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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-01-01il Board of Directors Room City Hall — 500 W. Markham Little Rock, Arkansas January 2, 2001 — 6:OOP.M The Board of Directors of the City of Little Rock, January 2, 2001, regular meeting, with Mayor Dailey presiding. City Clerk Nancy Wood called the roll with the following Directors present: Directors: Pugh, Hinton, Lichty, Cazort, Keck, Stewart, Wyrick, Graves, Adcock and Kumpuris. 10 present, The invocation was given by Director Adcock, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. The meeting was recorded as follows: Mayor Dailey recessed the meeting to go into executive session at 6:15 PM for the purpose of electing a Vice Mayor, appointing Directors to various boanjs and commissions. At 6:40 the board reconvened and Mr,-Carney announced the following: Mr. Cy Carney, City Manager announced that Director Brad Cazt1rt was elected as the new Vice Mayor. 'Mr. Carney announced the following appointment recommendations: 12. RESOLUTION NO. 10,973.- Appointi%g Board of Directoors as inembers or.liaistins to various boards and -commissions. Advertising and Promotio s`'Coi fimisstgp, Directors Dean Kumpuris and Willie Hinton, Arts and Humanities Prom otid Director Brad Cazort; The Commission on Domestic Violence ,.Directors 5itr ra. Graves and Genevieve- Stewart, The Downtown Partnership, Directors B.J. - Wyrick, Dean Kumpuris, and Michael Keck, The Educational Commission, Director Larry Lichty, The Workforce Investment Board, Director Joan Adcock, The Metro Plan Board, Mayor Dailey, The Municipal Judges Retirement Board, Director Genevieve Stewart, The McArthur Military Museum Commission, Director. J.ohnm e, Pugh, The - -. Community Housing Board, Director Joan Adcock, The Environmental flask Force, Directors Joan Adcock and Johnnie Pugh, The Municipal Airport Commission, r Directors Barbara Graves, and Johnnie Pugh, The City Beautiful Commission, Director. �- Johnnie Pugh, no appointments to The Civil Service Commission, The Central Arkansas Library System Board, Directors Willie Hinton and Vice Mayor Brad Cazort, The Planning g Commission, Director Larry-Licnty; bi Port Authority, Director Michael Keck; The Sanitary Sewer Committee, Dirctdt,B J. Wyrick, he' Sister Cities Commission, Directors Johnnie Pugh and Genevieve Steldrt, The Central Arkansas Transit Authority, Director Barbara Graves, The Racial -afi &Cultural Diversity Commission, Director, Willie Hinton, The Water Commission, Director Larry Lichty, The Zoo Board of Governors, Vice Mayor Brad "Cazort, The MEMS Board of Directors, Director Michael Keck, The New Futures For Youth Board of'Directors, Mayor Dailey, The Little Rock Youth Task Force,.D.trec'tors Willie Hint'oi and B.J. Wyrick, The Public Housing Authority Board, Director Genevieve Stewart, The Animal Services Task Force, Director Johnnie Pugh :- Qi"ect6r Keck trade the ,m6tiopj6 - approve the appointments, Director Cazort seconded the motion, and. by.unantmous yollce vote of board members present, the resolution making the a1fpbintments was adopted. 13. RESOLUTION NO. 10,974 Making appointments and reappointments to various Boards and Commissions. The Board of Adjustment, Mr: William Ruck, and Mr. Scott Richburg, re- appointments, The Racial and Cultural Diversity Commission, Ms. Teresa McLemore, Ward 4, new appointment, The Sister Cities Commission, Mr. Bob Callans, re- appointment, and Mr. Anthony Black, and new app.0ntment of Ms: Charlotte Gadberry, The Board of Governors for the Little Rock Zoo; Mr. George Mallory III, re- appointment, and new appointment of Mr. David Graf. A motion was made., by Director Cazort, and seconded by Director Adcock to make the appointments, and by , unanimous voice vote of board members present, the-resolution making the . , j., appointments was adopted. Parks and Recreation Director, Bryan Day gave a presentation on the current and future proposed Park System of-the City. Director Lichty made a motion Ito add Item 10, a resolution to rename a portion of East Markham Street to President Clinton Avenue in honor of President William Jeffer's'on Clinton; and for other purposes, Director Kumpuris seconded the motion. The item was added to the consent agenda. 2 1. To Ratify Oaths of Office of four City Directors and two Municipal Judges. Mayor Dailey announced that the item had been listed on the Consent Agenda as a resolution. The City Attorney advised that a resolution was not necessary to ratify the oaths. 2. RESOLUTION NO. 10,966 - To set the date of public hearing for the right -of- way abandonment; 15 feet wide by 140 feet long on Van Buren Street on the side of Hawthorne Street, Lot 7 in Block 13, Newton Addition, located in the City of Little Rock, Arkansas. 