Board of Directors

MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE CITY OF SILOAM SPRINGS, BENTON COUNTY, ARKANSAS, HELD JUNE 20, 2023 The City of Siloam Springs, Arkansas, met in regular session at the City of Siloam Springs Administration Building on June 20, 2023. The meeting was called to order by Mayor Nation. Roll Call: Carroll, Hunt, Allen, Blair, Rissler, Wiles, Smiley— Present. City Representatives Present: Christina Petriches, Acting City Administrator; Renea Ellis, City Clerk; Jay Williams, City Attorney; Chief Jeremey Criner, Fire Department; Chief Allan Gilbert, Police Department; Kevin Moore, City Engineer; and Ben Rhoads, Sr. City Planner. Director Wiles led the opening prayer. The mayor led the Pledge of Allegiance. The mayor asked if there were any comments from the audience regarding an item not on the City' s agenda. No one came forward. The next item on the agenda was Presentations. Capt. Scott Miller introduced new officers, Erick Rivera, Eric Henshaw and Tyler McVay, and Chaplain Argyle Smith. Chief Gilbert presented a Lifesaving Award to Officer James Cooly and a Certificate of Accommodation to Officer Royce Corley for heroic, lifesaving acts they had performed. Capt. Derek Spicer then briefed the audience on white supremist activities that have recently occurred in the city, and stated he didn' t think there was any threat, but believed the hanging of posters was an effort to get the group' s message" out there." The mayor asked if there were any comments from the audience regarding an item on the Consent Agenda. No one came forward. Consent Agenda: A. Workshop Minutes/ June 6, 2023 B. Regular Meeting Minutes/ June 6, 2023 C. Special- Called Meeting Minutes/ June 12, 2023 D. Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus/ Emergency Vehicle Specialists/$ 414, 506. 26 E. Resolution 34- 23 / Amending Certain Purchasing Requirements for Utility Inventory F. Resolution 35- 23 / NWARPC/ Surface Transportation Block Grant Program/ East Kenwood Street Improvements G. Resolution 36- 23 / Intersection Improvement Application/ ARDoT/ Highway 412 and Highway 16 Intersection H. Resolution 37- 23 / NWARPC/ Hwy 412 and Hwy. 16 Intersection I. Resolution 38- 23 / Arkansas Outdoor RecreationGrant/ City Lake Board of Directors Meeting Minutes Page 12 June 20, 2023 A motion to approve the consent agenda was made by Smiley and seconded by Carroll. Motion passed unanimously. The mayor asked that the Board amend the agenda to allow Item" Q" be heard at this time as the applicant had requested the item be tabled until August 1, 2023. A motion was made by Smiley and seconded by Allen to amend the agenda to move Item" Q" at this time. Q. Resolution 33- 23 / Preliminary Plat Development Permit/ Oak Brook Addition/ 3095 North Mount Olive Street. Maegan Thomas briefed the item and Kevin Moore fielded questions from the Board including flooding concerns; lot widths; and the block waiver. Missy Morris, 1951 N. Dogwood, expressed her concern with the possibility of flooding her property. A motion was made by Carroll and seconded by Rissler to table the item to the August 1, 2023, meeting. Motion passed unanimously. J. Architectural Services Contract/ Fire Department/ Fire Station# 1/ Matthias J. Pearson Architect PLLC/$ 165, 000. Chief Criner briefed the item. A motion was made by Allen and seconded by Carroll to approve the item. Motion passed unanimously. d K. Ordinance 23- 11 / 3`Reading/ Annexation of 10 acres/ 2603 S. Lincoln Street. Ben Rhoads briefed the item. A motion was made by Smiley and seconded by Carroll to place Ordinance 23- 11 on its third reading, suspending the rules and reading by title only. Motion passed unanimously. An Ordinance Accepting the Annexation of Certain Territory Having the Address of 2603 South Lincoln Street to the City of Siloam Springs, Arkansas and Assigning the same to a Ward; was read on its third reading. A motion to adopt Ordinance 23- 11 was made by Smiley and seconded by Hunt. Motion passed unanimously. L. Ordinance 23- 14/ 2nd Reading/ Annexation of 40.40 acres M/L/ 3100 Block of North Mt. Olive Street and the 700 Block of West Pittsfield Street. Ben Rhoads briefed the item. Blair asked how Missy Morris could be excluded from the annexation or how she could fight it. Rhoads explained it couldn' t be done because it would create an enclave which isn' t allowed by state' statute. Allen also asked how to exclude Morris. Rhoads again tried to explain the process including the development will move forward and have city services without being in the city limits. Hunt pointed out the Board had asked at the last meeting to square up areas of annexed property. James McGuirk, 412 W. University, asked for clarification about Morris' annexation preference. Ron Homeyer, 701 