In 30 seconds
- All six council members voted during the meeting. The record begins during the treasurer's report.
- The city owes the IRS about $1.7 million in payroll taxes. Treasurer Derrick Turner said the city stopped paying in April 2023, made no payments in 2024, and resumed in September 2025. Its filings are now current, so it can negotiate a payment plan.
- About $300,000 is left on the LOPFI pension settlement, with the last payment due in April 2027. The treasurer said that money can then go to the IRS.
- The city pays the county $20,000 a month after a $168,000 lawsuit over unpaid jail fees. The treasurer put the sales tax the city has lost to the jail tax at about $3.6 million.
- The council voted 4-2 to raise the senior district court officer from $17.00 to $19.23 an hour, about $4,600 a year, so he no longer earns less than the officer he supervises. The mayor recommended against it. Etherly and Davis voted no.
- Water invoices of $30,855 (A&B Construction, 113.5 hours of leak repair) and $7,560 (Dexter Fortson) passed 6-0. So did a five-year uniform contract for 21 water workers, which now goes to negotiation.
- Four resolutions for a block grant application of $75,000 to $500,000, for phase one of a landfill road, were adopted.
- No vote on water base pay. Most water positions start at $22,880. The mayor will bring a draft base pay ordinance to the next meeting.
- City Attorney Andre Valley said the city's rate ordinance requires a 3% increase each year and that the state imposed it. A context note in the recap sets out what the law and the documents say.
- Two draft water-billing ordinances, one written by Robert Cheek, got no vote. Members asked for time to compare them, and Valley said cities often hold public hearings on such ordinances.
Recap
The Meeting & Attendance
A regular meeting of the Helena-West Helena City Council. The record begins during the treasurer's report; the call to order and roll call are not part of it. All six council members voted during the meeting: Maxine Miller, Dr. Kyle Miller, Don Etherly, Joe St. Columbia, Adrian Messina and Monica Davis . Mayor Joseph Whitfield chaired, and City Clerk Sandi Ramsey called the votes. City Treasurer Derrick Turner, City Attorney Andre Valley, District Judge Jason Carter, Landfill Director Reginald Wilson and Water Superintendent Saeed Rose also spoke.
Treasurer's Report: About $1.7 Million Owed to the IRS
Treasurer Turner reviewed the city's payroll-tax payments to the IRS. He said the city made 208 payments over an eight-year period . The city owed the IRS $452,000 at the end of 2023 and $1.2 million at the end of 2024 . It stopped paying in April 2023 and made no payments in 2024 . Turner said the city "just didn't have money to pay this and a lot of other debts" . Payments resumed in September 2025, after he asked acting mayor Don Etherly, and ran to the end of 2025 . While Turner was away from the office, Mayor Whitfield began negotiating with the IRS . Council Member St. Columbia put the balance at about $1.7 million, and Turner agreed . The mayor said the city's filings are now up to date; the city could not qualify for a payment arrangement until they were . St. Columbia said the city was current at the end of 2022, when the IRS owed the city $24,000 . Turner said this report runs through August and he is working on September .
Other Debts: LOPFI, Lawsuits, Sanitation Fees
Turner said the city's two main debts were to LOPFI, the police and fire pension system, and to the IRS. About $300,000 is left on LOPFI . He said it will be paid off in April, and that money can then go to the IRS . City Attorney Valley said the LOPFI agreement started at $1.225 million, with payments of $69,000 a month and the last payment due in April 2027 . Valley said the city also pays the county $20,000 a month on the jail, $5,000 a month on the Caterpillar lawsuit, and a couple of other lawsuit payment plans . Turner said the water department still owes the city for sanitation fees it used during its crisis . Council Member Etherly said that without COVID relief money in 2022, the IRS debt "would have been pushing a million" that year .
The Jail
Valley said the city lost about $600,000 a year in sales tax when voters replaced a countywide port-authority tax with a tax for the jail, during Mayor Hollowell's administration. Nothing has replaced that money . Turner put the lost revenue at about $3.6 million to date . Council Member Maxine Miller asked whether that could be reversed . Etherly said the county leased the jail to the state, which runs it and reserves 20 beds for the county, and that the city has no ownership or control: "We just pay" . Valley said the county then sued the city for $168,000 in unpaid jail fees, and the city pays $20,000 a month on that plan . The mayor said a new jail would take a new tax, and "it's my hope that we get back to having our own jail" . The jail has 100 beds . When the county's beds are full, the city pays other counties to hold people . Etherly said city prisoners are held in St. Francis, Cross, Woodruff, Greene and Jefferson counties .
Event Permits, 6-0
The mayor presented three event permits: Delta Prep's Trunk-or-Treat and Fall Festival downtown, and a blues stage at Kelly Courtyard on October 8-10 . He said the stage would sell tickets or wristbands rather than alcohol, and that the state alcohol board does not require a permit for that . The stage's application checks the box for alcoholic beverages served . Some members questioned that. Etherly proposed approving the permits with alcohol allowed only as far as state law allows . Valley said alcohol permits are the state's decision, not the city's . Etherly moved to approve all three permits with that language . The vote was 6-0 . Asked by Council Member Messina about festival income, Valley said blues festival sales tax is about the same as the Fourth of July or Christmas and does not fund city payroll .
District Court Officer: $2.23 an Hour, 4-2
Judge Carter asked for a raise for the senior of the court's two officers . Both officers are on the police roster, so the council's police pay increase applied to them . The senior officer, a court officer for 13 years, holds a part-time certification and was moved to the part-time rate of $17 an hour. The junior officer holds a full-time certification and now earns $19.23 an hour, more than his supervisor . Carter said the junior officer's increase was $6.23 an hour, and that a full-time certification is not required for the job . Valley said court officers are on the police roster but answer to the district judge . Carter said the department-wide raise he sought in April passed, was vetoed, and was not overridden . The mayor recommended against an exception: the senior officer should earn the full-time certification, and "I don't want to set the precedent that we can bypass things" . He said raises should be "done structured" , though this one "is not going to break the bank" . Etherly said he had opposed the court clerks' raise requests this year because of "oppressive debt" . He said police overtime is double what was budgeted , and "we owe the IRS now $1.6 million" . Carter said the difference is $2.23 an hour , about $4,600 a year. Council Member St. Columbia moved to raise the senior officer to $19.23 , and Dr. Miller seconded . It passed 4-2 . St. Columbia, Messina, Dr. Miller and Maxine Miller voted yes . Etherly voted no, and the clerk's count of two no votes makes Davis the second.
Block Grant: Four Resolutions for a Landfill Road
The council adopted Resolutions 15 through 18 of 2026, which the city needs to apply for a Community Development Block Grant . Landfill Director Reginald Wilson said the grant would pay for phase one of a concrete, all-weather road at the landfill . The application came through the East Arkansas Planning and Development District and the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. The mayor said an award could range from $75,000 to $500,000 . The resolutions authorize the application (15) , adopt a policy against excessive force at non-violent civil rights demonstrations (16) , commit to fair housing (17) , and contract with the planning district as grant administrator (18) . Each was adopted by roll call. The mayor said the district's fees would not come out of the project award . The administrator resolution in the packet names the project 'Drainage' and says the cost of administration will be 'a part of a grant amount awarded' .
Water Invoices: $30,855 and $7,560, 6-0
Water Superintendent Rose presented two invoices. A&B Construction billed $30,855 for 113.5 hours of leak repair . Rose said the crew fixed more than 40 leaks in that time, and West Helena's water loss is now around 30% . Dexter Fortson Associates quoted $7,560 plus tax for a new control unit that monitors the Helena treatment plant, tanks, wells and booster stations . Valley asked Rose to explain the water-loss figure for the public . Rose said the two systems combined have run between 40% and 60% water loss "for quite some time" . Council Member Davis moved to approve both invoices . They will be paid from the water fund . The vote was 6-0 .
Uniforms: A Five-Year Contract for 21 Workers, 6-0
The council chose a five-year uniform contract over a three-year one . The mayor gave the totals for the current 12 field workers: $22,175.40 for three years and $33,344.90 for five . Etherly said a competitive-bidding waiver ordinance is needed . Rose said field staff would go from 12 to 21 if his new positions are approved . Maxine Miller moved a five-year contract sized for 21 workers . It passed 6-0 . Valley said the vote authorizes negotiation; the contract and the waiver come back to the council for approval .
Water Base Pay: No Vote, a Draft Next Meeting
Rose asked for eight new water positions and a field dispatcher, the request he presented on September 29 . He said two state consent orders require enough staff for operations and maintenance . The department has 17 employees and 19 funded positions . Under the current base pay ordinance, most water positions start at $22,880, which is minimum wage . Council Member Messina asked whether the positions would lower water rates . Rose said they would not, but would speed up rereads and repairs . Messina said residents ask him why a bill went from $150 to $325 in two months . Rose said pay must at least approach fast-food wages to keep trained staff . The city has 9,858 water accounts . St. Columbia proposed four new positions instead of eight . Rose said that two or three years ago, 23 of 25 employees left within a year, and that he would fill the new positions over time . Etherly asked that the whole department's pay be set at once . Valley said the two consent orders carry a $685,000 fine for noncompliance , and that base pay creates positions while funding them takes a separate vote . No vote was taken. The mayor and Rose will bring a draft base pay ordinance to the next meeting .
Water Rates: The Annual Increase
Valley said staffing will not lower rates: the rate study assumed enough staff, so "the customers get what they're paying for" . Rose said raising rates is not part of the staffing proposal . Valley then said: "Let's speak correctly to the public. Your ordinance requires a 3% increase each year" . He repeated it and added, "That's recommended by the state" . He said the state "imposed a duty" on the city to do a rate study "every other year" and, with each study, to "increase the rates by 3%" . Asked about "every other year," he said the ordinance increase is every year and the rate study is every other year .
Water Billing Ordinance: Two Drafts, No Vote
Disclosure: Robert Cheek, whose campaign publishes Ridge & River, wrote one of the two drafts and sent it to the city. He attended the meeting. He was not on the agenda and did not speak.
The mayor said the goal is one consistent, legal policy for bill adjustments and payment plans . The council had three samples: Rogers, Arkansas's 96-page utility ordinance, emailed by Valley and not printed; a draft "sponsored by a resident, Mr. Robert Cheek"; and a draft by the mayor . The mayor said his draft covers senior rates, payment plans, and sewer credits for water used for irrigation . Maxine Miller said she had seen the first draft by email but not the mayor's, and asked to hold the item to compare them . The mayor said no decision would be made that night . Maxine Miller asked that people with disabilities be considered along with seniors . Valley said cities often hold public hearings on such ordinances . He said Arkansas Code 14-42-108 requires a written policy , and cited Allen v. State, a case he described as a mayor removed from office for adjusting several customers' sewer charges . Rose asked for more time to document current procedures . No vote was taken. The mayor said the next meeting will take up a draft base pay amendment and a comparison of the ordinance drafts .
Before Adjourning
Valley raised a street-name change that has been tabled for three or four years . A member asked about the city's new garbage truck ; the answer was that it should arrive Friday after chassis repairs .
The documents
Everything the council had in front of it, summarized. Page stamps open that page in the document desk.
October 6, 2026 City Council Meeting Agenda
Agenda for the regular meeting. Call to order, prayer and pledge, roll call, and the treasurer's report. New business: two event proposals listed under KIPP (Trunk-or-Treat and a Fall Festival); Judge Carter's request for a raise for a district court officer; two water department invoices (A&B Construction and Dexter Fortson Associates); water department items (a uniform purchase on a three-year or five-year term, a base pay amendment, and a water department policy ordinance); four resolutions for a Community Development Block Grant application; and an item listed only as 'Event.'
| New business items | 6 | |
| Grant resolutions listed | 4 |
Text document — see the agenda link below.
Event Permit Applications: Trunk-or-Treat, Fall Festival, Quicksand Stage
Three event permit applications on the city's form, each with sign-off lines for the police, street/sanitation and fire departments. Trunk-or-Treat: October 31, 2026 on Cherry Street, not-for-profit, a candy giveaway from decorated cars, with a street closing. Fall Festival: October 30, 2026 on Cherry Street, students walking the block, expected attendance 150, with a street closing. Quicksand Stage: October 8-10 at Kelly Park, 413 Cherry Street, a for-profit concert with 30 blues acts over three days; the application checks the boxes for alcoholic beverages served, vendor food and elevated noise levels.
| Applications | 3 | |
| Fall Festival expected attendance | 150 | |
| Quicksand Stage dates | Oct. 8-10 |
A&B Construction Invoice No. 843
Invoice from A&B Construction, LLC of Thaxton, Mississippi, dated September 29, 2026, for 'Repair Water Lines': 113.5 hours at $260 an hour ($29,510), which the invoice says includes crew time, fuel and machinery, plus $1,345 in materials. Total $30,855, net 30. In the packet, four pages of handwritten repair notes follow the invoice (next document).
| Hours | 113.5 | |
| Hourly rate | $260 | |
| Materials | $1,345.00 | |
| Total | $30,855.00 |
A&B Construction Handwritten Repair Notes
Four handwritten pages behind the A&B invoice in the packet: 27 numbered repairs from September 10 to 24, each with the street, the parts used, who supplied them (marked 'A&B' or 'Assoc'), and which crew did the work.
| Repairs listed | 27 | |
| Dates | Sept. 10-24 |
Dexter Fortson Associates Job Quote No. 37444
Job quote dated September 21, 2026, from Dexter Fortson Associates, Inc. of Bessemer, Alabama, to the Helena water and sewer utility: an onsite upgrade of the SCC control unit to the latest standard, and repair of a transducer at the Reservoir Hill tank that was not reporting stable readings. Price $7,560. Sales tax is added when the job is billed.
| Quoted price | $7,560.00 plus tax |
Cintas Uniform Proposals (two pricing options)
Two Cintas uniform-rental proposals for the water department, each priced for 12 employees, dated May 29, 2026, with an expiration date of June 28, 2026. These pages do not state the term. The first prices uniforms at $8.10 per employee per week, $128.24 a week in all. The second prices them at $9.30 per employee per week, $142.15 a week in all. At the meeting the mayor gave the totals as $22,175.40 for three years and $33,344.90 for five years. The proposals' cover pages are not reproduced.
| Option 1, per employee per week | $8.10 | |
| Option 1, weekly total | $128.24 | |
| Option 2, per employee per week | $9.30 | |
| Option 2, weekly total | $142.15 |
Water Department Staffing Needs and Operational Capacity
The water department's request for eight more positions at $232,000 a year: two meter readers ($23,000 each), two meter reader/service technicians ($26,000 each), Equipment Operator I ($35,000) and II ($37,000), Service/Maintenance I ($30,000) and a Team Lead/Maintenance II ($32,000). It lists current positions by budget classification and by actual work assignment, says employees work across several functions, and sets a long-term goal of 25-30 employees for water and sewer operations. The same memo was in the September 29 packet.
| New positions | 8 | |
| Annual cost | $232,000 | |
| Long-term staffing goal | 25-30 employees |
Base Pay Ordinance (current version, in the packet)
The base pay ordinance the mayor pointed the council to. It sets the number of full-time city positions and the starting pay for each. Base pay is the starting pay; each position must also be funded by a separate council action (Article 3). Water/Sewer has 26 positions: a general manager at $68,000, two finance officers at $42,000, and 23 positions at $22,880, including 13 laborers and one meter reader. The district court has two court officers at $26,312.
| District court officers | 2 at $26,312 | |
| Water/Sewer positions | 26 | |
| Water/Sewer positions starting at $22,880 | 23 of 26 | |
| Funding needed separately | Article 3 |
Draft Water and Sewer Bill Adjustment Ordinance (resident draft)
A draft ordinance on water and sewer bill adjustments, payment plans and billing disputes, marked 'Draft offered by Robert Cheek, September 30, 2026, as a starting point for the City.' Robert Cheek's campaign publishes Ridge & River. Numbers in brackets are left for the council to set. It allows one customer-side leak adjustment per [12] months, crediting [50] percent of the water volume charge above normal use on up to [2] bills. It also covers corrections for city errors, limits on estimated bills, payment plans of up to [4] months ([6] months above $[300]), a written dispute process, a bar on officials acting on their own accounts, and a monthly report to the council without customer names. It calls for a public hearing before final passage and has no emergency clause.
| Leak adjustments | one per [12] months | |
| Payment plans | up to [4] or [6] months | |
| Monthly report to council | Sec. 11 | |
| Public hearing before passage | Sec. 15 |
Draft Senior Rate and Bill Adjustment Ordinance (mayor's draft)
The second draft, which the mayor said he wrote: 'An ordinance to establish senior citizen water rates, leak adjustments, emergency and abnormal bill adjustments, and sewer charge adjustments for water not discharged to the sanitary sewer; to declare an emergency.' The packet holds pages 1, 3 and 5 of its 6 pages. Those pages cover leak adjustments with the percentages and limits left blank, review of abnormal bills with a free meter test, a 'Utility Billing Emergency' the mayor may declare to suspend disconnections and penalties, council oversight of that power, a yearly dollar cap left blank, sewer credits for water that does not reach the sewer, and an emergency clause.
| Pages in the packet | 1, 3 and 5 of 6 | |
| Leak adjustment frequency | one per [blank] months | |
| Yearly cap on adjustments | $[blank] | |
| Emergency clause | Sec. 12 |
Community Development Block Grant Resolutions (four samples)
The four sample resolutions for the grant application, with numbers and dates blank. Exhibit B authorizes the mayor to apply for the grant. Exhibit F adopts a policy against excessive force by police toward non-violent civil rights demonstrations. The third commits the city to fair housing practices. The fourth authorizes a contract with the East Arkansas Planning and Development District as grant administrator; it names the project 'Drainage' and says the cost of administration 'shall be payable from AEDC funds and will be a part of a grant amount awarded.'
| Exhibit B: application | authorize the mayor | |
| Exhibit F: excessive force policy | adopt and enforce | |
| Project named in administrator resolution | Drainage |
Sources for the context notes
Each context note on this page cites the documents below. The § stamps open them beside the record.
