Springdale City Council approves package of rezonings, finance moves and parks contracts

SPRINGDALE, Ark. — The Springdale City Council voted Feb. 25 to approve a set of zoning, finance and parks actions aimed at advancing development and tightening city financial practices.

Most notable was the council’s creation of a 2-51 retirement benefits restricted account funded initially with $550,000 from forfeited retirement contributions and a related transfer from the city’s unrestricted general fund. Colby (city finance staff member) told the council the change is driven by Internal Revenue Service restrictions on the forfeiture account and said the move will allow the city to invest the forfeited funds to extend their usefulness for retirement payouts.

The council also approved a rezoning request for 3.17 acres at 2969 East Emma Avenue, adopted multiple conditional-use and vending permits, renewed a contract with the Downtown Springdale Alliance and authorized contracts and purchases for parks and museum improvements.

“Because IRS rules restrict the use of forfeiture funds, placing the funds in a restricted account and investing them allows the money to go further when making long-term retirement payments,” Colby said during the finance discussion.

Votes at a glance: - Create 2-51 retirement benefits restricted account; transfer $550,000 from unrestricted general fund: passed, roll call carries 8–0. - Rezoning for 2969 East Emma Ave. (ordinance number 3307) from A1 to P1/O1/MF4: passed, carries 8–0; emergency clause adopted 8–0. - Rezoning for 1056 North Monitor Road from A1 to SF2: passed, carries 8–0; emergency clause adopted 8–0. - Conditional-use approval for Marshallese New Fellowship Church, 3184 North Thompson (conditions on hours, parking and building upgrades): passed, carries 7–1. - Food truck permit for 275 East Robinson Ave.: passed, carries 7–1. - Waiver of street improvements for Reliable Poultry parking-lot expansion: passed, carries 7–1. - Contract for parks master-plan professional services: passed (vote announced as carry 7–0 with 1 abstention during committee), council roll call recorded as carry 7–1/abstention in committee discussion; final roll call on council: carried 7–0 with 1 abstention recorded at the meeting. - Purchase of LED score tables for Parks & Rec (use of previously negotiated $100,000): passed, carries 8–0. - Contract award and purchases (ESI engineering for 60 Fourth Street Phase 2; AV equipment for Shiloh Museum; safe for City Clerk’s Office): all passed, carries 8–0. - Renewal of Downtown Springdale Alliance contract (annual funding): passed, carries 6–2. - Resolution amending Bridal (Bridal of Springdale) Trail study appropriation to correct amount (resolution 57-24): passed, carries 8–0. - Ordinance to establish an electronic funds payment system and emergency clause: passed, carries 8–0. - Personnel resolution to eliminate and create certain dispatch positions (replace four lead dispatch positions with four dispatcher positions): passed, carries 8–0.

Council members and staff explained several items during the meeting. Patsy Christie, director of planning and community development, presented zoning and conditional-use items and described conditions attached to the Marshallese New Fellowship Church approval, including required striped parking for 16 spaces, one ADA space and a shared-parking agreement that provides two of the 18 required spaces from an adjacent property.

Paxton Roberts, introduced during discussion of the Downtown Springdale Alliance contract, described DSA’s role in events, promotion and recruiting private funding. “We will embark on a strategic planning effort later this year as well as a financial sustainability plan,” Roberts said, describing DSA’s recent event attendance and fundraising. The Council approved renewal of the organization’s contract by a 6–2 vote.

Council members said the retirement-account move is intended to remove a reporting and compliance conflict between IRS restrictions on forfeiture funds and state requirements that retirement payments be paid from the general fund. The council approved language to move future forfeiture amounts into the restricted 2-51 account when they occur.

Less-critical items approved included a safe purchase for the City Clerk’s Office, waiver of competitive bidding for AV equipment budgeted in the museum’s line item and an engineering services contract for the 60 Fourth Street Phase 2 project. The council also carried a resolution authorizing the renewal of the Downtown Springdale Alliance contract, and it corrected a previously recorded amount for the Bridal Trail study appropriation.

Ending: Council members said the approved contracts and ordinances put city projects in motion and preserve staff flexibility to work on follow-up items. Several items, including the parks master plan and downtown parking strategies referenced in committee, will return for further public discussion and implementation planning.