Finance & Administration Council Committee - Regular Meeting

All right, good afternoon, everybody. It's 4 o'clock. I'm going to call today's Finance and Administration Council Committee meeting to order. Next up is please record your attendance by pushing the appropriate button. All right, we do have a quorum. We'll move into approval of minutes from the Finance Committee meeting on Tuesday, August 25, 2026. Move to approve. Second. Motion to approve the minutes. Any questions or comments on the minutes as presented? If not, please record your vote on whether or not to approve them. We'll move into new business. First up is Ordinance 26036. It's an ordinance to amend Section 1-7 of the Code of Ordinances to change general penalty to match state law whereas section 1-7c testifying range for code violations not otherwise specified is not to exceed $500 or double such sum for each repetition thereof and allows for a daily penalty not to exceed $250 for each day. The violation unlawfully continues and whereas this section is no longer consistent with the amount set out in state law and Arkansas Code Annotated Article 1455504. Whereas it is the desire of the City Council for the City of Jonesboro to amend this section to follow the fine amounts authorized in state law, be it ordained by the City Council of the City of Jonesboro, Arkansas, that Section 1 of the City of Jonesboro hereby amend Section 1-7C to remove the current language and read as follows, except as otherwise provided, a person convicted of a violation of this code shall be punished by a fine not exceeding $1,000 for the first offense, $2,000 for second offense, and $4,000 for each subsequent offense or violation of this code. If the violation is in its nature continuous in respect to time, the penalty for allowing the continuance thereof is a fine not to exceed $500 for each day that the same is unlawfully continued. Section 2, any ordinances that conflict with this ordinance are hereby repealed to the extent of said conflict. Motion is seconded for the full council. Any questions or comments from the committee? I do have a question, Chairman.

I've read this like 50 times and it's not.

So essentially what we have at the beginning of our code is a catch-all. If the council has not specifically set a fine for a particular violation, it gives the judges a parameter of what they can set that fine as. on what they can order if someone's found guilty. And what this does is it increases that to match state law. It hadn't been changed in the 20 years I've been here that I know of. And for a long time state law has allowed judges to go up to $1,000 should they choose to on a more serious code violation. And this just gives them the parameters to match state law. It doesn't change any existing fines that we have. It's only if the judges wanna make a change.

Any other questions or comments from the committee? Anything else from staff or the public in attendance? If not, please cast your vote on whether or not to forward a full council. Next up, we have several municipal lanes. I'm just going to read those by title only. Resolution 26106, resolution by the City Council of the City of Jonesboro, Arkansas, Place the municipal lien on property located at 1104 Pratt Circle, parcel 01-144-082-12300 owned by McDaniel Claude in the amount of $275. Move it forward to full council. Second. Motion seconded to forward to full council. Any questions or comments from the committee or anybody else in attendance? Seeing none, please cast your ballot on whether or not to forward to full council. Resolution 26107, resolution by the City Council of the City of Jonesboro, Arkansas, to place municipal lien on property located at 5017 Mount Carmel Road, parcel 01-133-013-01500, owned by Catherine Arterberry, in the amount of $615.

Move forward to full council. Second.

Motion to second, forward to full council. Any questions or comments on this agenda item? Seeing none, please cast your ballot on whether or not to forward to full council. Resolution 26108, resolution by City Council of the City of Jonesboro, Arkansas, to place municipal lien on property located at 910 Markham Drive, partial 01-143-251-04100, owned by Will DeCetes in the amount of $315.

Move for full council. Second.

Voters second for full council. Any questions or comments from anybody regarding this item? Seeing none, please cast your ballot on whether or not to forward to full council. Resolution 26109, resolution by the City Council of the City of Jonesville, Arkansas, to place the municipal land on property located at 406 North Drake, excuse me, parcel 01-144181-1000 owned by Wood Vernon in the amount of $315. Move forward to full council. Second. Move to second, forward to full council. Any questions or comments on this item? Seeing none, please cast your vote on whether or not to floor the full council. Resolution 26110. Resolution by the City Council of the City of Johnsonville, Arkansas to replace the Municipal Land on Property located at 1702 West Middleton, partial 01-143242-00800. owned by EF Holdco Wear Assets, REO LLC, in the amount of $340.