Arkansas law Ark. Code § 14-234-802(c), as amended by Act 545 of 2023: rate studies and rate changes
(c)(1) A provider shall obtain a rate study on the following schedule:
...
(C) By July 1, 2026, and every five (5) years thereafter for a provider that serves more than one thousand (1,000) customers.
(2)(A) Rates and other revenue dedicated to the support of the provider's water system shall adequately address costs for: (i) Operation and maintenance; (ii) Debt service; (iii) Required reserves; (iv) Depreciation; (v) Future capital expenses; (vi) Preparation of an annual audit or agreed-upon procedures and compilation report as required by law; and (vii) Other expenses as necessary.
(B)(i) The rates recommended in the rate study that is obtained and chosen by the provider shall be implemented by the provider in the manner provided under the applicable law for modifying rates.
(ii) Except as provided in subdivision (c)(2)(B)(iii) of this section, an increase in rates recommended in the rate study shall be implemented within one (1) year of the receipt of the rate study.
(iii) If recommended rates increase the provider's rates by fifty percent (50%) or more from the fiscal year before the rate study was completed, the provider may phase in the rate increase over a two-year period.
(iv) If through the rate study it is recommended that a series of rate increases be implemented over a period of time that exceeds the periods of time required in subdivision (c)(2)(B)(ii) and (iii) of this section, the provider may implement the series of rate increases without regard to the limitations of subdivisions (c)(2)(B)(ii) and (iii) of this section, provided that the series of rate increases conform with the recommendations of the rate study.
Section 1 of Act 545 of 2023 (House Bill 1515), which amended the rate-study law passed as Act 605 of 2021. The city reported 9,858 water accounts at this meeting.
Act 545 of 2023 (Arkansas Legislature) ↗ · Act 605 of 2021 (Arkansas Legislature) ↗
State rule Rules Implementing Act 605 of 2021 (Arkansas Natural Resources Commission, ANRC 138.00), Sections IV and V
IV.3.a.iii. Proposed changes in rates should be based on achieving and maintaining a Debt Service Coverage Ratio of 1.1 or higher.
V. Determinations of Fiscal Distress
1. A Provider will be in Fiscal Distress if the Provider:
a. Fails to obtain a rate study as required;
b. Fails to implement the rates contained in the completed rate study required within one (1) or two (2) years as provided under ACA 14-234-802(c)(2)(B)(ii)-(iii); or
c. Fails to maintain a Debt Service Coverage Ratio of 1.05 or higher.
The commission's final rule. The Natural Resources Division's oversight page lists the same tests.
Oversight of retail water providers (Arkansas Department of Agriculture) ↗
Rate study Arkansas Rural Water Association rate study for Helena-West Helena, July 2, 2024, page 13
2. Helena West Helena Water and Sewer Utilities rate study shows from the information requested to perform the water and sewer rate study that rates need to be adjusted. It is recommended to perform a rate study each year to ensure each utility (water & sewer) is generating enough revenues to be sustainable.
...
I would continue to use the present minimum bills at their present rate and increase all rates annually in January of each year by 3% on the Minimum bill and the cost per thousand by 3% to try and keep up with inflation.
Prepared by Dennis Sternberg of the Arkansas Rural Water Association and presented to the council in July 2024.
City ordinance Ordinance 6-2026, Article 6: the yearly water rate adjustment (adopted March 17, 2026)
Beginning January 1, 2027, and on January 1 of each year thereafter, the Water Volume Rates and Base (Fixed) Charges shall automatically be adjusted annually based upon the increase in the U.S. Consumer Price Index for Water, Sewer, and Trash Collection Services (CPI-WST) for the preceding twelve (12) month period.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the annual adjustment implemented pursuant to this Article shall not exceed six percent (6%) in any single year unless a higher adjustment is expressly approved by ordinance of the City Council. The City Council may also elect to implement an adjustment that is lower than the CPI-WST increase if the Council determines that such action is necessary to maintain reasonable and equitable utility rates.
Text as printed in the council's March 17, 2026 meeting packet, pages 7-8. It rewrote the yearly-adjustment article of the city's water and sewer rate ordinance.
Transcript
Auto-generated from the meeting video's captions and lightly cleaned for readability — wording is kept as spoken, not corrected, except that caption-garbled names of city officials are normalized against the roster. Speaker names follow the attribution work in our governance record; a ° marks a name our reviewers have not yet verified. Every timestamp plays the city's video from that moment. Watch the full meeting ↗
0:00
Unidentified pay pan IRS
0:02
City Treasurer Derrick Turner 28 pay periods in the 8year period and we made 210 payments. So we were pretty consistent in paying the IRS. It's only until and we had like I said we had the help from the offer money when we got behind in 2021. Uh but in the end of 2023, we owe the uh IRS $452,000 and that jumped to uh 1.2 million at the end of 2024. And as you can see from the list of payments that we didn't make, we made we stopped paying in April of 2023 and we didn't make any payments in 2024. haven't paid anything since
0:48
City Treasurer Derrick Turner we we didn't pay anything in 2024. Um and that's because we, you know, when spending and purchasing kind of more than we could handle, uh we just didn't have money to pay this and a lot of other debts. So that that's pretty much why the IRS debt increased particularly in 23 and 25 because we just didn't have the money to pay it. We're paying other things. Um, and in 24 we didn't make any payments to the IRS. It was only until when Mr. Etherly was appointed in 2025, I think it was July, I went to Mr. Etherly and told him, "Hey, we need to start paying some of this IRS debt down." He said, "Okay, do it." And so we started making regular payments again in September of 2025. Those payments continued until the end of 2025. And uh I was away from the office for some time due to uh medical reasons. And during that time, Mayor Whitfield started negotiating agreement with the IRS to pay down this debt. So that that's why we are where we are
2:01
Council Member Joe St. Columbia right now. We owe them we owe Internal Revenue 1,69 or $700,000.
2:08
Unidentified Yes, sir.
2:09
Unidentified That's current.
2:10
Unidentified Yes, sir. And you've worked out a plan to pay this with the internal revenue.
2:16
Mayor Joseph Whitfield Well, the first step was making sure that the filing was up to date, but that's been and that's been done. So, [clears throat] we couldn't I want to say it was maybe April that I shared that with you all. Um, city couldn't even qualify for a payment arrangement until filing was up to date. So, so now we can negotiate a payment, but that obviously is kind of Mr. attorney is alluding to is going to depend on um where we're able to pull where we're able to basically pull that bill from.
2:45
Unidentified So,
2:46
City Treasurer Derrick Turner and so what I'm hoping what I'm guessing is that we we're on target to finish paying our ly uh payments off and become current in April.
3:00
Unidentified Yes.
3:00
Unidentified And so we can start using that money to start paying off the IRS debt. Now this is just part of the picture of what we owe.
3:10
City Treasurer Derrick Turner Yes. But that those uh those were the two primary uh debts that we owed were were to Lafy for the police and fireman's retirement and to the IRS. Um Miss Ramsey included some payables, payroll payables in her numbers that I I don't include because that's like what we owe to ourselves. So I take it out. But primarily what we owed were was to uh LIY and the IRS. And so we're like we owe them about 300,000 dollars or so. And so we'll be finished paying with them in April and then we can hopefully we'll have a plan in place with the IRS and we can start using that money to uh start paying off the IRS. And we did happen we managed to build up a little reserve uh to pay off the lap fee settlement just in case we ran into some hard times. So we do have a little bit of cash tucked away just in case uh we have an emergency.
4:19
Unidentified I I think you probably 22. I thought it was like $600,000 that we we we did from the
4:27
Unidentified That's what Yes.
4:28
Unidentified That's what was out there. that that's what was that's what was out in the but in actuality we only owed like $400,000
4:39
Unidentified but that's what we voted on at the table that's that's what was presented to us
4:42
Unidentified yeah that's what that that was what was presented but that's not what
4:46
Unidentified we actually owed we owed less than that
4:48
Unidentified okay
4:50
Unidentified I was looking at
4:50
Council Member Don Etherly I I I guess it bears some some saying though uh that if we had not had that co money
4:56
Unidentified yes it we
4:57
Unidentified we would have been pushing a million that year as well So I mean it didn't
5:03
Unidentified it actually started
5:04
Unidentified back during that period of time but we we used co money to pay
5:07
Unidentified I think I'm thinking the way the records look looks like it started happening in 2021.
5:13
Unidentified Okay.
5:14
Unidentified Right.
5:14
Unidentified Yep.
5:15
Unidentified And then by the time 2022 came around it was stated in the paper in the press or whatever that it was 600,000 but it wasn't quite that much but it was like 485 or something like that. It wasn't that far. I mean I remember we voted we approved the payment from the co money and I remember it being presented at somewhere in the neighborhood of 600,000 45 whatever but it with without the co money we would have been pushing a million that year as well.
5:43
Unidentified So you haven't paid any thing to the IRS for three years. Is that right?
5:49
Unidentified No we made payments in 2025 last we made payments in 2025. You made payments in 25.
5:55
Unidentified When you look on that,
5:56
Unidentified you had made the other sheet. Well, I hadn't looked back in here yet.
5:58
Unidentified Yeah. And when you you made some payments in 25 this year, you haven't made any
6:05
Unidentified no
6:05
Unidentified made any payments in
6:07
Unidentified No, sir.
6:11
Unidentified But part of that has to do with the plan that we're working out partially with the IRS. So, we're doing I'm not at liberty to say much about it, but we're doing everything that the IRS is telling us to do, okay? In order to uh come to this agreement. So, they if they tell us to pay, we pay. If they tell us not to pay, we don't pay. We making all the filings. We're doing everything that they tell us to do in order to come to this agreement.
6:38
Unidentified I appreciate this information. I'd like to see the other debts that we owe too size. uh you
6:46
Unidentified I'm not other than Mr. Ramsey could probably talk about something like the body cameras or something like that but the these two were the most significant
6:56
Unidentified the major
6:57
Unidentified Yes sir. Yes sir.
7:00
Unidentified Um St. Columbia if I may u Mr. S mentioned the Lafia agreement. The Lafy agreement not the Laf agreement was for the police and fire retirement.
7:11
Unidentified Yeah
7:11
Unidentified and it started out at 1.2 25 million.
7:15
Unidentified Yeah.
7:16
City Attorney Andre Valley Uh the payment of plan is for $69,000 a month and the last payment on that is due in April of 2027. And so that's when the time was saying that you may look at paying that towards IRS debt once you pay off Lafayette. Uh uh the other if you remember we still paying the jail uh paying the county on the jail for an agreement $20,000 a month. And uh you still have two or three other payment plans. We paid off uh one lawsuit, but we still have u $5,000 a month the city is paying towards uh the Caterpillar lawsuit that was in Little Rock uh and a a couple other uh lawsuits the city was was paying.
8:05
City Treasurer Derrick Turner And you also have to add in the fact that when the water department was going through their problems, you know, they were using our sanitation fees and they still owe us for the sanitation fees. And you can almost correlate when their problems began when our problems began with the IRS situation.
8:29
Unidentified Mr.
8:30
Unidentified Yes, sir. It might be possible to get this answer at the end of December. Where do you think we'll stand with the
8:40
Unidentified IRS? I'm not sure. Hopefully, we'll have an agreement in place. What they want what they're doing, they they are currently trying to calculate the balance that we will start with. And so, uh, they're they're in the midst of figuring out, um, penalties and interest and how much they're going to rebate or take away. And so, they're they're coming up with the figure that they're going to say this is a how much you have to start paying.
9:08
Council Member Joe St. Columbia Look, looking at these numbers you gave me here, the last time we were current was the end of 22, and they owed us that, right? Internal revenue owed us $24,000.
9:22
Unidentified Yes, sir.
9:23
Unidentified So, starting out in 23, uh, we had a plus figure of $24,000.
9:32
Unidentified Yes, sir.
9:32
Unidentified With the internal revenue. And so, and at the end of 23, you're showing about a half a million dollars that we owed them.
9:41
Unidentified Yes, sir.
9:43
Unidentified Then it kept getting worse and worse.
9:45
Unidentified Yes, sir. So, uh,
9:47
Unidentified and I I got to credit Mr. Etherly and Mr. U Whitfield. They they continue paying those
9:52
Council Member Joe St. Columbia two and a half years. That's we got in trouble.
9:57
Unidentified Yes.
9:58
Unidentified Two and a half years.
9:59
Unidentified Yes.
10:03
City Attorney Andre Valley Mr. S. comment goes a little further back that as historically uh this when you say got in trouble the city's revenue started shrinking when the city and uh during Mayor Holl's administration there was a push to build the jail and the city has systematically uh the revenue that the city lost was $600,000 a year and there hadn't been any income to replace that $600,000.
10:29
Unidentified Yeah. Because of population we were losing. No, no, no, no. It wasn't anything to do with population. It was directly related to there was a sales tax that was countywide uh for the port authority and the city portion was $600,000
10:44
Unidentified and the citizens through a great campaign uh by those who wanted a jail. They chose to not have that tax anymore to have a tax for the jail. And consequently, the city has been losing $600 a year since then. I I think um
11:01
City Treasurer Derrick Turner Mr. Etherly asked me about it a few days ago and I think I told him that um the tax money that we aren't receiving because of that uh measure is about three mill over three million
11:14
Unidentified 3.6
11:15
Unidentified $3.6 million
11:17
Unidentified that we're missing out on because of that uh you know to build a county jail.
11:22
Unidentified Well, I mean guess to say that correctly that's what we not
11:25
Unidentified Yes. collected that's been diverted to the jail that we don't own or control or
11:32
Unidentified Yes.