3. RESOLUTION NO. 10,967 - To authorize a contract with Cruse Uniforms for the purchase of uniforms for the Little Rock Fire Department; and for other purposes. - 4. RESOLUTION NO. 10,968 - To authorize the purchase of one 9 cubic yard dump truck with loader from Little Rock Equipment Sales; and for other purposes. 5. RESOLUTION NO. 10,969- -To authorize the purchase of one 41 -foot hydraulic telescopic aerial truck from Sterling Trucks of Arkansas, Inc.; and for other purposes. 6. RESOLUTION NO. 10,970 - Authorizing the City Manager to execute a contract with Gary and Leanna Godley as part of the Central High Targeted Neighborhood Enhancement Plan to renovate a single- family residence at 1900 South Summit Street, in the approved Central High TNEP Area. 7. RESOLUTION NO. 10,971 - Authorizing the City Manager to extend subcontracts with organizations to provide services to Welfare to Work eligible clients; and for other purposes. 10. RESOLUTION NO. 10,972 - To rename a portion of East Markham Street to President Clinton Avenue in honor of President William Jefferson Clinton; and for other purposes. The resolution was read. Director Adcock made a motion to adopt the resolution, Vice Mayor Cazort seconded the motion, and by unanimous voice vote of board members present, the resolution was adopted. This concluded the consent agenda. Ms. Rhea Cherrith, 1201 Madison Apt. D, spoke during Citizen's Communications concerned about fair housing, asking for local investigators, as well as state and federal. Mayor Dailey offered to meet with Ms. Cherrith at a later scheduled time to discuss her issues further. Mr. Jim Nettles, 4710 Sam Peck Road, lodged a complaint alleging wrongdoing by city employees, in handling the Montessori School case. Mr. Carney and Mr. Nettles agreed to set up a meeting at a later scheduled time to discuss the issues further. 8. ORDINANCE - Authorizing the City of Little Rock, Arkansas to enter into an interlocal agreement with the City of North Little Rock, Arkansas providing for the consolidation of their water systems and creating a public body corporate and politic to own and operate the consolidated water system; declaring an emergency; and for other purposes. Director Lichty made a motion to hold on second reading and to reconvene on January 9, 2001 for discussion and 3`d reading. The motion was seconded by Director Kumpuris. Director Keck asked Director Lichty to amend the motion to a limited discussion this evening, rather than to no discussion. Director Lichty said he had no problem in amending it to limited discussion. Director Adcock asked Mr. Carpenter and Mr. Carney if a week was enough time. Mr. Carney stated his preference would be two weeks at the regular meeting, in two weeks. Mr. Carpenter stated he would have his concerns to the board by Thursday if not sooner, and if the board needs additional information, he would need another week at least to address any concerns. Director Lichty stated if the meeting is reconvened next week, and it is determined additional time is needed, it could be done. His concern was that the board was dragging the issue out beyond a reasonable time. A voice vote on the motion was taken, Directors Wyrick and Adcock voted no, Directors, Pugh, Hinton, Lichty, Cazort, Kumpuris, Graves, Stewart, Keck, and Mayor Dailey voted yes. The motion was adopted. The ordinance was read the second time. There was limited discussion by the board, addressing payment of improvements, new water sources, the ten year phase in of levelized rates, rate studies, the power the new utility commission would have versus the now existing commission, the method of collecting payments. Further discussion is to take place on January 9, 2001 at the reconvened meeting. - 9. PUBLIC HEARING &ORDINANCE - Annexing additional lands to the St. Charles Municipal Lighting Improvement District No. 1 of Little Rock, Arkansas; declaring an emergency; and for other purposes. Held on 1St reading. Mr. Walter McSpaddin , Council to the St. Charles Lighting District, which was formed in 1998 for the purpose of putting street lights in the St. Charles neighborhood. Last year the district issued $350,000 in bonds and began construction of the lights. At the time the district was formed, St. Thomas neighborhood had existing 33 electric streetlights, and it was thought by organizers of the district that since they already had lights it didn't make any 4 sense to include them in this district. It became known that the St. Thomas residents were having some maintenance problems, etc, the St. Charles Board decided to make, since the process of construction is still ongoing, to give the St. Thomas property owners the option of being annexed to this district and getting gas lights. The Board circulated the petition which was filed two weeks ago with the City Clerk, after obtaining