Board approves consent agenda including Motorola CAD maintenance, multiple insurance contracts and a $574,420 tree-planting grant subaward

The Little Rock City Board of Directors approved a multi-item consent agenda on Oct. 6 covering a range of procurements, insurance contracts, franchise and fee ordinances, and grant acceptance.

Key items read into the record and approved as part of the grouped/consent docket included:

- A proposed amendment to a sole-source agreement with Motorola Solutions Inc. in an amount not to exceed $2,854,306 to renew essential maintenance and support services for the Premier One computer-aided dispatch and mobile CAD software system for a 1.5-year term.

- Multiple employee benefit contracts covering group life, accidental death and dismemberment, long-term disability, vision and dental administration, and voluntary coverages (MetLife, Delta Dental Plan of Arkansas, Vision Care Service Plan, Symetra Life Insurance Company, Aflac/Coverage and others). The clerk read several not-to-exceed amounts (examples cited in the reading included $460,000 for MetLife, $1,100,000 for dental administration and $755,000 for Symetra reinsurance) as part of the consent list; the transcript records those budget caps as presented by staff.

- A $574,420 subaward agreement with MetroPlan to accept EPA grant funds for purchase, planting, care and watering of 7,550 trees in two city parks to help mitigate storm damage from April 2023 and reduce carbon dioxide-related climate impacts.

- A contract with Interplay Enterprise Fleet Management for upfitting 29 Little Rock Police Department vehicles (amount cited $423,797 plus applicable taxes and fees) and purchase agreements for electric vehicles with Bell Chevrolet for four electric Chevrolet Equinox vehicles (amount cited $174,000 plus taxes and fees).

- Authorization to accept permanent construction easements and right-of-way dedications and to acquire temporary construction easements as needed for Rose Creek Trail construction.

- Several franchise and fee ordinances (including amendments to ordinances numbered in the transcript as 11,683; 15,706; 11,366) were read and advanced through readings on the docket.

The grouped items were read across first, second and third readings as applicable and were adopted by the board during the meeting. The transcript records the clerk reading each item and the mayor calling for voice votes. Individual roll-call tallies were not provided in the excerpt for each consent item; the clerk and mayor recorded adoption of the entire grouped package.

Several items were identified as sole-source or emergency procurements in the readings. Where specific dollar amounts were read into the record, those amounts have been reported above as presented by the clerk during the meeting.

One item — designated earlier as held separate by Director Hans (m2) — appeared to be considered separately from the consolidated motion; the transcript records that Directors held and otherwise approved grouped items as noted.