Jonesboro meeting summaries, agendas, and minutes

Jonesboro boards weigh police facility purchase, zoning changes

The most consequential item on recent Jonesboro agendas was a proposal to purchase a property at 1709 East Highland Drive for police operations, along with a related financing ordinance. The City Council and its Finance & Administration Committee both had the purchase on their Aug. 18 and Aug. 11 agendas, respectively. No minutes have been published for any of the meetings, so no decisions are confirmed.

Police facility purchase and financing

The City Council's Aug. 18 agenda included a resolution to purchase 1709 East Highland Drive for police department operations and an ordinance (ORD-26:028) authorizing a general revenue promissory note to finance the purchase and improvements. The Finance & Administration Committee had introduced the same items at its Aug. 11 meeting. The purchase was also listed on the council's consent agenda.

Zoning and subdivision requests

The Metropolitan Area Planning Commission (MAPC) had two items on its Aug. 11 agenda: a rezoning request (RZ-26-12) by Jeremy Bevill to change 1411 Southern Ridge Blvd. from PD-M Multi-Family to PD-M Commercial, and a preliminary subdivision plat (PP-26-11) for The Woods at 141. The same rezoning request appeared on the City Council's Aug. 18 agenda as ORD-26:030.

The council also had two other rezoning items on its Aug. 18 agenda: ORD-26:022 to rezone 2038 North Church Street from C-3 to RM-12 with a limited use overlay, and ORD-26:025 to rezone 1400 Southern Ridge Blvd. from R-1 to C-3 with a limited use overlay.

Municipal liens and other items

The Finance & Administration Committee's Aug. 11 agenda included six resolutions to place municipal liens on properties for code enforcement violations, with amounts ranging from $275 to $335. The properties were at 211 Scott, 2612 Crawford Drive, 2404 Brazos, 213 Nisbett, 700 Melody, and 823 Parkview. The City Council's Aug. 18 agenda listed five liens of $275 each, though the addresses were not specified in the summary.

Other agenda items

• The Public Safety Council Committee's Aug. 18 agenda included a resolution (RES-26:101) to permanently close the Airport Road (Arkansas Highway 351) at-grade crossing with Union Pacific Railroad once a grade-separated crossing is completed. The committee also received a vector mosquito control report for July 2026.
• The Finance & Administration Committee's Aug. 25 agenda (upcoming) includes a resolution (RES-26:103) requesting free utility services from City Water and Light for city-owned property, and a resolution (RES-26:104) to amend the FY2026 budget to purchase two 2026 Chevrolet 1500 crew cab 4x4 trucks for the Fire Department.
• The Finance & Administration Committee also had resolutions to apply for an FY2027 Outdoor Recreation Matching Grant from the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism and for the Delta Regional Authority's 2026 Community Infrastructure Fund.

Coming up

No upcoming meetings are listed in the next 14 days. The next scheduled meeting is the Finance & Administration Committee on Aug. 25 at 4:00 PM, per the agenda summary.

Jonesboro council weighs $1.2M road widening contract, police facility purchase

Jonesboro city committees and the City Council met over the past two weeks to consider a $1.2 million road widening contract, zoning changes, municipal liens, and trail projects. All items were on agendas only; minutes have not yet been published, so no final votes are confirmed.

South Caraway Road widening

The Finance & Administration Council Committee on July 28 considered a resolution to accept a $1.2 million low-bid contract for the South Caraway Road widening project (RES-26:086). The City Council on August 4 also had the contract on its agenda, with a resolution to accept the low bid and contract with RL Persons Construction, Inc. for Job No. 2026:20. No vote results are available.

Employee handbook and municipal liens

The Finance & Administration Committee on July 28 considered amending the city employee handbook (RES-26:074) and placing liens on six properties for unpaid code enforcement totaling $2,885. The City Council on August 4 had liens on its agenda for properties at 218 W. Forrest ($315), 413 Parkview ($1,240), 616 E. Oak ($275), 704 Vine ($275), 1702 W. Nettleton ($315), and 5017 Mt. Carmel ($465). The council also held a public hearing on abandoning a 15-foot alley between 1810 and 1812 Henry Street.

Zoning changes

The City Council on August 4 had second readings for rezoning 2038 North Church Street from C-3 to RM-12 (NK & Sons Investment) and 1400 Southern Ridge Blvd. from R-1 to C-3 (Fisher Arnold), plus a third reading for 2911 Browns Lane from R-3 to C-3. No votes were reported.

