State of the City

State of the City March 2023

How do we start describing 2022 other than what a year?

Our city staff have taken everything that 2022 threw at them and continued to provide our daily city services in every area. Our community is grateful and appreciate what our staff have done over the last year.

Pea Ridge continues to grow with a new Census Bureau population coming in at 7,140. Our location, residential development, business environment and schools continue to be the driving force in our community’s growth.

We have been fortunate to receive tree grants from the Walton Family Foundation which allowed us to do two tree give away events last year and to plant trees around our community.

Our future is bright thanks to the dedicated service of those who have preceded us in all areas of the city, whether city administration, city staff, city council, planning commission members or library board members. We are a city of great opportunities for families and businesses.

Highlights of 2022 Street Department:

• Opened Patton Street extension for public use.

• Removed/replaced 150LF curb on Peck Road to create fall for water flow

• Trimmed all trees back on Henry Little Circle, and Lee Town Drive for asphalt overlay

• Removed/Replaced 25LF curb on Lee Town Drive to correct Drainage

• Removed/Replaced Asphalt on S. Davis, Hazelton Road, and Wood St.

• Raised tree canopy on N. Davis, Patton St., McIntosh St.

• Removed asphalt and curb on John Montgomery Circle to create a low water slab (60x30) to correct drainage issue.

• Meadows Court in Shepherd Hills added storm box at end of cul-de-sac. Double run of 12”

• Removed/Replaced culvert at 1392 Coler Drive to correct drainage 18” 40 LF

• Corrected an Engineering error on Dove Road. Eliminated a 140’ run of 24” storm pipe. Rerouted the run 35’ to an existing box. Added a storm box on the SE part of the intersection of Dove Road/Shelby Road.

• Added two storm boxes at city park to help with drainage and widened the parking lot.

• Removed trees, excavated, mucked, widened, and reshaped the pond at Choate Place to match engineered plans.

• Removed trees at the end of Harper Cove.

• Removed 18” culvert on Cardin Road and added curb, storm box, and upsized to 24” pipe.

• Created a parking lot at the old brush dump for bike trail parking. Corrected two existing pipe crossings. Both are 2 - 48” pipes and 1 – 24” pipe 20’ in length.

• Removed/replaced 18” pipe on Mabel Lane to assist with the poor drainage that exists off Hwy 72.

• Added two light poles to the basketball court at city park

• Added two storm drain boxes to mitigate drainage issue at the park

Parks:

• Continued Park maintenance and improvement.

Water/Sewer Department:

• Completed water and sewer impact fee study. New fee schedule was approved by ordinance.

• Four new lift stations have been approved and are in service.

• Updated the Pea Ridge Water Utilities Specification Manual.

• Installation of a new 6” water main on Manor Drive. (2,400’)

• Installed and programed a new SCADA system. (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition)

• Opened a new sewer basin on the east side of Pea Ridge. Topographical studies were conducted and 3,300’ of 18” sewer main was constructed. Project will allow for approximately 3,500 acres to have access to City sewer. (Otter Creek Sewer Basin)

• The new wastewater treatment plant received an award from the ACEC. (American Council of Engineering Companies)

Fire/Ambulance:

• Promoted three captains

• Ordered and received new SCBAs.

• Received updated living furniture.

• Bought 13 sets of bunker gear.

• Washer/Eextractor for bunker gear – cancer prevention

• Built dryer for bunker gear.

• Updated billing system for better efficiency

• Two of our personnel graduated Fire 1 and 2 academies.

• One of our personnel graduated EMT school.

• Two of our personnel graduated EMR school.

• Bought four RIT packs.

• Started remodel of station 1.

• One of our personnel saved two lives in a house fire.

• Two personnel got accepted to medic school.

Police Department:

The police department fully implemented a bodyworn camera program to strengthen officer accountability, show transparency, improve officer performance, and provide increased safety for the community and police officers.

Upgraded weapon systems, including updating patrol rifles and repurposing its 12-gauge pump action shotguns for use as less-lethal weapons by fitting them with brightly covered stocks labeled “less-lethal.” The conversion gives officers one more less-lethal option.

