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Home My WebLink About16965 1 RESOLUTION NO. 16,965 2 3 A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO ENTER 4 INTO A LEASE AND SERVICE AGREEMENT WITH SAFE HAVEN 5 BABY BOXES, INC., FOR THE PLACEMENT AND INSTALLATION OF 6 A DESIGNATED NEWBORN SAFETY DEVICE AT LITTLE ROCK FIRE 7 DEPARTMENT FIRE STATION NO. 9; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. 8 9 WHEREAS,the City of Little Rock is committed to protecting the health, safety,and welfare 10 of newborn children and their parents; and, 11 WHEREAS,on February 7,2023,the Board of Directors adopted Little Rock Ordinance No. 12 22,220,permitting the placement of authorized newborn safety receptacles at City-owned fire stations 13 pursuant to the Arkansas Safe Haven Act;and, 14 WHEREAS,the Arkansas Safe Haven Act,codified at Arkansas Code Annotated § 9-34-201 15 et seq., allows a parent to anonymously and voluntarily relinquish custody of a newborn child thirty 16 (30)days old or younger at designated locations to ensure the child's immediate safety and care; and, 17 WHEREAS,Arkansas Code Annotated § 9-34-202 authorizes the use of designated newborn 18 safety devices that provide a safe, secure, and anonymous method for surrendering a newborn child 19 while ensuring immediate notification and response by trained personnel; and, 20 WHEREAS, Safe Haven Baby Boxes, Inc. ("SHBB"), an Indiana nonprofit organization, 21 provides designated newborn safety devices designed to comply with applicable state law and to alert 22 first responders immediately upon the surrender of a newborn;and, 23 WHEREAS, the Little Rock Fire Chief has designated the placement of a newborn safety 24 device ("baby box") at Little Rock Fire Department Fire Station No. 9 that will expand access to a 25 lawful and secure surrender option and ensure that surrendered newborns receive prompt attention and 26 care from trained first responders;and, 27 WHEREAS,SHBB will provide and install the newborn safety device pursuant to a Lease and 28 Service Agreement establishing a five(5)year term with options for renewal upon mutual agreement. 29 The Lease and Service Agreement is attached hereto as Exhibit A;and, 30 WHEREAS,there is an initial fee of Sixteen Thousand and 00/100 Dollars($16,000.00)with 31 a renewal fee of Six Hundred and 00/100 Dollars ($600.00) for each successive term with an annual 32 fee of Six Hundred and 00/100 Dollars ($600.00). Funding has already been factored into the 33 construction cost by the general contractor,Wagner General Contractors, in its bid for the project.Any [Page 1 of 3] 1 additional costs will be subject to the terms of the agreement and normal budgetary review. See Section 2 4 of the Lease& Service Agreement and Exhibit B thereto. 3 WHEREAS, the Board of Directors has determined that entering into the Lease and Service 4 Agreement with SHBB serves a valid public purpose by enhancing protections for newborn children 5 and is in the best interest of the City and its residents. 6 NOW,THEREFORE,BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE 7 CITY OF LITTLE ROCK: 8 Section 1.The City Manager is hereby authorized to enter into a Lease and Service Agreement 9 with Safe Haven Baby Boxes,Inc.,an Indiana nonprofit organization,for the placement and installation 10 of a designated newborn safety device at Little Rock Fire Department Fire Station No. 9, substantially 11 in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A. 12 Section 2. The Board of Directors finds and declares that the agreement serves a valid public 13 purpose by providing a safe, secure, and anonymous option for the voluntary relinquishment of 14 newborn children in compliance with the Arkansas Safe Haven Act and Arkansas Code Annotated § 9- 15 34-202. 16 Section 3. The Mayor and Members of the Board of Directors reserve the right to approve 17 additional such placements in the future by an adopted resolution which identifies the location of such 18 a device if it is deemed appropriate and feasible to do so. 19 Section 4. Severability. In the event any title, section, paragraph, item, sentence, clause, 20 phrase, or word of this ordinance is declared or adjudged to be invalid or unconstitutional, such 21 declaration or adjudication shall not affect the remaining portions of the ordinance which shall remain 22 in full force and effect as if the portion so declared or adjudged invalid or unconstitutional was not 23 originally a part of the ordinance. 24 Section 5. Repealer. All laws, ordinances, resolutions, or parts of the same that are 25 inconsistent with the provisions of this ordinance are hereby repealed to the extent of such 26 inconsistency. 27 ADOPTED: February 17,2026 28 // 29 // 30 // 31 // 32 33 // 34 // [Page 2 of 3] 1 ATTEST: APPROVED: 2 3 4 AlttVA ,,.ieA 5 Allison Segars,Ci lerk Frank Scott,Mayor 6 APPROVED AS TO LEGAL FORM: 7 g 401.44.4.1 W, 9 Thomas M.Carpenter,City orney 10 // 11 // 12 // 13 // 14 // 15 // 16 // 17 // 18 // 19 // 20 // 21 // 22 // 23 // 24 // 25 // 26 // 27 // 28 // 29 // 30 // 31 // 32 // 33 // 34 // [Page 3 of 3]