North Little Rock notebook

Thea Foundation OK’d for $48,000

North Little Rock City Council members agreed Monday to make a $48,000 payment to the Thea Foundation to continue their partnership.

City Council members unanimously voted to allow the foundation to continue providing a downtown student art gallery and artistic programs intended to develop interest in art among young people.

The foundation programs are offered statewide and are available to students in kindergarten-through-12th grades. The foundation’s scholarship program has awarded more than $2.3 million to Arkansas high school seniors.

Pact to continue at-risk-youth work

North Little Rock entered a program agreement Monday with the North Little Rock Police Athletic League to continue the league’s work with atrisk youths in the community.

City Council members unanimously approved the provision of $60,000 to the Police Athletic League for a variety of sports programs, classes and activities for atrisk youths.

“They have done some good work, and I am excited to see them continue,” Mayor Joe Smith said at the meeting.

The Police Athletic League operates its organization and programs entirely with volunteer staffing, and devotes all revenue for sports and other activities for city youths at no costs to the participants, according to city documents.

Police OK’d funds for license readers

The North Little Rock Police Department received approval Monday to buy license plate readers and a surveillance system.

City Council members unanimously approved the purchase of seven license plate reader cameras from SkyCop Inc. for $8,115.15 each. The department also approved the purchase of a surveillance system from Crime Point Inc. for $56,521.71.

Police Chief Mike Davis said the cameras will be used in conjunctions with the surveillance systems already established within the city.

Liquor store bid to get sign denied

North Little Rock City Council members denied a zoning ordinance waiver request Monday that would have allowed an electronic wall sign on Warehouse Liquor Market, at 860 E. Broadway.

City Council members said the sign request was an attempt by store owner Inderjit Singh to gain a competitive advantage by using it to advertise products.

The city’s sign ordinance states that electronic changeable copy signs cannot be used as wall signs.

Singh said in his request that the sign might help him better compete with liquor stores in Little Rock.