Board votes to expunge prior ShotSpotter vote, agrees to revisit contract later

The Little Rock Board of Directors voted to expunge a prior board vote on ShotSpotter and agreed the matter will return for future consideration with revisions.

Director Tom Hines moved to expunge the board’s prior vote on ShotSpotter; after discussion about procedure and public notice, the board approved the motion. City Attorney Tom Carpenter explained the standard for expunging a previous vote: if notice of the motion to expunge is given prior to the next meeting, it takes a majority of six votes on this board; if not given, it requires a two-thirds vote (eight votes). The record shows the notice was given at the prior meeting, and the motion to expunge passed by voice vote.

Directors debated whether the motion should have been placed on the agenda earlier to give the public notice and opportunity to attend. Director Phillips said he respected Hines’ right to make the motion but objected that the matter had not been on last week’s agenda and that public notice matters for citizen participation. City Attorney Carpenter and other speakers clarified that the board’s action to expunge undoes the prior vote only; reinstating or approving any contract would require a separate subsequent vote.

After the expunge vote passed, staff said communications had been received about maintaining previously available pricing and that the company involved had requested an amendment to documentation (including a clarification that the company’s current name differs from a former name). The city attorney said the ordinance and contract would be brought back with noted changes and the stated price for board deliberation at a future meeting.

Ending: The board expunged its prior vote on the ShotSpotter matter and directed staff to return the item for future consideration with the requested clarifications; expungement does not itself reinstate or approve any contract.