Loading...
26 APR 2REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING - CITY HALL - #1 MUNICIPAL DRIVE The City Council of the City of Jacksonville, Arkansas met for a regular session on April 2, 2026 at their regular meeting place. Council Member Ray delivered the invocation and Mayor Elmore led a standing audience in the “Pledge of Allegiance.” ROLL CALL: City Council Members: Dietz, Ruple, McCoy, Ray, LaBron, Kinman, and Mimms answered ROLL CALL. Mayor Elmore also answered ROLL CALL declaring a quorum. PRESENT SEVEN (7) ABSENT THREE (3). Council Members McCleary, Moss, and Twitty were absent. Others present for the meeting were: Police Chief Brett Hibbs, Fire Chief Alan Laughy, Parks & Rec Director Kevin House, Director of Engineering & Public Works Adam Whitlow, CDBG Director Michelle Spencer, HR Director Charlette Nelson, Finance Director Laura Collie, Assistant Finance Director Brandy O’Brien, Deputy Director of Network Operations Shawn Sutterfield, Assistant City Clerk Emilia Vazquez, Jim Moore, Penny Dietz, and Reginald Ford. PRESENTATION OF MINUTES: Mayor Elmore presented the minutes of the regular City Council meeting of March 19, 2026 for approval and/or correction at the next regularly scheduled City Council meeting. APPROVAL AND/OR CORRECTION OF MINUTES: Council Member Ray moved, seconded by Council Member LaBron that the minutes of the regular City Council meeting of March 5, 2026 be APPROVED. MOTION CARRIED. CONSENT AGENDA: WATER DEPARTMENT: WASTEWATER DEPARTMENT: FIRE DEPARTMENT: POLICE DEPARTMENT: STREET DEPARTMENT: SANITATION DEPARTMENT: PARKS & RECREATION: PLANNING COMMISSION: COMMITTEE(S): GENERAL: a. Progress update on 118 Burroughs Road Code Enforcement Supervisor Marissa Barger confirmed there has been no progress and it was discovered that the property has been registered with the Commissioner of State Lands due to delinquent taxes. She stated unless they are paid, the property will be auctioned off in July. Mayor Elmore confirmed the property has been certified to the State, the amount is approximately $2,192.00, and the auction is scheduled for July 9th, 2026. Council Member McCoy thanked audience member Pastor Richard Falls for assisting the Trotter family. Mayor Elmore related that there are 18 days left out of the 60 Council agreed upon for progress to be made. He noted since it has been certified to the State, the taxes must be paid or it will go to auction. Council Member LaBron clarified the amount is $2,193.79. When Council Member Ruple inquired, Supervisor Barger stated if it was demolished by the City prior to being sold at auction, there would not be enough time for a lien to be placed on the taxes. She pointed out that it would be a loss of money for the City, however, they would like to move forward with the condemnation since the new owner would have to repair it or demolish it. Mayor Elmore brought up that no action is needed at this time since they still have 18 days to make progress. Pastor Falls with Power In The Word Baptist Church recalled assisting Willie Trotter, but he also has three siblings, totaling four heirs to the property. He was in the process of getting a dumpster, but received a call from Supervisor Barger stating the Land Commissioner had certified the property, so he put it on hold. He brought up that the Land Commissioner told him the property would not be auctioned until 2028 and they had until then to pay the taxes. He mentioned having additional help from Pastor Kirk of Cornerstone Church, but he received a call from Mr. Trotter who decided he did not want any help to clean the property and pay the taxes. He confirmed there is nothing else he can do since Mr. Trotter refused assistance, but if he changes his mind, they could revisit the idea. Council Member Ruple recalled the condemnation of 107 Wilshire Cove in October. He told how Supervisor Barger suggested he FOIA all of the information so he would have it. He shared that their conversation today confirmed that if nothing happens by the 20th, it can be demolished. Supervisor Barger stated Wells Fargo foreclosed on the property and gave a demolition deadline of April 20th, and if they did not complete, Code would move forward. Council Member Ruple brought up reaching out to Wells Fargo, on behalf of the Stonewall Home Owners Association, but has not heard anything back. He hopes if it is not demolished by the 20th, that Code has crews there on the 21st. Supervisor Barger confirmed she has a crew ready to go. b. Update by Director of Economic Development Robert Birch Director Birch told how he sent an email to council members regarding an executive summary of what he is doing for 2026. Council Member McCoy requested clarification on Placer.ai, how Director Birch is addressing vacant commercial properties, and what Tier 1, 2, and 3 businesses are. Director Birch explained that Placer.ai is a tool he began using two years ago that the Advertising and Promotions Commission pays for. He detailed that it is a data tracking tool where they can pull data from three days after an event. He gave an example of being able to pull data