City Council - Regular Meeting

If you would. I pledge allegiance 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. Miss Skelton, could you uh give us a roll call? Mr. George, Miss Wetszel here, Miss Young here, Mr. Olsen here, Mr. Bradley here, Mr. Pearson here, Mr. Gray, Mr. Keller here, Mayor Teague here,

Mr. Smith, and myself. Do you have a quum? All right. I would kind of like to regress just for a second. I would like to welcome leadership from the leadership class from the Chamber of Commerce. They've been touring Russville today and they we've got several of them here tonight. We appreciate you guys being here. Hopefully you've learned some good stuff and hopefully you learn a little bit more tonight. So, uh, at this point in time, uh, ladies and gentlemen, have you had an opportunity to look over the minutes of March 19, 2026 meeting? If so, I would entertain a motion. Motion to accept. Second. Have a motion and a second to accept the minutes as presented. All in favor?

Any opposed? All right. Thank you. Uh at this time, we'll turn our attention to uh Miss Britney Baker, our finance director, and see what our April 26 or April 26 uh finances look like.

All right. For your viewing pleasure, general fund revenues for the month of March total 1,299, 8. Of that, 974,567 was sales tax and state turnback. 48,421 was franchise fees and permits. 276,130 was all other revenue. A tax revenue comparison. This is year-to- date as well as a budget versus or bud budget versus actual and a comparison from last year to this year. Um the city which is the half cent sales tax was 1,487,45790. The city's portion of the county collection was 1,773,27378. Both of which were a little bit above last year and above budget projections. General fund expenditures for the month of March were 1,71123. Of that 1,274915 were personnel related expenses. 436298 were utilities and other street fund revenue for March totaled $820,25 of that 516,252 was street sales tax 190,316 was state turnback and ad valorum 85,476 was interest 2700 was street cutting permit 25,281 was all of the revenue street fund expenditures for the month of March operational expenditures total 188,53 of that 143 3,623 were personnel related expenses. 44,880 were utilities and other capital expenses totaled 140,184 and that was all for equipment, a confined space system, a ditch trailer. Street sales tax spending totaled 599,786 that went towards drainage maintenance, drainage projects, downtown improvements, US64 east pedestrian improvements, and the US7 raisiner signal. State turnback street projects

total 24 448 that was towards general sidewalk and traffic signal improvements. Economic development funds revenue for the month of March was 155,836 of that 129,63 was street sales tax 17,73 was interest March expenditures total 259,645 that was towards airport equipment shop and the hanger roof maintenance at the airport as well as some PC replacement. Below are the various balances for the various economic development funds. In totality, those accounts equal 5,276,53048. Capital expenditures. March revenue totaled 25,472. That was an interest as well as a budgeted transfer for network infrastructure. March expenditures totaled 7,602. That was towards network infrastructure and a boiler repair. Below is a breakdown of the 1 cent sales tax. This is the sales tax that was implemented in 2021. It was renewed this year in 2026. And what's been received, what's been spent. In totality, the combination of those four accounts is 21,331,50312. And if there are no questions, that concludes the finance report.

Thank you so much, Miss Baker. All right. Uh, do we have Mr. Where you're not? You're not on here. No, it's planning development. Okay. Um, Mr. Wilson, this is going to be your first uh uh presentation for us. I know Mr. Wilson worked hard because we're having some, you may not see it, but we're having some technical difficulties behind the scenes, and Mr. Wilson had to scramble really quick to get ready uh to bring his stuff onto a jump drive and everything. So, we're we're grateful for our IT team that's been working here trying to get us up and running. So, all right. Yes. Good evening. Um, thank you all for being here. I know we're all here for the planning and development departmental report.

That's the only reason.

Um, I will do my best to keep it brief. Um, so just jumping in really quickly. Um, a look on our accomplishments this year. Um since June when I came on board um we've seen 125 residential building plans, 62 commercial building plans, 34 sign plans, 14 zoning variances, nine pre-application meetings, seven special use permits, and 16 other planning commission items. Those items uh include those uh those minor subdivisions that have to come to council because we're dedicating right ofway. Um, in addition to the affformentioned accomplishments, accomplishments, staff was able to approve 45 staff level actions. Um, these include things like those minor subdivisions that don't require right-of-way dedication and we're able to do in office. Um, property boundary verifications, which we do um in a joint manner with the GIS department. Um, zoning verification letters that we issue to at request and tower use permits. Um, one of our big events that we were able to attend as a department uh this past year was the 2025 American Planning Association bystate Conference uh which was held in St. Louis, Missouri. Um, it was a really incredible opportunity to be able to see a large Midwestern city and how their approach um to zoning development and planning is paying off for them. Um, in addition to just being able to go to a really incredible city in the United States, we're able to attend classes that are usually sessions of about 45 minutes to an hour. Um, you can see on the screen there some of our or some of the classes that staff was able to attend, including an Arkansas legislative update session, which was really good to get us acquainted with the changes that have came in the last legislative session, as well as changes that may be coming down uh the hopper in the future. Um, there are also you take a look there. infill residential development class. Um there was a really

