Board of Directors - Regular Meeting

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Good evening. I would like to welcome everyone and call to order our March 3rd, 2026 Little Rock City Board of Directors meeting. We would like to welcome those in attendance as well as those watching at home or streaming online. Madame clerk, if you would please call the role. Director Miller, Director Richardson, Director Webb, Director Peek, here. Director Hines, Director Lewis, Director Compus,

Director Phillips, Director Adcock, Vice Mayor Hyrick, Mayor Scott here. Uh, we'll now have an invocation from Director Andrea Lewis. this entire board, please empty us of ourselves and fill us with your spirit so that we may do the work for all residents in this city that glorifies you according to your will. Amen. Amen. Amen. May

please stand for the pledge of allegiance. I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. All right. Um, we'll have a presentation from our parks and uh or brief presentation for our sister cities commission.

Good evening, Mayor Scott and members of the board. Um, thank you for this opportunity. I am Margie Verando. I am a Little Rock Sister Cities Commissioner and I'm here today to introduce quickly um the delegation from Sicily. We're here for a week. Um they're here because we are meeting with universities, with local uh food producers and food security um agencies. We're trying to do exchange of information. Starting in 2027, we'll have a formal way to exchange both students and faculty between Little Rock and Anna uh Sicily. So, we're really excited about the growth. Uh, we became a sister city friendship uh two years ago in June, as you know, uh, mayor. And so, we're really excited because we're we're formalizing many of the different activities that we were planning to do with Sicily. I'm going to just turn it over to one person who's going to explain who everybody is and we're just going to take one minute to do this. It's good.

Good evening. Uh, thank you for the invitation. Uh we are glad to be here tonight is the first time in leader rock for us. I represent the delegation from composer from researcher and professor from university of Palmo and researcher from the crea. RA is the council, national council for agricultural research and economics in Italy is the biggest research center in agriculture and uh we organized this trip together with uh your support uh to know uh how your agricultural model is working. Yesterday and today we had a great meeting in the university extension service. Uh today we have been on the field. We had also other meeting and uh for us is a great opportunity to know how our campus uh and agricultural and extension service work and I think we are building the base uh to cooperate in the future and to exchange not only students but also knowledge. Thank you very much and uh have a good work.

Thank you and we're grateful for the relationship and thank you for this opportunity. Thank you for inviting us. Appreciate it. Thank you, Director Web. We'll now have Leland Couch and Quinton Whitide. Uh oh, it's just Oh, the chair [laughter] says tell He didn't need you. All right. That's right.

All right. Can y'all see the screen here? Let's see if it working. Oh, is this working? Oh, okay. I think it I think it's working. So, my name is Quinton Whiteside. I'm the chair of the parks and recck commission and I'm here to do a 2025 year in review. Uh first you can see there's our mission and vision statement. This is what guides our strategic activities throughout the park. Uh some some of the things that we're proud of this year and recreation includes major capital improvements at Dunar where we put on a new roof. We also added uh redid the gyms and um renovated the weight room. Some other things we're excited about are the grand reopening of the West Central Ballfield. I think many of y'all attended that. We also had gym daily fitness and aquatic center was up uh 61% with attendance from 2024 to 2025. Also, we held several special events at our uh locations and we had 923 campers attend the uh park's summer day camp this year, an increase of 14% from 2024. Uh resman tennis attendance was up and we were able to complete the renovations at uh Resmond Golf Pro Shop and Mulligan's Grill. Uh the parks and recck team this year was award-winning. uh we were able to uh or they were able to get the star-studded afterchool and banquet event and the outdoor facility of the year in the Rebsman tennis center. Also, we had the young professional of the year in Christian Robolis. The operations team was busy. Uh we had ribbon cutings at Kuanas Park in Western Hills. We also were able to repave the Two Rivers Trail and start construction on the senior center, which I know everyone is excited about. Our

operations team was busy with uh two events, the operation impact which allowed the entire uh maintenance and construction crews to work two full days on one park. And this year they worked on a reservoir park and also more heart park. Um the team uh we're proud of the team at Parks and Recre for continuing their professional development by obtaining several different certifications um including certified tourism ambassador and a um certified arborist. Uh we're continuing to be align to uh work within our budget. Um you can see here where we have worked to closely align our priorities with our spending. there. We were able to put ourselves in a better position at the end of 2025 to address year-end needs and plan ahead for 2026. Uh we're very proud of the uh coalition and growing of strong volunteers. Uh we hosted three major volunteer events um including Impact the Rock which we focused on Benny Craig and Relief Rock Creek Trail. Also we hosted National Public Lands Day at Hyman Park. I know everyone's excited about the marathon. I don't have the 2026 numbers, but I do have the 2025 and the races were up 4% compared to 2024. And we are very proud of our marketing team this year. They put a strong focus in social media. Hope everyone here is following them. We were able to get the uh news out about different events going on throughout the park throughout the year. Uh this is the commission what I serve on. Um we held several meetings throughout the year monthly and we also went on three outings where we visited MacArthur Park. We went to West Central Community Center and went to the ballpark and went through the gym and we

