The Pine Bluff City Council approved several measures during its July 7 meeting, including repealing an ordinance that had established the Carl A. Redus Jr. Aquatic Center as a standalone municipal department.
Following the suspension of the council’s rules, members advanced the repealing ordinance to its third and final reading during the same meeting. The measure passed unanimously, with Ward 4 Councilman Steven Mays absent.
The action returns oversight, administration and management of the Aquatic Center to the city’s Parks and Recreation Department and removes the facility from the city’s list of independent municipal departments.
According to the ordinance, city officials determined the Aquatic Center can be operated more efficiently and economically under the Parks and Recreation Department rather than as a separate city department.
Mayor Vivian Flowers said the change is expected to save the city approximately $70,000 annually while also increasing operational support for the facility. She said consolidating management will allow additional assistance with maintenance, administrative responsibilities and day-to-day operations, enabling Aquatic Center staff to focus more on programming, safety and upkeep.
Flowers also said the city plans to enhance security at the facility by adding measures including security personnel, metal detectors, exterior lighting and cameras, and a panic button.
The council also unanimously approved an amendment to the city’s non-uniformed employee handbook establishing a 90-day probationary period for newly hired employees.
The proposal, recommended by the Human Resources Department, is intended to provide department heads additional time to evaluate a new employee’s job performance, attendance, conduct and overall suitability before confirming permanent employment.
Under the policy, new employees will remain at-will during the probationary period and will not be eligible to use the city’s employee appeal process until successfully completing probation. Department heads may also extend the probationary period when additional evaluation is needed because of performance concerns or absences related to illness, injury or approved leave.
Council members also approved changes to the city’s Urban Agriculture Task Force.
The resolution expands resident representation from three members to four, replaces one Jefferson County Cooperative Extension Service representative with a graduate of the Jefferson County Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Program and adds a representative from the Pine Bluff Historic District Commission.
City officials created the task force in 2025 to identify opportunities to expand community gardening, local food production and other urban agriculture initiatives throughout Pine Bluff.
In other business, the council authorized Flowers to enter into an agreement with the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism, allowing the city to apply for up to $750,000 through the state’s Outdoor Recreation Matching Grants Program.
If awarded, the grant would support recreational improvements associated with the Bayou Bartholomew development project, which the city is undertaking in partnership with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.
Under the grant agreement, any completed project must remain dedicated to public outdoor recreation in perpetuity, regardless of future ownership, and the city would be responsible for maintaining the facilities in a safe, clean and operational condition while keeping them reasonably accessible to the public.
Flowers said the Bayou Bartholomew project has involved numerous community partners and described it as a collaborative effort that city leaders believe will become a significant recreational asset for southeast Arkansas.
