All vehicles will be purchased through state tendering procedures. Each year, the state takes bids on all types of vehicles and awards contracts to the lowest bidders. These prices are well below the typical retail price, said board member Joe Hafner.

In total, the city plans to purchase 48 vehicles. In response to questions from resident Patti Lack, Mayor Harold Copenhagenver said the city’s overall fleet is aging and will not grow.

“So when we buy a car, we also want a car to come out of inventory as well,” Copenhagenver said. “So we work with each department, targeting the vehicles they need, not necessarily the ones they want… It is also important to revitalize our fleet at this time as it is aging. Many of our police vehicles are between 10 and 14 years old, we still have them in the field. We lost three last week due to accidents. It is an ongoing event.

The resolution approving the procurement amends the 2021 official budget to reflect additional spending.

Until September, overall sales tax collections were over $ 3.5 million in the first nine months of 2020.

In the remaining cases, the council waived the required three separate readings and passed an ordinance authorizing a new contract with Blue Cross Blue Shield to continue providing health insurance coverage to city employees.

Copenhagen said the 3.5% increase in premiums had been negotiated compared to a proposed 17% increase.

The members of the Council also heard the second readings of the draft ordinances which:

Ground the building at 4600 E. Nettleton Ave. from R-2 residential single family to C-3 general commercial at the request of Jarrett Holladay. The 1.1 acre parcel is surrounded by a mix of residential and commercial uses near Stevens Street.

Give up tendering and enter into a deal with Active Network LLC for hosted recording software for the Parks Department.

Place various traffic control signs in designated locations as determined by the city’s traffic control committee. One of the changes would be to reduce the speed limit on West Jefferson Avenue to 25 mph and place stop signs in all directions on Nisbett Street and West Jefferson Avenue.

Awarded a contract of $ 1,139,394 to Bailey Contractors, the lowest bidder for the construction of a new building maintenance facility.

Using $ 74,000 in federal risk mitigation funds to purchase a storm damaged property at 3901 Willow Road from Diane Maness.

Purchase an additional right-of-way along the planned route for a walking trail between Arkansas State University and Church Street.

Place municipal liens on multiple properties to recoup the cost of code enforcement actions.

A public hearing has been scheduled for December 7 at 5:20 p.m. on an appeal of the Metro Planning Commission ‘s refusal to approve the conditional use of a notice board at 2701 Paula Drive.