rode bikes at Boil Park. So 2025 was not without its challenges. Um we do face uh limited budgets um deferred maintenance and we're always trying to uh get out with community engagement and we are limited in our uh new amenities that we are able to invest in. However, we face all those challenges head on and are always looking for innovative solutions and strengthening partnerships. Um so so that's it. Anybody have any questions?

Mr. Whiteside, thank you so much for your leadership. Grateful for all you guys do. And also a shout out to uh the parks and recreation team and the Little Rock Marathon Committee, particularly uh Geneva Lamb uh and the whole entire team. We're so grateful for them as well as LRPD, LRFD, MIMS 911. Truly a team effort and and a a slew of uh volunteers and so we on behalf of City of Little Rock, city board and I are very grateful and share our appreciation to all involved.

Well, thank you. Thank you. All right. Uh we have five modification for today's agenda. We got M1 U M2 M3 deferral of item number eight u until March 17th and withdrawal of item number 16. Is there a motion? There's a motion. Second. All those f please say I. Those post say nay. Eyes have it. Madam clerk, if you would please read the consent agenda along with M1, M2, and M3.

A resolution to amend Lit Rock, Arkansas resolution number 16,690 to authorize a city manager to enter into a one-year contract extension with the Griffin Group LLC and an amount not to exceed $80,2680048 for ride-of-way mowing and trimming within the city of Little Rock, Arkansas, and for other purposes. A resolution to amend Little Rock, Arkansas resolution number 16,691 to authorize a city manager to enter into a one-year contract extension with Griffin Group LLC in an amount not to exceed $77,866.35 for the rideaway mowing and trimming within the city of Little Rock, Arkansas. I am further purposes. A resolution authorizes city manager to enter into a contract with Bulls Construction Incorporated in an amount not to exceed 301,632.76 for the 36th Street sidewalk project and for other purposes. A resolution authorizes city manager to enter into a contract with Curtis Construction Incorporated in an amount not to exceed 3,293,426.75 cents for the West Four Street Drainage and Street Improvements Project and for other purposes. A resolution authorizes city manager to enter into a contract with Gene Summers Construction Incorporated in an amount not to exceed $220,00086 oh I'm sorry 220,886 and40 cents for the 44th Street and Welen Avenue drainage project and further purposes. A resolution [snorts] authorizes city manager to enter into a contract with TLS Group Incorporated doing business as TLS Construction Group in an amount not to exceed 1,759,14.80 for the CPRG Street light conversion project and for other purposes. A resolution authorizes city manager to enter into a contract with Castillo Concrete Pool and Spa Incorporated, an amount not to exceed $220,290

for the city hall retaining wall project and for other purposes. A resolution authorizes city manager to enter into a contract with Greenway Equipment Incorporated an amount not to exceed $229,6245 plus applicable taxes and fees for the purchase of one new 4227L model John Deere Alamo boom mower and for other purposes. A resolution authorizes city manager to enter into a contract with Mclarde Ford in amount not to exceed $63,725 plus applicable taxes and fees for the purchase of one new 2026 Ford F350 crew cab 4x4 chassis truck and further purposes. A resolution authorized the mayor to enter into a contract with the Clifton Family LLP and Clifton Land Company LLC for the purchase of approximately 42 acres of land for use by the Little Rock Port Authority for economic prospect recruitment and for other purposes. A resolution authorizes city manager to approve the city's United States Department of Transportation of Parks, heritage, and tourism for the development of the downtown urban corridor trail infrastructure and further purposes. The resolution authorizes city manager to enter into a contract with the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration to accept 51,62494 cents and grant funds from the victim justice and assistance program violence against women formula grant number 16,588 to subsidize funding for a dedicated LRPD domestic violence detection position detective position with the Little Rock Police Department and other purposes. A resolution expressing the willingness of the city of Little Rock, Arkansas to implement a road diet on Cumberland Street from President Clinton Avenue to East Third Street when future special capital funding is identified and for other purposes. A resolution to authorize a settlement of a civil service appeal to reinstate two fire captains and one engineer to provide for combined payment of $976,000 in total to the plaintiffs Charles

Phillips, Bradley Tubs, and Patrick Pitts. And for their purposes, that concludes the consent agenda. That's a motion and second before we carry the vote. Uh, Director Webb and then we'll have uh, Mr. Buckley O'Neal speak. Thank you, Mayor Scott. I have a couple of questions about 11 and I don't know if that's what he's speaking to. No. Okay. Um, so I guess I'm not sure who I'm asking the questions of, but on item number 11. Yes. Um, do we have a prospect or is there a prospect for this um property?

