What does “Pro Bono” mean?
Hello, I’m Dan Shaw. Thank you for electing me as Mayor of this wonderful City. I am doing my best to accomplish something each day that will make Bono a better place. “Pro Bono” is the name that I am giving the City’s newsletter which I plan to write and make available to you 4 times a year. This will allow me to communicate to you various things and plans which are of concern to the citizens of Bono. When we hear the words, “pro-bono”, we generally think of a lawyer doing free legal work. Actually, it is a Latin phrase which means, “for good”. So, that means that the word bono means good. How fitting! What we have to do is make sure we help our City live up to that name. How do we do that? Here’s some ideas. We can do our best to keep our properties and houses neat and clean and maintained, so passers by will say, “this is a place I would like to live”. We can heed the ordinances we have concerning dogs and keep our dogs up. We can stay out of the news, unless we have good news to share. We can, as citizens, start projecting a sense of pride in our City. If we begin doing these things, little by little, we will transform our City into, not only a place which we are more proud of, but a City that is more respected in the surrounding communities. Yours for a better Bono—Dan Shaw
Pro Bono
January 7, 2020
Welcome to a new year and a new decade. I hope you had good holidays, and are enjoying the new year so far. Remember that this is the year for the Census count. I want to encourage everyone to fill out your Census forms. The federal and state money we receive as a city, for the next ten years, depend on the accuracy of the Census count. If you need help in filling out the forms, please come to City Hall and someone there will assist you.
College Street – The work on phase 2 of the College street project is in full swing. We expect this phase to go rather quickly, depending on the weather. This phase will take the improvements all the way to Woodland Trails street. We have received a $300,000.00 TAP grant to go toward phase 3. We are trying to have our plans ready and be able to begin phase 3 as soon as phase 2 is done.
We have had a problem with infiltration of rainwater in our sewer system for several years. You have probably noticed that your toilets may not flush properly, and your drains may run slowly, after a significant rainfall. We are working to find any leaks and gaps where this can be occurring. This is done by visual inspection and by smoke testing. We will be working diligently on this problem until we make a difference. Along with this issue, we have some sewer pipes, which were put in way back in the 1960’s. Many of those lines will need to be replaced. We also, need to put in a new line to service the part of our city (North Main Street), which was annexed in 2012. This will make that area desirable for development as well. All of this will cost a considerable amount of money. We have reached out to, and applied for grants to USDA and ANRC, for help in this much needed project. Both of these agencies tell us that we are ineligible for grants, or even loans, due to our water and sewer rates being too low. Other than a small increase in October, for a few of our highest users, we haven’t had any increase in our rates since 1993. We are having Communities Unlimited do a rate analysis, which will tell us where we should be on our rates. I’m telling you all of this, to warn you that there is most likely going to be a rate increase in the near future. We really don’t have any other choice.
Bono is a wonderful, and growing community. Some growth is inevitable as Jonesboro grows, and many people would rather live in a smaller community. We want to welcome growth, and encourage it, although we have to channel it in such a way as to build a City, which we can maintain and sustain in the future.
Restroom grant– Bono received a $15,000.00 grant to build 2 restrooms in Legacy Park. The work will start very soon on this project. Having nice restrooms available will make a visit to the park much more enjoyable. These will each be 2 user restrooms, with one being near the walking track and the other one near the playground. Look for these to be done before years end.
Leash Law– Please remember that we have a leash law in Bono. Dogs must be on a leash at all times. This is for the protection of the dog owner, others who might be bitten, and the dog. If your dog is picked up, a fine will be charged, and must be paid, before you can have possession of your dog.
Mowing season– Although mowing season is a few months away, I wanted to remind you that, when you mow, don’t blow your grass into the street. This is a very dangerous situation for motorcycles, and is very unsightly as well. If you are doing this you will receive a citation.
Yours for a Better Bono
Danny C. Shaw-Mayor