With a short agenda Monday during the Pine Bluff City Council meeting, with one item pulled and three resolutions, the majority of the meeting was spent with public comment.
Several speakers spoke for approximately 2 minutes on nonagenda items.
Lola Johnson, a Pine Bluff native, spoke about a crime-free lifestyle.
“I hate to take a negative stance or bring up a negative concern but it’s one I know you all can handle,” she said. “I have experienced some issues with crime over the last few years.” Johnson said she has made several police reports concerning personal property damage to a residence and electronic cyber crimes and has not gotten any feedback yet that she needs and expects from public safety.
“I’m here to speak as a proponent. If it takes more people in uniform and more equipment, please help to get those things,” she said. “When things started I had an elderly parent at the house and it’s very upsetting and concerning when your elderly parent can not rest with stuff going on outside of the house.” Irene Holcomb, a former Pine Bluff council member, spoke in favor of the Go Forward Pine Bluff tax initiatives.
“Tonight I want to speak for, particularly public safety, she said. “I’m for all of the Go Forward but if we don’t have public safety we won’t have a city.
Holcomb said the firefighters and the fire chief endorse the tax. Once a chairperson of public safety, Holcomb said public safety is important whether one likes GFPB or not.
“If we don’t have safety, we’ll have no city,” she said. “The city will be in ruins.” Don Harris also spoke in favor of GFPB. Explaining the five-eighths-cent sales tax, Harris said for every $10 spent in Pine Bluff, 6 cents of the $10 goes toward the tax and for every $100 spent, 63 cents goes toward the tax.
“As a result of these small individual investments, we create a 30-million dollar investment in Pine Bluff,” he said.
One by one, several others spoke in support of the taxes including Pine Bluff citizen Classie Green.
“In 2017 Pine Bluff made a choice, a choice of positive change and chose to invest together in our community, our neighborhood, our infrastructure and it’s working,” she said. “Everyone has an opinion, but let’s support the facts about Go Forward and the initiatives and the things they have done in our city.” Naming off some of their achievements, Green said the organization has brought $31 million to the community and completed the Carl A. Redus Jr. Aquatic Center. She also mentioned the Convention Center upgrades and Community Center renovations.
“Some people didn’t support the casino, but it’s here and a great asset to our city of Pine Bluff,” she said. “Let’s keep going forward.” Brian Thomas, JRMC president, said he was an original GFPB committee member during the focus group studies and supports the organization financially as a corporate partner with private contributions.
He also said GFPB’s success in improving the city helps with the hospital’s recruiting.
Pastor Matt Mosler, CEO of the nonprofit Home Again Pine Bluff, said when he and his wife were scouting out Pine Bluff as a place to start their ministry, there was a lack of ownership, no sense of direction and no sense of hope.
“And then the Go Forward program was passed,” said Mosler, adding there has been positive momentum in Pine Bluff in the past five to six years because of the organization.
“It’s hard to argue that we were better off five years ago than we are today,” he said.
According to Mosler, despite GFPB’s issues and the need to be more transparent, he said those issues need to be addressed but “not at the expense of this momentum.” “We got to work together on this issue folks and we need to build on this momentum,” he said.
Mosler said prior to the sales tax election that failed in May, Home Again Pine Bluff was set to build 34 homes with committed grants and funding from GFPB.
“The goal was to offer certified teachers and police officers a $25,000 grant to purchase a home as long as they agreed to serve and teach in the city for three years. Some of that grant money was coming from a Go Forward program,” he said.”Since the vote, we have had to postpone our plans and those lots remain vacant.” Mosler said people can now see the work being done by GFPB which has generated optimism and hope.
“Stop helping the enemy destroy us,” said Mosler. “Do not do away with something that is working and replace it with something that has a history of dysfunction.” John Fenley was the only public speaker who spoke against GFPB. Originally there to speak about alleged perjury in the code enforcement office, he shifted gears to speak about GFPB putting the tax back on the ballot after the citizens voted it down already.
“It’s absolutely ridiculous for you guys to put it back on the ballot,” he said. “… to pretend that you care about what the voters say, but then just throw it back in our faces.” In other city business, the council approved all resolutions.
The resolutions include reappointing Lloyd Franklin Sr. to the Urban Renewal Agency Board to serve a term to expire September 30, 2028; a resolution adjusting residential garbage rates from $19.40 per month to $20.22 per month; and a resolution authorizing a contract with Shields & Associates for construction work regarding Phase 2 of the Streetscape Project. Shields & Associations will be paid a sum of $2,386,462.50.
Improvements will begin from Fourth Avenue to Eighth Avenue and include the railroad crossing.
Mayor Shirley Washington also mentioned that Chick-fil-A opens Nov. 30. With over 900 applications received, the manager expects to hire 115.