The Pine Bluff City Council’s Monday meeting was marked by both unanimous approvals and contentious debates, particularly surrounding a significant expenditure from the city’s reserve fund.
This resolution proposed appropriating $993,479 from the restricted reserve account to pay jail expenses owed to Jefferson County. The Arkansas Court of Appeals in March affirmed a Circuit Court decision allowing Jefferson County to impose daily jail fees on the city.
Council member William Fells expressed concern about using the reserve fund for this purpose, arguing that “The emergency reserve fund … should be reserved for critical emergencies; for example, if we couldn’t make payroll or there was a natural disaster.” Fells believed the fees had been outstanding for a while and suggested negotiating a payment plan with the county instead of drawing such a large sum from the reserve.
Council member Steven Mays echoed this sentiment. “I agree with you 100%. I don’t think there’s a rush. … They’re trying to rush us to pay the county, and I think that’s wrong,” he said.
Both Fells and Mays emphasized the need for caution when drawing from the reserve fund, noting that a major emergency could quickly deplete the balance.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Mayor Vivian Flowers defended the resolution, stating, “This is not about … arbitrarily rushing anything because of the county. We were engaged in litigation. … We owe the money.” Flowers emphasized that the debt was a legal obligation resulting from a lost appeal, and paying it in full would avoid further interest and allow the city to move forward.
Flowers also pointed out that the city’s current ordinance code requires at least $5 million in the restricted reserve, and the current balance exceeded $8 million.
Council member Bruce Lockett supported the resolution.
“I really want to clear this up so we could have a clean slate with the sheriff and be able to collaborate like we should,” said Lockett, who emphasized the importance of maintaining a good relationship with the county.
Council member Glen Brown Jr. suggested a plan to replenish the reserve fund over the next two budget cycles if the resolution passed. Flowers supported the plan.
Despite the contentious debate and strong objections from Mays and Fells, the resolution passed. Pine Bluff police Chief Shirley Warrior has been meeting with Sheriff Lafayette Woods to explore options for placing misdemeanor offenders who need to be remanded to jail, Flowers said.
“They are looking not only at Jefferson County but also at other counties that might have available jail space,” said Flowers.
Costs vary among counties, and some counties have specific criteria, such as not accepting women, juveniles, sick individuals or those with mental illnesses.
According to Flowers, there is no one set price yet for jail space. The city will need to monitor the cost of jail space utilization in the first month and then report back to assess the expenses with a potential increase in usage, she said.
Before, the city had a certain number of beds reserved and did not have to pay anything, but the situation has changed.
“All of this is very new and we will need to monitor and adjust as needed,” said Flowers.
The ordinance aimed at authorizing municipal government to make electronic payments was held over to the next meeting at the request of Flowers.
“We have actually reached out to the Arkansas Municipal League, which is assisting us with the proper amendment to this resolution,” she said.
A resolution amending the 2025 municipal budget was passed. This resolution involved adjustments to the grant fund. Council member Lanette Frazier noted it concerned the tree grant.
A resolution authorizing an agreement with the Arkansas Department of Transportation was added to the agenda. This resolution concerns the Main Street Pedestrian Railroad Crossing Project. Larry Matthews from the Public Works Department explained the necessity of its timely approval for the project to proceed.
The city had to return the agreement of understanding with the Arkansas Department of Transportation by June 15 to receive the transportation alternative program funding.
This resolution was tied to another one, which was passed, regarding an agreement with Union Pacific Railroad. Union Pacific was pressing the city to sign a contract so they could proceed with their part of the work on the railroad tracks. The ARDOT agreement needed to be approved first before the Union Pacific agreement could move forward, according to Matthews.
The project is tied in with the completion of the Main Street Streetscape. Matthews reported that the project is about 70% complete and that they are working their way through the project, and the contractor should be finished within the next 60 days. Rain had significantly pushed the project back, causing at least a four-week delay.
According to Matthews, most of the demolition work has been done. They are nearing completion of the east side of Main Street between Sixth and Eighth avenues, and just need to finish the demolition on the west side. Concrete pouring and finishing work are set to begin.
The work related to the railroad crossing, which was covered in the resolutions, will be the last phase of the streetscape project.
Once the streetscape contractor is finished, the project will depend on Union Pacific Railroad’s schedule for completing their work at the crossing.
A resolution authorizing a supplemental agreement with Union Pacific was approved without significant discussion. This resolution relates to modifications for the South Main Street project.
A resolution authorizing a contract for irrigation pump replacement at Harbor Oaks Golf Course was approved. Matthews provided details about the project, mentioning that the pumps are original to the course and need replacement. He also noted an upcoming budget adjustment for associated electrical work.
Matthews explained that the pumps were crucial for the golf course’s sprinkler system and their replacement is needed, especially before dry weather hits, to keep the greens watered.
Pools Backhoe and Irrigation Incorporated submitted the only bid, and they are qualified to do the project. The bid amount of $78,650 was considered reasonable. There’s also an issue with the power line serving the pump station, which is about 1,400 feet from where the golf course is connected. “This line needs to be replaced as well,” said Matthews.
The original estimate for replacing the power line was deemed quite high — around $92,000 to $102,000 — but city officials think they have a plan to work with the Parks and Recreation Department to replace the line for about $35,000.
The cost for the electrical work will be brought as a separate budget adjustment at the next meeting, once they have the numbers together and the mayor’s approval.
There’s a six-week back order on the parts for the pumps, which is why they wanted to get the contract approved quickly so they can order the parts and have them ready.