By Ray King
Mayor Shirley Washington cast the deciding vote Monday as the Pine Bluff City Council adopted a resolution approving funding to the Pine Bluff Urban Renewal Agency for specific projects.
The Mayor was joined in voting yes by Council members Lloyd Holcomb Jr., Glen Brown Jr., Joni Alexander and Steven Shaner and after the meeting, Holcomb told Deltaplex News why he voted yes.
Voting no were council members Steven Mays, Bruce Lockett, Ivan Whitfield and Glen Brown Sr.
The resolution called for spending $3 million of the sales tax money approved by voters in the 2017 5/8th cent sales tax for infrastructure and soft costs for a multi-family housing subdivision which will be located in the downtown area. That subdivision is projected to cost $14 million with private investors contributing the additional $11 million.
Another $2 million will be used toward construction and soft costs in a $4 million project at the 601 Plaza at 6th Avenue and Main Street and extending east to 6th Avenue and State Street.
A total of $850,000 will go of construction of a go-cart track and related amenities to be located at 2100 East Harding Avenue, the former Admiral Benbow. The total cost of that project is estimated to be $1.5 million.
Another $400,000 will go to neighborhood enhancement where existing homes will be renovated, and new homes built on vacant lots.
A resolution transferring two pieces of city owned land to Urban Renewal to construct new homes was also approved, this time by a 5-3 vote with Brown Sr., voting no and Whitfield and Lockett abstaining.
Six of the seven resolutions appointing or reappointing people to the Advertising and Promotion Commission or the Board of Trustees for the Arts and Science Center for Southeast Arkansas were adopted without dissent but the seventh, the appointment of John Lawson to replace William Moss on the Advertising and Promotion Commission drew no or abstain votes from Mays, Lockett, Whitfield and Brown Sr.
Lawson will replace William Moss who was one of two financial consultants (with George Stepps) hired by the city to help with the 2022 budget. The Mayor cast the needed 5th vote to assure Lawson’s appointment.