11:33
Unidentified have or per year.
11:36
Unidentified I'm sorry.
11:36
Unidentified Thus far or
11:37
Unidentified Yeah. Yes. Yeah. Because because it's a if you calculate it as an annual reduction in revenue at this point, it equates to about $3.6 million.
11:49
Council Member Maxine Miller I had someone ask me and so I'm going to go ahead and put it on the floor. I think I know the answer though. So there is absolutely no way we can reverse that.
12:02
Unidentified The taxes for the for the for the jail. Is that what you asked for? I think the the citizens if if you wanted a separate sales tax, you have to do a separate sales tax. But the the tax that's currently allocated directly for that facility.
12:16
Unidentified Well, I mean because we don't off the county doesn't own it anymore, do they?
12:20
Unidentified Yeah, they just leased it.
12:21
Unidentified Yeah, they leased it.
12:22
Unidentified Okay. So they own it. The bond is for the So what we obligated ourselves to do is pay for it. So it's like you buy the car now. You can't just give it back.
12:32
Council Member Don Etherly We we we not me but we the citizens as as a whole voted to to divert our sales tax money to the jail. And so now we're obligated until it's paid for. The county leased it to the state. So the state operates it. Now, they reserve 20 beds for the county, but the city doesn't have any ownership or control over over that jail. We just we just pay.
13:01
City Attorney Andre Valley Correct. And so, not only did we lose it was double wet for the city because not only you lose 600,000 annually, county turned right around and sued the city for $168,000 unpaid uh jail fees that the city accumulated. and the city has a $20,000 a month payment plan that you're paying that to the county.
13:25
Mayor Joseph Whitfield I think I think to answer your question um Councilwoman Miller, I think I mean we can it would cost it would cost the citizens obviously um as was mentioned a new tax, but I it's my hope that we get back to having our own jail. That's my hope.
13:48
City Treasurer Derrick Turner° That's all I have. So, I don't know.
13:51
Unidentified You didn't email this, did you?
13:53
Unidentified No.
13:54
Unidentified Okay.
13:54
Unidentified I I I'll email it to you.
13:56
Unidentified I didn't think I mean I Well, if you would, please, but I I I just I didn't think I had missed it, but you didn't.
14:02
Unidentified How many beds are in jail?
14:05
Unidentified I'm sorry. Say again.
14:05
Unidentified How many beds are in the jail?
14:07
Unidentified 100.
14:09
Unidentified And so, they lease 20. like they allow us they allow 20 for our county.
14:15
Unidentified Okay. Gotcha. Okay. And then the state they pay what's the
14:23
Unidentified I don't know what they paid. That's a deal that they cut with the county. I just know the county uh to avoid some financial trouble just leased it to the state. So the state operates it and they just they give us 20 bids. I say us, but that's to the county, not to the city. The county gets 20 bids. I guess I'm I still go I'm still going back. Maybe I'm missing something. I still kind of understand why we been paying a paying the bill for something that's now not even under our
14:52
Unidentified because we voted to contract to do it,
14:55
Unidentified right?
14:56
Unidentified Kind of like you buy a car.
14:57
Unidentified Yeah.
14:58
Unidentified You get in trouble financially on the car. You say, "Mr. Etherly, will you just take up the notes on my car?"
15:03
Unidentified Okay.
15:04
Unidentified I can pay the I mean, I can Well,
15:08
Unidentified you're still paying the note. I'm driving the car, but you get you still pay the note,
15:12
Unidentified but if it doesn't get paid, we're in default. We the county, the city here, because it's it's a bond deal.
15:19
Unidentified But the county couldn't afford to operate it on a daily basis. And so they gave it to the state. And so the note is still being paid by the citizens, all of Philips County, basically. It's just the largest share comes from the city. The note is still being paid by the citizens, but the state operates,
15:38
Unidentified right? Now, how much is owed? I have no idea.
15:41
Unidentified I don't know.
15:42
Unidentified I think what is it? 30 years.
15:45
Unidentified 30-year bond. So, it's been five years, six years now. So, it'll be some time before it's paid for.
15:53
Unidentified Somebody correct me if I'm wrong.
15:55
Unidentified How much was the I'm sorry I'm asking all these questions. I'm just How much was the building built for?
16:02
City Attorney Andre Valley I don't recall that. All I recall is standing on the table telling people it's a bad deal. But it is what it is at this point. And also the one other thing that affects your budget when the 20 beds are full, we still have to take people to other counties and pay them bills,
16:21
Unidentified right?
16:22
Unidentified And so it didn't give the city any relief because city is still back in the position it was prior to even having a jail. And then sometimes we have to beg them to to keep misdemeanors.
16:32
Council Member Don Etherly Yeah. We got people in St. Francis County, Cross County, Woodruff County, Green County, Jefferson County, Green County, which is Paragu's 2 and a half hours away. We got people all over.
16:43
Unidentified Right. So, the police department is getting bills from all these other facilities, including Philips County.
16:56
Unidentified This uh report you gave us tonight is current through August.
17:03
City Treasurer Derrick Turner Yes, sir. I'm I'm working on September right now, sir. I get you September as soon as possible.
17:08
Unidentified So, I'm working on September right now. I'll get you there as soon as possible.
17:11
Unidentified This is through August.
17:12
Unidentified Yes, sir.
17:13
Unidentified Okay.
17:16
Mayor Joseph Whitfield Is there any other discussion on um buyers claim or IRS debt slash financial report? If there is none, we'll jump into our new business. Um, our first order of new business. This is at the top of your packet 1 A through uh 3B or 3C I should say. Uh, we have three event proposals. Two of these are from um, local school Delta Prep. Trunk or treat is being requested as well as a fall festival. Um, both of these will require some I think road closures, at least one of them require a road closure. Um, and they're asking for permission to host these events in downtown. And the third event is Kelly Courtyard Blues Festival Stage. Uh, this would be hosted by Mr. Ricky Martin. It would be this week from October 8th through the 10th. Um, and he's requesting uh usage of Kelly Courtyard to the stage um where musicians will play this week. So, Where's your blue?
18:33
Unidentified Starts this Thursday.
18:35
Unidentified That's what I was That's why I was mumbling was that didn't is didn't this already
18:39
Unidentified contracted to the U.
18:44
Unidentified This week is correct.
18:46
Unidentified If they use the same zone parameters that's in the festival zone,
18:51
Unidentified they're not going down. They're not going down in the 400 block this year.
18:55
Unidentified They're not. No,
18:57
Unidentified I don't think I don't think it is part of their operation.
19:04
Unidentified This is a festival from my understanding that he does annually um and he's requesting sufficient permission to make sure that he's recognized as using it.
19:14
Unidentified So for recommen all all three permits however to have all the uh signatures of your department heads. Yes. You said it's held annually.
19:28
Unidentified Yeah, it's it's not a separate event. He's um he's a blues musician himself and I think he uses the Kelly Cyard force for for musicians as well that go down there. So even though the the the blues festival um organization is only going to use the two blocks closest to the stage, which would be the 100 and 200 blocks, um I mean there are still going to be musicians scattered down the streets. And I know in particular Kelly Codiyard, this particular musician has used that one um for the last few years for to for a stage where different acts or different performance come on. So he's from my understanding is requesting official usage as rec as recognition by the city.
20:09
Unidentified Now see that he's um serving alcoholic beverages. you got his approval from I guess um alcohol put the back on file.
20:21
Mayor Joseph Whitfield So he explained um ABC requires you to have a permit if you're selling the alcohol. They will be selling tickets which will which would not require them to have um a permit. So they they're not directly selling the alcohol and essentially [music] it's um It's I don't want to say it's a loophole, but I've gone through the process with another nonprofit where we also had a beer garden. Um, and we were selling wristbands going through the process. If you're selling the alcohol, you do need a permit. But if you're selling entry to a space or if you're selling tickets or access to it, then you do not need that. So that that [music] is their setup here in particular that they will be um either using wristbands or tickets for the process. So they'll get a ticket to to get in which then includes
21:22
Unidentified or is that is this
21:24
Unidentified are you to be able to be able to purchase
21:26
Unidentified purchase additional tickets.
21:28
Unidentified So the stage is free. The stage is free and to purchase or to have access to alcohol the um concert goers at this particular stage will purchase a wristband slash a ticket. Yeah. the stage itself.
21:41
Unidentified I don't think you can do that, mayor. I don't think you can do if if you're selling alcohol, I think you have to have permission for our
21:49
Unidentified Well, so again, this is the process would be and if if this is something that the council doesn't want to approve, I mean, that's why it's in the packet.
21:57
Unidentified I mean, the only thing that's the only thing I would have issue with is selling the alcohol.
22:01
Unidentified So, a ABC does not require you to have a permit. If you're if you're not selling your alcohol, ABC does not require you to have a permit. Um, we had an event through I want to say last October before I accepted this position where I went through the process assuming that we would need an alcohol permit from ABC. I went to Little Rock um with the paperwork and was told upon arrival [singing] I didn't need a permit because we were selling tickets to get entry into a beer garden. So, the Hunt Center was in effect the beer garden last October and because we sold tickets to get into it instead of the alcohol itself. Um,
22:41
Unidentified no, I understand that. So, let's say if you sell into the to the event [music] and then at the event they serve alcohol, that's fine.
22:48
Unidentified But it's it's a little bit more problematic if they're getting in free, but then they're purchasing alcohol. So, if they're selling it if you you're using the tickets, then you're you're purchasing alcohol. Not directly. I mean, and I understand I understand what you're saying, but this was again, this was explained to me directly from ABC. So, I if if this is an event that um and maybe this is something where we have uh we do have code enforcement that's [music] going to be active and visible this particular weekend, making sure that everybody's up to date and has everything they need to have. If this is an um an aspect that we don't want them to have at this particular stage, I mean this is the body.
23:30
Unidentified I mean we can do a contingency or we can get a verification from somebody but
23:37
Unidentified verification is in like they need to have like I mean that
23:40
Unidentified just to verify that cuz my understanding is all my years are working at DCC. This what you would have to have.
23:49
Unidentified I mean so we can we can place a contingency on that. I think that that's what this group wants to do and I'm just relaying information that I that I know personally from experience which is if you're not selling the alcohol direct like obviously they would have to be carding obviously um that would have to be monitored. Yes. And um what was explained was that they would have and police officers are going to be um hired in some aspect as security guards code enforcement is going to be active. Um
24:17
Unidentified yeah. So I don't no
24:19
Unidentified I'm sure it's completely safe and there won't be a problem with it. But
24:24
Unidentified it's not that we don't want to prove it. We're just trying to get off and I think that's what he's
24:29
Unidentified I mean I think the understanding is clear though like he's not going to they're not directly and if we want to I guess do some extra verification that's fine. um the purchase or sales of alcohol [clears throat] directly to the people that would be at this stage, the funds are going to be the funds are going to be exchanged for the tickets and wristbands. So, um I'm not sure about the calculations if it's going to be one ticket or two tickets that's going to be purchasing alcohol, if it's going to be one wristband that gets you a beer or whatever it is, the money that's exchanged will go towards a ticket or wristband. And [music] I think the question so that's that's the system and I've been explaining
25:06
Unidentified and the wristband does that does the wristband include your your drink?
25:10
Unidentified It it would. Yes. And I think
25:11
Unidentified it would or would not?
25:12
Unidentified It it would and I
25:14
Unidentified Okay. If it would then that's okay.
25:16
Unidentified Yeah.
25:16
Unidentified Yeah. If it would it's okay then.
25:18
Unidentified Yeah. So that so
25:19
Unidentified that's is that's Yeah. But okay. I was just making sure they weren't like selling t you know like when you were purchasing tickets for alcohol like you do a booster. That would be that then you would that would you would need a permit then because then you're directly selling alcohol. So if you go to if you go to an event and for me to get um uh a drink I have to have a ticket and I and I exchange money in exchange for that ticket then then I do then need a permit. But if I'm having if I'm having an event um you know have a a price and with it you you get you get a drink, you know, that's legal, but you can't but you can't take a money in exchange [music] for a ticket for a drink. That's that's per this is personal.
26:17
Unidentified Well, I think I mean my conver so I think what can be done is that I mean we can table this particular permit. Um I feel like I've gotten a different explanation. I that's kind of similar, but I feel like I've got a different explanation. And I think Are we okay to approve the other two events [music] for Delta Prep? Well,
26:35
Council Member Don Etherly why don't we do this on on this particular proposal? Let's be honest. There'll be plenty of alcohol consumed on Cherry Street. This [clears throat] at this place and [music] from end to end, there' be plenty of alcohol consumed. Why don't we uh add uh a provision to the permit that says it's approved and alcohol is permitted to the extent that it complies with state law and that way we haven't approved we're not approving their serving of alcohol to any extent just only to [music] the extent that it's allowed by state law. Does that satisfy the concern?
27:10
Unidentified And then if they don't comply with state law that's between them and whatever agency comes in and takes action. Uh
27:19
Unidentified state alcohol people will be down here,
27:21
Unidentified right?
27:22
Unidentified Checking,
27:23
Unidentified right? So
27:23
Unidentified that's right.
27:24
Unidentified So I mean
27:24
Unidentified so so that'll be their enforcement backyard, not ours. And so we can let's just add that to the permit and then they they'll [music] come to come back to city approved it. You know, they said we could sell
27:37
Unidentified Well well that's why I said if you put that provision that's fine,
27:40
Unidentified right? And the other part about it like y'all can do that as as a prophylactic uh measure to cover the the city. Uh
27:51
City Attorney Andre Valley the issue is this is beyond your purview. The city is not the ones to issue the permits but out of bundance of caution you can put add that to permit.
28:04
Unidentified ABC will come down and they will investigate. his request here. You're talking this request is not asking for us to to approve any alcohol at all. I mean, it's not
28:17
Unidentified right.
28:18
Unidentified Right.
28:18
Unidentified That's correct.
28:19
Unidentified You're permitted for them to have a festival within the festival zone within it's properly zoned. It's prop and it's properly [music] regulated the festival zone. You're not permitting alcohol other than according to your ordinances that you have. and for them to serve alcohol. They have to meet the requirements of the state. But Mr. Eth motion it is a a good measure for us to move forward from it. Uh Mr. Es suggestion he had made a motion. And so if [music] that's what you want to do to add that caveat, that's that would be the quickest way to do it.
28:50
Council Member Don Etherly So I I'll move to approve the three permits with the uh additional language to [music] the um what what is it? Quicksand the quicksand stage event as it relates to alcohol. Second.
29:04
Unidentified Any discussion? Extra discussion.
29:06
Unidentified What's the motion?
29:08
Unidentified The the the motion is to approve the three permits with the exception of the uh the quicksand. That's the stage permit to add the additional language that we're permitting the event, but any ser serving of alcohol has to comply with state law. So, we're not permitting the alcohol.
29:25
Mayor Joseph Whitfield We're not permitting. Right. Right. Yeah. Madam clerk, will you call the role, please?
29:33
Roll call Roll-call vote — Maxine Miller: yes; Don Etherly: yes; Adrian Messina: yes; Dr. Kyle Miller: yes; Monica Davis: yes.
29:49
Unidentified Serve alcohol. I clear that up because I was in the alcohol business for 25 years. You got to get a permit from the state and they'll check it and it's got to be for a specific date and time and all that. If they don't have a permit,
30:07
Unidentified there are Yes. And there are special circumstances where you don't need a permit. There are special circumstances.
30:14
Unidentified I I just never heard it. Not in eight years ago. So I never heard
30:24
Council Member Adrian Messina that beer truck. The son of mayor has a big income from festival in this town the city. If we borrow we have borrow a ton of money to pay our bills.
30:42
Unidentified How many bills here?
