Police, firefighters will soon receive new equipment

More than $2.6 million in bonds will finance the purchase of new equipment for Texarkana, Ark., Fire Department and Police Department.

At its regular meeting Monday, the city Board of Directors voted unanimously to approve issuing the bonds, to be guaranteed by and paid for with franchise fees the city charges utility companies.

The funds will pay for two ladder trucks and a pumper truck for TAFD, as well as portable and mobile radios for TAPD.

Finance Director TyRhonda Henderson cited “a dire need” for the new gear in explaining the need for the bonds to the board.

TAFD will be able to put its older trucks—

some purchased in 1995—on reserve duty or sell them while they still have some value left, Chief David Fletcher said.

Later in the meeting, TAPD Chief Robert Harrison noted to the board that more than 70 percent of the bond funds raised would be used for the Fire Department and the city should prepare to spend more on the police soon. Donations totaling $240,000 covered much of TAPD’s spending in 2017, including for new patrol vehicles, Harrison said.

“We are going to need some money in the future to make some capital purchases,” he said.

The board voted unanimously to uphold the Planning Commission’s recent denial of a rezoning request.

Several neighbors spoke in opposition to developers hoping to build a duplex subdivision at 1501 E. 24th St., which would have required rezoning from single-family to low-density housing use. They cited as objections increased traffic in the neighborhood, lower property values and the possibility that developers would build low-income housing on the property.

“No matter how good the intentions of duplexes, property values always go down,” Steve Anderson said.

The board heard a first reading of an ordinance to amend the city’s franchise agreement with David Peavy, owner of 1894 City Market, 105 Olive St. downtown, formerly known as the Ritchie Grocery Building.

The agreement allows Peavy to use some strips of city property adjacent to the building. The proposed amendment would allow him to sell residential units in the building as condominiums.

Ward 6 Director Terri Peavy, David Peavy’s wife, abstained from the discussion. Two other readings of the ordinance and a vote will follow at subsequent meetings.

During the citizens communication portion of the meeting, Main Street Texarkana board member Larry White and Executive Director Ina McDowell, along with Downtown Neighborhood Association President Beverly Rowe, spoke in favor of returning the annual city Christmas parade to its traditional route.

Citing safety concerns because of Broad Street’s narrowness, the board last year voted to reroute all parades down Front Street, rather than Broad, between Hazel Street and Olive Street. But Main Street Texarkana and the DNA want a return to Broad to take advantage of the decorative lighting expected in downtown shop windows this year.

White said he had spoken with TAPD and reached a possible solution: keeping all cars off of that stretch of Broad beginning the afternoon of the parade. Without vehicles parked on either side of the street, the narrowness problem would be alleviated.

The board directed City Manager Kenny Haskin and Public Works Department staff to draft a measure allowing the route change, which will be considered at the next board meeting Nov. 20. The Christmas parade is scheduled for Dec. 4.

Also during citizens communication time, resident Amanda Bowers criticized the city Advertising and Promotion Commission.

Bowers and Tammy Thompson, organizers of a local literary and charity event called Gathering of Authors, in recent months have lodged multiple complaints about discrepancies in the commission’s practices and their treatment by A&P commissioners. Former Chairman Buddy Allen resigned from the commission last week, citing the difficulties the controversy has caused.

“Unfortunately, it is my opinion that the embattled A&P has done little else to improve its strained relationship with the citizens that they serve. … On two separate occasions, I have been personally attacked by an A&P commissioner as an extortionist solely for bringing these, let’s call them discrepancies, to light. … I am dismayed that a public servant that was appointed to the commission by this board would use a public forum to attack a taxpayer,” Bowers said.

She went on to call for the resignations of the two board members who serve on the commission, Ward 1 Director Linda Teeters and Ward 3 Director Tim Johnson, saying she meant to send “a wake-up call” to city government.

The commission is scheduled to meet at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday to discuss Bowers latest complaint, submitted to Haskin on Oct. 31.