The Pine Bluff City Council will tackle a host of issues Monday at its regular bi-monthly meeting, including a proposal for a nearly $10 annual fee increase for residential water usage to pay for storm water control, increased funding for summer youth jobs and the addition of a paid holiday for city employees.
Other issues under consideration include proposals to designate Alderman Steven Mays as the city’s contact person for resolving issues concerning the 71602 zip code; to rename part of Hazel Street for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; and to adjust residential garbage rates.
The meeting takes place Monday at 5:30 p.m. in the City Council chambers at Pine Bluff City Hall.
The council will consider amending city code to assess Pine Bluff water users a monthly fee of $0.79 per water meter. The fee, which would amount to $9.43 annually, is needed for the city to offset the rising cost of complying with federal storm water regulations, according to a staff report on the item. If passed, the fee would be itemized separately on the water statement provided by United Water of Arkansas, and be titled, “Municipal Storm Water Control Fee.”
The council will also consider a resolution to increase the cost for residential garbage collection from $16.09 per month per unit to $16.33 per month per unit, effective immediately. The $0.24 monthly increase amounts to $2.88 annually per unit. The city contracts with Waste Management of Arkansas, Inc., to collect waste and garbage in the city. The contract includes annual adjustments in the cost for garbage collection “based on agreed criteria tied to the Consumer Price Index.”
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Another resolution would designate the Friday before the annual University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff homecoming weekend as a paid leave day for city employees. A staff report on the item states, “it is the desire of the city that city employees have an extra paid day off to participate in the many homecoming activities, and enjoy the homecoming atmosphere.”
Mays is sponsoring an ordinance that would increase by $50,000 funding in the 2017 municipal budget for summer youth jobs. The city currently runs an annual summer youth employment program, which its proponents say has successfully combated juvenile crime and promoted good work habits.
The council will consider whether to make Mays the city’s contact person for resolving issues concerning the 71602 zip code. According to the proposed resolution, which is sponsored by Mays, “there is [anecdotal] evidence that the 71602 zip code shared between the western areas of Pine Bluff and the City of White Hall results in a loss of tax revenue to the city.”
Successfully addressing the problem requires designating one person to “engage with the relevant parties,” according to the resolution, and “Alderman Steven Mays has been at the forefront of the issue and is the appropriate city representative to handle the matter.”
The council will also consider designating Hazel Street from 13th Avenue south to the city limits as Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive. If implemented, the proposal requires the street department to replace signage along the route within 18 months.
Other items for consideration include resolutions to limit yard sale permits; to submit a grant application for funds to improve the Bloom Tennis Courts; to permit members of the council to authorize the city attorney or assistant city attorney to sign the member’s name as a sponsor to proposed legislation; to authorize the mayor to contract with an insurance company for group insurance coverage for the city’s officers, employees and their dependents; and to reorganize several positions in the police department.