City Council - Regular Meeting

You're going to agenda item we do have a sign in sheet for that and if you would like to get a non agenda item there's a sign in sheet for that as well or you could have signed up online, but I don't think we had anybody signed up on. The anybody rushing to find out so with that I'll call us to order for that July 14 that in both the Council meeting. And we do not have a scout for this evening, so that usually leaves us in the pledge. So if you'll all stand with me and join us in the pledge and remain standing for a moment of silence for our military following, we would appreciate it.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.

Thank you. Roll call, please.

Sanchez? Yep. Patterson? Here. Acree? Present. Sheba? Here. Suter?

Here.

Grover? Here. Burkhart?

Here.

Hook?

Here. I get a motion to approve the minutes of the June 23, 2026, Bentonville City Council meeting.

Second.

Motion and a second. Roll call, please.

Patterson? Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.

Any member like make a preliminary motion.

I make a motion to suspend the rules requiring ordinances be read on three separate days and further move all ordinances and resolutions be read by the title. Thank you.

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.

So any discussion items before we entertain a consent agenda?

I was just wondering, I noticed we got the notification that an edit was made this morning, and I couldn't find what was different. Was that? It was a date on the 8th.

It was just in the short agenda. It was correct in the ordinance, and so we made the correction on this. Okay. Nothing of, it was of substance, but it was not in the ordinance. It was just on, so we corrected that date.

Okay. We could consider a consent agenda for item, new business items number 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, all the way through 19. Second. Second.

We read them one more time.

New business items 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 9, 10, excuse me, 12, 13, all the way through 19.

There's no one signed up to speak on any of those? Nobody signed up.

And we have a motion in the second.

Second. Second.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

Okay. We will.

Before you adjourn, is there any, we're trying to get good about asking you guys if there's something you want on the committee of the whole. So when we publish the agenda, the topics on there for the public. So is there anything you would like on the committee of the whole for in two weeks?

I'm going okay, we're going to be doing the IP on my name. Well, so everybody is. We can.

Just give you a little bit of your finance.

If you have to finance committee report.

Also water leaks and stuff like that you want and they've been doing.

roughly monthly update, but I can ask them to give you an update if you'd like.

Absolutely. I don't know.

I might be. I know they've been doing it at utility board. So I'm not sure when the last time we did it here, but we can have them.

We didn't have the previous one and we didn't do it. Then one.

Okay.

Give you an update on that.

Okay. We will adjourn the committee as a whole.

With that I get a motion to open new business. I can ever. Item number one is our June 2026 residential landscape award at 1, 1, 0, 6, Northwest 11th Street. And Brian Butler and Clara. This track has been a strike, a strike. Sorry. You'll come forward. We love to present the team.

Making it beautiful.

There's a picture in the end of this, I hope to help.

Yeah, yeah.

Well, we are very appreciative, and that's one of the reasons we do always encourage our residents to be invited to come and learn. So thanks very much. Very nice. Thank you.

What is the, who do we email if we want to nominate someone?

There's a form online.

Form online.

Yeah, there's a form online.

Okay, great. I have got somebody now.

Okay, with that, we'll read consent agenda items.

My backyard is really nice. It's got a lot of green.

It's a new natural yard.

Yeah, it's native. New business item number two, a resolution authorizing the mayor and city clerk to enter into a contract with Latrell Enterprises for code compliance, mowing, brush hogging, and debris removal services per the unit prices and for their purposes. New business item number three, a resolution supporting the Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission's application or Federal Transit Administration transit-oriented development planning funds for the Highway 71B corridor, committing local match funds not to exceed $50,000 and for other purposes. New business item number 8 in the City Council for the City of Bentonville, Arkansas. New business item number 9, a resolution authorizing the Mayor and City Clerk to enter into an agreement with MCCI LLC for the purchase of Laser Fitch document management and workflow management software in an amount not to exceed $121,513.75 and further purposes. New business item number 10, a resolution awarding bid IFB-26-39 for a bucket truck to all around MFG in the amount of $200,000 and for other purposes. New business item number... 12. 12. New business item number 12, a resolution authorizing the mayor and city clerk to enter into amendment number two with MISHC for Southwest Nutmeg drainage improvements in the amount of $78,568 to include bidding services and additional construction services during the design period and for their purposes. New business item number 13, a resolution authorizing the mayor and city clerk to enter into amendment number one with Olson for Northwest Tiger and G Street improvements in the amount not to exceed $25,000. This amendment adds bidding and award phase services for the 2026 bid effort and for the purposes. New business item number 14, a resolution authorizing the mayor and city clerk to reassign IFB-24-25 from Grand Truck Equipment LLC to Olathe Ford Sales, Inc. in the awarded bid amount of $139,574 and for other purposes. New business item number 15, a resolution authorizing an increase of IFB-24-26 of the milestone ITIC contract for sidewalks and other concrete work in the amount of $550,000 and for the purposes. NEW BUSINESS ITEM NUMBER 16, A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR AND CITY CLERK TO ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH SANDRIDGE CONSTRUCTION FOR CONSTRUCTION OF PHASE TWO OF THE McCOLLUM SIDE PATH PROJECT IN THE AMOUNT OF $741,058 AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. New business item number 17, a resolution authorizing the mayor and city clerk to accept a grant from the Walton Family Foundation for pedestrian infrastructure improvements on John DeShields Boulevard and Memorial Park in the amount of $30,000 and for other purposes. New business item number 18, a resolution accepting a contribution from Runway for pedestrian infrastructure improvements on DeShields Boulevard and Memorial Park in the amount of $30,000 and for other purposes. New business item number 19, a resolution authorizing the closeout of a Walton Family Foundation grant, refunding $100,000 and for other purposes. I'll move.