30:53
Unidentified That's a philosophical conversation will have
30:56
City Attorney Andre Valley the historically Mr. Messina, we've done it in the past. We've gotten information from the state and the Blues Fest, the sales tax revenue received on that time period is about the equivalent of Fourth of July, Christmas or something like that. [music] It's not it does not fund the city's uh payroll. It does well for the organization hosting it, but the sales tax there isn't some drastic increase that would cause the city to uh gain major profit. I'm I'm pretty sure that's consistent consistent like that for 20 years. I'm sure it's still that way.
31:37
Mayor Joseph Whitfield All right, moving right along. Um, next up we have District Court Judge Carter here um to make a presentation. This presentation is for a request um to consider a raise for district court officer.
31:51
District Judge Jason Carter Thank you all for having me. I want to bring an issue to your attention. I've got two court officers that are uh both on the police roster. And so when this council approved an increase for the police department, uh that affected them as well. The issue that we have now is I have like I say two court officers. One has a part-time certification, one has a full-time certification. In order to be a court officer, a part-time certification is all that is required. That is not required to have a full-time certification. Uh they are specialized officers and so they can be employed full-time even though they only have a part-time certification. my senior court officer who has been a court officer here for 13 years who actually does have a certificate um from Arkansas Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Training for a Certified Specialized Police Officer, which is what is given for court officers. He only has a part-time certification. So, he was um his pay was increased to the part-time rate that you all approved. He is the supervisor for the junior court officer who is now making more than him because he has a full-time certification. He has not been um well he started the junior court officer started in November or December of 2024. He worked up until around July of 25 when he went out with some uh medical issues. He was out from July of 25 until the last couple of months. So he's not actually been working for a full year yet, but he's now making more than his supervisor. and I don't feel that that's uh an appropriate thing to be happening. Um the senior court officer, even though he doesn't have a full-time certification, this is a binder of all the uh training certificates that he has completed just this year. I've got two more binders in my office from previous years. He's more than qualified to be a court officer or any officer really. Um I I would challenge you to find any officer in the department that has as much training hours as he has, but he's being paid less than the person that he's um supervising. Um he has more responsibilities. He has more experience and I wanted to bring that to your attention and ask your consideration to make that right because I don't feel that it's right to make less than the person you're supervising.
34:51
Unidentified Okay. So, help me understand the person who is out.
34:57
Unidentified You said medically
34:58
Unidentified he he was he's he's back now.
35:00
Unidentified He's back now, but he was out for how long?
35:03
Unidentified Um he was out from July of 25 until he just got back in the last month or two, I believe. Um and we held the position during that time. We had a a um temporary person here filling his position. It was not a police officer. He did not have a police certification, but we had somebody here basically to um help on court days and to have somebody here to kind of maintain court uh building security while he was gone. Um but he got back in the last month or two and we held the position because it's been historically difficult to find good candidates
35:41
Unidentified [snorts]
35:41
Unidentified uh to apply for this position that have a police certification. Um, like like I said, you only have to have a part-time certification, but uh the previous person for that position came in without a police certification, without a part-time certification. You have one year to get that part-time certification. That person did not get his part-time certification within that year. And so, we had to let him go and start a process for a new one. And that's when we got the junior officer we have now.
36:10
Unidentified So, he was out on FMLA. Well, I don't I don't know how all that worked. U I guess I I defer to somebody who knows more about that than I do on that.
36:22
City Attorney Andre Valley Yes, he was out on FMLA. Uh here's here's a legal issue. Judge Carter is over the the court officers by law. However, as he stated in the beginning, they are police officers. They are on the city of Hel West Ha police department roster. The law creates an anomaly. They are on the police department roster. However, they answer directly to the district court judge. They are supervised by the district court judge and district court judge has a legal obligation to compel them to follow the city ordinances. Um so the issue is for our own purpose and clarity in our base pay we show them as district um court officers. However, they're part of the roster for the police department. And so what happened from a practical standpoint when uh the chief came and made the presentation uh due to you raising the base pay for police officers uh the person who was out ill his pay was raised according to base pay. Uh the senior officer that the judge is speaking about has a part-time certification but he's a full-time employee. part-time certification is just his certification with the state, but he's a full-time employee and he works uh for the court. The court has a special designation for full-time people that uh just Carter just spoke of. They get full-time certified through the court system and they go through that way, but they're on a police roster. So, Mr. Turner, he had sent a question to the Mr. League and he discussed with me and he sent uh and he and I met about it a couple times about it and the issue is the base pay and Mr. league to say just refer back to the base pay. The same thing I say it's it's it's a base pay question. It's not about a pay raise. It's about what is his general pay. The question is uh should he be getting paid the supervisor at a performance first class level or should he get paid current levels part-time. currently he makes less than the person who is beneath uh him as far as supervisor and that's the issue that we have at this point.
38:44
Unidentified I mean that's unfortunate but if his if his rank or his title or what have you is part-time is that what you said
38:58
Unidentified the state has either full-time certified or part-time certified. He's parttime first with the state. Uh but the court system has a certification where you can become a full-time court officer. He has a full-time certification with them. He works under that certification with the city because he works full-time. If he only had a part-time certification, he can only work uh 25 hours uh a pay period.
39:26
Unidentified Okay.
39:27
Unidentified But he works 40 hours.
39:28
Unidentified Okay. So, he's working full-time.
39:30
Unidentified Yes, he's been working full time.
39:32
Unidentified Correct me if I'm wrong. U not a clerical.
39:35
Unidentified No, that's correct. He's full time.
39:36
Unidentified Okay.
39:37
Unidentified But what do we need to correct this now? What do we need to do to correct it?
39:41
Unidentified I don't I don't think this is a matter of something being corrected. Just for context, this is does the senior officer doesn't have um he's district court certified, yes, but he does not have the certification that the junior officer has. But we're in a situation where this officer makes le the senior officer makes less. So I don't necessarily think I think for context and framing is not something to correct. It's how I think the judge is in so many words asking how do how does this um body feel about that? Um the conversations that I've had, you know, like I understand that they are on the roster and they but they're district court certified and they spend their time in district court. The roles are different. That was something that um I did speak to the judge about briefly. Um but then also the certification question I think is
40:33
Unidentified Do you have the certification?
40:35
Unidentified Mayor, what do you feel like we as council should do?
40:39
Unidentified What's your recommendation to us?
40:42
Mayor Joseph Whitfield My my recommendation is he would need to get the certification that the junior officer has. I I understand that the junior officer makes more, but that that would be my recommendation because I don't want to set the precedent that we can bypass things. And so that that would be my recommendation, but it's up to this body to decide.
41:02
District Judge Jason Carter I would argue that that's not necessary because to be a full-time court officer, you don't need that certification. It's not required for his job duties. He is qualified, more qualified than the junior officer to be a court officer. That is his job. This body, whether intentional or not, gave the junior officer a pay increase of $623 an hour, who has not been here for a year. And now the supervisor who has been here for 13 years who some 20 30 years ago didn't get a full-time certification, he's now making less than his than his subordinate. And he is the supervisor, the most qualified person to be the senior officer. And it's
41:58
Council Member Joe St. Columbia the problem we've had was we're losing so many police officers because we're our people are being underpaid compared to other areas and our police [clears throat] officers were leaving our employment could go to the sheriff's office or go somewhere else uh and make more money. So we kept losing police officers after we we trained them and all.
42:24
Unidentified We had to do something. I understand and I'm worried that I may lose a court officer. Um because
42:29
Unidentified we need to resolve all that. We need to
42:31
Unidentified I don't I don't know how many of you would work for less money um than the people you're supervising, but I would wager it's probably not a whole lot.
42:40
Unidentified We don't want to lose our employees.
42:43
Unidentified I I agree with you.
42:44
Unidentified We want to keep our people and we want to pay them the proper amount of money.
42:47
Unidentified I tell you, it would be very difficult to to find a court officer Yeah. um that is as qualified as our senior court officer is.
42:58
Unidentified Judge, if I'm not mistaken, doesn't it take eight years of intensive training of the classes that this man has taken to become an a court officer like this gentleman is.
43:12
Unidentified It's I'm not exactly sure the exact number of years, but it is it is not something you just get on a on a weekend. It's something that's that's worked over a period of years
43:19
Unidentified and he's gotten um I think a couple of different certificates actually for for specialized officers which is what he is.
43:29
Unidentified Okay.
43:30
Unidentified So what I would ask to do you to do is to increase his pay um equivalent to what his position is. I mean I understand he doesn't have a uh full-time certification so he may not be able to get the the pay as a base pay. I'm not asking you to make it as a base pay. I'm not asking you to to increase the base pay for a part-time officer. I'm asking you to increase the pay for this particular person who is a supervisor of a person who is making more money than him.
44:05
Unidentified What I mean basically what you're asking is to raise the base pay for that particular position at
44:12
Unidentified for that position. Not not necessarily,
44:14
Unidentified but because you're saying that he's if he's his supervisor,
44:18
Unidentified well, his base pay would be
44:20
Unidentified because of his um seniority basically. I mean, he is he is the senior officer when it comes to court security and all related things. I mean, he is the person who makes those decisions to make myself safe. But it's if he were to retire tomorrow and we had a another person come in, I'm going to have somebody that just has a part-time. Well, I'm going to try to get the most qualified person, but it may turn out that then the junior officer would become the senior officer. So, I'm not necessarily asking you to increase the base pay just for this position. I'm asking you to increase this person's pay based on what they are currently doing right now and the responsibilities that they have.
45:08
Unidentified How long has he been with you?
45:10
District Judge Jason Carter Uh well, he's been here since I started and I started in uh January of 21, but he's been a court officer for 13 years.
45:15
Unidentified 13 years.
45:16
Unidentified I believe he's been with the city for 16 years. He started off on the police department, I think, in code enforcement.
45:22
Unidentified Um but he's been with the city of Helen West Helen for 16 years, 13 as a court officer. I think we need I signed check
45:40
Unidentified he the just the junior officer the junior officer the person that
45:44
Unidentified so what are you recommending we pay
45:47
District Judge Jason Carter well that's also a tricky question because the the the chief supervisor for the entire department the chief district court clerk uh she only makes about 50 cents an hour more than the new uh or the the junior officer. She um I believe makes 1971 an [cough] hour and I believe the the pay for the full-time certified officers [snorts] now is 1923 I believe is what I was told. So she makes a little less than 50 cents more. Um, I would ask that the the senior court officer, he needs to make a little more than what the junior officer makes. I can't ask for an astronomical amount because I'm going to be asking for a raise for the chief court clerk um, who does deserve a raise. Um, but that's for another another day. Right now, the main issue I have is a supervisor making less than a Fortnite.
46:55
Unidentified We need to take care of the bare necessities. And I I see where you're coming from. I can understand that. So
47:02
Unidentified So the head person is 1950. The junior is, how much did you say? 1920.
47:10
Unidentified The the junior officer is making 1923 an hour, I believe, is what the the base pay for a full-time certified officer is.
47:21
Unidentified I know this is not popular, but I'm going to go ahead and and jump out here. So, you came um a little while ago and no, there was a lady who came, right?
47:32
District Judge Jason Carter I came back in April and asked for a raise for the entire department. Um just as a refresher, which uh was approved by the council, which was then vetoed by the mayor, and the council then declined to override his veto. Um, I will point out that when I came to ask for those raises at that time, the junior officer was out. Um, but that was the only position I was not asking for an increase. That is the the one position that I did not ask for an increase. And that is the one that has gotten a $623 an hour increase u because he has full-time certification.
48:26
Mayor Joseph Whitfield Does anybody from the body have any um thoughts or recommendations? I think um and I I feel like I've been on record plenty of times saying I personally agree that we have seen employees that are underpaid. Absolutely. I think that um the precedent that I I just want to avoid is kind of um I don't want to say willy-nilly, but just kind of giving raises and increasing pay um in a scouted way. I want to see that done structured. Um but I do agree and I and I know because I vetoed some decisions and it might not seem that way.
48:59
Unidentified [music]
48:59
Unidentified Um, I think that this to me kind of sets a precedent that I mean, you say yes tonight, you you you're going to have some other folks that are going to come come in after this as well.
49:10
Unidentified Well, and I think as as a body, I mean, if you have other supervisors out there who are making less than the people below them, yeah, they probably are going to come here, but I bet you there's not any other supervisors in the city making less than the people below them. This is not a
49:23
Unidentified a fun a fun fact is that I I think that I' I've been able to say I can I've signed some some checks of subordinates that might be more than me.
49:33
Unidentified That that I that I can say.
49:35
Unidentified Okay. Well, that's an elected position, Mayor.
49:37
Unidentified No, I'm not I'm not I'm not complaining about it. That's not
49:40
Unidentified talking about department heads, mayor. You know where I'm what I'm talking about, mayor. That's that's completely different.
49:44
Unidentified I'm just I'm just talking about the air of being okay with that. Being okay with that. One of the things I want to clear attorney and I when we went behind the man were talking on our base pay we've always treated the district court officers as part of the district court. At some point, I was trying to refresh my memory as to what happened because they used to get paid from the Arkansas public employees retirement system or apers and then they had to be paid according to Lafayette and at that point they were placed back on the police department's roster and so um at some point for a few years they were on aprons and now they're on Lafayette and they're treated completely as on the police department's roster for lit purpose. for duties that are treated as court officers until uh the state completes the district court system. They absent to judge Carter. They they work for him. They respond to him. They do not respond to Chief Sanders or the mayor respond to the to um Judge Carter. So, in our base pay, we we had a section that says district court officers. The base pay is on 4B and uh the the second page you would you were discussing the the issue with uh what should be the salary. So uh I would defer to the man and you all as to what you all want to do
51:12
Unidentified and where is he making that? Well, with the with the increase, he's now a part-time Well, he's he's always been a part-time certified, but so now um he'll be making $17 an hour, I believe, is what the part-time pay is.
51:29
Unidentified So, are you saying that technically the junior the the younger officer was or was not supposed to or was not to get the increase
51:41
Unidentified in our base pay? Uh he's the police officers. You have uh patrol officer first class because he has full-time certification. You gave us uh salary to patrol officer first class. That's why his salary jump.
51:55
Unidentified Okay.
51:56
Unidentified Because they're on the police department roster according to state law at this point.
52:01
Unidentified Okay. And but the anomaly that he's discussing that just car is discussing is and what the mayor is saying is that well the supervisor is not full-time certified with the state and that's the discussion that you all are having back and forth. When officer comes in they have entry level and then once they become certified full-time with state they automatically get a pay increase to the uh patrolman first class. It's about a $5,000 difference.
52:33
Unidentified I know when we were discussing, and this I'm sure is off topic somewhat, when we were talking about base uh pay and all of that, and at one point the chief of staff had a higher uh pay than the mayor. And then we fixed that so that it was in the reverse because theoretically your supervisor should be paid more than the people who are under them
53:01
Council Member Maxine Miller in theory. That that makes sense. And so I think I'm torn because I think we should make the adjustment. My fear is that if we make that adjustment then we're going to open the door to other and and I'm just saying financially I don't know that we are in a position to do that. That's my only concern. But I do think that if he's supervising it it it makes more sense to me that he would be
53:35
Unidentified making more
53:36
Unidentified making more than Yeah. But I agree with you.
53:41
Unidentified I I just don't I don't know.
53:44
Council Member Don Etherly Well, I try to be as open and transparent as I can be anytime we talk about [clears throat] and try to be consistent. And three times this year, the court clerks came and asked for a pay increase. And I know all of these people. I see them every day. I'm in this building every day going to district court or every other day going to district court. And my position on that was no because we have oppressive debt in this city. The court officers are paid from general funds. General funds. That's I make that distinction because we got some water uh uh increases that are employee increases that are coming before us. They're paid from water funds, not general funds. To the extent that we consider anybody getting a pay increase, regardless of what the circumstances are, you got to consider general revenue in the general state of the city right now, which is I've been sitting here complaining all year about what we're doling out for trash pickup. I've been sitting here complaining for the last couple of months or three months about overtime in the police department, which is double what we appropriated. I'm complaining tonight about growing IRS debt from last year. And I would have to ask, where does all this money come from?
