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North Little Rock notebook

$495,188 to buynew pumper truck

North Little Rock aldermen approved waiving the bidding process to buy a 750-gallon-tank Pierce Impel Custom Pumper for $495,188.

The price, acquired through HGACBuy -- an approved, nationwide, government procurement service -- saves the city $38,563.89 by ordering it directly for the manufacturer and built to the city Fire Department's specifications, according to the ordinance. Aldermen approved the legislation 7-0 Monday.Alderman Debi Ross was absent.

The funds are already appropriated in the 2016 city budget under the Sales Tax Capital Improvement Fund.

The city is working under a plan to replace 12 firefighting vehicles that average out at more than 14 years old. The first of those replacements came in February 2015 when the City Council approved buying three fire engines.

Main Street site focus of rezoning

North Little Rock planning commissioners last week approved a rezoning for the former Argenta Elementary School, from its O-1 (office) classification to c-3 (commercial), and amended the land-use plan from "public" to "community shopping" to allow commercial development at the site, 1301 Main St.

The former elementary school is among five sold by the North Little Rock School District in 2015 so that the properties could be redeveloped. The excess buildings are the result of the district's capital improvement program that reduced the number of district schools.

The properties were sold to TerraForma LLC of Maumelle. No development plan for the Argenta school property has been submitted to the city, according to city planning officials.

The Planning Commission approved the action 6-0 on Tuesday with three members absent.

Metro on 07/17/2016

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