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HomeMy WebLinkAbout12-12-17 Little Rock Board of Directors Reconvened Meeting December 12,2017 4:00 PM Little Rock Board of Directors Reconvened Meeting December 12, 2017 4:00 PM The Board of Directors of the City of Little Rock, Arkansas, met in a reconvened meeting with Mayor Mark Stodola presiding. City Clerk Susan Langley called the roll with the following Directors present: Hendrix; Richardson; Peck, Hines; Wright; Wyrick; Kumpuris; Adcock (enrolled at 4:12 PM); Vice-Mayor Webb; and Mayor Stodola. Absent: Fortson CONSENT AGENDA (Items 1 — 2) 1. RESOLUTION NO. 14,688: To permit the Mayor and City Clerk to execute any documents to accept a donation of property, with a value of Seventy-Two Thousand Dollars ($72,000.00), from Leland B and Janet Jones, for the extension of the Rose Creek Trail; to declare that this donation of property is designated for public park purposes; and for other purposes. Staff recommends approval. Synopsis: To accept a donation of property that will be used to extend the Rose Creek Trail which will ultimately link with the Arkansas River Trail. 2. RESOLUTION NO. 14,689: To require the 2017 Audit to be performed in accordance with the guidelines and format prescribed by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the United States Government Accountability Office; and for other purposes. Staff recommends approval. Synopsis: The resolution requires that the 2017 Audit be performed in accordance with guidelines and formats prescribed by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board,the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants,and the United States Government Accountability Office. Director Adcock made the motion, seconded by Director Richardson, to approve the Consent Agenda. By unanimous voice vote of the Board Members present, the Consent Agenda was approved. SEPARATE ITEMS (Items 3 —8) 3. RESOLUTION: To state the views of the Little Rock City Board of Directors that there should be no embargo or withholding of funds for approved government projects within the City pending the outcome of public comments and hearings on the 30 Crossing recommendation of the Arkansas Department of Transportation; and for other purposes. Director Peck made the motion, seconded by Director Richardson, to approve the resolution. Mayor Stodola stated that Metroplan Executive Director Tab Townsell had contacted the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ArDOT) and indicated that the Metroplan Public Hearing was going to be held on December 20, 2017, and that the local authorities had 1 Little Rock Board of Directors Reconvened Meeting December 12,2017 4:00 PM signed-off on the matter. In addition, Mr. Townsell asked if the embargo and restrictions would be removed from the funds that had been committed for various projects located within Central Arkansas. Mr. Townsell stated that he was told that the embargo could not be removed until after the Metroplan Meeting on December 20, 2017. Director Adcock stated that she felt that by taking action on the resolution, the Board would be threatening a State Agency. Vice-Mayor Webb stated that the resolution was simply asking ArDOT to release the monies for Central Arkansas. Director Hendrix stated that she wanted the record to reflect that she was not supportive of the resolution. Director Wyrick stated that some of the projects that would effect the City of Little Rock were: Little Rock Zoo Trails; University District; Arkansas River Trail; the Interstate 430/Interstate 30 Interchange; Interstate 630 Road Widening from Baptist Health Drive to University Avenue; Interstate 430 & Rodney Parham Road Interchange; and 12th Street Jump Start Improvements. Public Works Department Director Jon Honeywell stated that most of the projects that were mentioned were still in the design process and not near a point where they would be let for bid. Carol Young, 712 Ash Street: Stated that she represented the League of Women Voters of Pulaski County stated that the League felt that by withholding the funds, ArDOT was trying to ensure that the 30 Crossing Project moved forward as they had planned. Ms. Young stated that the League was in support of the resolution. Barry Haas, 804 Konrad Court: Stated that he felt ArDOT was being heavy-handed in embargoing the funds and asked that the Board support the resolution. Kathy Wells: Stated that she represented the Coalition of Little Rock Neighborhoods and requested that the Board support the resolution. John O. Hedrick, 305 East 15th Street: Asked that the Board approve the resolution. Tom Fennell, 307 West 17th Street: Stated that he supported the resolution and asked that the Board stand up to ArDOT and approve the resolution. Denise Jones Ennett, 621 East 16th Street: Stated that she was a resident of the Pettaway Neighborhood and asked that the Board approve the resolution. Rohn Muse, 822 Lewis Street: Stated that he was President of the Forest Hills Neighborhood Association and asked that the Board approve the resolution. required Metroplan to ensure that the Long-Range Plan and the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) Plan were in agreement. Director Hines stated that currently the plans did not agree, which was a change that Metroplan made. Director Hines stated that ArDOT had a fiduciary responsibility