23 JUL 20CITY OF JACKSONVILLE
REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING
JULY 20, 2023
6:00 P.M. – 6:25 P.M.
REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING - CITY HALL - #1 MUNICIPAL DRIVE
The City Council of the City of Jacksonville, Arkansas met in a regular session on July 20, 2023 at the regular meeting place of the City Council. Council Member Bolden delivered the
invocation and Mayor Elmore led a standing audience in the “Pledge of Allegiance” to the flag.
ROLL CALL: City Council Members: Bolden, Sansing, Ray, Moss, Twitty, Kinman, and Rains answered ROLL CALL. Mayor Elmore also answered ROLL CALL declaring a quorum. PRESENT EIGHT (8)
ABSENT TWO (2). Council Member Dietz arrived at approximately 6:02 p.m. Council Members McCleary and Mashburn were absent.
Others present for the meeting were: Finance Director Cheryl Erkel, Police Chief Brett Hibbs, Fire Chief Alan Laughy, City Engineer Adam Whitlow, CDBG Director Michelle Spencer, Communications
Director Emily Sundermeier, Assistant City Clerk Emilia Vazquez, and IT Director Emily Osment.
PRESENTATION OF MINUTES: Mayor Elmore presented the minutes of the regularly scheduled City Council meeting of July 6, 2023 for approval and/or correction at the next regularly scheduled
City Council meeting.
APPROVAL AND/OR CORRECTION OF MINUTES:
Council Member Twitty moved, seconded by Council Member Bolden that the minutes of the rescheduled City Council meeting of June 8, 2023 be APPROVED. MOTION CARRIED.
CONSENT AGENDA: REGULAR MONTHLY REPORT/FIRE DEPARTMENT
Council Member Ray moved, seconded by Council Member Twitty to approve the regular monthly report for May 2023 from the Jacksonville Fire Department, reflecting a fire loss of $80,000.00
and a savings total of $386,500.00.
Council Member Ray moved, seconded by Council Member Twitty to approve the regular monthly report for June 2023 from the Jacksonville Fire Department, reflecting a fire loss of $223,500.00
and a savings total of $1,094,500.00.
REGULAR MONTHLY REPORT/POLICE DEPARTMENT
Council Member Ray moved, seconded by Council Member Twitty to approve the Regular Monthly Report for June 2023 regarding annual crime statistical comparisons.
REGULAR MONTHLY REPORT/CODE ENFORCEMENT
Council Member Ray moved, seconded by Council Member Twitty to approve the regular monthly report as presented for June 2023.
Assigned Calls 69
Self-Initiated Calls 180
Follow Up Inspections 434 Demolition by City 0
Complied after Notice 238 Demolition by Owner 0
Three Day Notice 32 Parking Violations 2
Seven Day Letter 240 Garbage Cans Tagged 0
Citation Letters Mailed 29 Basketball Goals 0
CITY OF JACKSONVILLE
REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING
JULY 20, 2023
6:00 P.M. – 6:25 P.M.
Citations Issued 11 Structures Inspected 683
Vehicles Tagged 33 Apartment Complexes Inspected 0
Vehicles Towed 9 Red Tags Issued 3
Unsafe Structures Tagged 0 Search Warrants 0
Structures Condemned 0 Grass Mowed 64
Structures Rehabbed 0 Signs Removed 2
REGULAR MONTHLY REPORT/ANIMAL CONTROL
Council Member Ray moved, seconded by Council Member Twitty to approve the regular monthly report for June 2023.
ADOPTION FEES $ 2,310.00
SPAY/NEUTER FOR ADOPTED DOGS 2,310.00
Paid by the City of Jacksonville 2,310.00
Paid for by JFOTA -
FINES 90.00
CONTRIBUTIONS 435.00
TOTAL $ 525.00
Vet Bills paid by City not spay/neuter $ 10,863.49
Vet Bills paid by JFOTA not spay/neuter 5,000.00
ROLL CALL: Council Member: Bolden, Sansing, Ray, Moss, Twitty, Kinman, and Rains voted AYE. MOTION CARRIED.
