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Jonesboro task force limits review to site selection for new 911 dispatch center, schedules expert briefings
Summary
At its first meeting the City of Jonesboro Capital Improvement Bond Task Force agreed to focus on choosing a site for a new combined 911 dispatch center and police facility, not on whether the city needs a new building, and identified experts it will invite to provide cost, engineering and flood-mitigation information.
The City of Jonesboro Capital Improvement Bond Task Force at its first meeting agreed to limit its study to selecting a site for a new combined 911 dispatch center and police facility rather than re-litigating the need for a new building.
Task force members said the location decision — between expanding the existing Caraway Road facility and a downtown property that currently houses the Justice Complex and a leased district court space — will drive development costs, flood mitigation needs and the sequencing required if demolition or phased construction is necessary.
The decision to focus the group’s work on site selection followed a motion that members approved in the meeting. Members also accepted the police chief’s recommendation that the city needs a new facility; the committee agreed that the subsequent work will center on where to put it and what costs and impacts each option would carry.
Members outlined a list of experts the task force will invite to future meetings: architects, civil and structural engineers (including flood-mitigation specialists), construction contractors, commercial real-estate advisers, and representatives from emergency management. Committee members also said they want input from the police chief and Director Ronnie Sturge and suggested coordinating with the mayor and the county judge about possible county–city collaboration and the future location of district court services.
The group asked the administration to circulate materials already prepared for the bond package — including a spatial study completed the previous September, a quick-claim deed for the Caraway property and the resolution approving prior renovations — and to collect additional cost estimates in spreadsheet form for comparison. Members said they expect to submit questions in advance to the city clerk so experts arrive prepared to answer specific cost, timeline and feasibility questions.
Key issues members flagged for expert analysis include: whether bond proceeds may be used to purchase new property; the cost difference between expanding the Caraway Road site and demolishing and rebuilding downtown; flood and drainage risks on the downtown site; the effect of existing tenants (the district court lessee) on timing; whether to include motor-pool and related municipal functions in the new building; and phasing options that would allow city operations to continue during construction.
Task force members also discussed planning for long-term growth, saying any new facility should allow room for expansion over the next 20 to 30 years rather than only meeting current needs. Public comment was not held at this first, internal meeting; the task force said it will provide a public forum at a later meeting when expert presentations are made and site information is available.
The committee set a schedule for follow-up meetings once experts are identified and invited and administrative materials are distributed. The meeting concluded after the group agreed on next steps and adjourned.
