A proposal that would eliminate the bus fare for riders 62 and older and a proposal for the city to take over ownership of the Boone-Murphy House will be considered Monday by the Pine Bluff City Council.
The council meets at 5:30 p.m. Monday in council chambers at the civic complex. The Public Safety Committee meets at 4 p.m. and the Ways and Means and Ordinances and Resolutions committees meet at 5 p.m.
“Eliminating fares for seniors will encourage them to utilize the transit system, and the lost revenue from the elimination of fares is not great and can be offset from other revenue sources in the department,” according to the proposed ordinance’s wording.
The ordinance is up for its first reading Monday. It must be read three times before it becomes law, but the aldermen have the option to suspend the rules and hold all three readings in one night, if they choose.
The proposal was discussed at length in a committee meeting at the beginning of February, during which Transit Department Director Larry Reynolds noted that riders 65 and older currently pay a half-price fare of 50 cents. Reynolds estimated the fare reduction would cost the department about $3,400 annually. Reynolds said he believes the department could make up the difference in revenue because of the increased opportunities for advertising revenue afforded by the new buses the department received in 2011.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
In a written proposal presented in the committee meeting, Reynolds noted that the four new buses meet all requirements for handicapped accessibility.
“Our new design and the ease of the accessibility allow Pine Bluff Transit to become more of an alternative for the senior citizens in our community,” it stated in the proposal. “By eliminating this fare, Pine Bluff Transit hopes to capitalize on our new image and logo ‘Ride the Bluff’ and encourage more seniors to become mobile by utilizing the bus system.”
The proposal went on to state that benefits of the rate reduction would include: increased ridership and increased mobility for seniors to medical facilities, restaurants and retailers, which would have a positive impact from the perspective of economic development and increasing senior involvement in all aspects of urban life.
Boone-Murphy House
The Heckatoo Heritage Foundation, which currently owns the historic Civil War-era Boone-Murphy House at 714 W. Fourth Ave., has offered to give the building to the city. A proposed resolution on Monday’s agenda would accept that offer.
City employees and the Fifth Avenue/Downtown Historic District Commission have been overseeing a remodeling project at the house using federal and state grant funds. The exterior was completed in 2011, and Phase I of a two-year project to restore the interior to habitability is ongoing. The total project cost is estimated at $120,000-$125,000.
The house has been approved for a historical marker by the Arkansas Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission, which is commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Civil War through 2015. The marker is due to be installed in the new few months.
The house was the second headquarters for the Union Army in the time period of the Battle of Pine Bluff in 1863. Union Commander Powell Clayton also lived in the house. Clayton would go on to become the first governor of Arkansas after the state’s readmission to the Union after the war. It was originally at Beech Street and Second Avenue, but was moved to its current location in the ’70s.
Other Business
In other business, the council will consider:
• A proposed resolution that would request the Pine Bluff Police Department assign two detectives or officers to handle “cold” felony criminal cases involving death or serious injury and provide regular updates concerning progress in the cases. The officers would be required to spend up to six months on a case. If no progress is made during that time, they may shift their primary effort to another cold case. The proposed resolution further stipulates that the first cold case to be investigated would be the murder of Cassandra Hall. The item is sponsored by Alderman Steven Mays.
• A proposed resolution that would request a police presence be established in the Family Community Development Center in the University Park community. The site has formerly housed a substation, and the proposed resolution requests that a substation or police office be restored to the site. The item is sponsored by Mays.
• A proposed ordinance, up for its first reading, that would waive competitive bidding and authorize the execution of a contract with Pictometry International Corp. to produce aerial photographs of the city. The proposal also includes an emergency clause, which, if approved, would cause the ordinance to go into immediate effect.