WATER DEPARTMENT:
WASTEWATER DEPARTMENT:
FIRE DEPARTMENT:
POLICE DEPARTMENT:
STREET DEPARTMENT:
SANITATION DEPARTMENT:
PARKS & RECREATION:
PLANNING COMMISSION: ORDINANCE 1739 (#23-2023)
AN ORDINANCE RECLASSIFYING PROPERTY IN THE CITY OF JACKSONVILLE, ARKANSAS (PARCEL LOCATED AT CRESTVIEW PARK); AMENDING ORDINANCE NOS. 213 AND 238 AND THE LAND USE MAP OF THE CITY OF
JACKSONVILLE, ARKANSAS; DECLARING AN EMERGENCY; AND, FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
City Engineer Adam Whitlow stated this is a rezone near Ramada Street and Crestview Drive, explaining that the property is currently being used as R-3 and there are buyers who want to
expand that use. He confirmed it will be zoned to its current use and there has been no opposition.
Council Member Ray moved, seconded by Council Member Bolden to place Ordinance 1739 on FIRST READING. ROLL CALL: Council Member Dietz, Bolden, Sansing, Ray, Moss, Twitty, Kinman, and
Rains voted AYE. MOTION CARRIED. Whereupon City Clerk Davitt read the heading of Ordinance 1739.
CITY OF JACKSONVILLE
REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING
JULY 20, 2023
6:00 P.M. – 6:25 P.M.
Council Member Twitty moved, seconded by Council Member Bolden to APPROVE Ordinance 1739 on FIRST READING and SUSPEND THE RULES and place Ordinance 1739 on SECOND READING. ROLL CALL:
Council Member Dietz, Bolden, Sansing, Ray, Moss, Twitty, Kinman, and Rains voted AYE. MOTION CARRIED.
Council Member Ray moved, seconded by Council Member Sansing to APPROVE Ordinance 1739 on SECOND READING and SUSPEND THE RULES and place Ordinance 1739 on THIRD AND FINAL READING. ROLL
CALL: Council Member Dietz, Bolden, Sansing, Ray, Moss, Twitty, Kinman, and Rains voted AYE. MOTION CARRIED.
Council Member Ray moved, seconded by Council Member Bolden to APPROVE AND ADOPT Ordinance 1739 in its entirety. ROLL CALL: Council Member Dietz, Bolden, Sansing, Ray, Moss, Twitty,
Kinman, and Rains voted AYE. MOTION CARRIED.
Council Member Ray moved, seconded by Council Member Sansing that the EMERGENCY CLAUSE be approved and adopted. ROLL CALL: Council Member Dietz, Bolden, Sansing, Ray, Moss, Twitty, Kinman,
and Rains voted AYE. MOTION CARRIED.
ORDINANCE 1739 (#23-2023) APPROVED AND ADOPTED THIS 20TH DAY OF JULY, 2023.
COMMITTEE(S):
Deviation in agenda:
GENERAL: b. PUBLIC HEARING Approval of CDBG 2023 Annual Action Plan (AAP)
The public hearing opened at approximately 6:05 p.m.
CDBG Director Michelle Spencer shared the total allocation amount is $227,969.00, noting that Administration has a 20% cap at $45,594.00 and Public Service has a 15% cap at $34,195.00.
She explained that Public Improvement is $40,000.00, Neighborhood Revitalization is $20,000.00, and Economic Development is $10,000.00, all increasing from 2022 due to public input.
Lastly, Housing and Rehabilitation is $78,180.00, a decrease from 2022. She stated the public input can be found on the last page, explaining there were several ineligible activities
noted in the plan.
The public hearing closed at approximately 6:07 p.m.
Council Member Ray moved, seconded by Council Member Bolden to approve the CDBG 2023 Annual Action Plan (AAP).
When Council Member Rains mentioned leveraging in the CAPER, Director Spencer stated she is hoping to pull in Central Arkansas Development Council (CADC) this year in order to have additional
services for our citizens.
Council Member Moss was pleased to see some action items for the unsheltered.
MOTION CARRIED at this time.