Move forward to full council. Second.

Motion seconded to forward to full council. Any questions or comments regarding this item? Seeing none, please cast your vote on whether or not to forward to full council. Resolution 26-111, resolution by City Council of the City of Jonesville, Arkansas. Question is fully and improperly located at... Well, that's the partial number. 01-134041-00500. On Richardson Drive, partial 01-134041-00500. Owned by Collins Auto, Edward, in the amount of $365.

Moving forward to full council. Second.

Motion to second, forward to full council. Any questions or comments? Do we need to change that number?

That's all the information that was given to me.

And the partial number is correct, right? So it should be fine, I would think. But good question. Any other questions or comments regarding this item? If not, please cast your vote on whether or not to forward to full council. And a lot of these looks like the first names, like the names are backwards. Resolution 26-112. Resolution by the City Council of the City of Jonesboro, Arkansas to place municipal lien on property located at 3208 Race, parcel 01-144-281-37900, owned by Danny C. Gatlin in the amount of $365. Move for the full council. Second. Motion to sign for the full council. Any questions or comments on this item? Mr. Young, you don't have anything on this item? Okay. All right. If there's... Seeing none, please cast your vote on whether or not to forward to full council. Resolution 26-113. Resolution by the City Council of the City of Jonesboro, Arkansas. Placement municipal land on property located at 4302 Stonebrook Drive. Partial 01-134-042-06800. owned by Peggy Sue Davis in the amount of $315.

Motion to forward to full council.

Second.

Motion to second to forward to full council. Any questions or comments on this agenda item? Seeing none, please cast your vote on whether or not to forward to full council. All right. Resolution 26114. Resolution by the City Council of the City of Jonesboro, Arkansas to place a municipal lien on property located at 1204 Rainwood, Parcel 01-143-231-0800 owned by Amanda Cunningham. Who did they change it up? Amanda Cunningham in the amount of $315. Move forward to full council.

Second.

Motion to second forward to full council. Any questions or comments on this item? Seeing none, please cast your vote on whether or not to forward to full council.

Woman.

All right, resolution 26-115. Resolution by the City Council of the City of Johnsonville, Arkansas, to place the municipal lien on property located at 231 North Fisher, parcel 01-144-181-63100, owned by Vernon Wood, in the amount of $275. Move it forward to full council.

Second.

Motion to forward to full council. Any questions or comments on this item? Seeing none, please cast your vote on whether or not to forward to full council.

Dr. Coleman.

Resolution 26116, resolution by City Council, City of Jonesboro, Arkansas. Place municipal land on property located at 2315 South Cobra House Street, parcel 01-143-251-17000, owned by Kingdom Assets LLC, the amount of $275.

Move for the full council. Second.

Second for the full council. Any questions or comments on this agenda item? If not, please cast your ballot by pushing the appropriate button. Resolution 26117, resolution by the City Council of the City of Jonesboro, Arkansas. Place of municipal lien on property located at 122 Coleman, partial 01-144-063-02500, owned by, I'm going to say Boyce Tate, in the amount of $335.

Moving forward to full council. Second.

Motion to second, forward to full council. Any questions or comments on this item? All right, please cast your ballot on whether or not to forward to full council. All right, resolution 26-118, resolution by city council of the city of Jonesboro, Arkansas, place of municipal land on property located at 507 South McClure, parcel 01-144-183-16000, owned by Sean K. Davis, the amount of 275 dollars.

I move to forward to full council. Second.

Motion to second to forward to full council. Any questions or comments on this item? Seeing none, please cast your vote on whether or not to forward to full council. Resolution 26119, resolution by the City Council of the City of Jonesboro, Arkansas, to place the municipal lien on property located at 1506 Pratt Circle, parcel 01-144082-09900, owned by Johnny Ridenhower in the amount of $365.00.

