Nominating and Rules Committee - Regular Meeting

I am showing 430, so we'll go ahead and get started with the special call nominating and rules meeting. First item of business is roll call. Please mark your attendance. Next item of business is approval of minutes. Minutes for the nominating and rules council meeting on May 12 of 2026.

Move to approve.

Second. Have a motion and second. All in favor signify by saying aye. Aye. Any opposed, like, sign. Next item of business is new business ordinances to be introduced. First is ordinance 26031, ordinance to amend chapter 2-87 to clarify how a city council member may sponsor legislation. Carol, do you have a copy of that? Do you mind reading that for me?

I'll have to move it. Read it.

I've got a copy of it, but I don't have glasses with me.

I'll read it for you. I just pulled on my microphone. An ordinance to amend chapter 2-87 to clarify how a city council member may sponsor legislation. Whereas the city established the mayor's ability to assign legislation to council committee in section 2-87 of the city ordinances, and whereas the council desires to clarify the procedure for when a council member sponsors legislation to be considered for approval, Therefore, be it ordained by the City Council of the City of Jonesboro, Arkansas, Section 1, that Chapter 2-87B2 be amended to add the following language. Any member of the City Council may sponsor a resolution or an ordinance. The Council members shall provide said resolution or ordinance to the City Attorney's Office for review and approval to ensure it meets all legal requirements and is in the proper format. Once approved by the city attorney, the ordinance or resolution shall be forwarded to the mayor and city clerk and shall be assigned to the appropriate committee by the mayor or their staff within five business days of the receipt of said resolution or ordinance. Section two, that any ordinances which may conflict with this ordinance are hereby repealed.

Move forward to full council.

Second. Any discussion by the committee?

Question, so I tried to see the difference and maybe I didn't see the language difference. So let me know what's.

Dr. Coleman, will you speak into your microphone?

Apologize. Just wondering what the language difference was. I did see that, but I didn't see the two. I'm sorry, I didn't see.

I'll defer to Carol on that since she made the change.

I think the biggest change is putting a time limit on it. Right now, and clarifying In the rules, and LJ correct me, this was sponsored by Council Member Bryant, but in the rules it specifically stated how a citizen could get legislation before the committee, the council as a whole, and it stated that you would bring it to your council member and that they would sponsor it and that it would come to the city attorney's office for approval and it had all that same procedure. this but it didn't specifically say that's the way a council member would do it on their own without a citizen initiating it it was just kind of to clarify that I believe and then also to put a timeline on it so that it doesn't it there's a time frame for how long it takes to get it before council or to get it assigned to a committee sure sure that's my understanding LJL because I think over the years

When stuff comes up, there's been times where we're like, well, we think it takes two council members to do something. And then we'll be like, oh, no, it just takes one council. It's just been, to me, a lack of clarity. So it was real clear how a citizen could do it. It actually wasn't very clear how the 12 of us that are charged with doing it were supposed to do it. So this cleans it up a little bit.

The review by my office was in the citizen one, so we just kept it the same. And that's not to say whether it's a good idea or a bad idea. That's only to say whether it's legal and whether it's in the right format.

Thank you. Any other questions by the committee? Hearing none, let's cast our votes, please. That does carry. on to full council. Second item of business ordinance 26032, an ordinance to amend section 2-84 of the code of ordinances to add procedure for opening invocation during council meetings. I'll ask Carol to read that one as well.

An ordinance to amend section 2-84 of the code of ordinances to add procedure for opening invocation during council meetings. whereas section 2-84 sets out various rules and procedures for city council meetings, and whereas this section has no policy for conducting the opening invocation during city council meetings, and whereas it is the desire of the city council for the city of Jonesboro to ensure that every council member has the opportunity to conduct the opening invocation in the faith of their choosing or invite a community member to participate in council meetings to conduct the invocation. Be it ordained by the City Council of the City of Jonesboro, Arkansas that section one, the City of Jonesboro hereby amend section 2-84 to add subsection K, which will read as follows. K, opening invocation. The opening invocation shall be given by each council member or their designee throughout the year. The rotation shall begin in the first month of the year with the first meeting in January. The opening invocation shall be led by the council member in Ward 1, Position 1, and the second monthly meeting will be led by Ward 1, Position 2, and so on, moving through the ward and positions each month. Section 2, any ordinance that conflicts with this ordinance hereby repealed to the extent of said conflict.

This is one that I brought to the committee, and the reason being is we've had several of our constituents that have reached out and asked for our policy, and in looking toward that, we realized that we really didn't have a clear policy on our invocation, so I've asked Harold to draft this. I'll open it to any questions.

