03-30-94574
Board of Directors Room
City Hall - 500 W. Markham St.
Little Rock, Arkansas
March 30, 1994 - 1:35P.M.
The Board of Directors of the City of Li-
reconvened from the March 15, 1994, regular
Mayor Dailey presiding. City Clerk Robbie
roll with the following Directors present:
Lewellen, Adcock, Hendrix, Keck and Joyce -
Directors Priest, Roy, Mason, and Scheibner -
ttle Rock, Arkansas,
Board Meeting with
Hancock called the
Directors Sharp,
total 6; Absent -
total 4.
With a quorum present, Mayor Dailey declared the Board of
Directors in session and announced the purpose of the reconvened
meeting was to consider the Resolution approving various CDBG
projects and allocations, the Ordinance to establish minimum
maintenance requirements for buildings within the Historic
District, and the Ordinance condemning the Kramer School building
at 715 Sherman Street, which were deferred at the March 15, 1994
regular meeting. The proceedings of the meeting are recorded as
follows.
There were five students from the Pine - Woodrow Neighborhood
Association that addressed the Board of Directors regarding the
kiddy tunnel at 8th and Brown Streets, and the bus stop at 11th
and Brown Streets: Twanda Harris, Alison Starks, Courtney Wyatt,
Jill Booth, and one other who did not register to speak. The
dangerous tunnel was reported at the March 15th Board meeting, at
which time Director Adcock requested that action be taken to
prevent the children using the tunnel as a short cut to school.
Ms. Twanda Harris (a sixth grader at Forest Park Elementary
School) thanked the Board of Directors for closing up the tunnel
so swiftly. She also reported that water stands all year round
at the bus stop at 11th and Brown and asked that something be
done to improve the drainage problem at that location. The other
students also thanked the Board of Directors for closing the
tunnel at 8th and Brown Streets.
There was a brief discussion regarding Item 2 (minimum
maintenance requirements) and Item 3 (Kramer School) . Mayor
Dailey announced that since Director Adcock had stated she would
not be voting to suspend the rules to place the two ordinances on
second reading, there would not be the required eight votes to
suspend the rules. Director Roy enrolled at 1:40 o'clock P.M.
and was informed of the discussion. He then read a prepared
statement regarding the Ordinance establishing minimum
maintenance requirements for buildings within a historic district
(Item 2) . He said the ordinance is bogus and is not needed.
Director Roy then moved to table the Ordinance entitled: "AN
ORDINANCE TO ESTABLISH MINIMUM MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR
BUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES WITHIN AN OFFICIALLY DESIGNATED HISTORIC
DISTRICT; DECLARING AN EMERGENCY; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES." The
motion was seconded by Director Keck and unanimously adopted by
the following roll call vote: Ayes - Directors Roy, Sharp,
Lewellen, Mayor Dailey, Directors Adcock, Hendrix, Keck and Joyce
- total 8; Noes - None; Absent - Directors Priest, Mason, and
Scheibner - total 3. Therefore, the Ordinance was TABLED.
Director Adcock said she would like to see a committee
formed to study the minimum maintenance requirements for
buildings within an historic district and make recommendations to
the Board of Directors. Directors Adcock and Hendrix volunteered
to serve on the committee. City Manager Charles Nickerson will
appoint the appropriate staff members.
1
Minutes
March 30, 1994
Mayor Dailey announced that the proposed Ordinance (Item 3)
entitled, "AN ORDINANCE CONDEMNING THE STRUCTURE AT 715 SHERMAN
STREET IN THE CITY OF LITTLE ROCK, FORMERLY USED AS KRAMER
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, AS A STRUCTURAL, FIRE AND HEALTH HAZARD;
PROVIDING FOR SUMMARY ABATEMENT PROCEDURES; DIRECTING THE CITY
ATTORNEY TO TAKE SUCH ACTION AS IS NECESSARY TO RAZE AND REMOVE
SAID STRUCTURES; DECLARING AN EMERGENCY; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
would be deferred until April 5, 1994. (Note: Ordinance was
tabled on March 15, 1994.)
Director Keck presented Honorary Citizen Certificates to
visitors from South America as follows:. Alfredo Pablo Keegan -
Congressman from Argentina; Mario Jose Esquivel - Congressman for
Paraguay; Migual Velit - Congressman from Peru; and Sergio Chiesa
- Mayor from Uruguay.
