CHERRY VALLEY — The City of Cherry Valley is reaching out to the state after the annexation of land for the solar farm caused a redistricting of the city council.
“GIS, a state agency, when the solar farm was annexed into the city, they withdrew our ward boundaries and what had been in places for years and years, no longer exists according to the matter in which they designated the wards,” said Cherry Valley Mayor Dennis Stephens. “Our city attorney is reaching out to them as well as the Arkansas Municipal League because the new annexation, as a result of the solar farm, if I remember correctly, there were only residents that were annexed into the city and they made that new annexation Ward 2.
“None of our current council members reside in that area, of course. So, we are reaching out to see what options exist, if the boundaries can be drawn differently for the wards,” he added. “We’ve always approached it from the standpoint as the railroad tracks dividing the city and having a ward on the east side of the tracks and one on the west side.”
Mayor Stephens said he does not believe there are any citizens living in the newly created ward.
“There’s currently two wards in Cherry Valley and what they did was take Cherry Valley city proper, which we’ve known for years, and made that Ward 1 and moved Ward 2 out to the new annexation,” he said. “Instead of using the railroad track to split it, they just made the existing city limits Ward 1 and then made the new annexation Ward 2.”
Stephens said the city is also planning to seek funding from the Arkansas Unpaved Road Program as part of that annexation.
“The city did annex four different gravel roads as a result of the solar farm coming within our city limits and the new annexation. We’re going to pursue that program,” he said. “I’m going to call and make an appointment with them to assure that we’re eligible, which over the phone it appears we are. It’s a 50/50 grant with a $75,000 max so we want to get them on site to look at the situation we currently have, and visit with them about how to proceed with that.”

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