55:09
Unidentified It might be unfair, but is this the time to address this issue? Now, what we told the clerks was we have some things that we have to overcome and then we'll come back and review it. And I agree. Me and the mayor, we rarely agree. I agree on this one. Over the years, we've given this person a raise, that person a raise, that person a raise. But it never stops because if you do this, then the court clerks who work with these district court officers are going to be saying, "Well, wait a minute. You just told us no." So, they'll want to come back. Then the people in the sanitation department and the street department are going to want to say, "Well, what about us? We work hard, too." And the reality is we're not in a position to do it right now. Or at least do you have anything that suggests we're in a position to do it? And I haven't seen that presented to us to suggest that we we're able to do it. Um that being the case, my personal position on this is I would love to fix it, but I think this is something for the time when we overcome some of the the issues that we have. Um there is a timetable that we can set but it's it's later on. It's some months down the road and then I would love to address this but in my mind it' be kind of reckless to do it right now particularly since you don't know where you stand financially. You know you got a bunch of things that are coming in higher than projected this year and I think those things have to be priority at this point. My piece I mean despair.
57:02
Unidentified What's your recommendation?
57:07
Mayor Joseph Whitfield I I echo for once what Mr. Anthony points out. I echo the same sentiment.
57:13
Unidentified We we agree tonight. Would you agree that the supervisor should be making
57:22
Unidentified as as a as a general principle? I don't want to supervise anybody who makes more money than I do as a general principle.
57:28
Unidentified But we have we have specific facts at this city that dictate other things other
57:37
Unidentified looking at a death.
57:38
Unidentified Yes, sir.
57:39
Council Member Don Etherly That we're looking at Einstein. But uh we need to correct it. And I I'll say the same thing for him that I said to the court clerks when we get in a better position. And I and I hate to put it on the calendar. I won't I won't be sitting at the head of the table, but the math in my head says at some point next year, we're in a better position to address this. And I don't want to just address it for district court or for the court officers. I want to address it for street sanitation, all the people who are paid from general funds. But there's a time period down the road, if you listen closely to what Mr. Val said, there's a time period down the road where we can take that up in a and be in a better position to do.
58:23
Unidentified We're getting ready to work on next year's budget. And I think that's one of the considerations that we need to look at is try to correct start correcting some of these things uh that we've failed to do in the past.
58:37
Unidentified I agree.
58:39
Unidentified The budget time is now. next year and that needs to be I'm glad he brought this up because I agree with him.
58:48
Unidentified Well, and I would just like to point out that
58:50
Unidentified I don't know where the money is going to come from.
58:54
Mayor Joseph Whitfield And this isn't something not to cut you off. This is if if you all gave this employee a raise today, it's not going to break the bank. We won't be pinching [music] for pennies tomorrow because of it. I think that this is just more so about precedent and and what follows if you were to say yes. So, I mean, it's is is it doable? It is. And I want to make sure that people get a chance to like if you think if if your hesitation at the table tonight is that it's not going to be doable financially, it is. I think it's just more so it's precedent.
59:24
Unidentified I see. Now, I I'll disagree on that one. If stuff is going up,
59:29
Unidentified we shouldn't be paying extra. We shouldn't be changing the things that we pay out unless it's an emergency or completely necessary. And so, that's the position that I take. If we got anything that's going north, um, we're not in [music] a position to do it. And so,
59:49
Unidentified was there money not long ago when you when you voted to increase the police pay?
59:57
Council Member Don Etherly There was not the situation that exists today, or at least it wasn't on the table. Um, it was shortly after we approved that measure that all hades broke loose in that city and things happened. I personally ended up in the mayor's office and so my knowledge is not speculative anymore. It's personal and I understand where we are perhaps I would say better than anybody at this table other than the two people who write checks. And so I stand on that and that's why I told the clerks, you know, they look at me sideways these days.
1:00:32
Unidentified I understand.
1:00:33
Council Member Don Etherly Yeah. They they they don't they don't they're not as warm and friendly to me like they used to be. And so I I do understand the situation that he's in. And so my commitment is the same to him as it is to everybody else. I'm not saying never. I'm not even saying 10 years from now. And you know, hey, I might not even be here next year, but I'm not saying 10 years from now. What I am saying is that given what we know right now and you've sat through this meeting and you hear these numbers, how can we legitimately tell our people that we're going to pay out extra money and we don't have to? It's not an emergency situation and we owe the IRS now $1.6 million. Um, I don't think that we can look get with a straight face and tell people that this makes financial sense.
1:01:24
Unidentified Okay. Well, let me let me I I don't know what's going to happen after this because I' I've got a feeling I can tell which way this is going to go. But if if the court officer doesn't get the senior court officer doesn't get a a pay increase, say he decides to go get another job somewhere else.
1:01:39
Unidentified Yes, sir.
1:01:40
Unidentified I start looking for a new court officer. I get one that's full-time certified. What's he going to be making? He'll
1:01:47
Unidentified be making less than
1:01:48
Unidentified No, sir. If he comes in full-time certified, he's going to be making the same as the junior court officer.
1:01:54
Unidentified Yeah,
1:01:56
Unidentified that's true. But
1:01:59
Unidentified so if this court officer leaves, which is going to cause a tremendous burden on the court because the junior court officer cannot do the job duties that the senior court officer does currently because I believe his medical limitations uh prevent him from going out and serving the subpoenas and the warrants and doing the things that the senior court officer does. If the senior court officer were to leave and I have to find a replacement, I'm going to have to find a replacement that's either part-time certified or full-time certified. If that replacement happens to be full-time certified, he's now going to be he would be making what I'm asking my part-time certified officer to make right now, which is the same as what the part-time the full-time certified junior officer is making.
1:02:39
Unidentified Putting a pencil to the numbers, how how much money are we talking about?
1:02:43
District Judge Jason Carter $223 an hour. So, 23 cents an hour
1:02:49
Unidentified times 40 * 52 is what? Less than $5,000.
1:02:59
District Judge Jason Carter I understand your position, Mr. Etherly, and I appreciate you for being consistent on almost everything, but I believe did you vote to give the part-time officers a increase to $17 an hour?
1:03:10
Unidentified Yes, sir.
1:03:10
Unidentified And I understand because of overtime.
1:03:12
Unidentified Because of overtime. I understand that it's a measure to decrease over time. It's a different situation. There's specific facts that require a different situation. I would argue this is a specific instance that requires a different measure than what you've been going on with everybody else. Now, I'm not saying the rest of my clerks don't deserve a raise because they absolutely do. And I understand the city's position right now that you're tight. That's why I'm not asking for a raise for my entire department right now. I probably will be in the future like Mr. Etherly said when we have some more money because they deserve it. But the situation I have right now is a supervisor making less than his subordinate. And that is wrong. And I think all of you would agree it's wrong. And it's different than everybody else [clears throat] asking for money. Everybody saying yes, we we think we need a raise, too. This is a specific instance that you can say that was different. There is no precedent. Do you have other supervisors making less in the city than their subordinates other than the mayor? Is there another supervisor making less than a subordinate in the city?
1:04:20
Unidentified No,
1:04:21
Unidentified I would wager probably not.
1:04:28
Unidentified Yes, sir.
1:04:34
Unidentified $2 and something more. $223 an hour more.
1:04:38
Unidentified So, what's he making now?
1:04:40
Unidentified Well, before he got bumped up on the uh to the $17, he was making 15 something an hour.
1:04:48
District Judge Jason Carter He's the part-time pay, which is $17 an hour. And I'm asking him to go to the full-time certified pay, which is what the the junior officer makes, which is $1923 an hour. So, $223.
1:04:59
Unidentified Make how much?
1:05:01
Unidentified $20.
1:05:03
Unidentified 1923 an hour. 1923 an hour
1:05:05
Unidentified which is what
1:05:06
Unidentified I think it's 17 something an hour
1:05:09
Unidentified I think I don't know if he's actually been paid that yet
1:05:12
Unidentified that's that's the same if you're given the $2 that's the same as this subordinate
1:05:21
Unidentified correct that's the same as this
1:05:23
Council Member Joe St. Columbia I'll move that we do that
1:05:24
Council Member Dr. Kyle Miller I'll second
1:05:26
Unidentified got a motion or a second Mr. Any other discussion?
1:05:31
Unidentified Who's second?
1:05:33
Unidentified Dr. Miller.
1:05:34
Unidentified Dr. Miller. Okay.
1:05:35
Unidentified I think it's the right thing to do.
1:05:38
Mayor Joseph Whitfield Uh, madam clerk, may we call the role, please?
1:05:42
Roll call Roll-call vote — Joe St. Columbia: yes; Adrian Messina: yes; Dr. Kyle Miller: yes; Don Etherly: no.
1:06:15
Council Member Maxine Miller I have never been in a position where I did not know what to vote. I'm going to vote yes on this one.
1:06:30
City Clerk Sandi Ramsey° It's four yeses.
1:06:33
City Clerk Sandi Ramsey Four yes and two no.
1:06:34
Unidentified Four yeses.
1:06:39
Unidentified Passes.
1:06:41
District Judge Jason Carter° Thank you, council.
1:06:44
Unidentified I got the ball to your
1:06:46
Unidentified Thank you. You had the ball, Joe.
1:06:59
Unidentified You can't you can't take the shot and then I don't know if it's going to fall.
1:07:06
Unidentified No, you can beat it if you want.
1:07:09
Unidentified All right, we ready to move on.
1:07:11
Unidentified But you know, here's the thing. When everybody
1:07:13
Unidentified we going to re we going to reshuffle for the sake of our time. It's going to be a problem. [music]
1:07:19
Mayor Joseph Whitfield We're going to bring it back. We're going to bring it back. Uh at this time, we're going to replace item three and four with number five for the sake of time. Um community development block grant application. This is a in this packet. There are four resolutions that would need to be passed for us to um to for us to successfully qualify to have an an active application. I'm going to invite um Mr. Wilson up to come and talk about a potential project that uh this grant uh might fund. So, this block grant can be anywhere between um the range of $75,000 to $500,000 that the city could be awarded. These resolutions in short were very I'm not sure if they were the same exact ones, but very similar to resolutions that this city had to pass to get some of the water funds
1:08:08
Unidentified [music]
1:08:08
Unidentified um through the Delta Regional Authority grant as well. Um, but just to understand a potential project that would benefit from this, um, I did invite Mr. Wilson up to talk about, um, how these funds could be used.
1:08:23
Unidentified Good evening.
1:08:25
Landfill Director Reginald Wilson Well, I I sincerely hope that you all are ready to pass this resolution. This resolution uh was brought to us by Miss Sarah Stalker. is stalker. It's over the eastern Arkansas Planning and Development District and I guess along with the Arkansas Economic Development Commission through their community development block grant. We are going in, we are trying to apply for a grant for phase one of road in the landfill. So I just sincerely hope you pass this resolution.
1:09:16
Unidentified It's [clears throat] a series of resolutions.
1:09:17
Mayor Joseph Whitfield It's it's it's a series of resolutions. There are four. Um so and I'll go through them very quickly. Uh the first one um this is certifying that we will follow the rules and regulations of the grant if awarded. um that we are planning to do or that is what the planning district would do is help us and keep the project in line with state and federal compliance. Exhibit F um this is a citizen participation plan and I think I might actually miss mis exhibit F sorry this is uh this states that we will allow citizens to play a role in the project if necessary. the residential anti-displacement um resolution. In summary, this states that if the project were to result in citizens being displaced um that we would assist in finding them suitable housing. Um this is again not likely to necessarily happen, but this is one of the resolutions that um they asked that we pass in order for this grant application to be submitted. And then um the environmental liaison. This would be allowing the East Arkansas Planning and Development District to conduct the environmental assessment on the proposed project. So if um we do pass these resolutions to go after the funds, again, the potential award can range from $75,000 to $500,000. Um the East Arkansas Planning Development District would help us in managing this grant. none of their awarded fees would come out of the project. So, they would get paid if we were awarded the grant. East Arkansas Planning Development District would be awarded funds for helping us manage and do some of the paperwork outside of what we would be awarded. So, they wouldn't get any of our award. It would be um they are our planning district, so it makes sense for us to work with them. But that in nature is what these what each resolution is. It'll be phase one of the road at the landfield. It's a all weather road at the landfield.
1:11:20
Unidentified So it be paved now.
1:11:21
Unidentified Yeah. Yeah. Concrete road.
1:11:23
Unidentified Concrete.
1:11:24
Unidentified Concrete road.
1:11:26
Unidentified It's a grant paying the road the road landfill.
1:11:31
Unidentified Yes sir. Phase one.
1:11:33
Unidentified I've heard a lot of people complain about that.
1:11:35
Unidentified Yeah. I can imagine.
1:11:36
Unidentified Yeah.
1:11:37
Unidentified Yes sir. With an unpaved road, we lose it's an economic hardship on the city. Whenever we can't dump trash, it's trash that sits out longer. It's equipment that gets damaged. So, um yeah, it could be a viable project. Is are there is there any disc and I think each of them would have their own number being that they are all separate.
1:12:05
Unidentified Our first resolution would be 15
1:12:07
Unidentified 15. So 15 through 18.
1:12:11
Council Member Joe St. Columbia Resolution number 15.
1:12:14
Council Member Dr. Kyle Miller 15 through 18. Resolution number 15 package exhibit B represent to sign application for CDBG funds. I just need a motion to adopt.
1:12:31
Unidentified Second.
1:12:34
Roll call Roll-call vote — Monica Davis: yes; Dr. Kyle Miller: yes; Don Etherly: yes; Adrian Messina: yes.
1:12:45
Unidentified Yes.
1:12:47
City Attorney Andre Valley Resolution 16, 2022, exhibit F. Resolution establishing a a policy prohibiting executive force by law enforcement agencies within the application jurisdiction against individuals engaged in nonviolent civil rights demonstrations. I'm pretty sure we had it in our in our standard operation manual, but for this grant, we just need a motion to adopt.
1:13:08
Unidentified This is federal federal.
1:13:10
Unidentified Yeah.
1:13:16
Unidentified Clerk, [clears throat] will you call the role, please?
1:13:18
Roll call Roll-call vote — Dr. Kyle Miller: yes; Monica Davis: yes; Maxine Miller: yes.
1:13:26
City Attorney Andre Valley Mr. Resolution 17 2026. Uh it's a resolution to ensure furtherance of fair housing practices in in Arkansas and city of Horus home. Need a motion to adopt.
1:13:45
Unidentified Second.
1:13:48
Unidentified Madame clerk, will you call the role, please?
1:13:50
City Clerk Sandi Ramsey° Dr. Miller.
1:13:51
Council Member Dr. Kyle Miller° Yes.
1:13:51
City Clerk Sandi Ramsey° Mr.
1:13:52
Unidentified Yes.
1:13:52
City Clerk Sandi Ramsey° Mer.
1:13:53
Unidentified Yes. Mley.
1:13:54
Unidentified Yes.
1:13:54
City Clerk Sandi Ramsey° Mavis.
1:13:56
City Attorney Andre Valley Mr. Resolution 182026 is a resolution of the city council of Hel Arkansas to authorize the man expected administrative contract with East Arkansas Planning Development District and will be for the administration of the AEDC block grant program for a community develop project drainage. Need a motion to adopt.
1:14:23
Roll call Roll-call vote — Don Etherly: yes; Dr. Kyle Miller: yes; Joe St. Columbia: yes; Monica Davis: yes.
1:14:36
Mayor Joseph Whitfield° Thank you. Motion passes. Thank you, Mr. Wilson.
1:14:39
Landfill Director Reginald Wilson° Appreciate it. Thank you all.
