By Ray King
At its final meeting in December, the Pine Bluff City Council voted to name the Aquatic Center in honor of former Mayor Carl Redus Jr., and in the first meeting of the new year Monday, Redus came to the meeting to say thank you.
After the meeting, he talked about what it meant to him to have the building named in his honor.
Redus went on to describe the Aquatic Center as the “Crown Jewel” of the Penny for Progress Tax Initiative and said it was one of the most expensive municipal projects the city has had in some time.
“I see the city moving forward and a lot of the things taking place came from the Penny for Progress initiative,” he said.
Prior to the meeting, Pine Bluff District Judge John Kearney swore in the newly elected or re-elected city officials including new Second Ward Council Member Steven Shaner who was asked after his first meeting if it was what he expected.
Others who were sworn in were Mayor Shirley Washington who began her second four-years in office, new City Clerk Janice Roberts, City Treasurer Greg Gustek, First Ward Council Member Lloyd Holcomb Jr., Fourth Ward Council Member Bruce Lockett, and Third Ward Council Member Glen Brown Sr., who is returning to the council after four years out of office.
The council approved a resolution authorizing Bench Ads., Inc., to transfer the city’s permission to place benches along city rights of way to new owners of the company, and a resolution which will allow Gustek to delete references to the Administration of Justice Account for Division One of the Jefferson County/Pine Bluff District Court.
An ordinance dealing with the abatement of public nuisances was read for a second time and placed on the calendar for the next meeting.
