CBC 10-11-1994The City Redutiful Commission
The City Beautiful Commission held its regular meeting on
Tuesday, October 11, 1994 in the City Board Conference Room,
2nd Floor of City Hall. The meeting was called order by
Steve Cato, Chairman.
Members Present:
Steve Cato
Lin Blair
Josephine Graham
Joe Robbins
Also Present:
Bob Brown, Plans Review
Richard Wood, Zoning &
Planning
Frank Riggins
Jim Goodhart
Jo Rancifer
Specialist, Neighborhoods & Planning
Subdivision Mgr., Neighborhoods &
Emily Hartman, Parks Planner, Parks & Recreation
I. Roll Call - Seven members present.
II. Approval of Minutes - Lin Blair made the motion to
approve the minutes, seconded by Frank Riggins.
All ayes.
III. Lighting Project Update - Steve Cato reported that
Laurie Ann Ross faxed information how how the Zoo
Lighting Project is going. The exhibits will
arrive at the Zoo next Monday morning and at that
time they will have a press conference and if any
of the commission would like to attend they need
contact Laurie to find out what time the press
conference will take place.
500 West Markham, Room 108 Little Rock, AR 72201 371-4770
Minutes Oct. 11, 1994 Meeting
Page,2
Laurie noted that one of our involvements where
with the concessions, Joe Robbins is on that
committee. The Friends of the Zoo have arranged
for concessions so they will not need the
commissions help.
Steve stated that one of the radio stations have
agreed to be a media sponsor. Steve also stated
that Garver and Garver have agreed to do the
electrical engineering for the Zoo Lighting.
Garver and Garver will donate their time for a
sponsorship.
IV. Lighting Contest Update - Joe Robbins reported on
this project. Joe stated that at the last meeting
it was decided to divide the city into four zones
with three winners from each zone(twelve winners
overall). Steve Cato passed around a map that
Mark Webre drew to show the four zones. Joe
passed out a copy of the entry form. Joe would
like to have the map reduced so it can be placed
with the entry form. Joe asked for any changes
on the forms to be given to him at this meeting.
Lin Blair said that the words Light Up needs to be
hyphened. Jim Goodhart suggested that the line
that starts To Enter should read, To Enter,
Complete Entry Form Below and Mail. Frank Riggins
suggested that the title read 1994 City Beautiful
Commission Light -Up Little Rock Project. Steve
Cato also stated that the Osborne Family are in
support of how we are dividing up the money but
it needs to be noted that the total amount that
they are giving are the same as always,
$10,000..00.
Joe Robbins said that forms will be given to the
different neighborhood associations and it will
also run in the newspaper. Richard Wood suggested
that the commission get hold of Bill Tannenberger
with,the PAGIS Map System at Public Works to help
in condensing the map.
Jim Goodhart suggested that there should be two
commissioners for each zone.
Minutes Oct. 11, 1994 Meeting
Page 3
Frank Riggins asked when the ad will run and Steve
Cato stated that it should be in the paper after
the first of November. Lin Blair stated that it
ran last year the weekend after Thanksgiving and
it may not have been seen because of all of the
other ads. Joesphine Graham asked that it be run
more than once. Steve Cato asked if they should
have a press conference. Jim Goodhart suggested
contacting the city's public relations office to
see if he.could give us any suggestions. Steve
Cato asked that Joe Robbins contact Michael
Hutchinsons, City of Little Rock Public Relations
and --.see if the ad could run on the government
access station.
Joe Robbins stated that he feels that if a
commissioner lives in one of the zones that he or
she judge that area. Joe Robbins asked how d❑
_ the judges going about judging? Jim Goodhart
stated that last year their was a photos taken but
it will come down to two people working together
making a the choice. Steve Cato suggested making
up a one to ten grading scale and whoever has the
most points wins. Steve also discouraged using
photography or video tape to capture the winning
entries. He feels that this media does not do the
winners justice in representing their lighting
display. Jim Goodhart suggest that Becky be asked
to,fipd the form used last year to judge the
contestants.
V. Neighborhood Clean -Up Day - Gaye Brown from the
Little.Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau in
conjunction with the Big on Little Rock program.
