By Ray King
The Pine Bluff City Council on Monday adopted an ordinance establishing meeting protocols for council, committee and other types of meetings.
The meeting was held at the Pine Bluff Convention Center all the participants except Council Member Ivan Whitfield wearing face masks. Council member Steven Mays, who started out with a mask, did take his off while reading the titles of the proposed ordinances and resolution.
According to the ordinance which was adopted without opposition, the Mayor, City Clerk, City Attorney and Committee/Commission Chairperson, if possible, will be physically present at the place where the meeting will be held. Council members/committee members will be able to participate in the meeting via electronic means, including discussion, debating and voting as if they were physically present at the meeting.
The ordinance goes on to say that all public meetings will be conducted with a city-administered virtual web conferencing application, and will, when possible, be aired on “Facebook live” to allow public viewing. To ensue social distancing, the public is encouraged to watch these live streamed broadcasts rather than physically attending because City Hall is closed.
In order to ensure public participation, input and commentary for these virtual council meetings, members of the public wishing to be heard may direct comments to the Mayor’s office no later than two hours before the meeting is scheduled to begin. Those comments should be mailed, emailed, messaged or otherwise delivered to the Mayor’s Office.
In other business, the council approved an ordinance allowing the city to obtain a short-term loan to purchase equipment and vehicles for the fire and emergency services and animal control departments.
Council member Win Trafford, who is chairman of the Public Safety and Emergency Services Committee explained what the $629,409 will be used for.
The city will make an annual payment of $217,000 for three years, beginning in 2021.
Although he supported the ordinance, Whitfield said that when it is time to work on the 2021 budget, “We’re going to have to make some hard decisions.”
Whitfield tried last year to re-appropriate money that was budgeted for Go Forward Pine Bluff programs and was defeated.
Monday night, he said “some things we’re giving money to is not a good match.”
Washington also announced that the city had received $411,412 from the U.S. Government to support efforts to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and said city officials will be looking at guidelines placed on how the money is to be spent before making a final decision.
