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JAN 27,2025 CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES City of Van Buren, Arkansas Minutes of the Regular Meeting of the City Council Monday, January 27, 2025 Van Buren Municipal Complex CALL TO ORDER 5:30M The regular meeting of the Van Buren City Council was called to order by Mayor Joseph P. Hurst at 5:30PM. Reverend and City Attorney Jacob Howell led the invocation. Mayor Joseph P. Hurst led the Pledge of Allegiance. ROLL CALL 5:31PM Present: Council Member Shannon Newerth-Henson, Council Member Madison Simmons, Council Member Tyler Wood, Council Member Tonia Fry, Council Member Kneeland, Council Member Dodson, Mayor Joseph P. Hurst, City Clerk-Treasurer Shawnna Reynolds, City Attorney Jacob Howell Absent: None PRESENTATIONS - AWARDS None CONSENT AGENDA 5:32PM After determining there were no reported objections or unfinished business, Council Member Tonia Fry moved to approve the consent agenda which consisted of: o Minutes from December 30, 2024 Regular City Council Meeting o Resolution 01-01-2025 Enter into contract with Hawkins-Weir On-Call Services o Resolution 01-02-2025 Adopting Revised Budget 2024 o Resolution 01-03-2025 Granting a temporary Revocable License o Financial Statements o Department Reports Motion was seconded by Council Member Matt Dodson. All in favor. None opposed. Consent Agenda approved. Mayor Hurst declared the consent agenda passed. NEW BUSINESS 5:33PM Resolution 01-04-2025 Accepting Bid for Hale Drainage Project City Clerk-Treasurer Shawnna Reynolds read the resolution in its entirety. Mayor Joseph P. Hurst stated this was a property that has been a topic of conversation with the property owner and City Council for many years. In 2024 the city was able to get an engineer (Neil Morrison) to determine how best to remediate the situation. Based on the findings the City of Van Buren advertised for bids and Cove Creek Construction was the lowest bidder at $279,540.00 for the project. There were no objections or questions from anyone in the room. Motion to adopt Resolution 01-04-2025 was made by Council Member Tyler Wood. Seconded by Council Member Matt Dodson. Roll Call. All in favor. None opposed. Resolution 01-04-2025 Accepting Bid for Hale Drainage Project is adopted with six yeas and zero nays. Mayor Hurst declared the resolution passed and signed same in open council, duly attested by City Clerk-Treasurer Reynolds. Ordinance 01-2025 Approve Purchase of New Vehicles for Police Department City Clerk-Treasurer Shawnna Reynolds read the ordinance in its entirety. Council Member Shannon Newerth-Henson moved that the rules be suspended, and the ordinance be placed on its second reading. The motion was seconded by Council Member Tonia Fry, followed by a unanimous vote by the council. The Clerk read the ordinance the second time by title only. Council Member Shannon Newerth-Henson moved that the rules be further suspended, and the ordinance placed on the third and final reading. The motion was seconded by Council Member Tonia Fry, followed by a unanimous vote by the council. The clerk then read the ordinance for the third and final time by title only. Police Chief Jonathan Wear addressed the council and explained that one police vehicle was totaled in a car accident and was being replaced but that the city was able to save money on that purchase because the uplift from the totaled vehicle was going to be used in the new vehicle. The total cost for all three vehicles will be $161,203.71 as follows: 2024 Dodge Durango Pursuit $49,829.24 2024 Chevrolet Silverado $53,789.00 2025 Dodge Durango Pursuit $57,585.47 Motion to adopt Ordinance 01-2025 was made by Council Member Tonia Fry. Seconded by Council Member Matt Dodson. Roll Call. All in favor. None opposed. Ordinance 01-2025 Approve Purchase of New Vehicles for Police Department adopted with six yeas and zero nays. Mayor Hurst declared the ordinance passed and signed same in open council, duly attested by City Clerk-Treasurer Reynolds. Motion to approve the emergency clause made by Council Member Tyler Wood, seconded by Council Member Matt Dodson. Roll Call. All in favor. None opposed. The Emergency Clause passed with a vote of six yeas and zero nays. Mayor Hurst declared the emergency clause passed. Ordinance 02-2025 Amend Competitive Bid Threshold