S. Mt. Olive, stated the same state statute was used for Villa View as this petition. Rhoads said there was a process to de- annex. A motion to place Ordinance 23- 14 on its second reading, suspending the rules and reading by title only, was made by Carroll. Motion failed for lack of a second. Board of Directors Meeting Minutes Page 13 June 20, 2023 d M. Ordinance 23- 15 / 2" Reading/ Vacation of Utility Easements/ 224 & 302 South College Street. Maegan Thomas briefed the item. A motion to place Ordinance 23- 15 on its second reading, suspending the rules and reading title only, was made by Smiley and seconded by Hunt. Motion passed unanimously. An ordinance entitled: An Ordinance Vacating and Abandoning Portions of two Utility Easement Right- of-ways at 224 & 302 South College Street; was read on its second reading. N. Ordinance 23- 16/ lst and only reading/ Waive Competitive Bidding/ Property Insurance/ Moss Insurance Group/ Declaring an Emergency. Misty McGlothlin briefed the item. A motion was made by Allen and seconded by Smiley to place Ordinance 23- 16 on its first and only reading, suspending the rules, and reading title only. Motion passed unanimously. An ordinance entitled: An Ordinance Authorizing an Agreement with the Moss Insurance Group for the Provision of Property Insurance for the City, Waiving the Requirement of Competitive Bidding and Declaring an Emergency; was read on its first and only reading. A motion to adopt Ordinance 23- 16 was made by Smiley and seconded by Allen. Motion passed unanimously. A motion declaring an emergency was made by Smiley and seconded by Allen. Motion passed unanimously. O. Resolution 28- 23 / Significant Development Permit/ 1800 to 1900 Block of Azlin Place Rose Meade Townhomes). Ben Rhoads briefed items 0 and P, simultaneously. A motion to approve the item was made by Allen and seconded by Smiley. Motion passed unanimously. P. Resolution 29- 23 / Significant Development Permit/ 1901 Azlin Place ( Rose Meade Townhomes). Ben Rhoads briefed the item simultaneously with Item 0 and Kevin Moore addressed engineering conditions for approval. Ron Homeyer, 701 s. Mt. Olive, Civil Engineering, stated there was no ordinance requiring the condition of#5 and he believed it to be arbitrary. Moore read from the City' s municipal code and Drainage Manual and pointed out the manual was adopted by ordinance. A motion to approve the item with staff's recommended conditions, was made by Allen and seconded by Smiley. Motion passed unanimously. Q. Resolution 33- 23 / Preliminary Plat Development Permit/ Oak Brook Addition/ 3095 North Mount Olive Street. Moved up on the agenda. R. Closing City Administrator Job Posting. McGlothlin asked for direction from the Board regarding the job posting. Rissler stated she believed the job posting should be closed. Allen said the job should stay open until someone was hired. Blair said we shouldn' t keep advertising. The Board was in favor of stopping advertising the job posting. Board of Directors Meeting Minutes Page 14 June 20, 2023 S. Administrator' s Report. Petriches reviewed the report attached hereto and announced the four upcoming Special- Called meetings. Directors Report: Hunt asked who determined the Board would announce the new administrator after the final interview. Rissler said she did because that was the direction the Board had previously stated, they wanted to hire an administrator by the end of June. Hunt then stated she had always felt welcome in Siloam since she moved here and asked that growth should not inhibit us from making all people be made to feel welcome as all should be treated with respect and dignity and that we model kindness to others as the welcoming community we are. Wiles read a prepared statement about his vision for the city. Blair pointed out the next regular Board meeting would be on July 5th; asked that the personnel ordinance be withdrawn; asked if Ozark Go had been asked if they wanted to provide high speed internet access like Bright Speed was doing; that she appreciated the acknowledgment of the police officers' that had been present and appreciated staff; and that there was no room for hate in Siloam. Rissler asked if the community meeting date had been determined on drainage; ( Rhoads indicated sometime in August) and asked that the drainage workshop cover the part clay makes in drainage; and that she would like to see involvement of the community. Carroll pointed out that with the storms last weekend, all our utilities had stayed on and how he applauded the work done by Siloam Springs with regard to our utilities; that the rodeo was awesome, that he applauded how it was put together, and encouraged the audience to go; that 4th Friday was this Friday and it was bike night; pointed out that the police department handles