City Council - Regular Meeting

What is That was that be okay. Was it? Welcome ladies and gentlemen to uh the Thursday March 19th 2026 full council meeting. At this point in time I will ask Mr. Larry Gulick to come to the podium. He is going to pray for us. As soon as he gets done praying if you would please remain standing for a 30 minute uh or 30 second I say that guys 30 second moment of silence. I say that all the time and then remain standing with the uh uh pledge of allegiance. All right, that's pretty short minute there, Fred. Yeah.

Father in heaven, want to thank you for uh I personally thank you for Russellville, Arkansas, and all it's meant to me. It's been a wonderful place to live, raise my family. I thank you for uh the uh workers on this that I call it the Russellville team, every street worker, every clerk, everybody that uh puts in an effort to make Russell such a great place. And I thank you specifically for this leadership team here, the council members, uh Mayor Teague, and I just ask you to bless them with uh a great spirit of cooperation and favor as they continue to work together to to continue to make Russville such a a wonderful place to live in Jesus name. Amen.

If you remain standing for 30 If you would join me for the pledge of

allegiance. Pledge allegiance to the flag, the United States of America, to the republic it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. You may be seated. Thank you, Mr. Gulick. All right, Miss Can we get a roll call? Yes, sir. Mr. George here. Miss Wetzel here. Miss Young here. Mr. Olsson here. Mr. Bradley here. Mr. Pearson here. Mr. Gray here. Mr. Keller here. Mayor Te here. Mr. Smith I.

And myself. You have a quorum. All right. Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, have you had the opportunity to uh look over the minutes from the February 19th, 2026 meeting? Motion to approve. Second. Have a motion and a second to approve. All in favor? I. Any opposed? All right. Show that the minutes have been approved. This time we'll turn our attention to uh Miss Britney Baker, our finance director, who will give us our financial report.

All right. For this month's finance report, General fund revenues for February totaled 2,163,98. Of that, 1.2 million was sales tax and state turnback. 514,645 was franchise fees and permits. 393,776 was all other revenue. A tax revenue comparison. This is a year-to-ate analysis. The city for the half cent was 1,57,24761. The city's portion of the county collection was 1,259,22962. And both of those figures are a bit above what was last year and what was budgeted for this year. General fund expenditures for the month of February totaled 1,827,646. Of that 1.3 million was personnel related expenses. $474,8 was utilities and other street fund revenue for February total 1,22,797 of that 669,591 was street sales tax 274,786 was state turnback and adalorum 77,398 was interest 600 was street cutting permit 422 is all other revenue street funded expenditures for February operational expenditures total 292,87 17. Of that 175,790 were personnel related expenses. 117,027 were utilities and other capital expenses for street totaled 71,468 and that was all towards equipment. There was an asphalt roller, hand torch, horizontal bandsaw and a compressor. Street sales tax spending totaled 696,240. That was towards the south waterlue avenue sidewalk connectivity drainage maintenance pavement preservation drainage projects downtown improvements the race grant project and US64 east

pedestrian improvements state turnback street projects total 94380 that was towards our dot highway 7 project general sidewalk railroad crossing improvements and traffic signal improvements economic development funds for February revenue totaled 183,812 of that 167,398 the street sales tax 16,414 was interest expenditures total 334,195 and of that that was towards capital the hangar roof maintenance that was appropriated last year parking lot improvements at the downtown parking lot and the UPS battery backup system that was also appropriated last year below is the balances of the various economic development funds as of February the end of February and in totality those funds equal 53803927 Capital asset fund February revenue was $398 all of which was interest February expenditure sold 12,322 that was network infrastructure below a breakdown of the onecent sales tax. This was inception in 2021. It was renewed in 2026. This is what's received, what's been spent, the balances of each of those four funds. In totality, it's 22,199,176 and nonsense. If there are no questions, that concludes the finance report.

Thank you, Mr. Baker. Appreciate you so much. All right, moving on to the mayor's report. Got a couple things here. We uh have a consideration to reappoint Suzanne Alfred Hodgeges to the historic commission and appointments of Dr. Jason Warick and Michael Allensson as new commissioners. Motion to approve. Second. Have a motion in a second. Any discussion? All in favor? I.