City Clerk-Treasurer Shawnna Reynolds read the ordinance in its entirety. Council Member Madison Simmons moved that the rules be suspended, and the ordinance be placed on its second reading. The motion was seconded by Council Member Shannon Newerth-Henson, followed by a unanimous vote by the council. The Clerk read the ordinance the second time by title only. Council Member Madison Simmons moved that the rules be further suspended, and the ordinance placed on the third and final reading. The motion was seconded by Council Member Shannon Newerth-Henson, followed by a unanimous vote by the council. The clerk then read the ordinance for the third and final time by title only. Mayor Joseph P. Hurst stated that the state threshold increased from $35,000 to 42,921 due to inflation for ACT 435 of 2021 ACA 14-58-303 and he presented the new threshold to the City Council for approval. The Municipal Code(s) 03.04.01 and 03.04.02 will be updated upon approval. Motion to adopt Ordinance 02-2025 was made by Council Member Madison Simmons. Seconded by Council Member Tonia Fry. Roll Call. All in favor. None opposed. Ordinance 02-2025 Amend Competitive Bid Threshold is adopted with six yeas and zero nays. Mayor Hurst declared the ordinance passed and signed same in open council, duly attested by City Clerk-Treasurer Reynolds. Ordinance 03-2025 Amending Van Buren Municipal Code - Zoning City Clerk-Treasurer Shawnna Reynolds read the ordinance in its entirety. Council Member Tyler Wood moved that the rules be suspended, and the ordinance be placed on its second reading. The motion was seconded by Council Member Madison Simmons, followed by a unanimous vote by the council. The Clerk read the ordinance the second time by title only. Council Member Tyler Wood moved that the rules be further suspended, and the ordinance placed on the third and final reading. The motion was seconded by Council Member Mike Kneeland, followed by a unanimous vote by the council. The clerk then read the ordinance for the third and final time by title only. Planning Director Wally Bailey stated that during the update to Municode he noticed that there were many sections in Title 14 Zoning in the Municipal Code that were outdated and needed to be amended. This was a presentation of those corrections for council approval and will bring the Municipal Code Title 14 Zoning up-to-date. Motion to adopt Ordinance 03-2025 was made by Council Member Tonia Fry, Seconded by Council Member Mike Kneeland. Roll Call. All in favor. None opposed. Ordinance 03-2025 Amending Van Buren Municipal Code Zoning is adopted with six yeas and zero nays. Mayor Hurst declared the ordinance passed and signed same in open council, duly attested by City Clerk-Treasurer Reynolds. Ordinance 04-2025 Approve purchase of Kubota Tractor Street Department City Clerk-Treasurer Shawnna Reynolds read the ordinance in its entirety. Council Member Mike Kneeland moved that the rules be suspended, and the ordinance be placed on its second reading. The motion was seconded by Council Member Matt Dodson, followed by a unanimous vote by the council. The Clerk read the ordinance the second time by title only. Council Member Mike Kneeland moved that the rules be further suspended, and the ordinance placed on the third and final reading. The motion was seconded by Council Member Matt Dodson, followed by a unanimous vote by the council. The clerk then read the ordinance for the third and final time by title only. Mayor Joseph P. Hurst addressed the council and explained that there is a need to replace a tractor in the Street Department as one is currently broken down. He mentioned that Sourcewell saves the city money and we will automatically get the lowest price. The purchase of this Kubota Tractor for the Street Department will be $46,296.33. Motion to adopt Ordinance 04-2025 was made by Council Member Mike Kneeland. Seconded by Council Member Matt Dodson. Roll Call. All in favor. None opposed. Ordinance 04-2025 Approve purchase of Kubota Tractor for Street Department is adopted with six yeas and zero nays. Mayor Hurst declared the ordinance passed and signed same in open council, duly attested by City Clerk-Treasurer Reynolds. Motion to approve the emergency clause made by Council Member Mike Kneeland, seconded by Council Member Matt Dodson. Roll Call. All in favor. None