CBC 05-10-1994 (2)Thy City PedutiU Commission
AGENDA
The City Beautiful Commission will hold its regular
meeting Tuesday, May 10, 1994 in the City Board
Conference Room, 2nd floor of City Hall at 10:00 A.M.
I. Roll Call
II. Approval of Minutes
III. Judge David Stewart
IV. City Beautiful Kids
V. City Beautiful By -Laws
VI. Lighting Project Update
VII. Lighting Contest Update
VIII. Parks and Recreation Activities
IX. Miscellaneous
X. Adjournment
500 West Markham, Room 108 Little Rock, AR 72201 371-4770
The City Redutiful Commission
The City Beautiful Commission held its regular meeting on
Tuesday, April 12, 1994 in the City Board Conference Room,
2nd Floor of City Hall. The meeting was called to order by
Steve Cato, Chairman.
Members Present:
Steve Cato
Jim Goodhart
Jo Rancifer
Joe Robbins
Also Present:
Lin Blair
Josephine Graham
Joyce Raynor
Merle Seamon
Truman Tolefree, Assistant Director, Parks & Recreation
Becky Switzer, Executive Secretary, Parks & Recreation
Jim Sick, Parks Maintenance Mgr., Parks & Recreation
Mark Webre, Project & Design Mgr., Parks & Recreation
Emily Hartman, Design Tech., Parks & Recreation
Bob Brown, Plans Review Specialist, Neighborhoods & Planning
Representatives from Church of Christ
I. Roll Call - 8 members present
II. Public Hearing - Item No. 1 - CBC 549 - Samuel L.
Davis/Frank Bowers, Barrow Road Church of Christ.
Variance Requested - A reduction in the width of
a portion of the northern perimeter planting strip
two hundred and twenty-five (225) feet in length
from six (6) feet to two (2) feet and transferring
the associated shrubs and trees to other areas of
the site.
500 West Markham, Room 108 Little Rock, AR 72201 371-4770
Minutes April 12, 1994 Meeting
Page 2
Staff Recommendation - Bob Brown presented the
staff recommendations. Since the applicant is
willing to upgrade the overall site with more
shrubs -and trees within the interior and more
visible eastern and southern perimeters than
would be required along the northern section,
staff recommends approval of this request.
Merle Seamon made a motion to approve the
variance request. Jo Rancifer seconded the
motion. All members voted in favor.
III. Approval of the Minutes - Lin Blair made
motion to accept the minutes of the last
meeting with two changes, the date needs to be
changed and to remove Joe Robbins name off the
list of commissioners present at the last meeting.
Joyce Raynor seconded the motion. All voted aye.
At this point in the meeting, Steve -Cato, informed the
Commissioners that Joe Robbins provide a Treasurers Report
at each meeting. Joe stated that he has closed the
Winterfest account. He will be reporting the balance on the
City Beautiful account and how many checks have been
written.
IV. City Beautiful Kids-- Jim Sick stated that the
first round of interviews for City Beautiful Kids
were held on Saturday. Lin Blair and Josephine
Graham interviewed the kids. The second round of
interviews will take place this Saturday at 9:00
a.m. and should be over by noon.
An Executive Director for- the -City Beautiful Kids
Program has not been found. The letters for
sponsorship were sent out last week. Jim stated
that if there is not an Executive Director hired
soon that he will follow up on the letters in the
next -few weeks.
Jim said he has applied for one hundred twenty
City Beautiful Kids this year as well as twelve
for the Dunbar Garden Project. It is now up to
JTPA to determine how many kids we can hire.
Minutes April 12, 1994 Meeting
Page 3
Josephine Graham asked how many kids were
interviewed on Saturday. Jim stated that sixty-
eight kids came through the office that day.
Jim Goodhart, Jo Rancifer, Steve Cato, and Joe
Robbins are slated to interview this Saturday.
Bob Brown mentioned David Bazzel as a possible
candidate for the Executive Director position.
Jim Sick said he would contact David to see if he
is interested.