This will be a city wide clean-up with Twin City
Bank being a co-sponsor. The Big on Little
Rock Program is being done to try and get the
media to cover good things that are going in
Little Rock. The neighborhood associations have
been contacted. There will be $2,400. in prize
money with six winning neighborhoods, $400. per
neighborhoods. There will be free t-shirts
given to all participants. The clean-up will take
place on Saturday, October 22. Gaye will need
help from the City Beautiful. Commission by helping
with the judging. There will be six judging teams
with three judges each. The judges from the City
Beautiful Commission will be Lin Blair, Jim
Goodhart and Steve Cato.
Minutes October 11, 1994 Meeting
Page 4
VI. Parks and Recreation Activities - Emily Hartman
attended the meeting in Mark Webre behalf. Parks
is currently working on improvements to the
Riverfront Amphitheater, this includes refinement
of the Masterplan and security fencing. The Parks
Department anticipates the Museum Task Force to
pursue negotiations with Bob East to relocate the
Museum of Science and History to the Terminal
Building, thus making an opportunity to create a
Farmer's Market and entry way into the Riverfront
Park from East Markham.
Allsopp Park is under going some needed
improvements. Currently, crews are working to
raise the tree canopy and clear the underbrush.
A contract for the construction of a new restroom
facility was signed and we anticipate construction
to begin within the month. New bikeways/jogging
paths are being marked.
Parks and Recreation is looking forward to working
with the Friends of the Zoo on the Zoolumination
project.
VIII.Miscellaneous - Steve Cato asked the commissioners
for a list of members interested in a nominating
committee for next years officers. Lin Blair and
Jo.Rancifer will be on that committee.
Jim Goodhart asked the commissioners if it would
be a good idea to make a Citizens Communication
presentation to the City of Little Rock Board of
Directors on the Lighting -Up Little Rock Contest.
The members agreed that it would be good to do the
presentation.
Steve Cato is going to sign a the resolution from
the City Beautiful Commission endorsing the
upcoming Bond Issue.
IX. Adjournment - The meeting adjourned at 11:20 a.m.
after a motion was made to do so and approved.
cd -2: 0-0
i 2
The City Beautiful Commission
RECEIVED
OCT 7 1994
Banks, Dodson. Goodhart & Spades
�c�r- 2 2 � t✓ Y M 3 1�
The City -:beautiful Commission will hold its regular meeting
Tuesday, October 11, 1994 in the City Board Conference Room,
2nd Floor of City Hall at 10:00 A.M.
1. Roll Call
Il. Approval of Minutes
III. Laurie Ann Ross, Executive Director,
Friends of the Zoo
Lighting Project Update
IV. Lighting Contest Update
V. Parks and Recreation Activities
VII. Miscellaneous
VIII. Adjournment
"Westm, RoOG f08:�t- - Little Rock, AR 72201 371-4770
L.R. CITY RTTRYS TEL=371-4675 Apr 18 94 13:10 No.013 P.04
� r
STATE OF ARK ANMS
Office of the Attorney General
1H1n~ ■rysA TpNnNa
"Wney ow" 09 se:.
October 12, 1993
The Konorable Chris Ra f t
Prosooutinq Attorney
Srv*nt4*1mth Bast Judicial District
411 North spruce 3tre0t
searcy. Aransas M43
Dear Nor. Raft,
This is in roaponso to yowr w*V*ut for an opinion on the
following question:
Is it a violation of the Arkansas
freedou of Information Act tar members
oir a quorum court or a auarua court
coasfttaf to adjourn their noticed
seating and publicly state that the
pewbors ri 1 i adjourn to a local
restaurant for coffee and at the
restaurant the members continue to
discuss county business'
This otiio• roc*ntly addressed an idontiCal issue in pppp
Attr y con. no. 93-20t, a COPY of Which is encla:ed. %;
conclusion reached in that opinion is that a factool iMutry,
vh1ch is -Dwywnd the p►s"Iev Of this vifivw. IN "P*40e !n
order to determine whether the gathering of gttoruu court
members at the restaurant in question constituted a "50stln4"
for purposes of this Arkansas rree49m yr- 1nCOrmb"On Act
(rorA) . It 1t is determined that such a gathering was a
_mset1rq* within the meaninq of tht rQIA, it would c9notitute
4 *new►" Iaeetin g of the quorvae court, rather than a
continuation of the original sooting since an edlournment of
the original weeti" o curred
Additiv"aliy, it a factual inquiry caveats that the gathering
of gvorus Gvurt members at Assue in Your question constituted
a "costing." it would be considered a "special* M46ting for
7'YJ �Cw!• g-'C.-; 7t7 Gera. s..��...•'t �:�• a1�-f�f ':�:' •�!':
L.R. CITY RTTRYS TEL=371-4675 Apr 18 94 13:10 No.013 P.05
Prosecuting Attorney
Seventeenth East Judicial District
Opinion no. 97-30#
Page 2
r-. Purposes of the rorA, and pursuant to A.C.A. f
=9"19-106(b)(2) (Rfpl. 199.1), two hours notice of • apeaial
meeting !e rsgu iced to be given to too Rows Red,* located In
the county in which the Reeti is to be held, as well as to
any other news media lotrete� •1ReWh•re if they have so
requested.