after FestiVille to see how many people attended, and their demographics. He added that it tracks retail traffic, traffic patterns, and helps look at areas needing focus. He told how he can click on our Kroger and do a void analysis listing what goes well with a Kroger, and it also provides direct contact information to reach them. He mentioned attending an eye-opening meeting with developers and real estate agents from outside our market who represent local properties. He offered council members to stop by his office for a demonstration of what Placer.ai is capable of, noting Cabot and a few other nearby cities use it as well. He brought up possible street traffic patterns but how it is difficult until the construction is done. He mentioned doing staffing studies for businesses and marketing the available land to bring in realistic options to help grow. He reiterated that it provides direct contacts so the City saves money not having to travel to different conferences. Regarding long-term, he confirmed it helps development by putting matching businesses together that can thrive. He told how he has started riding with Code Enforcement after having a meeting with them, Chief Hibbs, Public Works, and the Mayor. He explained they are working on an ordinance regarding vacant commercial buildings being used for unsightly storage. He confirmed the way Code handled the Alon gas station is how they will handle all similar situations, since the City cannot afford to have derelict buildings hurting the good businesses around them and the look of the city. He brought up out-of-state ownership being an issue and how a shopping center has people living inside the vacant areas, while having roof and fencing issues. He stated the Alon building will not be reopened, noting it is not safe, so they will put the responsibility on all owners to have good functioning, safe buildings for citizens. He explained that Tier 1, 2, and 3 businesses are determined by the footprint; Tier 1 being a big box store, Tier 2 being similar to a Ross Dress For Less, and Tier 3 being a smaller boutique. He brought up the meeting he attended with representatives from Moses Tucker Partners, Kelley Commercial Partners, Hathaway Group, and the Waterford Shopping Center that included Chris Monroe, Hank Kelley, and Stuart Mackey. He told how outside of Jacksonville the perception of the City is better than we have of ourselves. He shared that when he asked this group of individuals why the City has seen no response, they said access invisibility, noting the construction is the only reason we have had a hard time getting businesses to move here. He stated that Dunkin’ Donuts was interested in the old Starbucks building, but after they saw how difficult the area currently is, they moved to the next city on the list. He confirmed the majority of the construction is done by midsummer, but retail facilities go at a faster pace. He related that McAlister’s Deli was considering Jacksonville, but could not open a store here yet and went to Cabot. He confirmed he has been working with three businesses, for almost two years, who are still working leases out. He shared that there are five properties under contract completing their due diligence and one of the projects will be game-changing for Jacksonville on Main Street. He pointed out that one of the buildings in front of Walmart is also under contract. He mentioned the Gray Township issue that the Mayor is working on. He added that there is a restaurant waiting for a particular exit to open up, which should be next in line, before they are comfortable enough to 100% commit. He confirmed a clothing store is trying to find the right location and they are also working with a new retailer for the Dirt Cheap building, but these things take time. He told how another project in the Industrial Park is wanting to move extremely fast and he hopes to be able to announce it in the next month or two. He brought up a challenge the City has is owners who try to sell property for the same price as the Port of Little Rock that has river, rail, and airport access with massive manufacturing surrounding it. He noted we have rail here and a great Industrial Park, but the owners are out of line with pricing. He stated the same problem with retail spaces; the owners do not want to sell, potentially blocking larger developments, and prime property not taking care of enough to make available to sell. He mentioned the shopping center, where the skating rink was, currently has the parking lot broken up, inside junk, and the owner wants high-end pricing that he is not going to get, but is content with letting it sit. He confirmed we cannot allow that because it is a great location that he could have filled three to four times by now. He noted there are pros and cons being on an interstate, stressing that if we do not take make our corridor look good and presentable, once the interstate is cleared, it will take people two minutes to drive through town to the next. He pointed out that there are buildings needing torn down that would do better with selling just the land or