Any opposed? All right. Item two. Uh you should have received a copy of the legislative joint audit committee review for the city of Russville uh as updated December 31st of 2024. And I will need a roll call to show that everyone has received this document. Okay. Uh can I do two and three together, Mr. uh Smith? Do it separately. Just have a separate roll call. Okay. I have a question about the the findings for the legislative audit. Um, can you explain the the part that they said was question they had questions?

Miss Baker, he's has a question about your the legislative audit findings. Mr. Mr. Pearson, uh, what what was your specific question? Um, that there was there was a part that they said that we weren't following uh, the best standards. Yes.

And that was that was the whole basis of that finding. That's right. Okay. I thought that was the case because I'd researched a little bit and I I kind of thought that was it, but I just wanted to make sure. He's a much better explanation than I would have guessed. So, yeah. Paul's like, "Yeah, exactly." Yeah. Okay. So, we take a roll call on the uh legislative audit. Okay. Mr. G, Mr. George, yes. Miss Wetszel, yes. Miss Young, yes. Mr. Olsen, yes. Mr. Bradley, yes. Mr. Pearson, yes. Mr. Gray, yes. Mr. Keller, yes. Okay, they've all received a copy.

All right. Thank you. Moving on. Item three, City of Rville, Arkansas Department of Federal Funds, Assistance Program, Financial Statements, and Supplemental Information, December 31st, 2022. Roll call to show that everyone has received this document. All right. Mr. George, yes. Miss Wetzel, yes. Miss Young. Yes. Mr. Olsen. Yes. Mr. Bradley. This is the federal one. The second document that I sent out. Yes, that's correct. Uh, okay. Mr. Bradley. Yes. Mr. Pearson? Yes. Mr. Gray? Yes. Mr. Keller? Yes.

Okay.

All right. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. All right. At this point in time, we will have a departmental report with Mr. Mike Berner from animal control. Mayor, council, thank you for giving me this time to give the 2025 report. In 2025, we responded to a total of 800 1863 calls. 290 of those were afterhour calls. We received 297 dogs, 170 were adopted, 16 sent to rescue groups, 37 were fostered, and 86 were returned owners. We received 157 cats. Of those, 77 were adopted, five sent to rescues, and 41 of the feral cats were adopted into barns as barn cats. And that's all I really have for you tonight, except for a little slideshow, unless there's any questions. Do those numbers include the calls and texts from me to you?

Yes, they do.

Feral cat problem in your neighborhood. I guess I can't get this thing. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you so much, Mike, for you and your team and all you do. Uh we genuinely appreciate it. It's a That's a labor of love for sure. Mike, how long you've been doing that? 38 years. 38 years. That's a long time, folks. I don't I don't know that that's that's some serious dedication and we're we're grateful uh for Mr. Vernon and his team. So, uh appreciate that. All right. Uh Mr. Gray, you don't have a report this week. Actually, we did. We do.

Well, we met last week uh and approved uh item number one on the finance committee. So, I just we're going to Mr. Keller can handle that, but it was sent from the personnel committee with a motion to do with a a decision to do approve. Thank you so much for clarifying that, Mr. Gray. All right. Uh, Mr. Keller, finance committee have anything this month? Yes, sir.

Uh, good evening, everybody. Uh, from our 5:30 meeting this evening, uh, item one was consideration of a resolution authorizing the destruction of old county uh, old accounting records as authorized by ACA14-59-114. We submit item one as a motion to adopt. All right, I have a motion to adopt. All in favor? I.

Any opposed? All right, item one will move forward. Item two this evening is consideration of an ordinance approving the private club permit for Tanal Steak and Food LLC. uh required by the state private club permit alcohol application to the Arkansas alcoholic beverage control division per Arkansas code annotated 3-9-222 move we move we suspend the rules dispense with the reading requirement read the first and only time by title with short explanation

have a motion and a second on the reading all in favor I any opposed? Sir,

it's approving the city private club permit for Tanil Steak and Seafood LLC required by the state private club permit application to the Arkansas alcoholic beverage control division per ACA section 3-9-222 as amended for the purposes of warrants have passed would grant the permit applied for for a private club permit of the cities. It's required by ACA section 3-9-222 for Til Steak and Seafood LLC located at 2407 North Arkansas Avenue. Motion to adopt. Second.

