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Board of Directors Room
City Hall - 500 W. Markham
Little Rock, Arkansas
November 23, 1999 — 4:15 P.M.
The Board of Directors of the City of Little Rock, Arkansas, reconvened from the
November 16, 1999 regular meeting with Mayor Jim Dailey presiding. Clerk Robbie
Hancock called the roll with the following Directors present: Directors Lichty, Cazort,
Keck, Wyrick, Kumpuris, and Kelly - total 6; Absent — Directors Pugh, Hinton, Stewart,
and Adcock— 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
Chenal/Wildwood Annexation Ordinance and a Resolution regarding budget public
hearings.
Director Lichty moved to add Items M -1 and M -2 on the Agenda
Modifications to the Agenda. The motion was seconded by Director Cazort and
unanimously adopted. (Director Wyrick recused on Item M -1 since she is an employee
of Southwestern Bell Telephone Company.) (See Resolution No. 10, 710 and the motion
regarding the Rose Law Firm below.)
(Director Stewart enrolled at 4:20 o'clock P.M.; Director Adcock at 4:25
P.M., and Directors Pugh and Hinton at 4:30 P.M.)
Consideration was then given to Ordinance No. 18,146, entitled:
AN ORDINANCE ACCEPTING THE ANNEXATION OF CERTAIN
LANDS TO THE CITY OF LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS, AND MAKING SAME
A PART OF THE CITY OF LITTLE ROCK.
(Chenal Valley/Wildwood Annexation — 1220.92 acres located west and north of the
intersection of Gordon and Denny Roads.)
At 4:18 P.M. Director Kelly began asking questions of Mr. Jack McCray, Manager of the
Real Estate Division of Deltic Timber Corporation, regarding the 4700 acres of Deltic
Timber property which has been or is proposed to be annexed to the City of Little Rock,
particularly the 712 acres annexed in 1997 by Ordinance No. 17,515. Mr. Jim Lawson,
Director of Planning and Development, responded to Director Kelly's cost related
questions. Director Kelly pointed out that part of this annexation is in the Little
Maumelle Basin but there is no cost attributed to the likely and needed treatment plant or
expansion of the capacity of the wastewater services in that part of the City. He referred
to other cost related issues that were discussed previously, but said what he really wanted
to focus on was the cost versus revenue summary that was presented by staff. Director
Kelly concluded his questions and comments at 5:00 o'clock P.M. by stating .. "We do
not have sufficient information to make an informed decision. Growth is good. We just
need to manage it better. " He then urged the Board to reject this annexation. City
Manager Cy Carney said there two issues involved: (1) annexations in general; and (2)
this Phase 4 of the Chenal Annexation. It is important that we proceed with the final
phase of the Chenal Annexation. The Deltic Corporation has demonstrated, through its
development, outstanding corporate leadership in planning a development that is a quality
development and a credit to our community. Mayor Dailey then allowed a total of
twenty minutes for opposition to be presented and twenty minutes for those speaking in
support. Those opposed to the annexation were: Ralph Desmarais (Sierra Club); Jane
Cia; Sylvia Bailey, Larry Berkley, Dee White, Marlena Grunewald, Susan Sims,
Shawn Porter, Mabelene Hill, Bobbie Turner (Little Rock New Party), Kathy Wells
(Little Rock New Party), and Jim Lynch (Little Rock New Party). Speaking in support
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November 23, 1999
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of the annexation were Mr. Jack McCray (Deltic Timber Corporation), Ruth Bell
(League of Women Voters of Pulaski County) and Mr. Ken Gill (President of Little Rock
Realtors Association). Mr. Gill also read a letter of support from Debra Burch,
Executive Director of the Greater Little Rock Home Builders Association. Director Keck
questioned Mr. McCray about the development of a series of trails throughout the green
space included in this annexation. Also, he verified that land has been designated for a.
possible inter - district school site and that Deltic Timber will consider moving it if that
site is not acceptable or feasible for a school. At 5:35 P.M. the Ordinance was read the
third and final time, having been read the first time on October 16, 1999, and the second
time on November 2, 1999. A roll call vote was then taken on passage of the Ordinance
as follows: Ayes — Directors Hinton, Lichty, Cazort, Keck, Kumpuris, Adcock, and
Mayor Dailey — total 7; Noes — Directors Pugh, Stewart, Wyrick, and Kelly — total 4;
Absent — None. Therefore, the Ordinance was declared PASSED. (Mayor Dailey then
made a brief statement in support of the annexation and moving forward on addressing
growth issues for the future including urban growth issues in a regional perspective.)
Item 2 on the Agenda was a Resolution proposed by Director Stewart requiring
public hearings of the proposed budget for the year 2000, which had been deferred from
November 16, 1999. (See Minutes of November 16, 1999.) Director Adcock said she had
asked staff to prepare a substitute Resolution requiring public information meetings on
the proposed budget for the year 2000, which was somewhat different than Director
Stewart's proposal. Director Adcock then moved to add her proposed Resolution to
the Agenda. The motion was seconded by Director Keck and adopted by a roll call vote
as follows: Ayes — Directors Pugh, Hinton, Lichty, Cazort, Keck, Wyrick, Kumpuris,
Adcock, and Mayor Dailey — total 9; Noes — Directors Stewart and Kelly — total 2; Absent
— None. Whereupon, the Resolution was added to the Agenda. (See Resolution No.