Move forward to full council. Second.

Motion second, forward to full council. Any questions or comments on this item?

Mr. Chairman. I will say, just want to say thanks to code enforcement. Every single one of these that we touched today is blot upon a certain neighborhood. And judging by the amount of these that we've seen so far today, we just made Jonesboro a lot better place, cleaner and more beautiful to look at. So thank you, code enforcement. Y'all are doing a great job.

Thank you. Any other questions or comments? Seeing none, please cast your vote on whether or not to forward to full council. All right, we'll move to Resolution 26-120. And you all will be happy to know that I'm going to read this in its entirety. Resolution 26-120, resolution by City Council of the City of Johnsonville, Arkansas. to enter into an agreement with Farmers and Merchants Bank to provide banking depository services for City of Jonesboro, whereas the City published Notice 2026-19 on June 6, 2026, requesting proposals for bank depository services, and whereas proposals were received from five banks on June 24, 2026, and whereas proposals were reviewed by the depository board members, and whereas the bid tabulation is attached with this resolution, And whereas at the depository board meeting on August 6th, 2026, the board agreed that farmers and merchants banks submitted the most favorable proposal and they will be invited in for an interview to overview their proposals and the services to be provided. And whereas following this interview and receipt of the farmers and merchants contract providing banking services for a period of three years, the depository board met on September 2nd, 2026 and agreed to recommend acceptance of this contract for city council action. And whereas the mayor is authorized to appoint the employees who will have responsibility for signature authority for each bank account, and therefore be resolved by city council of the city of Jonesville, Arkansas, that section one, the city of Jonesville, Arkansas, shall execute an agreement with Farmers and Merchants Bank to provide depository banking services for this city through September 15th, 2029. Section two, the mayor is authorized to appoint the employees who will have responsibility for signature authority for each bank account. Section three, the mayor and city clerk are hereby authorized by the city council for the city of Jonesboro to execute all documents necessary to effectuate this agreement.

Move forward to full council. Second.

Motion second, forward to full council. Any questions or comments on this agenda item? Anything from the staff or public in attendance? If not, please cast your vote on whether or not to forward Resolution 26-120 to full council. All right, Resolution 26-123. Resolution of the City Council of the City of Jonesboro, Arkansas certifying local government endorsement of Sandy Nutrition Group, LLC, to participate in the tax back program of the Consolidated Incentive Act whereas in order to be considered for participation in the tax back program, the local government must endorse a business to participate in the tax back program, and whereas the local government must authorize the refund of local sales and use taxes as provided in the Consolidated Incentive Act of 2003, and whereas said endorsement must be made on a specific form available from the Arkansas Economic Development Commission And whereas Sandy Nutrition Group LLC, located 9401 East Highland Drive, Jonesboro, Arkansas, 72401, has sought to participate in the program and more specifically has requested benefits occurring from construction of the specific facility. And whereas Sandy Nutrition Group LLC has agreed to furnish the local government all necessary information for compliance. Now, therefore, be it resolved by the City Council of the City of Jonesboro, Arkansas, Number one, Sandy Nutrition Group, LLC, be endorsed by the City Council of the City of Jonesboro, Arkansas for benefits from the sales and use tax refunds as provided by Section 15-4-2706D of the Consolidated Incentive Act of 2003. Number two, the Department of Finance and Administration has authorized to refund local sales and use tax to Sandy Nutrition Group, LLC. Number three, this resolution will take effect immediately.

Move forward to full council. Second.

Second, forward to full council. Any questions or comments from the committee?

Yeah, I got one.

I don't know what it means. This is my first time seeing that, so I don't know if Steve or somebody, what is this, who is Sandy? Y'all may have to... Get me up to speed on this.

