Mayor touts ’22 accomplishments in address
Mayor Shirley Washington touted numerous accomplishments in 2022 in her State of the City address on Monday night and ended her speech by asking for patience and perseverance.
“All of the challenges we experience on a daily basis didn’t happen overnight,” she said during her 35-minute address that took place before the regular Pine Bluff City Council meeting. “It’s going to take several years to create the city that we deserve and the city that we want. We should not waver. We are making steady progress against the many odds against us. We have to keep believing and investing in ourselves.”
Washington, standing in a darkened room as she spoke to the dozens in attendance in the Convention Center room, ran through a slide presentation of 2022’s highlights, expressing appreciation to council members, city employees and, in particular, the city’s residents whom she thanked for “their faithfulness in moving with us forward.”
Washington, a former educator, said bringing along young people and seeing them succeed had always been one of her goals. To that end, she said the newly remodeled Pine Bluff Community Center was now making an impact in the lives of many young people. The center, now run by the Boys and Girls Club of Jefferson County, is seeing some 75 youngsters use the facility daily.
“That partnership is fruitful,” she said. “We’re proud of the impact this partnership is having on our community.”
In pointing out her efforts to combat crime, Washington spoke of last year’s hiring of Denise Richardson as the city’s police chief and Richardson’s efforts to get the police department accredited.
“This will hold us to a new, higher standard,” she said.
Washington named projects big and small, from putting speed bumps in certain areas to slow down speeding vehicles, to expensive infrastructure projects that involve sewer line upgrades and repairs.
Washington also touted the city’s relationship with Go For
ward Pine Bluff, giving the agency credit for many improvements the city has seen over the past few years. Go Forward’s fiveeighths-cent tax will sunset next year unless voters renew the tax in a May 9 vote.
Specifically, Washington mentioned that the Go Forward-supported King Cotton Holiday Classic basketball tournament in December had been a success.
“It shows that we’re becoming a destination city,” Washington said, encouraging the audience to say the words with her.
The Carl A. Redus Aquatics Center, another Go Forward project, is seeing more traffic, memberships and revenue year over year, Washington said, and space in the Pine Bluff Civic Center, named for slain police detective Kevin Collins, is being renovated to hold city council meetings and accommodate up to 150 people.
Washington said the loss of the Super 1 Foods grocery store last year on East Harding Avenue was “very sad” but added that city officials are still making calls in hopes of finding a replacement grocery store for the location.
Washington also mentioned the news that a Marriott Courtyard hotel is in the works for the site where the old Plaza Hotel sits. Financing for that project is being worked on and “the dirt will be broken soon,” she said, adding that the Marriott hotel won’t compete with one being planned for the Saracen Casino Resort.
“People who stay at the casino will want a casino experience,” she said, “and people who stay at the Marriott will be there because they want a family friendly atmosphere.”