10, 709 below.) (Director Stewart's proposal directed staff to provide written documents
setting forth how revenues designated as FUTURE - Little Rock are spent, to hold four
public information meetings in different locations of the City; and to televise all budget
work sessions.)
Director Stewart's proposed Resolution was then introduced, with the title being:
A RESOLUTION TO REQUIRE PUBLIC HEARINGS OF THE
PROPOSED CITY BUDGET FOR THE YEAR 2000, TO DOCUMENT HOW
REVENUES DESIGNATED AS FUTURE- LITTLE ROCK AND OTHER
REVENUES ARE SPENT; TO TELEVISE BUDGET WORK SESSIONS; AND
FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
Following the reading of the Resolution, Director Stewart said her proposal calls for a
written narrative (to detail the revenues and expenditures since 1994) and the substitute
Resolution does not. She was opposed to deleting the written narrative, because she felt
it was important in terms of accountability, public trust, and citizen participation.
Responding to a question by Director Kelly, City Manager Cy Carney said he was not
sure he could provide all the details requested in the Resolution, but he could go a long
way toward that. Director Adcock felt the budget book already provides most of the
information requested in Director Stewart's Resolution. Director Stewart said she was
getting frustrated with how we play with words. If we are not going to do this
wholeheartedly, let's don't do it at all. A roll call vote was taken on adoption of the
Resolution as follows: Ayes — Directors Pugh, Stewart and Kelly — total 3; Noes —
Directors Lichty, Cazort, Keck, Wyrick, Kumpuris, and Adcock — total 6; Noes — None;
Abstentions — Director Hinton and Mayor Dailey — total 2. Whereupon, Mayor Dailey
announced that the Resolution had FAILED.
Consideration was then given to Director Adcock's proposal which had been
added to the Agenda, being Resolution No. 10,709 entitled:
A RESOLUTION REQUIRING PUBLIC INFORMATION MEETINGS ON
THE YEAR 2000 BUDGET.
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November 23, 1999
Following the reading of the Resolution, Director Adcock moved for its adoption. The
motion was seconded by Director Keck, and the Resolution was adopted by the
following roll call vote: Ayes — Directors Lichty, Cazort, Keck, Wyrick, Kumpuris, Kelly,
Adcock, and Mayor Dailey — total 8; Noes — Directors Pugh and Stewart— total 2;
Abstentions — Director Hinton — total 1; Absent — None.
Introduced next was Item M -1 on the Agenda Modifications which had been
added to the Agenda, being Resolution No. 10,710, described as:
A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR AND CITY CLERK TO
EXECUTE AN EASEMENT FOR SOUTHWESTERN BELL TELEPHONE
COMPANY TO CONSTRUCT AND OPERATE A COMMUNICATIONS
EQUIPMENT STATION ON CITY OWNED PROPERTY AT BLOCK 2, LOT 14
OF THE 20TH CENTURY ADDITION TO THE CITY OF LITTLE ROCK; AND
FOR OTHER PURPOSES. (West 34`" and Arch Streets.)
Following the reading of the Resolution, Director Adcock moved for its adoption. The
motion was seconded by Director Cazort, and the Resolution was adopted by a voice
vote of 10 ayes with Director Wyrick recusing because she is an employee of
Southwestern Bell Telephone Company.
The last matter to be considered was Item M -2 on the Agenda Modifications
which had been added to the Agenda. City Attorney Tom Carpenter distributed a copy of
a letter dated November 23, 1999 from Attorney Herb Rule on behalf of the Rose Law
Firm. The Rose Law Firm represents the Peabody Hotel Group of Memphis,
Tennessee, in connection with the proposed acquisition of ownership interest in the
Excelsior Hotel. The Rose Law Firm served as bond counsel to the City of Little Rock
in 1993 when the Convention Center Bonds were refunded, but is of the opinion that the
attorney- client relationship was concluded upon issuance of the bonds. In order to avoid
any appearance of a conflict of interest, the Firm requested that the City provide it with a
waiver, by consenting to its continuing to represent the Peabody Hotel Group. Director
Kumpuris moved to permit the Mayor to execute the Consent on behalf of the Board
of Directors for the Rose Law Firm to continue to represent the Peabody Hotel
Group in connection with the proposed acquisition of the Excelsior Hotel. The
motion was seconded by Director Adcock and unanimously approved.
(Directors Kumpuris and Keck were excused at 6:26 o'clock P.M.)
City Manager Cy Carney made his activity and project report, noting that one of
the four candidates for the Chief of Police position has withdrawn his application (the
Los Angeles Police Commander). He also distributed supplemental budget information;
and a report advising that the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has withdrawn the $1.1
million awarded to the City for the Little Rock Fighting Back project. Mayor Dailey
asked Mr. Carney to provide the Board with a report on the direction being taken by the
Community Programs Department with its new director, Dorothy Nayles.
There being no further business to be presented, the reconvened meeting was
adjourned at 6:40 o'clock P.M. with the Board of Directors to meet again in regular
session on Tuesday, December 7, 1999, at 6:00 o'clock P.M.
ATTEST:
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4&,ft CA,
City Clerk Robbie Hancock
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APPROVED`
tayorim Dailey