Yes, we got a a number of different prospects for this particular property. And are they covered under are there non-disclosure agreements? And so we're not going to find out like who they are or at this point um there's not a non-disclosure agreement. there a number of different people looking at this particular property and so that's the reason why we're doing it. Uh and so um I can get you those names offline I don't mind [snorts] and and since we don't know since we're kind of in this they're kind of competing.

Okay. Um let me let me just ask one more because in the resolution it says that they're doing a fa that that the sale is contingent on phase one of uh then environmental study and if uh I mean I I think there are a lot of folks who would like to know depending on what happens in that phase one um you know what happens when it goes to phase two and as are there will there be opportunities for residents to weigh in um if they have concern concerns about what

the only way residents would weigh in if we were changing the um the uh planning status. So if it's bought under a certain planning status and it's not requiring a zone planning zone change, that's when the residents are are um involved. If it's within the zoning um regulation, then that wouldn't happen. Okay. Thank you. But I I'll get with you offline. All right, Mr. O'Neal.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Uh, board members, I'm Buckley Mill with the Little Rock Regional Chamber. And since 2012, our young professionals organization called Create Little Rock, along with a separate nonprofit called Studio Main, made up mostly of architects and other design professionals have partnered on a number of Pop-Up in the Rock projects uh throughout town. That's kind of the brand that we use for our joint projects, Pop-Up in the Rock. very first one was in Soma back when it was four lanes of traffic. If it's uh it's hard to to even remember that being four lanes back then and and a lot of empty storefronts. We converted it to two lanes of traffic for a period of two weeks along with bike lanes and a a median uh with turn lanes and luckily the uh city went forward uh after that project and made it permanent and it's certainly thriving today. Another notable pop-up project was in 2018 when we did a project in Stiff Station along Markham, pretty much between where Oyster Bar is at Woodlon all the way to where US is at Pine and Cedar. And that was a two-month demonstration taking it down to two lanes and a turn lane. And thank you uh for your support of turning that into a a permanent uh uh change that I know y'all have approved funding for as well. So for 2025, we gave a similar treatment to a stretch of Cumberland, took it from the four lanes that exist today down to two lanes and a turn lane uh at certain uh at the intersections and then extending the sidewalks in the hopes that it demonstrated that a traffic uh the reduced traffic there road diet works because you don't have all of the traffic coming off the interstate the way that you used to. And luckily over uh that period of time, it showed that it does in fact work. And so we're just here to support uh this resolution uh on behalf of Studio Main and create Little Rock and thank you for your consideration.

Thank you. Any questions? All those in favor please say I. Oppose say nay. Eyes have it. Madam uh we actually we'll go into business communication. Miss Sherry Enoch.

Good evening everyone. Um, my name is Sheri Enick. I'm a uh current resident of Pakan Lake. I'm also a commissioner on our improvement district. Uh, I just wanted to take a second to voice my discontent with the with us being taken off of the agenda this evening. I just noticed that. Um, and uh I'm not exactly sure why and I don't know if that can be explained or or what, but this has been taken this has taken some time. Uh I've been personally in conversation with uh Attorney Carpenter and was thinking that uh we would have some type of resolution on this uh some resolve on uh this resolution 16839 uh is put our uh improvement district at a stalemate because we don't know who the valid commissioners are. Uh we're supposed to per the um transparency uh um last act, we're supposed to have uh meetings uh each quarter. Uh which means that we should have a meeting by the end of this month, which we cannot because again, it hasn't been determined who the the the existing commissioners are in my opinion. So we we shouldn't be having a meeting. Uh so I'm just requesting that there is some uh expeditious speedy resolve to this issue so we can go ahead and uh take care of the business at hand.

Yes. I believe uh attorney Carpenter or one of his team members can maybe give you some more intel. Not intel, more um information. Okay. All right, madame clerk, if you please read the grouped items for the first time.

An ordinance to approve a plain zoning development to establish a plane commercial development titled Axe Senior Village PCD located at the southeast corner of John Barrow Road on West 40th Street, City of Little Rock, Arkansas. Amending the official zoning map of the city of Little Rock, Arkansas. And for other purposes, an ordinance to amend the land use plan map in the Chanel planning district and Pinnacle Planning District for portions of the southeast, Northeast, and Northwest intersection of Canrol Road and Lam Marsh Drive from transition residential low density and park open space to commercial park open space and mixed use and for other purposes. An ordinance to reclassify property located in the city of Little Rock, Arkansas, amending the official zoning map of the city of Little Rock, Arkansas, and for other purposes. first reading.