Happy to. So Steven Lamb, representing Jonesboro Limited here with Mark. Sandy Nutrition is a facility or a company that's moved into the former Butterball facility. And the tax back is local participation in a state-offered incentive. And so the state turns back 5.5% of their 6.5% on sales tax if this local government, city, and county also participate in the program by providing their typically 1% or whatever the local sales tax is back as well. It's eligible to be used on things like construction materials, anything that's got sales tax applied to it during the renovation of that facility. Manufacturing equipment and things like that are already tax exempt and so this really speaks to an investment incentive that the state markets and that we've always participated in around refurbishing or outfitting facilities for success. So I'm happy to answer any other questions or if that provides the right amount of clarity.

Sure, I got it. Thank you. Anything else from the committee? Anything else from the public or staff? Thank you. If not, please cast your ballot on whether or not to forward Resolution 26123 to full council. All right. Last item under new business, Resolution 26124, a resolution requested by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission to amend the current lease agreement between the City of Jonesboro and the AGFC for property used by the AGFC for commission services and the Ford L. Wood Crowley's Ridge Nature Center. Rest of the City of Jonesboro, Arkansas as a lessor and the Arkansas State Game and Fish Commission as lessee entered into a certain real estate agreement which lease was duly recorded on September 26, 2001 in the Craighead County Miscellaneous Book at pages 348 through 354, and which lease commenced on October 1st, 2001, and remains in full force in effect. Whereas in July 2002, the parties executed an amendment to the real estate lease agreement for the purpose of adding one acre more or less to the lands that compromise the lease premises, and said amendment number one was duly recorded as instrument number JB2011R-0021712, in Craighead County, Arkansas land records on February 10th, 2011. And whereas in April 2011, the parties executed an amendment to the real estate lease agreement for the purpose of amending certain terms of the original real estate lease agreement recorded as instrument number JB2011R-005575 in the Craighead County, Arkansas land records. Oops, sorry. On April 8th, 2011, Whereas both parties now wish to adopt this amended and restated real estate lease, therefore be it resolved by the City Council of the City of Jonesboro, Arkansas, Section 1, the City of Jonesboro approve updated lease language presented by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission for usage of city-owned property for the public benefit. Section 2, the Mayor and City Clerk are hereby authorized by the Jonesboro City Council to execute all documents necessary to effectuate this agreement.

Move forward to full council. Second.

Second forward full council. Any questions or comments from the committee? Anything from staff you want to?

Hi, my name is Steven Roach. I don't know if anybody can hear me, but I'm here with AGFC. Happy to answer any questions. It's a very simple lease change. It's modifying the language since we had a small grease fire there at the Nature Center. I don't know if you guys know about that, but that we need to change the language from a public use facility to just a regional office. And so what this is doing is just modifying the language so that it does not talk about a public use or nature center, that it is solely a regional office or a field office.

Thank you.

Any questions? Yeah, this is the one. Remind me. This is the one. Great hit for us. Yeah. So that's only for the office now and not for. Is that what that means? It was a nature center reopen.

Is it going to reopen?

Yeah.

No, it is. It is. It's the same land. But what we're the modification is that there there will not be a public facing part of that office in terms of in the future. If you know if the nature center is rebuilt, that's not in my wheelhouse. This is just to create the lease for what is actually happening now.

So Okay, layman's term for me. So we're saying that no public can come out there and view that area and all of that, or are you just talking about the building itself? The building, the building. Okay, all right.

Yeah, all this, anybody's more than welcome to come, drive around, hang out. This is the city of Jonesboro's land. The building itself is no longer a nature center currently. And so that may change in the future, but... you know, we wanted the lease to reflect what is actually happening.

Okay. Thank you. Any other questions?

My pleasure.

Anything else from staff or the public in attendance? If not, please record your vote on whether or not to forward resolution 26-124 to full council. Full council. That was the last item under new business. I'm not aware of any pending items. Does anybody have any other business for the committee today? If not, we'll move into public comments. Gives the public a chance to comment on something that we have not discussed on today's agenda. No takers? All right. Next item is number eight, adjournment.

So moved. Second.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

Any opposed? We stand adjourned.