opposed. The Emergency Clause passed with a vote of six yeas and zero nays. Mayor Hurst declared the emergency clause passed. Ordinance 05-2025 Authorize Purchase of Asphalt for In-House Street Protects City Clerk-Treasurer Shawnna Reynolds read the ordinance in its entirety. Council Member Madison Simmons moved that the rules be suspended, and the ordinance be placed on its second reading. The motion was seconded by Council Member Mike Kneeland, followed by a unanimous vote by the council. The Clerk read the ordinance the second time by title only. Council Member Madison Simmons moved that the rules be further suspended, and the ordinance placed on the third and final reading. The motion was seconded by Council Member Mike Kneeland, followed by a unanimous vote by the council. The clerk then read the ordinance for the third and final time by title only. Mayor Joseph P. Hurst addressed the council and explained that this is an annual request to purchase Asphalt for In-House Street projects from APAC Central and not to exceed a total of $200,000.00 for the year 2025. Motion to adopt Ordinance 05-2025 was made by Council Member Tonia Fry. Seconded by Council Member Madison Simmons. Roll Call. All in favor. None opposed. Ordinance 05-2025 Authorize purchase of Asphalt for In-House Street Projects for 2025 is adopted with six yeas and zero nays. Mayor Hurst declared the ordinance passed and signed same in open council, duly attested by City Clerk-Treasurer Reynolds. Motion to approve the emergency clause made by Council Member Matt Dodson, seconded by Council Member Tonia Fry. Roll Call. All in favor. None opposed. The Emergency Clause passed with a vote of six yeas and zero nays. Mayor Hurst declared the emergency clause passed. Ordinance 06-2025 Authorize Purchase of Concrete for In-House Street Proiects City Clerk-Treasurer Shawnna Reynolds read the ordinance in its entirety. Council Member Mike Kneeland moved that the rules be suspended, and the ordinance be placed on its second reading. The motion was seconded by Council Member Tonia Fry, followed by a unanimous vote by the council. The Clerk read the ordinance the second time by title only. Council Member Mike Kneeland moved that the rules be further suspended, and the ordinance placed on the third and final reading. The motion was seconded by Council Member Tonia Fry, followed by a unanimous vote by the council. The clerk then read the ordinance for the third and final time by title only. Mayor Joseph P. Hurst addressed the council and explained that this is an annual request to purchase Concrete for In-House Street projects from APAC Central, Eagle Redi-Mix or Mid Continent and not to exceed a total of$300,000.00 for the year 2025. Motion to adopt Ordinance 06-2025 was made by Council Member Tyler Wood. Seconded by Council Member Matt Dodson. Roll Call. All in favor. None opposed. Ordinance 06-2025 Authorize Purchase of Concrete for In-House Street Projects for 2025 is adopted with six yeas and zero nays. Mayor Hurst declared the ordinance passed and signed same in open council, duly attested by City Clerk-Treasurer Reynolds. Motion to approve the emergency clause made by Council Member Mike Kneeland, seconded by Council Member Madison Simmons. Roll Call. All in favor. None opposed. The Emergency Clause passed with a vote of six yeas and zero nays. Mayor Hurst declared the emergency clause passed. MISCELLANOUS and GENERAL DISCUSSION 6:03PM Almost Home, Connie Martin made her quarterly presentation. In summary there have been 2,308 dogs saved since the beginning of Almost Home Shelter and of that 70%of the dogs are transported to north eastern states. They had successful fundraisers in 2024 and expect no less in 2025. To date, they have raised $40,684 toward a van with more room for transportation and are shy about $9,000 from reaching this goal. She states they will be working on a spay/neuter law for the city of Van Buren for 2025. There was no further miscellaneous and general discussion. ADJOURNMENT 6:11PM Council Member Madison Simmons made a motion to adjourn, seconded by Council Member Mike Kneeland. The motion passed 6-0. The Regular Meeting of the Van Buren City Council was adjourned at 6:11PM C,\erk rreas City of Van Buren ATTESTED: Q y APPROVED: d p oraCounty,N' Shawnna M. Reynolds Jose P. Hurst City Clerk-Treasurer ayor