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07/01/2021 • PLEASE TURN OFF ALL CELL PHONES AGENDA WEST MEMPHIS CITY COUNCIL JULY 1,2021 PRAYER: PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: V. F. W. CALL TO ORDER: ROLL CALL: BID OPENINGS: PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT-DEMOLITION BIDS- MR. PAUL LUKER MINUTES: APPROVE OR CORRECT MINUTES OF JUNE 17,2021 OLD BUSINESS: NEW BUSINESS: PERMISSION REQUEST: COMMITTEE REPORTS: APPOINTMENTS: PRESENTATIONS: MAYOR MARCO MCCLENDON ANNOUNCEMENTS: I i MINUTES WEST MEMPHIS CITY COUNCIL July 1, 2021 A regular meeting of the West Memphis City Council was held on Thursday, July 1, 2021, at 1:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers at City Hall 205 S. Redding, West Memphis, Arkansas. Invocation was given by Councilor Harris, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance led by Councilor Croom. Mayor McClendon called the meeting to order at 1:00 p.m. City Clerk, James Pulliaum called the roll. Those presents were: Mayor Marco McClendon, City Attorney Michael Stephenson, City Treasurer Charlie Suiter Jr., City Clerk, James Pulliaum and Councilors: Tracy Catt, Wayne Croom, Helen Harris, James Holt, Lorraine Mohammed, Willis Mondy, and David Murray. Absent was: Gheric Bruce, Melanie Hutchinson and Charles Wheeless. Quorum being present Mayor McClendon proceeded with the meeting. BID OPENING: NONE MUNUTES: APPROVE OR CORRECT MINUTES OF JUNE 17, 2021 Councilor Catt made the motion, seconded by Councilor Mondy to dispense with the reading of the minutes of June 17, 2021, City Council meeting and to approve them as submitted. Upon voice vote, voting was unanimous to approve. OLD BUSINESS: NONE NEW BUSINESS: NONE PERMISSION REQUEST: Councilor Croom made the motion, seconded by Councilor Catt to add the TVT contract, permission request from Finance Director, Tori Perry to open two new accounts and close one account and a request from City Treasurer, Charlie Suiter Jr. on the Airport Bonds and a request from the Public Facilities Board to waive some liens on some property located off 25 Street that they are wanting to purchase to the agenda. Upon voice vote voting was unanimous. PERMISSION TO REMOVE LIENS ON PROPERTIES BEING PURCHASED BY THE PUBLIC FACILITIES BOARD Ihe first item brought before Council was the list of the properties being considered for purchase by the Public Facilities Board that have municipal liens on them that need to be removed prior to purchase. The properties are in the area where they will be building the new school and they are trying to purchase as many properties as possible to try and encourage people to build homes in that area. Planning Development Director, Paul Luker provided an explanation of the project. Mr. Luker said that it is a project that the Administration and Public Facilities Board have teamed up on to purchase some derelict properties that have been neglected near where the new school will be built on Broadway. The liens attached to the properties are as a result of the City having to cut the grass and cleanup of litter and debris and demolition cost over the years. The purchase of these properties would allow them to manage the upkeep and entice people to possibly build homes on them but to do that the City would need to have Council remove the liens before they close. Councilor Catt said the total of the liens is $8,392.43 dollars is the total amount in liens for the properties. There being no further discussion. Upon voice vote, voting was unanimous to remove the liens. Councilor Mohammed said she was contacted by someone that purchased a property and was unaware that there was lien against the property and was wanting to see if Council would consider removing the lien. Councilor Mohammed asked what were the steps that she needed to take. Councilor Catt suggested that Councilor Mohammed identify the address of the property and have it added to the next agenda for Council's consideration to remove the liens. PERMISSION TO APPROVE TVT CONTRACT The second item discussed was the TVT contract. Mayor McClendon said that they have been working on this for some time. Councilor Catt had some concerns with the contract TVT Tower Ventures has made all the changes and they have been in discussion with City Attorney Stephenson to make the changes. City Attorney Stephenson said that Tower Ventures has been agreeable with all the changes that they requested but there will be some documents to review because the exhibits are not complete yet but will be reviewed by him before they are put in a final form. City Attorney Stephenson said that there are two ways to do it. As a perpetual easement, or you can do a long-time lease. In this situation it would be a perpetual easement the city would get a onetime payment of $235,000 thousand dollars verses if you opted for a long-time lease where you would receive smaller payments over 20 or 30 years. The mayor is proposing to go with the perpetual easement and City Attorney Stephenson is fine with it. Councilor Catt said he was agreeable with approving it subject to