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SEPTEMBER 22,2025 CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES City of Van Buren, Arkansas Minutes of the Regular Meeting of the City Council Monday, September 22, 2025 Van Buren Municipal Complex CALL TO ORDER 5:30PM The regular meeting of the Van Buren City Council was called to order by Mayor Joseph P. Hurst at 5:30PM. City Attorney and Reverend Jacob Howell led the invocation. Mayor Joseph P. Hurst led the Pledge of Allegiance. PRESENTATIONS - AWARDS None ROLL CALL 5:32PM Present: Council Member Shannon Newerth-Henson, Council Member Matt Dodson, Council Member Tyler Wood, Council Member Madison Simmons, Council Member Tonia Fry, Mayor Joseph P. Hurst, City Clerk-Treasurer Shawnna Reynolds, City Attorney Jacob Howell Absent: Council Member Mike Kneeland CONSENT AGENDA 5:32PM After determining there were no reported objections or unfinished business, Council Member Tyler Wood moved to approve the consent agenda which consisted of: o Minutes from Regular Meeting of the City Council, August 25, 2025 o A & P Commission Reappointments: Phillip Morton/Rusty Myers o Street Closures: 600 Block Main Street Closure—TOTMA o John Drennen House -Tom Wing o Financial Statements, Southwest EMS, VBMU Financials o Department Reports Motion was seconded by Council Member Tonia Fry. Consent Agenda approved with a vote of five yeas and zero nays. Mayor Hurst declared the consent agenda passed. NEW BUSINESS 5:33PM Ordinance 11-2025 Amending Civil Service Rules and Regulations City Clerk-Treasurer Shawnna Reynolds read the ordinance in its entirety. Council Member Tonia Fry 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 Tonia Fry moved that the rules be further suspended, and the ordinance placed on the third and final reading. The motion was seconded by Council Member Madison Simmons, 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 invited Police Chief Jonathan Wear to speak to the council. Police Chief Wear explained that ACT 751 was enacted and results in changes to the civil service rules and regulations. In the past, a promotion within the Police Department was not final for six (6) months, this is being increased to twelve (12) months. Additionally, in the past a new officer was in training for one (1) year and that has been increased to two (2) years. Chief Wear explained that both items were good moves for the Police Department and gave more grace period for new hires. Motion to adopt Ordinance 11-2025 was made by Council Member Tonia Fry. Seconded by Council Member Matt Dodson. Roll call. All in favor. None opposed. Ordinance 11-2025 Amending Civil Service Rules and Regulations is adopted with five yeas and zero nays. Mayor Joseph Hurst declared the ordinance passed and signed same in open council, duly attested by City Clerk-Treasurer Shawnna Reynolds. Ordinance 12-2025 Rezone 317 South 9t" Street R-3 to C-1 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 Madison Simmons, 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 invited Planning Department Supervisor, Wally Bailey, to speak to the council. Mr. Bailey explained that this was a straightforward request. It was approved by unanimous vote of the Planning Commission and was duly published in the Times Record. Motion to adopt Ordinance 12-2025 was made by Council Member Madison Simmons. Seconded by Council Member Matt Dodson. Roll call. All in favor. None opposed. Ordinance 12-2025 Rezone 317 South 91" Street, R-3 to C-1 is adopted with five yeas and zero nays. Mayor Joseph Hurst declared the ordinance passed and signed same in open council, duly attested by City Clerk-Treasurer Shawnna Reynolds. Ordinance 13-2025 Annual Millage Tax Renewal 2025 City Clerk-Treasurer Shawnna Reynolds read the ordinance in its entirety. Council Member Tonia Fry moved that the rules be suspended, and the ordinance be placed on its second reading. The motion was seconded by Council Member Tyler Wood, followed by a unanimous vote by the council. The clerk read the ordinance the second time by title only. Council Member Tonia Fry moved that the rules be further suspended, and the ordinance placed on the third and final reading. The motion was seconded by Council Member Tyler Wood, 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 explained that this is not a new tax. This ordinance is an ordinance that is passed every year because the millage ordinance must go before the Crawford County Quorum Court. Council Member Madison Simmons started a discussion about the possibility of increasing the millage rate. Currently it is 2 mills for real and personal property and 1.4 mills for the Crawford County Library. She mentioned the average for the State of Arkansas and surrounding cities. She questioned if this would be the time to increase the millage rate. There was discussion from other council members that questioned how that would impact the residents of Van Buren. City Attorney Jacob Howell addressed the procedural ramifications and how it could be performed, if a change were to take place. It was decided that the ordinance would be approved in the current format and submitted to the Crawford County Quorum Court and that there would be discussion at the budget meeting in December after more research was conducted and definitive dollar amount was obtained. Motion to adopt Ordinance 13-2025 was made by Council Member Tyler Wood. Seconded by Council Member Matt Dodson. Roll call. Council Member Dodson Yea Council Member Newerth-Henson Yea Council Member Wood Yea Council Member Fry Yea Council Member Simmons Nay Council Member Kneeland Absent Ordinance 13-2025 Annual Millage Tax Renewal 2025 is adopted with four yeas and one nay. Mayor Joseph Hurst declared the ordinance passed and signed same in open council, duly attested by City Clerk-Treasurer Shawnna Reynolds. Motion to approve emergency clause made by Council Member Matt Dodson, seconded by Council Member Tyler Wood. Roll Call. All in favor. None opposed. Emergency Clause passed with a vote of five yeas and no nays. Ordinance 14-2025 Conducting Business with a City Employee's Relative 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 Matt Dodson 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 this was proper protocol when an employee of the city is a relative to someone in the outside workforce that the City of Van Buren or its employees could do business with. In this instance Fort Smith Therapy employees Shawnda Wear, wife of Police Chief Jonathan Wear. Chief Wear mentioned that his wife will not council any City of Van Buren employees and this was just a precaution because she is employed with a firm the City of Van Buren uses. Motion to adopt Ordinance 14-2025 was made by Council Member Madison Simmons. Seconded by Council Member Shannon Newerth-Henson. Roll call. All in favor. None opposed. Ordinance 14-2025 Conducting Business with a City Employee's Relative is adopted with five yeas and zero nays. Mayor Joseph Hurst declared the ordinance passed and signed same in open council, duly attested by City Clerk-Treasurer Shawnna Reynolds. MISCELLANOUS and GENERAL DISCUSSION 5:52PM None ADJOURNMENT 6:06PM Council Member Madison Simmons made a motion to adjourn, seconded by Council Member Tonia Fry. The motion passed 5-0. The Regular Meeting of the Van Buren City Council Meeting was adjourned at 6:06PM. C,\efk Tress 01 ATTESTED: City of Van Buren APPROVED: 0- "1 �f d �County, Shawnna M. eynolds Jose P. Hurst City Clerk-Treasurer yor