before the meeting is aDjourned without an appropriate reason recognized by the chair.

REcomMendation 7: The transition team recommends that all members appointed to city committees, commissions, or task forces understand that they are to attend meetings faithfully, and missing three meetings sequentially, whether regular or specially called meetings, without an appropriate reason may lead to dismissal from the assigned group.

RECOMMENDATION 8: THE TRANSITION TEAM RECOMMENDS THE NEWLY ELECTED GOVERNANCE OF HELENA-WEST HELENA BROADCAST CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS THROUGH THE USE OF A PUBLIC ACCESS CHANNEL ON CABLE TV AND POSSIBLY OVER THE RADIO. IN ADDITION, THE NEW COMMUNITY SHOULD MAINTAIN A WEB SITE WITH MINUTES OF CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS, THE MOST CURRENT CODIFICATION OF CODES AND ORDINANCES, AND OTHER USEFUL INFORMATION FOR CITIZENS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE CURRENT AND PAST BUDGETS.

RECOMMENDATION 9: THE TRANSITION TEAM RECOMMENDS TO THE NEWLY ELECTED GOVERNANCE OF HELENA-WEST HELENA THAT ALL EMPLOYEES OF HELENA AND WEST HELENA (EXCLUDING ELECTED OFFICIALS) AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2005, SHOULD REMAIN IN THEIR FORMER JOBS AND PERFORM THEIR RESPECTIVE DUTIES AS SUCH EMPLOYEES FOR A PERIOD OF TIME NO LATER THAN APRIL 15, 2006, AND THAT ALL PERSONNEL RETAINED SHALL RECEIVE THE SAME PAY AND BENEFITS EACH WAS RECEIVING AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2005, DURING THE PERIOD THEY REMAIN EMPLOYED.

recommendation 10: The Transition Team recommends to the government of the new community that they take this opportunity to completely reorganize the governance and service units along the lines of a community in Arkansas of some 14,000 and not simply merge, BUT CREATE THE SERVICE DEPARTMENTS, giving particular attention to adopting best practices and to decreasing the management staff where possible and increasing the direct line service staff as needed.

RECOMMENDATION 11: THE TRANSITION TEAM RECOMMENDS to the new government of Helena-West Helena that in as much as is possible preference be given to employees of the City of Helena at the time of unification as new positions are filled in the newly reorganized service departments of Helena-West Helena.

RECOMMENDATION 12: THE TRANSITION TEAM RECOMMENDS THAT THE CITY OF HELENA-WEST HELENA CONSIDER THE CREATION OF A METRO POLICE FUNCTION THAT WILL SERVE HELENA-WEST HELENA AND PHILLIPS COUNTY.

RECOMMENDATION 13: THE TRANSITION TEAM RECOMMENDS THAT HELENA-WEST HELENA BROADEN THE CURRENT WEST HELENA WATER/SEWER COMMISSION TO REPRESENT THE INCLUSION OF THE HELENA POPULATION WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE REVENUES FROM WATER AND SEWER WILL BE USED SOLELY FOR MAINTAINING AND IMPROVING THESE SYSTEMS AND WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE WATER/SEWER COMMISSION WILL MAKE AN APPROPRIATE ANNUAL DONATION TO THE GENERAL OPERATING REVENUES OF HELENA-WEST HELENA.

recommendation 14: the transition team recommends that helena-west helena ask the newly appointed water/sEWER commission to undertake a review of water and sewer rates and establish a uniform rate for water and sewer for the community as a whole with a plan for achieving equalization of rates thRoughout the whole of the community in not less than eighteen months.

RECOMMENDATION 15: THE TRANSITION TEAM RECOMMENDS THAT UNTIL NO LATER THAN APRIL 15, 2006, THE CITY OF HELENA-WEST HELENA OPERATE ON A BUDGET THAT CONSISTS OF THE 2005 BUDGET OF HELENA AND THE 2005 BUDGET OF WEST HELENA AND THAT BY NOT LATER THAN APRIL 15, 2006, THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL APPROVE A NEW BUDGET FOR THE REMINDER OF 2006 INVOLVING ALL THE NEWLY CREATED DEPARTMENTS.

