Board of Directors - Regular Meeting

Here.

And Mayor Brown is out today.

All right. At this time, we have a prayer and a pledge of allegiance by Director Harris. And I'll do the prayer. Heavenly Father, we ask you to continue to be in this house with us, Heavenly Father, and give us the guidance and direction that you want us to have, that we may lean not on our own understanding as we make decisions on behalf of the citizens. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

We 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.

If there's anyone want to speak, there's citizen request on the podium. I don't have any at this time, so we'll go ahead and move forward. If you will, silence your cell phones. Make sure mine's are silent. All right, being that we don't have anyone for citizen communication, we'll move down to presentations. Tonight we have four presentations. Presentation of the City of Texarkana, Arkansas Employee Service Awards. Tonight we have Navon Blackwell, bi-state maintenance, 10 years. Melanie Barrett, court clerk, five years. Marcus Gilliam, Jr., TAFD, 10 years. Tiffany McCurry, TWU, five years. None of those recipients are here tonight, so I'll sign these and pass them over to council after the meeting. Next on the agenda, we have the consent items. Approval of the minutes of the regular meeting, August 17th. Item number three, adopt a resolution to award engineering contract to Spears Engineering, LLC, For the design of 2025 Street Bond Rehab Projects, Meadowview Drive, Pine Trail Street, East 15th, East 37th, and Northern Hills Drive. Item number four, adopt a resolution authorizing the city manager to enter into a construction contract with the Francis Excavating for Lone Oak Avenue, Broadmoor Drive, and Pinson Drive Rehabilitation Projects. Item number five, adopt the resolution authorizing the city manager to enter into a construction contract with contact contractors for Sammy Lane, Forest Street, Harris Lane, Rocky Creek Road, rehabilitation projects. All right, you've heard the consent agenda. Is there a motion? Motion to adopt. Second. All right, there's been a motion and a second. All in favor say aye. Aye. All opposed say nay. All right. Consent is in there. Close. Next, we'll move into our regular agenda. Item number six. Consider the following action concerning maintenance overgrown lots. Conduct a public hearing regarding placing of liens 17 overgrown lots. Adopt a resolution placing liens on 17 overgrown lots. Roger, do you have anything on that?

Just letting you all know, this is the last bunch of them I'll be bringing for a little while. Same things, always clean up liens, put liens on them.

All right. Are there any questions for?

We're conducting a public hearing right now. Yes, that's right. Yes.

All right, if there's no questions or concern, we're going to close the public hearing.

Thank you.

All right, next item.

You want me to read the resolution?

Hey, I'm so sorry. Attorney, please read the resolution. I might not agree.

Whereas notice was given pursuant to Arkansas code annotated section 1454-904 to the property owners of the properties listed in exhibit A of a hearing before the Texas Grand Arkansas Board of Directors to determine the amount of lien, if any, to be placed on the properties for the expense incurred by the city for the removal of overgrowth, trash, and debris from nuisance properties of such parcel of real property under the provisions of Arkansas code annotated section 1456-201, and Arkansas Code Annotated 1454-901 and the Texarkana-Arkansas Code of Ordinances, including without limitation, Chapter 11, Article 6, and whereas such notice was given pursuant to applicable law more than 30 days prior to the date of the hearing and stated that the hearing on the matter would be before the City Board of Directors on September 8, 2026, commencing at 6 o'clock p.m. in the Texarkana-Arkansas Municipal Building Boardroom. And whereas a hearing on such claim by the city was held this date pursuant to said notice and in accordance with the provisions of applicable law and the Texarkana-Arkansas Code of Ordinances, and whereas the properties that issue property owners in lien amounts with the amount of the lien on each said parcel being the city's incurred expense for such parcel plus 10% penalty as provided by law, including without limitation Arkansas Code Annotated Section 1454-904, are listed on Exhibit A attached here too. And whereas the Board of Directors has determined that there should be certified to the Miller County, Arkansas tax collector to be placed on the books as delinquent taxes the amount set forth for each said parcel of real property. Now, therefore, be it resolved by the Board of Directors of the City of Texarkana, Arkansas that the amount set forth for each piece of property in Exhibit A are hereby certified to the tax collector for Miller County, Arkansas For placement on the tax books as delinquent taxes on the respective parcels of real property identified and described therein and collected accordingly as provided for by applicable law, including without limitation, Arkansas Code Annotated 1454-901. Pass and approve this 8th day of September 2026.

All right. The attorney has read the resolution. What's the desire of the board?

Motion to adopt.

Second. Roll call, please.

Director Chavez? Yes. Director Jewell?

Yes.

Director Smith?

Yes.

Director Roberts? Yes. Director Harris?

Yes.

Assistant Mayor Brewer?

Yes. Motion carries. Item number seven, adopt an ordinance accepting a proposal for financing from Commercial National Bank for the purpose of the purchase of of a copper fire truck, Chief Fletcher.