Well, I'll move it forward to full council. I really don't have much of an opinion either way. It's pretty good. I mean, it's always worked for someone. If you wanted to do it, all you had to do is ask the mayor and you'd say it. But this way, I guess it does make it known as a set procedure.

And I think if y'all remember years ago, West Memphis got sued by a group. I can't remember if it's ACLU or who it was. And the court basically ruled that as long as you didn't have, I don't know what they called it. I called it like a designated hitter. As long as you didn't have where you were going to the same person every time that would be the same religious background every time you were okay. And so that's when we kind of started. This was back when Mayor Perrin was here. And if you recall back then, we tended to have the same person, I think, say it. I can't remember who it was now.

Just real quick as a point of order. Can I get a second? I'll second.

I didn't know you didn't have a second. I apologize. Thank you.

So we just put it as a rotation so that,

And with there being 12 of you, it was really easy. You would have it two times a year. Well, and you can ask anybody to be your designee if that's what you want to. I would caution that everybody doesn't ask the same person to be their designee because then we have a designated hitter again. But you can also invite someone from outside if you choose to.

Any other questions or discussion? Hearing none, please cast your ballot. That one does forward to full council as well. Next item of business is ordinance 26033, an ordinance to amend section 2-84 and 2-87 of the code of ordinances to correct outdated language and update the timelines for providing notice of special called meeting to the city clerk and for other purposes.

Yeah, I just wanted to let y'all know there's a red line version of this, which will make it easier to follow along. But an ordinance to amend section 2-84 and 2-87 of the code of ordinances to correct outdated language and update timelines for providing notice of special called committee meetings to the city clerk and for other purposes. Whereas section 2-84 sets out various rules and procedures for city council meetings. And whereas it is the desire of the city council for the city of Jonesboro to update outdated language in the code section and to update the time requirement for providing notice of a special called committee meeting to the city clerk so that there is time to efficiently notify the public of the agenda and to be consistent with the rule for special called council meetings. Be it ordained by the city council of the city of Jonesboro, Arkansas that section one, the city of Jonesboro hereby amend section 2-84D to change the number of hours prior to the meeting that a notification is provided to the city clerk from two to three hours to allow adequate time to notify the public of the special called committee meeting. Section two, the city of Jonesboro hereby amends section 2-84E to make the first sentence read, quote, during any period in which a state of emergency has been declared by the governor of Arkansas, the term present for purposes of this section of the Jonesboro City Code shall mean end quote, and the rest of this section would remain the same. Section three, the city of Jonesboro hereby amends section 2-84H1 to strike the word will in the second sentence and replace it with the word may. Section four, the city of Jonesboro hereby amends section 2-87B to remove the word legislature anywhere it is found in this section and to replace it with the agenda management system. Section five, any ordinances that conflict with this ordinance are hereby repealed to the extent of said conflict.

Move forward to full council. Second.

I have a motion and a second. Any discussion by the committee? Hearing none, please cast your ballot. That does move forward to full council as well. Next item of business is resolution 26102, resolution by the City Council of the City of Jonesboro, Arkansas to make appointments and reappointments to boards and commissions as recommended by Mayor Harold Copenover.

Resolution by the City Council of the City of Jonesboro, Arkansas to make appointments and reappointments to boards and commissions as recommended by Mayor Harold Copenhaver, whereas the following appointments have been recommended by the Mayor Harold Copenhaver. Now therefore be it resolved by the City Council for the City of Jonesboro, Arkansas that the following appointments be confirmed. Craighead County Jonesboro Library Board reappointment of Shalon Tate to a five-year term ending 8-2-2031. Stormwater Management Board appointment of Daryl Dromgoole to complete the unexpired term of Susan Meredith ending 5-17-2028. Appointment of Hayden Partee to a three-year term expiring 7-20-2029. And appointment of Kim Schrantz to a three-year term ending 7-20-2029.

Before I ask for a motion, does this need to be walked on tonight, Brian? Okay. Okay. I'm good with whatever.

Okay. What's the desire of the committee? Move forward to full council. Second.

I have a motion and a second. Any discussion? Hearing none, please cast your ballot. April, I hit the wrong button. I voted four. I apologize. Next item of business is other business. I have none. Is there anything from the committee? Public comment? Anything for nominating and rules? Next item of business is adjournment.

So moved. Second.

All in favor?

Aye.

We stand adjourned. Thank you all.