a lot of issues that we aren' t even aware of and he appreciates the work it does. Smiley thanked Criner for the workshop; echoed there was no room for hate in Siloam; welcomed the new officers and chaplain; and congratulated Cooley and Corley on their acknowledgments; and encouraged the audience to come out to 4th Friday. Allen congratulated the new officers and Cooley and Corley; said he appreciated the workshop and the plan for future growth; appreciated staff on the annexation work it has done to grow the city; pointed out the email he had received with regard to white supremacists signage was hateful and not tolerated in Siloam; clarified statements he had made at past meetings and said he was not against the LGBTQ community, but would not support children being allowed to have sex changes; and that comments made about" almost any church" was due to the fact we don' t have a Jewish synagogue or Muslim mosque but they would be welcomed and he didn' t want his words twisted; he appreciated everyone being here and the community standing up to white supremacy and hate speech. With no further business, a motion Nation called for Motion to adjourn was made by Allen and seconded by Smiley. , 0' G"" RPO /.,, a vote. passed unanimously. s' c* ... y Meeting adjourned. C° 4' f ATTEST: APPROVED: NGs miiiin rnomm C 2Za,, CityClerk v id Renea Ellis CAMC/ CM k.s...***** .. anon, yor r Fe s; Ack „, A whYnnninoo' Board of Directors Meeting Minutes Page 15 June 20, 2023 Director Wiles Director' s Report comments regarding his vision for the City. On May 16 Director Allen read a very sincere and heartfelt message as to his vision for this city. While I am not nearly as eloquent as my fellow board members, I would like to share what motivates my thought process. I think there are many things we can all agree that we would like to continue to see in this beautiful city, A thriving downtown. Consistent monitored and sustained growth. A close- knit community. Solid family values that lead to an enhanced quality of life. There are many things that add up to this happening as have been mentioned in the past. A commonsense approach to fiscal responsibility, monitored utility rates, improvements in streets and drainage and an emphasis on citizen safety. All of this combined with an increasing sense of fairness and respect for everyone will continue to make Siloam Springs the wonderful, friendly place that it is. It has been said before and will be said many times in the future that serving the citizens of this city is an honor and privilege. It is a task that none of the Board members takes lightly. For us to do our job efficiently and effectively requires communication and working together. I hope we can all make it a goal to improve in this regard so we can have meaningful discussions that lead to understanding and unity of purpose. While there are individuals that from time to time do not agree with me, I have been entrusted to gather facts and make the best decision I can. While I am here to serve the citizens of this town, my duty and responsibility to serve lies with one who is mightier than I. I have promised to make my decisions to the best of my ability, and I constantly seek God' s wisdom and guidance in the hopes of doing so. I seek nothing for myself other than devoting my efforts to make Siloam Springs the best it can be. Most of the time this is made easy because of the tremendously talented people we have working for this city. At the end of the day, I thank God that I live where I live and that I get to take part in advancing an amazing place to call home.  S 1Oc'1111 Sprig s Administrator' s Report June 20, 2023 Expenditures: In excess of$ 30, 000 39, 750— Distribution right of way clearing— Electric 49, 869. 15— Test sewer lines for damage/ manhole inspections— Water/ Wastewater Per Resolution 61- 21 99, 270— Direct bury street light pole— Electric 98, 475— Anchor base pole— Electric 99, 216— Mesh leaf AMI meter— Electric 99, 840— AMI water meter— Water 43, 700— Secondary enclosure assembly— Electric 95, 384— Square cable enclosure— Electric 33, 300— Pole top transformer- Electric 1. Street renovations— Broadway Street will be closed for work beginning Saturday, June 24, at 10: 00pm through Sunday, June 25. 2. Fourth Friday is this week. It' s Bike Night. Kids can decorate their bikes at the library from 4- 6pm directly followed by a Bike Parade. There will be vendors at the event, along with the NWA Jazz& More Orchestra performing at 6: 30. 3. Essentials to River Kayaking starts next week. It is a five-day program for families, led by certified instructors from the American Canoe Association. 4. As a reminder, the annual Fire in the Sky fireworks show will be moved from the Siloam Springs Municipal Airport to the Rodeo Grounds.