If you don't mind, I was going to explain a little bit. So if you all remember, we've already been through this one time, but we had a little hiccup there, whereas previously we were going to finance that for ten years. We have to back that back to five. That's what the state allows us to do, so that's why we went through the process again. But we received three bids, three proposals from One from Farmers, one from Government Capital, who was doing the previous financing, and one from Commercial National Bank. Commercial gave us a great rate, I thought, at 3.75%. Government Capital was at 4.69%, and Farmers was at 6.25%. So we're getting a great rate here with Commercial.

Are there any questions to the city manager? with the adjustment of the numbers.

At this time, I suppose you gave the three banks an opportunity to see what type of proposal you were getting. Do you normally do that, or that was just done for this issue, or there's some law saying that we have to do that based on... No, did you say it's an RFP? Yes, sir, we set out an RFP. There's some law saying that we have to. I'm not saying that you were wrong in doing this. I'm just trying to see at what point does we continue doing it based on. we get the best price on something, the best interest rate, because sometimes you can say that if a certain company, I would pick on you, Mr. Director Jewell, just say if Director Jewell had the best known for insurance or this or that, and then... could you just automatically go to direct renewal without going to someone else in the insurance business? I'm just saying that there's some law saying that you have to do what you did.

No, sir. There is no legal requirement of the state that we seek proposals for the financing. We could go just choose one if we wish. However, we felt that It was in our best interest to put out a public request for proposals.

And then again, I'm not saying.

In the city's best interest, I'm sorry.

And again, I'm not trying to say you were wrong in doing that. I'm just trying to say that's something that we can continue on doing if needed. That's all I'm saying.

Absolutely. Yes, sir. All right. If there's nothing that's said, attorney, will you please read the ordinance? Yes.

Yes, an ordinance accepting the proposal of commercial bank for financing the purchase of a pumper fire truck for declaring an emergency and for other purposes Ordinance has been read on this first reading What's the desire to move to spin the room place?

Second the motion to second Yes

Director Jewell?

Yes.

Director Smith?

Yes.

Director Roberts? Yes. Director Harris?

Yes.

Assistant Mayor Brewer?

Yes.

An ordinance accepting the proposal of Commercial National Bank for financing the purchase of a pumper fire truck for declaring an emergency and for other purposes.

Ordinance has been read on the second reading. Is there a motion for the third and final reading?

Move that the rule be further suspended and place the ordinance on the third and final reading. Second. Roll call, please.

Director Holabish?

Yes.

Director Jewell? Yes. Director Smith? Yes. Director Roberts? Yes. Director Harris? Yes. Assistant Mayor Brewer?

Yes.

An ordinance accepting the proposal of Commercial National Bank for financing the purchase of a pump or fire truck for declaring an emergency and for other purposes.

The final reading has been completed. Is there a motion for adoption?

Motion to adopt. Second.

Then motion to second. Is there anyone that wishes to speak for or against? If not, roll call, please.

Director Halibut? Yes. Director Jewell? Yes. Director Smith?

Yes.

Director Roberts? Yes. Director Harris? Yes. Assistant Mayor Brewer?

Yes. Motion carries. There is an emergency clause that's being requested. Motion to attach emergency clause. Second. The motion is second. Roll call, please.

Director Halvish?

Yes.

Director Jewell?

Yes.

Director Smith?

Yes.

Director Roberts? Yes. Director Harris?

Yes.

Assistant Mayor Brewer? Yes.

Yes. Emergency call is approved. Next item, we have board director's commentary. Is there any board director that has some commentary? I just have a question.

I've got Roberts on the end. Are we still having the cleanup day Saturday where we were meeting at the rec center at 8? Do you know?

I'm not familiar with this coming Saturday. I'm not familiar with one this Saturday. Tracy, are you aware of one? Is it Pastor Owens doing it?

Yes. Okay. Is it still going to be this Saturday? Yes. Okay. And meeting at the rec center at 8? There was another.

Joel, go ahead.

I got one thing. I got an email this week concerning parking on the street. And I think I brought this up a couple of years ago, wrapped into maybe the RV parking. And I don't know. It might have gotten lost in the shuffle. I don't know. But I got an email from one of my constituents where his neighbors are – taking up a lot of the street parking, three and four vehicles. Is this a one-time event or daily? No, it's a daily. It's occurring night after night, day after day. And I failed to bring the email. I was in a hurry. I was late, too.

I've got the email up if you need something in there.

Well, to exactly what he explained it. And I passed by about five different times. at five different times of the day, and one vehicle has stayed there day after day. It's a large truck, and it almost sits right behind his driveway where he's backing out. They've got several other vehicles, and they've got numerous cars. And he's complaining about people using city-owned, city street as their personal parking lot. As I mentioned, I brought this up a couple of years ago. I looked up city ordinances in West Memphis. Again, I failed to bring those printouts. West Memphis mandates that after 12 o'clock at night, in residential areas, all vehicles have to be removed from city streets. I believe it's Springdale allows, again, in residential areas, no parking on city streets. And I believe it's Fort Smith that allows no residential parking on city streets. Again, I failed to bring those printouts with me. But I think at some point, I would like to encourage this board to schedule a workshop or look at this issue of people using our city streets as this gentleman puts it, using the city right-of-way as their personal parking lot. Now, I realize that we're at a time where we're about to get into budget discussions and election time for many of us. So it's probably the wrong time of the year to do that in the near future. But at a little later date, I think that's something that we need to look at. And so I would encourage the board to maybe put that, the members of the board, put it in the back of their mind that I would hope that we would look at that in the very near future.