On March 15, 1994, the Board of Directors held a public
hearing on the projected use of the City's FY 1994 Community
Development Block Grant (CDBG) Funds. Several citizens spoke
during the public hearing (see Minutes of March 15, 1994), but
the Board of Directors deferred until March 30, 1994, the
proposed Resolution entitled: "A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE
VARIOUS PROJECTS AND ALLOCATIONS OF FUNDS AS PROVIDED FOR IN THE
CITY OF LITTLE ROCK'S COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT (CDBG)
PROGRAM FOR THE 20TH YEAR (FY 1994); APPROVING THE CDBG
APPLICATION AND AUTHORIZING THE FILING OF THE APPLICATION FOR
SUCH FUNDS." At 1:50 o'clock P.M. Mayor Dailey asked Mr. Tim
Polk, Assistant Director of Neighborhoods and Planning, for a
staff briefing on the CDBG projects and allocations. Mr. Polk
explained the citizen participation process used in determining
the projects to be recommended for funding, as mandated by the
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). He
stated that public hearings were held in the ten (10) CDBG
Neighborhoods to elect area coordinators, which constitute the
City -wide Citizen Participation Coordinating Committee to
evaluate all requests and proposals and make recommendations to
the Board of Directors. Proposals from the neighborhoods are
submitted to City staff, reviewed by staff, and staff
recommendations are made to the Coordinating Committee. The
Coordinating Committee then makes its recommendation to the Board
of Directors. The Staff recommendation (Exhibit A) is somewhat
different than the Coordinating Committee recommendation (Exhibit
B). (1) Staff recommendation deletes $25,000 for landscaping of
the campus of Dunbar Junior High School and prorates that amount
among the public facilities improvements; and (2) Staff
recommendation allocates $50,000 more than the Coordinating
Committee for public services through operation of the Nathaniel
Hill Community Complex and adjusts downward allocations for rehab
loans and the Save -A -Home project. Mr. Polk and Mr. Ed Stanfield
(CDBG & Housing Programs Manager) answered questions from the
Board. Mayor Dailey then allowed citizens to speak, even though
most of them spoke during the lengthy public hearing which was
held on March 15, 1994. The speakers were Mr. Ari Xerretazon,
Ms. Annie Abrams, Mr. Odies Wilson, Ms. Lila Mae Hatch, Ms.
Jeanette Booth, Mr. Adolphus Allen, Mr. Victor Warren, Ms. Kathy
Wells, and Ms. Wanda Harris. Mr. Merretazon again asked the
Board of Directors to reverse the decision of staff on priorities
1, 2, 3 and 4 submitted by the Stephens School Area CDBG Planning
Committee, and emphasized that improvements to Maryland Street
would benefit the community and not just the Trumpet in Zion
Church which is located at 900 South Pine Street. Ms. Abrams
asked the Board to respect the decision of the Coordinating
Committee, saying staff recommendation should not take precedent
over the Coordinating Committee. Referring to the request for
improvements to Maryland Avenue, Mr. Odies Wilson said Maryland
Avenue does not belong to Trumpet in Zion Church, it is a City
street and the improvements would not just benefit the Church.
Ms. Booth, Mr. Allen and Ms. Harris thanked the Board of
Directors for the action taken to close the dangerous tunnel at
8th and Brown, which was being used by school children as a
2
575
576
Minutes
March 30, 1994
shortcut. Following the lengthy discussion there was a motion by
Director Adcock, seconded by Director Keck, to adopt the
Resolution with staff recommendations (Exhibit A). Directors
Keck and Sharp spoke in support of Exhibit "A" and Directors
Lewellen, Hendrix and Roy spoke in support of Exhibit "B"
(Coordinating Committee recommendations) . A roll call vote was
then taken on the motion to adopt the Resolution with Exhibit "A"
with the following response: Ayes - Directors Sharp, Adcock,
Keck and Joyce - total 4; Noes - Directors Roy, Lewellen, Mayor
Dailey, and Director Hendrix - total 4; Absent - Directors
Priest, Mason, and Scheibner - total 3. Mayor Dailey announced
the motion had FAILED. There was a subsequent motion by Director
Roy, seconded by Director Hendrix, to adopt the Resolution with
Exhibit "B" (Coordinating Committee recommendations.) A roll
call vote was then taken on the motion to adopt the Resolution
with Exhibit "B" with the following response: Ayes - Directors
Roy, Lewellen, Mayor Dailey, and Director Hendrix - total 4; Noes
- Directors Sharp, Adcock, Keck and Joyce - total 4; Absent -
Directors Priest, Mason, and Scheibner - total 3. Mayor Dailey
announced the motion had FAILED. The Board of Directors
generally agreed to consider the proposed Resolution again on
Tuesday, April 5, 1994 at the regular meeting. Mr. Stanfield
made a point of clarification, stating Exhibit "B" is the
recommendation of the City -wide 7 member Coordinating Committee,
not the Stephens School CDBG area recommendation. Mr. Odies
Wilson again spoke in opposition to the recommendations being
considered, and asked for favorable consideration of the request
made by the Stephens School CDBG Committee.
There being
reconvened meeting
Board of Director
April 5, 1994, at
ATTEST:
no further business to be presented, the
was adjourned at 3:28 o'clock P.M., with the
Directors to meet again in regular session on Tuesday,
6:00 o'clock P.M.
CITY CLERK ROBBIE HANCOCK
3
AP ROVED:
4 '
YOR JIM DAILE