ground leasing it. He stressed that the City needs respectable-looking inventory and if owners are not willing to maintain the buildings, they should sell and allow us to get them in the hands of people who will develop them. He affirmed that the City has a great opportunity with the 220 acres it owns, but will have to spend money to fix the road. He told how at least ten projects came to see the site and loved it, but the infrastructure is not there. He mentioned on April 29th, there will be an announcement that will help with that. He invited elected officials to attend Metro Little Rock Alliance (MLRA) economic development training on September 14th at the Little Rock Regional Chamber building. When Council Member McCoy brought up the Municipal League, he replied that if anyone wants to learn economic development, it should be from the MLRA that involves Jay Chessir, Bryan Day, Jack Thomas, and Hugh McDonald. When Council Member Ruple mentioned the Gray Township, he clarified that it was grocery stores that want the revenue stream of selling beer and wine and are waiting on it, along with a few other things. He stated another business is going to open either way, but they highly prefer to be able to sell alcohol, noting the City lost Blade and Barrel because of their limitations. He confirmed there will not be any additional liquor stores since there are no permits available, plus there are churches on almost every corner here. He clarified that this would be beer and wine sales at gas stations and grocery stores that want it. Council Member Ruple recognized the name of Jay Chessir that was mentioned, recalling that he had asked him years ago who from the City is sitting at the table on behalf of Jacksonville and “no one” was his response. He affirmed what was presented tonight has been eye-opening and asked if the Chamber or Director Birch is sitting at these tables. Director Birch confirmed he is the chairman of the MLRA, which consists of fourteen counties in Central Arkansas. He told how his father was instrumental in it becoming a regional chamber of commerce many years ago. He related that every industrial deal he works comes from the Little Rock Chamber and he will be going to a site selector meeting in Greensboro, North Carolina to be face-to-face with developers. He noted a new heating and air company has moved to Municipal Drive, a company out of Cabot has leased a large building in the Industrial Park, and Sig Sauer is going to continue to grow. He pointed out that the old Regal warehouse looks terrible so Code is going to hit them hard since it is a very dangerous property. He explained that we want our Chamber to be solid on the business retention side because they talk to the businesses every day, noting that their Business 2 Business Roundtable today was a great thing. He affirmed that City Hall is working toward creating an environment that makes it easy to do business in Jacksonville. He shared a potential opportunity to turn the Municipal Drive area into an Entertainment District, but we have to get rid of the Gray Township to do that. Citizen Todd Underwood of 602 Welham Street asked what are the short-term and long-term goals for the City. Mayor Elmore replied that Code Enforcement cleaning up the vacant buildings is the short-term top priority. Regarding long to mid-term, he is focused on curbing the growth of rental properties, but we are limited by laws on what the City can do. He reiterated the economic development plans that Director Birch spoke of, noting he has spent the last year and a half contacting the Governor’s Office, Attorney General’s (AG) Office, the Alcoholic Beverage Control, and the County Judge’s Office working on the removal of the Gray Township. He explained there is an opinion request submitted to the AG and he is hoping it is in the affirmative of what the City is wanting to hear. When Mr. Underwood inquired about a timeline for the mentioned developments announcing, Director Birch responded that their due diligence period can be 60-180 days from when they sign their contracts. Mr. Underwood acknowledged the plans are great, but the flooding in the City has to be addressed at some point. He asked if there is anything the City can do to hold companies accountable that buy up rental properties and not maintain them. Mayor Elmore reiterated that Code would enforce City ordinances. Council Member McCoy pointed out, regarding 118 Burroughs Road, that Willie Trotter is now present in the audience. Mayor Elmore informed Mr. Trotter that there are 18 days left to make progress. Mr. Trotter believes he has made progress, noting he cut up a tree and got things moved. He told how his nephews are supposed to assist him on Saturdays. He confirmed they need to work on getting the taxes paid and that is a concern for the heirs. APPOINTMENTS: UNFINISHED BUSINESS: NEW BUSINESS: ANNOUNCEMENTS: ADJOURNMENT: Without objection, Mayor Elmore adjourned the meeting at approximately 7:06 p.m. MOTION CARRIED. Respectfully, ________________________ _________________________ Susan L. Davitt MAYOR JEFF ELMORE City Clerk-Treasurer