1:14:41
Unidentified I do want to reiterate for the public as well as this body. Um on a grant like this, we will work with our um district planning partner EAPDD and if awarded the grant, no funds that they would be awarded for helping us would come out of our project award. So we will be receiving in full what we what we get awarded. Just wanted to make sure that that's clear. Is there any other discussion on that at all? If not, we'll move right along. We'll go back to number three. Um, we have now the water department invoice. Uh, in your packets starting on page 3A, we have two invoices. Uh, Mr. Rose is here and then we'll invite him up. Um, we have an invoice from AMB Construction as well as uh Dexter Frost, Dexter Forest Associates, Inc. Um, both of these start on page 3A in your um, agenda packet.
1:15:34
Water Superintendent Saeed Rose° Good evening everyone.
1:15:36
Water Superintendent Saeed Rose Forgive my appearance. We have a very feisty water system. and professionalism to dealing with difficult situations. We had quite a few today that uh we all had to come together and figure out. Um you'll see um they invoices for 113 hours. Uh that totals out to that 30,000 missing change. Um I just wanted to note that in that 113 hours they fixed over 40 leaks. Okay. This helped us tremendously with lowering the water loss specifically in West Helena. And um we are around the 30% mark now. Uh which is stabilizing our our tanks and giving our plant a break so our whales can breathe and produce produce more water uh when they're actually on. They're now helping us in Helena. We have a whole lot of leaks in Helena. Uh this does not mean we can take our foot off the gas. I would like to say in West Helena we have to continue to fix leaks. But with AM Construction, uh, Quad Bond and other additional contractors, it's it's making it manageable for our current staff to stay on top of these leaks, stay on top of the different service situations and etc. And so, u, they have been a great addition to the work that's being done right now. Okay, I'll move on to, uh, Dexter Associates, DFA. um we had to update our software at the Helena treatment plant. So DFA is our our prime um basically facilitators of all of our monitoring and operations at the plant. This includes the storage tanks, the wells and the booster stations. So, it was critical that we got a new um computer unit and module to be able to officially and effectively monitor the Helena treatment system. I have any questions about those particular invoices? So the lines, the 40 weights, was there any line replacement in that
1:17:47
Unidentified uh for uh AB AMB construction?
1:17:51
Unidentified Um yes. Um there's actually a breakdown of exactly what parts um and what it took for different um leak situations because there was multiple uh but there was some line replacement. now, not um major line replacement like what's happening currently under our DR grant uh with White River, but um basically we have to work in conjunction with the line replacement plan and literally just keeping leaks down to a a minimum as possible to uh prevent the system having any type of failures while we continue this line replacement phase. that's going to, you know, definitely take quite some time to move to phase two to phase three and etc.
1:18:35
Unidentified Excuse me.
1:18:42
Unidentified And any other uh questions or discussion? A lot of I mean I think at this point until we have a water system that's fully renovated and fixed and these are going to keep coming because uh and that's part of what we'll get into I think in the next number four. So I I will hold that.
1:19:02
Unidentified Mr. Rose, for clarity for the public, at the last meeting, you and Dr. Miller had lengthy invest uh lengthy conversation regarding percentages. Tonight you mentioned 30%. Uh could you explain that further for the public that it's my understanding that city treats water and you measure that water and the city sells water to the citizens?
1:19:21
City Attorney Andre Valley Yes sir. And when uh the amount that uh is treated as compared to the amount that the citizens use when you calculate those volumes the city is currently still losing 30% of the water that it treats. Is that correct?
1:19:37
Water Superintendent Saeed Rose° Um yes and this is specifically for non-metered water.
1:19:41
Water Superintendent Saeed Rose Okay. So this this is how we measure it by basically like you said with the calculation now with the race study that pushed us to like the 70% mark. And so I would want to just say realistically and transparently uh with both systems combined because we're talking about two different water systems. Uh we've been we we've been ranging in that 50 60 40% water loss range for quite some time. Okay. So that'll be less than our financial reports are showing. Um but 50% water loss um with the amount of flow that we have coming in literally both treatment plants is is tremendous and it's dangerous. You know that keeps us working as hard as we're constantly working night and day on this system because we cannot afford to not fix leaks. It's simple and plain. If we don't fix the leaks, the system will fail ultimately. And I know we all have story cases, complaints about leaks um that are going to continue as we fix one leak. If we're not replacing the whole line, there's going to be that leak is going to find the weakest point to leak again, whether it's galvanized or even plastic, copper, lead. Uh this is something that we're constantly going to have to do as we work on plant rehabilitation, storage chains, fixing clear wells, etc. We have to This is how we survive while all of this is happening. Fix and leaks. If that answers the question on loss.
1:21:15
Unidentified Yes, sir.
1:21:16
Unidentified Okay.
1:21:20
Unidentified That's why it's vital for us to continue the contract to have people to fix leaks.
1:21:24
Unidentified Yes. And um I think um as we move on past the invoices, I just talk a little bit about the prelim preliminary uh proposal to the base bay um ordinance and adding additional funded positions will kind of help kind of continue what we're going to be able to do internally in time on our operational and maintenance.
1:21:48
Unidentified Oh yeah,
1:21:49
Unidentified she said do you want to go ahead and approve these two?
1:21:51
Council Member Monica Davis Yeah, absolutely. I move that we approve the invoices for A and B construction in next year for a
1:22:00
Council Member Maxine Miller second.
1:22:01
Council Member Joe St. Columbia That's you're paying that out of the water company, not out of our general fund, right?
1:22:06
Unidentified Absolutely not. This will be coming out of the water operation [clears throat] as well.
1:22:12
Unidentified Clarify that.
1:22:13
Mayor Joseph Whitfield It's a water expense. Any other uh questions or com uh discussion? If not, Madam Clerk, will you call the role, please?
1:22:23
Roll call Roll-call vote — Maxine Miller: yes; Don Etherly: yes; Adrian Messina: yes; Dr. Kyle Miller: yes; Joe St. Columbia: yes; Monica Davis: yes.
1:22:32
Mayor Joseph Whitfield Motion passes. Thank you all. Um, and so that brings the end of the invoices for uh requests to be approved. Um, we're jumping into 4A. Now, this will also pertain to the water department, but this is in relation to uniform purchases. Um, circling back to this to understand if if the body wants to move forward with a three-year term versus fiveyear term on these uniforms.
1:22:59
Unidentified You said five years was cheaper.
1:23:02
Unidentified Yeah, we we're going to be coming out at a lower uh weekly monthly rate on the 5-year. Um, I don't have the exact numbers in front of me. Uh, but it is basically a more costefficient plan to go for a 5-year contract.
1:23:24
Council Member Maxine Miller I'd like to go ahead and make a motion um that we approve.
1:23:30
Unidentified Yeah. For five year.
1:23:33
Council Member Don Etherly Um I think you need a waiver.
1:23:37
Unidentified Yeah, we need a waiver ordinance to do that. But I can bring it back and ask me council me the way order waiting of pent business what Mr. Eth is addressing.
1:23:47
Unidentified Okay.
1:23:50
Unidentified Do we want to um do those two motions together? [cough and clears throat] I'll bring the waiver back at the next council meeting. We can approve it because I need the exact numbers because this it's my understanding if I understood you correctly Mr. Mayor is that you have the three-year one in the packet but the motion was for the [music] 5year one. Right.
1:24:15
Unidentified They're both They're both here.
1:24:17
Unidentified Yeah. Or
1:24:20
Unidentified Yeah.
1:24:26
Unidentified Okay.
1:24:33
Unidentified Yeah, there's two here.
1:24:35
Unidentified Okay. So, you all are going to approve and we'll bring back and codify by ordinance uh the 5-year contract. Is that correct?
1:24:42
Unidentified Yes.
1:24:46
Unidentified Is there um is there additional discussion or questions as it relates to uniforms for the water department?
1:24:56
Unidentified I have one practical question. The estimate was done at your current level employees. Uh how soon were you trying to hire the additional employee? you just have 12 employees in both of the contracts.
1:25:06
Unidentified Um, now that will actually um encompass all of the field uniforms specifically for the field staff. And so we're actually at I think 11 field staff now minus one. So that actually the it's still it's still the same. Yeah.
1:25:23
Unidentified Okay.
1:25:23
Unidentified So even when you hire the people that you're you're proposing the base pay still that's not included at all. This is just for current staff and the additional hires that came um when we were getting this agreement put together. So yes, technically that number will increase when we get positions approved and people hired into the positions. uh which I think is another plus to actually going with the agreement because this will be a rotating system as new employees come in instead of what's been happening they'll actually be fitted with uniforms within a two three week period turnaround and um yes additional costs will go into this agreement but it'll be a structured process to make sure all all employees are you know entirely uniform which um I if that's as now that that's being put on the table um the water department is healthy and and I want us to know that um with increasing [music] and I mean we I don't know how to have this conversation without getting into the base pay conversation yet but with increasing personnel obviously would increase um some of the needs and equipment that that those men and women would need,
1:26:46
Unidentified right? That's that's what Mr. just asked me when he rolled over and we were discussing well if it goes from 12 to 15 or 18 then that may change the numbers as well. Uh and so I guess we need to address
1:27:00
Unidentified so we'll know how many employees we need to do and get another quote. We got to do it by by ordinance anyway, but
1:27:07
Unidentified I think we need to get into the number of employees that y'all going to approve as relates to it so we can know.
1:27:14
Unidentified Currently, you would have a contract for 12 employees at a rate that's either 810 per week per employee or 930 per week per employee. But if you increase it to 15 or 18, then the numbers are going to change. So, we have to change the numbers anyway.
1:27:32
Unidentified Yeah. And I I understand that. Um and just just for my my clarity, um with this actual agreement, it was designed to uniform current staff. And so if we're I understand getting the numbers for additional staff if we add funded positions which is great but we could if we could move on this now to get the current staff uniform you know there can be a presentation of what this will increase to um over time because you know we're going to hopefully we we're moving in the direction that we need to to have a fully staffed water and sewer department again. So, are we going to, you know, um, if I'm asking this clearly, are we going to, um, you know, aim high and have an actual contract agreement that we're paying on for employees that we don't have yet or do we start where we're at now to get employees uniforms and then gradually if we need to increase that contract really to the council for approval, we can make enough steps to do that.
1:28:33
Mayor Joseph Whitfield And I wanted I was looking for the numbers um, not to cut your office attorney so that we can know those. So, for the three-year total, it would be $22,175.40. Um, and then for the 5-year total will be $33,000. $33,344.90 to look at those numbers respectively.
1:28:55
Unidentified Well, I I'll leave this to the city attorney to to [music] to answer definitively, but the waiver has to be specific as to how much we're waving. And so if you change it after the fact it's a contract, you've already executed the contract.
1:29:10
Unidentified Okay.
1:29:11
Unidentified So the ship has already sailed on the number. So yeah, we might have to contract for more uniforms than we actually need with the anticipation of filling those position.
1:29:21
Unidentified Understood.
1:29:22
Unidentified But once we [music] do it and he signs a contract, you what you're asking them to do is to undo the contract and do a new contract. They may not want to do that.
1:29:29
Unidentified Okay.
1:29:31
Unidentified Yes. But that's but that's the that's precisely what the legal issue is.
1:29:36
Unidentified So do we just need to wait then until
1:29:39
Unidentified I think that y'all about what you were about to do is give a sentence the five years and then you then we were going to have the next meeting the actual uh ordinance approving the amount and between now and then you'll be advertising for positions if you're trying to go ahead and hire a position. I thought the the point that Mr. Rose were making was that he was going to try to advertise position once you all authorize the base bank. Is that accurate?
1:30:04
Unidentified Yes.
1:30:05
Unidentified Okay. So, at this point what I was draft is a 5year but I need to know what the new numbers would be.
1:30:13
Unidentified Okay. So, I can um add this additional you know funded positions to the quote and basically get a get a new updated quote. with these numbers.
1:30:29
Unidentified It's my understanding from the body that you all you all are asenting to fiveyear contract. Uh but out abundance of caution, I need y'all just to vote on that so we all can have he can have the director go and say, "Hey, the council voted for five year contract, but we need to change the numbers for the employees and then we we can negotiate negotiate." Yes, ma'am. the numbers that you gave or those the changes
1:30:50
Unidentified based that's based on the current um
1:30:53
Unidentified yeah the current
1:30:53
Unidentified the current is 12 employees but you all about to discuss increasing those employees got
1:31:00
Unidentified so the question is whether whether when we negotiate we're talking three years or five years and miss miller was about to make a motion for fiveyear contract before Mr. athlete intervene [music] with the need for a base need for a competitive bidding waiver ordinance.
1:31:20
Unidentified Does she need to?
1:31:24
Unidentified All we need is approval for the 5-year contract and then we can get the actual numbers. Is the is the is the group unsure about what the influx of new personnel what that fiveyear contract would look like? Is is that what
1:31:47
Unidentified we know?
1:31:50
Unidentified So, um we were we were all on the same page, I think just a moment ago to approve the five-year contract with the number of employees that was originally put in the for which was 12 or in the yeah invoice which was 12. Um being that we're going to have a conversation on base pay amendment um consideration and talk about potentially personnel ch personnel number changes. Um the caution now is to consider what that number is first before considering whether or not we're going to move forward with these with the old invoices.
1:32:22
Unidentified In the simplest terms, if I may ma'am, you all are agreeing that okay, we're going to go forward with the the contract. The only question is whether we looking at three years or five years and then thereafter the next question for uh your your general manager Mr. Mr. Rose is how many employees are we trying to contract for because once we let the contract it's going to be a contract and then Mr. said if we hire additional people then we would have to try to renegotiate. They may not want to renegotiate
1:32:52
Unidentified and we don't know what the tiers are. We don't have it before us as to what's the next level for a discount.
1:33:01
Unidentified Well, okay. So, how many positions technically is the maximum that we would be hiring for anyway? How many? I think I think you described last week you felt comfortable with 20 like fully staffed.
1:33:17
Water Superintendent Saeed Rose Uh well, it's u let's just say we got nine uh I mean I'm sorry 12 um positions 11 full currently on staff for field staff. I'm not talking about office. Um my proposal was to add an additional eight with an addition of a field dispatch that I broke down and have available here. So that'll be nine positions u additional to currently what we have.
1:33:41
Unidentified So nine in addition to the 12.
1:33:44
Unidentified Yeah.
1:33:44
Unidentified Right. What that puts us.
1:33:46
Unidentified So we go from 12 to 21.
1:33:48
Unidentified 21.
1:33:49
Unidentified So then why don't we just do the the um fiveyear for the 21. So just in case if we get all those people we won't have to go back and
1:34:01
Unidentified Right. That's that's what we were saying. Okay. So what do we need? Just a motion for that. Yes. And then we'll come back and do the actual base. We'll do the actual competitive way in at the next meeting.
1:34:12
Council Member Maxine Miller Okay. I'd like to make a motion that we have a five-year contract for the uniforms for 21 personnel for the water department. I guess that's legal.
1:34:31
Unidentified Is there any discussion questions?
1:34:33
Council Member Adrian Messina All this money coming out of the water company. Yes.
1:34:37
Unidentified Yes, sir.
1:34:42
Unidentified Any other questions or discussion?
1:34:46
Roll call Roll-call vote — Dr. Kyle Miller: yes; Maxine Miller: yes; Don Etherly: yes; Monica Davis: yes; Adrian Messina: yes; Joe St. Columbia: yes. Clerk's count: 6 yes.
1:35:05
City Attorney Andre Valley Right. At this point, all of y'all are authorized us to negotiate that. We have to come back and actually approve the contract. So, y'all taken nothing but to say, let's go forward and try to get get it done.
