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North Little Rock notebook

Plaza name voting delayed by week

North Little Rock officials have revised the schedule for a contest to name a planned downtown plaza.

Social media voting on finalists in the contest will take place Jan. 29-Feb. 5, instead of starting Monday as originally announced.

A committee led by Mayor Joe Smith recently received a list of 108 name suggestions submitted by the public in the fall.

After narrowing the full list to "around 20" suggestions, each committee member will rank their top three choices using a points system, under which the top choice receives three points, the second two points and the third one point, said city Communications Director Nathan Hamilton, also a committee member.

The five names with the most points will be offered for public voting on the city of North Little Rock-Government page on Facebook starting Jan. 29. The top vote-getter will receive consideration in the final decision, but the vote won't be the determining factor for the chosen name, Hamilton has said.

Smith will review the final list of suggested names and make a recommendation to be affirmed by the North Little Rock City Council at its Feb. 12 council meeting, Hamilton said.

The person who submitted the winning entry will be awarded a pass for two people for free admission to all public events during the plaza's first year of operation.

An architectural rendering of the plaza's features is available on the city's website, nlr.ar.gov.

Shell ready to join larger Tree Board

A spot on the North Little Rock Tree Board is set to be filled by Paul Shell, a biologist with the state Plant Board, two months after a controversy over several large trees downtown being removed.

The appointment is pending affirmation by the City Council on Monday.

The Tree Board's duties include creating an "official comprehensive plan" for trees and shrubs in public areas of the city, including the preservation, removal or pruning of trees and shrubs.

The City Council increased the number of Tree Board members from five to six at its last meeting of 2017. The action was taken after the city received numerous public complaints for cutting down nine willow oaks and live oaks at a city-owned parking lot downtown in November without notice.

Mayor Joe Smith said he contacted city Park Ranger Ian Hope, the board's chairman, before the trees were cut down, but the full board wasn't consulted, raising questions about its purpose and authority. Three of the five board members are city employees or elected officials.

Shell has a bachelor's degree in biology from Hendrix College and has been with the State Plant Board for 28 years, including 16 years as plant inspection manager. His term on the Tree Board would be until January 2021.

Assistant to work with mayor, staff

North Little Rock Mayor Joe Smith has a new staff member, filling a vacant assistant position once held by Isaac Henry.

Robert Birch, 44, former sales manager for Adesa, a wholesale automobile auction company in North Little Rock, will work out of the communications office in City Hall. He will be assisting the mayor and mayor's staff with "special projects and office logistics," a city spokesman said.

Birch, son of retired Centennial Bank President Bob Birch, will be paid an annual salary of $38,500, the spokesman said.

Henry left the mayor's assistant job in May to be the city's Fit 2 Live department director.

Metro on 01/21/2018

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