09-23-03Minutes:
Reconvened Meeting
September 23, 2003
MINUTES
Board of Directors Room
City Hall — 500 W. Markham
Little Rock, Arkansas
September 23, 2003
5:30 PM
The Board of Directors of the City of Little Rock, Arkansas met in reconvened session
with Mayor Dailey presiding. The roll was called by City Clerk, Nancy Wood with the
following Directors present: Vice Mayor Hinton, Pugh, Stewart, Graves, Kumpuris,
Keck, Adcock, Wyrick, Hurst, and Mayor Dailey.
The meeting was reconvened from September 16, 2003 for the purpose of Discussion of
the 2003 Bond Election Issue, and to vote on the emergency clause for Ordinance No.
18,939, passed September 16, 2003 without the adoption of the Emergency Clause.
Mayor Dailey called the meeting to order.
1. Discussion: 2003 Bond Election Issue - Mayor Dailey asked Mr. Bruce Moore, City
Manger, to overview the proposed percentages of allocations for the 2003 Bond issue,
based on public input. The proposal included 45% or $31.050 for infrastructure needs,
35 %, or $24,150,000 for Public Safety Issues, and 20 %, or $13,800,000 for Parks and
Zoo. There was lengthy discussion. Citizens present in general support of the Bond issue
was: Doris Wright, Ken Gould, Janet Berry, Nick Dawson, Norma Walker, Rose Cook,
and George Blevins. Several Citizens asked for a community center to be included in the
bond issue for the John Barrow Neighborhood, including Senator Irma Hunter Brown,
and for consideration of areas in need of improvements be looked at first when allocating
- funds. Byron Norwood spoke in opposition to the bond issue as proposed, and stated the
board needed to focus on the needs of the City.
Director Keck made a motion to move forward with the Bond Issue proposal as presented
by the City Manager. Director Cazort seconded the motion. Director Stewart made a
motion to amend the proposal to include a community center for the John Barrow
Neighborhood. Director Pugh seconded the motion. Director Graves stated the issue was
not the community center it was the operating costs. Her thoughts were that the board
would come back to this issue and try to visit it in a positive manner. Mr. Moore stated if
this amendment were successful there would be a need to begin to build theses dollars
into the five -year budget forecast. Director Cazort stated he appreciated Director
Stewarts ardent support for the community center and felt one is needed, but this amount
of $69,000,000, if passed, cannot cover all the needs in the city, in all areas. He stated
arguments could be made that all the money needed to go for infrastructure, or all to
public safety, etc. He stated he thought the plan presented tonight does the best
allocation of a limited resource across the board to the widest rage of necessary capitol
projects that could be dealt with in the city in a fair and equitable manner, but was
confident this would not e the one and only time to have the opportunity to address
capital needs for quality of life issues. He stated that he agreed with Director Graves that
the city could not afford in its budget, to build and run the center at this time. Director
Keck asked if amendments were offered, shouldn't there be a mention of where the
monies would be shifted from, or would the recommendation just be made and hope the
City Manager comes forward with proposals at the next meeting. Mayor Dailey stated he
would image that this would be handled much like the budget process, that the City
Manager would be looking to the Board to say where the money would be taken from,
and stated if amendments are made to the proposal Mr. Moore has presented, the Board
should be prepared to give him direction. A roll call vote was taken and recorded as
follows: Director Pugh, Stewart, Kumpuris, Vice Mayor Hinton, and Mayor Daily voted
yes. Directors Hurst, Cazort, Keck, Wyrick, Adcock voted no. The amendment was not
adopted. Director Adcock made a motion to make an amendment to add speed bumps in
Minutes:
Reconvened Meeting
September 23, 2003
the language in Question 4, so that some of the money could be used for this purpose.
Mr. Carpenter stated he took that to mean all traffic calming devices would be a part of
that. Vice Mayor Hinton seconded the motion, and by unanimous voice vote, the
amendment was approved.
Mayor Dailey called for a vote to adopt a motion to approve the bond issue package as
currently presented, including the amendment as outlined above. By unanimous voice
vote of the Board members present, the bond issue package was approved as proposed.
Director Keck made a motion to adjourn.
Mayor Daily announced that he had just signed the form to have a special called meeting
next Tuesday at which time, an ordinance would be presented to formalize the action
taken at tonight's meeting.
Director Keck withdrew his motion to adjourn. There was discussion regarding leaving
the Parks /Zoo item as one question, or split the question, so that it would give voters a
choice. Mayor Dailey asked for a roll call vote on the question of whether to split the
question. The vote was recorded as follows: Directors Pugh, Hurst, Cazort, Keck,
Stewart, Wyrick, Kumpuris, Vice Mayor Hinton and Mayor Dailey voted no. Director
Adcock voted yes.
2. To vote on an emergency clause for Ordinance No. 18,939, (September 16, 2003)
"Amending Chapter 36 of the Code of ordinances of the City of Little Rock, Arkansas
providing for modification of various regulations. Director Cazort made a motion for the
adoption of the emergency clause in Ordinance No. 18,939. Director Keck seconded the
motion, and by unanimous vice vote of the Board members present, the emergency
clause was adopted.
Director Keck made a motion to adjourn, Director Cazort seconded the motion, and by
unanimous voice vote of the Board members present, the meeting was adjourned.
ATTEST: APPROVE:
Nancy Wood, City Clerk
2
Ji Dailey, Mayor