There's a motion in second. All those in favor, please say I. I. All post say nay. Eyes have it. Second reading. An ordinance to approve a plan zoning development to establish a plan commercial development titled Axe Senior Village PCD. An ordinance to amend the land use plan map in the Chanel planning district and the P pinnacle planning district and for portions of the southeast northeast and northwest intersection of Canel Road and Lamar Drive from transition residential low density and park open space to commercial park open space and mixed use. An ordinance to reclassify property located in the city of Little Rock, Arkansas, amending the official zoning map of the city of Little Rock, Arkansas and further purposes. Second reading. Move to suspend the rules in place on third and final reading.

Second. Um, that's a motion and a second. All those in favor, please say I. I. Oppos. Eyes have a third and final reading. An ordinance to approve a plan zoning development to establish a plan commercial development titled Axe Senior Village PCD. An ordinance to amend the land use plan map in the Chanel planning district and Pinnacle Planning District for portions of the southeast, Northeast, and Northwest intersection of Caner Road and Lamar Drive from transition residential low density and park open space to commercial park open space and mixed use. An ordinance to reclassify property located in the city of Little Rock, Arkansas, amending the official zoning map of the city of Little Rock, Arkansas, and for other purposes. Third and final reading.

Members of the board, we've had three readings. Are there any questions? Are there any questions? Are there any questions? All those in favor, please say I. I. Oppose say nay. Eyes have it. I'm now going to open the public hearing for item number 17. Madame clerk, if you would please read item uh for the first time. An ordinance to abandon and vacate certain public rights of way, including a portion of West 41st Street, a portion of Longo Street, and portions of two alleys located near the southeast corner of John Barrow Road and West 40th Street in the city of Little Rock, Arkansas. And for other purposes, first reading.

There's a motion. Is there a second? I most favor please say I oppos nay eyes have second reading an ordinance to abandon and vacate certain public rights of way including a portion of west 40 first street a portion of long koy street and a portion of two alleys located near the southeast corner of John Barrow road and west 40th street second reading the rules in place on third and final reading there's a motion and second all those f please say I post say nay eyes have it third and final reading

an ordinance to abandon and vacate certain public rights of way including a portion of West 40 41st Street, a portion of Longoy Street, and a portion of two alleys located near southeast corner of John Barrow Road and West 40th Street. Third and final reading for We have a question from Director Miller. All right, seeing no questions, I'm going to now uh close the hearing. All those in favor, please say I close. Eyes have it. Now we're going to open the hearing for item number 18. Madam clerk, if you will please read the item for the first time.

An ordinance to create the Chanel Valley and Municipal Property Owners Multi-purpose Improvement District number 2026-00001 to establish the boundaries thereof to appoint commissioners and for their purposes first reading. Move suspend the rules in place on second reading. Second there's a motion and second. All those in favor please say I. All oppose say nay. Eyes have it. An ordinance to create the Chanel Valley Municipal Property Owners Multi-Purpose Improvement District number 2026 J 001 to establish the boundaries thereof to appoint commissioners and further purposes. Second reading motion suspend the rules of place on third and final reading. Second.

There's a motion and second. All those in favor please say I. I. Post say nay. Eyes have it. Third and final reading. An ordinance to create the Chanel Valley Municipal Property Owners Multi-Purpose Improvement District number 2026-00001 to establish the boundaries thereof to appoint commissioners and for their purposes. Third and final reading. Members of the board, we've had three readings. Are there any questions? Are there any questions? I'll now close the hearing. All those in favor, please say I. I. Close. Eyes have it. Any qu any questions for the order before we adjourn? Mr. Mayor, may I ask you a question?

Uh, you can ask. Uh, that's not not in proper order right now. Uh, but we can talk immediately afterwards. Kind of want to talk to board on item 16. You just flew over. Uh, 16 was withdrawn. That's what Miss Enick uh spoke to earlier. You can visit with the city attorney. He he can shed some more light. Any questions? Any questions? All right. Director Wh.

Thank you, Mayor Scott. Two quick announcements. One from the sustainability office. Everybody got the nomination forms for the sustain the rock awards. We would love to get some nominations in individual business or group and Saturday is the first recycle day of the year from 9 to 12 in the parking lot at the zoo. All right. Bring your old TVs and microwaves and paper. Paper. Glass. Glass.

Recycle. Reuse. Reuse. Close the loop. Quinn got that. I hope you got that right. Okay. [laughter] Even director Hines got it. All those uh meeting. Thank you, Director Hind. Is there a second? All those f please say I. Post say nay. I have meet a journey.