Have a motion and second to adopt. Any discussion at all? All right. All in favor? I. Any opposed? All right. Now they they had requested an emergency clause if you guys want to move for that or not. They had requested it. If you don't want to move it, I understand. Is there a motion on the is there? There's there's not a motion motion. There's no motion. Okay.

Okay. uh from our meeting last Tuesday. Item one is consideration of a resolution to approve uh for approval for the police department to provide pay incentives to employees for referring police applicants that are hired by the department. We present item one is a motion to adopt. I have a motion to adopt. All in favor? Any opposed? All right. Show item one to pass.

Items two and 2 A. Item two is consideration of a resolution to authorize the mayor and the city clerk treasurer to exe execute a contract with Hard Rock Construction Incorporated to construct the recycling location uh the recycling center located at 1801 South Knoxville and to approve the appropriation ordinance for $242,000 or $242,82365. authorizing the establishment of a fund uh and new uh for the new public recycling drop off facility. Uh item 2A is that appropriation from uh capital or excuse me the economic development capital fund number 27. We present items two and 2A is a motion to adopt.

Have a motion to adopt on item two and 2 A. All in favor? I. Any opposed? Nay. Let's go ahead and get a roll call on this this roll. Sorry. No, we didn't. I messed up, didn't I? I forgot. Um, all right. Mr. Keller, yes. Uh, Mr. George, yes. Miss Wetszel, yes. Miss Young, yes. Mr. Olsen, yes. Mr. Bradley, yes. Mr. Mr. Pearson, no. Mr. Gray, yes. It's 71. All right. Thank you.

And then uh item three is consideration of a resolution to enter into basic engineering services agreement with Mlullen Consulting Engineering Incorporated for uh the airport department engineering services as author and authorizing the mayor and the city clerk treasurer to sign said set agreement. This was forwarded with no recommendation. Move that we adopt the resolution. Second. Have a motion in a second. Any discussion?

Did we talk to our local affiliates? I talked to one of our engineers. However, I still find MLEN engineers is going to be our best choice. You just Okay. And uh so just to piggyback off of something that we talked about last week, uh the current contract with Mlen as our engineering uh services provider ends this month.

So basic agreement. So there's actually uh it's an open-ended agreement. The FAA sets that time limit for us. Uh but it ends next week. So the FAA the FAA timeline for the five years be on the 23rd of this month is okay. Is next week. Okay. And if we did not have an engineering firm on file with the FAA, would that put any projects or funding from the FAA in jeopardy?

So right now we have work orders that need to be submitted by May 1st. Uh if we don't submit those by May 1st, we risk the loss of uh the bid that we actually opened today. uh we we risk the loss of the grant uh for $638,000 if we don't submit by May 1st.

Any more discussion? Just to confirm, you said you were really happy with the services you have been given with them in the past. Very okay. Very happy. And Mlullen is the only one that's aviation based. That's their expertise. It is their expertise. They have a department dedicated to solely to aviation. They also attend all of the ADA commission meetings. All of my commission meetings. Uh they have two members that are on the AAOA uh commission. They have seven others that are uh members. Uh and and now like I said, they have a entire department dedicated to aviation. that is their their sole purpose and that's what I look for uh whenever I'm looking at engineers for the airport.

So the one you didn't talk to craft and toll they have airport division as well aircraft division as well. Um and the the Barrett and Associates the other local is a pilot with plane out there at the airport that knows and has worked with FAA multiple times on different projects. But I guess that's not what you're looking for is what you're saying. Correct. We have a motion and a second. And any more discussion? All in favor? I. Any opposed?

Nope. Get a roll call for that. Just go ahead. We have it. Mr. Keller, yes. Mr. Pearson, yes. Mr. George, yes. Miss Wetszel, yes. Miss Young, yes. Mr. Earl, Mr. Bradley, yes. Mr. Gray, yes. 71. All right, Mr. Mayor, that was the last item on our agenda. Okay, yield the floor back to you.

