February 18 2021 MINUTES
WEST MEMPHIS CITY COUNCIL
February 18, 2021
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A regular meeting of the West Memphis City Council was held on Thursday,
February 18, 2021, at 5:00 p.m. in the City Council Conference room at City
Hall, 205 S. Redding, West Memphis, Arkansas.
Invocation was-given by City Clerk, James Pulliaum, followed by the Pledge of
Allegiance led by Council Member Wayne Croom; Mayor Marco McClendon
called the meeting to order at 5:00 p.m. City Clerk, James Pulliaum, called the
roll. Those present were: Mayor Marco McClendon and Council Members: Wayne
Croom, Present by Zoom was City Attorney Michael Stephenson and Council
Members Tracy Catt, Helen Harris, James Holt, Melanie Hutchinson, Lorraine
Mohammed, Willis Mondy David Murray and Charles Wheeless. Also Present by
Zoom was:,Finance Director, Tori Perry and Evening Times Reporter John
Rech. Quorum being.present Mayor McClendon proceeded with the meeting.
BID OPENINGS NONE
MINUTES: APPROVE OR CORRECT MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 4, 2021
Council Member Croom made the motion, seconded by Council Member Mondy
to dispense with the reading of the minutes of February 4, 2021, Council
meeting and to approve.them as submitted. Upon voice vote, voting was
unanimous to approve.
OLD BUSINESS:
2nd READING OF AN ORDINANCE GRANTING A SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR
312 SHADY GROVE, PERMITTING A GREENHOUSE IN A R-2 LOW DENSITY
RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT
City Attorney Stephenson read the ordinance by title only for the SECOND
time. The ordinance will be read for the third time at the March 4, 2021,
council meeting.
3rd READING-OF AN ORDINANCE TO REZONE A 2.58 ACRE PLOT OF LAND
IN THE CITY OF WEST MEMPHIS, LOCATED AT APPROXIMATELY 1418
MISSOURI FROM C-1, GENERAL BUSINESS DISTRICT (PUD) PLANNED
UNIT DEVELOPMENT WITH COMMERCIAL USES
City Attorney Stephenson'read the ordinance for the THIRD time by title only.
Council Member. Croom made the motion, seconded by Council Member Mondy
to approve the ordinance. Upon voice vote, voting was unanimous. The
ordinance was adopted and assigned ordinance No.2569
Council Member Catt abstained from the 'vote. Council Member Harris was
visible on Zoom could not hear her response.
2ND READING OF AN ;ORDINANCE TO AMEND SECTION 38-45 OF THE
WEST,MEMPHIS MUNICIPAL CODE FOR THE PURPOSE OF LEVYINGAN
ADDITIONAL ONE PERCENT ( 1% ) TAX FOR A TOTAL OF THREE
PERCENT ( 3%) UPON THE GROSS,RECEIPTS OR GROSS PROCEEDS
FROM THE RENTAL OF CERTAIN ACCOMODATIONS AND THE SALE OF
PREPARED FOODS AND BEVERAGES AS AUTHORIZED BY A.C.A. SECTION
26-75-602, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
City Attorney Stephenson read the ordinance for the SECOND time by title
only. The ordinance will be read for the third time at the March 4, 2021 council
meeting. Council Member Harris was visible on Zoom could not hear her
response.
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NEW BUSINESS:
Council Member Mohammed made the motion, seconded by Council Member
Holt to read R-1 by title only. Upon voice vote,,the voting was unanimous.
Council Member Harris was visible on Zoom could not hear-her response.
R-1 A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING CHARLES SUITER, JR., AS CITY
TREASURER ACCESS TO)THE CITY OF WEST MEMPHIS ACCOUNTS AND
TO SIGN CHECKS ON BEHALF'OF THE CITY OF WEST MEMPHIS AS CITY
TREASURER
City Attorney Stephenson read the resolution by title only. Council Member
Holt made the motion seconded by Council Member Wheeless to.approve the
resolution. Upon voice votdj,A voting was unanimous. Council Member Harris
was visible on Zoom could not hear her response. The resolution was adopted
and assigned resolution NO. 2252. Council Member Harris was visible on
Zoom could not hear her response.
STATE AUDIT REPORT:
Mayor McClendon presented the findings and corrections made in response to
the 2019 Legislative Audit review report to council. (See material in Packet).
Mayor McClendon said that he and Finance Director, Tori Perry prepared a
statement and presented it to the Legislative Audit, and they agreed with the.
internal audit team that was created and the changes they made. It was then
forwarded to the Attorney General'for review she then cleared it and forwarded
it to the Prosecuting Attorney, Scott Eldridge.. Mayor McClendon read the letter
to council. Mayor McClendon said the 2019 audit report will be on record and
available to the public for public viewing. Discussion followed: City Clerk.
James Pulliaum said it would be helpful if they had the Municipal League to
conduct a training session on Government 101 so that council could be better
informed on these issues. Mayor McClendon said that he was all for being
transparent and would see if they could schedule a training session.
WEATER UPDATE: OEM Director, Dewayne Rose provided an update on
the increment weather. Mr. Rose said that it looked like the winter weather
advisory was going to expire at 6:00 p.m. however they will be in a windchill
advisory starting at midnight until 9':00 a.m. on Friday they are still reporting
treacherous road travel conditions throughout the mid-south area. Mr. Rose
said that it looks like ARDOT and Denver Crisp have done an outstanding job
of working our major roads, but we do have a lot of secondary roads that are
still hard to travel. The City of West Memphis reported no outages, and our
infrastructure has been stable and there were no water reports. There was a
problem at East Barton it was showing a 10-foot drop related to the rest of the
reservoirs, but they revealed the source to be a busted sprinkler at a local
business they were able to contact the owner and get the issue resolved. Mr.
Rose said for the most part they made out well.
Mayor McClendon commended the City of West Memphis EOM Director,
Dewayne Rose for the job that he did and Utility Manager., Todd Pedersen, and
his utility staff for their hard work with keeping services operational as well as
Chief Clay and his staff in providing emergency services to the citizens, Police
Chief Eddie West and his police officers who were out on the streets working
and the citizens of West Memphis who offered their services. Denver Crisp
assisted with clearing of the major roads and Cliff Carter offered his towing
services at no cost towing emergency and police vehicles that were stuck.
Mayor McClendon also commended Sanitation Director, Michael Bonner who
was able to secure a one arm loader to assist with picking up trach for the
week so that the sanitation workers would not have to.be out in the cold and
risk injury to pick up trash in the increment weather. CVB Director, Jim