V. City Beautiful By -Laws - At the last meeting Jim
Goodhart passed out a revision of the By -Laws for
all commissioners to look over them and recommend
any changes. Jim stated that Becky had retyped
the By -Laws making the changes and returned to
him. Jim once again passed out the By -Laws and
asked all of the commissioners to review the
revisions and to look at the order of business.
He would like feedback. Jim would like to be able
to vote on the approval of changes at_the next
meeting.
VI. Lighting Project Update - Jim Goodhart met last
week with,the representatives from the Friends of
the Zoo and the Parks Department. Jim stated -that
the commission has not made a formal approval to
be involved in the Zoo Lighting Project. He feels
this is a matter that needs to be addressed.
The three groups researching this project have
mapped a route in the Zoo for thelights be. There
has been discussion on food vendors. The lights
would be on in the evenings and the exhibit would
open after Thanksgiving and possibly run until the
first of January.
The Friends of the Zoo feel that they will be able
to recruit corporate sponsors to contribute money
to pay for the different lighting displays.
Emily Hartman and Mark Webre from the Parks
Department have come up with a plan on the
layout for the lighting project.
Minutes April 12, 1994 Meeting
Page 4
Jim feels that the City Beautiful Commission could
help promote this attraction so that it will bring
visitors to our city. The admission proceeds will
—off set costs and contribute funds for generl
improvement projects. Eventually the money may
be used for the proposed Children's Zoo and the
Entrance of the Zoo. Steve Cato and Truman
Tolefree supported Jim on the facts that the
admission proceeds will be going for general
improvements at the Zoo at this point.
Jim Goodhart stated that the first years money may
go to the Zoo but that maybe the second year the
City Beautiful Commission could receive a minor
percentage of the admission fees that could be
applied toward a beatification project in a park
in some other area of the city.
The next meeting will be held May 3rd at 2pm in
the Parks and Recreation Conference Room. If any
commissioner would like to serve on a committee
there will be five committees. They are the
Entertainment, Food and Beverage, Operation and
Construction, School Outreach and Fund Raising.
Merle Seamon shared the information he had on
a lighting that takes place at the Jacksonville,
Florida, Zoo.
Jim Sick asked what will happen with the lights
that are put up in Riverf ront Park. Jim Sick
stated that a lot of manpower is used to put up
lights in the park and that money comes from the
City Beautiful Commission for replacements of
lights. Jim Goodhart stated that he has heard
that the Little Rock Visitors Bureau has been in
touch with the Downtown Partnership to do some -
event in Riverfront Park in conjunction with -
the Christmas Parade.
Lin Blair made a motion to continue the City
Beautiful Commissions support of the Lighting
Project at the Zoo. Jo Rancifer seconded the
motion. The motion passed with all voting in
favor.
Steve Cato encouraged all commissioners to
go by the Parks Department Design Division to
view the plans for the Lighting Project.
Minutes April 12, 1994 Meeting
Page 5
Truman Tolefree mentioned that as this project and
its committees grow, the Parks Department will
pull back as an advisory consultant and have
someone from the Parks Department t-o serve as a
representative. Steve Cato feels that will be
the same rule that the City Beautiful Commission
-will follow. Jim Goodhart stated that Millie Ward
of Stone and Ward Advertising has committed to
helping with the advertising for this project.
VII. Lighting Contest Update - Joe Robbins apologized
to his committee members since they have not
formally been able to meet. Joe stated that they
would like to do something different this year
with the contest. One thing he would like to see
is the way the prize money is to be awarded. Jim
Sick suggested dividing it by wards. There also
needs to be more advertising to promote the
contest.
Jim Goodhart feels that the commission first
needs to find out if the Osbornes are goigg .to -
fund the project again and if they would agree
to dividing the money another way. Lin Blair
feels that the commission needs to have a
proposal to take to the Osbornes in May.
Joe would like to see the categories broken down
two ways, traditional and creative. There
could be ten winners, five in each category.
Joe also feels that if a person has won that they
should not be elgibile to compete the following
year.
Joyce Raynor feels that the commission needs to
get the contest involved with the neighborhood
associations and churches.
Merle Seamon feels the commission will need to
come up with a different way.of judging because
he feels that there will be even more applications
this year. Jim Goodhart suggested that we hire
a professional photographer. Lin Blair stated
that the ground rules need to be established and
then the commission needs to stick by them.
