Beaver Council returns to full complement with two appointments

Cindy Ratliff, left, and Debbie Lester have stepped up to serve as aldermen on the Beaver Council, which will complete the council's five-member requirement. After being sworn in at the county courthouse, they will be seated next month. Kathryn Lucariello / CCN [Order this photo]

BEAVER -- At a short meeting Monday night, the Beaver Council's main item of business was to welcome two new members to the council to complete the five required to serve.

Cindy Ratliff, daughter of former mayor John Ratliff, and Debbie Lester, wife of former alderman Chris Lester, both stepped up to serve. Their approval was unanimous by the sitting three council members.

Ratliff said her family had moved to Beaver in 1960, but as an adult she had lived in Illinois for many years.

"I've returned home to take care of Mom and Dad," she said.

Lester said she was born and raised in Beaver and has lived here all her life.

"My family and I live in our grandparents' house, down near the walking trail," she said.

"It's nice to have someone who lives down near the park," said Alderman Cathy Shusta.

The town has been under a petition challenge lately by Susan Simler and former Recorder/Treasurer Michelle Pool, who say Beaver hasn't been a "functioning town" for a long time and needs to have its charter revoked.

Simler said by phone they have obtained signatures from about 45 percent of the property owners in town and have sent the petition on to the Carroll County prosecuting attorney and the state.

Mayor Mary Hill and town attorney Bill Hill, as well as council members, are against disbanding the town. But getting resident voters to serve on the council, commissions and committees and to stay for any length of time has been difficult, at best.

The town still lacks a recorder/treasurer.

Hill said there will be a general election in 2010 and urged council members to file for their positions.

"They've filled the council; now they have to find people to serve on committees," Simler said. She maintains that having council members serve on the Zoning & Planning Commission is a conflict of interest.

Whether the petition has any merit and can actually help result in the town's revocation remains to be seen, but Attorney Hill thinks not.

"It's moot," he said after the meeting. "It's just expressing an opinion."

Mayor Hill said later, "It's so exciting to have residents who grew up here following in their parents' footsteps. Wonderful to have Deb and Cindy on the council."

In other business, Shusta reported on attending a disaster preparedness meeting at the Municipal League in Little Rock. She said members of the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management (ADEM) and FEMA were there.

She said the meeting was "really helpful" and clarified what towns need to do to prepare.

"We may need to look at doing a better job of helping people to be personally prepared," she said. "We also need to have a plan, an accounting of the needs of our residents' specific needs -- electricity or oxygen. We need to be aware so we can call the county judge."

She said officials stressed "document, document, document."

"You can't document enough," she said. "Document everything, and maintain good relationships with the county judge and FEMA."

She said attendees were shown photos of some towns that are still underwater from the floods last year and one town in particular where the children haven't been to school in months.

The council's next meeting is scheduled for Dec. 14 at 7 p.m. at the Beaver Community Center.