interesting uh seminar regarding a um a planned city in the Midwest. I wish I could remember where off the top of my head, but they they treated it as though it was real life Sim City. That was really fascinating. Um and a number of other things or other classes. I want to say the total was around 15 to 20 class sessions we were able to attend. Um, finally, I would be remiss if I did not give a big thank you shout out to our three interns that we we were able to have since June. Um, Miss Ally Laura, some of you may recognize. She is a former member of the Russellville City Youth Council, um, for which she served as vice mayor. Um, she's now running track at ASU, uh, where she is majoring in communications. Um, Miss Haley Greer and Mr. Blake Huffman, uh, were both our fall semester interns. Um, Ha, Haley and Blake are both at ATU still and they are expected to graduate this spring. Both came to us from the anthropology geography department. Um, Miss Haley is looking to teach in Northwest Arkansas, where she's from after graduation, and Blake is looking at getting a law degree. Um, finally, I just want to say thank you to everybody. Um, I wouldn't have been able to have the success in our department without the support of everybody right here. So, thank you very much. Are there any questions?

Thank you, Mr. Wilson. That's awesome. Thank you. All right. I'm assuming there's going to be no report from uh the U personnel committee tonight because Mr. Gray is not here. Chairman Keller, on the finance side of things, you got anything?

Uh yes, sir. We got a few things for this evening. Uh item one from our meeting today at 5:30 was an appropriation uh for a pass through from the economic development capital fund number 27 in the amount of $817,114. It's for the uh apron reconstruction at the Russellville airport. It's phase two of that project. And we present item one as a motion to adopt. I'm item uh item one with a motion to adopt. Uh any discussion at all? All right. All in favor? I.

Any opposed? All right. On to our meeting from last Tuesday. Uh items one and 1A. Uh item one is consideration of a resolution to authorize the mayor and the city clerk treasurer to execute a grant agreement with the Arkansas Economic Development Commission and for the city to accept uh and receive said 9010 matching grant to develop an industrial site on South Almyra Avenue for economic development purposes. And item 1A is appropriation from the 2003 economic development reserves and the sum of $263,940 for that site development. We present items one and 1 A. Is a motion to adopt.

Have items 1 and 1 A. Motion to adopt. All in favor? I. Any opposed? All right. Item two is an appropriation uh for a pass through from the general fund carryover in the sum of $74,000 uh to be used to fund local historic preservation uh via the certified local government grant program. We present item two is a motion to adopt. All right, I got a motion to adopt on item two. All in favor? Any opposed? All right.

Item three is an appropriation from the city's general fund carryover in the sum of 26,912.50 to be used for the spring stipen for the street fund uh employees. We present item three is a motion to adopt. All right. Item three has a motion to adopt. All in favor? I. Any opposed? Item four similarly is an appropriation from the general fund carryover balance in sum of $215,886 to fund the spring stipen for the general fund department salary uh employees and we present item four is a motion to adopt. Have a motion to adopt it on four. All in favor?

I. Any opposed? Sir, item five is an appropriation from the sales tax capital fund07 in the sum of 478,55652 uh to purchase uh a fire station alert system to be paid out in three star three annual installments of $159,518.84. We present item five as a motion to adopt. Got a motion to adopt on item five. All in favor? I.

Any opposed? All right. Item six is a consideration of a resolution authorizing the mayor and the city clerk treasur to execute an agreement to uh excuse an amendment to the agreement with Blackstone Construction LLC as construction managers to modify the downtown streetscape plan to improve traffic and pedestrian safety to expand the project in a limited scope and to add more drainage improvements for the project. We present item six is a motion to adopt. Got a motion to adopt on item six. All in favor? I. Any opposed? All right.

Item seven is consideration of a resolution accepting a bid from Curb Time Solutions LLC for the 2026 sidewalk maintenance for the city of Russellville and also authorizing the mayor and the city clerk treasurer to enter in an agreement with Curb Time Solutions LLC for that work with the 2026 sidewalk maintenance program. We present item seven as a motion to adopt. All right, got a motion to adopt on item seven. All in favor? I. Any opposed? All right.

