Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety Community Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Mayor praises emergency response after storm, highlights shelter use, grants and downtown demolition
Summary
Mayor Harold O'Kopenhaber commended city emergency teams for their response to a recent severe storm, reported shelters housing 207 people, noted $200,000 in outdoor-recreation matching grants for Allen Park, and updated the council on demolition progress at the former Citizens Bank building.
Mayor Harold O'Kopenhaber used the March 18 Jonesboro City Council meeting to describe the city’s emergency response during a recent severe storm, to acknowledge staff and volunteers, and to report several community developments including grant awards and demolition work downtown.
"I'm very proud of our first responders," Mayor Harold O'Kopenhaber said, describing mutual-aid assistance provided to nearby Paragould and noting that Jonesboro personnel and equipment assisted in the aftermath. The mayor said city crews and partners helped Paragould in cleanup operations and that shelters in Jonesboro housed 207 people during the event.
The mayor named specific city staff and partners in his remarks, thanking Chief Hamrick and Chief Elliott for response work and Ronnie Sturch for his team’s efforts. He said the city’s sirens had activated 16 times during the event and praised the organization of the emergency response.
On grants and city projects, O'Kopenhaber reported that Alejandra Morales from grants and Danny Kapalis from parks helped secure nearly $200,000 in outdoor recreation matching funds from the Arkansas Department of Heritage, Parks and Tourism for an inclusive playground at Allen Park. He also named John Kern as March employee of the month from the street department.
The mayor updated the council on downtown demolition at the building formerly known as the Citizens Bank building. He said crews had removed 262 tons of debris so far and that demolition of the taller portions of the structure was underway, with progress expected to continue quickly given forecasted high winds.
He noted community developments including the reopening of a Simmons Bank branch on Caraway Road, a new First Community Bank branch in Greensboro Village on East Johnson, and that Arkansas State University had broken ground on its College of Veterinary Medicine. The mayor also mentioned upcoming city services events, including a low-cost pet vaccination clinic that had reached capacity through pre-registration.
The mayor’s comments were delivered as part of his report to the council; no formal council action was taken on the items he described during the meeting.
