[Quorum Court on July 25, 2023.]
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I'D LIKE TO WELCOME EVERYBODY TO THE PULASKI COUNTY QUORUM COURT MEETING FOR JULY.
WELCOME OUR GUEST AND WELCOME OUR STAFF THAT IS HERE TONIGHT AS AS IS OUR TRADITION, WE NORMALLY START EVERY COUNTY MEETING WITH AN INVOCATION.
I'M GOING TO ASK MR. ROBINSON IF HE WOULD GIVE THAT INVOCATION TONIGHT.
AND JUSTICE LEWISON IS GOING TO TRY AND LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
IF YOU CAN STAND, PLEASE DO SO.
DEAR FATHER, WE JUST THANK YOU FOR LETTING US GATHER HERE TODAY.
MADAM CLERK, WILL YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? HELLO? YES, I WILL.
MEMBERS IN YOUR PACKET THIS MONTH, YOU SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED THE MINUTES FROM LAST MONTH.
HOPEFULLY YOU'VE HAD TIME TO LOOK AT THEM AND REVIEW THEM.
MEMBERS, YOU'VE HEARD A MOTION AND A SECOND.
ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONS OR DELETIONS TO THE MEETING'S MINUTES FROM LAST MONTH'S MEETING? THERE BEING NONE. MADAM CLERK, CALL THE ROLL FOR US, PLEASE TO ADOPT LAST MONTH'S MEETING MINUTES.
THAT'S EASY FOR ME TO SAY TONIGHT.
I DON'T KNOW. I MUST BE TALKED OUT.
JULY 25TH, 2023, TO THE PRESIDING OFFICER OF THE PULASKI COUNTY QUORUM COURT WE YOUR COMMITTEE OF THE AGENDA TO WHOM ITEMS TO WHOM WAS REFERRED ITEMS 23 I 45, 23 I 46 23 I 47, 23 I 48, 23 I 49, 23 I 50 BEG LEAVE TO REPORT WE'VE HAD THE SAME UNDER CONSIDERATION AND HEREWITH RETURN THE SAME WITH THE RECOMMENDATION OF DO PASS RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED CURTIS A KEITH CHAIR.
AND I DON'T THINK WE HAD ANY OTHER COMMITTEE MEETINGS LAST 30 DAYS.
WE HAVE ANY UNFINISHED BUSINESS? I THINK SO. GREAT MOVES ON TO NEW BUSINESS.
MADAM CLERK, WHEN YOU'RE READY, WOULD YOU READ FOR US RESOLUTION NUMBER 23I48.
A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE ISSUANCE OF A OF AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 37 MILLION, PULASKI COUNTY, ARKANSAS. PUBLIC FACILITIES BOARD HOUSING STUDENT HOUSING REVIEW BONDS.
PHILANDER SMITH COLLEGE PROJECTS FOR THE PERSON FOR THE PURPOSE OF FINANCING THE CONSTRUCTION OF STUDENT HOUSING ON THE CAMPUS OF PHILANDER SMITH COLLEGE AND FINANCING THE ACQUISITION OF FURNISHINGS WITH RESPECT TO THE STUDENT HOUSING FACILITY.
JUSTICE MCMULLEN YOU RECOGNIZED FOR THE MOTION? YES, I MOVE THAT WE ADOPT.
SECOND. SECOND. MEMBERS YOU'VE HEARD A MOTION.
YOU'VE HEARD A SECOND AND YOU'VE HEARD THE RESOLUTION.
IS THERE ANY COMMENT? JUSTICE STOWERS YOU'RE RECOGNIZED.
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GOVERNMENT BE ON THE HOOK FOR THESE BONDS.AND SO I WILL BE VOTING FOR THIS ITEM THIS EVENING.
ANY FURTHER COMMENTS? THERE BEING NONE. MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL FOR THE ADOPTION OF RESOLUTION 23I48.
THANKS FOR YOU ALL BEING HERE AND APPRECIATE YOUR WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING ACROSS THE RIVER.
GREEN THAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT HIM AS HE'S RECOVERING FROM HIS RECENT ILLNESS.
THANK YOU. YOU CAN STAY FOR THE WHOLE THING OR YOU CAN YOU CAN EXCUSE YOURSELF.
DEPENDS ON WHETHER YOU ATE DINNER ON THE WAY OR YOU'RE GOING TO EAT DINNER NOW.
THANK YOU ALL. IS THIS IS IT FOR.
I'M SORRY. HE'S THINKING OF SHORTER.
WELL, YOU'RE THINKING OF SHORTER, I THINK.
GREEN IS HAS HAD SOME MEDICAL COMPLICATIONS.
OKAY. EVERYBODY'S FOR THAT, HOPEFULLY.
MEMBERS, SO WE'VE GOT ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT, NINE.
WE DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE TO DO BUSINESS TONIGHT.