Item eight is consideration of approval for the first quarter 2026 reimbursement expenses for the Boys and Girls Club in the amount of $17,1771. We present item 8 as a motion to adopt. I have a motion to adopt on item eight. All in favor? I. Any oppos?

All right, sir. And the last item on our agenda is uh consideration of a resolution of support to apply for and utilize the federal aid transportation alternatives program uh or recreational trails program funds for the Sequoia Russell Trail Connection Project. We present item nine as a motion to adopt. All right, I got item nine as a motion to adopt. All in favor? I. Any opposed? All right, yield the floor back to you, mayor.

Thank you, chairman. Uh, moving on to item one, unfinished old business. It's a consideration ordinance vacating and abandoning 140 foot minimally improved section of North Jackson Avenue with an 80 foot ride ofway adjacent to lot 12 of block 88 and lot seven of block 89 of the JL Shin edition. Submitted by Barrett Associates on behalf of Clarence Harbor and Armando

San Fueos. All right. Wait, look at that. This will be the third and final reading. May I move we suspend the rules. Dispense with the reading requirement. Read for the third and final time by title with short explanation only. I have a motion. Have a motion and a second on the reading. All in favor? Any opposed? Sir,

Nor is vacating and abandoning a 140 foot minally improved section north Jackson with an 80 foot rideway adjacent to lot 12 of block 88, lot 7 of block 89 of JL Shin edition, city of Russellville, Arkansas, and for the purposes this ordinance have passed would vacate the aforementioned rideway at the forementioned area as further described or as shown by the exhibits attached as exhibit A to this ordinance. Move for the adoption of the ordinance. I have a motion and a second to adopt the ordinance. Any final discussion? All right. All in favor of uh adopting. Call.

Oh, yeah. Roll call. I'm sorry. I just We just talked about Yeah. Can you give me a roll call? I forgot. Mr. Keller. Yes. Mr. Mr. P. Uh, Mr. Bradley. Yes. Miss Wetszel. Yes. Miss Young. Yes. Mr. Olsen? Yes. Mr. Pearson? Yes. You got it. All right. 6. No. 6.

All right. Okay. Uh, moving on to new business. Item one is consideration of an ordinance accepting the dedication of rideways and easements to the city of Russellville, Arkansas in the plat of the Damascus Road edition minor subdivision plat for 118 to 120 Damascus Road and for other purposes. This is submitted by Baron Associates on behalf of DNT Investors LLC. I move we suspend the rules dispense with the reading requirement. Read for the first of three readings by title with short explanation. Have a motion and a second on the reading. Any discussion at all? All in favor of reading? I. Any opposed?

All right, sir. Lords accepting dedication of the rightways and easements city of Russell, Arkansas, and the plant of the Damascro edition minor plat subdivision/incidental subdivision plat for Damascus Road. And for other purposes, this pass would accept all the dedications rightway easement in the plat that is attached with this ordinance uh as exhibit A and would have a bond requirement be set by the Sydney engineer. All right. Thank you, sir. Moving on to item two in new business is a consideration ordinance amending the current zoning code for the city of Rville, Arkansas, adopted by ordinance 2443 and for other purposes, this is submitted by the planning commission. May I move we suspend the rules dispense with the reading requirement. Read by title with short explan short explanation for the first of three readings.

I have a motion and a second on the reading. Any discussion at all? All in favor of the reading? I. Any opposed? Sir orance amended current zoning code for the city of Russell adopted by ordance number 2443 and for other purposes this ord would adopt the amendments attached to this ordinance as exhibit A regarding uh zoning code versus sidewalkability dwelling townhouse and row house um found in section articles 3 section 23 subsection one and article 12 uh definitions.

All right. Thank you, sir. Uh one thing I would like to add before we close out, if you don't mind, uh there are a couple fundraisers going on downtown tonight for our quiz bowl and some of our youth council are part of that quiz bowl. Our Russellville High School Quiz Bowl has been ninetime state quiz bowl champions and twotime national quiz bowl champions. That's something to be proud of. And so, uh, Downtown Taco is having a, uh, 20% of their sales donated back tonight. And then also Cool Crack Creary. So, if you haven't had dinner, uh, go home, Allan, go home, get your wife, and and take her out to dinner and say, "We're going to Suzanne, get Clay and say, "We need to go to dinner." But go down, support our local, uh, merchants that are supporting our kids that are doing great things for our community. So, thank you so much. I will entertain a motion.

Motion to adjurnn. All right, we will adjourn. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.