OK. A motion and a second. Roll call, please. Seebeth?

Yes. Souter? Yes. Grover? Yes. Burkhart? Yes. Hook? Yes. Sanchez? Yes. Patterson? Yes. Agree? Yes.

OK. We'll go to item number four, which is a public hearing on an ordinance vacating a right-of-way and establishing a utility easement. This time I will open the public hearing for anyone online or in person to speak on this item. Seeing and hearing none, I will close the public hearing.

New business item number four, ordinance vacating right-of-way and establishing a utility easement located at the Southwest Warner Lot 1 of Walmart Campus Subdivision to the City of Bentonville, Arkansas, Benton County, Arkansas, DAC26-0026.

And then a second. Any other discussion? Roll call, please.

Souter?

Yes. Grover? Yes.

Urquhart? Yes. Hook? Yes. Sanchez? Yes. Patterson? Yes. Acree? Yes. Deba? Yes.

Item number five is a public hearing in ordinance vacating a right-of-way and establishing a utility easement. This time I will open the public hearing for anyone online or in person to speak on this item. Seeing and hearing none, I will close the public hearing.

New business item number five, ordinance vacating right-of-way and establishing utility easements located at the southeast corner of lot one of Walmart subdivision to the city of Bentonville, Arkansas, Benton County, Arkansas, VAC 26-0027. I just have a second.

Any other discussion? Roll call, please.

Grover? Yes.

Burkhart? Yes. Cook? Yes. Sanchez? Yes. Patterson? Yes. Acree? Yes. Siva? Yes. Sitter?

Yes.

At number six, the public hearing and ordinance vacating a general easement vacation. This time I will open the public hearing. Is there anyone online or in person to speak on this item? Seeing and hearing that, I will close the item.

New business item number six, an ordinance vacating a general easement located at block three, lot 19 of Hazel Park subdivision of the city of Bentonville, Arkansas, Benton County, Arkansas, VAC26-0030.

Second.

A motion and a second. Any other discussion? Roll call, please.

Burkhart? Yes. Buck? Yes. Sanchez? Yes. Patterson? Yes. Yes. Smith? Yes. Souter?

Yes.

Silver?

Yes.

Item number seven is a public hearing and ordinance vacating a general easement vacation. I'm sorry. Oh, yes. Since many in a row, I forgot. You're good. At this time, I'll open the public hearing. Seeing and hearing none, I will close the public hearing.

New business item number seven, an ordinance vacating a general easement located at block three, lot 18 of Fairfield addition of the city of Bentonville, Arkansas, Benton County, Arkansas, VAC 26-0031. Second.

Motion and a second. Any other discussion? Roll call, please.

Hook. Yes. Sanchez. Yes. Patterson. Yes. Acree. Yes. Seba. Suter. Yes. Grover. Yes. Burkhart.

Yes.

Okay.

Items 8, 9, and 10, we're on consent. So we will go to item number 11, which is the ordinance to approve a waiver of bid for change order number one to IFB-26-33 for Mastic-Zill.

New business item number 11, an ordinance authorizing the mayor and city clerk to waive competitive bidding and approve change order number one to the existing contract. Innovative Roadway Solutions LLC was the only competitive bidder under IFB-26-33 Mastic Seal in the amount of $140,217.42, providing for the emergency clause and for other purposes. Second. Motion and a second. Any other discussions?

