Mayor Joe Smith's quest to have North Little Rock issue $4 million in bonds for improvements at the city airport made it through the City Council on Monday night, though at least two members only reluctantly agreed.
Council members approved, 6-1, the resolution "expressing an intent to issue revenue bonds" for improvements at the North Little Rock Municipal Airport, 8200 Remount Road. Council Member Jane Ginn voted no and Linda Robinson was absent.
The resolution doesn't authorize a bond issuance, but allows the mayor to "execute engagement letters" with Friday, Eldredge & Clark as bond counsel and Stephens Inc., as bond underwriter to determine costs and terms of a bond issue, the legislation said. Any further action will come back to the City Council for another vote, City Attorney Amy Fields said on Tuesday.
"All this is doing is to give me permission to take the next step, to expand the drawings and to find out how much it will cost," Smith said at the council meeting. He had postponed a vote each of the previous two council meetings. "All this is doing is saying: 'Joe, take another step.'"
The airport, opened in 1960, lacks a modern aviation center and needs additional hangar space, issues Smith has said are drawbacks for the city's major businesses to draw clients to North Little Rock.
While Smith has sent out preliminary drawings of proposed improvements, more detailed plans are needed for the city to seek any grants that could reduce the city's costs, he said. The draft plans handed out Monday include a proposed 10,400-square-foot hangar and a 5,900-square-foot fixed-base operator building.
Council Members Debi Ross and Charlie Hight each said during council discussion that they were supporting the mayor's request so more detailed plans could be brought to the council before any bond issuance is approved.
"I will vote yes because I want to see plans," said Ross, who added she'd prefer seeing any improvements be made in phases. "Without plans we can't go out for grants."
Hight said he agreed that the airport needs upgrading if the city "is to be in the airport business."
"I'm voting to give you authority to bring a plan back to us," Hight told the mayor.
Ginn spoke against the legislation, saying that "less than 1 percent of citizens" use the North Little Rock airport and that "some do not even know where it is." Two members of the public also spoke against the use of city funds for the improvements.
Ginn suggested reducing the amount to $1 million and having the airport try to earn the rest of the money itself over the next two years.
"This is all about economic development, bottom line" Smith replied. "We're not here to make money. We're here to provide a service to our people. That's why we do what we do."
Metro on 02/27/2019