WHAT? WELL, HELP ME OUT, BECAUSE IT'S NOT IN MY BOOK.
OH, I FLIPPED THE PAGE AND DIDN'T START BACK AT THE TOP.
THANKS, JUSTIN. MADAM CLERK, PLEASE READ FOR US RESOLUTION 23I51.
YOU'RE RECOGNIZED FOR A MOTION.
MOVE FOR THE ADOPTION. SECOND.
MEMBERS YOU'VE HEARD THE MOTION. YOU'VE HEARD THE SECOND.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ON RESOLUTION 23I51? JUSTICE STOWERS, YOU'RE RECOGNIZED.
I WANTED TO TAKE A FEW MOMENTS TO EXPLAIN WHY I WILL BE VOTING YES THIS EVENING.
CYCLING TOURISM IS QUICKLY BECOMING LUXURY TRAVEL'S NEXT BIG FRONTIER.
FOR COMPARISON, THE NORTHWEST RAZORBACK GREENWAY THAT HOPEFULLY WE'RE ALL FAMILIAR WITH PROVIDES $137 MILLION IN BENEFITS TO THE NORTHWEST ARKANSAS ECONOMY ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.
AND THE RESIDENTS OF NORTHWEST ARKANSAS SPEND MORE THAN 20 MILLION ON CYCLING ANNUALLY.
WE'D ALSO LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT THIS MONEY HAS ALREADY BEEN APPROPRIATED BY CONGRESS AND VIA THE GRANT APPLICATION PROCESS, WE ARE COMPETING WITH OTHER COMMUNITIES AROUND THE COUNTRY FOR THESE COVETED DOLLARS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN APPROPRIATED.
IN OTHER WORDS, IF WE DON'T APPLY FOR THEM, SOMEONE ELSE WILL AND SOME PLACE WILL BE AWARDED.
THE DOLLARS WILL EITHER BE USED FOR THE ECONOMIC BENEFIT AND THE IMPROVED QUALITY OF LIFE OF PULASKI COUNTIANS OR GO TO SOME OTHER COUNTY IN THE UNITED STATES. I ALSO WANT TO REITERATE THAT THE SALINE COUNTY AND GARLAND COUNTY COUNTY JUDGES, AS WELL AS THEIR QUORUM COURTS, HAVE BEEN GREAT PARTNERS WITH US REGARDING THE SOUTHWEST TRAIL, AND WE ANTICIPATE THAT COOPERATION WILL CONTINUE AS THIS GREENWAY WILL BRING MANY TANGIBLE AND INTANGIBLE BENEFITS TO ALL OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST, I WAS ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE HISTORY WITH THE BIG DAM BRIDGE.
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I WASN'T ON THIS BODY YET, BUT I STOOD BACK AND SAID, THAT'S A WASTE OF TAX DOLLARS.OH, MY GOD. WELL, I WILL HUMBLE MYSELF AND SAY I WAS WRONG.
BY THE TIME WE BUILT THE TWO RIVERS BRIDGE, I WAS ON THIS BODY AND THANKFULLY IT WAS ON THE PREVAILING SIDE WITH ACCEPTING THE 80 OVER 20 MATCH IN THE FEDERAL GRANT.
I'D COME AROUND AT THAT TIME TO UNDERSTAND THE QUALITY OF LIFE.
AMENITIES ARE A KEY DRIVER OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND ARE A KEY COMPONENT IN A CHECK BOX WHEN BUSINESSES DECIDE WHERE TO LOCATE OR TO EXPAND.
AND IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE ME, TALK TO JAY CHESHIRE AT THE CHAMBER.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? MR. ELLIOTT, YOU'RE RECOGNIZED FOR A COMMENT OR A QUESTION.
SINCE I LIVE IN MAUMELLE, WE'RE TRYING OUT MAUMELLE TO GET SOME.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. ELLIOTT. OTHER COMMENTS.
MADAM CLERK, FIRST OF ALL, WILL YOU MAKE SURE THAT THE RECORDS NOW REFLECT THAT JUSTICE MASSEY HAS ARRIVED AND IS PRESENT? AND THEN WILL YOU CALL THE ROLL FOR THE ADOPTION OF RESOLUTION 2351? CERTAINLY, DID I HIT SOMETHING? WELL, THAT'S TEN AYES AND FOUR ABSENT.
AND JUSTICE MASSEY, YOU PASSED YOUR RESOLUTION 23I51.
WE NOW HAVE TEN MEMBERS, AND WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH THE REST OF OUR BUSINESS AGENDA.
MADAM CLERK, PLEASE READ FOR US ORDINANCE 23I45 AS AMENDED.
AND MEMBERS BECAUSE OF OUR SHORTENED NUMBERS.
WE'RE GOING TO PASS THAT OVER TONIGHT AND MOVE RIGHT ON TO ORDINANCE 23I46.