Tno foregolnq opinion, which i hereby approve, v46 prepay:d
by Assistant Attorney General Nancy A. Mall,
sincere y,
�'
WT Tom sRYAW
Attorney General
Me: cyll
Enclosure
--,
L.R. CITY ATTRYS TEL:371-4675 Apr 18 94 13:10 No.013 P.06
STATE OF ARKANSAS
Office of the Aholney general
Wr+aaN+ dryane yam'
aa.w4y 00RO+ai FAIP W
octobor 12e 1993
The Honorable Mix• woebe
state senator
211 Nest Arch Avenue
Searcy, Arkansas 7114)
pear senator Sesbe:
This is In response to your request for an opinion on behalf
of The Searcy Doily Cttisen regardtnq the Arkansas rV604ow
of Information Act MIA) , which is codified at A.C.A. is
sS-xs-iai to -1O7 (ROPI• 1,M). The facts on vhiO yowr
question: are bayed involve a county auoruw court. You
indicate is your request that a cOumittea of a county quorum
court adjourned their noticed asetinq and announced that
they were going to a local restaurant tot cof fee . YOU a lso
note that, once at the restaurant, members of the county
quorum court committee vere joined by other members of the
qucrµal court, and they discussed matters pertaining to
county business. in regard to these o•atters, you pose the
folXowing four gwstionsx
I+ under w%at , ci]rcumstencer can a
public asetinq be moved from the
announced loaativn to aA sltrrnato
location?
x. Cam the meeting be roved abasnt an
abtvlute necessity due to audience eisa
or unauAteblllty of the planned *eetlroq
isal1ity?
7., Can a public meeting be moved to a
private reaility that does not have
aocouodstions for the avdienae, the
aiti;ens, and the Wise
o
Z;+C �:. e" �.: ^; 9�� C!-'e. S:'!!! . � "! a;{• a t�^f#s �:i: �-2E+C
L.R. CITY ATTRYS TEL=371-4675 Apr 18 94 13:11 No.013 P.07
. ••sir:�:r�,ii�ii�,
The lluncric,rc-n.•r �•.,1�'
3tdt9 senator
CpJnion Ito. 97-i99
Pages 9
t. Does holding a public meeting in a
private facility that expects
participonts to purchave a product hove
a chilling effect on the cstixena right
ti to participate?
In response to our first question. it 1* my Opinion that
sinew thw initial public meeting of the quorum court
comaittes was adjourned# the discussions or the quorum court
■embers at the reastourart emetitutea a new and stparatt
resting (11 Indeed It constitutes • meeting, Of will br
discussed below) , rather than s Continuation of the originol
a■ating. Thererore. the initial Mating cannot be said to
have boon "moved-* Wrder this analysis, "a question
regarding trle Freedom of Information Aot will be whether the
gathering of the quorum co ort saebars at the restaurant
constituted a "rioting" within the weaning of the act.
The prvrrix1QA esf the /v[A cvditiad at A.C.A. S 25-19-106(a)
expressly provides that all meetings. "formal or intvrxel,
spacial or regular, of the governing bvdis■ of all ...
counties " bust 4e can dwt*d as open public reeltings in
Fompliance with the ►01A. ibis provision has been
interpreted to mean that tee roiA applies to an unofficial
Meeting of less than a quorum of a governing body it the
■sstirq is called for the purpose of discussing any matter on
which fore aseabLe Ovation ■iyht be taken by the 7vvessninq
may.! .
