Council approves budget adjustments and sign-on bonuses for public safety

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The Pine Bluff City Council held its monthly meeting of February Tuesday, featuring all council members except Steven Mays Sr. During the meeting the council approved items on the agenda involving a budget adjustment, two ordinances, and four resolutions.

During the committee reports, proposed ordinances for the levy of the five-eighths cents tax and the levy of a three eights tax increase as well as calling for a special election for both, pulled by the sponsors for further assessment.

During the Ways and Means report, Glen Brown Jr. reported for Mays Sr. explaining a yearend budget adjustment of $841,473.57 to zero all accounts for the year to start with a clean slate for the 2023 year, which was approved without contest. Brown Jr. also reported a budget adjustment for a grant of $15,000 from Healthy Babies Bright Futures which was also approved to be included in their budget for use.

During the Public Works report, Steven Shaner reported on a few things underway since their last meeting.

During the proposed ordinances and resolutions, the board approved the rezoning of the 5700 block of Olive Street to the East Side which will be the site of the new Chick-Fil-A coming in 2024, and the rezoning of the 200 block of East 2nd Avenue.

The board also approved a resolution that has to be presented yearly declaring certain houses, buildings, and or structures as nuisances and ordering their abatement as well as providing placement cost of correcting certain nuisances on tax books as delinquent taxes and collected as such.

The next approved resolution was to provide sign-on bonuses to attract and retain public safety officers through payment of bonuses. The bonus for new hires is $5,000, with $1,000 upon hire, $750 for the completion of training,  $750 for the end of the first year, $ 1,250 for year two, and $1,250 for year three. For certified hires, the bonus is $10,000, $2,500 upon hire, $2,500 end of year one, $2,500 for the end of year two, and $2,500 for the end of year three.

After the meeting, Deltaplex News spoke to Police Chief Denise Richardson who spoke about her thoughts on the approval of new hire bonuses.

The final approved item on the agenda was the reappointment of Wanda V. Neal to the Pine Bluff Aviation Commission.