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NOVEMBER 24,2025 CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES City of Van Buren, Arkansas Minutes of the Regular Meeting of the City Council Monday, November 24, 2025 Van Buren Municipal Complex CALL TO ORDER 5:32PM The regular meeting of the Van Buren City Council was called to order by Mayor Joseph P. Hurst at 5:32PM. Police Chief Jonathan Wear led the invocation. Mayor Joseph P. Hurst led the Pledge of Allegiance. PRESENTATIONS - AWARDS None ROLL CALL 5:34PM Present: Council Member Mike Kneeland, Council Member Shannon Newerth-Henson, Council Member Matt Dodson, Council Member Tyler Wood, Council Member Tonia Fry, Mayor Joseph P. Hurst, City Clerk-Treasurer Shawnna Reynolds Absent: Council Member Madison Simmons, City Attorney Jacob Howell SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS Mayor Joseph P. Hurst stated that an agenda item is being removed from the agenda. It was item 7, Short Term Rental. This will be discussed at a later time. CONSENT AGENDA 5:35PM After determining there were no reported objections or unfinished business, Council Member Mike Kneeland moved to approve the consent agenda which consisted of: o Minutes from Regular Meeting of the City Council, October 27, 2025 o Resolution 11-01-2025 Closing Parks Dept Equipment Fund o Resolution 11-02-2025 Christmas Bonus o Resolution 11-03-2025 Remove and Dispose Fixed Assets o Resolution 11-04-2025 Setting a Public Hearing Summit Central o Resolution 11-05-2025 Legacy Creek Phase III Final Plat 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 5:36PM Resolution 11-06-2025 K9 Kahr Retirement City Clerk-Treasurer Shawnna Reynolds read the resolution in its entirety. Mayor Joseph P. Hurst invited Police Chief Jonathan Wear and Corporal Brandon Blunt to address the council. Chief Wear stated that it was time to medically retire our K9 officer, Kahr. Corporal Brandon Blount as his handler will be moving to a different position as well. Between Chief Wear and Corporal Blount, they were able to state what K9 Officer Kahr achieved in his career and what it meant to the City of Van Buren. K9 Officer Kahr is ten years old and is having difficulty getting out of the car. In his career, the evidence he recovered was equal to 1 pound of heroin, 1 pound of cocaine, 80 pounds of methamphetamine, 3,500 pounds of marijuana and $400,000 cash. He found a missing four-year-old boy and resolved a standoff with police with a bite and saving everyone involved. He had over 20 arrests by surrender and 2 bites leading to arrest. This resulted in a net amount of approximately 17-20 million dollars in narcotics recovery. A final 10-7 was heard over the radio by police dispatch and K9 Officer Kahr was officially retired. Motion to approve Resolution 11-06-2025 was made by Council Member Tonia Fry. Seconded by Council Member Matt Dodson. Mayor Joseph P. Hurst asked City Clerk-Treasurer Shawnna Reynolds to call roll. Resolution 11-06-2025 K9 Retirement was adopted with five yays and zero nays. Mayor Hurst declared the resolution passed and signed the same in open council, duly attested by City Clerk- Treasurer Reynolds. Resolution 11-07-2025 Captain Adam Hicks Retirement City Clerk-Treasurer Shawnna Reynolds read the resolution in its entirety. Mayor Joseph P. Hurst invited Police Chief Jonathan Wear and Captain Adam Hicks to address the council. Chief Wear stated that Captain Hicks would be retiring after 22 years and 106 days of faithful service to the City of Van Buren. He will be issued his service sidearm a Glock G45MOS, 9mm caliber pistol, Serial Number CETF912. Chief Wear mentioned that Captain Hicks had been shot in the line of duty during his service for the City of Van Buren and we are grateful for his recovery and continued service until his retirement. Motion to approve Resolution 11-07-2025 was made by Council Member Tyler Wood. Seconded by Council Member Matt Dodson. Mayor Joseph P. Hurst asked City Clerk-Treasurer Shawnna Reynolds to call roll. Resolution 11-07-2025 Captain Adam Hicks Retirement was adopted with five yays and zero nays. Mayor Hurst declared the resolution passed and signed the same in open council, duly attested by City Clerk-Treasurer Reynolds. Ordinance 19-2025 Rezone 3502 Hollis Drive 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 