I just had one question on the ceiling, not that I don't approve of this change, but I noticed some around the area where I do live and I'm familiar with the issues with the roads and I noticed that Southwest Ellington that we have here stopped short of going another two blocks. And we have a lot of grass and a lot of stuff and separation in the roads and there's grass growing up in the middle of the street and we at least need to, we might want to look at sealing those cracks, burning the grass out, all the gutter lines are this tall between the gutter and the asphalt and And all the little cracks that's not been sealed is about that tall as well. So if we're going through that Ellington, you might look and maybe even just seal the cracks so the winter doesn't get down in there and break it up more.

Gladly take that answer and see what other maintenance needs to be taken care of before Mastix Hill.

You're coming down that area. I can see you moving through that area, but maybe burning that off and just sealing the cracks to get through winter on the other half of that that flock or street?

We typically don't seal the crack between the edge of the gutter line and the pavement. So it is something that we can seek some additional advice on from third party, which we've actually kind of been touched base on some of that anyway. So we can revisit that for sure. But currently we do not practice that for crack sealing.

The weeds are just growing where you have the cracks in the asphalt, they're growing up through there and it expands each winter because now it allows more stuff in and then expansion. So if you're going to get all the way down there, you might look at it just to follow. We will. Thank you.

Do we have a motion and a second? Do we have a motion and a second?

Well, I motioned that.

I missed it.

I'm sorry. OK. OK. There's a motion by .. Okay. All right.

Okay. Sorry. Thank you. I missed that. Okay.

A roll call, please.

Sanchez? Yes. Patterson? Yes. Acree? Yes. Seba? Yes. Souter? Yes. Grover? Yes. McCart? Yes. Hook?

Yes. Section 5 emergency clause. The need to make this purchase is immediate and an emergency is hereby declared to exist and this ordinance shall be in full force and effect from the date of its passage and approval.

Second, roll call, please. Patterson? Yes. Acree? Yes. Seba? Yes. Sutter? Yes. Grover? Yes. Burkhart? Yes. Hook? Yes.

Sanchez? Yes. Items 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19 were on the agenda. So we did not have utility boards. So we'll go to planning item number one, which is a rezoning from T2.1, rural, to T5.2, town center, high.

Planning item number one, an ordinance changing real estate in the city of Bentonville, Arkansas from its present zoning classification of T2.1 rural to T5.2 town center high and for their purposes. Project number RZ26-0030. Second.

I just wanted to, it says that there was public comment received in the packet. There's just one that says no objection. Was that the only public comment that was received? Okay. Yes. Thank you.

OK. Is there a motion and a second? Yes. Any other discussion?

Acri? Yes. Teva? Yes. Souter? Yes. Grover? Yes. Burkhart? Yes. Hook? Yes. Sanchez? Yes. Patterson?

Yes. Okay, with that, can I get a motion to adjourn from our formal voting agenda? So moved. Second. Motion second. All in favor? Aye. With that, we will go to... I know. You can tune into the forum court if you'd like at the... Oh, boy.

No.

Okay, it's on the record.

So let's go for the utility board. We didn't meet. The library board, we didn't meet. I don't have anything either.

Traffic and signage met. And one of the first things we talked about was the Spooky Spirit Race event in October. They're expecting about 250 people. The original route was going to include the Bentonville Community Center. And that's a busy place for them that time of year. So we tabled it, get a new route developed. We also talked about a race from Kohler, from the Bentonville Library to Kohler. And we approved that with discussions with Hattie to make sure that they worked all the details out with her. Run Bentonville in June 26th, 5K. And then we did approve a Goblin Run at Dave Peel Park. in a lifetime event for 1,000 plus people that we're still working on. So a lot of events going on. And it might be since we've got event software now and we've started to change a little bit on how we look at things, we might need to reconsider the role of the traffic and signage. That's it.

Airport Board did not meet. Art meets on Thursday, and we are going on a field trip. So excited about that. I don't know exactly what we're going to be doing, but we'll see. I don't have anything to report.

I have a question for you in regards to the art piece that was taken down at the community center. Are we going to put something else up there? Yes.

There are currently two that we have sent to be looked at by the stakeholders to kind of see what really speaks to them in the Indian community. Oh, no.

Is that the one you're talking about? No, because you're talking about the cricket.

Sorry, the knitted. Oh, are there any, are there any, like, Well, that was just a, that was, sorry, I'm, That was just a short-term exhibit. And so we don't have anything else going up right now. But it was a really incredible thing that brought a lot of joy to the community. So we can definitely talk about something else. That was cool.

