The Arkansas Department of Transportation will withhold $19,031.19 from funds allotted to the City of Camden after the Camden City Council agreed unanimously to a memorandum of understanding between the two entities.
The agreement was made after a city worker damaged a state bridge in 2020.
The memorandum states that on July 31, 2020, an employee of the City of Camden was operating a 2007 Freightliner dump truck, used as a city garbage truck, which belonged to Camden Public Works, and while traveling east on State Highway 79, the rack door of the truck struck an overhead support structure on an overpass.
The memorandum further states that $44,032.19 was spent to repair the bridge, with the city's liability insurance policy covering $25,000 of the damage.
During Tuesday night's council meeting, Public Works Director Kevin Franklin said the worker driving the truck refused a drug test after the accident, and, per to city policy, was immediately terminated.
The agreement between the city and ARDOT states that the $19,000 the city owes will be deducted from "the monthly state highway turn back funds to City of Camden."