Tyler Wood, 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 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 stated this is an ordinance to amend Ordinance 07-1963 Municipal Code 14.04.04 by request of Ruth Nieto to rezone her property at Lot 128, Rickey Addition, Phase III from Residental-4 Mobile Home District to Residental-3 Multi-Family Residential District. The notice of Public Hearing was published in the Southwest Times Record on October 19, 2025, and a public hearing was heard on November 4, 2025. The Planning Commission approved unanimously. Motion to adopt Ordinance 19-2025 was made by Council Member Shannon Newerth-Henson. Seconded by Council Member Tonia Fry. Roll call. All in favor. None opposed. Ordinance 19-2025 Rezone 3502 Hollis Dris 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 20-2025 Referendum Petitions 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 invited Van Buren Municipal Utilities Steve Dufrense to address the council regarding this ordinance. Mr. Dufresne explained that the Van Buren Municipal Utilities are applying for a bond, and the Department of Agriculture is asking for the ordinance. The City Clerk-Treasurer, Shawnna Reynolds, performed an extensive search and could not produce the original ordinance. It appears that it may have been originally executed in the 1920's. After the search it was determined that we would write a new ordinance and present it to the council. Motion to adopt Ordinance 20-2025 was made by Council Member Tonia Fry. Seconded by Council Member Matt Dodson. Roll call. All in favor. None opposed. Ordinance 20-2025 Referendum Petitions 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. Motion to approve emergency clause made by Council Member Mike Kneeland, seconded by Council Member Tonia Fry. Roll Call. All in favor. None opposed. Emergency Clause passed with a vote of five yeas and no nays. Ordinance 21-2025 Approve Purchase of New Dump Truck- 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 Shannon Newerth-Henson, 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 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 explained this was budgeted as a 2025 purchase. The 2026 F-750 Diesel Regular Cab Base and Dump Truck bed would be purchased from Randall Ford of Fort Smith in the amount of$108,740.00. Mayor Hurst mentioned that it was budgeted with a pre-bid price, but Street Department Superintendent John Karstens was able to get a better price with Randall Ford. This is a NON-CDL truck that Mr. Karstens explained was needed because there are not as many employees with a CDL license as there has been in the past. Ordinance 21-2025 Approve Purchase of New Dump Truck—Street Department 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. Motion to approve emergency clause made by Council Member Matt Dodson, seconded by Council Member Tonia Fry. Roll Call. All in favor. None opposed. Emergency Clause passed with a vote of five yeas and no nays. MISCELLANOUS and GENERAL DISCUSSION 5:52PM Kevin Fakught, Stephens, Inc. addressed the council to discuss Sales & Use Tax Bond Issue. Mr. Faught discussed the options the city could use to fund the proposed community center and fire station. He explained how much revenue could be generated and the different amount of sales tax options that could be used as well as termination. He discussed what would be required of voters and when the items would need to be on the ballot and when publication would be required. This was strictly informational for the council and will be considered at a future date. James and Stephanie White addressed the city council about de-annexing from the city limits at their property at 1207 Pevehouse Place. They presented their position that they believed they could request a de-annex based on state requirements. It was determined that this would be discussed further with the presence of our City Attorney, Jacob Howell, who was not in attendance. ADJOURNMENT 6:18PM Council Member Shannon Newerth-Henson made a motion to adjourn, seconded by Council Member Matt Dodson. The motion passed 5-0. The Regular Meeting of the Van Buren City Council Meeting was adjourned at 6:18PM. �\�G\erk Tr��s4� c� ty ATTESTED: ; City of Van Buren APPROVED: i" Shawnna M. Reynolds Jos Ch P. rst City Clerk-Treasurer Ma