Trail projects and wetland partnership

The Public Works Council Committee on August 4 considered three resolutions: accepting a fee proposal for construction administration and inspection services for the Marion Berry Parkway Multiuse Trail (RES-26:089), an agreement with Bacon Farmer Workman Engineering & Testing for Higginbottom Trail professional services (RES-26:090), and an affiliation agreement with the University of Arkansas for the Turtle Creek Wetland Partnership, including a capital improvement budget amendment (RES-26:091).

Other recent meetings

The Metropolitan Area Planning Commission on July 28 reviewed a final plat for Brookshire Place Phase III (PP-26-13), a preliminary plat for The Woods at 141 (PP-26-11), and a first replat for East Arkansas Area Agency on Aging (PP-26-12).

A special called meeting of the Finance & Administration and Public Safety committees on August 6 was limited to public discussion of the Shelter Insurance Agency building; no votes were taken.

Coming up

The Finance & Administration Council Committee will meet on August 11 at 4:00 PM to consider purchasing 1709 East Highland Drive for police department operations, authorizing a general revenue promissory note for that purchase and improvements, applying for an FY2027 Outdoor Recreation Matching Grant from the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism, and applying for the Delta Regional Authority’s 2026 Community Infrastructure Fund. The committee will also vote on seven municipal liens for code violations, each $275 or $335, on properties at 211 Scott, 2612 Crawford Drive, 2404 Brazos, 213 Nisbett, 700 Melody, 823 Parkview ($335), and others.

All meeting minutes are pending publication; outcomes of the items above have not been confirmed.

Jonesboro agendas point to $1.2M road contract, liens, and zoning changes ahead of Aug. 4 meetings

Jonesboro's most consequential pending item is a proposed $1.2 million low-bid contract for widening South Caraway Road, scheduled for City Council action on Aug. 4. Because minutes have not yet been published for any of the meetings below, the outcomes listed here are what the agendas show were scheduled — not confirmed decisions.

South Caraway Road widening contract

The City Council is set to consider a contract with RL Persons Construction, Inc. for the South Caraway Road widening project. The Finance & Administration Council Committee agenda listed acceptance of a $1.2 million low-bid contract for the same project under resolution RES-26:086. No vote tally is available because minutes have not been published.

Municipal liens for code enforcement

The Finance & Administration Council Committee agenda included votes to place municipal liens on six properties for unpaid code enforcement violations totaling $2,885. The City Council agenda lists the same set of liens:

• 218 W. Forrest — $315
• 413 Parkview — $1,240
• 616 E. Oak — $275
• 704 Vine — $275
• 1702 W. Nettleton — $315
• 5017 Mt. Carmel — $465

The committee agenda named only four of the six properties; the full set appears on the council agenda. Outcomes are not yet confirmed.

Employee handbook revision

Both the Finance & Administration Council Committee and the City Council are scheduled to act on amending and adopting a revised city employee handbook under RES-26:074. No details on the substance of the changes are included in the agenda summaries.

Zoning changes and alley abandonment

The City Council agenda includes two proposed zoning changes:

• From C-3 to RM-12 LUO at 2038 North Church Street
• From R-1 to C-3 LUO at 1400 Southern Ridge Blvd

A public hearing is also scheduled on the abandonment of a 15-foot alley between 1810 and 1812 Henry Street.

Subdivision plats before Planning Commission

The Metropolitan Area Planning Commission met July 28 to consider three plats:

• Final plat approval for Brookshire Place Phase III (PP-26-13), a residential subdivision
• Preliminary plat review for The Woods at 141 (PP-26-11)
• 1st replat for East Arkansas Area Agency on Aging (PP-26-12)

Minutes from that meeting have not been published, so approvals are not confirmed.

Trail and wetland projects before Public Works Committee

The Public Works Council Committee, meeting Aug. 4, is scheduled to vote on three resolutions:

• Accept a fee proposal for construction administration and inspection services for the Marion Berry Parkway Multiuse Trail Project
• Enter an agreement with Bacon Farmer Workman Engineering & Testing for Higginbottom Trail professional services
• Affiliate with the University of Arkansas for the Turtle Creek Wetland Partnership, with a capital improvement budget amendment

No dollar amounts for the fee proposal or agreements are listed in the agenda summaries.

Coming up

Two meetings are scheduled for Aug. 4 at Jonesboro City Hall: the Public Works Council Committee at 5:00 p.m. and the City Council at 5:30 p.m. The City Council agenda — covering the South Caraway Road contract, zoning changes, liens, the employee handbook, and the Henry Street alley hearing — is the meeting most likely to affect residents directly. No other upcoming meetings are listed for the following two weeks.