the requisite number of signatures of the property owners in the St. Thomas Addition. The idea being the excess construction funds are sufficient to put in six additional gas lights in the St. Thomas area. Mayor Dailey asked Mr. Carpenter, City Attorney, if the board could deny this. Mr. Carpenter answered that the way the statute is written, once the majority of the property owners have made the request, then the board is pretty much obligated to allow the request through. Mr. Robert Stephens, 15 St. Thomas Court, stated that Mr. McSpaddin was essentially correct on the percentage, since they were only talking about 32 residents of the neighborhood. He said when St. Thomas was built, Bailey Corporation was going to put sidewalks in, but in lieu of that they decided to put in trees on the property line, and put in streetlights, they have now. He sated in August of this year, the St. Thomas Lighting Commission sent out a certified letter stating that the St. Charles POA was no longer going to support these lights, and had three options, one they could join the lighting improvement district and accept the gas lights, or two go with city lights, or three have no lights at all. He said everyone decided it was better to go with electric lights. It came out through research, that the residents thought the city would pay for these lights, when actually it was the POA. He wanted to state how this issue and process was handled, and how misinformation was given to the residents of St. Thomas before they voted on this matter. He said in the letter St. Charles sent out to them, the average annual cost was misstated and incomplete, and basically what it is, the city provides a fixed amount of money for individual lights, and since they are dealing with gas lights, this is the first time in the United States a municipality has installed gas lights, it's basically an experiment, and the city has signed on to that. There is no way of knowing how much the gas prices are going to be. He said they promised increased property values, which they did a lot of misstatements that confused a lot of people. He said they did not give the residents time to look at other options. He stated there are trees on the property line on all the neighbors property, and where they plan to put these gas lights is going to effect the trees, and thought the board needed to be aware of that. He said he thought some kind of urban forester needed to be appointed or the board needed to recommend that to supervise the installation of the lights. Mayor Dailey asked the City Attorney, Mr. Carpenter if there is a desire for those residents opposed if there is a course of action for them to use. Mr. Carpenter said that if there is a challenge, there is a statute and procedure for taking it further. Mr. Carpenter stated he believed they would go to Chancellery Court. Director Keck requested that once the public hearing is closed that there not be a final vote on this issue until there are some answers back from staff regarding the placement and some of the other issues Mr. Stephens brought up and if Mr. Carpenter could issue a statement or memo regarding the boards obligation as to having to approve this issue. Mr. Kathy Weintz, 32 St. Thomas, registered her opposition to the annexation, saying that it was mishandled. Mr. McSpaddin stated the letter he submitted was from the St. Charles Property Owners and that he did not represent them, he represented the St. Charles Lighting Improvement District, and wanted to make that distinction, and that he had not seen the letter Mr. Stephens had given the board before tonight's meeting. He stated the lights would go where Reliant says they would need to go in consultation with the City, given the City's purpose of lighting the streets. He stated if there were a problem in placement the city would work with them. He stated as far as the standards, there is a written agreement with the City, a contract, to pay the equivalent of what electricity would cost, and anything over and beyond that, the residents would pay; part of the contract says the lights have to meet City standards. Mr. Bob Turner , Public Works Director was asked to give a brief overview of the lighting requirements of the City. Mayor Dailey asked that both parties sit down and try to work out the problems, then to come back to the board by the next meeting. Mayor Dailey declared the public hearing closed. The item was held until the reconvened meeting of January 9, 2001 at 4:00 P.M. 11. City Manager's Activity Report: There was no report. A motion was made by Vice Mayor Cazort to recess until January 9, 2001, at 4:00 P.M., seconded by Director Keck, and by unanimous voice vote of board members present, the meeting recessed at 8:30 P.M. ATTEST: 7 APPROVED: J Nancy Wood City Clerk Jim Dailey Mayor