By Ray King
When the Pine Bluff City Council meets Tuesday at 5:30 p.m., one of the items on the agenda will be an attempt to override Mayor Vivian Flowers’ veto of a resolution that a majority of the council members approved supporting the Urban Renewal Agency.
Flowers has made clear her desire to abolish the Urban Renewal Agency and a second reading of an ordinance to do that will also be on the agenda Tuesday.
In addition, a resolution amending the resolution of support will also be considered. That amendment mandates oversight by the City’s Public Works Director into the Go-Kart-Track project, including making regular updates to the council on the progress of the project.
It reauthorizes the transfer or $860,000 from the 2025 5/8 cent sales tax carryover to the project to fund construction, furniture, fixtures and operations of the track.
Another resolution dealing with the Go-Kart—Track authorizes a memorandum of understanding between Go Forward Pine Bluff and the Urban Renewal Agency. GFPB has pledged $1.2 million for the project to match the $860,000 in city money. That memorandum says that after the $860,000 is spent, Urban Renewal may send invoices to Go Forward Pine Bluff until all of that $1.2 million pledge is spent.