I understand we also have a new airport manager that everybody's really happy with. I can't wait to meet her. And so.

I've heard some great things about her. Mayor can talk more about her, but I met her a couple of weeks ago and I was actually really excited when Mayor said that she had been hired because she seems really sharp.

I got her bio and it was just, and I talked to Brian. as well, Head Cochran, who's sharing all the escalades. So, well, good pick, I think.

Diving right in and getting it going. So her first name is Catherine. She's going to office upstairs since planning to move out and legal's getting ready to be up there with her. But she's on site at the airport a good portion of the day, and then she offices up here. So I think she's going to be really good. She's been...

It's from Connecticut.

We won't go on the helicopter pilot and all sorts of I mean, I think it's great.

I think board's excited to see that both procurement background and she's pilot. She's got all the aviation that she's got aviation. So it was a good somehow it was a good fit that we get.

I don't have anything. Nothing for me.

tree and landscape meets this coming Thursday. So I don't have anything other than to say compliment to Parks and Rec and DBI and, or not DBI, but like our staff and everybody with the fireworks. I got a lot of positive feedback from the organization, for the organizing and just, just this show. So, yeah.

And the event at Safe Field Park.

That's where I was thinking of DBI. Yeah.

That's it. I know it was a little bit of a scramble to get it done for what we wanted it to be done for. And it looks so incredible. It doesn't look like it was a scramble. I can tell you that. It's been there for forever and So they just did an amazing job.

They gave us a good deadline to get the project done. So they landed it. So it was good. It was a really good weekend from first Friday to 4th of July fireworks and to that event. Busy weekend for the city, but it was good.

Can we go back to the library for a minute?

Yes. Oh, you know what? You do have an update. Did you see Hattie's?

Yes.

Okay. I was like, I just send it. Okay. I'm going to give that to you here.

Due to popularity, an additional baby story time is now offered. The babies are very much ready. Twins and teenagers are learning how to prepare, how to cook healthy snacks as part of the offering of food prepared by the, or in agreement with the school district. So now they are being educated on how to prepare healthy snacks. Good. Good. The maker space is frequently full with workshops and patrons that are working over there. Patrons over 50 years old are attending special lectures and crafts by the library and the adult recreation in coordination with the recreation center. So everything is going not just good, but superly fantastic.

I spoke to someone at the State Peel opening and she was saying that when she was finished working out at the adult recreation center, she came down and she was sitting by the fireplace area was another lady there who was even older than her she said which was funny and she said that she started chatting with her and she said i used to never get leave my house and i was just stuck at home and now i have this and i'm coming every day and getting me out and active and so i've had the same experience sitting in that little coffee area just talking to veterans and so people are really

are loving the, I mean, the workout piece is great, but the socialization piece of it, and the director of theirs is doing an amazing job with programs, and so it's really good.

Excellent.

I have one thing to bring up quickly.

Sure. Can we put, and I talked to David about this, and he's on board, but maybe just to reinforce, we put a sign out at Dave Thiel saying that Playground is coming.

Yeah, so there is a sign over on the other piece, but okay. You want to put one up on?

In the new part, yeah.

Yeah. Playground is coming. Okay. Or just look right there that it's being built.

Is that what you're saying? Just a picture. Just put it up.

We'll do that. We'll do that. Yeah, I know. We've gotten... We want everybody to know that it is coming. Yeah.

Okay.

I'll remind them. We can also... we're gonna maybe work with some of the businesses that can put some on the sort of the netting around the fence. So I think they're working with some businesses.

Yeah, we've got a couple pictures. Let's just get them up.

Yep, okay. The screen on.

Yeah.

Okay, the only other thing I have is we do have the 250th art project. So seventh through 12th graders. I have some handouts on that, but if y'all want to stop by or run upstairs with me, I'll give those to you. You can hand those out. We're going to hopefully work again as the schools get back in session to get the artwork class, and it will be displayed in the library.

It got extended to older students. grades, they still, it was so late in the school year that it didn't get enough participation. And so the extension is, is into, I think, October.

And I think there's going to be working with the library and stuff to do some more activation around it to get that work in. So, all right.

Well, that's it. All right, we're in 30 minutes.

Y'all want to go play some pickleball? So that's going to be my incentive. Y'all go then, we can go play pickleball.

Already, they're stacked, wrapped, and packed over. Yeah, I know.

Yeah, okay. Yeah.

All right.

What are we going to do now? We're going to go home.

We're going to go home.

Brackets, we'll go do pickleball. If you dress like a cow, you get projected. Till seven.

Till seven. Put some spots on.

You really don't have to.