260 Ark. 021, $aa i.W.?d so (1916) . A factual inquiry,
which would involve the pcinciplss set forth above aAd whtcn
is beyond the purview of an Attorney 0"oral's opinion, would
be nevez;sary in order to determine whether the gatherinq of
quorwr court members at issue in lratir question Cvnetitutss a
`me9t1ng" for "rposes of tilt YVIA
It such a gatharing were to censtitutie a *meeting." it would
be considerod a 'speclal meatirge ur4or the T0IA1. While the
roIk does not deiinrr "regular' Or *special" weetir+gs, the
terry "regular* meetings most likely refers to rawOarly
scheduled srweti�+gs of the particular governlnq body, in
� question- J. Watkins, Ths ilr tb 7r`0945S_ of
I (e # m press, 1980) at 171. Therefore, the
gathering of quorum court members at iovuo irti your qu*Nti*A
would, in all lixtlihovd, be COnsidersd a "special" meeting
i f a factual inquiry concludes that it indeed was a "we0t1hq"
for purposes of the folA. ru rsuant to Ar C.A. i
1S-19-106(b)(2)• 1h the $Yent of a special meeting, a
governrin7 body 1s required to give two hours notice to the
seedio located in the county in dbich the meeting is to be
held, as we11 an to any nova media located elaevhart vhich
hoe requested such nsoti.ce.
r'
L.R. CITY ATTRYS TEL:371-4675 Apr 18 94 13:11 No.013 P.08
7hC h:YLIa #-..
state Sgnator
Opinion No. 93-299
Page 3
in response to your second quostian, it Is wy opinlon, OR
previously stated, that there ►ra* not a "aavp^ of tRe
original public Beet ing hold by t9he quorum court committee,
of they edjourned Costar* going to the restaurant In
question. As to the s 1 se and ■u i tsbi 1 IRY of Meting
rooiiitiee for public Neeti ■, there i■ ne p�ravlsivn Of the
r0JA which appGecitivally address*s such Issues, The TOIA
grants to ithdividual■ the right to attend a pviblie meeting,
but even thL* right is subject to reaSOrN � e Napkin■, tarns,
such as lisited ■eating copevitr. isUs a press, 1404) at
Prssvaeably, Aavever. ■ ga►+ernirhq body could nut choose
to head a meetingat a location VhWh lacked the *eating
Capacity for the nuiaber of irheiviaveis reasonably ■nticipated
tp attend It such a decision vas agar ►rith the intent to
thwart the requirements and spirit of the toll.
Additionally, the statute codified at A•V-A- t i4-24-004(0)
(Cum. Supp1991) sets torch the requiresant■ concerhhing
tiou; and *Pieces ter quorus court
s stings. TAG statute
dpecitically stages that srvtings quorum courts are to be
at "a regular tlae and place estsbllrehed by ordinance.'
Therefore, in addition tv aouplyir►g with the, rOtA, quorum
courts ■ust e109 act in compliance with A.C-A- S 14-14-904 M
nco in your
ous• regarding this wstaba
li hed ■eatirp place rvr quorum Court
�aetinys.
In ruaponse to your third question, it is rY vpiesian that the
anavor is the $afe as is set forth above' in response to your
second question.
7teh to your fourth duestion, it has been Stated that Mhi1e the
roil) requires meetipgs of the quarvar c vFt tea open to the
public, it doss not specitically aid&**$ the issue of citizen
ixarticipatien. 6af 4p. Att'y G*n. Pa. 93-052. Ihi/ Clad J.
biatkin$, The >rkansa SL (m a a
press, lei i � at 273. Another statute, however which
specirically perte ins to public looting@ of county quorum
courts 0dresses the iss►}e at public ppasrtieip4t on rith
regard to such siastir►ga. I" statute aoditied at A-C-A- S
14-34-109(0) t19s7i provides the following-.
In or+y ■o*t ina required to be open to
the public, the county quorum court,
cosmittqe, bcard, or other entity shall
Adopt sules for o*na%etin9 the eeertinq
regUnabla
[xopthasis added.)
L.R. CITY RTTRYS TEL=371-4675 R Apr 18 94 13:12 No.013 P.09
....--- ..... ... •..,..6J V&I.L,.ni.
Stet* Senator
opinion No. 13-299
Paye 4
Thus, a county quorure court is to coWOO It* meetings ir,
^ compliance with the rQIA and with A.C.A. SS 14-14-94t and
14-11r104, s11 60 discussod nerein, end any attempt to act
otherwise Mould wnetitut: s Vioietion of stitch statstss.
The tosagoing opinion, which ! here#+Y spppgave, Mia prapiced
by iLssistert Attorney Gonesal IranQy A. ftii.
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