the final review by the City Attorney. Councilor Catt said everything has been verbal so far and he will be more comfortable when the contract is finalized and signed. Councilor Catt said City Attorney Stephenson is very familiar with the concerns of the council and he is confident in City Attorney Stephenson's ability to address councils' concerns. City Attorney Stephenson said there are some blanks particularly in the exhibit of the letter of intent because the documents still need to be recorded. City Attorney Stephenson said they did fill in the purchase amount which was one of the things council was concerned about. The square footage amount which was a 60 by 60 area will be particularly described with the legal description that he will be reviewing. There being no further discussion Councilor Catt made the motion, seconded by Councilor Croom to approve. Upon voice vote, voting was unanimous to approve. PERMISSION TO OPEN TWO ACCOUNTS FOR THE CITY DEBT REPAYMENT AND RESCUE FUND AND PERMISSION TO CLOSE ONE ACCOUNT FOR THE CITY SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER- TORI PERRY The third item discussed was the permission request from Finance Director, Tori Perry to open two new accounts for the city Debt Repayment and Rescue Fund and request to close one account for the city for School Resource Officers. Finance Director, Tori Perry provided an explanation to council for her request. Ms. Perry is needing council's permission for the bank to open two accounts and to close one account. Ms. Perry said the Debt Repayment account is something that they have been discussing, the debt repayment is currently coming out of the Parks Department Account, and this is something that she is wanting to change the money is preplaced in the parks account to make payments and she is wanting it to have its own dedicated account. The second is a Rescue Fund American Rescue requires them to have a dedicated account in order to pay the city the money. The third account is the School Resource Officer Account. School Resource Officers are paid out of the General Fund Account through the Police budget, and it has always been done like that. Ms. Perry is trying to clean up some of the accounts she is wanting to close the account that currently has $47,820.00 dollars and deposit it back into the general funds account where it was in the first place. Councilor Catt asked if the debt repayment will be set back up under inner departmental or municipal or would it stay in the Parks Department. Ms. Perry said no it will still go to general funds. There being no further discussion: Councilor Croom made the motion, seconded by Councilor Murray to approve. Upon voice vote, voting was unanimous to approve. PERMISSION TO RESTRUCTURE AIRPORT BOND- CITY TREASSURER CHARLIE SUITER JR. The fourth item was the request to restructure the Airport Bond. City Treasurer Charlie Suiter Jr. said we carry a bond that we currently owe $3,143,000.00 thousand dollars on. By restructuring the bond and lowering the rates the city can save over $400,000.00 thousand dollars in the next sixteen years. They will be savings $28,000.00 dollars annually and will lower their payment. Wil be paying $2,690,000.00 thousand dollars. The city will be saving $453,000.00 thousand dollars by restructuring the bond. Mr. Suiter said it will still be the original bond and they will not be adding anything to it. Mr. Suiter is presenting it to council for their approval to move forward and will bring it back before council when everything is final. Councilor Murray made the motion, seconded by Councilor Mondy to approve. Upon voice vote, voting was unanimous to approve. COMMITTEE REPORTS: NONE APPOINTMENTS: NONE PRESENTATIONS: NONE _ ANNOUNCEMENTS: Councilor Mohammed asked the public to be mindful of the dates and times in which to discharge fireworks. The dates are June 20 to July 10 from 12:00 p.m. to 10:00 pm for the fourth of July 4 celebration you can discharge fireworks from 12:00 pm to 12:00 a.m. During the Christmas Holidays the dates are from December 10 through January 5. Councilor Mohammed also asked that the citizens clean up the debris from the fireworks and the discharging of guns in the city limits is strongly prohibited. CITIZENS REQUEST: A Lisa Cuffie a resident of 403 Ingram Boulevard West Memphis, Arkansas came before council to ask for a Certificate of Public Convenience.to operate a transportation business. Ms. Cuffie is looking to operate a public transportation service as well as specialized medical transportation service to assist the public with transportation to the doctors as well as for everyday errands. Ms. Cuffie will come back before council for their decision at the next scheduled council meeting. Having no further business to come before the City Council, Councilor Croom made the motion, seconded by Councilor Harris to adjourn. Upon voice vote, voting was unanimous to adjourn. The meeting adjourned at 1:45 p.m. PASSED and APPROVED this 15, day of July 2021. M RCO MCCL DON, MAYOR ATTEST I7UL4LERK Minutes prepared by, Patricia Lane, Sr. Deputy City Clerk