History Commission spot gets new name
North Little Rock's home for the city's History Commission has a new name.
The North Little Rock City Council has approved naming the History Commission building at 506 Main St. as the North Little Rock Heritage Center to increase the visibility of the building's exhibit space.
The two-story building houses the North Little Rock History Commission and the North Little Rock Historic District Commission upstairs. On the first floor, historic exhibits and photographs are displayed for public viewing. The History Commission also has a staff and executive director who oversee documents vital to the city's history.
"We needed a new name," History Commission Chairman Suzanne Jackson said. "North Little Rock History Commission did not invite tourists to come into the building."
The building, constructed in 1895, is a former City Hall and fire station. The building was renovated in 2003 to become the History Commission's offices upstairs and the Argenta Branch Library for the William F. Laman Public Library System downstairs. The library closed in January 2014 to relocate to 420 Main St.
The City Council voted 5-2 in March 2014 against a proposal to lease the bottom half of the building to the Argenta Arts Foundation for the nonprofit's Argenta Downtown Council and Innovation Hub to use. At that time, city aldermen expressed a desire for the History Commission to control the entire building and expand its work.
The History Commission has sponsored exhibits on the city's history in the downstairs space during recent months. Next month, the building will display "Give My Regards to Broadway," an exhibit on the history of the Broadway Bridge.
McCain Boulevard work set for finish
A street overlay program scheduled this year includes resurfacing of McCain Boulevard, stretching from Ridge Road to North Hills Boulevard, Mayor Joe Smith said in a recent letter to the City Council.
The work will complete the resurfacing work for the McCain Boulevard corridor begun last year.
Funding comes from part of the city's share of a half-percent state sales tax approved in 2012 by statewide voters for street and highway improvements. This is the second year for the tax that allots a portion of the revenue to cities and counties for local roads.
E-cigarettes added to smoking policy
North Little Rock city employees have a revised smoking policy that includes regulating electronic vapor cigarettes, known as e-cigarettes.
Smoking and the use of smokeless tobacco products are prohibited in city buildings, within 20 feet of any door of a city building and in city vehicles, under the amended Employees Policy and Procedure Manual that added e-cigarettes to its smoking definition. City employees also are prohibited from smoking or using smokeless tobacco products when interacting with citizens on official business.
"We've had a lot of questions about using e-cigarettes in the workplace," Human Resources Director Betty Anderson told the council about why an updated policy was proposed.
The City Council approved the new policy last week with an emergency clause that made the policy effective immediately.
Metro on 05/20/2015