83% say Maumelle should collect the entire Park on the River back-rent from Gloria Timmons even if city had to take her to court; 15% say mayor should cough up the cash from snake sales.
And other interesting responses from this statistically significant sampling of Moniteur de l'Arkansas readers.
By Jay C. Grelen, Moniteur de l’Arkansas
The consensus from our two surveys is clear: Most folks didn’t like the idea of letting Gloria Timmons off the hook for the approximately $38,000 she intentionally didn’t pay in monthly rent to Maumelle for the Park on the River event center.
The survey also shows that a bunch of Maumellians have never been to Park on the River, 46 percent don’t know where it is, and 93 percent have never rented the event center.
These are some of the questions from the two surveys:
Do you think it was proper for the city to forgive the debt of a private business person?
      No: 89 percent.
Yes: 11 percent.
Do you approve of Hizzoner's plan to cut Gloria Timmons' back rent from $68,000 to $32,000?
      No: 98 percent.
Yes: 2 percent.
In the completely unlikely event that Hizzoner were to seek your opinion on the debt, (We hear those guffaws!), 83 percent said the city should collect the entire debt, even if the city had to sue Team Summit; 17 percent said collect the entire debt only if the city didn’t have to sue. No one voted for the third option: Give the private business woman a break at the expense of taxpayers, and cut Gloria Timmons' debt by 52.94 percent.
The rest of the questions are below (some questions in the surveys cover the same issue):
Who should foot the bill to repay Maumellians’ 38,000 tax dollars that Hizzoner threw up the chimney when he cut Team Summit's debt?
The person who stiffed the city for the rent. 79 percent.
Hizzoner (perhaps with proceeds from the sale of a few of his pythons). 15 percent
Hizzoner's Reliable Rubber Stampers (otherwise known as members of the city council). 4 percent.
Maumellians (otherwise known as hardworking and overtaxed taxpayers). 2 percent
In the meantime, how should the city of Maumelle raise money to pay for maintenance?
Bake sale: 13 percent.
Attach Hizzoner's snake business: 72 percent.
Install wishing wells at Lakes Willastein and Valencia with a minimum 25 cents per wish. Or toss quarters in the swimming pool: 15 percent.
What if you were invited to a pickleball tournament or a pit bull show at Park on the River. Could you find it without asking for directions or using your PPS (Park Positioning System)?
      Yes: 52 percent.
      No: 46 percent.
Park on the River offers Maumellians their only public access to the Arkansas River. Did you know there is a public boat ramp at Park on the River?
      Yes: 46 percent.
      No: 54 percent.
Do you know anyone who has rented the house at Park on the River?
      Yes: 22 percent.
      No: 78 percent.
Bonus: Are you okay with references to the mayor as Hizzoner?
      Yes, as long as you say it with respect: 48 percent.
      Big N. Big O. No!: 15 percent.
      Is there any other title?: 37 percent.
Did you know that the city of Maumelle owns 11 acres including a house, by the Arkansas River? Â
   No: 89 percent.
   Yes: 11 percent.
Have you ever been on the grounds of Park on the River?
      No: 84 percent.
      Yes: 16 percent.
Have you ever rented Park on the River for an event?
      No: 95 percent.
      Yes: 5 percent.
Did you know that the current lessee breached her contract with the city and stopped paying rent to Maumelle in April 2019 but continued to use Park on the River into 2023?
      Yes: 95 percent.
      No: 5 percent.
Did you know that under the terms of the lease, the lessee was $68,000 behind on rent?
   Yes: 89 percent.
   No: 11 percent.
Did you know that the city of Maumelle, under the direction of Mayor Caleb Norris and with the approval of City Council, cut the debt by $38,000 to approximately $32,000?
      Yes: 89 percent.
      No: 11 percent.
Did you know that even after the lessee skipped payments of $68,000 that the City of Maumelle extended the lessee’s contract by 18 months?
      Yes: 79 percent.
      No: 21 percent.
That’s me, Jay Grelen, of Moniteur de l'Arkansas, shaking hands with former Alabama Governor George Wallace during my time as a columnist in Mobile, Alabama. In September 1994, I spent a day in Montgomery, Alabama, with Governor Wallace, who by the time I met him, had forsworn the racism of his early political career. He also was totally deaf; I still have the yellow legal pad on which I wrote my questions for him.
I’m a refugee of the daily newspaper business, clutching at my manual Royal typewriter and trying to stay afloat. For now, I’m afloat on the U.S.S. Moniteur de l'Arkansas.
The need for Moniteur de l'Arkansas is urgent because newspapers and TV news teams are cutting back on coverage, or going belly up altogether. So Moniteur de l'Arkansas is taking flight to write — the good, the bad, and the beautiful. With its valiant white horse well-fed, well-rested, and not-quite-well-groomed (disheveled would be apt, much like its rider), Moniteur de l'Arkansas will take up its lance to tilt against windmills, windbags — elected or otherwise — foxes at the henhouses, and whatever else needs a good tilting. But Moniteur de l'Arkansas also will ever be on the lookout for stories that strum the heartstrings with optimism, hope, and happy endings, because those lift us up, and that’s how I’d rather spend my time at the typewriter.
I worked in the daily newspaper racket for 35 years, including stints at the Denver Post, the Lexington Herald-Leader, the Baton Rouge Morning Advocate, and the Mobile Register. My last stop was a 10-year stay at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. In 2017, Governor Asa Hutchinson hired me as his senior writer; after nearly six years with Governor Hutchinson, I was chief of staff to Hizzoner Caleb Norris, mayor of Maumelle. Since Hizzoner promoted me to Chief of Staff Emeritus in August 2023, I now have time to write stories and rake muck as I ride the crest of the wave of the much-balleyhooed rebirth of local journalism. You can subscribe for free or you may pay to subscribe. I’ll write just as hard for everyone. By the end of the year, we will have launched the Birdsong County Whistler, which will pursue the more literary and refined elements of life. However you choose to participate, thank you for reading.
~ Jay Grelen, Moniteur de l'Arkansas
How has the press not picked up on our snake dealing mayor ? We probably have the only combo snake seller/ mayor in the entire US. I’d think someone would want to do a feature with lots of photographs with hizhonor and his snakes Maybe “ working for you “( or not working for you) “ or maybe Snakes on your side ! “. This would be some good PR for Maumelle , make everyone move out here.