Okay. All right. Moving into unfinished old business. Old business, not business. Um, item one is consideration of an ordinance vacating and abandoning 140 foot minimally improved section of North Jackson Avenue with an 80 foot rideway adjacent to lot 12 of block 88 and lot seven of block 89 of the JL Shin edition. This is submitted by Barrett Associates on behalf of the Clarence Harbor and Armando. We're going to leave that with Armando. Uh this is the second of three readings.

I move we suspend the rules. Dispense with the reading requirement read for the second of three readings by title with short explanation. Have a motion and a second on the reading. All in favor?

Any opposed? All right, sir. Norris vacated banning 140 foot minally improved section of North Jackson Avenue with an 80 foot ride ofway adjacent to lot 12 block 88 and lot seven of block 89 of jail shin addition to city of Russell Arkansas for other purposes this orders pass wouldate the aforementioned ride ofway at the aforementioned place as f described in the attachments abandon all city interest and easements there You're supposed to

All right, ladies and gentlemen, I I'm going to ask that we go back. Need to finish this. Oh, need to Yeah, sure. I'm sorry. Yeah, I need to finish that one first. Okay. So, then we That was just a second three. That was second three reading. So, we're done with that one, correct? Oh. All in all in favor?

We already did that. So, it was just in the reading. So, we're not going Yeah, we're not going any further. Okay. Okay. So, I would request um we did I did make a mistake on the finance from 5:30 today. Item two, we it was an ordinance and we did not take a roll call. And with it being a one of one, uh I would like to go ahead and go back and take a roll call. Miss Skelton, if you would take this once again, ladies and gentlemen, this is for item two on the 530 finance. the consideration ordinance approving the private club permit for Tenil Steak and Seafood LLC. So, if you would get a roll call on that one, I would appreciate it. Okay. Uh, who made that motion? Uh, Mr. Keller?

Yes. Mr. Bradley? Yes. Mr. George? Yes. Miss Wetszel? Yes. Miss Young? Yes. Mr. Olsen? Yes. Mr. Pearson? Yes. Mr. Gray? Yes. 8 Z.

All right. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. I apologize for overlooking that at that point in time. All right, moving on to new business. At this point in time, I will open up a public hearing. Public hearing is open. No one here to speak on this item. No one's on that. Okay. So, I will close the public hearing. All right. Public hearing is closed. So item uh 1A is consideration of an ordinance vacating uh an approximately 120 foot portion of 12 foot wide alley between lots 1 through three and lots 12 or 10 through 12 of block 8 of the Madison wide edition. This is submitted by Barrett and Associates on behalf of uh Mr. Chris Olsson. May I move we suspend the rules. Dispense with the reading requirement. Read for the first of three readings by title with short explanation. Okay. So I have a motion and a second on the U reading. All in favor?

I. Any opposed? All right. We will move forward. Sir, if you

ordinance vacating banning approximately 120 foot portion of a 12t wide alley between lots 1 through three and lots of 10 through 12 block 8 m and wide edition say Russell, Arkansas for the purposes of the swords pass would uh vacate the aforementioned portion of 12t wide alloy between the aforementioned blocks of block lots of block eight as further shown in the exhibit. I will let the record state that Mr. Olsson did abstain. All right. So, moving on to item two is consideration ordinance to amend ordinance 2052, the current solid waste ordinance for the city of Russville to clarify the underlying state authority for ordinance 2052 and to make the amendment to ordinance to 2052 retroactive to March 212009 and this is submitted by city attorney Trace Smith.

Mr. Mayor, I move we suspend the rules. Dispense with the reading requirement. Read both first and only reading the title and short explanation. Second. Have a motion in a second on the reading. All in favor? I. Any opposed? Sir.

Ord submitting ordinance number 202 to add a new section to the ordinance to make the amendment make the amendment to ordinance number 20 52 retroactive to March 9, 2009. For other purposes, this ordinance of pass would provide new amendments to the original solid waste management ordinance passed by the city in orders number 2052, which would add the authorizing legislation uh expressly within the solid waste management ordinance 2052 and also a add a section of purpose finding intent as to uh the original passage of 202. Motion to adopt.

Second. Have a motion and second to adopt. So, we'll take a roll call for all in favor. Or just take a roll call. So, you can either uh yay your name. Mr. Keller. Yes. Mr. Pearson. Yes. Mr. George. Yes. Miss Wetzel? Yes. Miss Young? Yes. Mr. Olsen? Yes. Mr. Bradley, yes. Mr. Gray, yes. 8 Z. All right. I move for to enact the emergency clause on item two. Second. Have a motion and a second on the emergency clause. All in favor?