1:35:18
Water Superintendent Saeed Rose Thank you. To move to do the U base pay amendment consideration. Um, well, first I want to start because we've already talked about the additional positions. Um, I'm just going to recap what I mentioned at our special water meeting last week. We are under two consent orders to be sufficiently staffed for operations and maintenance. Okay, we we are under an order by state to have enough employees to operate this system, have a routine maintenance schedule. We have to present operational plan for our water and our sewer system. And so for us to increase our operational capacity from where it is right now, relying heavily on contractors, additional positions are needed. We can't keep going back on positions um when we need to at least be at a 21 22 field staff um at all times to keep this system maintaining and running the way it needs to. And so I'm just going to uh I I really feel uh with the numbers that we put together. Um I would like for you all to be able to look over this instead of me going through each number. Um I can talk about the total of what this would look like. Uh but I just want you know you to have this in your hands uh before the next meeting to see what these additional positions um will cost and also a reflection of the current positions and what the current employees are making. Okay. So, as I go through these positions, um that I we need to add field dispatch tech, uh which I think will be a great addition to our new follow-up process from the office and the field to be a main coordination of follow-ups to customers about their situations that rec that involves technical matters. And so this would be a position uh specifically almost in oversight of the meter readers um and the service tech that will be doing primarily service work. Okay. And they will be proficient in the technical u magnitude of understanding meters and the errors, troubleshooting, um being able to understand how the billing process works, um the audits and and really get a more solid feedback uh with the the expertise needed to answer difficult questions correctly when it comes to building matters and water loss. Okay. um additional meter reader position. Um another meter reader position. This has just grown to actually being able to have at least three meter readers for Helena and West Helena instead of just two. That's working together now to just service the whole entire area which is a lot of mileage and over thousands of customers uh that we're having to do rereads, you know, etc. adding two service maintenance positions. Um, I think this would be critical and being able to actually have wastewater personnel, water personnel. Right now, we're doing everything. There's, if I present the operational plan right now, there's a line with me at the top and four or five guys under me. Um, that's literally doing all the work day in and day night on this system. two equipment operators. Now, with additional equipment operators, now we're making progress towards less contractors. We have to have certified operators that we can offer a competitive pay to where we're not having to have three to four additional contracting crews just to fix on leaks or routine maintenance, as one would say. Um, we can we can do that ourselves with more than just one crew. If we have three crews, that's still not where we need to be, but that's the starting process of us uh relying less on contractors just for routine maintenance. additional another position team lead. Um, and this this is kind of reflects what I was just saying about having additional crews uh because we have to have uh basically a structured uh system of leadership followup and documentation and a team lead will be critical um in this role uh which I can kind of reflect to what our current staff and that's why I want you to see what not only the positions that's being paid for the current staff but their duties what they're actually doing in the field because it's literally above of their title and pay. So, that'll make a little bit more sense in a second. And a wastewater supervisor. Um, I've had to do some digging and just looked at how this system was ran years ago. There was a water superintendent, there was a wastewater superintendent. Okay. There was two superintendents. Then you had management above the superintendent and crews under those superintendent specifically for wastewater and water. Okay. And so I think a wastewater supervisor would be critical in the direction that we're going uh with a complete system treatment evaluation of our wastewater system and operational routine maintenance schedule on our pump stations and our wastewater ponds. Okay, this is a full-time job within itself because there's two wastewater systems that we have to [snorts] manage just as well as two water systems. But just having a specific certified employee for that position will present the structure and present the outcome that we need as we work on getting funding uh to address our wastewater system as we're getting these bypass pumps pulled in these these stations to where they're operational. And one thing just to say cuz I just dealt with it before I came in here. Even after we we remove these pumps, these bypass pumps, these stations almost require more attention and care. Um we have to constantly check them to make sure that they're running in auto, that the control panel, it didn't trip out, that trash is not getting caught up in these pumps. And so we financially was not giving ourselves a break with bypass pumps. But as we get our pump stations in order, um they're going to they're going to take expertise. They're going to take hours and and training time to be able to keep them running on a a routine maintenance schedule. And so we're going to get to the point to where we're not having to spend a lot of hours on the pump stations, but as we're getting pumps replaced, um getting control panels looked at, getting motors replaced, and really just doing complete rehabs of pulling pumps from the bottom to the top to where we're not constantly having to do a overhaul every 3, four months. Um this would be the step we need to take to get to that to that point. That was pretty much my steal on a personal position that
1:42:56
Council Member Adrian Messina will not help the people that's living in the city. Will this help their water rates drop?
1:43:04
Water Superintendent Saeed Rose I I wouldn't say the water rates dropping. It would help the outcome of addressing the issues of billing and rereads and actually getting a quicker response to changing out an angle valve or getting a service lead fixed dub that's either on the city or the customer side of the meter or getting that evaluated. And so right now with the influx of work orders that we constantly have to get done. Now I've done some restructuring to where we could uh attempt to do more uh just as we staff now. But with having the right number of personnel to execute these work orders, we're going to it's going to be a better smooth running a better operational system to where um the rates will make sense. Oh, okay. Yes, we have to add additional percentage to our water rate, but that service is adequate to where we stand now. And I think that's critical uh you know moving forward as we continue to deal with these different issues.
1:44:12
Council Member Adrian Messina The problem I had been on city council everywhere I go well Mr. What are you going to drop for water ra too high was $150 two months ago now it's 325. How am I going to answer that question?
1:44:31
Unidentified Well, I I feel um that's a technical question because at the end of the day, there's different situations. There's different uh variables that have to be measured on why a bill usage is higher than the previous duchies or compared to another, you know, usage or another whole situation across town.
1:44:54
Unidentified Yeah. I don't have any water for not running.
1:45:09
Unidentified Well, like I say, that that is a question I I would say you're in that position. U defer that question to me. Defer that question to the office because that's what we're doing is basically getting to where we can answer these questions and actually have a solution with the answer. And that takes evaluation. That takes actually seeing what's going on with the meter, looking at the water audit, etc.
1:45:35
Unidentified That's going to cut some of this problem down.
1:45:37
Unidentified Absolutely. I mean that is the main purpose of these additional positions other than routine maintenance is building having a specific bill field dispatch with additional to more meter readers to be able to answer these questions because I think and I'm just going to say this when it comes to addressing the rates and billing we have to do a better job of communication and actually comm communicating why the usage is that it is and what can we do to actually address that usage [snorts] or get a solution that works not only for business but for the customer and so for us to do that effectively we need more personnel I will continue to put systems in place which are great but we ultimately going to need more personnel for that to happen
1:46:34
Unidentified so this position helps consider
1:46:38
Water Superintendent Saeed Rose Oh yes sir. Yes sir. [clears throat] And I feel if we I mean that's why I want you all to actually look at the numbers because we offer a competitive competitive pay as quality over quantity. Um for this department to run like it used to run years ago at before all of these issues and the deterioration of the system. U it was 40 personnel on staff. I think it was 20 almost on each side of the system. um just to work on everything, billing, routine maintenance, everything. And so this is slowly getting us back in that direction. Um but the the talent and I I just want to go ahead and and and get this out here. We I have some great candidates lined up that I I feel will be great additions to um to our team. I think they'll learn fast. They'll come on board. Um, we have to be able to have um a pay that is at least at least close to what someone is making at McDonald's or KFC or any of these other jobs, you know, because my one of my first feels if I'm hiring you, I'm like, "Hey, if you just want a job, there's many jobs around here. There's there's great jobs around here with benefits. But if you want a career, not saying you can't get a career at these other places, but this water department, this water sewer system is is is as it's been for me is a career. It's a training process to where you get certification, you get licensing. And what happens soon as you get them licensing has happened over years, these bigger systems take them away, give them offers they can't refuse. And so, um, just as with the police department and these other departments, we have to be able to have competitive rates and that's essentially going to bring on better candidates and better hires. And so, I think uh, with our current staff right now, I want to say they've been great. I've hired five additional staff um from last year and about a year period now. And when I say uh we are getting more done, we're more structured. We're more organized. The five staff that I brought on board over the last past year, they've already went through the first phase of qualifications for water distribution, wastewater. Since classes are being hosted here now at Phillips Community College or online, it's more accessible for us. And so I'm following them right through. And so we're going to get back to being on a mandated plan that license is mandatory. You have two-year period to get a certain license and you know, and so on. And so this this is really a base pay proposal. Uh we're not even talking about actually licensed staff, you know, that's going to help us on all levels of qualifications and compliance for the state.
1:49:56
Unidentified They look reasonable to me. I mean
1:50:01
Unidentified question the residential customers and business customers using water today considerably less than they were last year and the year before. There's been a decline in in services
1:50:19
Unidentified absolutely
1:50:19
Unidentified in customers. Do you consider that as well?
1:50:23
Unidentified Um yes no yeah absolutely there's been a
1:50:26
Unidentified it's decreased each year.
1:50:27
Unidentified Yes. Yeah. Yeah. I I've seen it been um in my in my few years here, I've definitely seen the numbers decreased. Um however, our infrastructure has not decreased at all. And I I think that's the biggest challenge that we face dayto day is that we're um we're still working on the infrastructure.
1:50:45
Unidentified How many of customers do we have right now?
1:50:48
Water Superintendent Saeed Rose Right now, uh we're at nine 9,858. That's accounts. And so that's that's going to include residential, uh, commercial, and industrial.
1:51:04
Unidentified When they say in the in the report, uh, three water systems, how was
1:51:09
Unidentified Yeah. And that was just kind of summarizing the area of coverage. [clears throat] And and I I put that first because I I know it's just like, man, I see guys driving around in the water trucks and running around and they're not getting to my leak and uh we're not getting a reread. We're covering a lot of area. Our our long lake area alone, which is a separate water system. It's not a sewer system, but it is a water system that we're feeding water to is um I think that itself is 13 13 to 15 miles of line and customers that's in that area. And that's you know our industrial area as well for the most part. Um and then we have Helena and West Helena. So we combine our systems you know we're we're up there with a four city you know which have multiple treatment plants and multiple um you know sewer sewer treatment plants as well. And so I base these numbers on locally what what what are what are these guys getting paid that's trying to take my good personnel. you know, let's let's turn the tables. Let's actually attract some of their personnel um here to get more efficient work done.
1:52:32
Mayor Joseph Whitfield Are there um are there thoughts about specifically about the um the increases in salary that Mr. Rose is referring to. So on pages on page 4B also or in section 4B I should say, you also have a copy of the current base pay ordinance that's listed there. The bolded um I took those out actually. Yeah. No, the boded section show the last changes that we made when we uh changed the base pay last and that was for the police department um and the street sanitation uh director role. based on what you're seeing in the water and sewer um section compared to what Mr. Rose is asking for based on comparative studies and systems of similar size. Do we feel like those numbers are unreasonable, too high? I and I feel like that's that's my ask in that is not to say that we shouldn't raise the salaries again because underneath all of this is the administrative consent order which [music] is in so many words we need to do this um where we land I think is where the discussion what the discussion should be but there should be an increase both on salary and um personnel the where we land I think is that that should be our discussion. So we have we have an example of um again salaries relate from similar systems compared to what we see most of our base pay positions if someone were to join tomorrow they come in 2026 making $22,880 and I mean that's that's not I think Mr. Rose has done a great job of just explaining that that's not going to allow us to keep u competitive uh personnel.
1:54:28
Unidentified I mean, I'm inclined to believe that these are fairly reasonable just from the perspective and you know, we just approved um an invoice for 30,000 to a single contractor. And what I do like is the fact that, you know, you're addressing the consent order portion and not only that, but the waste water, you know, getting a jump start on that
1:54:58
Unidentified because I know that's something that we're going to have to deal with soon.
1:55:01
Unidentified Absolutely.
1:55:02
Unidentified So, I don't know how everybody else feels, but I think that's fair. I mean, these appear to be reasonable. when you plan for
1:55:19
Water Superintendent Saeed Rose um now that that that would be a [cough and clears throat] process. Uh the first step was getting funded positions approval approved where um total staff for the water department is at um I hope I'm not saying this wrong. Se 17 I think we're at 17 now. We have 19 funded positions and so this would be and that's including office and field staff. Uh this would be additional funded positions. So now I can actually really start processing applicants as we interview and and bring candidates in. And so I've been kind of working backwards. Been having great candidates come, but we haven't had fun positions to actually bring them on. So
1:55:58
Unidentified Yes, sir.
1:56:04
Unidentified Absolutely not.
1:56:05
Unidentified So So currently
1:56:08
Unidentified So currently according to to the base paper, we only have one meter reader.
1:56:12
Unidentified Yeah. Yeah, and that's uh that was another thing of why I've uh in the packet I've broken it down to current staff and what their position duties are. Um I think this has been a little um incohesion on the hire and rate and actual duties of the position. And that kind of brings me to to my last point as we work as a body to figure this out. um every position the every position I mentioned um in addition that is required under administrative consent order with qualifications um with experience because that's what we're we're shooting for. We need folks in here that that know some things. Our current staff is going to have to train them. Okay. um my current and I mean it not only my supervisors but my laborers literally they're going to be the ones training getting paid a lower rate at the current base pay ordinance we approved these funded positions they're going to be training these individuals on how to meter read where the meters are at u training the fields dispatch and and and and and the follow-up process um that's going to be heavily involved with the office okay um equipment operator. Um every operator that comes in u that we're fortunate to get, they have to learn how to literally dig around water lines, dig around gas lines, dig dig around fiber optics. That takes time. I have an operator now that is that is great. He's actually being paid as a laborer, but he is an operator in the truest sense. um he's been here I think it over a year now, but he's he's on the way to becoming a team lead or supervisor if that's something that he chooses because he is took the time to learn and apply himself under the guidance of the current super supervisor. And so now he's in a position to train who comes in, but he's he's adapted from his previous work as a operator, literally digging the well for us, you know, getting the the latest well that we got in. He was on that crew and he decided to stay in this area and he's been part of our our our family here at the water department. And that's that's the type of hires we want to bring in, you know. Uh, but I feel if we um do a disservice to their title and their duties and their pay, you know, we're kind of we'll be working backwards. I actually if I'm bringing folks in at a higher rate, um, and they have to train them, just what was mentioned earlier, I'm I'mma lose I'mma lose these guys that actually been learning the system, that's been setting a routine maintenance schedule, that's been working on this treatment plant. And so that's something else that I want to make sure u that's in a conversation as we move forward on this.
1:59:05
Unidentified And do we have 13 laborers now? Are we fully staffing on labor?
1:59:09
Unidentified Um for the most part we've um we we've had one that moved on but for you know pretty much every base paid position you know there there is a personnel in that position.
1:59:28
Unidentified So would it be would there be more comfort to see these numbers reflected on an actual base pay? Um like one I guess when we admitted the base pay this past spring. I know that we created a few drafts of the base pay ordinance with those numbers specifically. I mean, the numbers aren't going to magically change, I guess, from one patient to another. But would seeing it that way be the body's preference?
1:59:56
Unidentified I think you have to.
1:59:59
Council Member Don Etherly If if if you do it, try to do it halfway. You may end up in another situation where you have people who come in and they make more than people who've been there longer. I think you got to do it all at once in the time. Address it all at once. so that we can see how it lands in the entire department.
2:00:20
Unidentified Right. I think to concur with Mr. Ethan, I think that's correct. I also think uh we need to go back to what we used to do so we won't have to have to argue about that for consolidation and the city because councelor said they wanted to go back to it. The consent administrative order tells you to hire qualified staff. I think that as it relates to the license, there was a set amount. I think it was a dollar an hour for each license that the person received.
2:00:52
City Attorney Andre Valley I think you need to put that in your base pay so you won't have to come back and constantly have to look at that. Uh but the water utility used to make sure that everyone had their licenses. Our issue right now is we have very few people with the appropriate license. And I want to remind all the body that between the two consider administrative orders, the fine that the city faces if we don't comply with them is $685,000. Uh so [music] we need to make sure we're doing everything to get the quality personnel and get meet all of our milestones [music] that's that's in it. And part of it is hiring people, expanding department, getting people who are trained and licensed and having your operations and maintenance together. I think you're compelled to do so.
