12/06/2019 MINUTES
WEST MEMPHIS CITY COUNCIL
SPECIAL CALLED MEETING
DECEMBER 06, 2019
A Special called meeting of the West Memphis City Council was held on Friday, December 6,
2019 at 4:00 p.m. in the City Council conference room at City Hall, 205 S. Redding. West
Memphis, Arkansas.
Mayor Marco McClendon called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m. City Clerk, Joyce Gray called
the roll. Those present were: Mayor Marco McClendon, City Attorney Michael Stephenson and
Council Members Tracy Catt, Wayne Croom, Helen Harris, lames Holt, Melanie Hutchinson,
Lorraine Mohammed, David Murray, Willis Mondy and Charles Wheeless. Absent were James
Pulhaum. Quorum being present Mayor McClendon proceeded with the meeting.
The Evening Times News Paper representative John Rech was in attendance.
Mayor McClendon said that this was an unprecedented meeting to discuss some concerns that
several Council Members had with the Bid Openings for the Community Development Block
Grant Demolition package that was presented to Council at the November 21, 2019 Council
Meeting and tabled until the December 5, 2019 City Council Meeting where it was voted on by
Council and approved
Mayor McClendon presented his vision for the Revitalization Reinvestment and Redevelopment
2020 plan for Broadway. Mayor McClendon said in the last eleven months in office and in
�^ speaking with constituents their main concerns were demolishing dilapidated structures,
cleaning up the City and a safe environment. The Council tasked him with identifying structures
that are a nuisance and hazardous to the safety and welfare of the Community The demolition
projects that have been identified to be demolished would help them to achieve all of these
goals. The projects are what is in the best interest of the City and need to be addressed.
Removing the structures that have been identified fits in in the strategic objective and would be
the first step to cleaning up one of the City's main streets which is Broadway specifically on the
east end. The CDBG Block Grant would allow them to achieve that goal without using general
fund money. All of the structures slated for demolition meet all of the Federal guidelines. The
owner of the Oak Terrace Apartments located at 2001 E Broadway, West Memphis, Arkansas s
has chosen to take advantage of the program and meets the requirements. Mayor McClendon
presented the police crime statistics to the Council from 2004 until present there has been 10
aggravated assaults,2 arsons, 4 first degree battery assaults, 6 second degree battery assaults,
26 third degree battery assaults, 44 burglaries, 47 domestic battery assaults, 4 kid napping's, 3
rapes, 11 robberies, 1 terroristic threatening, 1 drive by shooting, 18 drug arrest, 2 murders,
and 1 event where the swat team was called out to prevent a hostage situation.The demolition
of the structures identified would allow the City to move forward with their efforts to revitalize
the east end of town with the building of two new fire stations, 2 new schools, library and
upgrading Hightower Park and adding a police sub station to the east end of Broadway There
will still be $30,000 dollars left in the Community Development Block Grant money to demolish
dilapidated homes throughout the community. Mayor McClendon shared a channel 13 News
broadcast regarding the community's feelings on the demolition of the Oak Terrace apartments
with the Council. Council Member Catt addressed the Mayor's concerns. Council Member Catt
said he was not opposed to tearing down the structure but only wanted to make sure that
everyone had all the information that they needed and were in agreement, if not they would be
able to correct the action. Council Member Catt said the CDBG bids were not in the December
5, 2019 Council packets for them to review. Mayor McClendon responded that information
from the previous council meeting that has been tabled is not put back in the Council Members
packets for the next council meeting. Council Member Catt said the information that he
previously requested was never provided to the council until the time of the Special Called
meeting. Council Member Catt's concerns was he wanted to know had they had a conversation
with all the other business owners on Broadway and what was the outcome of the meeting, the
information given by the police department on crime statistics was not shared with the Council
until the special called meeting and would have helped to clarify things for the Council. Council
Member Catt said he remains committed to supporting the administration and doing what is
best for the City. Mayor McClendon apologized for the oversite of not sharing the information
with Council prior to the meeting and promised to be even more transparent going forward and
to hold weekly work sessions to ensure everyone has the information they need to make an
informed decision. City Attorney Stephenson asked that everyone not focus on who owned the
business but what was best for the City. Council Member Croom and Council Member Wheeless
felt that the CDBG money could be better used for demolishing residential properties in the
community. Council Member Croom made a motion, seconded by Council Member Wheeless to
resend the vote from the December 5, 2019 meeting. Mayor McClendon asked for a roll call
vote. City Clerk, Joyce Gray called the roll.The roll call vote was as follows:
Yes: Croom, Wheeless
No: Catt, Harris, Holt, Hutchinson, Mondy, Mohammed and Murray
Abstain: None
Absent: Pulliaum
With 2 yes votes, 7 No votes, 0 abstention votes and 1 absent vote the motion to resend the
CDBG demolition bids failed.
Council Member Pulliaum came into the meeting at 4:45 p.m.
Having no further business to come before the City Council Council Member Catt moved,
seconded by Council Member Murray to adjourn Upon voice vote, the voting was unanimous.
The meeting adjourned at 5:00 p.m.
PASSED and APPROVED this 19th day of December 2019
Marco McClendon, MAYOR
E
JOYCE GRAY, CITY CLERK
Minutes prepared by, Patricia Lane, Sr. Deputy City Clerk