Thank you, Director Jewell. Are there any more commentary?

That in March, that I, from Washington, D.C., went up to Washington, D.C. in March to a National League of Cities meeting and met with this guy from the White House that he, you know, I gave him the issue of concern over there in my office. ward resident on Siebel Street, Panhandler Street, how they're blocking the train, how the train is blocking the road, the streets and stuff. Well, he was telling me that there's about $200 or $300-something million out there to help resolve this problem here. So I emailed our city manager about this, But he's stating that there's no money available so we can do a study as we try to move this issue forward. But time is running short. There's not going to be too many opportunities that you got the money, even though you got to get Union Pacific say so in this matter. But I kind of wish that the city, Instead of me calling up Union Pacific and inviting them down, I kind of wish that the city would do a joint meeting that somebody, well, they sent me an engineering plan and basically saying as to what needed to be done. They didn't say nothing about per se a study needed to be done. but they sit in the engine engine is playing and then you got to draw engineer playing that but what I'm getting it we doesn't have money for the but if you look at this agenda item on 3 or 4 and 5 you know we've been paying engineering a book of money for doing for the streets. I don't know if they're capable of doing a study for S-208, putting a carpet in there and a metal fence for making underpass where you can lay down in the center of the track already be built. And you sit there down on the track. You cut one end off. You cut the other end off. And you sit down there. And you start about 4 o'clock at night. And by that evening time, the thing is done. And I've seen this done on YouTube. But the point I'm trying to make is that the opportunity is is this is present for a week that said can do something about long standing issue about how you're in the city knowing block one street the block three street Siebel Street and hers and Oak Street sometimes all that one time so how do I get our city to get more involved in this and we don't have the money to do something you know And like I said, I met with this guy. I guess I just ain't going to call his name out yet. But I met with this guy. He came to the conference thing, I would say. And he was telling me, you know, And he heard of the problem I've been seeing because each time when I met the last administration head of the railroad system, I talked to him about the problem going on here in Texas County. And, you know, they said they were looking to, but now this is a different change in the White House, so this is a different change. And at that time, it was sent to a volume that's prevalent in this town. Trump is president. And somehow, he didn't miss a beat. He just gave him his card, and he said, well, we got money for the picture problem, but you got to go after it, even though we just ain't going to give it to you. But in talking to Young Pacific at the time, they sent me an email of the engineering, what needs to be done, and then you make up the engineering, even though I didn't send that to the city I just told him about about 200 some million dollars available. I didn't send him the information that don't make space for clear I can see him the email that I got from you p out of our bedroom I didn't see him engineering plane but he was just telling me that there's need to be a study need to be done but but make a long story short I'm just trying to see is anywhere and we get some of these engineers that doing these streets here do a little bit pro bono for the city, then if we actually somehow get that problem or get the money and get the project, they would be suing him to get the job because they started off as a pro bono and reviewing the engineering plan and drawing it up. So that's basically what I'm trying to say.

You're talking about an extremely specialized project there. The engineers here can't do something like that. You're talking about hundreds of thousands of dollars that we have to spend in order to get that grant money. That's the problem we're facing.

What about the CBG money? I know we're paying for a grant writer. Won't that grant writer become a funder of the Senate? finance won't the city pay for that grant right instead of cbg paying her salary writing writing the grants not the issue no i'm saying that we paying we need to come up with the money and i'm saying that we could come up with the money if the city paid that grant right of salaries instead of coming out of cbg funds that that wouldn't cover a fraction of the cost required thousand dollars in two years you'll still have the money you know If that's something that the board would like to do, we can absolutely budget it. I'm just trying to let the board know that there's an issue that's been going on for years over there, and we got the opportunity to fix that issue.

All right, Mr. Harris. We really do appreciate your commentary, and hopefully you can work with the staff and get some resolutions going. I only have one uh comment i just want to make an announcement that my ward ward 4 we're having a meeting at the recreation center september 24th at 6 pm if there's no more other commentary um city manager tyler do you have any commentary i just want to let you all know i'm heading out on vacation tomorrow but i'll be back next tuesday if you'll need anything give me a call

I probably won't have very good reception during the day, but if you need anything immediately, give Heather a call. But don't hesitate to reach out if you need.

When did you say? You said tomorrow?

Yes, sir. I'm leaving in the morning. All right. And I'll be back here at work Tuesday. Gotcha.

All right. Next meeting date is Monday, September 21st, 2026. Is there a motion on the floor?

Motion to adjourn. Second.

It's been motioned and second. Roll call, please.

Director Holabish? Yes. Director Jewell?

Yes.

Director Smith?

Yes.

Director Roberts? Yes. Director Harris? Yes. Assistant Mayor Brewer?

Yes.