I. Any opposed? Do we need a roll call for the emergency clause? Yeah. Yes. Let's go ahead and get a roll call on the enaction of the emergency clause. Mr. Keller. I. Mr. Gray. Yes, Mr. George. Yes, Miss Wetzel. Yes, Miss Young. Yes, Mr. Olsen. Yes, Mr. Bradley. Yes, Mr. Pearson. Yes. 8 Z. All right. So, we uh we went real fast on one A. Can we amend it? Can we not just one of one that? I mean, we've already read it once. I don't No, I don't feel No, we You said one of three.

No. Oh, I'm sorry. Yes. Okay. He wants to amend it. So, how how would we go about that, Mr. Parliamentarian? Just amend it.

So, we need a motion to bring item 1A back to the floor. Okay. I make a motion to bring item 1A back to the floor for full vote. I have a motion and a second to bring item 1A back to the floor for a vote. All in favor? I. Any opposed? Abstain. And Mr. I will Mr. Olsen abstains once more. Okay. So I will entertain a motion on item 1A at this time. I make a motion that we read by title only with a short explanation. We suspend the rule. We had suspend the rules. Read one of one time only.

Second. I have a motion and a second to suspend the rules. Read by one time only. Uh by short uh short explanation. All in favor? I. Any opposed? No. Okay. Did you say no? You said no. Okay. So, let's go ahead and do a roll call on that so that we've got Well, we we do need to do a roll call anyway. So, okay. We do. Okay. One. Mr. George, yes. Mr. Gray, yes. Mr. Keller, no. Mr. Pearson, yes. Mr. Bradley, yes. Mr. Olsen, abstained. Miss Young,

yes. Miss Wetszel, yes. And it is six. So, we have two. Okay. Okay. All right. Uh, anything else for Oh, wait just a second, Mr. Oh, yeah, we do have to read it. I apologize. Have to read it again.

Norris vacated abandoning approximately 120 ft portion of 12t wide alley between lots 1 through three and lots 10 through 12 of a mass edition. City of Russell, Arkansas. For the purpose, this source of past would abandon 120 foot portion, a 12oot alley at the forementioned lots 1 through three and lots 10 through 12 block A massive white dishes further shown by the attachment labeled as exhibit A. Motion to adopt. Have a motion and second to adopt. Let's have a roll call once again. Of course this is for this this is a motion to adopt is it not

is there any question you go okay yeah motion and a second to adopt any discussion has was it requested that it be one of one I was unaware of that it was requested I apologize I'm just trying to make it simple everybody so we don't have to list two No, I understand. The only reason the and I'm not I'm not opposed to it. I mean, it's it's a fairly self it's a fairly straightforward thing. My only hesitance for reading it one of one was one, I didn't realize that it was requested a one of one. And two, because it does involve one of us,

I didn't want to I don't want there to be the appearance that we're doing something that would be different because it's one of us. Any more discussion? I definitely don't disagree, but this is the this is a situation where a citizen had come in previously with the similar issue with it being right in the middle of their living room and we did do a one of one for them. And so that really is the only

we are well we did but I think that they were trying to sell the house like they couldn't close on the house which is why there was a time crunch there. I am unaware of that being the thing. And again I'm sorry I'm going to be the I'm going to be the stick in the mud guy. I'm going to be the I'm going to be the rules guy. You know I just think even the appearance of a conflict of interest is a conflict of interest. So that's just the way I look at it. Any more discussion? I have a motion and a second. No more discussion and we will take a roll call.

All right. Mr. George. Yes. Mr. Gray. Yes. Miss Wetzel. Yes. Miss Young. Yes. Mr. Olsen. Mr. Bradley. Yes. Mr. Pearson. Yes. Mr. Keller. No. I didn't I didn't hear you. She was joking. No, she was joking. Okay. All right. So, all right. So, I think that should be final business. Does anyone have anything for the good of the group?

Uh, we have a motion to adjourn. We will we a motion second. We will adjourn. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you to our youth council friends.