2:01:43
Unidentified A question for clarity as I I guess kind of wrap my mind around where we are. Are we comfortable with seeing the numbers that are requested in the additional positions requested from Mr. Rose? Are we comfortable with No.
2:01:59
Mayor Joseph Whitfield Now I mean again I don't know where we'll land. So that's fine for us to not be okay. I don't know where we're going to land on an increase. the consent administrative order says we need to increase though. I mean that's that's kind of what the attorney was just saying. So I know that the water department the the point of having the rates change is so that you can have a a department that's healthy and functioning. And so they're at a point now I mean the treasur gave us that treasures report with the water finances at our last meeting. They're at a point where they're self-funded. They don't pull on the general fund. they can get our their invoices approved when they have $96,000, you know, invoices or what have you. And it's it's the number is arbitrary, but I'm asking just for so that the next meeting can be a good use of time. If I put these numbers on a drafted base pay ordinance, [music] are we fine with looking at these numbers in a sample updated base pay ordinance?
2:02:56
Unidentified The ones that are the ones that are shown by Mr. Rose?
2:03:06
Unidentified Do you have do you have a um an alternative on on so being being that 22 thou I mean if you're looking at section 4B outside of the finance officers and the general manager anybody that starts tomorrow would come in making $22,880. That's what the base payness is now. So, anybody else? And we only have one f uh finance officer and one general manager or one superintendent right now. Um
2:03:34
Unidentified minimum wage.
2:03:35
Unidentified Yeah, me is going to get a little bit of a bump.
2:03:38
Council Member Joe St. Columbia I think he's asking for four meter readers. Uh two of them technicians. Uh, you know, I I think we're going too too many at one time. I I'm not I'm not pleased with the number of employees who want to add. That's my personal feelings about it. maybe adding two meter readers, two adding one equipment operator and adding one of the others on the other end.
2:04:21
Unidentified Well, I just I just want to
2:04:23
Unidentified by four employees instead of eight,
2:04:25
Water Superintendent Saeed Rose right? No, I I understand. Um I I just want to mention um Okay. Personnel is the foundation of this department. I mean, we got a great engineer. Then we're moving in the direction of stability and rehabilitation of this entire system with heavy contractual work. We have to have personnel to maintain the system as this happens. And I I understand what you're saying. I went for eight additional positions because these positions are not going to be filled right off the bat. Uh I'm literally just trying to move us. Two year three years ago uh when I was just a maintenance under my predecessor, we had 25 employees. 25 uh 23 went within a year. 23 of those employees. And so this is just asking us to get to um what total 21 22 funded positions. Not even that 25. And so my my intent wasn't to hire eight personnel right away. We still got to find and and and and and um you know validate these candidates. Vet these candidates. That's the word I'm looking for. Um now I do have two me two meter readers that I think would be great coming on board uh with the funded um proposal. Um, but it's it's like I just wanted to mention, it's not intentional of bringing on eight staff next week. You know, we're we're paying that right out of our a budget right away. No, not at all. This will take some time to fill these positions, but I think we're getting we we're going to get ahead setting this now to where next year um by the time this time next year, we be closer fully staffed to where we need to be.
2:06:16
Mayor Joseph Whitfield And I want to add the base pay currently all lots for 26 employees total office staff and field staff based as it currently stands right now 26. I think most of the convers some of the conversation would be what that number is that works for the city to land on but also and I think this came up last meeting there would be I guess a role change for so we're not we're not so much creating new positions if you will. I mean, there are 13 laborers um that are currently in the base pay and they would have a much more specific focus. Um yeah,
2:06:52
City Attorney Andre Valley I I think that you all you all are having a health discussion, but I think you're a bit a miss in this narrow sense. The base pay simply creates the position. You all still have to vote to fund the position. And so what what uh the general manager is asking for, let's create the positions and then we will fund them as as we go along. But the base pay the ordinance only does like like the mayor just pointed out. You got 26 position. One weakness of the base pay currently is is uh all the position except for three are minimum wage. They're $22,880. That's one weakness and that uh the general manager Mr. Rose has been talking about is that hey we start people with minimum wage. I feel like as a general manager if he feels needs eight can afford eight.
2:07:44
City Attorney Andre Valley I guess more to the point to Mr. Messina's question he said will this drive water rates down. No it won't. But the water rate study was based on him having sufficient people to service the entire system which covers two two cities. And so what it does is it gives you can't drive the rate down, but it gives you what you're paying for. And so he needs those people so that the customers get what they're paying for. And the consent administrative order is that you're going to hire additional people and you're going to pay them at a rate sufficient to retain them. [music] So that's what the water rates are for. Uh it'll be up to manager, the high qualified people, and make sure they do what they're supposed to do. I think our role here is to give him the positions and then his role is to take those positions and put qualified people in them that can service this entire system so that our people get what they're paying for.
2:08:50
Council Member Adrian Messina Mr. phase to to our public.
2:08:58
Water Superintendent Saeed Rose Oh yeah, that that is not um that is not an intention or plan of of any of this proposal. [cough]
2:09:04
Unidentified Not intentional.
2:09:06
Unidentified It it's not no that's not the plan. I mean that's not
2:09:09
Unidentified it it won't happen.
2:09:10
Water Superintendent Saeed Rose Yeah, exactly. That's not even a conversation here of of raising raising.
2:09:15
City Attorney Andre Valley Let's speak correctly to the public. Your ordinance requires a 3% increase each year.
2:09:22
Unidentified Say that again.
2:09:24
Unidentified Your ordinance requires a 3% increase each year.
2:09:27
City Attorney Andre Valley Yes, sir. That's that's recommended by the state.
2:09:31
City Attorney Andre Valley And so these these uh employees were not affected, but as part of your ordinance is already built in uh 3% each year. The problem with that, just for clarity, the state imposed that on all of them and recommended all of them because city councils as political subdivisions would yield to political pressure and would not increase people's rates unlike uh energy or some other u u utility summit. Uh the public can't go in to their meetings and just say, "Hey, what?" And they don't see them on the sidewalks. Hey, you can't increase my rates. And so, uh, the state imposed a duty of us to not only do to do the rate study every every other year, but also when we do a rate study, increase the rates by 3%.
2:10:24
Unidentified Every other year,
2:10:26
City Attorney Andre Valley no, the ordinance every year, we do a rate study every other year.
2:10:33
Unidentified So, are we just going to wait to um, and I know you said something about for lensure purpose, you get an extra dollar every
2:10:43
Unidentified At some point, I think it was a dollar. A matter of fact, do you recall what it was?
2:10:49
Unidentified Okay. At some point, I think it was a dollar a certificate or maybe 50 cent, but it was some incentive per hour to do. So,
2:10:57
Unidentified so do we need to wait and have that?
2:11:00
Unidentified We can add that language to Okay. Yeah.
2:11:02
Unidentified You all want to do
2:11:04
Unidentified so we can be
2:11:05
City Attorney Andre Valley because we're talking a dollar hours is $2,80 per year. 50 cent an hour is $1,400 per year. And so the question would be per license, how much are you going to raise that salary for them [music] to get a license?
2:11:19
Unidentified Okay.
2:11:24
Mayor Joseph Whitfield So, as it stands now, I will um work with Mr. proposed to put together a sample um updated base pay um ordinance that includes changes for personnel roles as well as pay. Um that's what I will have presented at our next meeting and in the meantime is there any other discussion or questions or suggestions?
2:11:51
Unidentified Thank you all.
2:11:53
Unidentified Thank you
2:11:54
Unidentified Mr.
2:11:56
Mayor Joseph Whitfield Right. if there are none. Um our final item for today um is item sub item C and this is the water department policy ordinance. Um this starts on section 4 C. Um in this section you have three items that well actually have two. One of them was too long to print out. Um at our last meeting it was discussed that we need to have a uh water policy that is um consistent and make sure that um whether we are doing adjustments, whether we're doing payment plans, we have a system that is um tried and true, it's fair, and it's um it works for the citizens of West Helena legally in terms of what we can do. And so one item that I hope you all had a chance to read, uh, Attorney Valley emailed, I don't know if it was the day of or the day after, but he emailed a sample of Rogers, Arkansas and the ordinance that they have, um, there, which has some [music] really specific language, I think, to special circumstances. Also in section 4 C was was actually printed. That didn't get printed because it was 96 pages. That's why that didn't get printed. Um, but in section 4 C, you have two other sample ordinances. one that um was sponsored by a resident, Mr. Robert Cheek, and then a second one that starts behind that that was drafted um by myself in terms of um similar specific language around things that we know uh need to be focused on. Um some of the f some of the areas target senior uh senior rates for residents that may u meet a age requirement that we deem necessary to be um acceptable. Um payment plans and how those work um situations for irrigation and water that does not necessarily go back through sewage and how that gets calculated. So I want to first allow Mr. Rose to come back up to talk about and before I invite him actually I want to see does anybody at the table um have pressing thoughts comments um the language that I implemented in my in my draft a couple places that I think are and there's some similarities between both of these ordinances um how do we calculate a plan that's fair for all citizens if they have an abnormal deal um being able to stretch that out over a time that we deem as necessary. How do we consider residents that have a fixed income? So that's where senior rate can potentially come into play. Um how do we want to see that represented in the city of Helen Helena? Um, I mentioned irrigation and then also, well, that was the meat of it, but are there pressing thoughts around areas that we want to focus on in terms of what we believe the citizens of Helen need?
2:14:58
Unidentified Okay. Did you Okay. So, was this emailed to us, this one starting at 4C?
2:15:05
Unidentified The first one was. Yes. The second one I've mentioned was going to come later in an email, but the first one was yes. Foresee the one that's sponsored by Mr. Cheek. Yes.
2:15:16
Council Member Maxine Miller Okay. I I saw that one, but I mean the second one we not saying. Okay. So, my suggestion if you know if we can, can we uh hold on to this and and look at this so we can do a comparison between the two?
2:15:29
Mayor Joseph Whitfield Absolutely. My Absolutely. And my hope my hope is I mean I think I know we're kind of deep in today at 8:22 uh but I think my hope is to at least be able to talk about some language if if the body's willing. What you've seen an example from Rogers, you've seen an example sponsored by a resident. You haven't necessarily seen the one sponsored by me yet, but there is a um there's a pattern that's I think uh that shares some commonality through all of those senior senior rates payment plans. Um I'm curious to know just what are our thoughts on those types of focus in in a water ordinance. So, how how do we want to see those? I know we're not going to make a decision today. We're not going to do that, but just thinking about things that we need so that we can have a targeted conversation when we come back.
2:16:19
Council Member Maxine Miller I So I don't have any problem with consideration for elderly at all. I think though if we're going to explore that then we need to take into account other populations. You know there are people who are [snorts] living on their own basically who are um mentally uh delayed challenged those sorts of things. And I'm saying that if we're going to if we're going to take everybody's needs in, whether it's, you know, age or disabilities or so forth and so on, then I think we need more time to address that.
2:17:12
City Attorney Andre Valley That's a that's a couple of things. I think that you all should compare the two. The Rogers is voluminous, but I was just giving you Rogers basically hits everything about a water utility. But the issue that I I think that you all need to look at many times with municipalities and I represent several they like to have public hearings on these things so that they can get public input. You can look at it. Payment plans. I think we should have a policy on the payment plan and not just have one from the office. And much of this is an abundance of caution because what Arkansas code 14 42108 specifically says we need to have a policy that that goes through it not just do it arbitrarily and capricciously or just do it randomly. Uh but I think that we need to delve in it and go through these and and see uh the advantages of each each proposal and narrowly tailor it for the city of Ho. Uh but many people like if you look at a water utility, not a water utility, you look at the energy or other utilities, they only give you one payment plan a year. you got to pay it off and once you pay it off and you fail to pay it, you're disqualified, etc. Uh you may have to look at those type of of remedies as far as payment plans and what's the length of it because it's two things you got to if you're going to give someone a payment plan, they should have a time frame to pay, but they also still have to maintain the other bill uh the current monthly payment. And so it's those nuances that I think that we have to go through and discover. Uh because what many water utilities do is allow you I got $300 bill. I'm just going to pay a portion of it and going to finance myself for next four months. But uh I have to keep paying the other bills on time or else my water will be cut off. Uh but that's I think we need a comprehensive ordinance relating to policy and so it won't be uh well even inadvertently we don't want the general manager or staff to say well this is right under these circumstances this is not right under these circumstances and you fall right within orders. A lot of people don't really like I gave you the case Allah versus state that mayor had the best of intentions and he adjusted four people's sewer rates because they didn't live in the city didn't make any sense and he was permanently banned from office. Wow. It's very strong case and so that's why I was saying that we have to have a policy and I've tried to place the emphasis on how important this is. It applies also to general manual staffing etc. you move from office and you're permanently removed because you're showing favoritism for one or the other. That doesn't sound like much. Five adjustments for people who wasn't getting garbage cans and wasn't getting sewage. They were just getting I mean they were just getting the garbage but didn't have anything with sewer because they wasn't in the city. But he would remove them off as a permanent ban.
2:20:16
Unidentified I just want to make sure we don't leave anybody [music] out. You know, you know what I'm saying? like if we're going to make concessions or whatever we need to do that we look at everybody.
2:20:28
Unidentified Honestly, my primary concern is making sure that we have an official policy.
2:20:32
Mayor Joseph Whitfield° Um I am going to invite Mr. Rose to come up and just share his brief thoughts. Um are there any quick thoughts from I'm not sure how much everybody got into the the two from our sponsor resident Mr. cheek and also the one from Rogers. But were there any thoughts that we had from looking at those?
2:21:00
Unidentified Okay.
2:21:02
Water Superintendent Saeed Rose No, no, real quick. Um, I mean, Miss Maxine and a city attorney literally shared every thought that I was just wanting to share was requesting more time. Uh my my goal was to present a comp comprehensive clear procedures that are currently in play and and just having that to where you all just as with this uh budget amendment have time to really look through it and see what's [clears throat] currently happening now to make sure that we're covering everything in this simple language as possible um on both adjustment and payment plan policy. And so [clears throat] I literally just want to ask the council request a little bit more time to put this information together, give you time to view u what's been presented before you with comparisons to other systems and um we get it all we got to do some homework but get it all together and then start formulating what this policy will look like.
2:22:04
Unidentified Sounds good to me.
2:22:08
Mayor Joseph Whitfield any any last um questions or suggestions of so next uh meeting we're going to be looking to have an updated uh draft of a base pay ordinance amendment that shows changes within the water department as well um as having a conversation comparing um what's necessary for our ordinance here to monitor to monitor the water system and processes Um, is there any other business before we take a motion to adjourn?
2:22:42
Unidentified We add to the next minute um
2:22:48
Unidentified a discussion about the repairs on on the run
2:22:53
Unidentified repairs on
2:23:02
Unidentified if there's none. I I think also we we haven't addressed
2:23:08
City Attorney Andre Valley we haven't addressed the the name change or this it's been tabled now for like three or four years or longer.
2:23:15
Unidentified So street name
2:23:16
Unidentified and do we where's our our do we have our new garbage truck yet or where are we with that?
2:23:21
Unidentified The garbage truck uh should be here Friday. They have done chassis repair to it. elves. Um I was informed of that late last week that it will be here Friday. They were making sure that um chassis is up to date as well as um the chief of staff has asked to make sure that there is a full clearing of any making sure that there's no codes or issues as it gets here.
2:23:50
Unidentified That's neutral. Yeah. There a second.
2:24:07
Unidentified Second journ.
How this page was made: built from the city's own meeting video (YouTube ↗) and its posted meeting packet (Drive folder ↗). Dollar figures are quoted from the documents; nothing here is paraphrased from memory. Corrections: cheekforhelena@gmail.com.