RECOMMENDATION 16: THE TRANSITION TEAM RECOMMENDS TO THE NEWLY ELECTED CITY GOVERNANCE THAT THEY REQUIRE A QUARTERLY REPORT THAT PROVIDES THEM INFORMATION ON ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE THAT ARE OVERDUE BY 30 DAYS, 60 DAYS, AND OVER 90 DAYS AS WELL AS A REPORT ON ACCOUNTS PAYABLE THAT ARE OVERDUE ON PAYMENT BY 30 DAYS, 60 DAYS, AND 90 DAYS OR MORE.

RECOMMENDATION 17: THE TRANSITION TEAM RECOMMENDS THAT THE CITY OF HELENA-WEST HELENA IMMEDIATELY CONTRACT WITH A CPA OR CPA FIRM FOR A FIXED PERIOD OF TIME, PERHAPS AS LONG AS SIX MONTHS, TO CONDUCT AN AUDIT TO SERVE AS A BASE LINE, TO ASSIST the office of the treasurer, the city clerk, and the various CITY DEPARTMENTS IN THE FORMATION AND TRACKING OF APPROPRIATE DEPARTMENTAL BUDGETS, TO ASSIST WITH EDUCATION AND TRAINING AS NEEDED, TO ASSIST IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A MONTHLY FISCAL REPORT TO THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL, AND TO DEVELOP AN ANNUAL INTERNAL pre-AUDIT FUNCTION THAT WILL ASSIST IN THE MANAGEMENT OF THE CITY, AND PROVIDE THE BASE OF INFORMATION FOR THE AUDIT BY THE STATE.

RECOMMENDATION 18: THE TRANSITION TEAM RECOMMENDS THAT THE new CITY government as soon as possible DEVELOP A request for a general sales tax, the tax rate determined BY THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL FOR SPECIFIED NEEDS, TO BE voteD UPON BY the CITIZENS.

RECOMMENDATION 19: THE TRANSITION TEAM RECOMMENDS TO THE NEWLY ELECTED GOVERNANCE THAT THE FRANCHISE TAX FOR EACH CORPORATION ENGAGED IN BUSINESS IN EITHER HELENA OR WEST HELENA BE SET AT THE APPROPRIATE RATE NEEDED TO RAISE ANY ADDITIONAL NEEDED REVENUE FOR HELENA-WEST HELENA.

RECOMMENDATION 20: THE TRANSITION TEAM RECOMMENDS THAT THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL OF HELENA-WEST HELENA ENDORSE THE VISIONARY STRATEGIC COMMUNITY PLAN FOR PHILLIPS COUNTY AND DETERMINE HOW THE NEW CITY CAN ASSIST IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLAN.

RECOMMENDATION 21: THE TRANSITION TEAM RECOMMENDS TO THE NEWLY ELECTED OFFICIALS OF HELENA-WEST HELENA THAT any and all funds currently encumbered by the City of Helena prior to unification for use in economic development and maintenance of parks remain under the control of the appropriate commission overseeing the use of these funds for economic development and the enhancement and maintenance of the parks of the new city, and that as soon as possible THE one-percent sales tax on Gifts, Meals, Lodging and Attractions IN FORCE IN HELENA BE EXTENDED TO THE community as a whole TO be used solely for the further economic development and the enhancement and maintenance of the parks of the newly unified city.

RECOMMENDATION 22: THE TRANSITION TEAM RECOMMENDS TO THE NEWLY ELECTED OFFICIALS THAT ONCE THE REORGANIZATION PROCESS IS WELL UNDERWAY THAT THE CITY APPROACH THE CURRENT OWNERS OF THE FORMER ford DEALERSHIP ON oakland (49B) AND NEGOTIATE A MEANS TO OBTAIN THIS PROPERTY FOR USE AS A NEW CITY HALL THAT WILL HOUSE THE SEAT OF GOVERNANCE FOR HELENA-WEST HELENA AS WELL AS THE APPROPRIATE DEPARTMENTS SERVING THE CITY.

recommendation 23: The Transition Team recommends to the new government that a request be made to Director of Emergency Services for Phillips County to undertake a study of Helena and West Helena with regard to elimination of duplicate, non-connected street names. It also recommends THAT the governance of the new community appoint a CITIZEN advisory community committee to develop a policy for the naming of streets, and to place a moratorium in effect on the naming of streets until such time as the City Council has adopted a policy on the naming of streets.

Recommendation 24: The transition team recommends that city of helena-west helena create and maintain a unified and computerized data base for each service area and a cummulative data base for the whole of the city containing information on all property iN excess of $500 in value. the data base at a minimum should LIST all property, the date of purchase, THE cost at the time of purchase, and the location of the property.