PLEASE READ IT FOR US WHEN YOU'RE READY, MADAM CLERK.
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE 22OR45, 2023 ANNUAL BUDGET, PULASKI COUNTY, ARKANSAS TO RECOGNIZE AN APPROPRIATE GRANT FUNDS FOR THE COURT APPOINTED SPECIAL ADVOCATES DEPARTMENT.
JUSTICE MCMULLEN YOU RECOGNIZED FOR THE MOTION.
SECOND. MEMBERS YOU HEARD THE MOTION, YOU HEARD THE SECOND.
ARE THERE COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FOR ORDINANCE 23I46? MADAM CLERK, THERE BEING NONE, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL FOR THE ADOPTION OF ORDINANCE 23I46.
JUSTICE MCMULLEN, YOU PASSED YOUR ORDINANCE 23 I 46.
AND WHEN YOU'RE READY, MADAM CLERK NOW READ FOREST ORDINANCE 23 I 47.
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE 23OR27, AN ORDINANCE TO PROVIDE ONE TIME SIGNING BONUSES FOR THE SHERIFF'S ENFORCEMENT AND DETENTION DEPARTMENTS TO REIMBURSE THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN FUND IN ORDER TO COMPLY WITH FEDERAL AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN GUIDELINES.
JUSTICE MCMULLEN, YOU WERE RECOGNIZED FOR THE MOTION? YES, I MOVE FOR THE ADOPTION.
SECOND. MEMBERS YOU'VE HEARD THE MOTION.
YOU'VE HEARD THE SECOND COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FOR ORDINANCE 23I47.
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THERE BEING NONE. MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL FOR THE ADOPTION OF ORDINANCE TWO, THREE, ONE.I AM OF TWISTED TONGUE TONIGHT.
FOUR ABSENT. THANK YOU, MADAM CLERK AND JUSTICE MCMULLEN YOU PASSED 23 I 47.
AND MADAM CLERK, NOW LET'S READ ORDINANCE 23I49.
AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY JUDGE TO ENTER INTO THE ATTACHED INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH THE CITIES OF LITTLE ROCK AND NORTH LITTLE ROCK TO EXTEND THE EXPIRING INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH THOSE ENTITIES FOR THE PURPOSE OF THE OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF THE JUNCTION STREET BRIDGE.
JUSTICE MASSEY RECOGNIZED FOR THE MOTION.
YOU'VE HEARD THE MOTION AND A COUPLE OF SECONDS.
ARE THERE QUESTIONS REGARDING ORDINANCE 23 I 49? I HAVE A QUESTION ON THAT.
ARE YOU YOU HAVE A QUESTION? MS. MCMULLEN YES.
YOU'RE RECOGNIZED FOR A QUESTION.
I'M NOTICING THAT IT SAYS I CAN'T HEAR YOU.
IT SAYS JUNCTION STREET BRIDGE.
IS THAT AN ERROR? SHOULDN'T IT BE THE BRIDGE? THE JUNCTION BRIDGE THAT IS DOWN IN THE RIVERFRONT AREA? THIS LANGUAGE IS AN IDENTICAL DUPLICATE OF THE FIRST.
ACTUALLY, SOME OF YOU MAY NOT BE HERE LONG ENOUGH TO REMEMBER.
THERE WAS JUNCTION STREET AND IT KIND OF GOT SWALLOWED.
AND IT'S THE HISTORICAL NAME OF THE BRIDGE IS THE JUNCTION STREET BRIDGE.
SO ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? NO, NO, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE SAME BRIDGE.
MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL FOR THE ADOPTION OF ORDINANCE 23I49.
THANK YOU, MADAM CLERK AND JUSTICE MASSEY YOU PASSED YOUR ORDINANCE 23 I 49.
NOW LET'S MOVE TO THE READING OF ORDINANCE 23 I 50.
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE 22OR45 2023 ANNUAL BUDGET PULASKI COUNTY, ARKANSAS TO REIMBURSE THE COUNTY GENERAL FUND FOR SHERIFF'S PACK PIER SPECIALIST FUND EXPENDITURES.
JUSTICE MASSEY, YOU'RE RECOGNIZED FOR THE MOTION.
SECOND. YOU'VE HEARD THE MOTION.
ARE THERE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON ORDINANCE 23 I 50 ? MADAM CLERK, CALL THE ROLL FOR THE ADOPTION OF 23 I 50.
RIGHT. SO JUSTICE MASSEY YOU SUCCESSFULLY PASSED ORDINANCE 23I50 THAT ADJOURNS OUR BUSINESS MEETING.
ARE THERE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM THE COURT? THERE BEING NONE. DO WE HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT TODAY, MR. BLAGG? NO, SIR.
MEMBERS, WE'RE ADJOURNED WITHOUT OBJECTION.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.