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Finance committee moves to forward property purchase for drainage and streetlight contract to full council
Summary
The committee considered a resolution to buy 1215 North Main Street for a stormwater detention site and a low-bid acceptance to contract Wilkins Electric LLC for streetlights; both items were moved and seconded for forwarding to full council and committee members asked clarifying questions about drainage, appraisals and light types.
The Jonesboro Finance and Administration Council Committee heard two new-business resolutions concerning a property purchase identified for stormwater detention and a streetlight installation contract, and motions were made and seconded to forward both items to full council for final action.
Resolution 25-017 would authorize the city to contract to purchase property at 1215 North Main Street from Swattell 3601 LLC for $175,000 plus normal closing costs, with funding from the Capital Improvements Fund miscellaneous drainage line item in the 2025 budget. The resolution text attached a real-estate contract and authorizes the mayor and city clerk to execute documents if council approves the purchase.
City engineering staff described the site as “a little over 5 and a half acre tract of land” that is designated in the city’s master drainage plan as a detention-pond area, with a “pretty large sized ditch” that floods and is intended for stormwater detention rather than development. Staff said the city obtained two appraisals and that the $175,000 purchase price falls between the two appraised values; staff indicated the city’s appraisal was about $180,000 and the seller’s appraisal was higher (approximately $196,000). Staff also said the $175,000 figure covers only the purchase price and does not include development or excavation costs for constructing a detention basin; staff expects planning and improvements to begin in 2026.
Resolution 25-044 would accept the low bid and authorize a contract with Wilkins Electric LLC to install streetlights on Cretth Avenue, with funding to come from the 2025 capital improvement budget and payments made per contract documents. Committee members asked whether the fixtures would be conventional streetlights or the campus-style “black lights” used at Arkansas State University and at the city’s new dog park; staff said the fixtures would be similar to those campus lights for visual uniformity.
Both motions to forward each resolution to full council were moved and seconded during committee discussion; the committee chair asked members to record their votes on forwarding the items, but the meeting transcript does not record the vote tallies or final committee outcomes.
Clarifying details provided in the meeting included the property’s designation in the city master drainage plan (Corps of Engineers), the tract’s approximate size (about 5.5 acres), the purchase price ($175,000 plus normal closing costs), the funding source for the purchase (Capital Improvements Fund, drainage line item, 2025 budget), and that development costs for the detention basin are not included in the purchase price and are expected to be planned in subsequent budget years.
What’s next: each resolution was moved to be forwarded to full council for final consideration; staff will provide the real estate contract and bid documents to council members for the full-council meeting.