Minutes April 12, 1994 Meeting
Page 6
Discussion was tabled until the next meeting.
Truman Tolefree feels that the Commission will
need to contact the representative for the
Osbornes, Robert Lowery, to inform him of the
changes that the commission would like to see
made and have him present them to the Osbornes.
VIII. Adopt -A -Park - Steve Cato reminded all of the
commissioners to try and be at the press
conference that will be held tomorrow at
MacArthur Park at noon. Steve passed around
a copy of the certificate that will be presented
to the individuals or groups who have adopted a
park at this time.
As a commission Steve Cato and Jim Goodhart sent
letters to each City Board Member
Joyce Raynor and Jim Goodhart will start sending
letters out to different organizations and groups
to help with contributions or to adopt a location.
Joyce Raynor stated that at the last meeting she
had suggested that the commissioners wear t-shirts
at the press conference promoting the Adopt -A -Park
program. The Parks and Recreation staff informed
her at -a meeting that they are going to give
t-shirts to the people who joined the program so
they did.not need to have one designed for the
press conference. After much discussion Joyce
opted to pass on the t-shirts for the press
conference.
Truman Tolefree stated that -it -was his
understanding that the commission wanted to come
up with a t-shirt for a one day event and the
Parks Department was not opposed to the idea. He
feels that there was a misunderstanding.
IX. Miscellaneous - Steve Cato informed the
commissioners that Liz Williams was not able to
attend todays meeting. Liz has taken photos of
the landscape award nominations and that she will
be contacting each commissioner to set up a time
to look at these pictures.
Minutes April 12, 1994 Meeting
Page 7
Jim Goodhart passed out a copy of a letter that
Mark Webre sent to Judge David Stewart. Jim and
Mark met with Judge Stewart to see if the City
Beautiful Commission could be of any help with
different projects that may come about through
the new environmental court. Discussion was held
on the treatment of some of the problems that may
pass through Judge Stewart's court and if the City
Beautiful Commission would be able to help on
expanding the treatment and if there is any common
ground between the court and the City Beautiful
Commission. Jim Goodhart stated that he will
research other cities to see what they are doing
along the same line as our environmental court.
Jim stated that several Future Little Rock
Task Force committees have made recommendations
that the City Board look at the City Beautiful
Commission and see what it does. Jim feels that
the City Beautiful Commission needs a working
group to look into our own commission to see
what we are doing and compare it to other ,
cities City Beautiful Commissions. This would
enable us to see how their commission works and
when they are having success.
Joyce Raynor suggested that as -of now -Jim Goodhart
go ahead with what he needs to do to investigate
other cities and call any of the commissioners
that he made need for help. What Jim would like
to do is have a small committee that will be able
to contact other cities. Joyce Raynor, Lin Blair,
Joe Robbins and Steve Cato stated they would be
that committee.
Lin Blair questioned a letter that she had
received from Hamp Roy. It was in regard to
putting a flag pole in a location near the
I-30 exit of Cantrell Road. The Vietnam Veterans
are the ones that want to do this project. This
item was tabled until the next meeting so that
Joe Robbins would have time to balance the
City Beautiful check book and to have someone
from the veterans group to come and address the
commission on this matter. Steve will have
Josephine Graham contact Mrs. Stanley in regard
to attending our next meeting.
Minutes April 12, 1994 Meeting
Page 8
Merle Seamon passed out copies of the Future
Little Rock newsletter. Merle attended another
meeting of the Capitol Ave. Task Force. The
task force will start getting feedback from the
property owners around the area.
Joyce Raynor asked if the City Beautiful
Commission is allowed to have closed meetings.
Truman would like to have the City Attorney's
opinion on this matter. Steve Cato asked that
Truman try and have the answer to this question by
the next meeting.
Joyce also informed the group of a parade for the
Razorbacks that will be taking place in downtown
Little Rock later in the week and invited
everyone to attend. The Greater Little Rock
Chamber of Commerce is helping to organize this
event.
Jo Rancifer made the motion to adjourn the meeting
and Joyce Raynor seconded. All voted in favor of
the motion.