Board of Directors - Regular Meeting

Hey, hey, hey. Jack. Okay.

Jack. Hey. Hey. Heat. Heat. N. dance.

Good afternoon. I want to welcome everyone to the city of Little Rock board of directors agenda meeting for the March 31st, 2026 um meeting. That's our opportunity to review the agenda for our April 7th meeting. Uh before we get started, I'm going to ask uh that Miss Fran Lion please uh approach the podium as we uh recognize her for her many years of public service. Let's give her a round of applause as we close. Members of the members of the city board, Miss Fran line has uh been with the city of Little Rock for quite some time. Long enough. I won't I don't want to say the wrong number of years. Uh but she started when she was 12. Um and we just can't believe that she has the time, but she says she may have the scars to prove that she's been here this long. Uh but we're so grateful uh for her tenure, her time, her talents that she's given to the city of Little Rock. Uh she's the epitome of a public servant. Uh she always steps in to get things done. She's innovative and we're just so grateful for you. And before we allow you to speak, I want Susan uh to give some words because she can be a bit more have a lot more commentary than me. Um it's not a comedy show. I know you guys go back. So, but but Susan,

thank you. Thank you, mayor, and thank you, board. It uh gives me a great deal of privilege and pleasure to recognize my colleague, Fran Lion. Uh she has been in this industry for more than 46 years. Uh 10 of which have been at the Little Rock Zoo, and the accolades are a lot. She has done some pretty amazing things. One of which is to release bongo into the wild in Kenya. She has handraised gorillas. She has handraised cheetahs. She has been at many institutions such as the Dallas Zoo and other zoos and then making her home at the Little Rock Zoo where she has been absolutely remarkable as a leader for our organization. Her leadership has been impeccable as a project manager. Without her leadership, we would not have been able to do some of the amazing things we've done such as open wonderful new exhibits such as the Angolan Calibus exhibit, our new conservation learning center, our new Komodo exhibit, the new hidden corners exhibit, and she was instrumental in one of the largest projects that we have ever done, which is the construction of our brand new bond project. She has also been dedicated to animal wellness and well-being. But what Fran will tell you is that it's also all about the guest. And that is something that she has preached over and over again is that it is always about the guest and the guest coming first. And that is something that we will carry with us throughout the time. And that is something that she has left as a legacy for us at the Little Rock Zoo. I am humbled. I am pleasure. It gives me it gives me my pleasure to be able to say that she is a fantastic, outstanding, wonderful employee of the Little Rock Zoo and she will be greatly missed. So with that, Fran Lion.

And before Fran speaks, we want to make certain you know how much we appreciate you.

Thank you, Mayor. I don't do this well. I'm behind the scenes. Um Susan's always been the face of the Little Rock Zoo. Um since I got here and I like that. It makes me happy to be in the background and to work with the team. Uh some of which are behind my right shoulder. Thank you very much. Um it's been a pleasure. It's been a pleasure. Um, and I'm so proud that we were able to do what we've done with the bond money. Um, I think that everybody from the city of Little Rock and around Arkansas will be very impressed by the time that project is finished. I'm sorry I couldn't stay uh for it to get finished, but 46 years is enough.

Thank you, Mayor. Thank you. Thank you. I do this so well.

Let me get to see Frank.

Oh yeah. lunch tomorrow. All right, members of the board, um, any questions on the consent agenda? I know Director Web doesn't have her hand, but she told me earlier she was trying to leave. All right. I don't see anything on the consent agenda. Anything on items item 10 or through 15?

Did you talk to Director Web about that? I did not. I know. See, I thought she was whispering you a vessel. Oh, okay. Never mind. Mayor, uh, uh, Brad, this just this kind of a general question and not necessarily related to this project. Yes, sir. But if I understood it correctly, because they're doing seven is the reason why they needed the PRD. Correct. That if it was six, they wouldn't need it.

I believe that there are two entities working together to put this. So you have CDC on that owns one property, two moons that owns the other properties. So I think that to maximize the entire area to be able to have the the entrance right down there in the middle shared drive, I believe that's the reason for the plan development. Okay. Okay. And and I guess you may have answered this, but the second question is for a planned development, if it's a multifamily unit like a duplex or quadlex, is that considered one unit or is that four units if it's a quadlex? If it's quadplex, it's four units. It's considered four units for the planned development.

Yep. Yes, sir. So, this is So, this would be a seven units. Seven unit plan development. So, I believe there are three uh single family homes and then there would be a uh either two two duplex structures or a quadlex building. Does that still And if the answer is yes, I'm not trying to lead you anywhere, but does that still make sense from from a code standpoint that if we're treating that a quadlex as four separate units that you would need a plan development? Say if you had two quad places next to each other, you would need a plan development, right? And you couldn't just use your R4 original zone. A lot of times you're not being able to fit within the setbacks. Okay. For that. So,

so it doesn't really matter. Yeah. So, so you would need to do a plan development and it also just depends on what the underlying zoning was for that too that you would need a plan development to Okay. And what I'm getting at obviously always want to encourage development and if there's a way to streamline the process where a developer or owner didn't have to go through a planned development to get more residential houses in Little Rock. Yeah. Then to me that should be the goal. But if Right. Yeah. I think this doesn't really work. Yeah. I think this this is a really good way to do that. Okay. I I haven't seen two entities come together to do residential developments like this. Okay. So it's good. That's all I that's all I had. mayor that like I said it was just general not about that particular project but it was a good example for my question.

Thank you so much Director Phillips. Any more questions on items 11 through 15? All right. And we'll do the evaluation of both the city manager and city attorney next week during executive session as u part of the ordinance. Any more questions going? Director. Um, Chief Hover. Yes, sir. I just wanted to know if anybody any members of the board had any questions on the less than $50,000. All right. Thank you. All right. Director Acock.

Yes. Ashley had said that these was at our desk and she needs them returned today if possible. So, if you'll just pull it out and sign it and give it back to her. I'll just leave it here on our desk. Thank you. Thank you so much, Director Dad Cop. All right. See no other questions. Me being a journ