Board approves multiple consent contracts, a police equipment purchase and directs staff to pursue MHA financing options

The Little Rock City Board of Directors on April 15 approved a consent agenda of contract resolutions and separately adopted resolution 24 to outfit police patrol units with mobile routers. By voice vote the board also directed the mayor and the city attorney to pursue financing options related to the Metropolitan Housing Alliance and the Madison Heights properties.

The consent agenda, approved as read into the record and passed by voice vote, included multiple contract authorizations and related amendments across departments. Items read into the record by the clerk included (summaries below reflect the wording offered at the meeting):

- Contract with Costello Concrete Pool & Spa Inc.: Ward 4 sidewalks improvement project — amount not to exceed $168,100.80 (funded from limited tax general obligation capital improvement bonds).

- Contract with Costello Concrete Pool & Spa Inc.: Ward 6 sidewalks improvement project — amount not to exceed $353,779.20 (funded from limited tax general obligation capital improvement bonds).

- Contract with Our Valdez Construction Inc.: Shackleford Road drainage improvement project — amount not to exceed $86,050.01 (funded from limited tax general obligation capital improvement bonds).

- Contract with Curtis Construction Inc.: Taylor Loop drainage improvement project — amount not to exceed $477,570 (funded from limited tax general obligation capital improvement bonds).

- Contract with All Service Electric Inc.: Chenal at Gamble intersection improvement project — amount not to exceed $619,860.60 (funded from limited tax general obligation capital improvement bonds).

- Resolution to amend Resolution No. 16295: one-year contract extension with JTS Financial Services LLC for employee benefit consultation services — amount not to exceed $95,000.

- Contract with Professional Account Management LLC (Duncan Solutions): integrated parking management system (devices and services for parking citations and management) — amount not specified in transcript.

- Transfer of title property to Anthony Lemons / NoMail Properties for neighborhood revitalization purposes — details as read into record.

- Purchase of one FlexMax rotary column lift from Vehicle Services Group LLC — amount not to exceed $76,945.14 plus taxes/fees.

- Purchase of a Toro ProCore aerator from Jerry Pate Turf and Irrigation Inc. — amount not to exceed $55,730.03 plus taxes/fees.

- Purchase of a demo model 90 HD Plus spider bucket lift from All Access Equipment Inc. — amount not to exceed $188,955.91 plus taxes/fees (for Urban Forestry, Parks & Recreation).

- Purchase of two 2025 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 trucks from Bell Chevrolet Company — amount not to exceed $91,900 plus taxes/fees (for Street Operations).

- Amendment to extend contract term with University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences through 12/31/2025 for community violence reduction services (resolution number amended from prior action).

- Certification of local government endorsement for Lexicon Inc. to participate in the Arkansas tax back program (Ark. Code §15-4-2706(d) referenced during reading).

- Professional engineering services contract with Cromwell Engineers, Inc. for a reservoir park master plan — amount not to exceed $441,500 plus taxes/fees.

- Amendment to Resolution No. 16618 to authorize a contract with Redstone Construction Group Inc. for Little Rock Micro Home Village grading and utilities — amount not to exceed $1,269,999.98 (includes 10% contingency).

- Authorization for the Little Rock Port Authority executive director to enter into a contract with Amazon LLC to veil approximately 107 acres (text as read; details not specified in meeting excerpt).

- Amendment to Resolution No. 16372 to authorize a contract amendment with Wagner General Contractors Inc. — amount not to exceed $118,367.73 for additional renovations and repairs to temporary Fire Station No. 9.

Separate item: resolution 24 (adopted at the meeting) The board approved a resolution authorizing the city manager to enter into a contract with Cellular Data Solutions LLC for 49 Cradlepoint R1900 mobile routers, antennas and a three-year NetCloud subscription to outfit patrol units for the Little Rock Police Department, in an amount not to exceed $140,334.89. The resolution was moved and approved by voice vote on first reading.

Vote method and tallies All consent agenda items and resolution 24 were adopted by voice vote. The meeting transcript records the outcome as “Ayes have it” for the consent agenda and for resolution 24; no roll-call tallies or individual member votes were recorded in the excerpt.

Context and follow-up Most of the consent items were forwarded as routine procurement or contract amendments; specific implementation tasks were assigned to the respective departments named in the packet (public works, parks and recreation, procurement, police, fire and port authority). Several items reference funding from limited tax general obligation capital improvement bonds, and one economic development endorsement cited Ark. Code §15-4-2706(d). Because the consent agenda was approved en bloc, board members did not discuss each contract individually at length during the meeting. Departments will proceed with procurement and contract execution consistent with the city’s purchasing rules and the terms read into the record.

A separate, substantive discussion during the meeting — not part of the consent agenda vote — produced a board directive asking the mayor and city attorney to pursue financing options related to the Metropolitan Housing Alliance’s Madison Heights properties. That directive was approved by voice vote and does not itself appropriate funds; any expenditure will require later board approval.