The Neighborhood Market pharmacy provided grant funds to help create fully stocked trauma medical kits for all officers.

These medical kits give officers better tools when responding to incidents that require immediate medical care.

Regarding school safety, the police department acquired additional ballistic shields and held an Active Shooter Training event that involved multiple agencies. Active shooter training will be conducted a minimum of once per year.

The police department promoted Officer Mindy Fowler to sergeant over the school resource officer program. Sergeant Fowler has 25 years of law enforcement experience and is an excellent asset to our SRO program. We also introduced KODA, a K9 therapy dog, which Sgt. Fowler will handle. KODA has already been useful in helping children in crisis. KODA is the first police therapy dog in the public schools in the State of Arkansas.

Officers have used NARCAN and other life-saving devices, such as tourniquets, to save multiple lives over the last year. Six different officers were awarded life-saving awards in 2022.

The police department implemented a more robust reporting system in 2022. This system, which is integrated with the Benton County Sheriff’s Office and Jail, along with several other Benton County agencies, streamlines reporting, information and data sharing. It further helps officers, prosecutors and other staff increase productivity.

Thanks partially to the efforts of our Police Department, Pea Ridge ranked 13th out of 501 cities this year as one of the safest cities in Arkansas.

District Court:

• Cases filed – 1,615

• Cases processed - 1,542 Library:

• Number of patrons added – 460

• Temporary/ digital cards created– 186

• Circulation items added– 1,314

• Total checkouts – 13,698

• Total Sora checkouts – 3,119

• Total visits to library – 10,953

• Number of programs held – 131

• Patron participation in programs – 2,077

• Annual highlights: March 2022, we received the second half of the 2021 ARPA funding granted to us by the state library in the amount of $4,548. This went towards circulation materials and equipment needed for library programming.

In April 2022, we received a Walmart community grant for the library’s summer reading program in the amount of $1,000.

In June 2022, we received a Walmart community grant for the library’s Spanish/ English conversation group in the amount of $500.

Joined in the phase two rollout of the State’s Interlibrary Loan Program called Mockingbird in September 2022. There are 52 libraries in the state in the program.

In September, we received a donation of $1,200 to pay for the installation of the exterior keypad to the library’s meeting room door.

Food for Fines canned food drive October – November. All donations went to the NWA Children’s Shelter. Donated 97 nonperishable items.

Participated in the AR PBS Mr. Roger’s Sweater Drive, where all donations went to NWA Women’s Shelter. Donated 90 items in December from the November drive.

Participated in the Bright Futures Angel Tree Program as an Angel Tree site.

Resolved water intrusion via a roof repair and awning installation.

Building Official / Inspections:

• New construction Value – $103,527,774.00.00

• Residential units – 330 permits fees - $524,143.00

• Subcontractor Permits 1076 fees - $85,739.00

• Miscellaneous Permits: Building – 18 Electrical – 91 Mechanical – 46 Plumbing – 50

• Total – 205 fees $8,841

• Total inspections performed – 3,100

• Impact fees collected – 260 fees - $558,738

• Total fees collected $1,177,461

Community Development:

Subdivisions/city projects inspected upon acceptance

• Avalon

• Sedona Rose Ph. 1

• Walnut Hills Ph.1

• The Greens at Sugar Creek

• Arlington Ph. 2

• Saratoga

• It’ll Do Road

Assisted Street Dept projects.

• Patton Street Ph.2

• Charles/Humphrey Street Drainage

• Weston Street Sidewalk/Berm

• Hazelton Road – made elevations for ARCO to allow a proper tie in at the Saratoga entrances that abut Hazelton Road.

Future Planning for Projects

Givens Subdivision along S. Harvey Wakefield Topo

Ross Salvage Topo

City of Pea Ridge projected growth:

Year 2022 – population 6,559

Year 2030 – population 7,649

Year 2040 – population 9,428

Pea Ridge Population History by Census Year:

1940 – 72 1950 – 268 1960 – 380 1970 – 1,088 1980 – 1,488 1990 – 1,620 2000 – 2,346 2010 – 4,794 2020 - 6,559