and had warned Metroplan that the embargo action would take place until the plans came into agreement. Director Hines stated that the same action would occur regardless of whether or not 30 Crossing was a proposed project. Vice-Mayor Webb stated that she thought it was unfair for the monies to be held-up and that the Board needed to stand-up to ArDOT and ask that the funds be released on the projects that had already been approved for Central Arkansas. Vice-Mayor Webb made the motion, seconded by Director Richardson, to call the question on the vote. By unanimous voice vote of the Board Members present, the question to vote was called. By roll call vote, the vote was as follows: Ayes: Richardson; Peck; Wyrick; and Vice- Mayor Webb. Nays: Hendrix; Hines; Wright; Kumpuris; and Adcock. By a vote of four (4) ayes and five (5) nays, the resolution failed. 2 Little Rock Board of Directors Reconvened Meeting December 12,2017 4:00 PM Mayor Stodola stated that due to the fact that Ordinances 4 — 7 were all related to Franchise Fees, they could be read together. 4. ORDINANCE NO. 21,514: To amend Little Rock, Ark., Ordinance No. 11,366 (March 4, 1963) as amended, to provide for levying a Franchise Fee to be paid by CenterPoint Energy ARKLA; to provide for the payment thereof; and for other purposes. Staff recommends approval. Synopsis: Approval of an ordinance levying a Franchise Fee to be paid by CenterPoint Energy ARKLA. This Franchise Fee should remain in effect until otherwise amended by the Board of Directors. 5. ORDINANCE NO. 21,515: To fix and impose the aggregate amount of fees and charges to be paid to the City of Little Rock, Arkansas, by Entergy Corporation and the method of payment thereof; to amend Section 9 of Little Rock, AR., Ordinance No. 11,683 (December 6, 1965); and for other purposes. Staff recommends approval. Synopsis: Approval of an ordinance levying a Franchise Fee to be paid by Entergy Corporation. This Franchise Fee should remain in effect until otherwise amended by the Board of Directors. 6. ORDINANCE NO. 21,516: To fix and impose the amount of fees and charges to be paid to the City of Little Rock, Arkansas, by all companies that provide interstate or intrastate Long Distance Telecommunication Services, and all business incidental to, or connected with, the conducting of such telephone business in the City of Little Rock, Arkansas; to amend Section 3 of Little Rock, AR., Ordinance No. 15,706 (July 5, 1989); and for other purposes. Staff recommends approval. Synopsis: Approval of an ordinance levying a Franchise Fee for companies providing Long Distance Telephone Service in Little Rock for 2018. 7. ORDINANCE NO. 21,517: To levy Franchise Fees to be paid by all carriers providing Local Access Telephone Services; to provide for the payment thereof; and for other purposes. Staff recommends approval. Synopsis: Approval of an ordinance levying a Franchise Fee to be paid by all carriers providing local access telephone service. This Franchise Fee should remain in effect until otherwise amended by the Board of Directors. The ordinances were read a first time. Director Adcock made the motion, seconded by Director Wright, to read the ordinances a second time. By unanimous voice vote of the Board Members present, the ordinances were read a second time. Director Adcock made the motion, seconded by Director Wright, to suspend the rules and place the ordinances on third reading. By unanimous voice vote of the Board Members present, the rules were suspended and the ordinances were read a third time. By unanimous voice vote of the Board Members present, the ordinances were approved. 8. ORDINANCE: To provide for and to adopt the 2018 Budget for the City of Little Rock, Arkansas, for the period beginning January 1, 2018, and ending December 31, 2018; to appropriate resources and uses for every expenditure item and fund; to declare an emergency; and for other purposes. Staff recommends approval. The ordinance was read a first time. Director Adcock made the motion, seconded by Director Wright, to read the ordinance a second time. By unanimous voice vote of the Board Members present, the ordinance was read a second time. Director Adcock made the motion, seconded by Director Wright, to suspend the rules and place the ordinance 3 Little Rock Board of Directors Reconvened Meeting December 12,2017 4:00 PM on third reading. By unanimous voice vote of the Board Members present, the rules were suspended and the ordinance was read a third time. Director Adcock stated that when the Public Budget Meetings were originally advertised, the final one was to be held on December 19, 2017, at the Board of Directors Meeting. Director Adcock stated that she didn't think it was right to approve the Budget that evening due to the fact that public comment had initially been advertised as December 19, 2017. Director Adcock made the motion, seconded by Director Wright, to defer action on the ordinance until the December 19, 2017, Board of Directors Meeting. By voice vote of the Board Members present, with Director Hendrix voting in opposition, the motion was approved. Director Hines made the motion, seconded by Director Richardson, to adjourn the reconvened meeting. By unanimous voice vote of the Board Members present, the reconvened meeting was adjourned. APPROVED: ill' � At /d_dc. , / Sus- gle -'t Clerk Mark Stodola, Mayor 4