CITY OF JACKSONVILLE
REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING
JULY 20, 2023
6:00 P.M. – 6:25 P.M.
a. PUBLIC HEARING Approval of CDBG 2022 Consolidated Annual Performance & Evaluation Report (CAPER)
The public hearing opened at approximately 6:09 p.m.
Director Spencer noted on page 24 and 25, the PR report came out skewed, so the Covid report of $74,357.89 expended with $175,098.11 unexpended, is an error and it will continually change
as she updates the activities. She brought up that what she put in already showed $107,720.34 for the actual expended amount.
Council Member Rains brought up that public transportation was referenced a lot in the AAP, especially during public comments, and requested an update.
Mayor Elmore shared that the City is currently still waiting on Rock Region Metro to provide the transportation, but they are waiting on the vehicle to arrive. He pointed out that he
receives a monthly update from them and at the last in-person meeting, they were hoping to have the vehicle here by September and outfitted around October. He confirmed nothing can
change with the contract signed in November of 2021, and the way the agreement was written, it gives a start date of “to be determined” and does not have any kind of adjustments for
lack of service. He mentioned that unfortunately, dealing with commercial vehicles, this long wait time appears to not be out of the norm.
Director Spencer noted she has made efforts to contact individuals that have transporting vehicles that could aid in the need, because she gets overwhelming amounts of calls from elderly
and single families who do not have transportation. She clarified that CADC is willing to try to work a partnership out with Pathfinders or CareLink, because that was a major need she
saw on day one of her getting here. She told how she also contacted Discount Taxi, but he was not willing to be a part of the voucher program. She shared an additional comment from
a citizen in the Stonewall Subdivision located on Quincy Cove that stated the streets in her area need to be replaced and brought up having roundabouts in certain areas rather than
lighting. She confirmed it is not an activity she can fund under CDBG, but referred her over to Engineer Whitlow, and that will be added into the AAP as an update.
The public hearing closed at approximately 6:16 p.m.
Council Member Ray moved, seconded by Council Member Bolden to approve the CDBG 2022 Consolidated Annual Performance & Evaluation Report (CAPER). MOTION CARRIED.
APPOINTMENTS:
UNFINISHED BUSINESS:
NEW BUSINESS:
CITY OF JACKSONVILLE
REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING
JULY 20, 2023
6:00 P.M. – 6:25 P.M.
ANNOUNCEMENTS: Landfill Fees Inquiry
Council Member Dietz showed his appreciation to Engineer Whitlow and his Sanitation Department. He noticed on the financial report that the landfill expenses are at $555,899.00 for a
$272,000.00 budget. He asked if the City is going to be reimbursed for a lot of that from the government because that is a large deficit.
Engineer Whitlow responded that there is a considerable amount the City will be reimbursed. He explained that the tipping fees for the storm event are more than our normal contracted
fee, because Waste Management justified it by saying they need extra resources. He related they are sitting at around 98%, as far as his submittal for the debris projects to FEMA. He
mentioned there were thirty days for 100% and a 75% period that is winding down. He estimated that the 100% project is $360,000.00 and the 75% project is $470,000.00, of which the City
will get 25% back, adding that the State has a three-day window in there where they will kick in the extra 25%. He shared that they are down two employees and a truck or two right now,
so it has been a struggle where they are working the extra Fridays to catch up. He stated FEMA will come in next week and do an assessment of damages to see if it meets the State minimum
threshold to declare it a disaster.
Council Member Twitty shared her appreciation for Engineer Whitlow always getting back with her and citizens regarding their concerns, and for the men and women on his team.
Council Member Bolden thanked Engineer Whitlow for dealing with Brightspeed digging up citizen’s yards in Stonewall.
Engineer Whitlow pointed out the City has a $20,000.00 recovery bond on them.
Chamber of Commerce Casino Night
Council Member Twitty stated the Chamber of Commerce is having Casino Night August 4th 6:00 p.m. at the Community Center.
Council Member Birthday
Mayor Elmore announced that today is Council Member Ray’s birthday.
ADJOURNMENT: Without objection, Mayor Elmore adjourned the meeting at approximately 6:25 p.m. MOTION CARRIED.
Respectfully,
________________________ _________________________
Susan L. Davitt MAYOR JEFF ELMORE
City Clerk-Treasurer